THE NOISE OF ART

For long-time Focus and Jan Akkerman fans of the 1980s this album will most likely be a letdown. The rich experimental depth is lost and even most of the licks, though tasty, leave the seasoned fan feeling shorted. Also, the recording quality is more reminiscent of a cheap studio mix then a seasoned master. Jan is one of the greatest overall guitarists there is but if I were going to have a new listener appreciate his talent I'd leave this one for last.

At least the production of this disk is nice. It's crisp and clean and you can hear every note. So what?

Akkerman's playing here is quite nice, if uninspired. His problem here is the material. Thesongs are bland and unoriginal, not the least bit progressive. We know Jan Akkerman can do better than that. Most of the selections have the guitar played over sequenced tracks, almost always a bad idea.

The album is on I.R.S.' No Speak label, which, in the late 80's and early 90's, specialized in taking good musicians and convincing them to release collections of bland instrumentals such as this. There's even a track called Quiet Storm, which at the time was the industry's code words for elevator muzak wrapped up in a jazz-rock package.

Really, the only truly worthwhile track is Akkerman's Sombrero, a Spanish-tinged tune that brings to mind Al DiMeola.

Back in '89 Jan was asked as a stand-in for the Night of the Guitar festival. He became the best and the organizer gave him chance to made this record. With only a bass player and a drummer he made an album with a lot of different styles. It was one of his most accessible records, so it brought him back in the Dutch album charts. ( the last time was the '85 Focus album, which was the first since Live at Montreux.) For me the album contains some strong tracks like Shame on You and Prima Donna. Seems to me Akkerman goes Satriani if you here the music of Bonnaville. For experienced prog listeners there's reason enough to call some songs elevator-music; but for a bigger audience it's easier to step in the world of Akkerman. Two songs from Heartware on this album: My Pleasure (in my eyes excessive) and Akkerman's Sombrero (Lost and Found.)