John Scofield is a fellow guitarist whose recordings I am always pleased to see hit my mailbox for review. His albums are always interesting and varied musically. There is no doubt that Scofield not only enjoys many genres, and he is more than capable of proving quality music in them as well.
“Foxy Lady,” one of the great Jimi Hendrix’s most recognizable songs, showcases Jimi’s amazing guitar tone as he sings about, well, a foxy lady. Although the lyrics are somewhat possessive regarding women (“You got to be all mine, all mine”), Hendrix has commented that that is not how he approaches women at all. Either way, this is one of the great guitar songs of the ’60s, appearing on Are You Experienced, and the badass riff the song is based on is necessary knowledge for any level of guitarist, so go get groovin’!
Tim Mahoney has had the kind of career that every aspiring rock guitarist dreams of. As the lead guitarist for the popular rock band 311, Mahoney has no doubt been inspiring fans to pick up the guitar and learn to play ever since their first album, Music came out in 1994. It is no wonder why he is such a popular player and has acquired legions of fans. His groove is incredible, he has a very melodic soloing style, he plays clean, he plays dirty, and he might even have more riffs than Jimmy Page.
Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats) and Danny B. Harvey (Rockats, 13 Cats, Lonesome Spurs), have teamed up in the high-energy, “take no prisoners” combo HeadCat to remind the world how real rock ‘n roll is supposed to sound! HeadCat serves up a delicious melting pot with flavors of rockabilly, punk, blues and undeniable rock ‘n roll!
I finally got to see Metallica play after the 18 years it has been since Metallica’s last show in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Rock The Hill, the all day festival, had rain for most of the day during the openers spots, but just before Metallica hit the stage the sky showed the colors of a great evening to come. The all-day event featured Prince Edward Island’s Death Valley Driver, Matt Mays, Protest The Hero, Seether and Coheed and Cambria. who all delivered great performances.
As I’ve already detailed, the festival grounds for Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Chicago left a lot to be desired, including not having to dig wood chips out of my shoes every two minutes. Other complaints were transportation, food and beverage prices (although that’s a constant for every festival ever), sound bleeding, and scheduling, but the lineup is most definitely not on that list.
It all started in 2004, when Phil Collen, after 20+ years as lead guitarist for Def Leppard, decided to express himself via another creative outlet – something a bit closer to his musical home.
With Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) on drums and Simon Laffy (Girl) on bass, Manraze was formed and released their debut album SURREAL in the summer of 2008. This debut album was chock full of rebellious in-your-face mantras (“Turn it Up”, “This Is”, “Running Me Up”) ranging from hardcore punk to dub.
“Halleluja” was originally written by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, released on his album Various Positions. Although it didn’t have much success initially, the numerous cover versions that followed have made it incredibly well-known, appearing all over pop culture. It has been covered in studio or live by many, including John Cale, Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Rufus Wainwright, k.d. lang, Alexandra Burke, and many others. Hey, it was even in Shrek!
“You And I Both” is a love song from Jason Mraz’s 2002 debut album Waiting For My Rocket To Come. The song showcases Mraz’s vocal stylings, much like most of his songs, with strummed guitar chords in the verses. In the choruses, multiple layers of other acoustic guitars and electric slide guitars make for a thick instrumentation as Jason croons about lost love.
“You’ve Got A Friend” was originally recorded in 1971 by Carole King, who accompanied her singing with an Elton John-esque style, but the song was made famous by James Taylor, who recorded and released his version the same year. The cover was on Taylor’s album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, and won the Grammy for Best Male Vocal Performance, while Carole King won the Grammy for Song of the Year for her version. The James Taylor version has a much thinner sound than King’s, as a sole acoustic guitar fingerpicks away as accompaniment, with flourishes of simple counter melodies are played by another under Taylor’s brittle voice.
