PAINTED ROCK

A great follow up to their self-titled release, Painted Rock sounds much more like a band effort. These guys must have locked onto the same wave length between this and the past album because the music here seems to belong much more than on the previous release. Guitarist Van Manakas also plays a much larger role on this album and is more like a full member of the band rather than a session musician brought in to lay down a few licks.

The album starts off with a pleasant easy listening number in the title track "Painted Rock" which really shows the bands ability to keep an almost funky groove.

"Land Of Hazmats" has the band playing a relatively slow, laid back number, that contrasts nicely with the ferocious solo that Manakas plays on top and the effect is very pleasant.

"House of Marc" is obviously a Wagnon piece and starts out with a beautiful mellotron like atmosphere setting the mood for this highly atmospheric piece that shows some of his most emotional playing. There are also some female chanting vocals that harmonize with the song and really send it over the edge. This is the album best track.

"Quai Des Brumes" features some beautiful work on a Spanish acoustic and it really steals the show.

"Neuro-Transmitter" is the albums low point and is a bit too busy for my taste. It's too chaotic to really have any good melodies.

The album continues on with standard jazz fusion tracks which are played perfectly by this quartet. It even features a continuation of the track "Bad American Dream Part 24".

The album closes with a beautifully busy drum solo very reminiscent of Neil Peart. It doesn't get boring for one second and ends this album perfectly. Highly technical, highly emotional, and highly enjoyable jazz fusion.

Swiss born Marc Wagnon moved to USA and got together with excellent bassist Percy Jones from Brand X fame and formed in mid '90s Tunnels. They have a moderate succes among jazz fusion listners with 4 albums released so far. I happed to get one of their albums and one considered their best , is the second album from 1998 named Painted rock. Well, what we have here is a solid jazz fusion album with complicated twists coming from each musician and great musicianship, they remind me a in places of Brand X manner of composing. The guitar is strong , Van Manakas done a good job, specially on first 4 pieces who are the best from the album. In the middle of the album it becomes little experimental like on Boyz in the Ud, not bad but not really for my taste. They cover almost all areas of jazz fusion world with great guitars and here and there keyboards, resulting a fine album, but I don;t think is groundbreaking, is great but not excellent. All in all, fans of the genre must take some spins and specialy this one and next one Progressivity being their best. 3 stars rounded in some parts to 3.5.

The reissue of Tunnels' debut was propably a consequence of the band being back together, heading for the recordings of a second album.But now the whole work was connected to Wagnon's Buckyball label, even the sessions took place at the Buckyball Studio in New York.New album was titled ''Painted rock'' and was launched in 1999.

The quartet sounds more focused and tight in this effort, even if I personally dislike the use of midi-vibes instead of keyboards.Big part of the sound development comes from the efficient guitar playing of Van Manakas, great hooks and solos along with old-styled jazzy tunes, performed in a modern way.The executions are interesting and fairly complex with plenty of impressive twists, light improvisations and a good amount of atmospheric textures, with Jones reminding every now and then why he is regarded a top league bassist, delivering an abstract and at times phenomenal bass performance.The music passes from ethereal moments to schizophenic plays with comfort, based on the tempo changes and the sudden breaks, often revealing some individual lightnings on bass or midi-vibes solos, while I insist on Manakas being the underrated hero here, his smooth guitar touches add the best colors in Tunnels' offerings.On the other hand some robotic passages, the isolated midi-vibes masturbations and the Ethnic-oriented ''Boyz in the Ud'' are not my cup of tea to say the truth, too cold and monotonous.But the bulk of the album is balanced and well-performed with moments that offer supertight and interesting Fusion experiments.

Unusual but quite good Jazz Fusion.Much better than the mediocre debut, more balanced with a clear direction and ideas focusing on virtuosic , jazzy plays and atmospheric flavors.Recommended.