Metropoulos Forum

His tone on that record is as ballsy as any cranked Marshall I've heard, but in a headroomy clean way with a les paul. Maybe he's Playing with KT66 or maybe A Dumble. The tone huge. It's probably the tightest live performance I've ever heard. It's not like his other Acoustic Albums. The players in that band are all star bunch.

He does these muted harmonic riffs (EVH/Neil Schon eat your heart out) on Elegant Gypsy while using the volume knob on the guitar that are just mindblowingly beautiful.
If you like shread, this has plenty of it (Yngwie eat your heart out) as well as jazz fusion with an
almost progressive rock feel. Egyptian Danza kicks ass on that album too.
As well as Running with the Devil on Spanish Highway.

I want to reiterate that the Tour De Force Live version of these songs are different than the studio version or even any acoustic live version.
Others may be into his cleaner stuff, and acoustic album, but to me Tour de Force Live the one with "THE" tone.

Back in the late 80's / early 90's, I saw him at San Juan Capistrano hoping for a Tour De Force Live type show, but it was an acoustic concert. IF he ever goes on tour and brings out the whole band, instead doing the cheaper unplugged version, I would pay double. I know a bigger band costs more.

The college kid guitarist who had the record was an acid head. He would listen to this and Rush Hemishpere's, he was an excellent guitarist. The drugs didn't seem to hurt his playing. Yet...

I can see where acid heads would like this music because it's almost like
the music in the background of a movie. There's a very descriptive quality to his music. You don't need to try acid to "Experience" this as Jimmi would say. Just close your eyes and picture
yourself hauling ass in a red Ferrarri on a winding road while listening to " Race with the On spanish Highway" and you'll see exactly what I mean.

A lot of his songs are like that. there's no lyrics, but after you listen to the song, you know why they named it what they did. He uses a lot of exotic scales and melodies in his playing too.

oh and another thing I forgot to mention was his use of Feedback and Harmonics is amazing and unique in thier exeucution (on that album)

Mike, i saw him quite a few years ago in Tampa...at a small OLD theatre in downtown. Front row and all...Unfreakinbelieveable is all i can say..He rocked. I saw lots of local band members there and even the drummers were walking around during the intermission shaking their heads in amazement. The line up was incredible and the band was tighter than an Amoeba's ass to say the least. Gearwise i did spot what looked like a mid to late 70's JMP Master volume in one of his racks. This was during the "Kiss my Axe" tour where he went back to his black Paul for a lot of what he did. They played a lot of the older stuff as well..It must have been one of there first stops for the tour because AL even apologized that they had the sheet music up on stands for the members of the band as if they weren't quite ready..LOL..RIGGGHHHHHHHTTTT !! Let me tell you he/they ROCKED !

Mike, i saw him quite a few years ago in Tampa...at a small OLD theatre in downtown. Front row and all...Unfreakinbelieveable is all i can say..He rocked. I saw lots of local band members there and even the drummers were walking around during the intermission shaking their heads in amazement. The line up was incredible and the band was tighter than an Amoeba's ass to say the least. Gearwise i did spot what looked like a mid to late 70's JMP Master volume in one of his racks. This was during the "Kiss my Axe" tour where he went back to his black Paul for a lot of what he did. They played a lot of the older stuff as well..It must have been one of there first stops for the tour because AL even apologized that they had the sheet music up on stands for the members of the band as if they weren't quite ready..LOL..RIGGGHHHHHHHTTTT !! Let me tell you he/they ROCKED !

Back in the 80's I played that Tour De Force cassestte Tape out.
Good wake you up while your taking a shower music.

I never took lesson except for one, and that was to learn the intro to Egyptian Danza and soem Vital Information Chords that where funky, and to improve my Chord use in the song Josie, back in 89/90

He tabbed out the first 10 ten notes Of Egyptian Danza, and later on I learned that song almost all the way through on my own, by slowing down my old Fostex 4 track casset Recorder/Mixer.

His use of Les Paul/ Marshall Tone is amazing. He had a big part in the birth of shread, but the beauty, feel, and descriptiveness floors me.

Any of your Rocker/Shreader guys reading this should listen to the Live versions of Egyptian Danza,Race with the Devil On Spanish Highway, and Elegant Gypsy off the Tour De Force live CD

This is hard rock/Jazz/Shread mixed in with all types music.
How he get's those sounds is amazing.

I still remember him (Dimeola) in an magazine ad from the early 80s showing him with some bizarre chord with his fingers stretching halfway up the fingerboard. A guitar teacher at the local music store at the time said they tried making the same chord and it was a fake chord of course.

Yeah i agree..The guy did play a big part in the birth of shred..Chops are incredible and his sense of timing always blew me away as well. It's nice to see other DiMeola fans. Most of my friends were only into the rock thing and never appreciated him like i did.

If you like the song YYZ by Rush, I think you would like the live version of Egyptian Danza.

grew up listeing to al, john mclaughlin and paco delucia "friday night in san fran", i think its called is a good one of them all together - of course they are all playing acoustically - a good album to really hear them all play.

Mark

Rockstah ,Friday night at San Fran is freakin awesome ! The energy on that recoding is unbelievable as is the playing. Having those three guys in the same room must have been an incredible experience. I may have to break it out ..it's been a while..i'm due for a Dimeola kick here,

I went through an Al Dimeola phase that was in between my VH and Satriani phase in the mid 80's. For a couple years there, Al Dimeola was my in my tape player constantly.

Land of the Midnight Sun is a must have. It's my favorite DiMeola record. Solid material all the way through.

Return to Forever's Romantic Warrior has a lot of keys and wierd stuff. But it has one of my all time favorite solos. I don't remember where it is, but it has this killer dual or triple guitar harmony melody with a ripping solo over the top. Stuck in my head for years.

i love that old stuff. i still play egyptian danza to this day. i like race witht the devil. saw the electric rendevous tour back then. it was funny watching all the guitar players jump up & hollar every time he would rip out a speedy riff... hehe