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It’s impossible to improve on the sound of a well-recorded electric guitar. The overdriven six-string is one of the cornerstones of popular music, and the musicians and engineers who can make instruments ring are indispensable to rock music. Craig Parker Adams is one of those guys — one as formidable behind the boards as he is with a guitar in his hands. “She’s Alright,” his latest single, showcases all of his talents at once. His licks, runs, and rhythm parts sing, and they’ve all been committed to tape with impressive fidelity and richness of tone.
True believers in the power of fast guitar have noticed. Craig Parker Adams is the engineer of choice for the Zappa Family Trust, the organization that oversees the legacy of one of the most visionary instrumentalists in the history of rock music. When the Trust decides that the world is ready for more music from the sprawling Frank Zappa archive, Adams is the man who brings it to release quality. At his Winslow Ct studio, Adams has overseen recordings by artists of all kinds, including americana blues basher Dave Alvin, offbeat singer-songwriter Nellie McKay, Latin alternative pop sensation Gaby Moreno, and friend Dweezil Zappa, son of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.
There’s plenty of Zappa in Adams’s approach to his instrument, but “She’s Alright” betrays the influence of another guitar titan: Eddie Van Halen. On the track, Craig Parker Adams shifts effortlessly between frequency-spectrum saturating rhythm parts, quick-fingered phrases on low strings, and electrifying leads, just like Eddie used to do in the heyday of the band that bore his name. As for the song itself, it’s a swaggering come-on worthy of Van Halen’s classic period with a massive singalong chorus hook — and Adams’s studio skills ensure that the message gets across and the beats keep moving. By tipping his cap to Van Halen, Adams is carrying on Zappa family tradition: Eddie was Dweezil Zappa’s guitar teacher and first producer.
For the latest on Craig Parker Adams, follow him at https://craigparkeradams.com/ for more info.
