Dan Patlansky IntroVertigo cd review

Dan Patlansky burst onto the UK scene with the release of last year's Dear Silence Thieves cd and a heavy touring schedule that included a lengthy run with Joe Satriani.

Now with the imminent release of his new cd IntroVertigo due on Friday the 6th of May and more touring firstly as special guest with King King and then on his own headlining dates in the UK this all should see the profile of this wonderful guitarist to soar ever higher.

Written over the course of the last 2 years and with his road rhythm team of Clint Falconer on bass and Andy Maritz on drums and also on a couple of tracks Rami Jaffe on Hammond and Theo Crous on keyboards and who also acts as producer too as he did on Dear Silence Thieves.

Dan believes that the new cd is his most accomplished to date and draws from all of his influences from Audioslave, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jim Hendrix, Rival Sons and beyond and continues the same mix of rock, funk and blues as seen previously.

After having lived with IntroVertigo for the last couple of weeks I have to agree with Dan and say that he has done a stellar job with an album showcasing his excellent vocals and stunning guitar playing and different bluesy stylings but never forgetting the need for a tune too.

Run that was first showcased on the Joe Satriani dates starts the album with a real statement of intent with a monumental riff with echoes of feedback and a big roar as he yells Run.The song ebbs and lows with it all building to the roaring chorus and a fuzzy bass line and a real rumbling groove to the song.The mid song short fiery wah infused guitar solo fits perfectly and in just over 3 minutes it is done.

Poor Old John has a bluesy shuffle and rhythm to it with Dan's vocal melodies in the first verse showing off his vocal range.At 1 minute and 20 seconds Dan starts a solo that manages to get faster as it goes on and shows off his bluesy but also melodic style off to a tee and the excellent production shines through with Hammond organ and wonderful rhythm playing all very visible underpinning the song.

Sonnova Faith sees a stop start guitar riff with Andy's drum track as the base and Dan's vocal filling in the gaps between riffs. Then as the guitar solo starts then that fills in the gap between the riffs which is very clever.

Loosen Up The Grip starts on a keyboard refrain and Dan's wonderful guitar pickings and again the amazing voice he has which can be forgotten as he is seen a guitarist.A ballad feel to it with a melodic chorus and Dan adds guitar licks as and when he feel the need and the guitar solo is beautiful and understated.

Heartbeat has an acoustic blues intro and after a short vocal intro turns into a full band blues rock stomper in the chorus.Then back to the acoustic for the second verse and you can imagine it hitting hard in the live setting as the band kick in for the chorus.

Stop The Messin' has a funky feel to it with Hammond backing.Dan refrains his guitar in the verse but plays very loose and jangly in the chorus and another quality solo with his speed and dexterity shining through.

Bet On Me has an electric picked melodic intro and Dan's vocal melody and guitar melodies soaring ever higher.More Hammond gives it good depth and back in the day would have made a great radio single with the top down on the car.

Still Wanna Be Your Man is a slow blues number with Dan impressing on his vocal delivery on a song about life on the road but still trying to be the member of a family at home.
The Hammond on this song is just fantastic and it all builds to the second chorus and the longest guitar solo on the album.It all begins slowly and picked with Hammond flourishes to back it up before Dan shows us his fret skills making his guitar cry and another sure fire live favourite.Which is where the song will really develop into a classic.

Western Decay is an uptempo song with a pounding drum rhythm and the guitar strangely in the background with licks dipping in and out and no guitar solo to speak of.

Queen Puree ends the cd with a wailing near feedback led stop start riff on a mid paced number and Clint's huge bass rumble knocking down walls with it's power and volume.It all builds to the under stated chorus and a guitar solo in keeping with the main riff and close to feedback at all times.

Dan Patlansky has nailed his colours to the mast with IntroVertigo with an album showcasing his talents as a songwriter,vocalist and guitar player and his continuing development into a world class exponent of the blues.