Anthology

Disc 1
1	Land of the Midnight Sun 9:12
2	Suite-Golden Dawn: Morning Fire/Calmer of the Tempests/From Ocean to T 9:49
3	Race With Devil on Spanish Highway 6:16
4	Elegant Gypsy Suite 9:14
5	Señor Mouse 7:22
6	Casino 9:30
7	Medley: Short Tales of the Black Forest/Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars 11:08
8	The Wizard 10:25
Disc 2
1	Alien Chase on Arabian Desert 8:59
2	Dinner Music of the Gods 8:33
3	Bianca's Midnight Lullaby 1:56
4	God Bird Change 3:55
5	Electric Rendezvous 7:52
6	Nena Live 4:59
7	Egyptian Danza Live 5:41
8	Cruisin' Live 5:25
9	Island Dreamer 4:05
10	Sequencer 4:08
11	Al Di's Dream Theme 9:24
12	Theme to the Mothership 8:44

Barnes & Noble

Al Di Meola first came to prominence in Chick Corea's groundbreaking ensemble, Return to Forever in an era when fusion bands started breaking out of the clubs and into the concert halls, their live presentations adapting a more rock attitude. In stepped Al Di Meola, in his tight leather pants, exuding all the flair and showmanship of his pop contemporaries, consciously picking up where John McLaughlin, fusion's first guitar hero, had left off. Di Meola solidified his stature as a six-string god by striking out on his own in the mid-'70s. On seminal albums extending from Land of the Midnight Sun in 1976 to Scenario in 1983, he wielded both electric and acoustic guitar as nobody in jazz had before him. Di Meola could supply enough guitar pyrotechnics to put a Fourth of July fireworks blowout to shame, and then turn around and play with the grace of a veteran flamenco.
An exceptional overview into this influential guitarist's early solo years, Anthology includes such distinctive examples of DiMeola's art as the title tracks from Land Of The Midnight Sun, Elegant Gypsy, and Casino. These and other characteristic recordings are virtual textbook definitions of creative fusion, incorporating rock, jazz, Latin, and many other musical elements into a huge melting pot. Aiding Di Meola on these critical recordings were a great supporting cast of musicians, including keyboardist Jan Hammer, drummers Steve Gadd and Phil Collins, and the late bassist Jaco Pastorius. If there is one thing missing on Anthology it's the absence of anything from the work Di Meola did with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia. The added bonus is the presence of four previously unissued live tracks. Eric Lowenhar

All Music Guide

Sony's third Anthology of Return to Forever guitarist Al Di Meola's Columbia Records years hits most of the bases and scores extra points by adding four previously unavailable live tracks that account for a whopping 40 minutes of playing time. The double disc features 16 songs from di Meola's seven albums for the label from 1975-1983 and successfully covers highlights from the jazz guitar fusionist's eclectic styles during his early career. Only 22 when his first solo album, Land of the Midnight Sun, was released, di Meola had already cut his teeth for three years with Chick Corea's Return to Forever, and although his style owed a lot to Corea's vision, he had already defined his sound. The guitarist's precise attack, staccato playing, furious speed, and heavily percussive arrangements would serve him well throughout these formative years. Even though he was often criticized for playing too many notes (just listen to the frantic, head-spinning beginning of "Suite: Golden Dawn" from Land of the Midnight Sun), di Meola's more subtle roots in Latin, flamenco, funk, and rock are evident in almost all of his work. He even incorporates strains of the world music that later became the dominant force in his recordings. Although there is evidence of a softer approach, the majority of Anthology concentrates on the hyperactive fret-hopping ability of the young di Meola as he tries to prove he's the fastest guitarist in the world. Even on the acoustic, newly released live tracks from 1978 like the 11-minute "Medley: Short Tales from the Black Forest/Fantasia Suite for Two Guitars," the results are anything but laid-back. Oddly, the disc does not include anything from di Meola's two predominately unplugged trio albums, when he partnered with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía for a tremendously successful guitar summit. With three tracks off Tour de Force: Live and another four from concerts in 1982 and 1978, this disc includes almost an hour of di Meola and his versatile and talented bands tearing it up in front of appreciative audiences. While that makes for some hot guitar showcases, it also focuses too heavily on his frantic fingering, a style which gets wearing over the long haul. The audio fidelity of the newly released live songs is also of substantially inferior quality (the 1982 selections are particularly bad, with the drums sounding like trash cans), making them even more difficult to listen to. But with almost two and a half hours of music, along with liner notes that feature pertinent quotes from the artist, there's plenty on these discs to enjoy. Fret-shredders of all ages will undoubtedly be inspired by the astounding musicianship exemplified here. It's not a full picture of the guitarist's skills, but Anthology is a well-chosen compilation of a major portion of di Meola's career. Hal Horowitz