Guitar Practicing Musicians 3

Guitar's Practicing Muscians, Vol. 3 spotlights a new generation of guitar virtuosos, as sponsored by one of the leading guitar publications in America. Certainly, this is the kind of thing that will only appeal to guitar fanatics, since it only spotlights the instrument, not the songs; for proof, check out Shawn Lane's version of "All Along the Watchtower" or how Buck Dharma reworks his "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" so that the playing, not the melody, is emphasized. Every guitarist on the record is technically impressive, capable of playing some stunningly complex solos. However, several of the cuts feel like dead ends, that they're just a showcase for technical skll. Some guitarists overcome these problems, but enough fall prey to the temptations of excessive soloing and technique to make this of marginal interest even to guitar fanatics.