Chris Poland Appreciation
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=57328
Printed Date: April 19 2024 at 09:59
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Topic: Chris Poland Appreciation
Posted By: Negoba
Subject: Chris Poland Appreciation
Date Posted: April 21 2009 at 11:18
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I have always been a Chris Poland fan and lately have been immersing myself in his music with the jazz-fusion outfit Ohm: The guy is unbelievable. His sound is among the most expressive ever, with an even wider palette than Jeff Beck and chops that match virtually anyone (save the late Shawn Lane). Even other guys who can play as fast virtually never do with as much musicality. He may be the best guitarist alive right now.
He was great in Megadeth, but in Ohm: he's elevated his playing by many many quantum steps. The first Ohm: album is a must for all guitarists.
Others experiences or thoughts? ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Replies:
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: April 21 2009 at 11:55
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I've been talking about Ohm for ages and haven't seen much response in the form of reviews. Yet another band to point to when some people whine how there's no good music being made anymore. He is one of the finest active guitarists, and would some votes as "the" finest. And yet too few people have discovered Ohm. Thanks for starting the thread! ------------- |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: April 21 2009 at 12:47
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I've spent the last days basically watching all the youtube of him available and learning about his history.
He seems like such a likable guy in interviews but there's a very dark past, and maybe that's part of what makes him good, like the old blues players. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 06:38
| Excellent band, Ohm. I've seen very little discussion about Chris Poland and he rarely, if ever, appears in "best guitarist" polls but he is without doubt a brilliant and very expressive guitarist. |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 06:40
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Chris Poland=one of THE best ever, easily (IMO). His playing in OHM: is astounding and is partly the reason why it's my favorite fusion band ever. ------------- 
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Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 07:51
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Ohm is a great band led by excellent Chris Poland.Very good chops and great feeling.I also like him in Tadashi Goto's Innervisions.He clearly deserves more attention. ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 08:00
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Ohm are great and the Ohm/Umphrey's McGee joint venture sounds promising too. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: April 23 2009 at 09:29
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I've been listening to a lot of Ohm: lately and then went back to listen to the Shawn Lane / Jonas Hellborg collabs which are similar in someways on paper. Shawn's shredding is unbelievable but musically Poland is in another world. Shawn is a true master of the instrument, but put them side to side. It's scary. I am so glad Poland survived his past to make the music he's making now. (Unfortunately his partner in crime wasn't so lucky)
I am a huge Umphrey's fan too, and the samples on the myspace are very promising. I'll definitely be buying that one when it's out. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: April 24 2009 at 08:07
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Shawn Lane/Jonas Hellborg is definitely worth several spins!It's nice to
have started such a thread:Could you suggest me another bands?I know Panzerballett has a very good reputation,I've never listened to them,are they worthwhile? ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: April 24 2009 at 08:09
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Shawn Lane/Jonas Hellborg:AWESOME.It's nice to have started such a thread.What do you think of Panzerballet? ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: April 24 2009 at 08:10
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Sorry for double posting. ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: April 24 2009 at 08:16
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All of these bands have on demand streaming available on last.fm (no I don't have stock in them, that just happens to be a useful site for me)
Panzerballet is a little more avant and definitely more metal. I suppose both Ohm: and Ephel Duath could be considered jazz-metal but they are very very different music. Panzerballet is somewhere in the middle. I like it alot, but you need to like metal. Shawn Lane / Jonas Hellborg is actually very close to Ohm: in feel so that's an obvious choice. Most of the others like that are actually a little softer...I'll go looking. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: fusionfreak
Date Posted: April 24 2009 at 08:28
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Thanks! ------------- I was born in the land of Mahavishnu,not so far from Kobaia.I'm looking for the world of searchers with the help from crimson king |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 12:11
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Ohmphrey is now out - Poland is a freak of nature and fans of both bands should have the album. Given that's it's just excerpts of 2 days of continuous jamming, it's unbelievable.
Chris Poland is so fluid, effortless moves from picked to legato, has better touch than anyone, it's like he's playing a different instrument than other people. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: avalanchemaster
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 12:16
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The thing I like about Chris is that his playing is very distinct. You can tell it's him when he guest solos on other artist's albums. Ohm is a force to be reckoned with. I especially like the 6 string fretless playing of Pagliari... they are an amazing trio!
------------- http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=AP |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 12:37
I've had the album for a couple of days now and it's one of the few that's managed to lever Secret Green from my CD player. I'm beginning to prefer it over my Ohm albums - a power trio is great, but as a 5 piece this has greater depth, breadth and height  ------------- What? |
Negoba wrote:Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 12:49
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Listening to it right now.....Pag is a huge step up from the usual Umphrey's bassist frankly, and he holds things together perfectly throughout the whole disc. Jake Cinninger (UM lead guitarist and really the band leader) is obviously much more comfortable with the open form jamming than Poland is. He's very solid throughout the entire album and has a very wide bag of tricks and tones that you can here on UM live jams. But he plays like a guitar player. I can hear what he's doing throughout even if his chops are better than mine and he's doing it all spontaneously (wow!)
You can hear Poland searching in a number of places and sometimes his tone is a little too distorted for the music. On the other hand, on the tracks with a better defined 'head' to use the jazz term, Poland is on another planet. Some of his peak moments are better than anything I've heard from him. As others have said, when he plays it sounds like Chris Poland, not just a random great guitar player.
I wish more than anything that these guys get enough response that they take the time to write a more composed album, which would still be highly free form, but just a little more structure. I could really see one of the all time best works if that happened. But for now, this is a good to great album which I'm really enjoying. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 12:53
| I am going to grab Ohm's debut on the strength of this thread - very intrigued by what I've read here. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 12:55
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It's my recommended starting place. My obsession with him began when I found that album half price used at my local record store. I haven't been this excited about a single guitarist in 15 years besides Poland and Shawn Lane, and Poland's recorded work is better. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 13:45
| Alright Negoba, my jaw is on the floor over here - WOW! |