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"Does your hectic life leave you feeling high-strung? Uptight?
Maybe even overwhelmed? Louisville's Tim Pitts can help. Light
some scented candles, run a tub of hot bath water, lie back
and let Pitts' Castle Ghosts CD flow through you to enhance
the soothing ambiance and ease your aching mind.
"No lyrics to ponder here, either. All you need to do is
allow Pitts' instrumentals to tell any stories you want to hear.
And it sure sounds like there are multi-tracked guitars on this
disc. If it's just Pitts and one guitar, that's just as impressive
as the wordless storytelling and cathartic quality of the music.
"The lead track, 'Flight of the Phoenix,' is haunting and
features some short, sprinting guitar passages as if it were
the score to a woman in a flowing gown, alternately walking
and running through the forest to elude something scary or harmful.
"The title song is more of a pondering piece - perhaps
a peaceful and thoughtful stroll through the night. 'Sleepy
Hollow' is appropriately titled, since it breathes with an air
of apprehension. Songs like 'Candle Lantern' and 'Moroccan Sunrise'
could find a comfortable spot on an old Al Stewart record, perhaps
Time Passages or Last Days of the Century. Given Stewart's musical
ability and some of the musicians he has kept company with,
especially Peter White, that's a lofty salute.
"If you pay attention to lyrics, a cool thing about Pitts'
music is that you can play it and hold a conversation without
missing that part of the music. Sometimes it sprints, sometimes
it is foreboding, other times it evokes a sunrise or autumn
afternoon. Overall, it is quite pleasant (and certainly not
limited to the bathtub experience)."
Use Paypal to order "Castle Ghosts" for only $8.00!
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"When last we visited Tim Pitts, we enjoyed burning scented
candles and a hot bath through the sounds of Castle Ghosts.
With Shadow of an Owl, Pitts takes us through overgrown green
pastures of wildflowers on any afternoon you choose, as well
as other places. This is not quite a solo effort, as Ray Yates
did contribute keyboards and drum programming. As contemplative
acoustic guitar music goes, if there was a band to beat, this
CD would beat it.
"Spiral Crystal" begins with a brief shower of drizzling
guitar followed by a shorter pause until happy little guitar
kids prance about in their carefree world of a meadow. This
song has a different melody than Al Stewart's "End of the
Day," but in spirit and beauty they are simpatico. "The
Gazing Stone" is also pretty, with a stream of tension
flowing through some of it. "Cruise Lane" sounds like
someone who, though in a hurry, occasionally stops to catch
their breath and take stock of things. "Shadows of the
Night" is the closest this CD comes to being orchestral.
With what seems to be cello, violin (or viola) and bass, it
sounds like gorgeous chamber music with a guitar lead. Most
of these songs are originals, though Pitts does an excellent,
vocal-free cover of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the
Reaper." In seventy minutes of emotional and breathtaking
acoustic guitar work, there's really no filler here. Cheers
for a guy who has been teaching guitar for twenty-plus years,
beginning at age seventeen.
"Pitts probably experimented with guitars before he learned
to walk. He sounds like a master craftsman of his instrument."
Use PayPal to order"Shadow of an Owl"
for only $8.00!
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