Search - Ronnie Montrose :: Open Fire

Experimental Shredding

P. Dunlop | PORTLAND, OR United States | 11/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"By 1978, Ronnie Montrose had completed stints with the Edgar Winter Group [Slow Ride, Frankenstein] and his own band Montrose, with Sammy Hagar [that self-titled first album is one of the best heavy metal albums in the history of rock]. He had also done studio work with a variety of people.



When Open Fire first appeared, many fans considered it a total failure because it was so much different than anything Montrose had produced before. Open-minded fans were more forgiving, regarding the album as an either an interesting experiment or an amusing indulgence.



To put this album into its proper perspective, you need to recall the artistic mood of the time. In the late Seventies, a lot of recording artists were experimenting with elements of rock, jazz and classical. Some of the notable names include Miles Davis, Jeff Beck, Santana, Steely Dan, Jean Luc Ponty, Pat Metheny, Yes and others, including Ronnie Montrose on this album.



Some of the songs on Open Fire [Town Without Pity, Heads Up, Rocky Road] have a decidedly rock flavor and are precursors to the kind of music that would later be produced by people like Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Marc Bonilla and others. Other songs [My Little Mystery, Leo Rising] have more in common with the kind of stuff that would later be produced by artists like William Ackerman. No Beginning/No End successfully combines both approaches.



This is a terrific album in its own right. The playing is superb and the melodies are outstanding. If there's a problem, it's a tendency to overdo the orchestration and layering to the point that it sometimes gets in the way of the guitar. Still, this was a worthy piece of instrumental art rock that helped pave the way for others.

"

Ronnie's on fire!

D. Hartley | Seattle, WA USA | 06/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How many guitar players can say they've worked with Van Morrison AND Sammy Hagar? Barely a year after providing the lilting acoustic guitar solos on Van the Man's "Tupelo Honey" sessions, Ronnie Montrose showed he could shred metal with the best of them with the first "Montrose" album. This is a testament to this gifted guitarist's incredible range of expression-he can do it all,and makes it look easy! That entire range of dynamics is showcased on this 1978 all-instrumental release, produced by his former "boss" Edgar Winter (yes, that was Montrose tearing it up on "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride"!)The album is full of gems, the indesputable showpiece a searing version of "Town Without Pity". Another standout is "No Beginning/No End", which almost brings me to tears with its gorgeous melody and rich layers of acoustic and electric guitars. A winner!"

The best in instrumental Rock EVER

P. Dunlop | 11/03/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's an out of this world experiance listening to the smooth guitarplay of Ronnie Montrose and, not putting the other tracks down, "Town Without Pity" is probably the best instrumental Rock song to grace the ears and soul of anyone who likes music at its best. An album with a smooth mixture of Rock, Jazz and Fusion... it's simply the best!"