Despite its overly ambitious two-CD length, Electric World is a step forward for guitarist Neal Schon. Two years before Electric World, he returned to solo recording with the acoustic Beyond the Thunder, which showed promise, but was generally unfocused. He may still meander on Electric World, but it's a richer listen. Essentially, the record is a fusion exercise in the vein of Carlos Santana, which shouldn't be a surprise, since Schon spent much of the mid-'90s playing with the legendary guitarist. There's less meat to Schon's music than Santana's, since he can't resist slick, polished production and plays like a session musician, but there's no denying that Electric World is one of his most accomplished efforts to date.
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