Monte Montgomery

i've only had the great fortune of seeing Monte live 5-6 times. his performances are truly BEYOND WORDS.

Monte has made Christmas shopping easy for me again...i have ZERO reservations about buying multiple copies of ANYTHING he has published without hearing them first......sight unseen/sound unheard, i guess you'd say.

it's wonderful to know he's touring Europe and getting much more exposure..Monte has more than paid his dues.

I like to categorize Monte as a sort of Billy Joel for acoustic guitar. He's clearly an ultra-accomplished musician. He has created a completely innovative style of guitar playing, which employs every imaginable picking & fingering style & percussive style that can be done. His melodies are engaging and catchy. His vocals are soulful. Only Monte's live show can eclipse the enjoyment garnered from listening to this CD. Watch for his name to come up at a local venue and catch him live too.

Okay, so I agree with the other reviewers...Monte is amazing, truly underrated and you just have to see him live. But let's get into the specifics of this release. Overall, there are more pluses than minuses. Pluses include: 1) very good studio sound - definitely the best sounding Monte record yet, 2) good variety of tunes - some slow, some fast, 3) great musicianship - David Piggot on bass and Phil Bass on drums sound better than ever. This CD was recorded live in the studio so what you're hearing is 3 guys who play this way ALL the time. Minuses include: 1) Monte's voice sound's pretty rough in spots on a couple songs (listen to River, for example). Maybe these were takes from the end of a day of long recording, 2) overall the album has too many mellow songs. The album is growing on me but on my first listen I jokingly wondered whether I'd bought the new Monte CD or a new James Taylor CD, 3) the album does not include two great songs I wished it would - "Rescue Me" and "Six Stringed Wooden Friend".

Overall, a great CD. Support Monte, he's a nice guy, he's different and he's the best guitarist I've seen and I've been playing guitar for over 30 years.

Monte is the full deal..singer, songwriter, but more than anything an amazing guitarist. This release is on a new label for Monte, and it does contain a few re-arranged songs from his earlier releases, but it is simply solid. The best way to experience this genius is to see him live. In any event, this album again shows the versatility of this artist. You will not be disappointed with this disc.

Okay, so I've been following Monte Montgomery for almost 10 years, and I own everything he's recorded, and a bunch of bootlegs besides. I've seen him live 8 times (which is a lot if you don't live in a common spot for him to visit, and I don't...). That being said, the one thing some people find is that they just don't "get" it until they see him live. It's the most amazing thing ever. If you get the chance...see him. Now, this new CD captures everything you need to know about Monte, so you can appreciate him even before you see him live. It's a culmination of everything he's ever done, stylistically, and by presentation, all in one disc. What I mean is, you get the great studio sound, solid fresh songwriting, a new version of an old song, a cover, and the live feel of a show, all in one studio release. I've already listened through it multiple times, and it's just early evening on the day of release, and I love it!!! Start to finish. Buy this album, and go see Monte live!!!!