I had decided that in an effort to write about music daily, I would grab my iPhone, put it on shuffle and post and comment about whatever came up. No screwing around. No looking for a “cool” song. Should something come up that some people may find potentially embarrassing – oh well. I will own it. I will not keep that shit in the closet. Seriously…there may be a few gems in there!

What came out with today’s shake? (ha ha ha…nevermind…..) Eric Johnson – Cliffs of Dover

Eric Johnson, described by many as a guitar prodigy, had already been around for some time prior to the 1990 smash Ah Via Musicom, but it was the release of that album that caught the attention of more than just the guitar enthusiasts and purist critics. The album was likely expected to be critically acclaimed, but the release of the single Cliffs of Dover was also embraced by the masses and earned Johnson a Grammy Award.

I have always loved a great instrumental piece. I have always believed that when a guitar can be both the driving musical force of a song, as well as the vocal – well, that’s a pretty special song. It is a truly breath-taking & technically superior, piece of music that manages to maintain an unbelievably addicting pop bounce throughout. To me, it is pure, unadulterated aural bliss.

Cliffs of Dover is also one of those songs I can put into a certain time slot in the soundtrack of my life. I used to go and shoot pool A LOT with friends back in 1990, and every time we went, I played this song…every time. It was one of those songs that I couldn’t get enough of, and it made me more open-minded and start to listen to a wider variety of music based on the pure talent of the musician. It moved me, and it made me want to explore the audio path less traveled. There was such a big world of music I had never listened to yet at the age of 19. That, my friends, is the power of a good song.

Tags: Ah Via Musicom, Cliffs of Dover, Eric Johnson, Grammy Award, guitar

Categories: The Shuffle Report

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