Originally recorded back in 1978, the music on Too Much is stately, ethereal at times, introspective at others; at fleeting moments, it can become quietly unsettling, and yet, it remains wholly soothing overall.  The choice of instrumentation, though very simple, comes off as extremely effective in the deft hands of these two fine young musicians.  In particular, Neil Ayer's sensitively e-bow'ed electric guitar lines blend deliciously with the arpeggiated figures that Steve Watt caresses his classical guitar into playing on "Stepping Stones," and the understated, echoing lines that end "Rorquals" and tastefully punctuate "Rain Song Suite" are but two examples that leave this listener feeling pleasingly contemplative (and that last e-bow'ed bit in "Rorquals" could have gone on just a tad longer, in my humble opinion).  Watt's sometimes-classical, sometimes-jazz-inflected style elicits a reflective response from this listener as it lays down its backdrop groove to form a stately, almost transparent landscape that effortlessly melds the otherworldly and the ethereal with the earthly and the organic.  In this lovely work, I am reminded at moments throughout of original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips' sublime acoustic work, and here and there I also detect the the visiting spirit of Steve Hackett.  All in all, the highly evocative Too Much - which, at 32:49, somewhat ironically ends up being on the short side of things - the artists' performing and composing skills speak with a delicate, peaceful, and reflective voice that stir corresponding sympathies in the listener.  This CD represents a finely-nuanced piece of work that belongs in every self-respecting music lover's music collection.
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