That Was Then, This Is Now

From Guitar Mine: Guitarist Andy Timmons has experienced great success with several of his solo releases in Europe and Japan, but "That Was Then, This Is Now", subtitled The Best Of X-tacy is his first worldwide CD that includes a US release! This CD features 11 newly re-mastered tracks from his first two highly acclaimed solo releases, "Ear X-Tacy" and "Ear X-Tacy 2", as well as five new instrumentals recorded especially for this compilation ("Super '70s", "Pink Champagne Sparkle", "Falling Down", "Beautiful, Strange" and "Donna Lee (Twist - Live!)") that contain some of Andy's best playing ever. Songs such as the Hendrix inspired "Electric Gypsy", the homage to Stevie Ray Vaughan, "I Remember Stevie", a beautiful ballad "A Night To Remember", the country chicken-picking barn-burner "Farmer Sez", and the incredible tribute to George Harrison, "Slips Away" are just a few examples of why Andy has long been respected and admired in the guitar community. The common thread through all these musical genres seems to be Andy's passionate style and sense of melody. From Sputnik Music: “Cry For You” is one of the most beautiful somber pieces I’ve ever heard conceived on an electric guitar. Timmons can explain himself in 6:53 with 6 strings better than an average human can do in an hour with their mouth. “Cry For You” takes the listener through a journey of ups and downs and numerous climaxes that is terrifyingly effective at conveying Timmons’ feelings of resentment, regret, disappointment, and anger. Consider “Cry For You” a mini story in itself, because I think it’s intended to be. The sound production of the track sounds a little more vintage than the rest of the record does as it was originally recorded in the mid ‘90s. One defining characteristic of Timmons is that he clearly possesses virtuosic abilities, but opts to show it in extreme moderation. It wouldn’t surprise me if the guy sounded like Malmsteen running through his warm up exercises; but he instead chooses to direct his efforts towards blues and jazz melodies that put emphasis on quality never quantity. Furthermore, saying Timmons is “good” at what he does would be an understatement of epic proportions. Another song that exemplifies all these ideas is “Pink Champagne Sparkle”, which I’ll also mention has one of the most tasteful driven tones I’ve ever heard during the solos. Timmons’ tone along with his ability to seamlessly blend legato and picking methods results in solos that are crisp, clean, and flawless. Whereas most guitarists become predictable and get stuck in the rut of playing a certain way, Timmons covers a range of styles and is largely unpredictable; being unpredictable in itself has become a trait of his. I.e. “Farmer Sez”, which is a short allegro piece that sounds like it came straight from the back roads of Mississippi. That Was Then, This is Now has so many fantastic melodies that it’s impossible for me to touch upon even a fraction of them, so here are a few more general recommendations- “It’s Getting Better” has a dynamic solo and brilliant dual-guitar harmonies, “Electric Gypsy” has noteworthy clean playing, and “Carpe Diem” is a wonderfully-executed upbeat song that’s guaranteed to improve one’s mood. All in all, Timmons is a supremely talented human being that has an authentic sound and style that may be be impossible to carbon copy. Regardless of whether Timmons’ style is one’s cup of tea or not, to me it seems it would be out of the realm of possibility to fathom listening to That Was Then, This Is Now and not come away at least having the utmost respect for the album and Timmons, if not instantly becoming a fan altogether. In a Jam-Rock sense, Timmons is a slayer.