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Released 1995
I've been talking about my solo album for the last 15 years! I think
I've finally cracked it now. A lot of people wanted me to do an album,
and I wanted to, so I tried all sort of things, from heavy rock to pop
songs. Then one day, it just suddenly occurred to me that I'm here to
play guitar, so I started playing about six hours a day and I came up
with eleven songs, which I recorded. Eight of the songs are just me,
on guitar and the three others... stuff about Mike [Lindup] and the
drummer.
I did this stuff at home. I like to work in a relaxed atmosphere. I
spend so much time on the road - I've done more than 400 gigs with
Sting over the past five years, so my home time is really precious. I
work at the top of the house in the spare room - you'll see that the
studio credited on the sleeve notes is "The Spare Room" which is the
only room in the house where the kids aren't allowed free rein, and
that's simply because I don't want to have to spend hours resetting my
mixing desk - and cleaning the jam off it!
The cover image on the album shows how home life and work have come
together on this album. Sasha Gusov, who took the photographs for the
album, was taking some straightforward hand shots while I was playing.
My daughter Misty, who was just starting to walk, came tottering over
the way little kids do, and put her hand up to the fretboard. Anyone
who knows kids, will know that it is impossible to pose a shot like
that. Sasha grabbed it and froze it in time.
First
Touch, right? |
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REVIEW:
This album is one of the finest guitar-based albums that I've listened
to in a long time. 'First Touch' is a finely detailed body of music
from this refreshingly inventive instrumentalist who among other
things, has worked with Nigel Kennedy, Sting, and Phil Collins, and
won the "guitarist of the year" award from the London Sunday Times in
1983. The album is a challenge to classify, yet a delight to
experience. Working within an acoustic guitar setting, Miller achieves
a rich quality of guitar-based music that is both technically and
emotionally satisfying. The album highlights Miller's range both as a
composer and performer. He shifts effortlessly from the dramatic
progressions of 'Do You Want Me' to the cyclic Faheyesque stylings of
'La Boca', to the warmth and resonance of 'Eclipse' and 'Looking For'.
The album is a real tribute to the enduring character and
irreplaceable sonic qualities of acoustic instruments. The
compositional style represented here is a real marriage of harmony,
rhythm and melody interlocking and becoming poetry in motion. In
summary it is both urbane and evocative, a melodic, quietly enchanting
body of work that is as touching as it is polished.
Alternate Music Press by Ben Kettlewell
REVIEW:
An inspired solo album from the man who has contributed so much to
Sting's sound. The sensitive, flowing charm of Dominic's guitar has a
soothing effect on frazzled nerves. His classically flavoured
compositions are refreshingly unpredictable that clearly reflects his
uniqueness. Highly recommended for those who wish to kick back and
float downstream.
Vitamin C
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REVIEW:
Dominic Miller, a guitarist who played with Sting, Tina Turner, The
Pretenders, The Chieftains, and Phil Collins, now has his own
exceptionally smooth solo album, 'First Touch'. His relaxed, soulful,
introspective style captures the listener's attention with hints of
intimacy and subtle beauty. His soft touch on the strings displays a
sense of calm, delicacy, and closeness. Miller's deftness in handling
his instrument is what gave some of these other musicians,
particularly Sting, a distinctive sound. The guitar, in the hands of
one who appreciates its nuances as well as its power, is capable of
weaving magical melodies that enhance the mood of a quiet evening,
warming the atmosphere with tender, lyrical passages that seem to melt
in the air.
Alternate Music Press by Dan Liss
REVIEW:
Employing fingerstyle guitar and picked melodies, the smooth jazz
album 'First Touch' represents Dominic Miller's first session as a
leader. No stranger to the recording industry, the guitarist has
worked with such notables as Sting, Phil Collins, and Tina Turner.
This 1995 debut album features his overdubbed guitars with additional
support on several tracks provided by guests. The songs, Miller's own
compositions, represent the easy-listening genre with their floating
melodies, pleasant harmonies, and loping "soft touch" rhythms.
Specific images sprout, as Boca weaves Latin and smooth, 'Rush Hour'
contains suspenseful drama, 'Ten Years' includes dreamlike wordless
vocals by guest Mike Lindup, and Scan rests atop the locomotive rhythm
supplied by guest drummer Barry Kinder.
All
About Jazz by Jim Santella |
