Yup, this is the Firefall guys! Jock Bartley has an interesting philosophy on life, you take it day by day, and you make every day count. He has had his share of ups and downs in his musical career, and I am happy to say he is back on top of his game.

Tribute albums are a much misunderstood musical vehicle. It is not a singer or a band trying to emulate another. Rather it is a tribute to a bands writing accomplishments. Tribute and impersonation are two very different critters. For example, there are a gazillion Elvis impersonators, they look like Elvis, they sound like Elvis, they dress like Elvis, hell I’ll bet some of them even live like Elvis. Tribute bands are a different breed, the aim is not to replicate the original but personalize it, and in some cases enhance the original.

Jock Bartley and Steven Weinmeister have produced, what is in my opinion, is the ultimate tribute to the songwriting of the Beatles, and managed to put their own unique twist on it. Even better, they have done it in an acoustic fashion. While I would not class Jock or Steven as heavy metal, they are usually found playing in a more electrified environment, sound boards, stacks of amps, and huge arrays of speakers. When you strip away those aspects for any musician you can get a real feel for their true musical abilities. Using a very minimalistic acoustic backdrop they tackle some of the worlds best known tunes.

I will be the first to admit, I am not a Beatles fan, while Paul McCartney exudes talent, and his song writing abilities are without doubt a musical legacy, 200 years from now people will still be performing his songs. Most are timeless vignettes that encapsulate a story within the 4 minute time frame. I am less enamored with the other three musicians, although each in their own way contributed to making The Beatles the legacy that it is.

I asked Jock where the inspiration for doing this CD came from. Apparently he and Steven were just goofing around, jamming some Beatles tunes. friends and fans got to hear a couple of their variations, and the project was born.

What do I like so much about this CD? Oh, thats easy to answer, the quality of the guitar playing is absolutely outstanding. I am not sure where this was recorded, but I am guessing Boulder, Colorado, and someone has an excellent studio. Every note is clear and fresh.

You can order you copy by clicking on the Amazon link.

Note: It is my understanding that Jock does still have a stash of these CD’s, so if anyone would prefer to purchase a CD rather than the MP3 download from Amazon please let me know zzsimonb@gmail.com

Simon Barrett