As I listened to this, I traveled through about four different states covering hundreds of miles. Even watching everything, the sea, the forests, the decrepit cites, they felt small in comparison to this absolutely giant, massive recording. Li brings the solo guitar album to a whole another level in 51 wonderful minutes.
Yes, that’s right. I said it. A solo guitar recording made properly. Most guitar solos wish for this sort of inspiration, but usually churn out something boring or indulgent. What’s so excellent about Li’s method is how the effects used aren’t particularly complicated: some sustain, a great deal of feedback, delays, etc. These aren’t exotic items but somehow Li’s able to use them beyond their intended purpose.
The structure is solid. Underlying the harsher high-end aspects is an elegant theme that appears and re-appears throughout the recording. Sometimes the harsher feedback comes in full. Your mind feels like it is about to be viciously attacked by a rampaging horde of bloodthirsty hyenas, cackling at your misfortune. By this point you should give yourself up to Li’s whims, he knows what he’s doing.
It isn’t just the noisier parts that he does so well. By always having a lower register slowly changing, the solo feels anchored. At no point do things become unbearably loud, but they certainly flirt and toy with the idea. Good headphones help give you a better understanding of the piece, particularly the lower aspects which get lost on chintzy headphones.
Li Jianhong created something to shut those cynics up. Guitar solos rarely sound like this. This grabs you by the throat and forces you to listen. He maintains the chaos for so long that you wonder how it is even possible to sculpt chaotic noise so well. Occasionally the madness turns into a new form of music, beyond the stereotypical definition of noise or rock.
Easily one of the most magnificent solo outings I’ve heard for a long while. Give yourself some time with this one. Re-listens reward something this dense. San Sheng Shi virtually re-defines what the word “heavy” really means.