Dan E. Peck - The Lights Of Heaven

Hear The Track Here

Dan E. Peck is a new name to me, coming from out of MP3 Unsigned and Peoria in the beautiful state of Arizona so it's almost a given that we will be talking about some sort of rock music here. That proves to be the case sure enough but with the slightest of differences, it's ALL guitar. It's always been a tricky area to work in - in fact instrumentals in general - but somehow the amount of people who have made any headway in this music can be counted on a couple of fingers. One of the most notable exceptions has been one of my own axeman heroes, Jeff Beck, and truth to tell the initial appeal to me of The Lights Of Heaven was an immediate Beck connection - and that's always a good start.

Mind you, after a few more listens, that reference kinda fades away and you begin to appreciate Dan's own style - this man is a very fluid and confdent player and it shows in his work. The Lights Of Heaven is the title of an upcoming CD project and - as befits a title track - stands up in its own right as a very competent, flowing instrumental peice that has a lot going for it. Should you like rock music in general and rock guitar instrumentals in particular, you will find much here of interest, even though it has the most abrupt ending known to man. And therein lies the rub. IMHO I don't think this will appeal to much out of its genre and that's a shame because it actually is a very decent peice of music with some excellent playing from the man himself.

It sure makes ME want to listen to more from this artist, but I'm not so sure others will be as keen. I have the feeling that other musicians (just like us) will always enjoy a guitarist like Dan E. Peck because the guy just radiates rock cool, and he has a nice line in guitar tones to go with it. Although The Lights Of Heaven is home recorded (with Dan playing all the parts) it doesn't really have that boxy, muffled sound that mars a lot of home recorded product and is - again - a sign of his experience and nous about doing this correctly. In this notoriously electronic world it's somehow comforting to know that there are clever, competent musicians just around the corner and I suspect I will be visiting this guys webpage again and again simply because he is my kind of guitar player.

Excellent rock instrumental and a guitarist who stretches himself... Recommended.