Artist: Jill Yan CD Title: "Guitar Garbage 1.2" Reviewed by: Nick Martinelli Reviewed: 1/29/03

     "Club 22" starts off with a very classy lounge lizard riff that soon after gets torn to pieces by Jill Yan's extremely heavy guitar playing. The main riff is brutally heavy and its lead counter part is super melodic and very upbeat in nature. Those lines are very infectious so watch out my friends, because the piper is in town. Yan also used a lot of legato type ideas throughout this song, so keep your ears peeled for them and listen to how clean his technique is. Also, check out the killer short but sweet double harmony at 01:52. Then shortly after Jill slows down the track and brings in clean guitars and lightly distorted soloing. This song really set the stage for the rest of the cd, and after hearing it I had a good idea of what to expect from this concise guitarist.

     Track two "Not This way"  opens with a futuristic sounding effects driven guitar line. To tell you the truth it doesn't even sound like a guitar. Then Jill spares no time busting into the main riff of the song. The rhythm guitar playing in this song really moves the vibe along and gives it a large perspective. I enjoyed the main melody line enormously, it moved along very well and you'll be humming this one in the shower. Jill has a knack for catchy repeating licks that's for sure. At 2:26, Yan brings down the pace and solos away over some very peaceful clean guitar progressions. His soloing isn't at 1 million notes per second, Jill backs off and just plays straight from the soul with lots of bends and melodic phrases. His lead guitar tone is exceptionally clean and you can hear every note ring out perfectly. Yan uses a nice blend of effects, but he uses them to enhance the overall feeling of the song at hand.

     "Well, Well, Well" opens with a very funky drum intro that leads into Yan's guitar pyrotechnics. I'm telling you this guys glides his fingers over the board with ease folks. His legato skills are put on the auction block all over this tune. He belts out some hard hitting backing guitar lines, and as always they keep the songs drive moving. I also liked his use of WAH during this number. Its not overdone, and just gives the guitar a nice added layered sound. The main melody is truly the heart of this songs body, its very melodic and catchy. Did I mention this song is super upbeat?

     "The Detune" song four, opens with some detuned (who would of thought... laughs) clean guitar chord progressions. Followed by a some great clean toned soloing. I'd like to point out that this song doesn't really have a common or identifiable pattern or structure. Jill sort of evolves it as he goes, each part morphing in the next. Check out the bass solo at 03:02 that has a heavy Spanish feel. Jill's soloing is nothing, but breath taking and he drives home amazing melodies and cool licks. You'll always be asking for more. I think this track could easily be in a old western sound track. Never forget the alamo!!!

     "New Plasma"  is a total blender of guitar styles. Yan mixes heavy rock, groove, and some fusion for a hell of a power shake. Jill really goes out on a limb in this track with some super hot lead licks and catchy rhythms. If your into songs with lots of feel then this just might be the on for you! Check out the jazzy lick at 1:47, it has lots of character and man does it sound complex. That's one thing about Yan's playing that I really like is the complexity of his guitar parts, I'd be sitting here for years trying to figure them out that's fore sure!

     "Only Human" just kicks your butt from the start with super heavy drop tuned guitars and then a very infectious lead melody line. This song is really exciting and one of the coolest ones on the cd. Don't miss out on Yan's crazy phrasing throughout the piece, he uses some interesting lead lines, they'll be sure to knock your socks off. Another highlight is the intensive backing guitar playing. Yan is a riff machine! Most of his riffs are heavy and fast, but they never seem to sound the same. He is a very diverse and well rounded player, and you'll really dig his playing style from the start.

     Track seven "Candy's Bar" is another signature Yan ball kicker. Never before have I heard instrumental guitar with so much balls. The main riff just plows you over like a freight train on a non stop trip to hell! Yan cuts into some very nice clean breaks, with very melodic leads over them. I really like how he can break up a song and take it in another direction for a few moments. Jill always keeps your attention and you'll be rewinding licks over and over, just like I do!

     "Holam" is yet another example of Jill Yan's super diverse guitar playing. He blends metal, jazz, and fusion all in on for a shred soup if you will. One thing that stuck out in this song was his use of legatos and wah. His legatos are super fluid and well executed. As I said earlier, Yan uses plenty of wah over his leads and it really adds a lot of texture to his tone. This song really puts Yan's leads on the admiring shelf, they are well constructed and have plenty of feel.

     "Spanish Dolphin" brings the song back a notch with some very clean reverb drenched guitar. The main progression flows like water. I think this song's title gives the listener a very vibrant visualization of dolphins swimming in the ocean. Jill's playing is superior and he lets go with some amazing melodies throughout the song. Its defiantly a highlight composition. Check out the lead section beginning at 1:53, those kind of leads are what we all as guitarists should stride for. He blends melodic bends, soul and even a bit of speed to bring out one of the best leads on the album. I give that one 4 stars!

     "The Wave" song ten, brings down a crashing wave of guitar terror with blazing guitar rhythms that rock the heavens. His leads throughout the song are very tight to the backing rhythms. Yan has a knack for composing the perfect lead and matching rhythm sections. They intertwine seamlessly. Keep your ears peeled for some killer odd sounding licks and harmonies too.

     Song eleven "Techexperience" is fusion metal guitarists wettest dream. Yan brings down all the barriers in this song with his heavy riffs, catchy licks and odd phrasings. If your looking for something completely different check this track out my friends. "Techexperience" is high tech for sure. I can just see the circuit boards and wires emerging from his body as he plays this machine like song.

     Lastly, "Out of Order" is a total onslaught of Jill Yan's guitar style. He again blends many different genres of lead playing over his hard hitting heavy metal rhythm guitar playing. I really enjoy Yan's use of lower tuning. It really helps to make the songs stand out, and he doesn't sound like many of the instrumentalists out there today. He really has something to offer the guitar community as a whole. I highly recommend this song if your looking for something heavy and fast. Yan just hauls butt!

     Looking back, "Guitar Garbage 1.2" is a slamming instrumental release from Jill Yan. If your looking for diverse and "out there" playing Yan is the man. He will blaze your senses with hard hitting guitar riffs and melodic licks. He uses lots of jazzy and fusion ideas throughout his pieces, and I know you've never heard anything like this before. Do yourself a favor and pick up this monster, because your ears will never want to put it down!