Southern Exposure Review
A tour de force of finger-picking guitar, and in many ways the album that would set de Grassi’s direction for years, Southern Exposure is an understated delight.
Technically impressive, and hewing to a fast-paced solo guitar sound, Southern Exposure nonetheless shows many moods. From the ringing rhythms of Overland, to the final notes of the humming Subway, De Grassi provides an album that rewards close listening, yet maintains a cheerful veneer of joy. Where Turning: Turning Back was more pensive, and Clockwork played on group dynamics developing in rhythm and melody, Southern Exposure sets a style that De Grassi is still exploring today.
Highly recommended.
Southern Exposure Tunings
http://www.stropes.com/index.php?glbm=20&fa=12&cdid=137Track Listing
Side One: 18:15
- Overland 2:29
- Blue and White 4:16
- 36 4:40
- Cumulus 4:55
- Southern Exposure 1:55
Side Two 19:41
- Western 4:02
- Street Waltz 3:37
- Heavy Feet 4:39
- Empty Room 3:04
- Subway 4:19
Southern Exposure Samples
Overland
Southern Exposure
Western
Credits
Produced by Alex de Grassi and Steven Miller
- Recorded in May, 1983, at the Music Annex, Menlo Park, CA
- Engineered by Steven Miller
- Assistant engineers Russel Bond and Roger Wiersma
- Digital editing and transfer by Mark Boeddeker, Master Digital, Venice, CA
- Mastered by Bernie Grundman at A&M
- Matrix and pressings by Soundome, Irvine, CA
- Cover photo by Barry Brukoff
- Liner photo by Bud Lee, courtesy TWA Ambassador Magazine
- Design by Anne Ackerman Robinson
This album was recorded live to two-track digital, using a Sony PCM 1600
- All compositions by Alex de Grassi
- All selections Tropo Music (BMI)
- Administered by Windham Hill Music (BMI)
My guitar was built by Ervin Somogyi of Berkeley, CA
Special thanks to Lila for always listening, and to an anonymous voice in the audience for the title “Subway”.
- Manufactured by Windham Hill Records
- A Division of Windham Hill Productions Inc.
- Box 9388, Stanford, CA 94305
- (c) (p) Windham Hill Records 1983
- Distributed by A&M
Other Alex de Grassi recordings on Windham Hill Records
4. Southern Exposure
good to see a new post – one of my favorites is next on the list (the Nightnoise record). Looking forward to it!
I have a question for you… I can’t remember whether I had an LP or CD of this back in the day, but now that I’ve been looking for a replacement digital copy (since I’m a digital nomad now living out of a suitcase), I found two versions, one of which claims to be from the LP.
Interestingly, the two copies have different pitches! The LP transfer is noticeably lower in pitch than the other (presumably CD) rip.
SO, my question is, was the original CD release “sped up” compared to the LP? Or is this just an artifact of the guy doing the LP transfer not having a particularly accurate turntable?
Why in the world isn’t this recording more popular? I’m aghast. It’s been my favorite for 25 years and nothing I’ve heard has compared.
I love this one as well. Have not listened to it this year until now. I do not own any Alex vinyl just a complete CD collection of his material. Offerings of this caliber are just not offered anymore. However I do love the works of Andrés Segovia and Christopher Parkening.
Como un amplio oyente del género, y de la música instrumental en general, hay algo que me ocurre con algunas piezas; es que me resultan fuertemente descriptivas, como si se pudiera escribir una historia alrededor de ellas.
En esta línea, tengo un sentimiento muy especial hacia la canción “Empty Room”.
La primera vez que la escuché, acababa de divorciarme de mi esposa, y me mudé, con unas pocas pertenencias, a una nueva casa, la cual tuve que adecuar desde cero para vivir.
Empty Room, ya desde su título, describe exctamente el modo en que se sentía mi alma en ese momento
Gracias, Alex, por tanto!
Dejo una referencia a un website que puse en línea en el año 2003, cuando BMG compró a WH