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The Great American Road Trip by Hectic Watermelon
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fave it Jazz Fusion | Instrumental Rock
11 tracks | 46 minutes
Released Sep 2006
on Predator Fish Records
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- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:53 Sacred Watershed lyrics FREE 03:53 Sacred Watershed lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:53 Sacred Watershed
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:12 The Third Derivative of James Brown lyrics BUY MP3 05:12 The Third Derivative of James Brown lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:12 The Third Derivative of James Brown
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:45 Bionic Hillbilly lyrics BUY MP3 05:45 Bionic Hillbilly lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:45 Bionic Hillbilly
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- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:08 Dreams of Concrete Jungles lyrics BUY MP3 02:08 Dreams of Concrete Jungles lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:08 Dreams of Concrete Jungles
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:51 Subterranean Rapid Transit lyrics BUY MP3 05:51 Subterranean Rapid Transit lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:51 Subterranean Rapid Transit
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:00 Layover in Hamemet lyrics BUY MP3 02:00 Layover in Hamemet lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:00 Layover in Hamemet
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 02:05 Stray Dogs Messaging Project lyrics BUY MP3 02:05 Stray Dogs Messaging Project lyrics "GIFT MP3" 02:05 Stray Dogs Messaging Project
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:02 Steve's Stunt Double lyrics BUY MP3 04:02 Steve's Stunt Double lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:02 Steve's Stunt Double
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:21 Twenty-first Century Visigoth lyrics BUY MP3 04:21 Twenty-first Century Visigoth lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:21 Twenty-first Century Visigoth
- sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 06:24 Bullets, Dice and 30 Megabytes lyrics BUY MP3 06:24 Bullets, Dice and 30 Megabytes lyrics "GIFT MP3" 06:24 Bullets, Dice and 30 Megabytes
Featuring Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs), intensely colorful Post-Zappa fusion presented in deep compositions reviewing the American jazz-rock landscape while breaking new ground.
Editorial review
An impressive debut; that's all there is to say about The Great American Road Trip. OK, there's actually a lot more to tell, but after the disc stops spinning, the only thing on your mind will be "What, this is a <i>debut</i> album?!?" Hectic Watermelon is a quirky fusion trio led by a very good guitarist, one of the best kinds of guitarists in fact: the kind that eschews pointless flashiness in favor of wild ideas. John Czajkowski possesses all the necessary skills to pull off a fusion career -- and he does take the time to impress on The Great American Road Trip -- but he is first and foremost a strong composer with a knack for studio work. This album offers a very large sound palette, from madly contorted rock songs ("Twenty-First Century Visigoth," hilarious) to textural sonic experiments ("Layover in Hamemet"). But the bulk of the album consists of spirited fast-paced fusion instrumentals featuring Czajkowski, bassist Harley Mausino, drummer Darren Debree, and none other than Mahavishnu Orchestra's violinist extraordinaire Jerry Goodman as a special guest. Goodman appears on all but two tracks and his trademark sound is put to excellent use in highlights "Bullets, Dice and 30 Megabytes," "The Third Derivative of James Brown" and "Subterranean Rapid Transit." John McLaughlin's influence is felt throughout the album, but Frank Zappa is also quite present -- not in Czajkowski's guitar playing, but in his witty writing and sense of humor. Both entertaining and technically impressive, The Great American Road Trip has enough jazz to titillate fusion fans, enough complexity to please the progressively inclined, but most of all (and despite the above statements about Zappa and McLaughlin) it has its own endearing personality. And that, more than anything else, is what makes it such a strong debut album. Highly recommended. ~ Fran?ois Couture, All Music Guide
Bio / Background
Hectic Watermelon is a new "Post-Zappa Commando-Fusion" action-music band from San Diego-Los Angeles comprised of John Czajkowski on guitars, Darren DeBree on drums, and Harley Magsino on bass. The legendary fusion pioneer, Jerry Goodman, joins the lineup on electric violin on 9 of the 11 tracks on their critically acclaimed debut album. Experiencing The Great American Road Trip, the listener is treated to a colorfully deep retrospective that draws from jazz-rock traditions while forging bold new compositional pathways.
“A very enjoyable album – Highly recommended!!!”
- Alex Machacek
“Every so often, an album like Hectic Watermelon’s The Great American Road Trip comes along to give me hope that jazz-rock fusion hasn’t collapsed like a poorly-made soufflé under the weight of its own clichés.
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