Heaven
& Earth (featuring Stuart Smith)
By Zane Ewton
Previously released in 1999 Heaven &
Earth is getting a second chance with an expanded re-release.
Stuart Smith is the driving force and has staked a claim as a premier rock
guitarist.
At the recent All Access L.A. Music Awards
show Smith won “Best Guitarist” and Heaven & Earth won “Best
Overall Album”.
Smith is a classically trained guitarist,
also receiving instruction from the legendary Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie
Blackmore. Smith’s guitar style is all over this album, flowing between
blues, classical and hard rock.
There is so much guitar on this album that
you will form calluses on your fingertips while you listen. But the
guitar is never overbearing or overplayed. Besides an obvious technical
proficiency, Smith is a good songwriter and chooses to work with other
good songwriters. The songs are what make this a strong album and
much more than just guitar gymnastics.
Heaven & Earth features a collection
of some brand names in rock and roll. “Don’t Keep Me Waiting” features
vocals by Kelly Hansen, which are convincing enough to pull off a lyrically
weak chorus. The title track “Heaven & Earth” includes vocalist
Joe Lynn Turner and guitarist Howard Leese.
Some of these names may be unfamiliar to
some of the kids, but fans of these musicians will thoroughly enjoy this
album and fondly remember a time when hair was long and pentatonic scales
were used.
A cover of Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See
That My Grave is Kept Clean” includes Glenn Hughes on vocals, Richie Sambora
on Dobro and Carmine Appice on drums.
Sambora also offers vocals and guitar on
one of the album’s many highlights, “When a Blind Man Cries”. “Dreams
of Desire” is an instrumental inspired by Bach. “Shadow of the Tyburn
Tree” is a traditional English folk song written today about an event that
happened over 400 years ago. Yes, there are serious about it and
it’s not as bad as it sounds.
The album loses some steam after the “Tyburn
Tree” but redemption comes with the last track, “Lose My Number” which
is just a good rock and roll song with some keyboards and a boogie beat.
Rock and roll is steeped in the blues and
rock guitarists have used classical influences for a long time. Smith
has both schools within his nimble fingers and uses them to maximum effect.
CD Info
Heaven
& Earth (featuring Stuart Smith)
Label: Black
Star Records
Rating: 
Tracks:
1. Don't Keep Me Waiting
Kelly Hansen (Hurricane)
2. Heaven & Earth
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow)
3. See That My Grave is Kept Clean
Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple)
4. When A Blind Man Cries
Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
5. Life on the Line*
Bobby Kimball (Toto)
6. Dreams of Desire (instrumental)
7. Still Got the Blues*
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow)
8 . Do You Ever Think of Me
Kelly Hansen (Hurricane)
9. It's Got to Be Love
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow)
10. Shadow of the Tyburn Tree
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow)
11. Road to Melnibone' (instrumental)
12. When the Blues Catch Up with You
Al Mirikitani (BB Chung King)
13. Howlin' at the Moon
Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt)
14. Memories
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow)
15. Trouble in Paradise
Kelly Hansen (Hurricane)
16. Lose my Number
Kelly Hansen (Hurricane)
* denotes bonus track
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