Pidgeman - Shake Your Axes (Axe Slingers)

Hear The Track Here

You could be forgiven for thinking that we live in a universe populated entirely by plank spankers (or axe slingers depending on preference), or at least that's the impression I get whenever I venture forth on my internet travels. Seems like the whole world and his brother, young and old, are out there bending strings and hammering as if it were going out of fashion. Not that I have anything against guitarists, I am one, but we do tend to be a little more nerdy than yer average Joe. As if one axe slinger isn't enough, our old friend Pidgeman manages to get a grand total of FIVE playing on this track - most of them from MP3 Unsigned and including iOD!NE, Tony Miller, Pidgeman himself and the enormously talented Joseph Rodriguez.

A few bleeding fingers there, methinks...

In case you didn't know, MP3 Unsigned went through a major upgrade and one of its main innovations is to enable users to choose 'social groups', Axeslingers is one of them. Obviously then, a proper appreciation of this track does depend on your viewpoint about guitarists and - by definition - instrumental guitar tracks. I am fully aware that there are great numbers of people who do in fact love good shredders, but I have to say that I am not one of them. Sure I like a good solo as much as the next man, but I definitely have my limits and Shake Your Axes severely pushes them. Obviously the likes of Pidgeman, Joseph et al means that whatever charge could be leveled at the track it wouldn't be because it didn't sound very good; these guys are way too experienced.

I have to say the only solo that really stood out for me was Tony Miller's very tasteful section, but I liked the music better there anyway because its a little quieter interlude, all else is massed guitars. As a musical exercise then, it's positively brilliant. To get more than a couple of plank spankers to agree on anything is a major achievement; to get five to collaborate effectively demands the patience of Moses himself. It speaks volumes for the commitment of these players, and the skills of Pidgeman who produced and supplied all the rest of the musical instrumentation that it sounds as good as it does. However, it will probably be of limited appeal so make sure you like a bit of rock with your rock...

Guitar nirvana. Highly Recommended for them at least.