GuitarVibe.com

FretBase: It Might Get Loud Trailer

The crew over at FretBase are always on top of the latest Rock n' Roll movies.  They've got a write up of the widely anticipated film "It Might Get Loud" featuring three of the hottest (and loudest) guitarists around: Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White.  All I can ask is where's Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap?

Check out the full story over at FretBase as well as their review of Anvil: The Movie.

• FretBase: It Might Get Loud Trailer, Anvil: The Movie
• Rolling Stone: New Film Unites Guitar Gods
• Amazon: This Is Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap: Back from the Dead

After 25 years, Spinal Tap is back!  Following on the recent "Unwigged & Unplugged" Tour Spinal Tap has just released a new CD / DVD combo "Back from the Dead." As the title track lyrics boldly proclaim: "Give me reincarnation or give me death!"  More apt words were never spoken. 

The packages includes 19 songs featuring 6 new tunes as well as re-recorded and re-worked oldies (a funked up version of "Sex Farm", Reggae version of "Listen to the Flower People") that are not only better, they're louder!  The album also includes guests artists Keith Emerson, Steve Vai and John Mayer and a pop-up diorama.  All this for $10.  Honestly, it's a steal. 

Rob Reiner's "This is Spinal Tap" remains one of the greatest rock 'n' roll movies ever made.  The fact that many incidents in the film were inspired by real bands only makes it funnier.  If you like Spinal Tap, pick up "Back from the Dead." 

And if you're in London, get ready for Tap's "One Night Only" World Tour to be held at Wembley Stadium June 30. Opening for Spinal Tap will be The Folksmen.  Featured below is a video excerpt from the DVD featured on YouTube.

 

Amazon: This is Spinal Tap, Back from the Dead, A Mighty Wind 

Spinal Tap: Official Site, Fan Site, MySpace, YouTube, Wikipedia

NY Times: On The Road Without Wings and Spandex

GuitarVibe: Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight

Jim Babjak on The Smithereens' Tommy

In the time since I last reported on The Smithereens live from South by Southwest in Texas, the band has been busier than ever with a live CD, an additional album of Beatles cover songs and more touring.  If that wasn't enough, this past weekend The Smithereens a released their treatment of The Who's "Tommy" commemorating the album's 40th anniversary.

"The Smithereens Play Tommy" is as good a tribute album as you can get, pulling in the power of The Who's classic material with the energetic playing and harmonies that helped define The Smithereens "The Jersey beat meets the Mersey beat" power pop sound.  Growing up in New Jersey in the 60's, The Smithereens were influenced by bands like The Who as well as The Beatles and The Ramones. with powerful guitars & drums and great pop hooks. 

I caught up with Smithereens guitar player Jim Babjak, to find out more about this new Tommy Album.  As Babjak mentions in the liner notes, the formation of The Smithereens owes a lot to The Who.  If it weren't for a fan photo in his looseleaf binder seen by drummer Dennis Diken on the first day of high school, the band might never have formed. 

This isn't the first cover album by The Smithereens.  They've now done two Beatles tribute albums going back to the early days of the fab four.  But this album harkens back to Babjak and Diken's roots as teenagers.

"In many ways, recording the Who album was more fun for me ripping through those power chords. The Beatles cover albums required me to figure out chords that were foreign to me, especially a song like "Till There Was You".  It was a challange for sure, not that the Who material wasn't, it was just more up my alley.

As teenagers, Babjak and Diken cut their teeth playing Who songs as a two man instrumental group.  Babjak wanted to recreate that raw youthful energy in this new CD:

"I definitely captured the same sound and vibe I had as a young guitar player on this Who album. Playing with Dennis on those songs put me right back in time and forced me to keep up with his incredible drumming. 

"Dennis has been an exciting drummer ever since we were kids. He's a powerhouse. In the late 80's I felt that he was stifled by the powers that be to play a certain way on our records so they would be 'radio friendly'. They just wanted a straight beat and to me, the songs were always more exciting when we played live concerts."

 

The cover art, in classic EC Comics form, is by William Stout, famous for his work in Bomp! and Heavy Metal magazines as well as some classic bootleg albums and movie posters.  The idea for the cover art, and even the idea for the Tommy album, came from vocalist Pat Dinizio.

"As a matter of fact, it was Pat's idea to record this tribute in the first place.  It's the 40th anniversary of the original release date and I guess he figured that Dennis and I could handle most of the music because he's heard us screwing around with Who songs for the 30 years he's known us.

 

"There's a section in one of our own songs, "House We Used To Live In" where there is a space to jam during our live show and I could play anything I want on the key of E. About 7 years ago, I decided to throw everyone off and play "Sparks" in it's entirety in that space.

 

I didn't tell anyone and Dennis jumped right in as if we were 14 again. "Sparks" is one of my favorite pieces of music. It has great dynamics combining soft tender moments and then some real muscular workouts on the guitar."

 

So if you're a fan of The Smithereens or The Who, or just looking for a fresh take on a classic album, check out "The Smithereens Play Tommy."

• The Smithereens: Web Site, Jim Babjak, News, Gigs, Wikipedia
• Amazon: Smithereens 11, Best of, Live in Concert, Meet The Smithereens, Tommy
• GuitarVibe: Interview, Smithereens Austin, Smithereens SF
• Video, Photos: YouTube, PicasaWeb

New KISS Album --First in 11 Years

 

KISS, the band that invented over-the-top theatrics back in the early 70's is going back into the studio for their first new release since 1998's Psycho Circus.  The new album features founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as well as long time band mates Eric Singer on drums and Tommy Thayer on guitar, both of whom have been hanging out with KISS almost as long original members Peter Chriss and Ace Frehley did.  It's not the original line up, but its as close to a classic line up as you can get.  And with Paul Stanley producing the new CD, it should be very much in the "classic" sound of 1970's era KISS.

I've been listening to Psycho Circus recently and I think it's one of the most underrated pop metal albums out there.  It's got enough edge to keep it powerful and enough good pop hooks and anthem rockers that you know it's KISS. 

Lets hope things pan out and there's a new album and a more extensive tour to follow.  KISS has five dates set in Canada in July with the first ever fan-routed tour to follow.  So get out and vote for your city.

• Kiss Online: News, Tour, FAQ, Interview with Paul Stanley
• Amazon: Psycho Circus , Alive! Box Set
• MusicRadar: Kiss May Record New Album
• Rolling Stone: Paul Stanley Plots New Kiss Album

Catching Up with Dhani Harrison and thenewno2

I managed to catch up wtih Dhani Harrison recently in Hawaii where he was enjoying a little time off after his band's thenewno2's debut festival gig at Coachella a few weeks earlier.  While thenewno2 has performed only a dozen live gigs so far, the album "You Are Here" was recorded over a two year period with long-time friend Olliver Hecks.  Harrison has been playing guitar since he was 9 including his first big gig at the age of 13 on stage with his father George and Eric Clapton in front of 50,000 fans. 

Nonetheless, Harrison was chuffed about the Coachella gig. "We were awarded Rookie band of the year," he told me with pride.  They've also got a slot at Lollapalooza in August.  And hopefully we'll see a proper US tour some time after that. 

Somewhat of a self-confessed "studio rat," Harrison worked along side former Traveling Wilbury and ELO founder Jeff Lynne to complete his father's final album "Brainwashed" in 2001.  He also played at the "Concert for George" tribute concert at the Royal Albert Hall.   More recently, Harrison helped kickoff the forthcoming The Beatle's Rock Band video game by Harmonix. 

While Harrison looks remarkebly like his father, the band's sound is more Radiohead than Beatles in its lush, atmospheric sound.  But he's worked hard to develop his chops on guitar and has been recognized in magazines like GuitarWorld and Rolling Stone for developing his own unique musical style.

• Thenewno2: Official Site, MySpace, Wikipedia, Absolutely Dhani Harrison blog
• Amazon: You Are Here, Brainwashed, A Concert for George
• NME: Dhani Harrison at Coachella
• SignOnSanDiego: Destiny's Child
• Rolling Stone: Close up with Dhani Harrison, Review:You Are Here
• GuitarWorld: Interview with Dhani Harrison (2003)

The Police: Certifiable

I can't believe it's taken me this long to getting around to reviewing The Police - Certifiable , their Live in Buenos Aires.  First of all, lets get the facts up front.  This is a live 2 DVD / 2 CD combo package that documents the final stages of The Police's 2007-2008 reunion world tour.  The CD packaging is the cheapest plastic I've seen, but you also get a 16 page photo booklet.  And in addition to the live concert, the DVD also includes a 50 minute documentary "Better than Therapy" by Jordan Copeland as well as two photo galleries.

The first few reunion shows were a little rough though.  Drummer Stewart Copeland famously called the band lame for some flubbed performances.  I managed to see the band twice on that tour and things definitely improved over the months they were on the road.  It's not quite the energy of 1985, but they do a good job on the songs.  While there's some amount of messing with the melodies and some extended jams, it works quite well on the live DVD, though not as good on the CDs.  Some songs like "Invisible Sun" and "Walking in Your Footsteps" have become sluggish --or maybe they were always that way.  On the other hand, they pull out all the stops for "So Lonely" and "Next to You."  I miss that they didn't play "The Bed's Too Big Without You" in this show, but you can't have it all.   That said, it's got all of their hits: "Message in a Bottle," "Walking on the Moon," "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic," "Roxanne," "King of Pain," "Every Breath You Take" etc.

Bottom line, there's enough good songs with energy to make the package worthwhile.  The sound and video quality are superb and you get a real up-front view of the concert. The camera work is excellent and unlike many live DVDs it doesn't suffer from too many short distracting cuts.  The DVD focuses a lot on Sting as the vocalist, but there are a couple of tasty Andy Summers guitar solos and it's clear that Stewart Copeland is having the time of his life playing drums on the big stage.

Some have criticized the sound on the CDs as being washed out due to dynamic range compression. I have to agree that it is a bit too uniform for my taste and doesn't quite capture the full energy of a live show. 

In the US, this package only available at Best Buy for the very reasonable price of around $25.  However, you can find the Blu-Rayversion (slightly more expensive) as well as used copies on Amazon and eBay.  You can also get it on The Police's official online store.

For anyone who saw The Police on tour, or maybe even more for those who missed out, this is a great documentary of their final tour.  Whether you think of it as a live DVD package with bonus audio CDs or a live CD package with bonus DVDs, either way it's a good deal. 

Police: Official Site, News, Tour

Amazon: The Police - Certifiable, Blu-Ray, Police Anthology, Everyone Stares (DVD)

GuitarVibe: The Police at Shoreline, The Police at Oakland, Police Live Footage

Beatles Bootleg Mystery Tour -- Explained

For many who came of age in the 60's and 70's The Beatles music was groundbreaking.  From the use of multi-track recording and innovative studio effects to the almost endless supply of #1 hit singles, The Beatles broke records at every turn.  But the disintegration of The Beatles in 1970 also meant the end of new material and a back catalog that would be foraged over for years with compilation packages, anthologies of  rare cuts and a stripped down version of Let It Be.  And once that's exhausted, what's left for the truly addicted?  Beatle bootlegs, naturally.

The New York Times had a great article on the subject a few months back describing how the record companies seeming unwillingness to reissue new masters or digital tracks has created a market for bootlegs.

EMI, which owns the group’s recordings, remastered them at least two years ago. According to a 1989 agreement that ended 20 years of lawsuits between the Beatles and EMI, the label can do nothing without an O.K. from Apple. But Apple is supposedly keen: early in 2007 it hired Jeff Jones, a record executive whose last job was overseeing historical reissues for the superb Sony Legacy series...

So what’s the holdup? No one is willing to say, but Mr. McCartney recently asserted that EMI was demanding an unspecified concession that the Beatles were unwilling to make.

Frankly, the reasons hardly matter at this point: to collectors awaiting these releases, either on physical CDs (improved sound being the main point of remastering) or as digital downloads (where convenience trumps audiophile considerations), the inability of Apple and EMI to get this music onto the market is a symbol of how pathetic the record business has become, and how dysfunctional Apple continues to be...

While EMI and Apple have been squabbling, collectors have taken matters into their own hands, pooling unreleased tracks and compiling anthologies that are far more ambitious than anything EMI is likely to release. Usually, these unauthorized desktop bootleg projects (which are of course illegal) have attractive cover art and copious annotations, and these days money rarely changes hands for them: the people who compile them distribute them freely (and encourage others to do so) either on home-burned CDs and DVDs or, increasingly, on the Internet.

And now reports indicate that additional material has finally leaked out of some long lost vault revealing how the song Revolution 1 came into being and how it was supposed to evolve into the rather chaotic musique concrète of Revolution 9.  Apparantly take 20, was quite something.  (Note this could get removed at any time, so if necessary, google search Revolution 1, Take 20.)

Matt Rosoff at CNET explains the significance:

John's recording a slowed-down version of their recent hit single "Revolution," the B-side to the umpteen-million selling "Hey Jude." Being in a particular state of mind, he stretches it out for 10 minutes, then adds some scary horror music plus Yoko spoken-word weirdness at the end. Later, John or the rest of the band or George Martin or other mysterious powers decide that they'll add some overdubs to John's take and cut it off after about four minutes and record a new ending. (I believe the weird triple hit after the last chorus--every other time, it's a double hit--signals the beginning of the new end.) That's "Revolution 1." Then, John will add his own nine-minute musique concrete freakout to the end of the album. He uses some of the bits from the end of the old "Revolution 1." That becomes "Revolution 9," perhaps the most-skipped song of the CD era.

A month ago, somebody leaked the original track, which to "White Album" fans, comprises a sort of holy grail connecting the two Revolutions, which otherwise bear no similarity except their names.

   Ok, maybe it's not the holy grail, but for Beatle fans, it's pretty cool.   And then there's 'Carnival of Light...'

• Amazon: Let It Be... Naked, Anthology Box Set, 1962-66 , 1967-70
• New York Times: Hard Days Night for Beatles Reissues
• CNet:  The Bridge Between 'Revolution' 1 and 9
• Rolling Stone: Experimental "Revolution 1" (Take 20) Surfaces
• The Talent Show: Revolution 1, Take 20, Alternate, Google Search
• Beatle Bootlegs:  Wikipedia, Purple Chick's, Bootleg Zone

Doug Marks' Economic Stimulus Plan for Guitarists

Doug Marks, a fixture of the rock world who has been selling his Metal Method rock guitar instruction courses for more than 25 years, has proposed his own "Economic Stimulus Plan" for guitarists by offering free shipping in North America.  Just enter the word "FreeShip" in the coupon field and order within the next seven days. 

You can get started with the Metal Method DVDs or related titles for under $20 and you can also put together your own bundle package and save an additional twenty percent.  If you're not quite ready to buy, I recommend that you register your email address to view samples of the lessons from The Vault.  You'll get motivational ideas and insights from Doug's newsletters.  You can also check out the Online Forum where you can ask questions about getting started, music, equipment, the courses or just about anything.  

If you're still hung up on the economic situation, remember, business is cyclical. Things will get better.  In fact, Metal Method first started during a terrible economic downturn as Doug writes:

The worst unemployment level of my entire life was actually in October of 1982. It didn't really phase me. I mean, when you have absolutely nothing what does high unemployment mean anyway? I had kicked around the Southeastern part of the U. S. for a few years playing in bands and didn't make enough money to pay income taxes. At the time I was giving guitar lessons in Denver, Colorado for $5 an hour which means I was basically unemployed. My wife was receiving unemployment benefits. Our lifestyle was beyond recession it was definitely depression. So, what's a guy to do when he's basically out of work, the unemployment rate is 10.9%, and the future looks bleak?

Start a business!
That's right. I decided that I was going to create a guitar lesson course for audio cassette. To do so I sold everything that I owned (a couple of guitars) to buy magazine ads. After purchasing the ads I decided it was time to get started creating the course! ... About six months later the course was completed, we shipped to everybody that had been patient enough to wait, and I was in business.

As crazy as this sounds it worked. That was the birth of Metal Method.  

More than twenty five years later, Metal Method is still going strong as one of the best rock guitar courses out there.  The material has been updated, but the style and commitment you get from Doug Marks is burning just as brighly as ever.  And remember, good instruction is going to improve your playing a lot more than an expensive new guitar, amp or effects pedal. 

        

• Metal Method: Main site, Complete Basic Course, Metal Riffology,Speed Kills, Forum
• GuitarVibe: Why You Shouldn't Buy a New Guitar, Guitar Mastery, Doug Marks

Omar Delarosa: Matisse & Carrots

   

Tooling around Orlando a few weeks ago, I happened to tune into a local college radio station WPRK from Rollins College in nearby Winter Park.  The signal was fading in and out, but the music I heard was good enough to stop me in my tracks.  In fact, I parked my car to listen to the rest of the song and find out who it was.  When the DJ came on, he announced the song as "Hang onto your Headshot" by Matisse and Carrots.  What?

This was the hippest song I've heard on the radio in ten years.  Maybe more.  I'm not saying it's necessarily the most rocking sound, but it was original and mesmerizing with great 60's style guitar and Ray Davies-inspired vocals.  Other than that, I don't even know how to properly describe it beyond thinking that if this was the latest Fireman disk from Paul McCartney, I would considered it to be vastly underrated.

 

It turns out Matisse and Carrots is the name of a solo music project by local Orlando musician Omar Delarosa, who has also recorded and performed in the bands Magnet Club and most recently Little Insects.

You can pick up Matisse and Carrots on Amazon for $9 or slightly more at iTunes.  You can also purchase two 4-song EPs of recent recordings for $3 each on the Omar Delarosa MySpace page.  A bargoon.   Why doesn't commercial radio play stuff this good?   Hopefully I'll get the CDs in the mail real soon now...

• Omar Delarosa: Site, Blog, Music, MySpace page
• Amazon: Matisse and Carrots...Play the Songs of Omar Delarosa
• Orlando Weekly: Omar Delarosa: The Sweet & The Sour 

Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal

A couple of weeks ago, I managed to see roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo perform an acoustic set in Santa Cruz.  It was an awesome show and you can see some video and photos I took from that event.   Many of the songs from that gig were from Escovedo's latest CD "Real Animal" which chronicles his 30 year musical career and upbringing listening to classic rock and punk music. You can hear the echoes of Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop and the Stooges filtered through the lifetime of a seasoned rock musician.

There are rough-edged rockers like "Smoke," "Chelsea Hotel '78," and "Real As An Animal" as well as more mainstream songs like "Always a Friend," "Sister Lost Soul" and "Golden Bear."   Songs like "Chip n' Tony" and "Nuns Song" harken back to Escovedo's earlier bands Rank and File and The Nuns. 

The CD is also important coming after Escovedo's collapse and near death from Hepatitis-C in 2003.  He returned with the CD "The Boxing Mirror" in 2006 and now "Real Animal" an upbeat and pop-infused tribute to the musical experiences that shaped Escovedo.   This is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time.

Here's a clip from YouTube when Escovedo got up on stage to perform the song "Always a Friend" wtih Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band.

• Alejandro Escovedo: Official Site, Tour, MySpace, Wikipedia
• Amazon: Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal
• B&W City Paper: Alajendro Escovedo: Back to Life
• Photos & Video: PicasaWeb, YouTube

Barack You Like a Hurricane

A buddy over at Gigatone put me on this latest Barack Obama rock video "Barack You Like a Hurricane" by the Axe Men, a band of pro musicians who have played with Robin Trower, Tower of Power and Starship, .  The've got an EP on iTunes as well as a full CD of Barack inspired tribute tunes expected in March including:

• B-A-R-A-C-K in the USA
• Barack the Casbah
• Barackin' on Sunshine
• Loves me Like Barack
• and more...

You can listen to the four-song EP on MySpace or by the songs on eMusic or iTunes.

• Gigatone: Main site, Barack's Greatest Hits

• YouTube:  Barack You Like a Hurricane

Prepare for U2 Hype Fest

U2 is getting ready to release their newest CD "No Line On The Horizon" March 3 and you can see the signs everywhere.  They signed a $25 million 12 year "360" contract with Live Nation last year and started doing more interviews over the last couple of months.  They've released a new single, the underpowered "Get On Your Boots," and they've booked five nights on David Letterman to coincide with the new CD.  And if that's not enough, Bono is writing a regular editorial for the New York Times.  I expect to see Bono on the cover of the upcoming Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue any day now.

I just hope the rest of the CD is better than the first single.  "Get On Your Boots" seems anemic to me.  I saw U2 on their Elevation tour a few years back and it was awesome.  So lets hope this CD leads to another great tour. 

Update:
According to a story from The Business Insider, it seems that the new U2 CD may have been leaked, perhaps inadvertently, by the band's label.  From the tracks I've heard, this is a very good album, but admittedly a bit spacier and mellow than other U2 albums.

• Amazon: U2, No Line On The Horizon
• The Business Insider: New U2 Album Accidentally Leaked by Label
• Rolling Stone: Inside U2's Bold New Horizon

• U2: Official site, News, Tours, Get on Your Boots