Al DiMeola
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4268
Printed Date: April 24 2024 at 00:29
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Topic: Al DiMeola
Posted By: Sweetnighter
Subject: Al DiMeola
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:16
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He's a guitar shredding god! Discuss.       ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Replies:
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:19
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I can't find a "shred" of evidence to support this view! Great guitarist though.Electric Rendezvous is a particular favourite of mine. -------------   |
Sweetnighter wrote:
Posted By: Sweetnighter
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:22
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ah, really? I don't have that one. I have the first three... and I
think they're all incredible. I don't like Casino as much as Midnight
Sun and Elegant Gypsy, but good nonetheless. And now I have to ask the big question... is he prog? ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:30
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No,but who cares? Prodigious maybe! ------------- |
Posted By: Sweetnighter
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:31
Why don't you think he's prog? out of curiosity ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:37
| HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH THE WHAT IS/WHAT ISN'T PROG ARGUMENT. |
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:39
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Because he plays in a jazz-fusion style, therefore he is a Jazz-Fusion artist. ------------- |
Posted By: Manunkind
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:42
------------- "In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun |
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:43
I haven't heard much from him, but I like Egyptian Danza .------------- 
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:46
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Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:50
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I got it wrong VB,I so sorry! ------------- |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:50
Bruford, Holdsworth, Kenso, Brand X play also jazz-fusion and they are all in the progarchives files. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: Sweetnighter
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:56
So is Return to Forever, of which Di Meola was a part. ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 12:59
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Alex Lifeson has played on Platinum Blond albums,are you suggesting they are prog? ------------- |
Posted By: Manunkind
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 13:01
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http://www.parismtnsignco.com/guitar%20with%20wire.JPG -
On a more serious note, if DiMeola gets included into the archive then let's include Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, Adam Holzman, Bill Connors and everyone else playing fusion proper along the way and get this over with, OK? ------------- "In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun |
Posted By: Reed Lover
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 13:04
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???
------------- |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 13:35
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Posted By: billyshears'67
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 13:50
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Di Meola is Fusion! So are all those other aforementioned artists that
are on this site, that are fusion. Don't forget Mahavishnu Orchestra
are also on the site and the Dixie Dregs. Although the Dregs add a bit
more to the mix, so that's understandable. I'm actually surprised
Weather Report or Herbie Hancock hasn't gotten on the site,
considering all these other fusion artists. Keep fusion out of the archives, is what I say. I love fusion, I don't like them being misrepresented here (for those who don't know the difference). Peace & take care |
Posted By: Dreamer
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 14:48
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I have Casino, and like it alot. especially the first three songs. I think he would be nice in the archives. |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 15:21
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Fusion can be regarded as a subgenre of prog rock. ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: mirco
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 15:55
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I stongly recommend Race with the devil in a spanish highway. Pure speed, but some quality! ------------- Please forgive me for my crappy english! |
Posted By: JCProg
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 16:29
Lost Tribe's cd's have some rap on them, so I guess fusion can also be regarded as a subgenre of rap. 
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Posted By: Sweetnighter
Date Posted: March 13 2005 at 18:47
Not all fusion is rock, remember. Clearly, Mahavishnu is, and WR isn't. ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Posted By: Soulman
Date Posted: March 14 2005 at 00:47
DI MEOLA IS GOD!!!!  
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Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 14 2005 at 17:43
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We should change the name of this forum to fusionarchives.com. I had a lot of musician friends I was playing in jazz groups who like the fusion jazz fusion jazz style of the seventies but when it came to bands like Gentle Giant, Tull, Yes, Rush, Genesis Artists like Al DiMeola, Coryell, Ponty, UZEB, McLaughlin and the like as far as I`m concerned are jazz players and I`ve never seen any of the being categorized otherwise in music stores, encyclopedias etc. ------------- |
Posted By: Sweetnighter
Date Posted: March 14 2005 at 17:55
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I think the main problem is that "fusion" is simply too broad and
covers too many styles of music. All progressive rock is undeniably
rock... fusion is jazz, rock, r&b, and world styles all blended
together. How are Weather Report and Mahavishnu anything alike?
Clearly, one plays electronic-world fusion and the other plays rock
fusion. Fusion, in other words, means basically nothing. I think this
forum should call the particular subgenre "jazz-rock" as opposed to
"fusion". I would contend that fusion is not rock, whereas jazz-rock,
as the name implies, is rock, and as the jazz implies, is clearly a
progressive style of rock. For this reason I would nominate Al Di Meola
for the archives, for he definitely a rock musician, whereas Stanley
Clarke cannot really be considered a rock musician; listen to his
albums, and you'll know what I mean. Likewise, Tony William's Lifetime
plays rock; Weather Report does not. ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: March 14 2005 at 19:09
Not suprising VB since those bands are mainly composition bands and your friends sound like they like a loose structure with improv so it is no suprise that Genesis would sound as boring to them as mozart did. And when did anyone who likes prog agree on everything? I think fusion is that fusing jazz and rock. I don't think that the progressive movement was/is limited to classical structures and devices only. Just because some took it in other directions or actually moved jazz closer to rock in no means lesssons their contribution to the genre. They are lumped together with jazz artists because I think it was the way their record companies marketed them. As for my memory all the same people who saw ELP, Genesis etc also saw Weather Report and Return to Forever. -------------  "What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Sweetnighter
Date Posted: March 14 2005 at 19:27
 well saidI think the jazz element in prog rock is highly overlooked on these boards. People ask why the US didn't produce more prog? Its because all US prog was in the silly jazz section! I won't start any "petitions" or anything, but I do feel that Tony William's Lifetime, Al Di Meola, and Allan Holdsworth should be in the archives. ------------- I bleed coffee. When I don't drink coffee, my veins run dry, and I shrivel up and die. "Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso? Is that like the bank of Italian soccer death or something?" -my girlfriend |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: March 15 2005 at 01:19
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I think that nobody really knows what a guitar album is until they listen Friday Night in San Francisco featuring Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía. When I listened this album for the first time I was learning guitar, but threw away the poor instrument after playing Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho in my turntable, a track where the three play together, knew that was impossible for me to reach that level. Don't care if it's prog' flamenco, fusion or whatever, it's a fu**ing mastepiece. Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: March 15 2005 at 06:23
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Wooo, some sublety there Sweetnighter - personally felt Johnson and Pastorius put some rock into WR........... For clear water between jazz rock fusion and the rest of jazz fusion, I've found Jan Garbarek' variants to be generally rock-free. |
Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: March 15 2005 at 06:37
Strange as it may seem Jazz Fusion is a sub division of jazz - Brian Glasser, the Joe Zawinul biographer (i.e. In A Silent Way), said it all to my mind: 'the last great movement in jazz was jazz rock fusion'. By employing rock with their jazz, Lifetime, Soft Machine, MO, RTF and a little later Weather Report (mustn't forget Tasavallan Presidentti also in the ealry 70's), we prog fans who were also into jazz, readily accepted their music as progressive rock as well as jazz rock. Keith Emerson infusion of jazz into Nice's repertoise from 68 onwards (both in musical style and the session musicians employed on record), helped lay the foundations to this acceptance. The recent TV documentary Jazz Britannia, dealt pretty thoroughly with the subject in the second programme, citing for instance the early 60's bands of Georgie Fame and Graham Bond as 'jazz rock'. Jazz (as Wynton Marsalis will reluctantly accept) is a great borrower and stealer of other forms of music - so is prog. We get a similar debate wrt to prog folk and straight folk. It could be argued Bob Dylan should be included under the heading 'prog rock', because he fused folk with blues or rock or country........
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: March 15 2005 at 06:38
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Soon forgotten by its author it seems, if you read the liner notes wrt to the remake, Race With Devil On Turkish Highway - when Steve Vai of all people, had to remind ADM of the guitar riffs...................... |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 15 2005 at 15:33
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As of now the new name for this site is www. what is/what isn`t progarchives.com. If you`re into the later Di Meola/McLaughlin/de Lucia guitar trios you might want to check out Larry Coryell, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia as well. I saw them in `79 or `80 at Theatre St. Denis in Montreal (there`s also a DVD available) Di Meola/ McLaughlin/ de Lucia a few years later. Same intensity. Coryell ( in my opinion one of the greatest improvisors on the instrument) has also done a number of duets and trios with other great guitarists including Bireli Lagrene, John Renbourn, Philip Catherine, Stephan Grossman, Emily Remler and others. If you want to hear Larry and Philip Catherine go at it with elctric guitars my recommendation is Coryell/Mouzon - Back Together Again available on CD from Wounded Bird Records. If anyone wants titles PM me because I`ve got a lot of this stuff. ------------- |
Posted By: goose
Date Posted: March 15 2005 at 15:44
Only when it's progressive, surely? You might as well say that metal is a subgenre of prog rock, since some metal bands are progressive. |
Posted By: Dan Bobrowski
Date Posted: March 15 2005 at 17:02
 
Fusion IS a sub-genre as well. Look at the birth of Jazz-Rock. Many of the players came up through the English Prog scene and evolved. Even though I've never thought of Al DiMeola as prog, I have no hardlined reason to dismiss him either. For those who remember, I didn't push for Holdsworth's inclusion and you'll be hard pressed to find a bigger fan than I. |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: March 16 2005 at 15:58
Just bought that again after not having it for 20 years. What an unbelievable display of guitar virtuosity.
------------- "What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: March 16 2005 at 16:04
Holdsworth on his own is more jazz than rock or prog rock however his work with Caravan and UK no one disputes his inclusion. Although different music styles I find the same thing happened to Kerry Livgren. His solo stuff tends to be more rock so he is not included (mainly because he ends up doing allmost all of his own instrumentation) but both of his bands are included here Protokaw and Kansas. It happens.
------------- "What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: chorus of one
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 04:39
You're right, it is a sub-genre....of jazz. 'Many' of the players? The vast majority of musicians I consider as the leading innovators of fusion have nothing to do with English prog...who are you thinking of? If you're talking about Canterbury, that's not the same thing. Why the need to categorise other genres as sub-genres to your favourite? Superiority complex?
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Posted By: Dick Heath
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 06:30
And I thought I had most Holdsworth records - which one with Caravan???? |
Posted By: The Owl
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 14:49
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I'm probably risking eternal banishment from the forum, but this Owl for one CANNOT TOLERATE Al DiMeola at all! More than 10 seconds of him I start getting hot under the neck feathers and verrrryyy cranky!!! To me, he's just a lot of w**kery, flashy speed, technique and ego, his compositions strike me as nothing more than textbook mathematical exercises with pseudo-latin grooves. I could handle him in the framework of RTF (the other guys seemed to keep his worst excesses in check), but on his own, AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH! I guess the other thing that drives me NUTS aout him is his anal, uptight pick every last note technique, he sounds like a typewriter turned up to 11! Rant over, back to your regularly scheduled thread. ------------- People are puzzled why I don't dig the Stones, well, I listened to the Stones, I tried, and I tried, and I tried, and--I Can't Get No Satisfaction! www.myspace.com/theowlsmusic |
It actually hurts my ears. Plus, a lot of his solos to me just lack melody and soul, and the never-ending speed is no help, I wish he'd learn to leave space between notes and learn to loosen up and stop being so anal about every note. Posted By: goose
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 14:58
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That's not what I said! prog metal is obviously a subgenre of prog rock. But metal is not! |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 15:03
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Hey Owl, you must also be a Gene Autry fan as well. Some of his riffs
are just killer. Who needs the MsLaughlins Di Meolas or Coryells when
we have the Gene Autry legacy to fall back on.
------------- |
Posted By: The Owl
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 15:17
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ROTFLMAO!!! ah's probably rihideg eternal banishment fum th' fo'um, but this hyar Owl fo' one CANNOT TOLERATE Al DiMeola at all! Fry mah hide! Mo'e than 10 seconds of him ah start gittin' hot unner th' neck feathers an' vahrrryyy cranky! Fry mah hide!! Fry mah hide!! Fry mah hide! To me, he's jest a lot of w**kery, flashy speed, technique an' ego, his composishuns strike me as nothin' mo'e than textbook mathematical exercises wif pseudo-latin grooves. ah c'd han'le him in th' framewawk of RTF (t'other guys seemed t'keep his wo'st excesses in check), but on his own, AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH! Fry mah hide! ah guess t'other thin' thet drives me NUTS aout him is his anal, uppight pick ev'ry last note technique, he soun's like a typewriter turned up t'11! Fry mah hide! It acshully hurts mah ears. Plus, a lot of his solos t'me jest lack melody an' soul, an' th' nevah-endin' speed is no he'p, ah wish he'd larn t'leave space between notes an' larn t'loosen up an' stop bein' so anal about ev'ry note. Rant on over, back t'yer regularly scheduled thread, cuss it all t' tarnation ------------- People are puzzled why I don't dig the Stones, well, I listened to the Stones, I tried, and I tried, and I tried, and--I Can't Get No Satisfaction! www.myspace.com/theowlsmusic |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 15:43
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Owl. Everything makes sense through the translation. Have you heard any
of the late Johnny Cash`s Iron Maiden covers. He`s the guy who
was married to this chick called June-Carter. You should also check out
some of Teri Clark`s mean beyond the speed of light fret melting licks.
It would make Al look like he was asleep.
------------- |
Posted By: The Owl
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 16:22
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Oddly enough I totally dig Johnny Cash! Great storyteller and really bought much humanity and personality into his music ! THAT was real country in my book! Funny thing is, in all seriousness, there's country guitarists I've heard that are MINDBLOWING, not because they're fast (although some are) but because of their deep soulful musicality and the ideas that come flying off their fingers. SIDENOTE: I guess another reason I got so violently turned off to Al D (besides his playing) was I used to know this guy that had a MORBID (and I mean SERIOUSLY MORBID) fixation with Al, to the point it started to annoy me and eventually creep me out altogether! Plus, the ear can only process so many notes per second before it gets annoying for me at least. ------------- People are puzzled why I don't dig the Stones, well, I listened to the Stones, I tried, and I tried, and I tried, and--I Can't Get No Satisfaction! www.myspace.com/theowlsmusic |
Posted By: Dan Bobrowski
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 16:38
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You must be talkin' about Danny Gatton. Speed and melody. The guy was incredible. RIP |
Posted By: Dan Bobrowski
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 16:39
I know what you meant. I was just yankin' yer chain. No offense. Hence the |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: March 17 2005 at 16:49
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www.countryarchives.com I actually have a few Johnny Cash albums in my
collection myself. One of my favourite Elvis albums is Elvis Country.
He does this killer version of Whole Lotta Shakin`Goin`On. Yeah, I`ve
got to get Max to rename this site from what is/what isn`t
progarchives.com to www.countryarchives.com
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Posted By: The Owl
Date Posted: March 18 2005 at 10:02
Danny was INDESCRIBABLE!! What a talent, dead too young! ------------- People are puzzled why I don't dig the Stones, well, I listened to the Stones, I tried, and I tried, and I tried, and--I Can't Get No Satisfaction! www.myspace.com/theowlsmusic |