Jan Akkerman is a Dutch guitarist. Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist, constantly experimenting with new equipment and guitars. Akkerman's distinctive guitar sound is characterised by his pioneering use of volume swells which produce a smooth, fluty, sustained note, although he is also capable of astonishing high-speed pyrotechnics. He also pioneered the use of the lute in a rock band, reflecting his interest in medieval and Renaissance music and culture. He first reached world acclaim in the 1970s when he was seen as the core of the Dutch rock bands, Focus, together with Thijs van Leer and Brainbox.
Jan Akkerman is known for his work with Dutch prog-rock band Focus in the '70s. He has released a string of musically very different solo albums since the late-'70s, and it's easy to understand why 1984's "From the basement" is one of Jan's few U.S. releases. It features a synth-heavy blues rock that sounds very similar to that of ZZ Top's commercial breakthrough "Eliminator". With drum machines, sequencers, and a guitar synthesizer, but since ZZ Top have done this kind of music with more fun and passion, "From the basement" is hardly more than an inferior duplication. "Headbanger", "Dark rose", and "P.C.B. Chicken" are energetic, danceable 'space boogie' tracks, but they suffer from a too streamlined and clean sound, a problem that plagues most of the songs. The 14-minute cover version of Dylan's "All along the watchtower" (of course, popularized by Jimi Hendrix) is mostly tedious, just as "Wallenberg" and the moody title track. The CD's second half contains some previously unavailable demo recordings, but apart from "Ellington's way", there's nothing particularly interesting to discover there. With a flawless sound quality and extensive liner notes about the equipment Jan used for this album, "From the basement" will automatically appeal to other musicians.
Track List:
01. Headbanger (J.Akkerman) - 6:26
02. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan) - 14:10
03. Dark Rose (K.Lux, J.Akkerman) - 2:52
04. Wallenberg (J.Akkerman) - 6:08
05. From The Basement (J.Akkerman) - 8:25
06. P.C.B. Chicken (J.Akkerman) - 6:34
07. Status Quo (D.Walcott, J.Akkerman) - 2:56
08. She Let Me Do What I Want (M-Muleta) - 0:39
09. Blues From the Tews (M.Muleta) - 0:46
10. Cherubim & Sepharim (M-Muleta) - 1:48
11. She Can´t Say Don´t (M.Muleta) - 3:01
12. Took Her To Locronan (M.Muleta) - 0:40
13. Then Rollright Stones (The Twes)(M.Muleta) - 6:56
14. No More Parking (M.Muleta) - 2:44
15. When I Was A Cocktail In A Waitress Bar (M.Muleta) - 4:30
16. Ellington´s Way (M.Muleta) - 3:26
Released: 1984
Recorded at: Spitsbergen Studio, Zuidbroek, Holland, April 1984 (Tracks 1-7)
Recorded at: The Live Music Maker Studios, Volendam, Holland 1998 (Tracks 15-16)
Rrecorded at: Jan Akkerman´s Garage Studios, Akkrum, Holland 1988 (Tracks 8-14)
Label: CBS Records
Genre: Blues Rock
Length: 1:12:18
Produced By: Jan Akkerman
Engineerd By: Theo Balijon, Jan Akkerman
Personnel:
Jan Akkerman (guitar, guitar synthesizer)
Dino Walcott (vocals, bass guitar)
Hans Waterman (drums)
Pete Eisma (percussion)
Freddy Cavalli (bass guitar)
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