Sometimes God Hides is a musical stew made up of guitar-laden progressive and
jazz-rock tracks, mainly from
King Crimson and their solo members. With the likes of
Adrian Belew and
Robert Fripp leading the way, this sampler from the DGM label offers a kaleidoscopic journey through the amazing guitar craft of these talented musicians, along with some excitingly vivid excursions from
Trey Gunn and the California Guitar Trio and a peculiar mix of
new age and
ambient from the Europa String Choir. Subtitled "The Young Persons' Guide to Discipline," these 23 tracks open up a whole new world of guitar and string manipulation, fusing familiar techniques with aberrant rhythms, electronic pastiches, and appealing yet incongruous string arrangements. Cuts such as
Belew's "Burned By the Fire We Make" and
King Crimson's "Red" (from an official bootleg album out of Argentina) tread on cordial rock ground but are still entertaining while, at the other end of the spectrum, tracks like
Peter Hammill's haunting a cappella entitled "A Better Time" and "Voices of Ancient Children" from
Los Gauchos Alemanes swoop and soar with a blend of
new age mystery and modernized ambience. While the focal point of most of the songs is the guitar, the surrounding atmosphere of trancelike keyboard runs and unique string applications creates a multi-dimensional effect throughout each track. Moody and eccentric, this sampler makes for a truly peculiar instrumental journey. ~ Mike DeGagne, All Music Guide
