Rik Emmett

Rik Emmett: Swing Shift

by John Sharpe
November 1, 1998

I'm willing to concede that Rik Emmett, who once anchored the rock trio Triumph, is a talented picker with a precise, clean sound. What his Swing Shift lacks is any trace of originality or true inspiration. Emmett and his band, the Open House Collective, breeze through 12 original compositions (now there's an oxymoron) that borrow heavily from just about every major guitarist you've ever heard." Way Cool" reeks of George Benson, “Santa Fe Horizon" is warmed over Metheny and Gladhands ...