FRED CHAPELLIER & TOM PRINCIPATO
''GUITARS ON FIRE: LIVE AT CHEZ PAULETTE''
2011
54:42
1 - If Love Is Blind/3:15
2 - O.V. Wright/7:12
3 - Don't Wanna Do It/6:29
4 - My Love Comes Tumblin' Down/5:23
5 - Part Of Me/5:16
6 - Beer Drinking Woman/5:01
7 - Call The Law/4:34
8 - Night Work/4:57
9 - I Hear You Knockin'/6:26
10 - Done Your Daddy Dirty/6:02
Review
By Denis (Amazon)
"Guitars on Fire" is an outstanding live recording from Tom Principato and his French cohort Fred Chapellier. Recorded in France during one of Tom Principato's regular visits to Europe, "Guitars on Fire" really lives up to its name. I must say both musicians deserve high praise for their talent, skill, and execution, and having been to a few of Tom Principato's live shows, I am not surprised!
Although I was not previously familiar with Fred Chapellier's work, I know Tom Principato is a world-class guitar player and just an outstanding musician overall. With this live CD release, Tom further reinforces his stellar reputation as both an accomplished guitarist and an expressful singer. At the same time, I have been very impressed with Fred Chapellier: he has some great chords up his sleeve, he's got great passion for what he does, and he really holds his own well against Tom Principato. The two men are actually very well matched in their guitar stylings and singing voices: I think their on-stage chemistry, in addition to skill, is what really sets their joint performance on fire.
About 6 songs from this live recording are familiar to me from Tom's previously released albums (and there are many, and you should check them out, too!). The other 4 songs probably came from Fred's playlist. The song sequence is great, I must say - it really helps to change up the mood of the concert and gives good variety to the intensity and the style of the guitar playing and singing.
I've been a huge fan of Tom Principato for a few years now, since I first discovered his music: I have almost every record he ever released, and I've played them often enough to recognize (or even sing along with) the chord sequences of lot of his songs' studio versions.
That said, I was very pleasantly surprised with how fresh and versatile Tom's playing is on "Guitars on Fire." While he stuck close to the studio versions of "Dont Wanna Do It" and "Part Of Me" (from his 2011 album), he let loose on most other songs the way he does in his live shows, and it's particularly gratifying listening to him do things on the guitar that I've never heard him do before.
Tom and Fred alternate lead and rhythm roles for parts of the songs, but when they get into improv solos and start trading licks, that's when this recording really gives you goosebumps. It's hard not to imagine them smiling at each other while they pluck their Fenders for some fine chicken-style pickings or tug on their tremolo arms while unleashing torrents of fiery blues rock on each other and on their audience.
The recording of this album succeeded in capturing an outstanding live show, and you get to hear it in full glory - all the passion, all the talent, all the skill, and all the hard work. This CD has been in my CD player non-stop for a while now, and I love it.
Check out this album and support this great independent music!
OFFICIAL SITE