“One of the best Guitarists I've ever seen, Iain combines an astonishing talent with a huge range of musical tastes - and a refreshing lack of self-importance” The Buteman - Bute live Festival
“Iain Forbes opened with a breathtaking display of guitar playing, delivered smoothly and confidently with introductions to the pieces littered with his gently, self-deprecating humorous anecdotes” The Glasgow Fringe Festival
“Guitar player Extraordinaire” The Neilston festival
“Superb jazz guitarist” The Darvel festival
“Brillian Solo guitarist playing various styles but all in his own Inimitable way” The Cumnock Festival
"He's a skilful and stylish player, but his style and skill are a means to an end rather than the end itself". George Geddes, Pipeline Guitar fanzine
Daydreamer CD review, published in 'Pipeline' magazine April 2008, written by George Geddes.
Blue Eyed BAM/ Winter on Honeybog Hill/ Mr Bisto/ This Masquerade-Close to you/ Daydreamer/ Hop Along Midnight/ The Derry Aire/ Who are you/ On the side of the Angels/ The Rainstorm/ Spirit of Rick/ Ta Ta Bella/ Moonlight Serenade/ You and I
Iain gets proceedings underway on this, his third CD, with some nimble finger picking on the jaunty opener, dedicated to his partner Barbara. Like the majority of the tracks, this is self-penned.
Winter….. Is a lovely rhythmic piece which keeps moving and builds steadily. Mr Bisto is Iain's dog and has inspired a nice little number which brings to mind Jerry Reed and yes, the dog himself makes an appearance.
There's a delightful harmonic-laden introduction to the Carpenters medley with an introspective reading of This Masquerade leading to the more familiar Close to you.
The title track sees Iain painting a musical picture with little melodic fragments gradually coming together as the daydreaming becomes more intense before ending in a more relaxed manner.
Hop Along Midnight is a driving, percussive piece and show that Iain, long a Chet and Jerry fan, has absorbed some Tommy Emmanuel influences into his playing. Iain has already tackled Danny boy on a previous CD, but for this new arrangement he has given the old song a jazzy feel while still laying the thumb in.
Outstanding is the only way to describe the next track; a solo acoustic version of the Who's Who are you seems unlikely but here it is, rhythmic, melodic and percussive - an absolute knockout track.
In contrast, On the Side of the Angels starts as a quieter piece but still has a rhythmic pulse which builds to some frenetic strumming before briefly returning to the softer phrases.
The Rainstorm is an atmospheric little number which relies heavily on some fine tremolo picking to paint a picture.
Spirit of Rick, on the other hand, alternates rhythmic passages with more reflective sections. In another contrast
Ta Ta Bella starts off as a bluesy piece before Iain brings in other elements, harmonics and a bit of guitar-slapping in Tommy E style as the number builds.
Apparently Iain's granny doesn't like his version of the Glenn Miller classic. I hate to disagree with anyone's granny, but I think it's great and works very well as a finger-picked piece.
The CD closes as it starts with a composition dedicated to Barbara, this one more gently and introspective. On this album Iain really begins to explore his own style and techniques.
I sense that this is much more personal music effort than his previous albums. Not only has he written ten out of the 14 tracks but he has eschewed purely melodic compositions in some cases, opting to create musical pictures with his guitar. It's a brave step to break away from tunes as such, but it is carried off here with considerable skill. As ever, Iain's technique and musicianship are a means to an end and not the end in itself. The lack of familiar numbers may be a deterrent, but the new compositions on this CD will bear repeated listening and will grow with each hearing. Full marks to Iain for flying the finger picking flag once again but not being content to rest on his laurels. If you like Chet A, Jerry R and Tommy E, this is for you. George Geddes