Uncle Moe's Updates Prog Fusion
Russ Bellinger | Bradenton, Florida USA | 06/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wow! What a CD! This is fusion perfection updated. Awesome players - the best in the world. Definately better than the first (extremely underrated) CD. I loved the first CD, however this one really sears into your brain as Uncle Moe's takes us on a serious/fun exploration of burning fusion 2007 style. The only recent CD that compares to this is the new Planet X CD "Quantum", which also updates the fusion/prog sound 2007 style. Both excellent CD's which share the same guitarist, Brett Garased, an amazing guitarist, in my opinion one of the best in the world. I highly recommend purchasing both CD's. They will ROCK YOU insideout!"
Still Great Fusion
C. Johnson | Saint Petersburg FL | 11/02/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Moe's Town is an excellent album of hard edged fusion jams. One of my personal reason's that I liked the first Uncle Moe's Space Ranch album was because it did NOT sound like Tribal Tech as I thought it might have. The same is true with the release. I think it is well written and performed with enough versitality to keep me interested. They also experiment more with some electronic effects. HOWEVER, they maintain their musicianship playing prowess. 5 starts!"
Futuristic guitar-fusion journey from Pine Gap to Groom Lake
hanyi ishtouk | Budapest, Hungary | 07/08/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"which perhaps is best depicted in terms of binary oppositions: raw - sophisticated, hypnotically psychedelic - soberly disintoxicating, heavily plodding - solemnly soaring, sensual - aetherial, hilarious - dead serious, down-to-earth - unearthly, etc. -- catch my drift, don't you? Aussieman Brett Garsed and his guitar twin on the other side of the Pacific, two-hand tapping technique adept and studio recording expert (of MIT in L.A. surreal) T.J. Helmerich make a uniquely complementary pair for what amounts genrewise to an idiosyncratic concoction of twisted prog. rock, funk, blues elements, with a little bit of jazz, as far as certain scales and harmonies are concerned. Both players have demonstrably improved since their 'space rancher' debut in 2001, with respect to the structuring, fluidity, expressiveness, and far-outness of their solos; hence a must have for any up-and-coming guitarist. Base drone for their flight is furnished by the need-no-introduction, monster rhythm section of the phenomenal bass guitarist Gary Willis (ex-Tribal Tech) and one-man power plant embodied in Dennis Chambers' drumwork, augmented by fellow Tribal Technician, keyboard wizard Scott Kinsey.
Yet don't expect this album to be some sort of replica or epigonization of T.T. ambience, for better or worse. The lack of attention devoted to composing tuneful/whistleable, enthralling themes is compensated with the often unpredictable and precise execution in the arrangement of musical building blocks. The irritating gripe I have, nonetheless, is that the final product at hand is overloaded with loops of techno -- or whatever you want to call it -- samples thumping in the fore- and background, which, coupled with the occasionally monotonous and mechanistic sound-vibe emanating from the top-notch bass-drum-synths. section, lends itself to an overall robotic/golem-like impression. But maybe that's what this wretched Earth with humanity on the cusp of change appears to be like to participants on the CD; in this sense a reflection on the reality we have to live in/with -- dunno for sure. Definitely not for jazz purists!
"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1