From: manitp@jec328.its.rpi.edu (Philip Joseph Manitta Jr.)
Subject: Review of Lanny Cordola's, Electric Warrior/Acoustic Saint
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 20:41:17 GMT

First of all this is an ingenious album!  DON'T BE FOOLED INTO THINKING
IT'S A HEAVY METAL ALBUM!  Only about 4 of the 27 tracks on this are
metal.  It's actually a rather cohesive mix of metal, jazz, classical,
and various styles of folk.   The first track is a brief wierd thing
called "INTRO". I usually bypass it for the second and third tracks WHICH
SMOKE!   "Behold, This Dreamer Cometh" and "Angry Candy" are two of the
most sweat inducing pieces of virtuoso guitar tracks I've ever heard! 
Some of the other standouts on the album include:

Slappy White:   A one-track solo piece that'll make you swear you're
hearing three guitars and a synthesizer when I'ts actually only ONE
GUITAR!  (how does he DO THAT?)

The Marriage of Figaro:   A totally rocked up classical piece, originally by mozart.

Jalapeno Man:  An acoustic spanish guitar piece

Sadako: Sort of Japanese folk.

Plymouth Rock:  Down and dirty blues-rock.  (If George Thorogood had
talent, it would sound like this.)

Summertime:  acoustic guitar a la Gershwin  (with vocals)

All the Things You Are:   Jazz a la Rogers and Hammerstein.  (This also
appeared on Tamplin's First solo album.)

Amazing Grace:  Bitchin' acoustic work here.

Echo Boy:  (or is it echo lake? I don't have the jacket with me) Nice
relaxing innovative rock.

The unfortunate part of this album, are some very
short STUPID filler pieces. Like "Farbage Valves" and "Birenbau" .   It
almost seems like he pulled out an instrument and came up with one little
riff and he couldn't figure out how to build a song around it, so he just
left it.  I think he could have made this album much tighter and more
enjoyable if he cut out about 10 tracks or put more work into producing
some of the filler pieces.   As it stands, they work against him.   Oh
well, on a scale of 1 to 100, I give this a 95.  With a little more tact,
his next effort could very well be the first time I ever give a Christian
album a 100!

The sound mix is incredible.  The one thing I don't like (This is not
critical, just MHO) the guitars could have eased of the screaming
treble and added some crunchy midrange on some of the heavier pieces. 
But overall, every sound is fully present in the mix and does not detract
from any others.
 
This album pretty well defines the term "quality music".  HOWEVER- if 
you are not used to this kind of thing (moderately progressive virtuoso
music, pulling more tricks than you thought existed) it might be over your
head.  I can draw an analogy of intrducing someone who grew up on
Madonna and Michael bolton to OPERA! If you know anything at all 
about music, you wouldn't dream of calling it poor music, but you 
probably couldn't bear listening to it!
 

-- 
Philip J. "Ralph" Manitta Jr. (RLF)     _|_       " For me to live is
88 14th st.                              |        Christ, to die is
Troy NY, 12180                           |        gain!"   (manitp@rpi.edu) 
" Don't even think of copying this! The band NEEDS money! " -Fluffy