TRACK LIST:
1. In and Out of Day Out and Into Night 4:28
2. Through the Looking Glass One 6:33
3. Night Sketch 13 1:41
4. Through the Looking Glass Four 2:23
5. Night Sketch 11 2:24
6. Through the Looking Glass Two 1:54
7. Terra Firma 3:17
8. Private Collection Part One 4:30
9. Private Collection Part Two 2:54
10. Private Collection Part Four 3:44
11. Erik's Song 1:40
12. Dance to the End of Love 3:28
13. Tabula Rasa Suite Part 1 2:16
14. Tabula Rasa Suite Part 2 2:04
15. Tabula Rasa Suite Part 5 2:22
16. There, Again 3:28
17. Ghost Story 2 2:19
18. Ghost Tango 3:26
19. Ghost Stories Sketch 2 1:54
20. Ghost Stories Sketch 1 1:02
21. Mr S Meets JSB 3:44
22. Three Fountains 2:34
23. Dreams Combine Like Shadows 2:58
24. Secret Swim at Moonlight 1:58
25. The Line 4:03
26. Solid Ground 3:06
LINE UP :
Neil Campbell - guitar
Prolusion.
UK artist Neil Campbell has been releasing music at a steady to brisk pace for the better part of 20 years, with around two dozen productions under his belt at this point as a solo artist or in some form of collaboration or other. His most recent production is the live album "Alive in Prohibition", which was self-released towards the end of 2022.
Analysis.
Just about all of the Campbell albums I have in my music collection have been creations that to a lesser or greater degree can be classified as some sort of acoustic progressive rock. This latest live album by Campbell breaks that mold a bit though, as this is a live performance with Campbell performing his material alone on an acoustic guitar, and as far as I can tell without any samples to help him out or any additional details added in the studio afterwards.
Campbell is a player whose main strength as a performer is his elegant playing. Everything is smooth, fluent and logical, there are no sharp edges or tones that sound out of place to be found here. That being said, this isn't a one-dimensional affair either. Smooth and fluent does not mean a wandering trip through the same landscape with minor variations in this case, nor does it mean a restricted movement in notes and timbres. The hidden strength of Campbell is that, at least as far as I as a non-musician can tell, is that he also has a very good technique. Hence we get subtle or more firm light or dark notes in between the lead motif, some busy scale movements or harmony tangents added in, songs that have a slow main tempo but busy details or a higher tempo and more careful tangents added in. Nerve and tension is built and maintained in a subtle manner, and nothing is ever boring in this performance, at least if you like the acoustic guitar as an instrument in general and used in instrumental music in particular.
The music as such doesn't have all that much in common with progressive rock of course. The compositions might be described as acoustic rock with a liberal influx of classical guitar details, with some world music details of the kind that gives me associations to Spain appearing on a few occasions and a single song with a slight undercurrent that arguably comes with a slight shade of blues attached. Possibly with some details with a jazz origin as part of the totality too, although not in a manner that is strikingly obvious.
We do get one creation here that touch base with progressive rock though, with the song 'The Line' towards the end of the album. This song is the one that to my ears sounds like the most challenging number here, although this could in part be due to my memory filling in the blanks in this performance as I have listened to the rather more elaborate studio version of this composition a number of times.
Otherwise I note that the recording quality here is excellent, managing to capture all the tones and notes in a very detailed manner, which in my view at least is both important and vital for a live recording of this type to come across well.
Conclusion.
"Alive in Prohibition" isn't a production that will have all that strong of an appeal among die hard progressive rock fans as such. But for those who enjoy instrumental music, appreciate the qualities of the acoustic guitar and can recognize an elegant musician when they hear him or her, this is a very solid album where what I'd describe as a blend of acoustic rock and classical guitar traditions are explored in a mesmerizing and compelling manner.
Progmessor: January 2023
The Rating Room
