Its The Real Thing
Friedman is a largely self-taught guitarist known for his improvisation and for fusing an Eastern musical feel with Western musical styles, such as neo-classical, thrash metal and later on into progressive rock. Marty formed and played lead guitar in several bands, including Deuce, Hawaii, and notably Cacophony. Cacophony featured neoclassical metal elements and synchronized twin guitar harmonies and counterpoints shared with guitarist Jason Becker on their two albums, Go Off! and Speed Metal Symphony.
When Cacophony broke up in 1989, Marty Friedman auditioned for the thrash metal band Megadeth and joined them in February 1990. The first album he recorded with them was Rust in Peace, and sold shitloads in the US. He developed his style of playing exotic scale solos from the Cacophony era, and integrated it into the music of Megadeth. During Friedman's time in the band, they sold over ten million albums worldwide.
Currently living in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, he travels the world giving clinics, performances and master classes in dozens of countries in Asia, Europe, North and South America. He has become a major force in the Japanese music scene, playing lead guitar in the bands of some of the country's most famous performers. He also appears on Japanese television and as a columnist for a major Japanese music magazine and a national daily newspaper.
So what about Exhibit A • Live In Europe. Recorded over the 2007 Loudspeaker tour, Friedman is joined by Chris Catero • Bass, Jeremy Colson • Drums, and Ron Jarzombek • Guitars. This live cd is weighted heavily on Marty’s last two albums, ‘Music for Speeding’ and ‘Loudspeaker’. He also delves into his solo back catalogue as far back as his ’88 solo debut ‘Dragons Kiss’. If you want anything Cacophony or other, don’t look here as theres nothing, just pure solo work
This is the second ‘guitar god’ instrumental cd in a row, Ive had to review with Marty being up there with the very best. Hammering your ears with ‘Anvils’, from ‘Dragons Kiss’ is a excellent pulsating riff based melodic rocker. Further kick-ass metal follows suit with the fine ‘Gimme a dose’. Marty plays with passion and maturity, and not just some guy who tries to play as many notes as he can. 'Tibet' gives our ears a chance to recover with a great eastern sounding mellow vibe, before the frenzy returns to assault us once again
Highlights on the cd are every one of them! Obvious choices are the epic ‘Stigmata*Addiction’, a melodic/thash affair, ‘Street Demon’, ‘Ripped’, ‘Paradise Affair’ and ‘Elixir’.
The album is a very polished affair, sounding almost studio like such is the quality of Friedmans virtuosity. If he was playing on his own busking he’d be frackin awesome, but with his touring band, he’s somethin’ else entirely!
In a week when a recent poll gave us the top however many best guitar riffs ever, read it, argue with the selection and check out some of the master guitarists who write better riffs than some of the choices on it. Friedman, Vai, Satriani, Gilbert, MacAlpine will blow your mind and expand your horizons.
In his last 20 years Marty has produced some of his best work on his last two cds’ Music For Speeding’ and ‘Loudspeaker’, with over 50 percent of ths live cd coming from these two alone. If you're new to MF where have you been you fools, I suggest you start late on and work backwards though this collection. Is he getting better with age.... you betcha!