Vinnie Moore - Mindβs Eye
- intothewellsabyss
- Aug 2, 2023
- 2 min read
π πππ πππ ππππππ - πππππππππππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππ π’π§ ππ‘π πππππππ π¨πΒ ππππ ππππ & πππππ πππππβ¦
August 1986 β Vinnie Moore released his first full-length studio album, Mind's Eye via Mike Varneyβs Shrapnel Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
Background:
Moore played clubs and bars until Shrapnel executive Mike Varney discovered him via a demo and biography that Moore submitted to the Spotlight column, which Varney headed for Guitar Player Magazine.
Prior to his solo recording career, Moore played lead guitar with the Heavy Metal band Vicious Rumors on their debut album, Soldiers of the Night (1985).
The album featured Moore's solo-song Invader, which was in the style of Van Halen's Eruption. Mooreβs connection to Varney led to an opportunity to appear in a Pepsi commercial in 1985 (only Vinnie's hands appeared in the commercial as his guitar playing is heard).
Following this, Moore recorded his first solo album, Mind's Eye, featuring fellow shredder and then-label mate Tony MacAlpine on keyboards, and Tommy Aldridge (Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake) on drums.
Critical Reception:
Recorded in eleven days when Moore was 21 years old, the album received several awards from guitar magazines and sold over 100,000 copies. The album was ranked third on the all-time top ten list of shred albums in a 2009 article by Guitar World magazine.
Robert Taylor at AllMusic gave Mind's Eye four stars out of five, calling it "π πππππππ ππ πππ ππππππππ πππππππππ’", albeit "ππππ π πππππππ’ ππ πππππππππ πππππππ’ ππ πππ ππππππ ππππππππ." Praise was given to Moore for being "πππ ππ πππ ππππ πππππππππππ ππ πππ πππππππππ", but Taylor also labeled him as an Yngwie Malmsteen clone. In Control and Saved by a Miracle were listed as highlights.
Canadian journalist Martin Popoff called the album "π ππππππ, ππππππππππ, ππππ’ ππππππππππππ ππππππ" and lauded the musicians and Mike Varney's production.
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. β E.N. Wells
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