***** Hotel Spendido by Al Di Meola – A Masterpiece: Buy This Album, It Is Not A Waste of Money

From start to finish this album is nothing but classic song after classic song. The mainstream really missed out on this album. Just as Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson made a short stint of radio airplay, I believe that this album could offer something to anyone in the way those two were a part of music even to a lowly pop music fan. Asides from that, as pop music is usually the worst kind of music, Al Di Meola could appeal to anyone, from the fan of Miles Davis to the fan of Metallica, or even a fan of Eric Clapton. In fact, Al Di Meola often borders on heavy metal shred, at the same time while never losing his jazz roots.

When I rate this album 5 stars, it is that I want to say that Hotel Splendido is one of the best albums ever! Really, Hotel Splendido is impossible to beat value as an album. It is one of my cherished classics, something that I could never really grow tired of. I use my 5/5 star rating very sparingly, and the reason for it is so that I can share with someone, anyone, that there is something magical about this album. There is something about this album that I could pull it out 50 years, 100 years, or even 1,000 years from now and sing the same songs of praise about the greatness of Hotel Splendido.

**** Seven Worlds by Eric Johnson – He Deserves to Be More Popular

This album is chalk full of great music.  It is smooth, easy, and catchy song writing with tasteful production that won’t scare away women.  Seven Worlds is no disappointment.  Eric Johnson is quite similar to Steely Dan, Bryan Adams, or Dave Matthews.  However, I think because he was initially billed as a guitar virtuoso, rather than just pop music for the yuppies of the 1990s, that he never was able to achieve the following that other similar acts did.