LIVE AND LEARN

I think Daryl Stuermer's second studio album was pretty brave, introducing a couple of vocal tracks with him singing on the album title track, the other being Long Distance Love'. I can't help thinking of David Sinclair's Full Circle release as being very similar yet was released five years later and is merely coincidence. Stuermer's guitar work as usual near perfect especially on Urban Island and the build up on Morning Train with some great fusion sounds.' Icering and Icarus's Banjo are a bit too flakey for my liking but the album returns to form on subsequent tracks like Deadline and the Jean Luc Ponty sounding Yin Yang Boogie. This is where Stuermer always shows his best colours, when he plays the most abstract frenzied fusion like sounds. Phil Collin's guests on backing vocals on Live and Learn. I would have to say this is Daryl Stuermer's easiest listening studio release and suffers a bit because of this. Still a very enjoyable album but would have to recommend for collectors only.