Paul Gilbert – WROC
Paul Gilbert – WROC
Music Theories
Release Date: 27/02/26
Review by Jon Deaux
8.6/10
George Washington’s Rules of Civility as an album of conceptual music? It wouldn’t be impossible to imagine hearing those lyrics after a cross-country flight, only to recall them later via turkey sandwiches in the middle of the ocean. Paul Gilbert, though, brought this baggage with him to WROC with “WROC,” which exists in the likes of some guitar gods just looking at the 16th century and going, “the monks had this right!”
WROC, (short for the Washington Rules of Civility,) already seen to be the precedent for what this particular C-SPAN enthusiast has already lost in the previous set, and not only may it possibly best Gilbert for the most batshit crazy stunt he’s pulled in his tenure, but it’s even more remarkable considering that the guy already brought out power tools and Ronnie James Dio in the form of a slide guitar solo, like he was ordering pizza. This particular stunt, however, has little to do with the enthusiast’s actual ability at drill and plenty to do with actual good manners, per se, all the way from 1595, written by Jesuits, and, not for the first time, assigned to the actual kid himself, George Washington, as homework. Of course, you can access it all in its anti-metallic glory.
Gilbert, the smiling destroyer of fretboards, has always been an entity that seems to apologize for the detonation of your face into nothingness with every bang. That ends up going to the worst with WROC, where the fight escalates to weapons! These songs not only qualify as shreddable, melodic, and sporting enough hooks to win you over, they also carry the marks of the strange and perverse kind, as if your favourite guitar teacher has been giving you tips on how to deal with the mental illness aspect while soloing under the instruction of his fiery blows! This marks the first vocal record since “I Can Destroy” in 2016, and it seems like someone has concluded that they’re done with the urge to display how they can destroy anything and anyone and opted to ask themselves the question of whether they could possibly just carry that optimistic look with genuine sincerity to match this time around!
“Go Not Thither” is fun, with flying vocals, Boogie, and Metal riffs. The guy cracks wise about how the people of that period were so earth-shattering in their dance moves that a legislative act actually had to be passed in order for the earth to move at all, which is completely absurd but also true in some respects. The guy also has some beef about “Play not the peacock” for the most part in that he can’t seem to stop soloing in his tricorn chapeau.
It’s like the opening of this record is just too pleasant for their own good. Gilbert comes back from Mr. Big’s last show at Budokan, aka rock ‘n’ roll Viking funeral, so that he can begin conceptualizing lyrics for their songs! Not that he’s going through something angst-filled, with his notebooks full of feelings. Paul needs a Bernie Taupin, period, and that’s it, end of story, shut up! He’s got no chance to be all emotive via his craft, so by God, he’s going to subcontract that idea to George Washington himself!
It’s the love of the music that brings them home to WROC and not the joke. This is a recording that has been done live in the prestigious Hallowed Halls of Portland, Oregon, with Nick on the drum kit, Doug Rappoport on the guitar, and the playing of Timmer Blakely on the bass, and it’s alive in the way that there are artists in front of them to respond to, and not putting their souls in the grid tracks with the click of the clicker.
“Keep Your Feet Firm and Even” establishes the decree Gilbert has had issues with before, which does seem about right for the kind of dude who’s been tap-tap-tap-ping the tap dancing equivalent of competing in the Olympics due to pedalboarding at Olympic speeds with his feet.
“Speak Not Evil of the Absent” relocalized an anti-gossip decree from the 16th century to the chorus of the irresistible party song about how subtweeting may very well be nothing other than the art of gossiping in the courts, only instead with Wi-Fi. All of the songs showcase the skill which is necessary to combine the wordplay of the past and blend it with the music that naturally sounds and even, shockingly, is catchy, which is an even more useful skill than the ability to play a note at 200 BPM.
There’s also context here. This, of course, is also the same guitar slinger who took Mr. Big to the top of the pop charts with Pop-rock, who raised the art of guitar shredding to an art form with Racer X, and who has, for the past decades or so, wandered aimlessly through the land of blues, jazz, classical, and good ol’ Rock and Roll. The man knows the rules. He’s also broken them, professionally.
The notion that he even has experience that would serve to call up the old book of manners because, you know, bringing back the book and turning up the volume to 10? That’s trouble, and this man definitely has the experience to wonder about what might happen when you bring the book and crank up the volume.
But by the time you reach the final songs, “Spark of Celestial Fire,” and “George Washington Rules,” the record begins to move beyond the novelty of this clever observation. Washington’s Rules of Civility isn’t about being good at what we do, but about paying attention. About paying attention to the melody. About paying attention to your brothers in your own bands. About paying attention to an idea that insists on shouting. And, for the first time, Gilbert says, “this record, actually, is one of the most musical, listenable albums I’ve ever recorded.” And this doesn’t seem to me to be the language of the love-it-and-understand-it-feel-good-about-us machine.
Joy is to be discovered everywhere on this album—it’s just the music of an expert musician who has long since retired from competing with himself and is now indulging his own interests. “WROC” will not educate you in the proper way to dine. However, perhaps it could make you laugh, bang your head to their beat, and briefly ponder the merits of “Turn Not Your Back (To Others).
WROC is funny without being childish, smart without being snobby, featuring plenty of harmony without relinquishing the riff, Gilbert sings with ardor, not with Looney Tunes pretension, with humour, not with mawkish sentimentality. The LP has the benefit of being wet and swaggering, with jams that have the sense to take a graceful curtain call stage left after the solo.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Keep Your Feet Firm and Even
02. Show Not Yourself Glad (At the Misfortune of Another)
03. Maintain a Sweet and Cheerful Countenance
04. Go Not Thither
05. Orderly And Distinctly
06. If You Soak Bread in the Sauce
07. Let Thy Carriage
08. Speak Not Evil of the Absent
09. Turn Not Your Back (To Others)
10. Conscience is the Most Certain Judge
11. Every Action Done in Company
12. Spark of Celestial Fire
13. George Washington Rules
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Jon Deaux and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
