JAN AKKERMAN

Out of limited number of albums that I have on Jan Akkerman's solo works, this is the album that I like most for a very simple and basic reason: the music is nice even though not that progressive or not that jazz. It's probably there is an addition of vocal with Kaz Lux that makes it an excellent collaboration. Not only that, the music represents what kind of music in the seventies in terms of recording quality as well as how the music was composed. Look at "Guardian Angel" that flows very nicely from start to end giving intense nuances of vintage or classic rock sounds. The instrumental "Tranqualizer" is also a good one to enjoy. I do enjoy how the flow and groove of "Can't Fake a Good Time" move from one piece to another - it's very enjoyable. I can find it also with "Eli" which demonstrates excellent quality of Kaz Lux voice. Of course there are some disco-style music like "There he still goes" but it's OK as a break.

It's hard to believe if you claim yourself as someone who loves vintage rock music for not liking this album. Yes, it's not that progressive or jazzy, but the feels and nuances of the music are really great.

At first I did not realize that this excellent album was backed up with talented musicians like Rick van Der Linden as well as singer Maggie McNeal.

On the basis how the composition was made and how the music flows in the entire album regardless it's progressive or not, I consider this one is an excellent album. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW.

Through this album Jan Akkerman demonstrates his consistency in terms of musical approach where he chose jazz-rock as a platform and let the improvisation, not necessarily using guitar as main soloist, works on top of that platform. He proves it through the composition he crafted at the opening track "Pietons" where the basic platforms is so obvious in jazz-rock landscape. Well, not all of his albums in the same vein though.

As far as composition, I enjoy the fourth track "Journey (A Real Elegant Gypsy)" which initially presumed would be similar, musically, with Al Di Meola's. One really can sense his guitar style having listened to some of his albums. Other tracks "Back To The Factory" and "Just Because" demonstrate his virtuosities not only in playing his guitar strings but also in composing music under jazz-roxck vein.

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

For those of you who enjoy jazz-rock fusion combined with vintage or classic rock guitar style, you will definitely love this album by Jan Akkerman. Take the opening track "Old Tennis Shoes" (11:30), you will enjoy the track right from beginning to end of the track. It llays the music on top of slow rhythm section in practically constant style and the guitar solo really something that makes it a good choice for you to stay with this track until the end. Akkerman's guitar style demonstrates excellent manouvres as the music is progressing in slow-paced style that you might refer it like blues music.

In Funkologi (it's a good title isn't it?) you will find the combined ambient music with stunning guitar work and sound effects. The guitar works that starts attacking the music in sort of background work seems like hiding behind the basslines and ambient sound. The intro part does not reflect any typical jazz-rock fusion music. As the music flows into second movement there is an apparent rhythm section that features nice guitar work, solid basslines and soaring keyboard sounds and its effects. It's really enjoyable.

Overall, it's a very good album by Jan Akkerman. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Jan Akkerman's last album from the glorious '70's named very simply 3, issued in 1979, is a change in direction after the great seftitled album from 1977. Here we have an Akkerman cought on the wrong path by funk music and soul in places but keeping here and there his recogning style jazz fusion. I guess the best track is the opening one, the rest is funk jazz, not entirely bad, for me, background music in principal but well performed. Anyway quite far from his best works and more towards of what done in that period musicians like George Duke on Follow the rainbow then. I will give still 3 stars, works for me every time I've listing to this record. Enjoyble but forgetable in comparation with 1977 selftitled album. I don't think this album desearves less then 2 stars generaly.

Jan Akkerman is one of the most apreciate and well known guitarist from old school of prog and jazz fusion. Gained fame with Focus in the early '70's he manage to have aswell in parallel with Focus, a solo career until late 1976 when he departure from the band in their most succesful period. He rlease so far many album , very much apreciated by both jazz fusion lovers and progressive aswell. Selftitled album issued in 1977 is one of my fav from him and one of his best works for sure from solo side. Very crafted album, smooth with brilliant songwritting, shown a mature Akkerman in every way here. Even is kinda light in places is very well performed and quite complicated after repeted lisnings, is for sure a grower, at least in my case. . Crackers or Pavane are good ex of what ment in that period Akkerman in jazz fusion world, similar maybe in places with Solution also from Holland, or in places with Colosseum but less guitar oriented and more fusion then rock. Anyway for me a very solid album, prog arrangements are aswell present and some symphonic elements added, some good keybords interplays makes from this album a winner for sure, great cover art aswell. 4 stars easy.

Avant-garde elevator crap

Insert sound of toilet flushing here. Well, that's not fair Jan Akkerman is arguably one of the greatest guitarists this planet has produced but he certainly is not that on this pile of garbage. You would think that he might have learned something after losing his contract with Atlantic Records after 1979s catastrophic Jan Akkerman 3. Kaz Lux's soulful vocals are just wasted here and can't save anything that is about to go wrong on Transparental. And don't be decieved by the fact that Jan's old Focus buddy Pierre van der Linden is on drums and that keyboard wizard Rick van der Linden is also part of this conspiracy.

The absolute worst piece of rot that Akkerman has ever produced can be found on this record ( it never made it onto CD for good reason ) in the form of The Party Is Over a bad attempt at reggae that would have Bob Marley doing backflips in his grave. Maybe he should have called it My Career Is Over just like he should have called I Don't Take It Much Longer I Can't Take It Any Longer. Both don't even deserve to be called music. The title track features a riff that would later surface on Funkology from 1982s It Could Happen To You. At least some good emerged from this scrap heep. A ballad appears in the form of Marsha. Who was Marsha? Some cheap callgirl? Inspiration is a funked up atrocity that reminds me of some of the trash that appeared on Jan Akkerman 3, but what was it inspired by? The seagulls fighting over the carcass of a rotting fish at the local garbage dump.

I honestly would rather listen to a Céline Dion record that the dog got a hold of. It's so sad that such great talent can get sucked down by a maestrom of sludge and swept into the gutter. Tranparental is great to listen to if you're having drunken bimbo sex at 3:30 AM. I can't go more than one star on this piece of work and that's only for the cover. If you want to hear what the Jan Akkerman/Kaz Lux duo can do I suggest 1977s Eli or the 1969 self titled Brainbox album. Staaaaaay away from this one at all costs. Sorry Jan.

From 3 to 4 stars (according to the "mood" of the album) I should say - talking about its evaluation- that's the right score, cause the output is a little bit uneven, even though the best guitar style by this former Focus member is often able to emerge...well first of all it stands out alone as a unique "Akkerman's trademark", regarding of the maturity reached here, but it represents also a personal music style of his own!!

In particular the track "Streetwalker" and "Crackers" are the best example, but also the other tunes contain some good features, in spite of the light and too much relaxed mood, in comparison to the strong "fusion" experimentations at the guitar of the period...think of the powerful style concerning some other similar guitarists in the seventies (for example Jeff Beck for instance, or G. Moore in the Colosseum II experience).

Talking about the defects inside, I don't like the Akkerman music approach, being a little bit "cold" and characterized by a few emotions; nevertheless- despite the dated orchestrations- it's an interesting product, with its typical strengths and weaknesses (as within the best Dutch progressive/fusion albums) and something else, according to the artistic direction I've often seen in the works by Gong (note: such a strange and hybrid music-genre, in the middle between the Canterburian style and a kind of Chamber music, according to the early After Crying, but in an easier version).

Anyway this is probably the best album by J. Akkerman and it could be enough to evaluate the present work sometimes as good as the best fusion/Canterburian works outside Holland (especially in the UK)...so make your personal choice!!

As almost any Jan Akkerman's album, this his first ever live solo release is inconsistent. It starts with few great guitar fusion compositions, aerial, with energy and even sharpness in moments.

I am not a big fan of him, but in moments I hear there sound what I like - powerful jazz-rock with melodies, complexity and even some drive. But very soon good beginning changes far not so good second half.

Jan plays safe, strongly influenced by European classic instrumental music without adrenaline. And at the end some pop-rock moments can destroy initial good opinion strongly. Being even a live album, it lacks life and vibes. And obviously has too many housewives-friendly tunes. Yes, I know, almost all Jan's music is like this...

In all - not a bad album, but far from great one.

I agree with the enthusiasm about this album. It's a short one, but filled with high-quality jazz-rock. The album gives the impression as Akkerman is part of a band, instead of playing the leading part. Each member gives an excellent contribution to the songs. After the exciting intro of Transitory, you can hear three great performances of "Jan Akkerman" songs. One little point of criticism is the credits; My cd of Focus - Ship of Memories says Crackers is written by Thijs van Leer. On this, and the "JA"album, Jan gave the credits to himself. (The same thing happens with Soft Focus on Blues Hearts) Tom Barlage wrote Tommy, and with him on the saxophone it was a good idea to play Tommy. The last song, Azimuth, wasn't written by Jan. It was done by a guy called L.M. Bijlsma. What a great song! Azimuth is my favourite on the album.

One of his worst records. There's hardly fury in Jan's playing an most of the songs fail to amuse me. From the beginning of the album I get a feeling of "hey, I can play this music on the background, when I'm reading a book." He succeded to make a muzak version of Fleetwood Mac's Albatross. The only real good song on the album is Love is Uneven; it keeps you awake for eight minutes long. And the closing song,the titletrack, isn't so bad after all. Style description seems to me blues- and jazzrock. In my opinion only worth buying if you want to collect all his records; however , the album didn't fail to reach the Dutch charts. It must be one of his best sold records! 1,5 star becomes 2 because it is Akkerman.