a l b u m r e v i e w s


PAUL GILBERT
ALLIGATOR FARM
Mercury Japan PHCRW1091
Produced by: Paul Gilbert
Released: OUT NOW / Website
Closest Relative: Mr. Big, Racer X
GENRE: Hard Rock
OVERALL: 82%

  1. Better Chords
  2. Individually Twisted
  3. Cut Cut Cut
  4. Alligator Farm
  5. Attitude Boy Will Overcome
  6. 2 Become 1
  7. Lancelot Link
  8. Rosalinda Told Me
  9. Let The Computer Decide
  10. Koto Girl
  11. Dreamed Victoria
  12. Six Billion People
  13. The Ballad Of The Last Lions
  14. Whole Lotta Sonata

If nothing else, you have to love Paul Gilbert's album covers!
This is already Paul's third solo studio album, plus a live one and a coming DVD release. Busy boy!
On Alligator Farm Gilbert is rocking harder and more frantically than ever. For example, the first track gets to the point in just over a minute!
Always with his tongue in cheek, Gilbert has recorded another album of good fun uptempo songs that share a little of his backing band's own taste as well as his own.
Fellow Racer X man Jeff Martin is on drums and Mike Szuter plays bass and backing vocals. There is a bit of Racer X and The Szuters in here.
Basically it is brash guitar heavy pop punk, with a dash of the above thrown in.
Individually Twisted, Attitude Boy Will Overcome, Alligator Farm all rock hard and fast in Gilbert's familiar punk meets The Beatles sound, while Lancelot Link does nothing but make you laugh and Rosalinda Told Me mellows things down a little.
Whole Lotta Sonata is Gilbert's usual classical instrumental frenzy.
And for the life of me, I still can't believe that he covers 2 Become 1, the hit ballad the Spice Girls took to number one. I think this time, he is really taking the mickey!
I really like Paul Gilbert's style. This is not a record for Mr. Big fans in general. It's for those that love a little chaos and fun in their music and generally admire some hot guitar playing, good lyrics and a hard rocking sense of adventure.
BOTTOM LINE: Moving on with every album, Paul Gilbert has quite possibly recorded his best solo album to date. He is singing better and it's certainly heavier and more intense than his last couple of records. It's also more warped! It's not your average hard rocker that decides to cover a Spice Girls song and make it his own!
PRODUCTION: 90% SONGS: 80% VIBE: 80%ATTITUDE: 85%
ESSENTIAL FOR: All followers of Paul Gilbert and guitar freaks!
DISCOGRAPHY:King Of Clubs . Flying Dog . Beehive Live . Alligator Farm

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