Mark Varney Project - 1990 "Truth In Shredding"

 

Truth in Shredding is the first studio album by the Mark Varney Project (MVP), released in 1990 through Legato Records and reissued on November 4, 2003, through Tone Center Records. MVP was a short-lived collaborative project put together by Mark Varney, brother of Shrapnel Records founder Mike Varney. Mark founded Legato in the 1980s, which served as a jazz-oriented counterpart to the rock stylings of Shrapnel. This incarnation of the group features guitarists Frank Gambale and Allan Holdsworth. Besides one track written by Gambale, the rest are covers of existing jazz fusion compositions.

1990 Legato Records release of MVP (The Mark Varney Project), "Truth In Shredding", offers "a relentless, thrill-a-minute, Indiana Jones of instrumental music! The guitar work by two Guitar Player Magazine Reader's Poll winners is staggering!" Those two winners happen to be none other than Allan Holdsworth (guitar, synthaxe) and Frank Gambale (rhythm guitar, lead guitar), who also produced the album of seven instrumentals - 99% of which was tracked live! Intense, mind-numbing, intimidating - all have been used to describe the music on "Truth In Shredding" - recommended for fans ranging from fusion to progressive to metal.

MVP stands for the Mark Varney Project. He has been a longtime recruiter of guitar speed demons such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Tony Macalpine. Here he brings together accomplished and established players. It is a very intense fusion recording that can be an intimidating listen both in terms of technique and the consistent intensity maintained throughout. The metal-influenced Frank Gambale is one of the pioneers of the sweep-picking technique that allows him to generate mind-numbing speed. Allan Holdsworth proves a good counterpoint, as his unique approach also produces lightning-quick runs. Guitar fans, especially the younger crowd, will appreciate the extended solos and lack of any commercial hooks here. It is basically a blowing date. This is not to say that the musicians don't deserve credit for their playing -- quite the contrary. Out of the two, Holdsworth seems a bit more inspired and more comfortable in this setting. Tommy Brechtlein turns in a fine performance on drums, especially when given some space on "Bathsheba." If taken in short doses, the impact of this recording is more effective. Recommended for fans ranging from fusion to progressive to metal.

Track listing:

1. "Rocks"    Randy Brecker    7:01
2. "Humpty Dumpty"    Chick Corea    6:31
3. "The Fall"    Wayne Shorter    8:15
4. "Not Ethiopia"    Michael Brecker    9:36
5. "New Boots"    Frank Gambale    6:24
6. "Ana Maria"    Shorter    9:15
7. "Bathsheba"    M. Brecker    8:16
Total length:    55:08

Personnel:

Frank Gambale – guitar, engineering, mixing, production
Allan Holdsworth – guitar, SynthAxe, overdub engineering
Freddy Ravel – keyboard
Tom Brechtlein – drums
Jimmy Earl – bass
Steve Tavaglione – saxophone, EWI