Acoustic Samurai: Live Performance Album at Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo | Japanese Rock Music for Relaxation & Study

Two things always impress me about Paul Gilbert: 1) His guitar playing talent; 2) His sense of humor. Both are on full display in this recording. From the opening goofy track, Potato Head to a great cover of Abba's Dancing Queen to the hilarious I am Satan, the playing is brilliant and the fun is never ending. If you like acoustic playing and the stripped-down sound of playing in a small club, this record if for you. While some Paul Gilbert fans may shrug this record off as it is not Paul-shredding-his-guitar-to-pieces (even if it is an acoustic guitar), that is precisely why this record works. He obviously does show his guitar playing talent (after all, this is still a Paul Gilbert recording) but in this recording, he focuses on the beauty of the music and the fun playing that music and brings that to the forefront. His acoustic playing sidekick on this is Linus of Hollywood. No clue who he is but he plays and sings extremely well. A good compliment to Paul in this recording.For all the Paul Gilbert shredding fans, try this as a bit of a Paul Gilbert alternative. For those who like good playing while not losing the integrity in the beauty of the song, try this. For those who just like a good time, give this a twirl.