Reeves Gabrels had been laying fairly low in the 21st century when he turned in his third solo album, Rockonica, for
Steve Vai's Favored Nations label.
Gabrels is clearly best known as a hired gun, and on previous efforts has called in favors from his more famous singing employers, whether it was to add "star power" to an album or because
Gabrels was unsure of his own vocal abilities. This time out, all the lead and many of the backing vocals are handled by
Gabrels (who seems to have gotten more confident as a vocalist), and the album actually comes off stronger as a result. He's a good though not great songwriter but he is a great guitarist, and since that's presumably the direction most listeners will come at this from, they won't be disappointed. As a player,
Gabrels rarely plays it safe and the songs provide excellent vehicles for his gonzo soloing. Bruising riffs are offset by pedal and lap steel guitars, excellent wah-wah playing, sumptuous feedback, and even a lovely acoustic guitar duet ("13th Hour"). No surprise, there are lots of guitars on here and lots of space in the songs to showcase them -- especially on the epic and majestic "Anywhere (She Is)." Folks interested in
Reeves Gabrels' solo material should start here. ~ Sean Westergaard