Altiplanos

Track Listings

1. Sentimentales Pyromaniaques

2. Dame de Clevedon

3. Sur un Fil

4. Altiplanos

5. Demain, Dés I'aube

6. Scarabée

7. If Only You Knew

8. Hymn 11

9. Nefertari

10. Sylva

11. Nuit des Météores

12. Falafel À Montségur

13. Tacita

14. Chant de Nuit

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
There is only a handful of guitar players who have taken the sound of John Fahey, Leo Kottke, and Bert Jansch to another level. Michael Hedges was one. Pierre Bensusan is another. The French guitarist was all the rage in the 1980s with his intricate finger-style picking, lush melodies, and influences that ranged from Ireland to India. Pianist George Winston sang his praises and Michael Hedges named a song after him. The buzz may have waned over the last 20 years, but Bensusan has only grown more impressive as a player. Altiplanos finds the guitarist in rare form with songs that are marvels of internal logic and whimsical digressions. He seems to be carrying on interior conversations, but he does it all with such technical ease and melodic grace that it never sounds contrived, however knotty it becomes. Bensusan is a willful individualist, which accounts for a couple of vocals sung in his slurry French and experiments in textural improvisation like "Sylva" (which sounds like a Grateful Dead space-jam outtake, only very short). But these are anomalies in a mostly solo acoustic guitar CD that may well be Pierre Bensusan's definitive guitar album. --John Diliberto

Altiplanos,Pierre Bensusan,Favored Nations,Chamber Jazz,Ethnic Fusion,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop,Solo Instrumental

Altiplanos

Tracks:

Sentimentales Pyromaniaques
Dame de Clevedon
Sur un Fil
Altiplanos
Demain, DI'aube
Scarab
If Only You Knew
Hymn 11
Nefertari
Sylva
Nuit des Mores
Falafel Montsr
Tacita
Chant de Nuit

Amazon.com

There is only a handful of guitar players who have taken the sound of John Fahey, Leo Kottke, and Bert Jansch to another level. Michael Hedges was one. Pierre Bensusan is another. The French guitarist was all the rage in the 1980s with his intricate finger-style picking, lush melodies, and influences that ranged from Ireland to India. Pianist George Winston sang his praises and Michael Hedges named a song after him. The buzz may have waned over the last 20 years, but Bensusan has only grown more impressive as a player. Altiplanos finds the guitarist in rare form with songs that are marvels of internal logic and whimsical digressions. He seems to be carrying on interior conversations, but he does it all with such technical ease and melodic grace that it never sounds contrived, however knotty it becomes. Bensusan is a willful individualist, which accounts for a couple of vocals sung in his slurry French and experiments in textural improvisation like "Sylva" (which sounds like a Grateful Dead space-jam outtake, only very short). But these are anomalies in a mostly solo acoustic guitar CD that may well be Pierre Bensusan's definitive guitar album. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

John Diliberto is correct.......2005-12-23

The description of Pierre Bensusan by John is a very accurate accounting of the works by this guitarist. John has a program on Public Radio called Echoes, where I first heard a selection from the album. I jotted it down, went online and purchased Altiplanos. I have not regretted it. This is a great album. It features tremendous guitar technique. It is also emminently a good listening experience. Many of the tunes are melodious, others are mesmerizing. Bensusan gets great sounds out of a guitar. His singing isn't bad. The liner notes are written in French with English translations. An interesting note is that Bensusan retunes the strings on his guitar for many of the tracks from the traditional EADGBE to DADGAD. Perhaps this explains his ability to play some of the chordal structures that he uses. I wonder how he remembers when the guitar is tuned one way or the other. It would make for interesting fingerings and quite an awareness of the different tuning. This album is predominately restful in character. If you like acoustic guitar, then this is an album that you NEED to have. It is a landmark of modern guitar music. If you are into New Age music for the relaxation, this is also a good album for you. It relaxes and energizes at the same time, as antithetical as that might sound. AND it does it without adding distracting nature sounds, just pure music. I have enjoyed this album immensely, have shared it with others and received postive responses from them as well. It is worth every penny I paid for it. I hope that you enjoy it as much.

Pop Music:

Pop Music

pop music

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