Eric Johnson Seven Worlds Review

For my first "record" review I have chosen Eric Johnson's Seven Worlds (1978), not because it's his best effort but rather because I just got the damn thing. I know, blasphemy. On first listen I can't help but think if this album was released (a real release) when it was supposed to be, Eric Johnson may be a household name right now. It's not that the record is as technically proficient as Van Halen's album from the same year, but it is a "guitarists" album, there is no denying that. The opening track Zap (which was re-recorded for release on Tones in 1986) tells one all they really need to know. It's a blistering piece of rock guitar that for the time would have turned many listeners on their collective "ear". It is also interesting to note that the basis for what would become Johnson's legendary tone is there in spades. His tone isn't as refined as it would later become on Tones or Ah Via Musicom but it's certainly present. 

The recording itself (as far as sound is concerned) isn't the greatest, but I kind of knew that going in. It's not bad but you can tell is was more about the music than putting the music to tape. It's not the type of recording I would pick apart sound wise because it simply wasn't meant to be that type of record in the first place. I wasn't in the room when this was recorded so I can't say it for sure, but from what I know about Johnson's other releases I think it's a safe bet.  The recording process is something that would change radically in Johnson's approach to making albums after Seven Worlds. He later adopted an almost OCD approach which led to some perhaps apocryphal stories about the lengths he would go to improve his tone. (For example taking the back plate of his strats, being able to hear the difference in battery brands and putting all the pickguard / pickup screws back in the same place when any work was done on the guitar).

If your an EJ  fan Seven Worlds is a must, though it's still highly recommended if you just want something with some good guitar playing on it thats not over the top shred.