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Yosemite morning

Monday, December 18, 2023

Matteo Mancuso - Shredder


This is Matteo Mancuso, the new darling of the guitar world. He hails from Palermo, Sicily. Steve Vai says he is the best new thing since sliced bread.

I have watched three of four of his videos and they give me a serious headache. After his blues shuffle in G I seriously needed to dial it down and listened to some Bert Jansch to get my bearings back. Here's an article about him.


I am left with the same feeling I got after listening to Vai, Satriani, Gatton and countless others of the same ilk. The music is fine until it goes into hyperdrive and then it sounds mostly pointless and masturbatory. How many notes can you fit in the measure? Virtuosity exits the realm of the musical.

I may be missing something here but definitely not my cup of tea.

2 comments:

Jon Harwood said...

I think he is grand. His style, curiously, reminds me of the great violin solos found in classical concertos in a "container" or rock and roll. Referencing classical performance gives a different way of experiencing the guy, free of the dominant guitar conventions.

Blue Heron said...

ass for every saddle as they say...totally subjective. Many agree with you.