Guitar like youâve never heard before â A compilation of nine rock classics from Britainâs premier guitar maestro. If you like Van Halen, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai then youâll love Dave Sharman.

9 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Instrumental Rock, METAL/PUNK: Guitar Virtuoso

Show all album songs: Best Of Vol I Songs


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PRESS REVIEWS

Dave Sharmanâs â1990â is one of the most audacious and appealing rock guitar instrumental albums heard in a long time. Sharman is a self-taught guitar whiz, who is unimpressed by most rock guitarists. â1990â shows him to be a strong, lyrical player, with an innate sense of how to mix articulate speed runs with mature theme lines and cutting melodic solos for maximum effect. Witness a cut like âBorrowed Timeâ which develops its mood with a huge dose of speed tapping, that swarms about your head like a cloud of belligerent gnats, before exploding into a rocking solo that serves as an emotional release before Sharman returns to that intense tapping theme, like on the following âForgotten Soulsâ a mysteriously developed melodic tale, Sharman impresses both with the scope of his guitar skills and his well conceived yet free spirited tunes. With a personal touch, he boldly jumps from blues to funk to metal without losing his voice. Sharmanâs a true monster, and one of the best of the new breed.
- Buzz Morison, Guitar For The Practicing Musician

For years people have asked me, 'Where did you get the inspiration for the cyber name, THE ATOMIC CHASER?' The inspiration for my name was adopted from the song written by guitarist, DAVE SHARMAN, from his album,'1990'. Dave Sharman is the real deal, an unabashed guitar virtuoso who can play anything he wants but chooses varied textures, atmospheres, funky harmonic combinations, notes carefully articulated with the vibrato bar and thrilling runs where he both throws down a speed gauntlet and has something to say in doing so.
- Tony Sison aka "The Atomic Chaser", All Access Magazine

Sharmanâs playing is exemplary throughout, he confidently flits between rock to funk, to blues and all within the bat of an eyelid, fortunately he proves to be more than equal to the demands of each style.
- Dave Ling, Raw Magazine

In an era when Joe Satriani is selling out arenas and Steve Vai is catapulting himself up chart after chart, the rock instrumental album has never been a more commercially viable proposition. For young Dave Sharman, is for my money the best guitar player I have heard since Vinnie Moore and Sharmanâs debut, â1990â is infinitely more pleasant on the ear than Vaiâs âPassion and Warfareâ. For most of â1990â Sharman resists the temptation to indulge in the wee didly dees with the rest of them, instead delivering some of the most melodic, listenable guitar music I have heard for simply aeons. He covers all the ballpark, with a kind of smug ease which makes lesser players roll their hand into a frustrating fist and wanna pound those curly black locks into jelly. Wheather it be the ice funk of âCloud Nineâ, the almost Malmsteen style, bombastic hysterics of âSpellbinderâ, or the crawling blues of âSouthern Comfortâ, Sharman always sounds right at home, it really is that good. Sharman let me tell you is destined for big things, the only trouble is he knows it too.
- Paul Miller, Kerrang Magazine

Exit Within is an evocative collection of tunes that showcase his remarkable virtuosity, âManâ is a mean nâ moody opener that feeds off Sharmanâs spiralling guitar and the relaxed âHomeâ works too, while the instrumental cuts have enough character and charm to keep the attention, the third LP should be worth waiting for.
- Dave Ling, Raw Magazine

Sure Sharman is good, a maestro even, but just like Vinnie Moore he has that all too rare appreciation of feel, with ample quantities of flair and technique. Furthermore, he has learnt from the mistakes of others and recruited a singer, vocalist Thomas Brache gives it plenty when required. Indeed opener âManâ has some rugged rhythms to augment the fretboard fire and brimstone of the Boy Wonder. Elsewhere âHomeâ comes across like a Dio power ballad and âCos Youâre A Womanâ has all the sizzle nâ spit of an on-form Blackfoot, which is adequate testimony in itself to drummer Neil Huxtable and bassist Neil Murray. As for Sharman himself, he displays a wide variety of styles from light, airy acoustic to classical Spanish, and from a bubbly exhibition of hammering-on to banjo-mania, all of which involve the exemplary musicianship of any self-respecting guitar God. However, it is his ability to incorporate raw chords, choppy tempos and free-form solos, all whacked through a distortion pedal and cranked up loud, that got my blood racing. As long as he continues to write songs that highlight his abilities without sacrificing structure, Dave Sharman could well prove to be an exciting prospect for the future. He has done well to avoid the pitfalls that so often befall the guitar-based artist, and with a concerted effort may yet rewrite the rulebook.
- Sean Tyler, Kerrang Magazine

The success of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani has established that there is a healthy market for instrumental guitar records, and if youâre a follower of unashamed fretboard indulgence then youâll love Dave Sharman. Sharman is a guitar genius who came to light last year on Tommy Vanceâs Friday Rockshow and was immediately signed up. Heâs amazing, granted but what else can you say? â1990â is eight tracks of impressive virtuosity with Sharman varying his tricks enough to keep you listening. The title track is the first and the best, an initial whammy bar explosion of deep growls and crackling radio voices leading into a driving avalanche of riffs best heard extremely loud in a fast car. âAtomic Chaserâ is funky, percussion fuelled and a positive guitar riot, and Sharmanâs at his best when the whole style of the song moves away from a rock beat. âSouthern Comfortâ starts with cool slide and crunches into a dirty and mean boogie, a mouth organ adding welcome contrast.
- Neil Perry, Select Magazine

Guitar prodigy Dave Sharman shows remarkable maturity with his debut album, like a dream come true Daveâs talent was spotted on the Friday Rock Show by producer Tony Wilson and the result is this. â1990â a studious instrumental collection, I canât knock the guy cos he not only plays guitars on this but keyboards and bass too. The most interesting tracks are âSouthern Comfortâ and âCloud 9 (Sure Feels Fine)â for their adventurous spirit, âSouthern Comfortâ finds Dave in fine whiskeyed form, sliding and twanging up and down the fretboard in true solo. âCloud 9ââ¦. on a different theme is a funky horn-tinged slapabout rounding out his perfect repertoire.
- Pippa Lang, Metal Hammer

He aims for a more band/song approach to his guitar playing than most of his widdly-widdly counterparts. He has got a touch of the Joe Satriani about him too has this kid, going for memorable melodies rather than hyperspeed bollocks hystronics, succeeding with tracks like the thumping âCos Youâre A Womanâ and the frantic âTruckerâ. Overall this is a stylish and enjoyable album that will appeal to more than just other guitarists.
- Anthony Noguera, Metal Hammer

1990 is strictly for the grunge and heavy metal guitarist due to its highly explosive energetic force of pure unadulterated hyper-paced guitar licks throughout the album that can definitely compete with any of the top masters of its field. This is a definite must be listened toâ¦or you are missing the whole point in defining true talent. For those who think they are good. Once you do listenâ¦Hang up your axe and kiss your ass goodbye, because this baby is going to blast you and plant your ass down on the ground.
- M. Valor

Though the musical story of the year has been the sweeping return of bubbly gum pop, aspiring guitar heroes are still pouring out of the woodwork, each trying to show that they have the best new chops on the block. One of the most intriguing young guns to hit the street is Dave Sharman, who commands a die hard following in his hometown of London, England. This might not seem unusual but when you look back at the past decade in rock guitar, it was largely dominated by American pickers. In fact, out of the entire heavy metal revival only Swedenâs, Yngwie Malmsteen stood out as a foreign body, while the rest of the pack has been Yanks. Where were the Brits who had a virtual monopoly on the electric guitar in the 60s and 70s, spinning out monsters like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Paige, Keith Richards, David Gilmour, Paul Kossoff and Allan Holdsworth? Dave Sharman, with his instrumental tour-de-force, â1990â, may single-handedly redress the international balance, carefully blending solid song writing skills with a knock out hammering technique, based in part on the inspiration of Van Halen and Holdsworth. The guitarist breaks his own ground to, coming up with some wild two handed playing that could presage a comeback for a long ailing British guitar scene. Compositionally, â1990â ranges from heavy metal fusion, âForgotten Soulsâ to heavy blues and R&B grooves, (âSouthern Comfortâ and âCloud 9â). To more cinematic hard rock instrumentals that wouldnât be out of place in a Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie (âBorrowed Timeâ). Though the guitarist gets extensive mileage out of straight left-hand hammer-ons and taps, he can also pick like the devil, like in the Bach nâ roll romp, âPandoraâs Boxâ and in âAtomic Chaserâ. â1990â cooks from start to end.
- Pete Prown, Guitar For The Practicing Musician
(excerpts from an interview)

Dave has impeccable speed but just because he can play fast doesnât mean he crams as many notes as he can into a stanza. He sounds a lot like Vinnie Moore. He also has that classical style that seemed to be required back in the 90âs. Dave is also very melodic and never over layers his instrumentals. He is a self taught Brit who has been playing and writing since the age of nine.

As I said I first got this CD back in 1990 and never did check out what Dave did after its release. Since MySpace has become such a phenomenon, I did my research and discovered a few additions to his discography. Give this guy a listen. Everyone I have ever played this CD for has marvelled at his talent.
- Jeff Rogers, RoughEdge.com

BIOGRAPHY

Self taught British guitar virtuoso Dave Sharman's prodigious talent was discovered whilst still in his teens, with a debut album released worldwide not long after. He belongs to that rare breed, whose musicality extends to composing, song writing and vocals. But the journey began when he first picked up a guitar at the tender age of nine, it was his brother's cream coloured Fender Stratocaster copy, one day left unattended, which first drew the youngster's attention ... "I distinctly remember walking into the room and seeing this guitar just lying there, I was taken by it's colour, shape & style, visually I found it very exciting & yet it was the way it felt once strapped on that seemed to be the coolest thing, even though I couldn't play a note, it just felt completely natural" ... the experience proved the starting point of what would become a genuine passion for the instrument, more importantly it was the beginning of a life long love affair with music & a journey that would lead Dave along his own personal voyage of discovery.

It was the early 1980's & the era of the classic 'metal' band, big hair, tight pants, loud amps & fast guitars were the order of the day, yet beneath the imagery there was musicianship of the highest caliber. The previous decade had established some of the greatest names in rock - Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Black Sabbath & Deep Purple, all helped pave the way for a new generation of stars, but for young Dave Sharman, none would shine quite as bright as a band called Van Halen. It was their eponymous debut 'Van Halen' which captivated him, from it's opening bars of 'Running with the devil' right through to it's last few thunderous moments, Dave was completely in awe, Eddie Van Halen had an obvious impact on the kid ... "I was dazzled by his speed, power & creativity, for me he was completely unique, the near perfect example of all a rock guitarist should be" ... no doubt, Eddie proved valuable in shaping Dave's own musical development, but more importantly for the boy of nine, he was someone to look up to, his first 'guitar hero'. Classical music too has had a huge influence on Dave's own compositions, with his love of Beethoven's works superseding that of all other master composers.

The next few years gave way to intense periods of practice for Dave and he often spent long hours listening to music and experimenting with scales & chords, taking guitar lessons was never an option! ... "I think to be honest, it didn't really occur to me at the time, part of the whole fun of learning was that process of self-discovery which sometimes comes about through a lot of trial & error, I'd shut myself away for hours, listening to the likes of Rush, Van Halen & Lynyrd Skynyrd, trying to figure out the guitar parts, I remember the immense feeling of satisfaction when I'd finally get it right and it meant all the more as I taught it to myself. As a player I have no formal training and am completely self-taught. Ultimately learning by ear really helped my sense of creativity as well, 'cos it was that much easier when translating my own feelings & thoughts into music".

By the time Dave was a teenager he was already showing signs of a precocious talent, the years of hard work & dedication had produced a powerful technique, but he was now also with a real sense of purpose, his first public performance came at the age of 14, when asked to play at his school's end of year concert, though not a member of any guitar class at the time, he auditioned and was subsequently chosen to perform a solo piece during the night's schedule ... "that was an interesting experience, it was in front of the town mayor and a few other 'dignitaries', I showed up with this tatty black & white painted acoustic and played a classical piece called 'Mood For a Day' from the album Fragile by Yes, at the end I decided to add the hammer-on part from Van Halen's 'Eruption' mostly for effect ... it went down really well!". This was also an important time for Dave's own music as well, for quite a while now he'd been in need of an outlet to fully express & develop his ever growing mountain of ideas, mostly culminating in a desire to write & record original material and to this end he would soon invest in a 4-track recorder & drum machine, meager but very necessary tools for the advancement of his compositions.

Over the next three years he wrote an impressive array of songs & instrumentals, re-working and refining the music to a point where it met with the high standards he'd set himself, it was now only a matter of time for other people to hear it ...

BBC Radio 1's Friday Rock Show had for many years been the UK's number one source for all things rock, hosted by legendary DJ Tommy Vance, the show had become synonymous for its mix of the new & up coming together with a more classic playlist. Dave's brother San happened to remark ... "seems like a good place to send a demo"... the advice was duly noted and a couple of days later a cassette containing four instrumentals was busy making its way to the BBC studios in Portland Place. Not long after, Dave would get a call from veteran producer Tony Wilson ... "getting that call was a surprise as it was the first time I'd ever sent any material out, basically he thought my guitar work was as exciting as anything he'd ever heard and was impressed with my overall ability, we met for a chat and I was offered a recording session for the show" ... A band featuring drummer Neil Huxtable, bassist Martin Connolly and ex Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake & Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey was assembled to back Dave's guitar work. The session was broadcast January 1989 and included 4 original tracks all written by the guitarist - Spellbinder, Pandora's box, Torch The Tower and Flight 212 lit up the airwaves with Dave's blistering playing screaming out from every track. Tommy Vance was in raptures, proclaiming him "a virtuoso, wizard of a guitar player" and "an exceptionally fluid guitarist" the press likened it to "the upward spiral of a rising star" and with favourable public response, the session went on to attract one of the highest ratings in the show's history, drawing in fan mail and record company interest alike, it wouldn't be long before a debut album would soon follow ...

Dave Sharman's '1990' was recorded & mixed over a two week period at Berlin's Skytrak studios in Germany. Upon its release in October the same year, the album received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. With strong emphasis on melody, one of the keys to the record's success was the balance between the virtuosity of Dave's playing and the importance of the music, one never taking priority over the other. This allowed Dave to venture into a variety of different styles without appearing self indulgent, from the neo-classical leanings of 'Spellbinder' the rhythm n' blues of 'Southern Comfort', to 'Cloud 9's' funk, he successfully manages to add his own special brand of flare & creativity to all. These factors help make 1990 an album with appeal beyond that offered simply by the lure of it's guitar wizardry and pyrotechnics, in Dave we not only find a musician of undoubted talent but someone who knows how to apply it well within the context of a song, and it is this that really separates him from the pack. Critically the album has been hailed a 'classic' with Dave nominated for several awards including US magazine, Guitar For The Practicing Musicians: 'Guitar God in waiting', journalist Pete Prown added "he's probably the finest guitarist to emerge from the European continent in decades and could well single handedly redress the international balance between Europe and the US."

Arriving on the international music scene there was to be no shortage of offers for his talents, the David Lee Roth band were seeking a replacement for recently departed guitarist Steve Vai, with the former Van Halen frontman's management claiming how Sharman reminded them of a young Eddie Van Halen. New Jersey based thrashers Overkill also took note, vocalist Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth nominated Dave his favourite player in a Kerrang Magazine poll, but it was to be Deep Purple mainman Ian Gillan, who would secure his services, if only for a short while. Hard at work on his latest studio album he was keen to see what the young guitarist could offer in terms of fresh ideas ... "Ian came up to see me with a cassette of about 6 songs he'd been working on, I worked out some new parts and we went into the studio to record them"... with Dave onboard, Gillan's sound was radically transformed, the music now had an edge and vitality, with Sharman's electrifying playing, proving an exciting combination with that of the legendary singer's vocals.

Meanwhile Police & Sting manager, Miles Copeland had been busy adding the final touches to his much anticipated Night Of The Guitars II tour, it's previous incarnation had been a huge success and featured several well known artists in the form of Steve Howe of Yes, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Alvin Lee, Steve Hunter, Randy California and Leslie West of the band Mountain. The line-up for the mark 2 version had so far penciled in Ronnie Montrose of 70's rockers Montrose, Robin Trower formally of Procol Harum, Focus's Jan Akkermann, Rick Derringer, Saga's Ian Crichton and Laurie Wisefield of Wishbone Ash and Tina Turner, all that was now needed was a player who best represented the new era of guitarists and in Sharman they found their perfect match. Upon hearing Dave's debut, Miles wasted no time in contacting the youngster's management and arrangements were soon made to invite him onto the tour. Kick starting in Marseille France, the 8 guitarists would perform to over 200,000 people across 5 countries ... "the Night Of The Guitars tour was my first real experience of playing to arena sized crowds, I'd say I learnt a lot about myself as a performer and how audiences respond in different parts of the world, overall it really helped my stagecraft, playing alongside the likes of Robin, Jan & Ronnie was also great, I learnt a lot along the way." Winding up in London, the tour finally came to a close and Dave immediately set to work on the follow-up to '1990', determined to push the boundaries of rock guitar even further he would venture into new and unexplored territories to produce the amazing 'Exit Within'.

Being a solo artist had many advantages for Dave, but the thrill of being in a good band was always more attractive and he began the shift towards this during his second album.

'Exit Within'. A year or so earlier whilst on his first trip to Berlin he had become good friends with German based vocalist Thomas Brache, the two stayed in touch and decided at some point they would work together ... "I was impressed with Thomas because not only did he have a great voice and personality, but I found him genuinely easy to get along with and that really helps for a good working relationship" ... It was during his time with Gillan that Dave also befriended legendary bassist Neil Murray and invited the former Black Sabbath/Whitesnake and Brian May man to play bass on the album ... "Having Neil onboard was fantastic, he's a guy that's had a lot of experience and played with many great bands and artists in his time, he's someone I've grown up listening to and respect, so having him play on Exit was tremendous" ... Rehearsals and pre-production took place at Nina Hagan studios in Berlin, with the album itself being recorded at Skytrak. In Exit Within we have a work of the rare and sublime, it's Dave's willingness to experiment and his sense of creativity that lends the album a certain uniqueness and charm. From the beautifully crafted and classically inspired 'Grace' to the mysterious sounds of 'Andromeda' and high velocity rock of 'Trucker' there's never a dull moment, Sharman effortlessly glides from one style to another with equal confidence whilst maintaining his sense of identity throughout. Exit also provides Dave's first foray into lyric writing with songs such as 'Man' and 'Home' giving insight into a thoughtful and articulate mind. Two tracks from the album would go on to be used by the Friday Rock Show on a weekly basis, 'Frantic' and 'Trucker', which ran for several years as part of the programmes background music to it's news and chart rundown, things it seems had almost come full circle from his beginnings on the show as a virtual unknown to his growing status as a recognised and respected guitarist, he wasted little time with the follow up to Exit & began work on the much heavier 'Here N' Now'.

Embarking on the third record there were also changes within the band, alongside Brache came in two new faces, Steven Wood on drums and Dave Setchfield on bass. Production duties were given to Kit Woolven, a man responsible for many a classic track with the likes of Thin Lizzy and UFO. Opening with the explosive 'Out Of Time', 'Here N Now' moves through quite a variety of gear changes and all to fine affect, it also pays homage to Dave's earlier days with three well crafted instrumentals - 'Tequila Junction', 'Dragonfly' and the heart warming 'Forever And A Day'. With Thomas unexpectedly leaving not long after the record's release, the remaining members scaled down to a three-piece with Dave opting for vocals, as well as guitar and with new bassist Dave Luckins, they become known as the power trio 'Wave', thus entering the next phase in Sharman's musical voyage. Finding himself now writing for his own voice, Dave's songwriting took on a more natural flow, with tracks such as 'Lift', 'Nowhere', 'Drown' and 'Priest On A Hill', we are treated to an electrifying combination, with that of his vocal and guitar skills, carrying on a tradition best encapsulated by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and other greats who had come before, producer Colin Thurston was most impressed ... "Definitely the most talented musician I've worked with since Bowie."... High praise indeed from the former Duran Duran and David Bowie producer.

Dave continues to write & record original material; projects have included session work with MTV, VH1, Sky and BBC2.

Dave is proud to endorse Roland, Hughes & Kettner amplification, Jackson guitars, Ibanez Basses, Dunlop and Dimarzio pickups.

⦠and finally a little personal Dave Sharman trivia:

He is from a large musical family with six siblings. Grew up just round the corner from where Ozzy Ozbourne lived and attended the same school as members of legendary British band Black Sabbath, Dave being much younger was there many years later of course!

At the end of 2007 Dave released a two volume Best Of Collection, featuring 19 of his best loved tracks from his critically acclaimed albums.

2008 will be a big one for Dave â with a new album set for release, gigs and tour dates to be announced. Sharman has once again donned the cap of vocalist for the record as well as multi-instrumentalist.