Buckethead: Electric Tears : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

On his eighth solo release, the enigmatic Guns n' Roses shredder Buckethead has gone quietly introspective, which is no huge surprise -- he does, after all, wear a bucket on his head. But those looking for clues regarding the new G n' R sound will be in for a rude awakening: Electric Tears is a meditative mix of flamenco, New Age and gentle psychedelia.

To his detriment, Buckethead allows his contemplative guitar to do all the talking, sans accompaniment. Electric Tears is just layers of noodling -- all solo, with no personality. There are a few pleasant diversions: The spacey bleeps and funky wah-wah sounds in "Mustang" would make for a nice Sunday-morning chill-out soundtrack; and six minutes into the plodding "Padmasana," there's a piercing ax wail that recalls early David Gilmour. Otherwise, it's seventy long minutes of wondering what Slash is doing right now.

KIRK MILLER
(RS 908 - October 31, 2002)