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Aerial Boundaries - Michael Hedges


Danielj

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Aerial Boundaries - Michael Hedges

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1. Aerial Boundaries

2. Bensusan

3. Rickover's Dream

4. Ragamuffin

5. After The Gold Rush

6. Hot Type

7. Spare Change

8. Menage A Trois

9. The Magic Farmer

Speaking as a guitarist, this is probably the most amazing album in terms of musicianship I have ever heard. Michael had a unique outlook on the guitar: "I'm not trying to play guitar, I'm trying to play music" Because of that outlook, he threw out all old techniques and created his own.

The album is almost exclusively Michael and one acoustic guitar. On two songs there are overdubs, and on one there is a flute.

Aerial Boundaries, among the fans of Michael Hedges is considered one of the most difficult songs to play. He keeps a rhythm and tempo with one hand hammering on, and picks open strings with the other, so it sounds like two guitars, but is only one. You'd think with just one instrument every song would sound sort of the same, but this slbum is quite diverse.

Aerial Boundaries is completely unique to Michael, but the next, Bensusan sounds as if it has a celtic feel. And the third, Rickover's Dream is non-coincidentally quite dreamy. His use of harmonics at the start creates an airy feel, and then afterwards uses a lot of chords so it has a fuller sound, and the slap harmonics give it a pop and serious effect.

The album continues on, each song with it's own feel and almost their own genres. Neil Young's After The Gold Rush doesn't stick out on first listen, but after a while it becomes more complex and interesting. Hot Type is a short song i could class as funk I suppose, lots of rakes.

My point is, this album is amazing to hear just because of the techniques on guitar, but it is so much more. Michael Hedges was a true composer, and an amazing one at that.

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