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Eric Johnson : Up Close
© 2010 Vortexan Music
By Eric Johnson’s standards, the five-year gap between 2005’s Bloom and 2010’s Up Close is swift. It’s the shortest time between albums since Ah Via Musicom followed Tones by a mere four years and although Up Close could hardly be called spontaneous, it does have a looseness that’s often absent in Johnson’s work, perhaps because it trades so heavily on the guitarist’s Texas roots, a point he underscores by having songs called “Texas” and “Austin.” Naturally, this means there’s a bunch of blues on Up Close, which finds room for cameos by Steve Miller, Jimmie Vaughan, Jonny Lang, and Sonny Landreth, but even these moments don’t bear much grit because dirt is not part of Johnson’s repertoire. He prefers clean and sculpted, an aesthetic that runs from his tone to his rhythms. He remains indebted to the fusion etched out by Jeff Beck on Blow by Blow but he no longer is taking it to the extremes, as when he divided Bloom into movements. Up Close is merely Eric Johnson served straight-up: it is not far removed from the feel of Ah Via Musicom, lacking only the major melodies that sucked in crossover listeners, but Johnson’s journey is not one of innovation, it’s of refinement and he continues to find interesting ways to hone his specific craft on Up Close. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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Eric Johnson : Bloom
Electric Guitar
'Bloom' features 16 new songs ranging the stylistic gamut, which has always been Johnson's approach on his solo albums. He is one of the precious few musicians to fully succeed artistically and commercially with this philosophy. His already-astonishing gifts as a songwriter and producer, in addition to his jaw-dropping guitar technique, have grown substantially on this album. 'Bloom' will appeal to Johnson's longtime fans while also bringing new ones into the fold.
Eric Johnson : Venus Isle
Electric Guitar
Johnson is an admitted perfectionist, and those traits seemed to work against Ah Via Musicom's follow-up release. Unhappy with his recordings, Johnson mastered—then subsequently scrapped—several completed tracks for the new album and delayed its release for a period of six years. Venus Isle is his 4th solo cd.
Eric Johnson : Ah Via Musicom
Electric Guitar
By the time Johnson released his Capitol debut Ah Via Musicom in 1990, he was a bona fide "guitar hero;" regularly winning awards for his musicianship in the guitar press. During this period, Johnson was also drawing recognition for the rich, violin-like tone he coaxed from his vintage Fender Stratocaster. The album's second cut, Cliffs of Dover, exemplified his unique sound and won Johnson a 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Ah Via Musicom was a crossover hit, and was soon certified platinum.
Eric Johnson : Tones
Electric Guitar
Prince caught one of Johnson's performances on the public television program Austin City Limits and recommended that Warner Brothers sign Johnson. They did, and 1986 saw the release of Johnson's major-label debut, Tones.
Eric Johnson : Live from Austin, TX : DVD
Concert DVD
Legendary guitar hero Eric Johnson's 1988 performance on the Austin City Limits TV show was an amazing performance. The performance is now available on DVD. It captures the magical guitar work and energy that only Eric Johnson live can deliver.
G3 Live : Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani : DVD
Concert DVD
Three of the greatest rock instrumental guitarist of the past decade finally get together and performed one of the finest guitar shows ever. The video captures the three virtuoso players with individual sets and together at the grand finale.