From the Northeast Coast of the US all the way to the Netherlands, critics love the guitar solo & synth solo on ‘The Starman’. Philadelphia based music magazine, That Magazine, writes:
“The track features an incredibly electrifying guitar solo.”
“The song is heavily influenced by ’60s and ’70s garage rockers, and even has bits and pieces of the Psychedelia via David Bowie, Classic Rock via the Eagles, and Rock via 21st Century Motorcycle Club.” Connecticut-based e-Zine Alternative Control, agrees:
“The guitar solo and synthesizers add the song’s most notable color, showing Lord Sonny’s 60s and 70s inspiration.”
“…Those screaming guitars. Crazy, right?”
The guitar-solo on Starman, along with the deft synth-solo, has made it to Europe as well:
“You can read the description on YouTube, but we actually just prefer to listen to the song; those distinctive vocals, that hammond organ, and those screaming guitars. Crazy, right?”
Jasper writes; a music critic from Gobsmag, an online magazine based in the Netherlands that explores the overlooked edges of music.
So why are these solos garnering such acclaim? It could be because of the well-practiced skill and refined taste of Gregory Jiritano.
In a recently Q&A, band-leader Jiritano shared a few insights:
“As far as The Starman solo, I know most people would love to believe I thought of it in a moment of inspiration with the tape rolling but that’s not the case. Like all of my solos on the record it was written before hand, I figured out how to play them on guitar, practiced them until I got it down, then hit record… And even then I still re-played them 20 times until everything was just right with the guitar tone, squeals, harmonics and general fluidity.”
Jiranto goes on to share a bit more about his musical craft, “I don’t ever write them with a guitar in my hand. I either write them in my head first and then transpose that to a keyboard, or I write them on a keyboard, and then learn to play them on the guitar. Many of the main guitar parts on FINAL NOTICE! were written on keyboard as well, and were very difficult at first; to play on guitar. They’re just so outside the box, and usual well-practiced fret-board muscle memory normalcy doesn’t cut it. I’ll often re-tune the guitar so that the parts are playable; for example to get that fluid chord blast on ‘Right in Your I’, I was tuned to an open A minor chord.
So what are some of his influences? “Some guitar players write solos like this, and it’s not really thought of. Guitarist for Deep Purple, Richie Blackmore, wrote out the solo to Highway Star and THAT’S a classic killer solo. He’s one of my top ten favourite guitarists. The solo on Black Night is top ten best solos ever recorded. The sound he got from those fat head Strats is why it’s the only Strat I’ll play!! Give me a ’73 over any other year and I’m good. I’ve got 2 of those – one natural wood with a white pick guard just like his, and my favourite, black on black. Once I played a 73 that was all I ever wanted.
And speaking of Deep Purple, one of my top 10 drummers of all time Ian Paice. And Jon Lord, the best Rock Keyboardist who ever lived. A Hammond B3 through a Marshall Amp? Fagettaboutit. A lot of people think there’s two guitar parts playing, but one of them is most likely Jon Lord on Organ. He was the shit. May the Lord rest his soul.”
Check out the full reviews on That Magazine, Alternative Control, and Gobsmag.
Hear the full album today!
For just 5$ purchase ‘The Starman’ and ‘Right In Your I” on Bandcamp to immediately receive all 10 tracks on Lord Sonny the Unifiers their debut album, FINAL NOTICE!
