Joey Tafolla

One of the overlooked '80s shredders is Joey Tafolla. I really like his playing because of the abundant chromatics incorporated in both licks & solos. However, my impression of him in his debut, Out of the Sun, was that of discontent. Much of the tunes here are very Malmsteen-esque, which was what Vinnie Moore did at this point in time too. But listening to this release was about paying attention to the technicalities involved; I could hear Mr. Tafolla possessing that niche phrasing which really appealed to me.

Much reprieve came when I purchased Infra-Blue. The tunes in this one are more self-actualized & has that lesser emphasis to manifest a million-notes-per-bar just because one is technically competent. Wrecking Ball, Kraken-V Zip & A Place in the Sun are unforgettable tunes to me- the reason why I recently purchased the CD version of these albums. Also, John Onder was on bass to complement the guitars- outstanding. My cassette tapes for both releases were too mouldy & edge-crinkled to salvage.