Posted August 21, 2010 at 7:00 am | 2 comments
Steve Howe and Chris Squire sit in a glass-walled room high about New York’s Times Square, looking down on the spire that is home in the infamous New Year’s Eve hall. It is a fitting place to talk about the once and future Yes as the band contemplates 1997 in the wake of the release of Keys to Ascension. It is also a bit disconcerting to have them in the same room: Squire and Howe have not recorded together since Drama, which was released more than 15 years ago.
Posted in: Classic Rock, Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted August 21, 2010 at 7:00 am | 2 comments
Sonic Youth are not noted for their musical subtlety, especially when it comes to guitar playing. Yes, occasionally the band does sound like an overdriven 747 during a test run
Posted in: Modern Rock, Reviews, Rock Reviews
Posted August 20, 2010 at 6:19 am | No comments
This is the debut recording of Croatian guitarist Ratko Zjaca. It is comprised of original material penned by Zjaca and saxophonist Stanislav Mitrovic.
Posted in: Jazz, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 20, 2010 at 12:13 am | 14 comments
Think Led Zeppelin gear, and you think of Les Pauls, doublenecks, and Marshall amps. But Jimmy Page’s early gear in Led Zeppelin was actually a continuation of his old Yardbirds setup.
Posted in: Classic Rock, Gear Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 18, 2010 at 6:35 am | One comment
Guitar maestro Paul Gilbert has returned! On April 30, I was so surprised, that I thought the product announcement on HMV Online was a prank or a typo. It was soon realized that this was genuine, and Gilbert’s latest opus, Fuzz Universe was about to be unleashed upon an eagerly waiting public. I got right in line, and a few months later, I’m happy to report that I am not disappointed! Gilbert has maintained his reputation for exceptionally high quality output with this platter, his third instrumental offering.
Posted in: Instrumental Reviews, Modern Rock, Reviews
Posted August 16, 2010 at 6:28 am | No comments
So you’ve seen the guitar of your dreams, but it has a nightmare price tag. What are your options? And should you spend more than you can afford to up-front?
Posted in: Gear Reviews, Guitars and Gear, Reviews
Posted August 11, 2010 at 6:45 am | No comments
One huge benefit of professionally reviewing jazz guitarists is discovering new voices. There are many fine players today who go largely undiscovered.
Posted in: Jazz, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 2, 2010 at 8:01 am | One comment
Executive Producers Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts’ new DVD, Stones in Exile, is a behind the scense look at the making of the Rolling Stones’ ’72 double-album, Exile on Main Street.
Posted in: DVD Reviews, Guitar Films, Reviews
Posted August 2, 2010 at 7:29 am | One comment
It’s 10:30 PM, I’m sitting at a wooden picnic table, and I feel great! The Monterey fairgrounds are still hopping at the 25th Monterey Bay Blues Festival, held June 25 – 27, 2010, with crowds of people standing in groups or walking around the grounds. The picnic table is in the middle of two different stages, so I can hear a blend of music from the acts still going strong.
Posted in: Blues, Blues Reviews, Reviews
Posted July 29, 2010 at 8:00 am | No comments
“Heavy Mellow” is an intensely interesting and musically captivating album by the San Francisco based group Flametal.
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Metal, Metal Reviews, Reviews
