Search - Andy Summers :: Mysterious Barricades

Sonic art

R. Legendre | New Orleans, LA | 03/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I actually saw Andy perform many of the songs on this album right before it's release in the fall of 1988. He was the opening act for Tangerine Dream at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans. I was actually expecting him to sound like a cross between punk & pop (I was and still am a huge Police fan). What I heard and witnessed was something totally different.....and totally amazing.



Andy stood in front of the stage curtain with only himself, his guitar, and about 2 dozen effects pedals to bring his new sound (at the time) to life. Needless to say, after seeing and hearing him perform live, I rushed right out and bought the album which was released about a week or two later.



Andy took many musical ideas explored with fellow guitarist Robert Fripp in songs like "In the Cloud Forest" and "Girl On a Swing" and expounded on them for this "New Age" album (God, I DESPISE the term "New Age"! What is "New Age" anyway?).



This minimalist approach to "ambient" music is wonderful for it's evocative power. Each song paints amazing pictures in your mind with synthesizers (courtesy of David Hentschel) and Andy's unique guitar sounds.



I listened to this tape (remember, we're talkin' 1988 here) until I damn near wore it out. When I got my first CD player, this was one of the first discs I ever bought and I still listen to this album from time to time. It sounds just as fantastic today, even 20 years after it's initial release.



As of this writing, used copies are available for as little as $1.00 through AMAZON. This is a STEAL for such a magnificent album. For the price, it's WELL worth it. You will not be disappointed."