t's sad but true that an artist's death calls attention to their work that might have remained out of the spotlight had they not passed away. This writer is truly embarrassed to have never enjoyed Michael Hedges' music while he was alive, dismissing him unfairly as some New Age acoustic guitar noodler without actually hearing any of his releases. Having finally been exposed to some of his songs on various Windham Hill samplers after his tragic passing in a late '97 auto accident, I can now proudly (if somewhat sheepishly) say that I own all of his CDs and enjoy them immensely. Better late than never seems a rather ironic description.
Hedges' specialties were complex, jazzy tunings and interesting picking/tapping techniques that made it sound as though you were hearing a duo or trio. His occasional vocal tracks were full of the jazzy chord changes you find in his pal David Crosby's best work.
Torched is a collection of tracks Hedges was working on when he died. Many of the tracks are demos or unfinished works-in-progress, but presented in the order Hedges had planned them, Torched is a thoroughly enjoyable album, quite possibly this writer's all-around favorite (a few tracks such as the lovely "Ursa Major" and the technically amazing "Java Man" have previously
appeared on Windham Hill collections).
From the mournful opening title track (featuring some rare electric guitar from Hedges) through the gentle beauty of "Spring Buds," with background vocals by pal Crosby & Graham Nash), Torched is a masterpiece tainted only by the sadness of the realization of a brilliant composer and musician,
gone far too early.
t's sad but true that an artist's death calls attention to their work that might have remained out of the spotlight had they not passed away. This writer is truly embarrassed to have never enjoyed Michael Hedges' music while he was alive, dismissing him unfairly as some New Age acoustic guitar noodler without actually hearing any of his releases. Having finally been exposed to some of his songs on various Windham Hill samplers after his tragic passing in a late '97 auto accident, I can now proudly (if somewhat sheepishly) say that I own all of his CDs and enjoy them immensely. Better late than never seems a rather ironic description.