[.ca] Lone Ranger

Nice guitar cd, well worth checking out:
Being a Sacramento homeboy myself, I first saw Jeff perform way back in 1978 when his Jeff Watson Band opened for Heart at Hughes Stadium. Then in the early 80's I saw his new band Ranger (later renamed Night Ranger) up close and personal at a much smaller venue called the Oasis Ballroom. My point being that my exposure to Jeff Watson goes back a bit further than a typical Night Ranger fan. I bought this cd mainly out of curiousity, and am pleased to say that I'm glad I did. The first pleasant discovery was that an old friend of mine named Chris (stage name "Spike") played drums on several tracks. I was also impressed that Jeff chose not only to feature his own excellent playing but also to include several distinguished guests. Apart from the barely used Sammy Hagar, the others contribute some inspired peformances, particularly Steve Morse. I also have to give alot of credit to ANYONE who has the guts to trade licks with Allan Holdsworth. The cd also features various performing animals including a dog, a horse and a trio of goats! But of course the real reason to pick up this cd is that the standards for musicianship are very high and remain consistent throughout the nicely varied tracks. If you're purely a N.R. fan, be forewarned that you won't find any pop tunes here. This cd is about lead guitar, and in that regard it succeeds admirably. Jeff Watson, you've come a long way, baby! (You too, Chris - I mean Spike!)

outstanding guitar album:
Lone Ranger is one of the best guitar instrumental albums I've ever heard. It has both slower, sensitive tunes and flat-out hard rockers. There isn't anyone out there that can play the 12-string as well as Jeff Watson. Easily one of the most under-rated guitarists ever, Watson shows that he is as accomplished a songwriter as he is a guitarist.

good guitarist, crappy album:
The majority of the tracks on this album are in-your-face, toneless, distortion crap (psuedo early Sammy Haagar). There are also few decent 12-string acoustic numbers, however, all 3 of them sound like the same song. The only 2 songs maybe worth even borrowing this wretched album for are the collaborations with Steve Morse and Allan Holdsworth. Waste of money.

One of the greatest instumental guitar albums of all time.:
This CD is a blend of many very unique Jeff Watson musical personality traits. This is also a guitar players album but could be really enjoyed by anyone. Lone Ranger can be compared with some Satriani and Via stuff in the sense that it is musical first, gun slinger second. The most polished full studio quality guitar instrumental album I have ever heard.

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