Robert Taylor 'The Rabid Petting Zoo' CD Review
A Look At The Solo Guitarist's Impressive Album
Sep 12, 2009
Robert Taylor was the 2004 Canadian finger-style guitar champion, and therefore obviously an extremely talented musician. In ’The Rabid Petting Zoo’, he shows everything one could want from a solo guitarist, and more.
Personality Shines Through In ’The Rabid Petting Zoo’
The thing that separates this album from others in this genre is the individualistic nature of it. While evidently influenced by stalwarts of the acoustic guitar scene, Taylor’s sound is distinctive.
It is nearly folk, but has an extra workman like edge that gives it a bite atypical to that genre. The melodies of Taylor are never short of creative, and his use of harmonics makes his sound truly unique.
‘The Hillbilly Song’ shows how he can have a ‘herky-jerky’ sound, whereas in contrast, ‘Gorthon’ is almost a classical piece. Whatever Taylor’s sound is branded as, it most certainly isn’t dull, and he keeps the listener interested for the duration of the record.
Taylor’s Technical Ability
While there are many good acoustic guitarists in the world, very few can say they can play quite like Robert Taylor. The speed at which he can play clean sounding notes is phenomenal, and this is shown in the opening track of the album “Phobos”.
He evidently knows what he does best as well. While some solo acoustic guitarists have ruined songs by dubbing instruments over them, Taylor sticks to the good old fashioned lone acoustic guitar for the most part, and this is a very good blueprint for success.
One would think that maybe Taylor would resort to showing off because of his technical excellence. However, he does the exact opposite. Every song is finely crafted, and there are no extra notes just there for the sole purpose of showing off his ability. ‘Despondent Hope’ for example, is a very slow song, and is just there for its musical rewards; not for a cheap ego boost at the listener’s expense.
Faults Of ‘The Rabid Petting Zoo’???
It is extremely hard to criticise this album. Quite possibly, it could be said that the bonus track ‘Deimos’ outlasts its welcome, but apart from that, there isn’t much to pick apart.
The pace Taylor sets is good, and the fact he knows how to craft the album to slow it down and pick things up whenever he wishes is an obvious bonus. The recording of the album is equally flawless.
Is ‘The Rabid Petting Zoo’ Worth Buying?
Most definitely. This is an excellent record, and it’s unbelievable that Taylor hasn’t hit the dizzy heights of the likes of Andy McKee and Don Ross. The key factor in this being an excellent album is innovation, and the fathers of the solo acoustic guitar genre such as Michael Hedges would be impressed by the way Taylor puts his own stamp on the record. A must buy.
Rating: 9.0/10
Song To Check Out: Baghdad. This is a standout song, and shows Robert Taylor at his absolute best.
How To Buy 'The Rabid Petting Zoo'
This is available on CD and in MP3 format on the website of Candyrat Records.
 |
