I was thinking about buying a little grey plastic tub containing about 24 of those vitamin B12, vitamin C amalgamations that promise a kinda upwards health thing with the added benefit of 'calming' additives... none of which have ever seen the light of day as far as regulation or quality control is concerned... for all I know I could be swallowing powdered lawn grass at $10 a pop!!! Now... whatever the short or long term effects of these things is marketed to be, I can tell you that you can chuck the entire tub (and any others like it that you may own) in the bin and get a far more beneficial spirit, heart, and soul enriching experience by simply listening to any one (or more) of Michael Mucklow's compositions!
I have, at hand, Michael's most recent recording 'Clearly' and I can tell you that this monumental mood enhancing collage of audio magnificence is one of the best things ever to grace the R Cat CD drawer and the air molecules that float directly in front of these speakers!
The album opens with the delicate and inescapably brilliant Canyon Serenade - our introduction to Michael's world complete with beautifully played solo acoustic work accompanied in just the right places by piano and tabla styled percussion. There isn't anything remotely un-engaging in this piece and the magic is evident in the fact that you just cannot pull your attention away for too long without feeling like you've committed an act of betrayal on your senses!
Joy follows Canyon Serenade and continues to inspire hitherto unexplored measures of awe and atmosphere... the kind you'd love to have permanently surrounding anyone who dares pass through your door with the slightest hint of negativity about them. This piece would surely confine that mindset in a heartbeat! It's such a bright, summery, melodic piece with just about every note carefully caressed for the right amount of time and with the right amount of co-ordination that some of the greatest guitar players often take with a pinch of salt. I don't think that happens here... I think Michael knows he's adequately blessed!
Moonlight Sands meanwhile, takes the stage where the guys from the latino appreciation society normally reside and within a few bars, the entire track takes shape to become an accomplishment strewn in every direction with skill and superb stylistics. A beautifully arranged piece worthy of much praise and appreciation. Michael's managed to put personality between the riffs and chords and a very attractive personality it is! Watch out for the lovely piano and acoustic work that surfaces about mid-way through the track!
Love's Way picks up the tempo with some very clever support from the percussion talents of Jon Gosen. The guitar work is whispered and dreamy in places and the approach works exceptionally well. You get the feeling that Michael's guitar is actually as much an extension of his heart and soul as his body is.. whatever way you look at it... Love's Way is a wonderful piece of jazziness with icing!
Uni•Verse (One Song) is one of the most beautiful instrumentals I have heard in a long time. Very ambient and very effective in it's mood enhancing delivery.. excellent guitar work just grabs you at that point where you would rather not be let go for a very long time. Watch out for the equally remarkable piano arrangement that comes in at around the 2.14 mark... lovely!
Cloud Shadows comes to us provoking just about every bright and sparkling memory we've ever had of comfort, contentment, and pure positive creativity all rolled into one. It's difficult for the average composer to achieve that kind of response but for me as a listener, it wasn't difficult at all! Then, we get to (It Feels) Timeless - what a great title for such a timeless piece of music! Again the guitar and percussion work are synchronous to the nth degree.. a superb arrangement with some very fine engineering at the mixer end of the spectrum!
In The Temple is an absolutely brilliant piece of music with guitar, percussion, piano and synth all working so closely together they might as well have been played by an eight armed super musician! There are little hints of blues, contemporary jazz, and little reminiscences of folk here and there... I'll leave it to you to find them before you get to Healer - a rather sad and slightly introspective tune that provokes reflection at a point where you thought you were all out of reflecting! It's a beautifully crafted piece of work is this and it firmly establishes Michael and co as a very accomplished group of musicians who know a thing or two about how music can push the emotions!
Track ten just happens to be Sunlit Mesas - a lovely example of 'borderless' and innovative fingerpicking that's actually prevalent throughout this CD but even more welcome here. The guitar work is so clear and sensibly recorded that you feel like michael is sitting right next to you. I'd love to know what this guitar is... there's barely a hint of poor lutherianship anywhere to be found. (is that the right word Michael??).
Gone For A Walk is so seamlessly bright and optimistic it's hard to stop yourself hitting the rewind buttons as your disbelief would have you do time and time again. Michael Mucklow has composed another work of beauty that has the same effect on your audio senses that some of the greatest finger-picked guitar tunes ever composed do.. brilliant!
The final track on this wonderful album is the anthemic Vibrant Aire. What a rather magnificently innovative piece of music this is.. meandering guitar riffs and phrases, attention holding percussion and some very fine engineering make this track stand out like a rose among fuchsias... it's a cleverly arranged piece of music that has more depth and colour than your average Renaissance painting! Very nice music boys!
Michael Mucklow's 'Clearly' is a monumental collection of guitar-focused classics that have the power to lift your spirit and your mood while subtly massaging just about every sense of well being you ever thought you possessed! Buy this album if you like clever guitar playing and stunning production all set with a contemporary edge. Bless you Michael for bringing this one into the world!
