Peer Gynt Fairytale Ruf Records 1070

The leader of this particular band is Peer Gynt, a 31-year-old guitar wizard from Norway. The CD album Fairytale is a varied and very competent release on the Ruf Records label.

I hadn't come across this band before but I'm pleased I've had the opportunity to review this album that comprises of mainly self-written material, but which seems strangely familiar even though I had never heard them before!

On Peer's press release, he informs us that he is blending Norwegian folk tunes with the raw and powerful rock and blues sounds. I find it hard to categorise this style but it isn't important as the CD stands on it's own merits.

The album starts with a welcome, actually the track is called Welcome and sounds like an intro from a progressive rock band like Yes or ELP. It's short and serves to open the album and that's all. The second track, Freddie's Shuffle written by Clas Yngstrom is a blues instrumental and as the title suggests, is in the Freddie King style but with Stevie Ray Vaughan voicings. Changing the style drastically, the folky Summer's Tale meanders through the next three minutes like a cross between Lindisfarne and perhaps Jethro Tull. You can't deny the fact that this song is catchy and very enjoyable too.

Changing styles once again comes the Stevie Ray Vaughan influenced Please,Please Babe . This is a blatant SRV riff-rip-off, and I like it! Full power and some nice vocals make this a great song. Following on comes Homegrown Juice . This one has a kind of Bo Diddley beat, but with some fast and jangley Rock'n'Roll/Country and Western guitar in there. This CD is a hard one to review as the songs are very unusual in their make-up Funny thing is, it's really enjoyable to listen to and certainly has the feet tapping and the noggin shaking to the beat!

Peer is a fast and fluent guitarist and this can be heard on the track To Be Your Man . This is another “familiar” song, and I've never heard it before!

There are some nicely amplified “Byrds” style chords in the song Sam's Café . It's a really nice song and very well sang. The style of the song might be slightly “ Byrds ” in the tempo and vocal style, but it's a really enjoyable number indeed and is my favourite track on this CD. This gives way to the more rocky Good Lord , again with SRV style guitar licks. Nothing wrong with that at all, in fact I love it. Peer goes off on a tangent occasionally with his guitar solos to create a style of his own which is ultimately very enjoyable. This style continues with the intro to Hallingcaster . I've just realised what style Peer plays and that is country fiddle style guitar –seriously! The intro moves smoothly into the rest of the instrumental and can only be described as a mover!

Peer and the excellent rhythm section of BP Hovik on drums and Lars Fish on Bass tear into a very suspicious song by the name of I Can Tell . Walter Trout had a song called I Can Tell and Peer played his song in a Walter Trout style yet it's not the same song at all. Weird. Both artists are on the Ruf label too and Peer Gynt is the guest artist on Walter Trout's European Tour in October 2002! To return to the CD and the track, this blues is a little disjointed but has some flashes of brilliance nonetheless.

Peer's own very impressive guitar style opens Livin' The Life Ain't Easy . With a theme riff in the Led Zeppelin style, and good vocals, the middle solo is all Peer's, then a strange folky backing voice comes in and then out again when the theme riff re-enters. It's a pretty good song. Being a Zep fan helps of course!

A beautiful introductory piece to The Hunt continues throughout this instrumental track. This number has Micky Moody on the credits and is a pleasant 1970's trip through the fairy glen. It's a varied album alrighty!

The final number, which is also the title track, Fairytale is a fast mover with another slightly Bo Diddley kind of beat and with a Celtic feel on the guitar parts. Yes, Peer plays with a Celtic feel. His guitar work is like Uilan pipes on some tracks and country fiddles on other tracks. He is a very unusual and very entertaining guitarist. Overall, I like this CD. It is enigmatic and a bit quirky too. Even the cover has a “Brothers Grimm” look to it! The fact that the songs are familiar even on the first play, mean that you will soon come to like the CD. I did and I either like an album or I don't. I like this one.

I will be catching up with this band when I see Walter Trout on his October Tour of Europe. I'll have to get there early to see Peer Gynt. I can't wait to see this eclectic musician.

As a footnote to this review, the press release states that Peer's lyrics are fairytales and people who know him say they are about the man himself and his life. When I see him ….I'll ask him!

Steve Lally ©