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5 Criminally Underrated Guitarists

10/18/2015

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In the 20-some years that I've been playing music (15 on guitar), I have attempted to spend an equal amount of time both practicing/playing and listening. One of the commandments that I try to instill in my students is that listening to great players either on record or via the web (or whatever medium) is just as important as the tried-and-true "scales and chords." The key to longevity and happiness in just about any career path (or hobby) is inspiration. Personally, I'm not really inspired by my own playing. I have a tendency to try to pinpoint what I need to work on rather than enjoy listening back to a recording of myself. While this mindset is probably a blessing in disguise for most players (as we never want to be fully "happy" with our own musicianship or we might as well find something else to pursue), I do find that listening to more experienced players is the best path to both inspiration and motivation.

When I first began playing, I went to the "Mount Rushmore of guitar" for inspiration like most every other Rock fan-- Hendrix, Clapton, Page and Jeff Beck. I'm confident that anyone can learn the in's and out's of electric Rock and Blues guitar from listening to and emulating those four guys. What I love about those players is that they had one foot in the Blues before them, and the other looking toward the future and their own contribution. As the decades have wore on, guitar has arguably became the most popular musical instrument in the history of Planet Earth. You can scour the Internet and in 30 seconds find videos of people just tearing it up in just about any genre you can imagine. 

One thing you can say about our Mount Rushmore of guitar is that each of those players' styles has (rightfully so) been deconstructed, explained, deconstructed again, explained, researched, then put back together only to be deconstructed again. Of all people, Billy Corgan had an interesting take on this on the Rush documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage  we he said that we all love The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, but they have basically been over-explained while other brilliant bands and artists have tended to fall by the wayside, at least in the conscience of the general public.

This month I would like to give a shout out to 5 guitarists that I continuously go to for inspiration; ones that have helped shape my own playing throughout the years. These are players that don't always come up in the countless "100 greatest blah-blah" lists that you'll find strewn across the Internet or magazines, but I definitely consider their contributions equally as important to my own inspiration.     

1. John Sykes

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John Sykes is one of the most viciously awe-inspiring players I have ever heard. I'm sure it's no secret if you've read past postings on this blog that I feel that some of the most incredible players came up during the '80s, and Sykes is a perfect picture of what a hard rock guitarist should be. From slow, singing sustain to the wide vibrato, to picking fury that is damn near indescribable, this guy has it all.

Sykes made a name for himself in smaller circles when he joined Thin Lizzy in the early '80s, but it wasn't until David Coverdale hired him in Whitesnake in 1984 that the world began to see his potential. Sykes co-wrote a majority of Whitesnake's self-titled 1987 album, one that I feel is one of the most important of the decade. That album proves that hard rock can be ballsy and the guitars can be thick as hell, yet the songs can still maintain a mainstream appeal.
Sykes went on to form supergroup Blue Murder in 1988 with Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice and The Firm bassist Tony Franklin. Their self-titled debut was released the following year, this time with Sykes handling vocal duties as well. His playing once again ascended to another level on that debut (his singing was fantastic as well) and it continues to be one of my favorite albums ever.
Moments of truth: Blue Murder- "Valley of the Kings," Whitesnake- "Looking For Love"

2. Steve Stevens

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You may have heard him on the Billy Idol hits or the Top Gun anthem, but it's barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Steve Stevens. You would never guess the versatility he possesses until you spin tracks from Mötley Crüe vocalist Vince Neil's first solo album Exposed. Everything from Maiden-esque rockers to jazzy interludes, Stevens wows in all facets. 

The album's opener, "Look In Her Eyes" is always a staple I continuously revisit because it not only combines Neil's signature vocal style, but could quite possibly be the world's first look at Stevens' true potential. The song is cutting, fast, and the solo is a minute-and-a-half barrage of hurricane-force winds. His work on the Idol stuff is iconic, but ya gotta check out some of his side projects where he really gets to stretch out to get the full Steve Stevens effect.
Moment of truth: Vince Neil- "Look In Her Eyes"

3. Jeff Watson

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Watson is up there with a slew of other hard rock giants and his innovations in the 2-handed tapping realm are there with the likes of Van Halen, Steve Vai and Reb Beach. He took the technique even further by incorporating nearly every finger he had, later referred to as "eight finger tapping." While this technique may be more synonymous with '80s shred, many modern players from Megadeth's Chris Broderick to acoustic phenom Andy McKee have borrowed from the book of Jeff.

Make no mistake, Watson is no one-trick pony. His picking is fierce and even Al Di or Yngwie would have to tip their hat to it. Check out his solo work in addition to his mastery on the Night Ranger records.
Moment of truth: Night Ranger- "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" 

4. Vito Bratta

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The White Lion axeman may get compared to EVH pretty frequently, but let's be honest, few of us would take that as an insult. Vito certainly doesn't, and listening to Lion's early material- specifically their magnum opus, Pride- you can definitely pick up on the Van Halen flavors, but this guy has a much wider palette than just clone status.

The album's opener, "Hungry," is a guitar fiesta, and one that incorporates much of Bratta's signature stylistic flavors from tight rhythm playing, to killer pinch harmonics, whammy bar accents and a fiery and concise solo section. This guy is a masterful rhythm player in addition to the trademark blazing lead work that was expected of the day.
Moment of truth: White Lion- "Hungry"

5. Andy Timmons

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Versatility can be a prized commodity, especially in the Rock realm, and Andy Timmons is on a short list of players that can deliver across several stylistic lines-- one that is occupied by other monsters such as Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.

Timmons came to notoriety among guitar circles with Rock act Danger Danger in the late '80s and later lent his far-reaching abilities as a session player for artists such as Kip Winger, Simon Phillips and Ted Pearce. In recent years, he has released albums as The Andy Timmons Band on Steve Vai's Favored Nations record label. His compilation release That Was Then, This is Now contains views of every aspect of his playing- from moody rockers in the style of Joe Satriani to hot country pickin.'
Moments of Truth: ATB- "Cry For You," "Farmer Sez"
Can you think of other musicians that don't quite get the credit they deserve? Leave comments and video links below! Till next time :-)

k
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7 Live performances every musician should see

9/12/2015

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The live performance medium has quickly become the steady way for musicians to make a living. Today it seems that everyone from your local weekend warriors to stadium-headlining acts are taking to the stage to reach a bigger following. Many would agree that even in today's hyper-accelerated world of information exchange, a lasting and tried-and-true way to reach new audiences is the good 'ol word of mouth. Bands and artists have used this to their advantage, especially when first building their fan base. Playing live shows seems to be as important as ever to a musician's livelihood and longevity. 

Today I'll be outlining seven of my favorite live performance videos (via YouTube). Which leads me to my next intrigue- what makes a live performance outstanding? It really comes down to passion and energy. The goosebumps start happening for me when a performer and audience are caught up in a moment and time just seems to stand still (pretty philosophical, I know!). It's not necessarily about having a "perfect" performance, but creating an atmosphere and a memorable experience for the people that are there, whether it's 15 or 15,000. I try to take this same mentality to the stage. Onward!
 

Fleetwood mac- "Big Love" (Live from The Dance  , 1997)

Passion abounds on Lindsey Buckingham's reworked solo guitar/vocal performance on Fleetwood Mac's 1997 live masterpiece The Dance. He turns what was once a relatively straightforward electronic pop song from Mac's '80s catalog into one of the most stirring solo guitar performances I've ever seen.

Steve Vai- "I'm the hell outta here"
(From Crossroads Festival, 2004)

Yeah... This pretty well speaks for itself. Vai and his band of insanity played the first of Eric Clapton's Crossroads festivals in 2004 and this showcases what he's all about. Nearly every trademark of Vai's style can be seen in this video, including his incredible ability to entertain through his music and the talents of his band (which included Tony MacAlpine on guitar/keys and Billy Sheehan on bass). I can only imagine what it was like for the people there that day- seeing all these legendary blues and rock icons (all great in their own right) and then the Vai guy comes out and nails a performance like this.

Eric johnson- "All along the watchtower"

"Phenomenal" isn't even in the same zip code to describing this. Does anyone on Planet Earth pay as much attention to detail as EJ? This performance is a stellar mix of perfectly copying Hendrix's rendering while adding his own signature blend of chordal beauty and distorted lead brilliance. It's interesting to note that the band layout of this performance is awfully close to the same one that Hendrix had on his original recording. Eric even adds the Hawaiian-esque lap steel to this live performance! Special thanks to Collin Keemle for introducing me to this amazing video awhile back.

Gary moore- "Red House"
(Live at fender 50th, 2004)

Intensity in the 3rd degree! The late, great Gary Moore doing what he does best. This incendiary performance of another oft-covered Hendrix classic is the measuring stick by which all intense blues jams are measured today in my mind. As incredible as the fiery sections are, the middle breakdown is equally as brilliant, and made me forever approach playing this song in a new way.  

Stevie Ray Vaughan- "Rude Mood"
(From MTv Unplugged, 1990)

You'll be hard-pressed to find another performance on a 12-string like this one! Stevie Ray reworked this instrumental from early in his career (that was already ridiculously technical and fast on an electric 6-string) and took it into the stratosphere here on MTV Unplugged. Joe Satriani followed Stevie's performance on this show and said it was one of the toughest things he's ever had to do in his career. No doubt! 

John Mclaughlin- "Cherokee"
(Live on the tonight show, 1985)

McLaughlin blows minds in this video! The backing band is fantastic and something sorely missing on late-night network TV today. The side views of his playing are a delight and really shed light onto what impeccable pick-hand technique he has.  

Jay Z (feat. John Mayer)- "D.O.A."
(Live At Madison Square Garden, 2009)

This is killer... Having seen J.M. live both on the Continuum tour and on a recent leg in support of Paradise Valley, I can attest to the level of musicianship this guy possesses. He's one of the most versatile artists I've ever come across, and in many ways I liken him to a modern-day Clapton in that he can play with such a wide array of artists in a variety of genres, artists of so many different backgrounds, styles and ages. From David Crosby and Graham Nash, to Jay Z, to Buddy Guy, J.M. can make good music with just about anyone! Thanks to McClain Bohach for introducing me to this one.

Till next time \m/\m/
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A Different Kind of Debacle: Van Halen

7/12/2015

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Billboard, roth, and the circle

You'll be hard-pressed to find another nearly 40-year-old musical act that continues to provide the perfect combination of incendiary musicianship with cutting drama as Van Halen. Not since the glory days of the mighty Led Zeppelin have we seen a band that can keep their fans and critics alike guessing, and keep the talk happening just as much at the board room water cooler as it can at the local dive bar (NOT a guitar analogy). These days, you can scour the Internet for summer tour dates and see plenty of acts that could easily be filed under the dreaded moniker "nostalgia act," many of which are rightfully called that and tout it as their mission to take people on a time trip to simpler times or whatever. While this is not the case with Van Halen, I do feel at times that they don't help their case. If Eddie Van Halen's recent interview in Billboard  proved anything, it's that his cutting honesty and ability to (by most accounts) bend the truth to his favor haven't mellowed a bit in his 60 years. For the first time, Ed publicly made some rather controversial comments about quite a few of his former bandmates, most notably Michael Anthony, who has been on the receiving end of the VH vengeance for nearly a decade now (Anthony was unceremoniously relieved of his bass duties in 2006 with no word from the band and replaced with Eddie's son, Wolfgang, who has been in the band ever since) .

I'll preface this by saying that while I consider myself one of the biggest Van Halen fans on Earth, loving pretty much everything they have ever done, I am by no means a "fan boy." I think there are way too many people out there who think you either have to love all the decisions these guys make or you have to hate every decision they make. I think true fans can look through the smoke and mirrors that have surrounded this band for many years and see what's really going on and form logical conclusions. Just because you're a fan of a band or artist doesn't mean you have to agree with everything they say or do. To do otherwise would constitute fan boy status. Let's break it down...

Their Management sucks.

Plain and simple. If you look at the history of the band from the time Hagar/VH manager extraordinaire Ed Leffler died in 1993, you will see a steady stream of bad business decisions made by a host of people that were put in that position by the brothers solely because they knew how to kiss ass just right. The Van Halen brothers were not, are not, and never will be in the mood to have someone manage them that has a clear, unbiased vision of what they are doing with their business. Why would they ever have a manager that tells them that the 14-year span from 1998 to 2012 between albums is unacceptable for any band that still considers themselves to be creatively viable and still has a strong fan base? Why would they have anyone other than the proverbial puppet on a string? The laundry list of bad decisions has run especially rampant in recent years:

- Zero press/performances for 2012's A Different Kind of Truth, their first album in 14 years (Ed did an interview in Esquire magazine of all places, and it wasn't really even about the new album)
- An advertised, then cancelled leg of  U.S. tour in 2012
- An advertised, then completely cancelled Australian tour in 2013
- A genuine disinterest in playing ANY (even slightly) smaller markets besides major cities
- The Jimmy Kimmel late-night fiasco this past spring where the band hadn't played a live show in nearly 2 years, was clearly rusty around the edges, and elected to play a live spot to a large televised audience that could just as easily put their credit cards back in their wallets after seeing Roth stammering around onstage after destroying his nose with the mic stand and the rest of the band looking clearly out of sorts (probably hoping Roth could at least pull it together to get through this train wreck of a performance/managerial decision). Speaking of Roth...   

Dave's always stunk live. Not much of a concern here...

I have a bootleg from the 1984 tour at the San Diego Sports Arena and take it from me- David Lee Roth is hardly any worse now than he was then. Granted, his voice isn't as structurally "stable" as it was 30 years ago (of course "stable" is subjective in this case), but it's not the biggest concern for me as a fan (go check out their old club recordings from the '70s- Roth hardly sang all the words even back then!). I'm more concerned with the tour actually being finished and the band playing the places they advertised! For me, the latest live album Live at Tokyo Dome (recorded in 2013) is actually okay because the set list is a killer array of Roth-era classics along with a few great tracks off 2012's Truth. I commend EVH and AVH for still having the balls to play a barn-burner of a song like "I'm the One" live today. They wrote that thing in their early 20's, young and hungry, full of fire and ready to conquer the world. Ed still tears that monster of a song up. I never thought I'd hear them play that song again, especially after I saw the '04 tour when he could barely stand. I'm beyond happy to see him healthy. But, you can't tell me Ed's not a little bummed he can't play some of that Hagar material.

True Fans miss the hagar stuff.

Anyone who's played in a cover band can relate to this nugget: You just finished rawkin' on something badass, the vibe of the room is great and you think to yourself, man it sure would be awesome to play [insert song name here]. It's, like, literally the most perfect tune for this specific moment, and you may even hear people yelling for it either in the crowd or at least in your mind... But you can't because your vocalist literally isn't even in the same zip code as the singer on said badass song. Now imagine yourself as Eddie Van Halen encountering this same problem almost every night on tour this summer. I personally believe Ed deals with this situation way more than people think. You can't tell me they don't finish up "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" or "Panama" and Ed doesn't go, "Man, I'd love to play ____________." Eddie Van Halen misses playing "Right Now," Eddie misses playing "When It's Love," Ed misses playing "Dreams." 
"To expect Roth to sing a Sammy Hagar song would be like putting Keith Richards on guitar in Dream Theater."

I've said it before, I'll say it again- those 4 studio albums they did with Sammy Hagar are masterpieces. The songwriting and production are on another planet from their early stuff (which I love just as much, but they grew with Sam in the band). I challenge you to find much of anything they recorded with Roth that matches the depth of tunes they did later with Hagar like "5150" or "Cabo Wabo." And it feels like a crime to not hear "Poundcake" or "Finish What Ya Started" at a VH show today. But alas, every VH fan knows it is both a psychotic fantasy and a grave injustice to expect Roth to ever sing a Sammy Hagar-fronted song (besides a Montrose cover back in the day). To expect Roth to sing a Sammy Hagar song would be like putting Keith Richards on guitar in Dream Theater. It's like forcing a square peg in the round hole. So, yeah, don't expect to ever hear a Sam song as long as Roth is within a 5-mile radius of a microphone. Not that Roth's ego would ever allow him to "lower" himself to sing a song by another guy that fronted VH, even if he had the ability to do so. As a fan, it bums me out that they have to ignore four #1 albums and twelve #1 hits, but it's what we have to reserve ourselves to in the present situation. But, in the interest of playing devil's advocate: If Sammy were fronting the band again, would we hear "Light Up the Sky" or "Drop Dead Legs"? Probably not, so it makes me happy that we can still hear the Roth-era stuff with VH and the Sam-era stuff with his band, The Circle (featuring Mike Anthony on bass, Vic Johnson on guitar and Jason Bonham on drums).  

True Fans love Michael Anthony

As was previously stated in this prestigious (or is it long-winded?) writing, I believe you can be a huge fan of a band and still disagree with the decisions they make at times. I'd also like to go on record and say that I think it's a load of $%@# that VH never did Mike the service of, at the very least, telling him he was out of the band. It's one thing to kick a guy out of your band that has never been anything but loyal and a class act, but it's a whole other level of low to just make him find out with the rest of the world. I think Wolf is a fantastic bassist and all-around musician, but Mike brought the heart to Van Halen. He brought that thing that really made that band likable. You can't replace heart. And then there are those backing vocals... Nobody in hard rock touches it. 

Some may argue that Mike shouldn't have toured with Sammy after he split from the band after the train wreck '04 tour. C'mon... Did you see the condition Ed was in on that tour and the couple of years after that? If you need a reminder, there's an atrocious version of "Humans Being" on YouTube from that 2004 tour that should quickly remind you. It makes the "Jump" vid from the '07 tour where the keyboard track and the guitar were in totally different keys look downright sensational. If Mike is like most other musicians on this planet, he likes to play, especially live. Mike and Sam just have that connection onstage and they long to play in front of people. They know the fans love it too. So, why would Mike sit around waiting for Ed and Al to get a wild hair and want to record/tour again? For some time in the mid-2000's, it looked like Ed could turn up dead any day, much less have anything going on musically. Mike would have still been replaced by Wolf even if he would have remained "loyal" to the brothers and sat at home. I've been happy as hell to see him playing with the Wabos, Chickenfoot and now The Circle. Wolf has done a great job, but Mikey's presence is still missed in VH. It's not truly Van Halen without him. 

As far as Ed's comments about Mike in the recent Billboard interview, are we surprised? The only thing I was surprised about wasn't Ed's scathing remarks (about a guy who has had ample opportunities to bash him and chosen to take the high road, mind you), it was rather the fact that Ed even addressed those questions in the first place. He even talked about Gary Cherone a little bit, and his era in VH has been buried with Jimmy Hoffa since 1999! I guess we should be glad to know Eddie even acknowledges their existence in the Universe at this point. 

   

Alright, let's conclude this...

At the end of the day, I'm glad to see two mutually-exclusive acts that are out there still touring and playing this timeless music. Eddie Trunk recently did a fantastic segment on his weekly radio show about this very subject and you can check it out here:
Peace and love to you all! It's summer- the best time to get out there and enjoy live music in the best way possible! Stop by the blog or email me your awesome concert experiences if you get a chance. \m/v\m/ 
k


 
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1990-1991: A Golden Era For Rock

10/9/2014

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All art forms tend to have certain time periods of ingenuity. Nearly every generation sees a time where there just seems to be a spark in creativity where art is allowed to flourish, and rock music is certainly no exception. Much like a Renaissance that seems to spin back around once every 30 years or so, rock music has always seen certain flashes in time that become legendary. One might argue that The Beatles were a Renaissance in and of themselves; as was the ascent of progressive groups in the ‘70s or hard rock in the ‘80s. Others might say Grunge rock of the early-mid ‘90s was another revolution. This always seems to get my thoughts spinning, especially the time period that bridged the gap between the two aforementioned time periods- the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Neither before nor since has rock seen such a drastic change as what took shape during the years of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The bombastic, over-the-top antics of pop culture of the 1980’s had become the status quo and you could say rock had hit somewhat of a wall, both from a creative and showmanship standpoint. Self-indulgence had become so commonplace that it began to drive the younger generation away and allow itself to become stale. Bands like Guns N Roses and Tesla were making it cool to play down and dirty, bluesy hard rock again- much like the Rolling Stones had done 20 years before. There were also rumblings in cities like Seattle where bands like Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam were returning rock to its riff-heavy, song-focused roots. It was during this time period that I feel many masterpieces were made, from a variety of genres and artists. It was, in hindsight, a kind of swan song for rock in the mainstream.
 What I love most about the years of 1990-1991 was the artistry of using the studio as an instrument in and of itself. You’d be hard-pressed to find recordings that sound as good as ones made during this time. Tape was still a force in the production and yet artists and producers were opening up to the possibilities that digital technology brought to the table as well. And keep in mind: this was still pre-autotune and pre-make-everything-sound-like-a-machine-did-it. Technology was used as a tool, not as a crutch. You can still hear all the human qualities of bands and artists on the records of this time, and it is some of the best-sounding recordings I’ve ever heard. It's interesting to note in the above album slideshows that a couple of pairs of groundbreaking albums were released on the same day- Guns N Roses' Use Your Illusion (I and II) and Ozzy's No More Tears were both released September 17, 1991 and exactly one week later Nirvana's game-changing Nevermind and Red Hot Chili Peppers' masterpiece Blood Sugar Sex Magik were released September 24. In addition to studio artistry, there were ground-breaking live albums released during this time as well- Tesla’s masterpiece Five Man Acoustical Jam and Clapton’s 24 Nights (showcasing some of his best post-Cream playing and performances) are prime examples. Long live a truly golden age of rock!

Please comment and share any albums from this time period you feel fit the bill as well! Till next time...
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Appetite For Destruction: A View on Egos, Undependability and Laziness

8/7/2014

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Hello all out there in interweb land! It’s been awhile- too long in fact. I come to you from the confines of my new practice/jam room here in West Nashville. Much of this time has been spent figuring out what the coming months are going to bring. Since my last posting, I’ve begun playing a weekly slot on Thursday nights with Derek Frank at a club just off Broadway called Big Shotz. We will be shooting our first music video for his single “John Deere Run” this weekend. I’ve also ventured out on the road with a couple of acts, in addition to some great shows with Dirt Road Rockers back home in Illinois. The Nashville School of Rock is in full swing and has been steadily gaining students since its opening last fall. We’re currently preparing for the new season which showcases a Prince vs. Michael Jackson show! What an awesome way to expose students to some truly amazing pop music, and show them that pop can have artistic merit as well as commercial success. Overall, things are moving at a steady pace here.

I’d like to address a subject that I have discussed with numerous people of differing ages, backgrounds and musical styles. It seems to come up during a car ride, having some drinks after a show, or (unfortunately) when someone actually has to deal with it. It’s something that I have, in a way, witnessed firsthand and have done my absolute best to avoid. I have begun to refer to this as the “trinity” of what will kill a musician’s career faster than admitting you sang backgrounds on a Miley Cyrus track. These three elements are ego, undependability and laziness. It’s what can make people both inside and outside of our little fishbowl develop negative perceptions about musicians as a whole. It will drive employers and consumers away from a particular person that displays one or any combination of these traits. It’s what can take an otherwise amazing musician and put them on the shelf because they either don’t play well with others (ego) and/or can’t be counted on to do the job they are hired to do (undependability/laziness).

It’s a fact of life that when you’re in a realm where people have had to work and toil to hone and develop the craft in which they make a living, most people are very proud (at least internally) of their abilities. Take a welder who has worked years to develop his/her craft, or take a salesman who started at the bottom of the food chain in his/her company and has spent years climbing to the top. Anyone who has spent years getting to where they currently are, either ability-wise and/or career-wise, is going to have a natural degree of pride.  I’ll gladly admit that I don’t want to be told I suck (even though it’s good for me to take constructive criticism when it comes along). Where things seem to get out of hand in the world of art is when people begin to think that they have somehow learned everything there is to know, and they now look down their nose at others in the same realm.

I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing talent over the last handful of years, some have been world-famous and some are just making a living like everyone else. The degree of talent is never a concern. Some of the best players I’ve ever seen have been playing at the local watering hole on a Friday night, working to pay the rent like the rest of the world. But a pattern I’ve noticed is that sometimes the people playing that local bar have become jaded and resentful that they have this talent, yet they feel they’ve never been given a chance (or didn’t take a chance when their lives allowed them to do so). They feel the world doesn’t care about them, therefore their pride is hurt and it festers within them. Things start to get hairy when that resentment starts to come out toward others. This, by my estimation, is the essence of ego. It makes people miserable to work with and gives that particular person a bad reputation. Oftentimes it isn’t displayed with anger, but rather the fabled “delusions of grandeur,” where they feel they have become this legend in their own mind. I have literally had people tell me that they think it is better to be a “big fish in a small pond.”  Why did you start playing music? To say you’re “better” than everyone around you? Glory? Money? I have never understood that mentality.    

I faced this in my own situation last fall when I moved to Nashville. I went from a “small pond” in Illinois where I had developed (by my estimation) a good reputation and was in (once again, by my estimation) one of the top bands in the region. For the first time in my life, other musicians wanted my job. I was in a comfortable situation with a great band making good money every week. I had done just about everything a musician could ask to do playing in that region: we opened for huge artists, we played giant summer festivals and we had become a local headlining act ourselves. When I moved to Nashville, all of that was null and void. No one knew who I was. No one cared. Take it from me, that was enough to hurt anyone’s ego! It was huge for me to understand that as soon as I came to grips with the fact that no one knew or cared who I was, I was set. The world became a blank canvas. I no longer had to worry about the old cliques back home, or having the right “name,” or hanging out at the right clubs with the “in-crowd.” Everyone is a nobody well before they’re somebody in a bigger market like Nashville.         

All career fields have those people who have the skills but lack the willingness or ability to sacrifice to get to the next level. Once again, I’ve witnessed people who possess some of the greatest talents and abilities I have ever seen, but lack the essential ingredient of getting off their ass and doing something. I have met tons of musicians whose abilities far exceed my own. I don’t feel I was blessed with a natural musical ability at all. When I was growing up, I didn’t have much of a musical family or anything like that. My Grandpa Ken played acoustic guitar, but that was it. My parents both took accordion lessons at separate times and quit after the first lesson if that's any indication! (Not that I blame them). So I’ve had to figure out pretty much anything I’ve been able to do.

That in itself can be a blessing in disguise because it taught me not to take anything for granted. If I wanted to learn that Stevie Ray Vaughan lick, I had to take the time to figure it out. If I was going to learn to play and sing at the same time, I had to map out the words with the chords. If I wanted a poodle ‘do like Dee Snider, I had to get the perm and the spandex and have three cans of hairspray on hand. Wink! Guitar great Eric Johnson once said that you have to enjoy the process of learning to play music as much as you enjoy actually playing music. That is some of the best advice I’ve ever heard. I need that tattooed somewhere so I don’t forget.

In the modern world there are a lot of things that tug on a musician’s sleeve: you must possess a good skill set, you need business sense, you need marketability, you need a good look or image, you need to know your audience, and above all else you have to be a nice, dependable person. With as crazy and unpredictable as the music world can be, I am going to try to be on top of the things I can actually control.   

  

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Albums That Changed My World

1/18/2014

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This month’s blog is about albums. Awesome ones. Ones you can’t imagine your life without. We all have those certain records that stick with us throughout the years- through life changes, through the ups and downs, through it all. I have ones on my list that date back as far as my eighth birthday. That’s not to say I haven’t encountered albums in recent times that have really made an impact on me as well, that I will continue to gather inspiration from for years to come (quite a few of those made the list as well). But before we get too far into it, we should probably discuss a good question: What makes an album great? Is it stellar songwriting and musicianship? Is it good production? Is it how it makes you feel? Is it the memories that it conjures when you hear a single track or the whole thing? To me, all of these elements play an equal role. Here, I have compiled an in-depth look at 10 of my favorite albums, along with an extended list of several others. I tried to keep my list to “one-album-per-artist,” so I didn’t end up with multiple albums by the same band/artist. Check it out!

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Van Halen- Van Halen (1978)
What can I say? This album is a band going into the studio and going crazy (and someone just happened to record it). It encompasses everything that I feel a hard rock band should be- showy, edgy, technical, have amazing tone, fun, great vocals (lead and backing) and above all- great songs. VH had a real hunger on this album, one that few bands have ever been able to reach, in my opinion. “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” was the first song I ever learned to play from beginning to end, so it holds special meaning for me. They set the bar very high
with this one, but continued to reinvent themselves and rock n roll at
                                                    the same time in the years to come.
                                                   Key track: “I’m the One"

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Steve Vai- Passion and Warfare (1990)
I had already been listening to Van Halen for about a year and a half when my guitar teacher at the time asked me if I had heard of Steve Vai. I said that I thought I had a Whitesnake compilation that had him on it, and he said “you ain’t heard nothin’ yet.” So off to the record store I went to check out some Steve Vai, and Passion and Warfare was bought that day. This and Van Halen are the only two albums that I can honestly say “changed my life.” This album still confuses and boggles my mind when I listen to it. The production is dense, the orchestrations are rich and the guitar playing- forget it. This is the perfect blend of blazing chops, quarky songwriting and great production. It’s like Frank Zappa with shredding tendencies and an eye for pop songwriting, but tilted at a 45-degree angle. That’s the best way I can describe it. Unreal. Case closed.
Key track: “Blue Powder”  

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Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band- ‘Live’ Bullet (1976)
Seger is most likely the first music I ever heard. My mom says she played Seger, and more specifically this album, to me before I was born. I couldn’t think of better music to be exposed to right off the bat! I liked Seger when I was a kid, but it took coming back to his music later down the road after I had started playing guitar to truly grasp what a genius this man is. One of the greatest, and sometimes overlooked, American songwriters of the last 40 years. ‘Live’ Bullet is Seger and his band at their very best, and for “Turn the Page” and “Jody Girl” alone this one has to get the nod. Much love.
                                                      Key track: "Turn the Page"

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Ozzy Osbourne- Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
This was the first “guitar album” I ever owned. I got Blizzard as a present for my 8th birthday and I nearly wore out the cassette (yes, I grew up in the last years of cassettes- God bless analog). Of course I was drawn to this album being that young by hearing “Crazy Train” on the radio all the time. But it was later, once again after picking up the guitar, that I discovered the amazing chops and songwriting of Ozzy’s genius guitar fold Randy Rhoads. Randy will always be my go-to any time I need inspiration. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he and Eddie Van Halen came up at the same time in the southern California scene, but what I really love about this album is that it’s heavy metal at its finest but many of the songs are in uplifting, major keys. This was something that was fairly new for heavy rock music at the time (especially with Ozzy singing). It was a complete 180 from Black Sabbath and reignited Ozzy’s career and helped bring hard rock storming back.
Key track: “Mr. Crowley”

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Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Sure, people talk about how crazy this album is and sync it up with “The Wizard of Oz,” but Dark Side of the Moon is a landmark in audio recording, let alone rock music. I believe this album will stand the test of time past just about any record put out since Sgt. Pepper’s. This is essential listening for any fan of music and if you haven’t listened to it from beginning to end, I would highly recommend it. Once again, I got this album as a gift sometime around the end of junior high (on cassette of course, CDs were out, but my parents weren’t too hip to “new technology” *insert canned laughter*). I can remember listening to this album on cold, rainy days and thinking it was the perfect soundtrack to living in the Midwest during the cold months of the year. A song like “Time” really made me start to pay attention to lyrical content. What the hell does “Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way” mean? I still don’t quite know, and I love that.
Key track: "Us and Them"

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Pearl Jam- Ten (1991)
This is such an awesome album, and another that I had on cassette when I was a kid. A lot of tracks off this album made it onto the classic rock radio station that I listened to (back before Clear Channel swallowed up so many of the once-cool stations). I think in many ways that Pearl Jam, along with the Foo Fighters, are the last great rock band. This was their debut album and it contained all of the grit and fire that fueled the “grunge” movement, but also had great production, amazing musicianship and stellar song craft. I can remember hearing that crazy fretless bass playing as the album faded in on “Once” and of course “Even Flow” and “Jeremy” further extended my interest in paying attention to the lyrics of a song. Keep in mind I was oftentimes listening to these albums on headphones, and the art of “panning” (where the sound of certain parts can be pushed from one side of the headphones to the other) became very apparent to me, especially with this album. Eddie Vedder is still one of my heroes and I think Pearl Jam’s debut is their magnum opus!
Key track: “Black”

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Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble- In Step (1989)
So many people, including die-hard SRV fans, do not give this album the credit it deserves. The fact is, Stevie Ray neither played nor sang better on any album than he did on In Step. He had recently kicked his drug and alcohol addiction and was an entirely new person and thus it shows in a big way on this record. Much of the song content was dedicated to his newly-found sobriety (ie “Crossfire,” “Wall of Denial,” “Tightrope”), but there were also many party tunes on this as well (“The House is Rockin,’” “Let Me Love You Baby,” “Love Me Darlin’”). And of course what many, including myself, feel is some of his best playing ever on the incredible instrumental “Riviera Paradise,” which closes out this album. Drummer Chris Layton said they ended this track just before the tape machine ran out of tape. Fate!
Key track: “Riviera Paradise”

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Led Zeppelin- Houses of the Holy (1973)
What hasn’t already been said about Zeppelin? Of course Led Zeppelin IV (or Zoso as it is often called) gets a lot of the attention as the quintessential Zep album (which it is), but I look at Houses as the first “later” Zeppelin album in which Jimmy Page began to share much of the songwriting duties with bassist/keyboardist/everything else/genius John Paul Jones. This album features more lush and dense orchestrations and even greater production by Page. Songs such as “The Song Remains the Same,” “The Rain Song” and “No Quarter” are some of my favorite Zeppelin tracks ever, and unfortunately just aren’t as well-known as some of their earlier stuff because: 1. They were longer than classic rock radio would often allow and 2. They are borderline art rock, rather than mainstream. In the mid-‘70s, I feel Led Zeppelin became damn near a progressive rock band, and Houses of the Holy is a fantastic period in the band’s existence.
Key track: “The Rain Song”

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The Eagles- Hotel California (1976)
I think The Eagles perfectly captured what music represented in the ‘70s, or at least how I like to view it, as I wasn’t fortunate enough to be alive then. Hotel California is obviously widely considered their greatest work (especially the title track), but I think the back story behind the album is just as fascinating. The Eagles were in quite a bit of transition leading up to the making of Hotel California as they wanted to shed their “laid-back” “California-rock” image and bring on a more “rock n roll” sound. Thus, the introduction of already well-known rock virtuoso Joe Walsh. I feel Walsh supercharged The Eagles, but I also feel that The Eagles redefined him. They both benefited from his job in the band, as The Eagles got an edgier sound on tracks like “Life in the Fast Lane” and “Victim of Love” just by being in Walsh’s presence I think, and Walsh was showcased as being a great songwriter and more than just another blues-rock player. A perfect example is “Pretty Maids All in a Row.” You would never hear that song on a Joe Walsh solo record. He had to be in The Eagles for it to come out. Henley is of course the king on this record with “Fast Lane” and the title track alone. An edgier Henley also comes out on “Victim of Love” (perhaps a sign of things to come in his solo career). Two of my favorite Eagles tracks ever are on this album as well- “New Kid in Town” (Glenn Frey shines) and “The Last Resort” (Henley commentating on society, one of his trademarks). This has become one of those albums I can only listen to on vinyl. Feel the cool wind in your hair!
Key track: “The Last Resort”

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Audioslave- Audioslave (2002)
Audioslave was truly a modern supergroup. I feel that, much like Van Halen’s debut, this was a band showing up in the studio with a hunger and desire to rock as hard as they possibly could and someone just happened to hit record. The band was comprised of the instrumental members of Rage Against the Machine (guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk) along with Soundgarden vocal master Chris Cornell. I had already been a huge Cornell fan before I heard Audioslave, but I always felt Soundgarden somewhat lacked virtuosity and showmanship, something Morello and company were among the best at in Rage. This record is a modern classic, mixing hard-hitting riffs and deep, thought-provoking lyrics and melodies. Cornell proves once again why he is a singer’s singer, ranging from vocal-butchering onslaughts like the opener “Cochise” or “Shadow on the Sun,” to the poignant “I Am the Highway” and "Getaway Car" to the Soundgarden-esque “The Last Remaining Light,” this album packs so much into one spot and proved to me that a modern rock band could stand up with the greats that came before. Phenomenal album! 
Key track: “Bring ‘Em Back Alive”

Other amazing albums worth mentioning:

Queensryche- Empire (1990)

Eric Clapton- August (1986)

John Mayer- Continuum (2006)
 
Joe Satriani-
Crystal Planet (1998)

Black Country Communion- Black Country Communion (2009)

Toto-
Toto IV (1982)

Yngwie Malmsteen-
Eclipse (1990)

Pantera-
Cowboys From Hell (1990)

Mr. Big-
Mr. Big (1989)

Tesla- Five Man Acoustical Jam (1990)

Eric Johnson- Venus Isle (1996)

Kenny Wayne Shepherd- Trouble Is (1997)

Miles Davis- Kind of Blue (1959)

Brantley Gilbert- Halfway to Heaven (2011)

ZZ Top-
Deguello (1979)

Metallica- The ‘Black Album’(1991)

Sara Bareilles-
Little Voice (2007)

Jonny Lang- Lie to Me (1997)

Jake Owen-
Barefoot Blue Jean Night (2011)

Eric Church-
Chief (2011)

Keith Urban-
Get Closer (2010)

Zac Brown Band- Uncaged (2012)

Comment and share some of your favorite albums!

k
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    Author

    Kaleb McEwen is a Minneapolis-based guitarist, bassist and educator. Here you will see some of his commentaries about music and life in general.

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