My friend Mike Moody pointed me to this quiz this morning. Given the "Top 20" guitar solo series, I felt obligated to post it here - it's pretty easy, but still fun.
http://mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=68
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tokyo-Chicago Time-Space Continuum Omelet
My boss and I were just discussing anarchists this morning...
Monday, April 23, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Good news
Our band received a bit of good news today. Our audition for the "Taste of Chicago" 2007 was successful. We'll be playing the "Taste" stage on July 5th, 2007. That's a Thursday. I'd love to have some of you there, although distance and/or time and/or the fact it's during the middle of the week might conspire against this. Understood.
Frankly, I am surprised about this, a little nervous (millions attend the festival every year), and am, most of all, curious as to where this might lead.
I actually had quit the band last week with the understanding that if we got this gig, I would continue to practice and play for this. I was fully expecting not to get the gig. I am somewhat ashamed at my lack of faith in the band. My cynicism is still high enough to wonder whether or not Tom's contact pulled some strings for us. I shouldn't think this way and proceed with cautious optimism. That being said, it's only fair to note that how these next couple of months go will determine my future with Unconscious Pilot. I'm rarely optimistic, but the bright side could be that we hone ourselves to a finer edge, improve and we find our inspiration and energy again. I love this band when we're good, but when we're not the commute to band practice twice a week just isn't worth it anymore. Again, though, I'm cautiously optimistic and even if it turns to shite, we'll have went out with a nice, paying gig. What's the best part? All we have to do is show up with our guitars and Tom's cymbals. We don't have to haul our amps and most of the drums. Niiiice.
I'd like to thank Jim for producing, directing, etc., our excellent audition DVD. He persevered through bad weather, a broken Jeep top and unorganized band dudes. Thanks again, Jim.
Frankly, I am surprised about this, a little nervous (millions attend the festival every year), and am, most of all, curious as to where this might lead.
I actually had quit the band last week with the understanding that if we got this gig, I would continue to practice and play for this. I was fully expecting not to get the gig. I am somewhat ashamed at my lack of faith in the band. My cynicism is still high enough to wonder whether or not Tom's contact pulled some strings for us. I shouldn't think this way and proceed with cautious optimism. That being said, it's only fair to note that how these next couple of months go will determine my future with Unconscious Pilot. I'm rarely optimistic, but the bright side could be that we hone ourselves to a finer edge, improve and we find our inspiration and energy again. I love this band when we're good, but when we're not the commute to band practice twice a week just isn't worth it anymore. Again, though, I'm cautiously optimistic and even if it turns to shite, we'll have went out with a nice, paying gig. What's the best part? All we have to do is show up with our guitars and Tom's cymbals. We don't have to haul our amps and most of the drums. Niiiice.
I'd like to thank Jim for producing, directing, etc., our excellent audition DVD. He persevered through bad weather, a broken Jeep top and unorganized band dudes. Thanks again, Jim.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The Ecstasy of Gold
I found this on the LAist blog, and I'll just wholesale quote from them - sums up my feelings nicely:
Here's a little something to help wash out the taint of Celine Dion's "tribute" to Ennio Morricone at last night's Oscars. Sure, Celine has a great set of pipes. No one will argue that. But her singing? Puke! She might as well have been singing the latest bit of background fodder from American Idol for how much you could tell that it was an Ennio Morricone tune. But that's who Celine Dion is. That's what she does. She slathers a heaping does of blandness and pop schmaltz onto everything she gets her throat on.
Instead of Celine pouting and over-emoting her way through the craptastic "I Knew I Loved You," which was awkwardly set to music from Once Upon A Time In America, we offer you this clip of Morricone himself conducting one of his famous tunes from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, "The Ecstasy of Gold." You might not know the title, but you'll know the song when you hear it. Why? BECAUSE ENNIO MORRICONE IS A GENIUS, AND THIS IS HOW HIS MUSIC WAS MEANT TO SOUND
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #1: Stairway to Heaven - Jimmy Page
I don't think this is nearly Page's best example, but, it is the best I could find:
The studio version is better, but that's splitting hairs - all in all a great song and solo. The original solo was recorded on a '58 Telecaster. Nice.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. As an extra treat...
I don't know how old this kid is, and I've looked carefully for fakery, but I have not found a whiff... fun to watch:
These vids are so popular that embedding has been disabled, so just click here.
then here,
then here
and finally here for the solo.
The kid seems a little sedated, but WOW.
The studio version is better, but that's splitting hairs - all in all a great song and solo. The original solo was recorded on a '58 Telecaster. Nice.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. As an extra treat...
I don't know how old this kid is, and I've looked carefully for fakery, but I have not found a whiff... fun to watch:
These vids are so popular that embedding has been disabled, so just click here.
then here,
then here
and finally here for the solo.
The kid seems a little sedated, but WOW.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #2: Eruption - Eddie Van Halen
This is way too long for my tastes, but Eruption is a classic solo and this clip is fun for it shows Eddie in his heyday, showing off (or being a showman, if you prefer)
Monday, February 12, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #3: Freebird - Collins / Rossington
You've heard it too many times, I've heard it too many times. It's still a great song and solo, though. Even though there's too many crowd shots in this video, they're fun to watch.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #4: Comfortably Numb - David Gilmour
A beautiful, tasteful solo - melodic and mournful:
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #5: All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
The video and audio is a little crappy, but the solos on this are, indeed, amazing. From the Atlanta Pop Festival, summer of 1970, apparently - the original poster didn't put it in the title, but the comments on the YouTube post seem to nail down the show - can't be sure.
FWIW, I dedicate every song to the girl with the purple underwear.
FWIW, I dedicate every song to the girl with the purple underwear.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #6: November Rain - Slash
I pretty much hate Axl Rose, I like Slash, and the coda solo at the end is quite good, but this isn't the solo I would have picked for him. Not #6. No way. IMHOYMMV!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #7: One - Kirk Hammet
6 degrees of Bob Daisley. As B$X aptly pointed out in the comments for #9, Crazy Train, Bob Daisley's bass tracks were removed when they remastered the classic Ozzy Osbourne albums. Who rerecorded these? Rob Trujillo - Judas bassist reprising his role here in Metallica, after they jettisoned Jason Newsted.
Just kidding (about the Judas reference, not the facts, ma'am). He's a great bass player.
Even though I like Metallica, I think this is a lesser example of the Guitar World "fast, flash, but soulless" problem. I don't like the song much, either.
So shoot me.
Just kidding (about the Judas reference, not the facts, ma'am). He's a great bass player.
Even though I like Metallica, I think this is a lesser example of the Guitar World "fast, flash, but soulless" problem. I don't like the song much, either.
So shoot me.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #8: Hotel California - Don Felder / Joe Walsh
This is a very melodic, tasteful solo or perhaps it should be a duet? As an aside, I've never understood why someone would kill themselves with a double-neck guitar. Do you really need to play a 12 string guitar and a 6 string in the same song? Especially when there's TWO other guitar players?
Aside from that nitpicking, this is always fun to hear. Great song, too.
Aside from that nitpicking, this is always fun to hear. Great song, too.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #9: Crazy Train - Randy Rhoads
Forgive the XMen 3 advert at the beginning, but the pickings were slim for this solo:
I love this song, and the solo is fairly tasteful. Now if only the bass player would get a clue. And the cameraman.
I love this song, and the solo is fairly tasteful. Now if only the bass player would get a clue. And the cameraman.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #10: Crossorads - Eric Clapton
Good clip of Cream. Being a bassist, I think Bruce's slides, although expertly done, are a little cheesy and used too much. Clapton's playing is clean, although perhaps a little too technical. Eh, what do I know? Listen for yourself:
Friday, February 02, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #11: Voodoo Chile - Jimi Hendrix
I stand up next to a mountain
chop it down with the edge of my hand...
I mentioned the original source of these videos in the first post for this year, with the #20 pick, City Rag.
Kudos to the concept, which I'm shamelessly copying here, but they get a D for execution. They obviously picked the first video they could find. In their link for today's post, it cuts out halfway through the solo! Other links provided half-assed videos as well, so I've made an attempt to do it right and cull the best videos I can find for each solo.
My 2 readers might appreciate this.
So... Jimi at Woodstock. Full strength at 8:52.
Um, you're not sick of me gushing about SRV are you? His version is, well, great, too.
chop it down with the edge of my hand...
I mentioned the original source of these videos in the first post for this year, with the #20 pick, City Rag.
Kudos to the concept, which I'm shamelessly copying here, but they get a D for execution. They obviously picked the first video they could find. In their link for today's post, it cuts out halfway through the solo! Other links provided half-assed videos as well, so I've made an attempt to do it right and cull the best videos I can find for each solo.
My 2 readers might appreciate this.
So... Jimi at Woodstock. Full strength at 8:52.
Um, you're not sick of me gushing about SRV are you? His version is, well, great, too.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #12: Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
All of Chuck Berry's songs are basically the same, but when then they're this good, who cares? Love the dancers and Chuck's facial expressions:
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Top 20 Guitar Solos - #13: Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
I'm a little jaded to familar blues riffs these days, but SRV manages to put enough intensity and skill into this that it's a joy to listen to, even if it is the same 12 bar blues... holy s<cuckoo!>t, this is fantastic, virtuousity WITH soul:
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