Have you
ever heard of the term melodic shredding? I cannot say that
I have but I have someone here that does it, and very well.
His name is Will Landrum. And let me add that there is much
more to his sound than that one frame of reference.
On Living Digits,
Landrum shows why he can call himself the Guitar
Consultant and back it up. By the way, he offers
DVD-ROMs and optional downloads with several types of guitar
lessons on his site.
The
Living Digits CD is a testimonial for a life long love
affair with the six-string and getting the optimal sound and
enjoyment from his instrument.
Landrum likes the feel of the
moment when he plays, the raw spontaneity of cutting loose
on the guitar and letting those creative juices flow.
I
could have realized that by listening to the music the first
time around but I got it right from the horse’s mouth as
they say, via some lengthy e-mail conversations.
I learned
quite a bit about this artist, which made my listening
experience much more enriching.
As I write this tonight, I
am listening for the fourth time and loving every minute of
it.
Landrum
offers eight instrumental rockin’ tracks that reflect life
long influences and a straight ahead playing style that does
not compromise the strong sense of commitment to his craft
nor does it strive for perfection.
I simply cannot pick a
favorite on this CD; I loved every track.
As Will takes you
on a guided tour of the six-string and all of its sounds and
subtleties, each individual composition fully develops and
unfolds while you listen. To say this dude rocks is putting
it mildly.
When you
look at this recording in retrospect, what you get is a
solid dose of classic rock, metal, and blues all wrapped
into one tight package.
Landrum sites Deep Purple and
Ritchie Blackmore as a major influence and you can hear that
loud and clear, particularly on the track “Fill
In The ___.”
The following track is the closer “Perfection Of The Bride,”
it is a beautiful acoustic composition and actually the only
non-electric track on the album.
It is something that Blackmore would play with his current band Blackmore’s
Night, one of my favorite recording artists.
It seems fitting
that the album winds down with a nice acoustic number after
he boggles your mind with incredible six-string virtuosity
and technical expertise in tracks 1-7.
If you have any
doubt whatsoever regarding this man’s validity to offer
lessons, listen to this CD, and any doubt that you have will
be put to rest after you hear the opening track
“Change Your Mind.” Interesting that the title is such, I
just realized what a perfect segue that was after writing
the sentence!
It only seems appropriate that I end the
review that way as Will Landrum has the same style; some of
the best things in life are not premeditated, so just hang
on, I guarantee one he** of a ride!
