Track Listing: Save the World (part 1) Save the World (part 2) Angry Ant Winternight No Brain Deep Wood Mr. Psycho Give My Baby Love Hard Jazz Happy Fingers Blues Deep Sea Released September 2002. Produced by Benny Jansson. Lion Music Buy Online at www.lionmusic.com www.guitar9.com

    "Save the World (part 2)" is vocal track that blends jazz, fusion and progressive rock all in one. The musicianship is strong and the song has an uplifting vibe. The vocal performance is filled with passion and energy. Benny Jansson's guitar playing is non-conventional and rather complex. Along with that, the guitars riffs are complex and carry the song well.

    "Angry Ant" is a guitar soup of complex leads, rhythms and orchestrations. This tune has some large movements and if you’re a fan of progressive song writing this one will tickle your prog fancy. Benny’s leads are very exciting and upbeat drawing lots of jazz and fusion techniques into the color pallet. Another highlight of this tune was the guest keyboard solo by famed keyboardist Jens Johansson (Stratovarius). He shreds like hell and you’ll enjoy his evil descending keyboard melodies.

    Tune four, "Winternight" is a more laid back fusion drenched number that will calm even the wildest of beasts. Benny has a knack for writing strong compositions that never lose his audience's attention and his guitar playing is a key to that equation. Göran Edman's vocal performance is outstanding as well. He has a wide range and it locks perfectly into the songs feel.

    "No Brain" will take you a mystical journey through the realms of fusion and jazz. If you're a fan of Frank Gamble your without a doubt going to be able to relate to this style of music. Guitar lines are complex, and at times overwhelming to the non fusion ear. A song like this is a great introduction to jazz fusion based playing. Benny has some amazing skills and he puts all his chops on display for the listener with this jammer.

    "Deep Wood" song six opens with melodic keyboards that are joined in by Edman's strong vocal presence. This track has a Dream Theater vibe to it and I felt that it was one of the strongest compositions on the CD. It draws away from the fusion realm and dips into a slow progressive mood. The vocal lines are elegant and complement the songs overall atmosphere. You'll also find yourself singing along with these overly catchy lyrics. The main lead line superb, with some interesting jazz based runs that will defiantly raise a brow.

    "Mr. Psycho" is a more free jam fest driven by fusion guitar lines and effects galore. Benny's guitar tone is very deep and rich. He uses large amount processing and it sounds killer! I would really like to know how achieves this tone and after hearing other fusion shredders I think they all must use comparable rigs, because they all seem to have the same texture to there tone. Getting back to the song, you’ll dig the intensity of the guitar leads, because I did. They are very upfront and stand out like a sore thumb. Benny has defiantly has some skills!

    "Give My Baby Love" is defiantly a song to get up and dance too. Benny’s guitar playing is super groovy and rockin'. The vocals also fit the song's statement as well, and you'll find yourself humming along with every line. One thing I would like to mention is that the vocals and guitar parts always seemed to tie into each other nicely. They would often match pitches and progressions, which greatly added to the song's overall composure. I also thought this song had a "Broadway" vibe to it. The orchestrations had that kind of larger than life feel and I think that’s why it had that show tune feel to it. Call me crazy I know.

    "Hard Jazz" track nine, just screams jazz guitar insanity. Benny's shredding is unbelievable and quite thought provoking. Jansson isn't a conventional player by all means. You'll never hear a standard rock lick in any of his songs and I think that’s why I'm so intrigued by his style and approach to the guitar. At 1:52 Benny belted out some unexpected arpeggios that took me by storm. They were overly clean, and I liked his odd selection of phrasing.

    Song ten "Happy Fingers" is a very upbeat and bouncy kind of piece. Keyboards always blend in well with this style of guitar and Jens lends a hand to build a masterpiece. Benny put together a great studio band, and I could imagine how intense a stage show would be. Check out the wild descending jazz shred fest at 01:30. I had to listen to that one a few times before I could actually understand what he did, and to tell you the truth I still can't figure it out completely. He then kicks it up a notch at 02:11 with some more fretboard acrobats. Overall, this song is packed with blazing leads and scary thrills.

    "Blues" is a moody number that is as smooth as glass. Benny's leads are just the same, with plenty of style and soul. In this one, he blends a little blues into the pool of fusion chops, but he doesn't lose site of his deep jazzy roots. Jansson is a very articulate player always paying attention to writing songs that don’t fit into any standard category. He really stands out from the crop of shredders, with his complex approach to playing.

    "Deep Sea" brings the record to a close with a Frank Gamble meets Allen Holdsworth jam session. His leads are tight and exciting at the same time. Jansson spares no expense when it comes to the almighty power of jazz fusion shredding. Whether its descending chromatics, speeds runs or just insane phrasing, Benny takes the cake. This tune is filled with outlandish leads so I recommend giving it a few spins.

    Overall, "Save the World" was a roller coaster ride of terror no thanks to Benny's jazz fusion influenced chops. If you’re a fan of Allen Holdsworth, Frank Gamble and progressive music you’ll defiantly fall head over heels for this record. Jansson released a top of the line jazz fusion inspired album that will have all guitar enthusiasts calling out for more. Benny Jansson has some death deifying chops that will scare the pants off any new comer. This record was worth every penny that it cost to release and then some. If you're looking to broaden your horizons, I would defiantly recommend picking up "Save the World." For its complex nature and non-conventional guitar antics. This record defiantly gets an "A" on its report card!

Visit Benny Jansson online at: http://home.bip.net/fegis

Purchase it at www.lionmusic.com or www.guitar9.com.