Time flies. I didn’t know it would take such a long time to write another review. Anyway here it is, a review of one of the most beautiful acoustic albums I have ever listened to, Guitar for Mortals by Adrian Legg. By the way this review was made years ago on the earlier incarnation of this blog. The beauty of the album is that it sounded so refreshingly different from the acoustic albums I had listened to until then.

Those were the days, late 1997 to early 1998 at Woodlands in Singapore. I was lucky to have rented a portion of the house of Sajeev, a businessman and salesman who sold HiFi equipment for a living. What more could I ask! Though I wasn’t impressed by the array of systems at his house the YAMAHA AV amplifier was more than I could ask for to play music. He had a bunch of acoustic guitar albums and some of them can get very boring but there was this one CD that I refused to pick, Guitar for Mortals by Adrian Legg. Maybe it was because it didn’t have impressive album art like the others did or maybe because I didn’t know the guitarist, Adrian Legg.

My curiosity got the better of me and one day when I played it I was almost rendered speechless. I wondered why I hadn’t picked the album before. I hadn’t listened to such beautiful notes and tunes from a purely acoustic album in a very long time. The more you listen the more the album grows on you. After this first listen this would be the only CD I would choose to play for many evenings after work. Many a time I would just close my eyes and enter into another beautiful world of calm. This is a great album if you are listening alone beside the fireplace, or beside a window when it is raining outside, in the woods or in a place of calm and serenity.

Unlike my previous reviews in this review I’ll focus only on the good numbers or should I say the numbers I rate good.

This following are the songs in the playlist I would normally play each time I listen to this album.

Coging’s Glory – Nice quick opener. Sometimes I do leave this song out and go with the rest but it is a nice one.

Netsman and the Laird – A beautiful song filled with delightful tunes. The guitar is played very differently and the tunes are bright, lovely, haunting and sad at the same time. This song hooked me.

Mrs. Jack’s Last Stand – The song that blew me away. I am sure it will do the same to you too if this is the first song you listen from the album. On Amazon.com I read one lovely review where someone driving began to hear it play on the car-stereo and actually got off the road and parked the car to the side to listen to it. I am not surprised why.

Nanci – I don’t recall if this song was about a girl but Adrian has written notes on each of these songs on the liner notes of the CD. This is another beautiful song but I wished it could have been shorter.

After the gig – Guitar tunes sound very similar to tunes from music from India but the feeling is lovely, one of haunting and strong nostalgia. The notes and tunes are simply incredible.

Pieta – Another favourite on the album the guitar literally sings on this one with such beautiful tunes. I was happy it was a longer song. Again a sad sounding, nostalgic instrumental giving you all those lovely thoughts of yesterday.

Anu – A lovely concluder to the playlist.

Seven Year Ache and Candle in Notre Dame are slow and good songs but I rarely put them in the playlist. Of the 12 songs on the album I find myself listening to the six I have mentioned earlier. The CD is still worth buying as other reviewers have liked songs that I have left out in my review.

By the way Adrian plays an Ovation guitar on this album which is also featured on the cover of the CD. If you haven’t seen any of the Ovation guitars I must tell that they are a sight to behold. They are beautifully made.

Adrian has received praise from other guitarists notably Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, both heavy-metal guitarists and shredders. Wikipedia reports the following. Adrian Legg shared the stage with acclaimed guitar experts Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai as part of the G3 tour. Vai called Legg “Uncle Adrian” and Satriani said of Legg’s musicianship “He’s simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve ever heard. I don’t know anyone else who can create such a cascade of beautiful notes… Adrian plays like he’s got hammers for fingers.” How perfectly said.

If you haven’t listened to Adrian before I am sure this album is going to be come as a very sweet surprise.

The only annoying thing on the album are sharp notes that sound so sharp that they can sound a bit harsh on your ears. To solve this problem ensure you reduce the treble and increase the bass on your amplifier.