Flamenco A Go-Go
Encyclopedia
Flamenco A Go-Go is the second album
released by guitarist and songwriter Steve Stevens
, best known for playing for Billy Idol
for several years. It was recorded in his home studio, and is mostly an instrumental album with a few vocal sections.
album.
Stevens reported drawing inspiration from noted flamenco player Paco de Lucía
after seeing him play live. The album features acoustic Spanish guitar but also departs from the flamenco genre by including electric guitar, drum and bass
loops, electronics, ambient
sounds and midi gear. It has contributions from session musicians Greg Ellis
(percussion) and Vinnie Colaiuta
(drums).
Other reviewers were not quite as kind: "This solo debut from the Bozzio Levin Stevens
guitarist is quite entertaining. As anyone who's listened to either BLS album might expect, there's a large serving of really fast Spanish guitar picking on here, and a lot of it is really melodic and quite beautiful. Also unsurprisingly, there's a fair share of wankery. With many of the songs, Stevens tries to combine his flamenco-styled picking with rock, jazz, and/or new age influences, with mixed results."
Stevens said at the time:
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
released by guitarist and songwriter Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens
Steve Stevens is an American guitarist and songwriter.He is best known for playing for other artists and less known for his critically acclaimed solo efforts , collaborations Steve Stevens (born as Steven Schneider on May 5, 1959, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American guitarist and songwriter.He...
, best known for playing for Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
for several years. It was recorded in his home studio, and is mostly an instrumental album with a few vocal sections.
Musical genres and influences
Despite the title, the album is not a traditional flamencoFlamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
album.
Stevens reported drawing inspiration from noted flamenco player Paco de Lucía
Paco de Lucía
Paco de Lucía, born Francisco Sánchez Gómez , is a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist and composer. He is considered by many to be one of the finest guitarists in the world and the greatest guitarist of the flamenco genre...
after seeing him play live. The album features acoustic Spanish guitar but also departs from the flamenco genre by including electric guitar, drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
loops, electronics, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
sounds and midi gear. It has contributions from session musicians Greg Ellis
Greg Ellis (musician)
Greg Ellis is a California-born drummer and percussionist, who is currently a member of World/Psytrance/Tribal band Juno Reactor and the ambient group Biomusique....
(percussion) and Vinnie Colaiuta
Vinnie Colaiuta
Vincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
(drums).
Reviews
Allmusic was very positive, calling it a "wonderful surprise", by "one of the finest guitarists of the past 20 years" and saying it will catch listeners "off guard", with dance record overtones and rhythms that will "grab every listener".Other reviewers were not quite as kind: "This solo debut from the Bozzio Levin Stevens
Bozzio Levin Stevens
Bozzio Levin Stevens is a supergroup power trio of rock, fusion, jazz and instrumental classical music, consisting of drummer Terry Bozzio , bassist and Chapman Stick player Tony Levin and guitarist Steve Stevens,...
guitarist is quite entertaining. As anyone who's listened to either BLS album might expect, there's a large serving of really fast Spanish guitar picking on here, and a lot of it is really melodic and quite beautiful. Also unsurprisingly, there's a fair share of wankery. With many of the songs, Stevens tries to combine his flamenco-styled picking with rock, jazz, and/or new age influences, with mixed results."
Stevens said at the time:
- I kind of reached an end to playing real loud, aggressive stuff. With the shred guitar thing, it always seems like I was playing to guys who were standing there with score cards or something. We weren’t creating an emotional event - it was a gymnastic event.
Track listing
- "Flamenco A Go-Go"
- "Cinecitta Listen"
- "Our Man In Istanbul"
- "Letter To A Memory"
- "Feminova"
- "Velvet Cage"
- "Hanina" Featuring FaudelFaudelFaudel , born Faudel Belloua on June 6, 1978 in Mantes-la-Jolie, is a French singer of Algerian descent.-Early years:...
- "Dementia"
- "Twilight In Your Hands"
- "Riviera"
- "Jazz...An Evil Power" (Japanese Edition Bonus Track)