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By Bob Cantonwine
In his sixth album Salt Lake City resident and classical guitarist Michael
Lucararelli has recorded instrumental versions of fourteen of the world's most
beautiful and finely crafted songs. Songs that are especially dear to those of
us who grows up in the 60's when the Beatles made their presence known to a
universe in need of the message and music style they delivered. We embraced
them(the fab four and their songs) for an unprecedented couple of decades and
watched as their music seemed to die. But it could never die. These songs...this
music...is timeless and will be listened to decades and even centuries from now
just as the classics from past centuries continue to thrill us today.
It was the individual gifts of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and occasionally Star
that brought a collective surprise to us. Now , Lucarelli uses his individual
interpretive gift to please us further with the same songs in a way and a genre
that is pleasantly unexpected. Certainly, the guitar's range and flexibility as
well as the performer's skill are expertly displayed on this recording. Even the
funky Come Together maintains an even, smooth flow consistent with other tunes
like The long and Winding Road and Yesterday. The theme of this record could
easily be "relax, be peaceful and remember."
From the ramanticism of Something and Michelle to the rousing From Me to You ans
She Loves You to the steady slow tempo of While my Guitar Gently Weeps this is a
gem of a recording. On the last track , Hey Jude brings its own set of
surprises. Where the na na na's would be vocally, Michael show's why Daniel
Buckley wrote, "In his playing, tone and attack, color and heart are precisely
weighed, balanced and applied. He brings skill, taste and passion to a carefully
selected flowing recital disk that invites repeated listening. I agree with Dan.
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