Chris Francis
Chris Francis Independent

Comments: If you could imagine the clarity of Marc Bonilla, the versatility of Lanny Cordola and the technique of Steve Vai, then perhaps this will give you an immediate word picture of the style and panache of Chris Francis. Add in his own style and we have the ingredients of a new guitar god. This self-title debut featuring nine instrumental tracks, is a perfect place for this young man to showcase his obvious talents. Please note the word "showcase" and not "showboat," as at the ripe young age of 25 he shows great maturity and class.

Winner of Guitarist Magazine's "Guitarist Of The Year 2000," this English born axe-master kick started his career. His next move in April of 2001 was to enter the studio and lay down tracks for this impressive, eclectic solo debut that was released December of 2001. Yet before even having an opportunity to promote his solo endeavor, Francis was invited to replace veteran Vinny Burns in the melodic rock group Ten. Now Francis has the daunting task of filling Vinny Burns shoes. The evidence here is very clear that technically he is more than "up to speed" to complete the task. Perhaps even over-qualified, as the writing on this debut is so impressive that it may be difficult for him to take a back seat to the prolific Gary Hughes. In addition, there is the issue of chemistry as Francis is all over the musical map while Hughes is quite the contrary.

But this review is not to focus on the future of Francis with Ten but on his first and hopefully not last solo album. The CD opens with the peeling out of car tires and the song "Freedom Machine" begins. It immediately spotlights the fine technique, clarity and tone of Francis. With two separate guitars dueling in each speaker you will be immediately impressed with this young man's ability on the guitar. Those of you that are fans of the former House Of Lords guitarist Lanny Cordola will see the immediate comparisons. The same peeling out 'freedom machine' crashes courtesy of the appropriate sound effects to close the song ... cheeky. Meanwhile, "The Story So Far" has some nice harmonious guitar leads bringing an ever so brief Thin Lizzy feel at times. A bluesy bridge keeps things interesting along with some excellent Steve Vai type sound effects. The song then comes full circle returning to its faster pace.

The tease of the blues from the prior song is only a sampler for the full swing blues via the moody and temperamental "C For Miles". Here Francis shows great capabilities with his blues hat on with the song deceivingly building with intensity and color. "Until" replays this theme with an even more somber opening. Francis certainly knows how to make his guitar cry and wail yet at the same time with great melodious effect. This time his first bridge brings a soulful Latin feel to it keeping the listener on their toes. Even more so is the fine fretless bass work of Russ Kennedy that concludes the song.

While speaking of exotic tracks, skip forward to "Zavoov," which lives up to its unusual title. The track has a tepid jazz feel to it and even includes some piano work from Francis as well as others. It is an exquisite and quite lovely song. However, it is still not as strong as the concluding "To High Heaven." To say that this is a soaring song would not be a pun but a great word picture of an instrumental track living up to its title. The mid-tempo chords and soloing are brilliant that the only complaint would be its lack of duration. But what a great way to close the cd and leave you in awe of this new talent.

While Chris Francis will continue his initiate with his partnership with Ten, one can only hope that he will still find time to follow up on this impressive debut. Francis could have taken the easy way out and presented a typical guitarist's instrumental album, but instead he presented a more complex array of song essays. A conglomeration of music styles and genres this collage of Francis is wonderful introduction of this musician, who can play, write and produce with the best of veterans.

http://www.chrisfrancis.net/

Track listing:
1. Freedom Machine
2. The Story So Far
3. C For Miles
4. Thin Air
5. Until
6. Pretzels N' Cheese
7. Zavoov
8. Daydream In Green
9. To High Heaven

HRH Rating: 7.5