Brent Mason is an often unspoken hero in the Country Music scene. He was a hot name in the Country Music business in the USA, particularly in the 1990s, along with winning a Grammy Award amongst other Country Music musical awards. He was a session guitarist with many famous folks and also made some TV commercials with his music as well. Therefore, it made perfect sense for Brent Mason to create this album back in 1997, a Country Rock instrumental album which is his main solo career effort. He even has his own customised Fender Telecaster that can be purchased, which is worth exploring on YouTube, if you need to know more about it. In any case, let’s take a good listen to this instrumental album and we shall hear what the fuss is about in relation to Brent Mason.

Cayman Moon begins with some lush and smooth combinations of guitars and 1980s-sounding keyboards. Still, this sounds atmospheric and very unique. A pretty listening experience from the start. Brent Mason plays a great guitar section, and this sounds beautifully romantic. Some bongo beats enter, over fluid neck pickup playing on his own Fender Telecaster. Of note, the Fender Telecaster that Brent Mason plays is much more like a Fender Stratocaster than your average Tele, due to its construction and multiple electronics options. Soon enough, drumbeats enter and this chilled-out instrumental album really gets away and kicking nicely. This isn’t a million miles away from being an inspired and enjoyable take on other guitar instrumentalists that came before him. Still, this sounds very much unlike anything else recorded at the time. Near the midsection are some sweet wind chimes, followed by some truly excellent and mellow guitar playing throughout. Brent Mason appeals to the two main guitar camps of the David Gilmour-based non-shredders and the Eddie Van Halen-based shredders perfectly easily, with style and grace. All in all, this is hugely enjoyable. A really top-notch and refreshing listen, this sort of music is romantic sounding and is perfectly ideal to play to your partner on a romantic night of love. Nonetheless, this does sound really great. A lush and interesting instrumental, this is proof that Fender Telecasters can be so much more than just a Country Music instrument. The slide guitars in the background are also very cool. This tune ends with some sweet and articulate playing to conclude. A great beginning to this album.

Mellow Midnight begins with some interesting mid-position Fender Telecaster playing that sounds a lot like a Fender Stratocaster. More pleasant guitar riffing, pedal steel slide guitar and note-perfect playing is present in this tune. Again, this is really great music for those of you who dig instrumentals. This sounds like Brent Mason is recording the most sensual, romantic and loveable guitar-based instrumental music out there. All in all, it does sound superbly cool to listen to. A really great cut, once again. The Fender Telecaster playing is the main star of the show here, with Brent Mason proving exactly why he was and is so popular as a guitarist and music creator. The pedal steel guitar and organ in the background are a nice touch, and this music is very well mixed. A really gorgeous and explorational listening experience, this is super cool to hear. A great musician Brent Mason is, period. The second half continues the pleasant and euphoric soloing. One wonders sometimes if indeed, this is a Fender Stratocaster being played, but for anyone in the know, that is clearly not the case. Very smooth and easy listening music, this is a great place for those who don’t know much about guitar instrumentals to get their teeth stuck into. Somewhere in the second half, the guitar soloing stops briefly, with the other instrumentation taking hold. The Fender Telecaster playing returns, and this is a great representation of why you need to own a Fender Telecaster if you are a guitar player. A sweet and luscious tune, it wraps up just before six minutes have passed with a lengthy fade out. Excellent.

Blowin’ Smoke is a shorter piece at three minutes long. It begins with a brief drum intro and launches into some fantastic multitracked guitar parts. Some twangy Fender Telecaster work is present here, and this tune sounds absolutely fantastic. Some great playing and chicken picking is present here, matched with a dynamic groove with an organ. This is a good example of a short snippet of music from Brent Mason that sounds absolutely amazing. The playing is fresh, fun and unforgettable throughout. The tone from the Fender Telecaster is mind-blowingly good as well. A harmonica solo is present here in the second half, reaffirming Brent Mason’s Country Music roots at large. More guitar soloing is present after that, with some aggressive playing on the neck pickup of the guitar, before returning to the main section of music. Really cool and awesome, this is fantastic to listen to. Great music throughout to hear and some of the best Tele tones you will ever listen to are present. Brilliant.

First Rule Of Thumb begins with some crisp acoustic fingerpicking playing, which is different. This is played very nicely and sounds like Brent Mason’s version of Van Halen’s Spanish Fly. Nonetheless, this is a mellow and lovely-sounding acoustic piece that eventually enters into some pleasant guitar riffing that sounds cool. The rest of the band quickly join in, and this whole piece sounds dramatic and fantastic to listen to. A superb and joyous listen, Brent Mason definitely deserves the awards he has received over the years for Country Music and music in general. A really pretty, interesting and dynamic piece of music, there are so many awesome twists and turns throughout musically. There is an organ solo to match in the second half that sounds really great to hear. Another gem from Brent Mason, and definitely worth hearing. It ends with some nimble acoustic fingerpicking and harmonics. Sweet.

Hot Wired is the title track and the main staple of this album. It launches into some fantastic Fender Telecaster shredding which is mind-blowingly good, set to a great backing band playing along. This may sound silly to some, but in actual fact, it is ridiculously good listening. A great mesh of music, style and sensibility, this tune is just as good as the best Rock Music out there. A fantastic piano solo is present in this song as well, which sounds dramatic and classy. This is followed by more fantastic Tele shredding, which isn’t always the easiest instrument to do so on. Pedal steel soloing follows, and this tune deserves a listen more than other songs out there today. A great shred-styled combination of playing and soloing, this is absolutely fantastic to listen to. Upbeat, joyous and frenetic music to hear, this is a gem. Absolutely worth listening to from start to finish. It ends dramatically and with style. Great.

Blue Water Girl begins with some melancholy-styled organ playing, which is quite sweet all the same. Soon enough, smooth guitar and hi-hats enter, launching into a moody and expressive guitar instrumental piece. This is very smooth and sensual, with the bass guitar being particularly prominent in this song. Nonetheless, this does sound really great listening. Eventually, snappy drumming enters and this tune comes alive. A really dramatic and pleasant listening experience, with some gorgeous shredding, this sounds mint. This underrated gem of an album sounds very lively, lovely and amazing musically. This is exactly the sort of music that, although has a retro edge, is a real gem from 1997 that more should hear today. In the second half is some great neck pickup playing that sounds very Stratty, although one in the know will know that it is a Fender Telecaster being played. Brilliantly delivered and executed, this is a superb tune to listen to and enjoy. It wraps up with some smooth soloing, just before four minutes is over. Super sweet.

Gator Bite begins with some snappy harmonica and launches into a good Southern Rock USA-styled piece. Of course, the Fender Telecaster takes prominence in this piece, on the bridge pickup. This is different, yet totally acceptable music. A very great listen, this is what the folks in Florida need to hear when they are avoiding the devils in their tropical environment and need some decent music to chill to. A mid-position Fender Telecaster solo is present here, which sounds fantastic and a bit Fender Stratocaster-like. Soon enough, this is switched to the bridge pickup for some sweet shredding. Nonetheless, this two-minute-long jam is very fun to listen to. A genuinely good tune to hear. It ends dramatically.

My Little Ballerina begins with some acoustic guitar playing and the sound of a foot tapping along with it. Additional instrumentation is added soon into it, and this magical piece is great to listen to. A fine, fresh and powerful listen, decades later on, it still sounds great. Shortly enough, some sweet keyboards and musical melodicism enter, and this piece sounds like the perfect slow dance tune to have with your lover. A really dramatically gorgeous and excellent listening experience, this is a good definition of an acoustic ballad. Great to listen to, all the same, this does not disappoint. In the second half is some acoustic guitar solo that is fingerpicked very well. A really cool and dramatic piece of music and musicianship. Brent Mason is one of the best guitarists out there, and this album is a good answer to those who dare question this style of music. A good three-and-a-half-minute-long acoustic guitar ballad that sounds awesome. Worth hearing.

Sugarfoot Rag begins with some synchronised instrumentation, launching straight into a fast-paced Fender Telecaster shred. Again, this is very awesome to listen to. Really cool, quirky and different, this proves the wonder and artistry of the Fender Telecaster, when played properly. All in all, a short and expressive listen. There is a genuinely good fiddle solo present as well, illuminating this fantastic music further. Following is an acoustic guitar slide solo with some shredding to boot. Extremely loveable and different. Following that is a great interlude with some superb shredding to match. A great example of what someone inspired by EVH would play on a Fender Telecaster, this is great Country Shred Music. Awesome.

Swing With A Sting is the final track on this wonderful album. It begins with some Jazz playing and percussion to match. Still, this is being done on a Fender Telecaster. A piano is added to spice things up nicely as well. A clever and different approach to music and musicianship. This tune evolves nicely into a great and grand piece of music that just sounds absolutely awesome. Brent Mason may be known as primarily a Country Music session player, but this album shows he could make great solo tunes as well. The piano solo is energetic and dynamic throughout and has a great Jazzy feel to it. The instrumentation and playing on this album are insanely good. Some really great B Bender guitar playing is on the second half of this tune as well. Absolutely awesome to listen to, this music is above all, brilliant. A good tune with some mindblowing guitar playing, Brent Mason makes this music sound fluid and natural on guitar. Which it unlikely is not. Some dual-tracked guitar parts and a dramatic finish ends this album. Excellent.

This is, by far, one of the most underrated listening experiences in musical history. Understandably, not everyone is into instrumental-based music. Having said that, this is a truly great example of what history needs to celebrate in the world of music, and not ignore. This is a great album showcasing the strength and ability of the Fender Telecaster being played to a multitude of styles and tempos, all to near perfection. Amazing work. Should you listen to this album? If you like instrumental Rock Music, there is absolutely no doubt that you should hear this. This is an amazing listening experience.

So dang good.

9/10