If you are a guitarist it’s very likely that you have been hearing and seeing a lot of Chris George recently. Readers of magazines such as Guitarist and Guitar Techniques have been gathering up a series of Marshall Amplifier DVD’s given away with the magazines and talking readers through the amps is none other than Chris George.

To be asked to demonstrate the worlds most iconic and rocking amplifiers shows the respect that George commands in the music industry and with all the publicity these DVD’s have given him there couldn’t be a better time to release an album. Chris also played guitar on the last Waysted album and live album.

To give some background to the CD I’ll quote Chris from the inlay booklet: “From day one of this band’s line-up (March’05), we knew that at some point we should really put an album out that would remind you of the CGB live experience. On one of our many trips, we found ourselves in one of the best studios in Russia and a few days to use it. The plan originally was to record a half-covers/half original album, but when we got the songs back (18 months later when we’d given up all hope!) we found the originals were working much better. After we shot the Marshall DVD’s we kind of figured we should concentrate on more original stuff after the positive reception the songs we used there got, which was also now taking us out to a much bigger audience. So using a local studio, and eventually finding a live recording of Voodoo Mix (we knew we couldn’t leave that one off!!) It all came together pretty good. Nearly 2 years in the making, but recorded in about 4 days!!)

Lets me say straight away as guitar albums go this is as tasty and dependable as a British roast beef Sunday lunch. It’s meat and two veg’ with lashings of mint sauce to add bite. A strange way to describe a guitar album but as I’ve spent time with this album this description kept coming into my head! This is a solid and sincere slab of pure rockin’ guitar and it sounds so British. George isn’t a shred meister and you won’t find endless Phrygian or Mixolydian exercises and scales. Instead Chris just straps on his axe, plugs in and plays his guitar in the truest sense of the word and boy can he play.

As the album opens with “C.G.B” the first thing that hits you is his massive tone and I really mean massive. The opening riff sounds like Mark Knopfler's “Money For Nothing” on steroids. Chris weaves bluesy pumped up licks throughout and locks in with his band. This is a hard rock power trio hitting the cruise control and heading out down the highway.

“Revolt” opens with a big rock/metal riff and George demonstrates his command of double stops and two string bends. There is a glorious breakdown in the middle where we get a lick, which brought to mind the intro to “Thunderstruck” by the mighty AC/DC. It moves along with a subtle gallop and one has to praise Farid Medjane (drums) who gives the song plenty of backbone.

“Daytona” had me thinking of Joe Satriani. Not the playing style but the song structure. I could just picture Joe wailing over this. George employs his wah-wah pedal in a really musical way on this track as he opens and closes it over some meaty chords.

“Space And Time” has Chris in big ballad mode and squeezing melody after melody from his guitar. George takes a left turn midway through the track as he pulls out his acoustic guitar (but not for long) before launching into a great biting and gnarly solo. Great stuff.

“Kurgen's Hoedown” is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a country/blues workout where the entire band plays off each other. It’s got a great fun feel to it. Its kind of Albert Lee meets Hendrix. Sounds like an odd mixture but if you give the track a listen you’ll understand.

“Call Of The Tribe” has a dark riff at its heart and moves along relentlessly. Once again Chris gives us plenty of Wah abuse. This song is big, bold and full of drama and also blessed with a very big, fat and fruity guitar sound.

“Through The Night” is an acoustic piece and its strength comes from being simple and melodic. I had visions of looking out of a tour bus window in the middle of nowhere watching the world go by. The song is pretty, sweet and very effective.

“Into The Underworld” has some of the most fearsome guitar tones on the album. One feels that George has kept something back in the sound stakes as his guitar really has balls of steel on this track. One is pinned against the wall for a lot of the track but Chris gives the listener a little breather when he lays back, teases some feedback and slowly builds the track to a crushing crescendo. Once again Chris takes a detour and the album plays out not with a rock guitar but an acoustic

The final track on the album is “Voodoo Mix (Live)” which was recorded at Birmingham NEC; Music Live during October 2006.One can sum up this track in one word. Fun! I remember seeing Dweezil Zappa and his band when they played The Riverside (many years ago!) and they opened their set with a medley of songs, which were all, played as one piece of music. Chris does a similar thing here as after starting out in heavy rock/blues mode he swings into Hendrix action with the intro to Voodoo Chile and then goes on to quote Guns And Roses, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Chilli Peppers, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and finally The Godfather (I kid you not!). Throughout this track Chris squeezes harmonics and feedback from his guitar and, for a lot of us this track, demonstrates why we play guitar. It has feel, spontaneity, passion and the sense of just going for it. For a song, which has been well rehearsed, there is still a sense of reckless abandon and it really does raise a smile.

With their self titled album The Chris George Band have given us a no frills, earthy and sincere slab of damn fine hard rock and shown that sometimes keeping things straight and direct is more fun and effective than getting technical and flash. The CD is only available at gigs or through the Blue Juice Music/Chris George websites: www.bluejuicemusic.co.uk www.chris-george.co.uk

Let us know your views on 'C.G.B'

Track Listing

C.G.B
Revolt
Daytona
Space And Time
Kurgen's Hometown
Call Of The Tribe
Through The Night
Into The Underworld
Voodoo Mix

 Line Up

Chris George - Guitars
Farid Medjane - Drums
Rob Butterfield - Bass