I was thinking about how many of us would be really able to grow old in this music business? You see these guys on stage, 55 years old and you say, man, these guys are great, what a life they had! And probably you are right, not many get to see what they have seen during their long rock and roll life. Booze parties, drugs, sex and a lot of money spent without one regret on their reckless life.
The sex, drugs and rock and roll model was maybe fit for the 70’s but if you look back, just count how many died along the way. I have seen somewhere some numbers, saying that the probability of a rock star to dye before his time is 3 times higher than for a regular person due to drug abuse. It gave me something to think about at that moment…

Did you think about great bands, like Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, Metallica, etc. Ask yourself if they still throw parties like they used to do long time ago. You will say that they are not that young anymore now and maybe you are right, that may be the reason. But I am sure it is something else: they took music seriously, they took it as a business. They are business people behind their rock and roll glamor. They all had their share of drugs and alcohol and reckless life, but now they look at the music business in a serious way. They know that in order to resist and beat time, they need to keep a steady pace, without the abuses they were used to while very young.

This is the model and the model is there, in front of our eyes, but how many would be able to follow it and take what’s best of it?

What do you think,am I right or not?

Bookmark It

Bookmark It

Since a few days my car CD player is locked (since I removed the battery for a quick fix on my car) and because I am moving into a new apartment, I can not find car’s support leaflet with the unlock code. That’s why I use a portable mp3 player. This gives me an other point of view on the music I listen.

For example, this morning, I realized that there are particular bass guitar sound for specific bands, a bass guitar sound that defines the band’s sound in general. Some I could easily spot were Iron Maiden and Manowar. If you take Steve Harris’ bass sound and style of playing, I think you can not miss it. If you listen carefully, his way of playing, with his fingers gives a smooth, “puffy” sound for the bass (yes, this is my perception of it, despite the musical style,Harris would probably kill me for this), while it also sounds like the strings are loose, like he is somehow tuned 2-3 tones below. Also consider that “riding” style of playing and you have Steve Harris’ unmistakable bass sound!

Bookmark It

Bookmark It

Did you ever notice that famous guitar players have their own way of producing the vibrato? Take for example Eric Clapton, he has some fast, almost one finger vibrato. Also if you consider the fact that he has also an unique way of keeping the guitar neck in his hands, when soloing, I would say that if I would only see his hands playing the guitar, I would know it is him. Pay attention to his solo here.

OK, let’s take Steve Vai also: when  I have seen Vai vibrating a note, I was confused, he has some large, round way of vibrating a note. His (looooong) finger does at the same time a vertical and an horizontal moving, kind of a circle; I could say that he massage that particular string, like when your head hurts and you press your forehead circularly. See here in order to understand. It may be a show thing, it is more interesting for the camera, but this also gives him a low frequency vibrato that is “sweeter”.

To also consider a third  type, take Malmsteen, which has his violin like vibrato, probably because of his violin backgrounds. If you have never thought about that so far, pay attention next time you listen Malmsteen and also listen a violin player after listening Malmsteen.

Any other examples you could think of?

Bookmark It

Bookmark It

You know, I have asked myself if those guys in a punk rock band, or in an alternative rock band, are just that bad guitar players or they just follow the “lousy guitar player” trend in this musical style.

If taken out of their bands, would they still be able to play a decent tune or they would just go na nanan na until you crash the guitar on their heads?

By the way, I used to play alternative rock due to a 1 year contract but before that I was in pop-rock. And before that on hard-rock. Does this count or I have the alternative stamp all over me?

By the way, that’s me with my band playing alternative rock music.

Later edit: since this post generated quite an amount of interest, here’s a link to a post of mine on BandAMP website where I put an approximative translation of the above song lyrics. By the way, the song was ranked 4th for that period contest.

Bookmark It

Bookmark It

I was watching a video of Michael Angelo Batio after somebody reached my site looking for some of his guitar tabs and I was just wondering: why would you need Michael Angelo Batio guitar tabs?

You would probably not be able to do anything with them. I think that no matter how many guitar tabs you will have from Michael Angelo himself, you will not be able to shred the way he does. He did it his whole life and beside that he plays with his both hands at the same time so…

Later edit: it sounded bad. I meant to say that it is not easy to play both hands, if not impossible (for me). If you can do it, you have all my respect. If you can do it the way Michael Angelo Batio does it, then you must be great, so send me a CD and a couple of tickets to your concerts, I will be there!

Anyway, this is not a reason for you to stop trying, just that you should not put all your trust in these guitar tabs you find on the internet! Instead, practice, practice and again…practice!

Bookmark It

Bookmark It

I was reading this post here about top 28 most recognizable guitars. I must say that I just love this topic, even if I have never thought about it. I will not post here again the same top that the other guys posted on their blogs, just that I must admit that there are some electric guitars, mostly, that made a strong impact on the way the artist’s image was built. Indeed, think about Prince with his Purple Glyph Symbol Guitar, think about Zakk Wylde circle guitar, think about Michael Angelo Batio with his The Reverse Double-Neck guitar, etc.

I had only one thing to object to that top. I don’t see the Red Special model of Brian May and that’s one recognizable model, I think that every guitar player in this world knows it and some also know the legend of how it was built.

I would also add Steve Vai’s cut through guitar to that list and maybe a few others too. However the list is great.

Man, I just observed now: no SRV no 1 model either?!!

Bookmark It

Bookmark It

A few days ago I was thinking about how Eric Clapton’s music evolved over time. I don’t say “evolved” as in “it was bad-now it is good”, far from me such an idea, just that Clapton’s music changed over time as the music business itself. I am not a big fan of Clapton,not in the way I could say about other artists or bands. I can not say that I know all his songs and everything he does or did, but Eric Clapton always had and always will have a special place in my heart.

My first contact with Eric Clapton’s music was when I bought 2 tapes, one with Metallica and one with Eric Clapton (as you may see, my taste in music was not quite oriented at that time as Clapton and Metallica had nothing to do one with the other). The tape was kind of a best of, at that time, so it offered me kind of Clapton’s best works. From that tape I remember Layla, the electric version, and Bell bottom blues. I kept this second song till now in my memories, without listening it again for a long time since I have lost that tape and I can say that it left a strong mark on my musical path.

Bookmark It

Bookmark It