C. U.

I love this CD, my favorite tracks are 'Kloenk' and 'Urban string', the latter grew from a sample repeated, but Jan plays it on his guitar with impecable timing, the phrasing is ferocious, and I would say that it is a little ahead of its time. A superb conflation of oldime guitar virtuoso and modern beats, that very few can pull off.

This is just as good as anything that he has done, and his live perfomances of this new stuff is like hearing Hocus Pocus for the first time.

Buy this CD, or better still see him live and buy it from him cheaper than you can online.

Jan Akkerman has a long career in music. He started with Johnny & His Cellar Rockers at age 16, played in The Hunters, Brainbox and Focus, did some collaborations with Kaz Lux, Claus Ogerman, Joachim Kühn and made numerous solo albums. So you would think he has done it all. In 2003 however he did something new. He made an album with samples, programming, electronics which sounds very refreshing. The combination of these modern styles with his guitar playing works very well. In fact it is one his best albums.

The tracks are vivid, at times they really swing (like the first one). "In between the sheets" was a ballad by The Isley Brothers, but is turned in a modern track with a house beat. "I'm in the mood" is more vintage Akkerman. Great melody. "Cottonbay" is a very relaxed track with a nice keyboard solo. "Kloenk" is again very funky with backward guitars. "Blowing" and "Slow man" are good tracks, but the album ends really well with the pounding rhythm of "Urbanstring".

So listening to this album is a real surprise. It contains some great music with a very modern vibe.

PLEASE ALL PROG FANS! Here you won't find anything interesting for you by this otherwise excellent guitarist. This albums presents a mixture of lounge jazz, some techno beats, some rhythm & blues and disco rhythms. Could work well as party music but if you like to listen to Akkerman's more decent work check out his 70's albums like Tabernakel, Profile or his self-titled one. This one is to be recommended only for completionists (1,5 stars)!

Jan Akkerman probably needs little in the way of introduction as he has now been in the music business for forty years but will probably always be best remembered for his time with Focus. This isn't a rock album, mixing together soul, dance in a jazz in a fashion that although undoubtedly very clever just isn't the sort of thing that I listen to. I managed to keep my interest going through the opener "See You" but to listen to Jan then play some (admittedly stunning) guitar to a dance beat as he worked his way though The Isley Brothers' "In Between The Sheets" made me want to start flicking through the tracks.

Unfortunately this is an album that people will buy out of interest (it his first album for four years), will play once and then let it gather dust?.

Originally appeared in Feedback #80, Sept 2004