REB BEACH – A View From the Inside
- Posted on 03-12-2020
”A View from the Inside” by the incredibly skilled Whitesnake/Winger guitarist Reb Beach was quite a surprise to me and a lovely one at that. Why is that? Well, for one thing I did not know that he was about to launch a new solo record, but secondly, this is essentially an instrumental album that is rather progressive in nature and perfectly situated between discipline and playfulness.
So, what exactly is this stuff? A delightfully eclectic mixture of shredding (hard) rock, jazz rock, fusion, and even a subtle dose of funk, and there are interesting textures aplenty to be discovered here, folks. We all know how stellar his work with the aforementioned Whitesnake is, but Reb’s amazing playing takes center stage here and these ten lively/challenging tracks show you just how inventive and creative he truly is. Despite their relatively complex structures and clever arrangements, the compositions generally possess a great flow but they do require a fair number of spins before they really start to sink in and stick to one’s memory. The musicianship is superb and Beach’s production is more than adequate, but more importantly, the whole affair oozes enthusiasm and comes across as a real labor of love.
“A View from the Inside” may not reach any stratospheric heights and one could argue that it might primarily appeal to a bit of a niche audience, but I strongly encourage all you openminded listeners out there (especially those of you who get a kick out of experimental jazz rock) to immerse yourself in this piece. Its highlights include the vibrant and spirited ”Cutting Loose” and album closer ”Sea of Tranquility”. Unlike many similar instrumental guitar-oriented LPs out there, Reb neither goes overboard nor loses his focus with respect to what constitutes excellent songwriting.