Search - Al Di Meola :: Tour De Force

When Al was fusion guitar

Jeff Arenson | Colorado Springs, CO United States | 02/15/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Tour De Force Live" is a mini-best of Al Dimeola. The Band is a once in a lifetime lineup. Gadd(Drums), Hammer(Keyboards),Jackson(Bass)and Mingo(Percussion) ensure that the perfection of the studio is kept in this live recording. One dissapointment is that, besides a litttle reggae in "Race With the Devil", there isn't any improvisation. Dimeola pretty much recreates his studio versions verbatim. I recommend that you get this disc as an introduction to Al's solo career(It was mine). This is an incredible live recording and if it wasn't for the crowd being heard at the end of tunes you would have no idea. Al delivers most of the goods in his playing and the compositions are original. Anyone that thinks that these are simplistic should try writing something like "Race With the Devil". The other dissapointment of this disc is no acoustic showcase. If you desire to hear all that Al is capable of then get "Elegant Gypsy". This disc is still a very good one."

DiMeola is Di-liscious!

Bradley Caldwell | Muskogee, OK United States | 02/21/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"How can you not purchase for less than ten bucks this stellar fusion recording? I wore out my vinyl copy in college, and the tunes only sound better with age. With the glut of watery synth sounds out, I especially enjoy hearing Jan Hammer boil out some rocking runs--better even than I heard him perform with Jeff Beck! But the star is not Hammer, or even Al, but the whole band. This is a great live BAND album. Tempos shift, intensity varies remarkably, all within the same tunes. Skill does not overshadow art, either--Al and company find humor, joy, intrigue, and beauty in their compositions."

Superb... both sonic and musically .

Marcelo A. Soto Quiroga | Maracay, Venezuela | 03/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first time those huge musicians got together on stage, and unfortunately this is the only live album they've recorded. For worst... it's only a single cd (single LP in the original release).
Though Al's marvelous guitar skills don't surprise anyone at this time it is worth to mention that he colors every riff, every tune with his unique latin-like style.
Jan Hammer on keyboards plays a dramatically first role, for moments rivaling DiMeola's leadership of the band.
Steve Gadd on drums and Mingo Lewis on percussion give the band a rock-solid platform on which they develop in such a beautiful manner.
One reviewer here mentions ¨Race with Devil...¨ as his favourite. Well, I would pick Elegant Gypsy Suite for me. It perfectly combines rock-jazz fussion with caribbean rhythms in a solid coherent tune. The last track ¨Cruisin¨ is another jewel.
Mixing and recording quality is excellent considering it comes from analog tapes taken in 1982. Soundstaging and stereo image are unbelievable. Anyone could say it surpasses many live recordings of today.
Well... If I have to mention something negative side on this album, I'd surely shoose its poor printed information. Only a couple of photos and several lines of text. But this doen't demerit the recording in any manner."