VISIONARY

Gordon Giltrap must be one of the most intelligent and inventive guitar player ever and in same to damn underated , at least for me. After 3 years break from previous album from 1973. Giltrat gather all his forces and puted on portative a new album in 1976 named Visonary. Well, with album he entered for sure in the gallery of giant guitarists. With this release he left aside his folk arrangements from previous works and optaining for a far more complex music combining symphonic acustical parts with progressive passages, something between Mike Oldfield, Simon Phillips and in places even some Renaissance elements can be found. A bigger step for him that turns to be the lucky card in his excellent career. Having around him some top notch musicins like John G Perry the bass player who had colaborations with great canterbury bands like Caravan, Curved Air or Quantum Jump, the brilliant and well known drumer Simon Phillips, Rod Edwards on keyboards, one of the most elegant (in musical terms) keyboard player ever with some fantstic passages here and of course lots of guests who contribute to the strinngs and brass sections. This album to me is a winner for sure, some fantstic pieces here like Awakening, Lucifers Cage. Giltrap abilitis to create and combine in such elegant maner medieval acustical passages with symphonic prog, with grandious keyboards, orchestrations and all ingredinets to be a fairly solid album. Good one for sure, but the nest 2 albums are even brilliant. 3.5 stars for this one.