Posted July 15, 2011 at 3:45 pm | One comment
Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” has, along with Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” the most famous riff in hard rock. That “duh, duh, duh…. duh, duh, duhduh… duh, duh, duh… duh, duh…” is one of the first riffs learned by almost every budding guitar player, and for good reason. Just try to get it out of your head. Go ahead, try. Yeah, that’s right, it’s still in there. And you didn’t even hear the riff; you just read some idiot’s text interpretation of it.
Posted in: Guitars and Guitarists
Posted July 15, 2011 at 8:51 am | No comments
“You’re Beautiful” is British singer James Blunt’s most successful song. It was the third single off his album Back To Bedlam in Australia and the UK and the first in the U.S. and Canada, where it reached No. 1 on the charts. Featuring simple, tender guitar chords supported by piano, an acoustic guitar melody gives way to Blunt’s wavery tenor singing about seeing his ex-girlfriend on the subway with another man. Go get serenading, guys!
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 14, 2011 at 8:51 am | No comments
“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” was originally supposed to be entitled “In the Garden of Eden,” Iron Butterfly’s vocalist Doug Ingle was decidedly un-sober when he told drummer Ron Bushy the name of the song. Bushy wrote down the nonsensical name we all know well, and it stuck. Based on a repeating minor key riff played by both the guitar and bass, this seventeen-minute epic of a psychedelic trip is known for being one of the songs that show where psychedelia was giving way to heavy metal. It also features an extended tribal-sounding drum solo that gives way to a swirling organ solo.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 13, 2011 at 2:22 pm | No comments
It’s easy to stay in the box, to not explore and discover new ways of playing guitar or to come up with new ways to amp up your career aspirations. But, if we check out the way legendary guitarist Les Paul approached his guitar passion and life, I believe we can all take inspiration from “Rhubarb Red” and continually re-think or even out-think the challenges that we face in our music and our lives. If we emulate the life of Les Paul, we find ourselves on a path that reflects high-intensity curiosity, demands a “Can Do” attitude that’s followed-up with disciplined action – leading us to both small and grand success.
Posted in: Guitar News, Guitars and Guitarists
Posted July 13, 2011 at 8:51 am | No comments
“Number of the Beast” could very well be considered the legendary Iron Maiden’s signature song, as it is the title song from their most well-known album of the same name. They almost never neglect to play it at concerts, and it introduced the concept of the evilness of the number 666 to the masses. After a creepy-sounding poem intro, the driving guitars, bass, and drum kick in with power chords punctuated by riffs in unison. Bruce Dickinson’s amazing wail at the end of the first verse came from his immense frustration at being forced to sing the intro vocal part so many times in a row by producer Martin Birch. It wasn’t planned, but it sounded so awesome they had to keep it.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 12, 2011 at 1:42 pm | No comments
As I’ve explained in the past, when it comes to gear, I’m very much of the “No Expenses Spared” camp. This is what we do; it’s our passion and our life – you wouldn’t see Monet working with Crayola or Gordan Ramsay serving up KFC in one of his dishes would you? I’m not going to waste your time telling you about every little piece of gear I get sent unless it’s something that REALLY catches my ears and I’m happy to use night after night.
Posted in: Gear Reviews, Reviews
Posted July 12, 2011 at 6:00 am | One comment
Milwaukee’s Summerfest is huge. So big it has 11 stages. So gigantic it runs for 11 days. So gargantuan that it is (and Guinness World Records confirms) the world’s largest music festival. Not America’s largest, the entire world. To cover such an event is a challenge, especially considering GI photographer Faraz Chaudry and I could only make two of the eleven festival days, but in those two days we caught a hell of a lot of kick-ass music. While some acts, like the Wildbirds and Me Talk Pretty, disappointed, plenty of others picked up their slack and gave great performances.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted July 12, 2011 at 5:51 am | No comments
As the first single from Iron Maiden’s famous Number Of The Beast, “Run to the Hills” remains one of the metal legends’ most beloved songs. With a slower intro that quickly gives way to a speeding metal verse and chorus, “Run to the Hills” is the first single that features Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals. The ripping guitar solo heavily shows off Dave Murray’s tapping and shredding skills, and certainly won’t be an easy one to learn, so get practicing!
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted July 12, 2011 at 5:23 am | 13 comments
As the story goes, Ratt helped pioneer Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Strip sound and scene. After an 11 year wait, the band returned in April of 2010 sounding fired up and better than ever with Infestation, a heavy, riff driven CD reminiscent of their early days as a band. Ratt was able to reinvent their sound by rediscovering their strengths, shuttling listeners to a time when metal ruled the earth and real musicians wore spandex and make-up.
Posted in: Interviews, Metal Interviews, Rock Interviews, Uncategorized
Posted July 11, 2011 at 2:56 pm | No comments
Listening to a new Jazz artist can move me and reinforce my love of jazz, but some artists leave me a little cold, like a jazz love gone bad. When Dida Pelled’s CD arrived in the mail, I plopped it into my CD player and gave it a spin. The album has a charm to it that offers up some easy on the ears vocals tied to laid back phrasing and relaxed atmospherics.
Posted in: Jazz Reviews, Reviews
