(2) Very few musical artists achieve a true signature style -- one that makes comparisons to other musicians impossible. But Texas guitarist Eric Johnson arguably comes as close to this echelon as any musician from the past quarter-century. Like fellow Lone Star State guitarists Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnson blends the rock style of Jimi Hendrix and the blues power of Albert King. Yet Johnson's wide array of additional influences (from the Beatles and Jeff Beck to jazz and Chet Atkins) makes for a guitar sound as unique as his fingerprints.
"When I first heard Eric," Winter recalled, "he was only 16, and I remember wishing that I could have played like that at that age." Former Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter said, "If Jimi Hendrix had gone on to study with Howard Roberts for about eight years, you'd have what this kid strikes me as." The Austin prodigy appeared on the cover of Guitar Player magazine while working with Texas jazz/fusion band the Electromagnets and as a session player (Cat Stevens, Carole King, Christopher Cross), and a 1984 performance on the TV show Austin City Limits set his recording career in motion.
Johnson's 1986 debut album, Tones, certainly proved that the hype was warranted. Playing with the ace rhythm section of bassist Roscoe Beck and drummer Tommy Taylor, Johnson mixed blazing instrumentals ("Zap," "Victory") with Beatles-influenced vocal tunes like "Emerald Eyes" and "Bristol Shore." Johnson used the same half-and-half format on the 1990 follow-up, Ah Via Musicom, but a trio of the album's tunes surprisingly made him the first artist to have three instrumentals from the same album to chart in the Top Ten in any format (with "Cliffs of Dover" earning Johnson a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental).
But, if Johnson had a perceived weakness, it was the perfectionism that caused four years to pass between recordings. Even in concert, he would painstakingly tune his guitar between songs, by ear, for minutes on end. With the success of Ah Via Musicom, the guitarist admitted to feeling pressure to raise the bar again. But Johnson's studio nitpicking delayed Venus Isle until 1996, and the disappointing CD contained fewer instrumentals and sounded forced.
A stint on the 1997 G3 tour with fellow headlining guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and its resulting live release, breathed new life into Johnson and sparked the idea of a live album. Overhauling his band for the 2000 CD Live and Beyond, Johnson brought in bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Bill Maddox, and concentrated on more of a blues feel. The guitarist still blended instrumentals with his vocal tunes ("Shape I'm In," "Last House on the Block"), but perhaps realized that his thin voice was too one-dimensional for guttural blues or R&B. Guest vocalist Malford Milligan ignites "Don't Cha Know" and "Once a Part of Me," helping Johnson's blazing debut on Vai's Favored Nations label and reestablishing the versatile virtuoso's status for the 21st century. As Vai himself testified, "Eric has more colorful tone in his fingers than Van Gogh had on his palette."
Souvenir, an album available only through Johnson's website, appeared in 2002, followed by CD and DVD versions of New West's Live from Austin, TX and Bloom, the second album for Vai's Favored Nations imprint, in 2005. Johnson returned in 2010 with Up Close, a studio album that slightly emphasized the guitarist's Texas roots. A collaboration with jazz guitarist Mike Stern, Eclectic, appeared in 2014. ~ Bill Meredith
Venus Isle
Eric Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Album: Venus Isle
Track: Venus Isle
Long ago, from the wonderland
Was a girl named Eve
She came to Earth from the mermaid sea
That is when love began.
Speak of love inside you
With a mystic smile
Let us be beside you
Showed us how to be
But she's just here to stay with us awhile
There is much more to see
I'll be seeing you
Climb into the skyride for a better view
Let's make connection get on back in style
While we are here in the Venus Isle
Then Eve said, "I miss you"
Now it's time to go
And, "I love you"
This is not my home
A from her isle she said her goodbyes
And blasted off to the stars
So it starts with you
Let there be no secrets, all that we can do
Let's make a symphony of a thousand smiles
While we are here in these Venus Isles
The lyrics of Eric Johnson's song Venus Isle tell a story of a girl named Eve who is described as coming from a wonderland and the mermaid sea. Her arrival on earth marks the beginning of love, which she teaches others through her mystic smile. Although she is only visiting, there is much more to see on earth, and she encourages people to climb into the "skyride" for a better view of life. Eve eventually has to leave and return to her island in the stars, but before she goes, she confesses her love and says her goodbyes.
The lyrics seem to be emphasizing the importance of love and self-discovery. Eve is portrayed as a teacher, who enlightens those around her with her wisdom and smiles. She encourages people to be open about their feelings and embrace their emotions without fear. The skyride could represent the journey of life, and how it's essential to have a positive outlook towards it to make the most of the experience. The line "let there be no secrets, all that we can do" could be interpreted as a message to be honest and open in relationships and not keep any secrets from each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago, from the wonderland
Many years ago, in a place of fantasy
Was a girl named Eve
There existed a young lady by the name Eve
She came to Earth from the mermaid sea
She arrived on Earth after sailing through the mermaid sea
That is when love began.
It was when she arrived on Earth that the notion of love was first felt
Speak of love inside you
Allow the idea of love to occupy your thoughts
With a mystic smile
While wearing a peculiar smile
Let us be beside you
Let's be there with you
Showed us how to be
She taught us how to live
But she's just here to stay with us awhile
Unfortunately, her time with us is brief
There is much more to see
There's a lot more left for us to explore
I'll be seeing you
I will meet you again
Climb into the skyride for a better view
Let's ascend in the skyride for a better look
Let's make connection get on back in style
Let's reconnect in a stylish way
While we are here in the Venus Isle
Whilst we exist in this alluring land
Then Eve said, "I miss you"
Then Eve pronounced, "I long for you"
Now it's time to go
It's time for me to depart
And, "I love you"
And, "I have feelings of love for you"
This is not my home
This place is not where I belong
A from her isle she said her goodbyes
From her homeland, she bade her farewells
And blasted off to the stars
And launched away towards the celestial bodies
So it starts with you
It's all initiated by you
Let there be no secrets, all that we can do
Don't hold anything back, give it your all
Let's make a symphony of a thousand smiles
Let's make a harmonious chorus of numerous grins
While we are here in these Venus Isles
Whilst we exist in this alluring land
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVID ERIC JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eric
on Camel's Night Out
What is it about? A person?