Various Artists - 1996 Guitars That Rule the World, Vol. 2 "Smell the Fuzz"

There's no question that Guitars That Rule the World, Vol. 2: Smell the Fuzz is designed with guitar freaks in mind. It's hard to imagine the average listener sitting through these ten guitar showcases without getting antsy, since each piece emphasizes technique and skill, not melody and hooks. However, guitar fanatics should find this quite intriguing, since it offers a number of guitarists (plus bassist Billy Sheehan) on their own original compositions. Some of the cuts fall a little flat, and it may be a little too close to prog-metal for some tastes, but the collection nevertheless offers some fascinating cuts from the Hellecasters, John Christ, Robert Fripp, Kim Thayil & Dark Lord, Alex Lifeson and a solo Billy Corgan, all of whom make the album worth a listen.

I usually don't care for guitar oriented/various artist CD's,but this one was different.I find myself giving it a spin more often than usual.The tunes that I liked best were Victor(Alex Lifeson of Rush)'s "Strip And Go Naked",the smoking Ace Frehley's "Cherokee Boogie",Robert Fripp's "Sunset Collage" and J.Yuenger(White Zombie)'s "Blues For 2-XL".'Guitars That Rule...' assembles some truly outstanding tracks,that I'm not even sure if a consumer can find on any other release.Exclusive music always gives you another reason to get a copy of a title as such. 

This is a fine solo guitar album. Spanning the playfulness of the Hellecaster's Disintonation, the fuzzy motion sickness inducing Blues For 2-XL by J. Yuenger, and the overpowering crunch of Ace Frehley on Cherokee Boogie, Smell the Fuzz should be an exciting listen for any electric guitar fan. Another highlight is the incredible speed of three death metal guitarists on Unheard Of's Explosion. Although some songs left me feeling unsatisfied, this CD spends more time in my stereo than Guitars that Rule the World, Vol. 1.

I found this at my local dollar store. I will say it was definitely worth more than the dollar I paid for it. I happen to be a big fan of instrumental guitar music, so this CD was right up my alley. It's got a pretty good variety of styles and talents. There's ambient looping, robotic blues, beefed up boogie, speed metal and stripped down ballads. Go ahead and try it, it's cheap. 

 Track Listings

  1. Disintonation - Hellecasters
  2. Ascendo - Billy Corgan
  3. Strip & Go Naked - Victor
  4. Blues For 2-XL - J. Yuenger
  5. Cherokee Boogie - Ace Frehley
  6. Brewicide - Dark Load
  7. Explosion - Unheard Of
  8. Niacin - Billy Sheehan
  9. One Song - John Christ
  10. Sunset Collage 1 - Robert Fripp