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Demo Videos: Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro Slash Signature Pickups

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Below, check out three new demo videos from Seymour Duncan.

All three videos show off the company's Alnico II Pro Slash Signature pickups. However, each one is a little different. From top to bottom, we have demos of:

01. Bridge Pickup APH-2 Slash (Hard Rock)

02. Bridge Pickup APH-2 Slash (Classic Rock)

03. Alnico II Pro Slash (Neck).

From Seymour Duncan:

The Alnico 2 magnet and moderate windings yield a warm, sweet tone with more natural string vibration for great sustain. Classic rock players who get their distortion from the amp rather than the pickup love the APH-1. It allows them to back off the crunch and get beautiful clean tones with softer attack. Compared to the '59, the Alnico II Pro has a rounder sound with a spongier bass response.

For more information, see below — and visit seymourduncan.com and seymourduncan.com/blog.

Bridge Pickup APH-2 Slash (Hard Rock):

Bridge Pickup APH-2 Slash (Classic Rock):

Alnico II Pro Slash (Neck):

Additional Content

Video: Martin's 2014 Retro Series

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Take an extended look into the 2014 Martin Retro Series: the 000-18E Retro and the D-35E Retro.

Martin’s groundbreaking Retro Series represents the most significant advancement of our era in amplified acoustic sound, capturing the stylistic and sonic elements of iconic classic Martin guitars.

The series will welcome two new editions, the 000-18E and the D-35E, which will both enthrall guitarists with the seamless intersection of beautiful historical detail and Martin’s unique forward-thinking technology.

Find out more at www.martinguitar.com

Diatonic Scale Workout: Increase Left-Hand Strength and Produce Great-Sounding Sequences

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This lesson takes the same ideas discussed in my last lesson, "Pentatonic Workout: Increase Left-Hand Strength and Produce Great-Sounding Sequences,” and applies them to the diatonic major and minor three-note-per-string scales.

This lesson will help you get the seven positions of the major scale memorized and under your fingers, increase your left-hand strength, solidify your alternate picking and deliver some great-sounding sequences. It even includes some string skipping!

We’ll use the A major scale at the fifth position as our example in this lesson, but you’ll want to make sure you can perform this set of sequences back to back in all seven positions.

This workout starts with playing the A major scale ascending and descending (Example 1), using consistent alternate picking. After this “establishes” the fingering for your left hand, the workout continues with a two-string sequence, where you ascend six notes, go back two notes and start again, ascending another six notes.

Ex._1.jpg

This continues across the fretboard until you run out of strings. At this point, you simply turn the sequence around (Don’t repeat the top note, D), and play the two-string sequence in reverse: From the high D note, you descend six notes, go back two notes, descend another six, etc. (Example 2).

Ex._2.jpg

This sequence tends to be a very friendly pattern for guitarists, as it starts on the first note on each string as it travels across the six strings.

The third part of this workout is a sequence that ascends in nine note groups (three strings' worth of major scale), then back a string. Start on D (fifth string) and ascend another nine notes (three strings). Continue this pattern until you start the sequence on the G string, at which point you simply turn the pattern around (Don’t repeat the top note, D), then perform the sequence in reverse: From the high D note, you descend nine notes (three strings), go back a string, start the nine-note pattern again on the A note (second string) and continue back in the same fashion (Example 3).

Ex._3.jpg

The fourth and final part of this pentatonic workout involves string skipping. Playing the three notes on the low E string, skip the A string, play the three notes on the D string, go back to the A string and play the three notes on it, then skip the D string and play the three notes on the G string. This pattern continues, gets turned around just like before and works its way back in reverse (Example 4).

Ex._4.jpg

I like to string these four elements together, playing them back to back without stopping. This forces me to think ahead and be able to change gears and mix things up in my regular playing more easily.

Once you are able to play these four elements back to back without problems, try it with the other six diatonic three-note-per-string scale positions. Use a metronome to gauge your progress, and push yourself to play these at a faster tempo once they become comfortable.

Guitarist Adrian Galysh is a solo artist and education coordinator for Guitar Center Studios. He's the author of the book Progressive Guitar Warmups and Exercises. For more information, visit him at AdrianGalysh.com.

Tonic's Emerson Hart Announces 'Beauty In Disrepair' to be Released April 15

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Emerson Hart, lead singer for the multi-platinum selling group Tonic, will release his sophomore solo album, Beauty In Disrepair April 15th through BMG.

Produced by David Hodges (Kelly Clarkson, Christina Perri, Carrie Underwood), Beauty In Disrepair is an intimate collection of songs about loss, rebirth, newfound love and family, ”born out of stuff I don’t want anyone else to say.”

It is the follow-up to 2007's critically acclaimed solo debut Cigarettes & Gasoline. The album produced two Top 20 singles “If You’re Gonna Leave” and “I Wish The Best For You” and touches on the subject of Emerson’s father’s disappearance/murder.

Emerson continues to explore the subject on the forthcoming sophomore release Beauty In Disrepair. He explains of the title, “Early in my life I learned to appreciate the beauty in things as they grew older. Houses, furniture, churches, whatever. I think it started after my dad was killed: I lived with my grandfather on his farm, this 19th century mansion. Everything in it was constantly broken, but there was such a beauty to it as well.”

The first single, “The Best That I Can Give,” premiered on USAToday.com in January and is climbing the Hot AC charts now. Direct Current Music called it “an unashamedly commercial slice of mainstream goodness, a sweeping melody that ramps up the sing-a-long anthem-meter to eleven.”

Listen to "You Know Who I Am" from Beauty In Disrepair now:

In February, Emerson will preview the new material in select markets before embarking on a two-week tour with Tonic in March. Additional tour dates TBA.

Tour Dates
2/12 CHICAGO @ City Winery
2/13 DAYTON, OH @ Dayton Convention Center/WMMX Mix 107.7 iHeart Radio Show
2/14 ST LOUIS, MO @ The Old Rock House
2/22 MIAMI, FL @ Rock Boat XIV
2/28 FT LAUDERDALE, FL @ REvolution Live*
3/1 ORLANDO, FL @ House of Blues
3/3 CHARLOTTE, NC @ House of Blues*
3/4 READING, PA @ Reverb*
3/5 WASHINGTON, DC @ The Howard Theatre*
3/6 PORTLAND, ME @ The Asylum*
3/7 HUNTINGTON, NY @ The Paramount*
3/8 PITTSBURGH, PA @ The Altar Bar*
3/9 JOLIET, IL @ Mojoes*
3/13 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA @ The Coach House*
3/14 AGOURA HILLS, CA @ The Canyon Club*
3/15 PHOENIX, AZ @ Liquid Sol Fest*
* = date with Tonic

PRE-ORDER BEAUTY IN DISREPAIR NOW: http://emersonhart.com/store

Ten Easy Acoustic Guitar Love Songs

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It's that time of year when some of use might start dotting our I's with little hearts and thinking of ways to impress.

And for that I am here to help! Here are ten wonderful love songs that you can work out with ease. In fact, most of them only have three or four chords.

These may be simpler versions than the original, but trust me, the object of your affection will not care.

So pull out that guitar and take a few minutes to strum along and then let the serenading begin!!

1. "I’m Yours" - Jason Mraz

"I'm Yours" was nominated for Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards. It has the honor of holding the record for the most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 at 76 weeks.

I love the easy, breezy feel of this song. Capo up if you want some easier fingerings.

With your capo on the 4th fret: G, D, Em, C
With no capo: B, F#, Gm, E

CHORUS
B..................F#
I won't hesitate no more,
.....G#m...................E
no more, it cannot wait i'm yours


2. "More Than Words" - Extreme

This one's a little more tricky, but even if you do simple strums, the melody and lyrics are so lovely, I know you can pull it off!

Nuno Bettancourt's acoustic guitar work coupled with Gary Cherone's vocals made this 1991 release shoot to number one.

Remember, actions matter too, like playing your sweetheart a love song!

G...............Cadd9........Am7..............C...........D..............G
Saying I love you, is not the words I want to hear from you
G...............Cadd9........Am7..............C...........D.......Em
It's not that I want you, not to say but if you only knew
Bm7..........Am7......D.....................G...........D/F#.........Em
How, ea – sy, it would be to show me how you feel
Bm7............Am7............D7 ..................G7................C
More than words, is all you have to do to make it real
................Cm...................... G....................Em7
Then you wouldn't have to say, that you love me,
............Am7 ............D7
'Cos I'd al - ready know


3. "Let Her Go " - Passenger

This song has been all over the airways, but I don't care. It's topped 20 charts worldwide...and counting!

So, so pretty and such a well-written sentiment.

Michael David Rosenberg, aka Passenger, sure has a way with a turn of phrase.

Rosenberg plays this way up high on the neck with a capo on the 7th fret.

So here it is if you follow suit, and also a version if you don't! Enjoy!

With capo at 7

........................F............................C
Well you only need the light when it s burning low
.......................G.............................Am
Only miss the sun when it s starts to snow
...................F.............................C .........G
Only know you love her when you let her go
..............................F............................ C
Only know you've been high when you're feeling low
.......................G............................Am
Only hate the road when you re missing home
.........................F ............................C
Only know you love her when you've let her go
G
And you let her go

Without capo

..............................C .........................G
Well you only need the light when its burning low
....................D ........................Em
Only miss the sun when its starts to snow
......................C ............................G..........D(sus4)
Only know you love her when you let her go
..............................C...............................G
Only know you’ve been high when you're feeling low
........................D.........................Em
Only hate the road when you're missing home
........................C .............................. G.........D(sus4)
Only know you love her when you've let her go
D
And you let her go


4. "Just The Way Your Are" - Bruno Mars

This is the perfect love song.

I don't care if the original has oodles of piano and is fully orchestrated.

This one stands up on acoustic.

The verse sets up the awesomeness and then Bruno hits you with a kicker of a chorus.

What more can you say after you say, "You're Amazing Just The Way You Are?"

It's a shoe-in for the start of a perfect romantic evening.

Capo at third fret

D, Bm, G, D in that order, for the whole song!

Chorus:
..........................D..............................Bm
When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
.........................G ....................... D
Cause you're amazing, just the way you are
.......................D ...................................Bm
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for awhile
...............................G...................................D
Cause girl you're amazing, just the way you are


5. "The Only Exception" - Paramore

I've been singing this song in my band for years and it does have a great sing-along quality.

The idea that everyone else in the world isn't worth opening your heart for except this one special person is...well...special!

"The Only Exception" was release in 2010 as a single from the album Brand New Eyes The song received a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

Don't look to Paramore for a large selection of love songs, but this one fits the bill just right!

Capo at 4th fret: G, Dm, Cmaj7 (with an Am in the bridge)

VERSE1
G..................................Dm.......................... Cmaj7
When I was younger I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind
........ G ..................................................Dm................ Cmaj7
He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to re-assemble it
.......G.........................................Dm.................Cmaj7
And my mama swore that she would never let herself forget
...........G.............................................................. Dm
And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love
.................... Cmaj7
if it does not exist, but darling

CHORUS
G
You are the only exception
Dm............. Cmaj7
You are the only exception
G
You are the only exception
Dm ............. Cmaj7......... G...
You are the only exception


6. "She Will Be Loved"– Maroon 5

I always sing harmony to this one when it comes on the radio.

Can you believe it was on Maroon 5's debut album, Songs About Jane way back in 2002?

This song made it to number 4 on the U.S. charts and I still hear it all over the place.

Who doesn't want to be told that she will be loved? And the idea that you'd stand out in the pouring rain waiting for your love, well, that's gotta be love!

Capo at first fret

D5..............................A
I don't mind spending everyday
Bm...................................G5
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
D5................................... A
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Bm...............................G5
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
.............. D5......... A
And she will be loved
Bm.............G
She will be loved


7. "Your Body Is A Wonderland" - John Mayer

Sing this one after you've played through one or two of the other mushy ones here.

You don't want to jump into the hot stuff too soon!

Whatever you think about John Mayer's own love life, he sure can turn out a tune.

This one was released in October 2002 as the second single from his debut studio album, Room for Squares.

Mayer has claimed that he wrote the song about his first girlfriend at age 14. A wonderland indeed!

Capo at third fret

Chorus:
........ Asus4 ......D.........Asus4...G
Your body Is a wonderland
.........Asus4.........D
Your body is a wonder
....... Asus4......G
(I'll use my hands)
.......Asus4......... D...........Asus4 ...G ....Asus4
Your body Is a wonderland


8. "You Are so Beautiful to Me" - Joe Cocker

The simplest lyric woven into one of the most beautiful love songs of all time.

You shouldn't have any trouble remembering the words!

This song was first recorded by Billy Preston, but it's Joe Cocker who delivered it in the most amazing way possible.

Released as a single, it peaked at #5 on the Billboard charts in 1975.

I have always admired the way this song can mesmerize with its lovely simplicity. Try it!

G ...................Csus2
..You are so beautiful to me
G..................Csus2
..You are so beautiful to me
Dm
..Can't you see
C............................B7
..You're everything I've hoped for
Em.................... A7
..You're everything I need
G................ Csus2
..You are so beautiful to me


9. "And I Love Her" - The Beatles

The Beatles have a lot of great love songs! This one is fairly simple to play and don't be afraid to change the key to easier fingerings if it suits you!

The fifth track on their third album, A Hard Day's Night, it was released on July 20, 1964.

It's rumored that McCartney wrote the majority of the song, while Lennon contributed the middle section, which I personally consider to be the most romantic part of the song.

I dare you to sit down and sing this song to your lady (or guy!). Who knows what that might lead to!

F#m...........C#m
I give her all my love
F#m...........C#m
That's all I do
F#m...........C#m
And if you saw my love
A....................B7
You'd love her too

........E
And I love her

Middle:
C#m............B
A love like ours
C#m.............G#m
could never die
C#m.......... G#m............B7
As long as I have you near me


10. "My Love"– Paul McCartney

I couldn't help it. One more Beatles-related song is in order.

McCartney wrote this for his wife, Linda, and it was released in 1973 on the album Red Rose Speedway.

Released as a single in 1973, it reached number one.

McCartney is a master at saying I love you in a way that makes other songwriters think, "Why didn't I come up with that?" Luckily he did it for all of us!

My love does it good, indeed!

Bbmaj7
And when I go away
................................................ Am7
I know my heart can stay with my love
...................D9
It?s understood
.................................Gm7
It's in the hands of my love

.........Am7....... Bbmaj7.... Dm6(B)
And my love does it good
............ F..................... Gm7
Wo wo-wo wo, wo wo-wo wo,
Bb6......................F
My love does it good

Exclusive: Hear Matt Schofield's New Album, 'Far As I Can See'

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Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of Far As I Can See, the new album by guitarist-singer-songwriter Matt Schofield.

The album, which will be released February 18, is his debut release through Provouge Records.

Schofield's career has been gaining momentum for the last several years on both sides of the Atlantic. Successful runs in the U.K., Europe and North America have been met with much acclaim and bigger and bigger audiences.

The new album is Schofield's fifth, and it offers two covers from his heroes plus nine original tracks. Fans will anticipate the epic slow blues of "The Day You Left," as the guitarist re-harmonizes a traditional 12-bar form. The recording on the album is the first take he played in the studio — totally live.

"Clean Break" is a classic trio shuffle; "Getaway" shows Schofield is eager to continue finding new ways to play the blues, integrating odd time signatures into the genre.

"You don't find this approach much in the genre, new or old," he says. "To make it work, the unusual time, in this case 7/8, has to be especially groovy, with just the right feel. The end result makes for uniquely tense solo sections where the lines played on guitar have to weave around the time."

Other tracks include "Tell Me Some Lies," his nod to Jimmie Vaughan, and "Red Dragon," a tribute to Jimi Hendrix's approach to the blues — one take, all live, late at night, with the band following his every move.

Schofield pays his respects to Albert King with "Breaking Up Somebody's Home." Regarding the album's other cover song, "Yellow Moon," Schofield says, "It's funky New Orleans blues, originally done by the Neville Brothers and produced by Daniel Lanois, who we’re a big fan of."

For more about Schofield, visit mattschofield.com and his Facebook page. You can check out his current tour dates below the album stream.

Matt Schofield on Tour 2014:

3/12 Marlboro, NY The Falcon
3/13 Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse
3/14 Natick, MA The Center For Arts In Natick
3/15 Fall River, MA Narrows Center For The Arts
3/16 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
3/17 New York, NY Iridium Jazz Club
3/19 Wilmington, DE World Cafe Live at The Queen
3/20 Annapolis, MD Ram's Head On Stage
3/21 Plains, PA River Street Jazz Cafe
3/22 Richmond, VA Capital Ale House
3/23 Raleigh, NC Pour House Music Hall
4/06 Boca Raton, FL The Funky Biscuit
4/11 St. Petersburg, FL Tampa Bay Blues Festival
4/12 Live Oak, FL Wanee Music Festival

Bent Out of Shape: Learning Mozart's Symphony No. 25 in G Minor, Part 4

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Welcome back to "Learning Mozart's 25th Symphony in G Minor!"

It's been about a month since the last installment (which you can check out here), and I've been reviewing the previous parts.

In fact, here they are:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I have a few changes I'd like to suggest that I think will improve what we've already learned. As I said in the first lesson, I'm learning this piece section by section, so as we progress I might go back to previous parts with new ideas and suggestions.

Firstly, I think performing the piece unaccompanied sounds OK but lacks some crucial dynamics from playing the piece as part of an ensemble. For this reason, I've made a simple backing track that provides important counterparts, particularly from the bass/cello, which I feel greatly improves the experience of playing the piece. I've given you this backing track below. Use it to practice!

Note that it's for the entire piece — a lot of which we still have to learn. For now, just play along for as much you have learned. With each new lesson, you will progress further and further etc.

I'd also suggest that the arpeggios from Part 3 could be played with 16th-note tremolo picking instead of the violin "volume swell" technique I originally suggested. The video below demonstrates this, as well the new section we're about to learn.

Part 4 continues to focus on the relative major key of G minor, which is Bb major. Having said that, I've arranged most of this section to fit directly into shape 1 of G natural minor. For beginner guitarists, this is a good way to visualize how two different scales, in our case G minor and Bb major, can share the same notes.

The melody is not a challenge except for the ascending 16th-note scales in bars 16 and 17. These require a fairly good alternate-picking technique and should be practiced very slowly to ensure accuracy when playing them at the full tempo of 160 bpm.

The section ends with alternating Bb major and F major arpeggios, which could be played as single notes or 16th-note tremolo picking.

tab_4.jpg

To end I would like address an issue which came up from my last lesson. One of things I like most about writing for Guitar World is reading all the comments, particularly on Facebook. Last week someone commented that they didn't know how read TAB. Many people pointed out that, rightly so, that we were all beginners at one point and shouldn't assume "everyone" knows how to read TAB. For this reason, I have made a short video guide to give you a basic idea of how to read TAB. Cheers!

Will Wallner is a guitarist from England who now lives in Los Angeles. He recently signed a solo deal with Polish record label Metal Mind Productions for the release of his debut album, which features influential musicians from hard rock and heavy metal. He also is the lead guitarist for White Wizzard (Earache Records) and toured Japan, the US and Canada in 2012. Follow Will on Facebook and Twitter.

Aaron Lee Tasjan to release solo EP 'Crooked River Burning' March 25 on Rockwood Music Hall Recordings

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What do Jack White, Texas Country Superstar Pat Green and Steve Carrell have in common? Answer: Songman and guitarist, Aaron Lee Tasjan. Luckily for the midwest and south, Aaron will be bringing his songs, stories & other problems to a city near you and the rest of us will be able to enjoy his EP on March 25.

Over the past few years, Aaron Lee Tasjan has been quietly ascending the world of popular music in his own unique way. A formidable songwriter, Tasjan was a member in the critically acclaimed Semi Precious Weapons, Madison Square Gardeners, and toured with the legendary New York Dolls.

Aaron has penned tunes that have resulted in recording collaborations with Jack White, BP Fallon, Pat Green, Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Famers Nigel Harrison and Clem Burke of Blondie and Faces/Small Faces keyboardist, Ian Mclagan. He was also honored this past year by ASCAP at The Kennedy Center as one of America's most prominent new songwriters. On top of to all this, his songs have been featured in major motion picture The Way, Way Back staring Steve Carrell as well as TV shows The Voice and VH-1's Best Week Ever.

Tasjan has begun to build a career as an extraordinarily engaging solo performer often relating mostly true stories about his experiences on the road and in the music business to the audience during his shows. Says Tasjan of his influences, "My hero of all music is Kevn Kinney. The other people I dig are Tim Easton, Todd Snider and Tom Petty. It's not hard to figure out where I'm coming from."

Daytrotter's Sean Moeller agrees, adding, “Tasjan has a way of writing us back into moments and years that we’re no longer a part of. He sets us back in the 1980s when John Cougar, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty were writing and releasing their seminal recordings …”

All his hard work this past year has paid off. Tasjan just signed with Rockwood Music Hall Records, a new label based out of NYC, owned by Ken Rockwood, proprietor of the famous Lower East Side music venue, The Rockwood Music Hall. His EP, Crooked River Burning, will be released by the label on March 25.

Listen to the song" Junk Food and Drugs" from the EP here:

Upcoming tour dates here and check out www.aaronleetasjan.com for more info.

February 14th Nashville, TN Family Wash. w/ Shelly Colvin, Matt Campbell and Davin McCoy.
February 18th New York, NY The City Winery supporting Booker T. Jones 6pm.
March 5th Knoxville, TN The Well supporting John Moreland.
March 15th Austin, TX Threadgills SXSW for Folk Alliance.
March 26th New York, NY Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 Crooked River Burning EP release show. *Full band.
April 3rd Asheville, NC The Grey Eagle supporting Chris Knight.
April 5th Boston, MA Club Passim supporting Steve Wynn.
April 12th Chester, CT Dirt Floor Studios.


'Pink Floyd: The Black Strat' Tells History of David Gilmour's Iconic Guitar

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Catch a rare inside glimpse of one of the world's most revered guitarists, David Gilmour, and his iconic Black Stratocaster.

Pink Floyd: The Black Strat was written by Phil Taylor, Gilmour's personal guitar technician and the band's chief backline tech since 1974. He was the only man to know Pink Floyd's equipment better than the band.

This expanded edition of the book contains new information and many unpublished photographs that further chart the Black Strat's illustrious history. Amending and elaborating on the previous edition, it also continues the story where the last one left off with all the latest live appearances, information and photographs, including Gilmour testing the Fender Black Strat replica models; performances with David Bowie, Jeff Beck and others; and much more.

Check out this book at the Guitar World Online Store.

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Exclusive Video: The Making of Reverend Horton Heat's "My Hat"

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Today, GuitarWorld.com presents an exclusive behind-the-scenes video featuring Reverend Horton Heat.

You get to be a fly on the studio wall as bassist Jimbo Wallace, drummer Scott Churilla and guitarist Jim "The Rev" Heath (who's wearing a hat in the video) discuss the band's past, big tours, their vibe, records from the 1950s, their recording process — and the roots of "My Hat," a rocking track off their new album, Rev, which was released January 21 by Victory Records.

"I had the idea because I'm kinda getting beat up by the business side of Reverend Horton Heat," Heath says of the song, which was inspired by Bill Haley and the Comets. "I decided to write a song about getting your ass handed to you."

The new album, which was produced by Heath, is the followup to 2009's Laughin'& Cryin' with the Reverend Horton Heat. It features 13 tracks of pure psychobilly mayhem. Rev is available right here.

Reverend Horton Heat are on tour now, and you can see some of their current dates below the video. For all the dates — plus more info about Reverend Horton Heat, visit victoryrecords.com,Facebook and their official website.

2014 Reverend Horton Heat Tour Dates:

Mar 20, 2014 Flagstaff, AZ The Orpheum w/ Nekromantix
Mar 21, 2014 West Hollywood, CA Roxy w/ Nekromantix
Mar 22, 2014 West Hollywood, CA Roxy w/ Nekromantix
Mar 23, 2014 West Hollywood, CA Roxy w/ Nekromantix
Mar 25, 2014 San Diego, CA Casbah w/ Nekromantix
Mar 26, 2014 San Diego, CA Casbah w/ Nekromantix
Mar 27, 2014 San Diego, CA Casbah w/ Nekromantix
Mar 28, 2014 Las Vegas, NV Vinyl w/ Nekromantix
Mar 29, 2014 San Jose, CA Blank Club w/ Nekromantix
Mar 30, 2014 Sacramento, CA Ace Of Spades w/ Nekromantix
Apr 01, 2014 Fresno, CA Strummers w/ Nekromantix
Apr 02, 2014 San Luis Obispo, CA Slo Brewing Company w/ Nekromantix
Apr 03, 2014 Long Beach, CA Alex's Bar w/ Nekromantix
Apr 04, 2014 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre w/ Nekromantix
Apr 05, 2014 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre w/ Nekromantix
Apr 06, 2014 Taos, NM Taos Mesa Brewing w/ Nekromantix
Apr 08, 2014 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom w/ Nekromantix
Apr 09, 2014 Lincoln, NE Bourbon Theater w/ Nekromantix
Apr 10, 2014 St. Louis, MO Plush w/ Nekromantix
Apr 11, 2014 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads w/ Nekromantix
Apr 12, 2014 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill w/ Nekromantix
May 03, 2014 Plano, TX Oak Point Park Suburbia Music Festival
May 20, 2014 Lubbock, TX Jake's Backroom w/Pinata Protest
May 21, 2014 Midland, TX Blue Max
May 23, 2014 Ventura, CA Ventura Theatre
May 24, 2014 Las Vegas, NV Freemont Country Club
May 25, 2014 Bakersfield, CA B Ryders

For a FULL LIST of their current 2014 tour dates, head here!

Video: Guitar Cover of 'Super Mario Brothers RPG' Theme

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Below, check out this just-posted (February 11) video of a YouTube dude — FamilyJules7x— playing a mighty fine guitar cover of one of the many Super Mario Brothers RPG themes.

FamilyJules posted a lot of info with the clip, including:

"I decided to use the PRS [for rhythm guitar] since the song was in C# minor, and it gave me the option to hit the VI chord as a low A power chord, which was helpful.

"I'm starting to really be able to bring out the bass after countless comments that I need to 'turn it up.'

"I'd like to quickly address that I've seen that comment on numerous videos by home recording artists and I have to assert that anybody who thinks the solution to hearing bass in a mix is to just 'turn it up' has probably never done this sort of thing!

"Getting an instrument to be heard better doesn't involve simply 'turning it up' as much as carefully applying EQ on tracks to create head room for that instrument when dealing with multi-track recording."

Gear used on this recording:

Lead Guitars: Schecter Damien FR
Rhythm Guitars: PRS SE Custom 7 String
Bass Guitar: Ibanez Soundgear SR405QM
Classical Guitar: Cordoba C7
Ocarina: STL Zelda Tenor
Drums: Toontrack Superior Drummer

We've included two versions of the tune below for context. Enjoy! For more about FamilyJules7x, visit his YouTube channel.

Rob Zombie Announces Spring U.S. Tour Dates

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Rob Zombie has released his latest batch of spring U.S. tour dates. Check them out below!

For more about Rob Zombie, visit robzombie.com and his Facebook page.

ROB ZOMBIE ON TOUR>

4/26/14 - Fort Myers, FL - Fort Rock
4/27/14 - Jacksonville, FL - Welcome To Rockville
4/28/14 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle Atlanta
4/29/14 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues Myrtle Beach
5/1/14 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City Theater
5/2/14 - Louisville, KY - Iroquois Amphitheater
5/3/14 - Charlotte, NC - Carolina Rebellion
5/4/14 - Richmond, VA - The National
5/5/14 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
5/7/14 - Port Chester, NY - The Capitol Theatre
5/8/14 - Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
5/10/14 - Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center

Photo: Robb Fenn

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Monster Licks: Your Basic "Over the Top" Shred Lick

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In this Monster Lick, I'm using what I call the "E pentatonic major 3rd" scale — E, G#, A, B, D, E.

I'm substituting the minor 3rd (G) for the major 3rd (G#). Often, I'll keep the minor 3rd in the scale as well, because it gives it a harder edge.

Tonally, when you add the major 3rd and substitute it for the minor 3rd, you get a real Mixolydian sound. It is very important to understand what happens when you add and subtract notes, too — or from a scale.

I use this particular variation of the scale a lot, especially when Im creating melodies that need to have a bit of "cheek" about them. This sound reminds me of something Steve Vai would use. The character Steve injects into his playing is genius, and this is a way (tonally) I've found to help me capture a bit of that.

That said, this is a total shred lick. There is no character or melody in this; it's purely an example of how far you can take the scale idea.

The Lick:

I start this lick on the 12th fret of the low E string. From there I play two three-string arpeggios moving down the neck until I hit the B string. Once I reach the B string, I play a four-string arpeggio leading back up to the A string then into two more three-string arpeggios. There's a small legato transition before a six-string arpeggio that leads into the over-the-top section.

NOTE: Whenever you see an arpeggio (They are easy to identify because they run diagonally across the transcript), they are all picked using sweep picking, meaning one continuous stroke up or down the strings, like strumming a chord. Even though the picking is all in one direction, it must be a controlled motion. It's essential to make sure your right and left hands are syncopated, no matter what speed you're playing at.

As explained in previous Monster Licks columns, the over-the-top sections are great for a challenge but not necessary. I certainly don’t concern myself with techniques like this when I'm writing music, and neither should you. But they are fun to rip out and show your friends! Just look at it as a challenge, nothing more.

The important thing is to get a grasp tonally on what is happening here, and also to understand how the arpeggios are constructed. Like all of these licks, it's not important to be able to play them note for note or as fast as I do here. What's important is that you take something away from it and add it to your arsenal of licks!

I hope you enjoy this Monster Lick! Please join me on YouTube right here! Or contact me at glennproudfoot.com or my Facebook page.

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Australia's Glenn Proudfoot has played and toured with major signed bands and artists in Europe and Australia, including progressive rockers Prazsky Vyber. Glenn released his first instrumental solo album, Lick Em, in 2010. It is available on iTunes and at glennproudfoot.com.

First Listen: Sun Kil Moon’s ‘Benji’

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You have to be in a certain mindset to digest singer/songwriter Mark Kozelek’s sixth album as Sun Kil Moon, Benji, which was released on February 11, 2014.

Benji is a record that deals with topics like unexpected death, and how its ripple is felt across the framework of people who may have barely known the person in question.

It is also a record that anticipates death, and exposes in full detail the bare framework of family and friendship.

Kozelek explores the most intimate workings of the relationships that have defined his life, or the ones that have stuck with him the most. He gives you unprecedented access to the facts, to his memories.

In terms of brutal honesty, it probably puts any other record you’ve ever heard to shame. Sometimes, the honesty and the context don’t gel very well. But when they do, Benji is absolutely devastating.

The album’s opener, “Carissa,” masterfully lays the entire album on the line. Over a gorgeous, pulsating acoustic riff, Kozelek speaks of the second cousin who gave the song its name, and her tragic fate.

He talks about feeling concern for her when he saw her “fifteen, pregnant and running wild,” then failing to even recognize her at a family funeral years later. Kozelek wakes up one morning to the news that Carissa had died in a freak accident involving an exploding aerosol can.

sunkilmoon.jpgKozelek flies to Ohio “to get a look at those I’m connected by blood and see how it all may have shaped me.” As an opener, it’s a stunning, gut-wrenching exploration of death, family, and the relationship between the two.

Having set the stage for the strong theme of family that runs throughout Benji, Kozelek cuts even deeper on the album’s next two tracks. “I Can’t Live Without My Mother’s Love” is fairly self-explanatory. But, sarcasm aside, it’s a song that is honest in its feelings in a way that few other songwriters would even consider attempting.

Kozelek discusses his mother’s advancing age, and what will happen to him when she is not there anymore. He tears himself down to nothing, forecasting himself as being unable to emotionally cope with her imminent mortality.

The heaviness continues unabated on “Truck Driver.” Forecasted by a line in “Carissa” that describes the circumstances around her death as the “same as my uncle,” Kozelek tells of his uncle’s death on his birthday. Also, insanely enough (both stories are completely true), killed by an exploding aerosol can in the trash, it almost serves as a prequel to “Carissa.” The same themes run throughout this first trilogy of songs, and give them a staggering emotional weight.

The up-tempo “Dogs” gives the listener just a bit of humorous brevity. Over more urgent acoustic playing, Kozelek narrates, in entirely explicit detail that doesn’t leave the slightest thing to the imagination, the formative romances of his youth. For once the no-holds-barred honesty is a bit lighthearted, even if the song itself is unremarkable.

But the heaviness returns in full force with “Pray For Newtown.” Kozelek speaks of his reactions to famous massacres that have occurred throughout his lifetime. He sings of how, after the initial shock of the incident wears off, these incidents usually fade quickly from the minds of the average person. This is one instance where the heaviness gets a bit over the top. It makes the emotional weight of the album almost too much to bear; and seems a bit unneeded.

The loving, tender “Jim Wise” doesn’t back off the pedal either. Speaking of a man who recently mercy-killed his wife and unsuccessfully attempted suicide, its yet another emotional punch. Its melody though, is rewarding and beautiful enough to keep you trucking through.

Here’s “Richard Ramirez Died Today”

Clocking in at over ten minutes, “I Watched The Film The Song Remains the Same,” is the record’s show-stopper; a song that dwarfs all of the album’s other offerings. Humorous, regretful, morose, tragic, and contemplative, the song covers a million miles emotionally.

Telling a very loose assemblage of different stories that have occurred during his life, Kozelek is utterly captivating as a narrator. Over all of the various, alternating vignettes is the brisk acoustic finger-picking that is almost the song’s sole musical factor. It is a song that merges all of Benji’s innumerable emotional roads into one, incredibly cohesive and extraordinary whole.

After that, the winding “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes,” the sentimental “Micheline,” and the upbeat “Ben’s My Friend” almost do not matter. To their credit, all three are great in their own ways, but after “Song Remains the Same,” they feel mostly inconsequential. Kozelek had already said all he needed to say to make Benji a masterpiece.

To say the least, Benji isn’t dentists’ chair music. It is unrelenting in its emotional attack, making you contemplate and look inside of yourself just as much as Kozelek himself does.

But in its ambition, honesty, and execution, it is a staggering achievement. It puts into words universal emotions everyone has felt or will feel in the future. It fearlessly tackles the most unimaginable situations everyone will eventually face, and does it within the beautiful musical framework of a dusty vision of America that continues to disappear. But, even if that America is disappearing, and these emotions are the ones none of us ever want to face, Kozelek is determined against all odds to bring them vividly to life. On Benji, he does so flawlessly.

Find out more at http://www.sunkilmoon.com

Seiichi Daimo Debuts New Song "In The Inbetween" With EP Releasing February 25

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Singer-songwriter Seiichi Daimo has premiered his new track "In The Inbetween.," the title track for his upcoming EP, which is set to release on February 25, 2014.

Reminiscent of artists such as The Decemberists, City & Colour, and The Lumineers, Seiichi takes on an indie-folk style, with lyrics written in a pop mindset.

In The Inbetween, features four songs in a fleshed-out, full-band acoustic setting.

Taking cues from the likes of Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan, the opening title track shows Seiichi knows his way around writing a comforting melody. "I'm not the man that I wish that I was / But I do try / I'll sing my heart out tonight." Upon first listen, it's familiar, nostalgic and refreshingly new all the same.

Music as a mechanism for escape isn't a foreign concept. For people of all ages all across the globe, music has provided a haven where a person can be vulnerable, relate to another human in a universal sense and feel accepted. Seiichi has been one of those people for a long time. Coming from a family that immigrated to the United States, Seiichi's youth provided its fair share of obstacles. "There was a feeling of absence and abandonment from both of my parents growing up," he says. "I was angry. I couldn't relate to people." So he turned to music.

Listen to "In The Inbetween" here

Seiichi's Japanese-American culture turned him onto playing violin at a young age, and he became interested in learning to play the guitar for the sole purpose of writing his own music. Without many major musical influences in his youth, a middle school-aged Seiichi found his way into a local music scene in South Plainfield, N.J., after being born in Manhattan and growing up in San Diego.

Brand New, Thrice, Taking Back Sunday, and Fall Out entered the fold as influences as Seiichi fronted his first band, playing music as a form of self-therapy. He explains: "It allowed me to take off the armor and the mask that I had on shielding me from the world."

Now a solo act, Seiichi continues to approach his music as an outlet. In The Inbetween is the product of a man who wants to make his life his art, a man who uses music both as an outlet and as a way to hopefully help others, a man who isn't afraid to confront the realities of life. "For me, music is a medium where you can be completely honest and vulnerable," Seiichi says. "We all have closets we hide in, but music can break down those walls and connect us. I want to share my heart with whoever wants to listen."

In The Inbetween will be independently released on February 25. It was recorded in Central Ave Studios in New Jersey and produced by Joseph Stasio, who is also the guitarist for fellow Jersey outfit, The Ugly Club.

For updates, please visit seiichidaimomusic.com


Video: Guitarist Jimmy Herring's Instrumental Version of Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You"

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Is it just me, or are more artists covering this classic Led Zeppelin III song lately?

It's probably just me.

However, back in November, the Huffington Post shared a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You" by a New York City band called Heavy English, claiming it would "melt your face off."

You can check out Heavy English's version of the song below (featuring the impressive Sal Bossio on guitar and vocals) and decide just how face melting it is. We agree it's pretty cool.

Today, we offer up another cover of the song. It's an imaginative instrumental version by the Jimmy Herring Band.

The performance, which features Herring on guitar (of course), Neal Fountain on bass, Jeff Sipe on drums and Matt Slocum on keyboards, was recorded at a small club in Arkansas.

For those of you who don't know, the fleet-fingered Herring's resume includes the Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic, Phil Lesh and Friends, the Ringers and much more. For more about Herring and his current projects, visit jimmyherring.net. For more about Heavy English, visit them on Facebook.

Below, you can check out the Herring version of "Since I've Been Loving You" (top video) and the Heavy English version (bottom video). Enjoy both!

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Video: Gary Clark Jr. Performs National Anthem at NBA All-Star Game

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Sunday night, the seemingly ubiquitous Gary Clark Jr. turned up at the NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.

The Austin-based genre-blending blues-rock guitarist showed up at the horribly named Smoothie King Center with a Gibson, a slide and a breathtaking arrangement of "The Star-Spangled Banner"— all of which made a serious impression on the crowd in the stands.

Check out the two-minute-plus clip below and let us know what you think!

P.S.: The Eastern Conference All-Stars battled back from an 18-point second-half deficit to win the game, 163-155.

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Rodrigo y Gabriela Premiere Single "The Soundmaker" From Upcoming Release '9 Dead Alive'

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Acoustic rock maestros Rodrigo y Gabriela have shared the first song, "The Soundmaker," from their new album, 9 Dead Alive.

Guitarist Rodrigo Sanchez reveals, "'The Soundmaker' is a tribute to Antonio de Torres Jurado. He was a luthier from the 18th century, and his contribution to the world was to give the classical guitar the shape we know it now. If it wasn't for him, this album wouldn't even exist."

9 Dead Alive will be released April 29, and it's the band's first record of new material in five years. It was recorded and produced by Rod and Gab at their studio in Ixtapa, Mexico.

The album is available for pre-order at iTunes. "The Soundmaker" will download immediately upon pre-ordering.

Rodrigo y Gabriela previously announced tour dates in support of 9 Dead Alive. The first leg will include two nights at New York's Beacon Theater as well as performances in Los Angeles at the Orpheum and the Palladium.

They also are announcing an August 17 appearance at Red Rocks with support act Nathaniel Rateliff. The Red Rocks concert will be part of the band's summer tour slated for late July and August. A complete list of confirmed appearances is below. More will be announced soon. This will be Rod and Gab's first tour as a duo since summer 2011.

Check out "The Soundmaker" here:

9 Dead Alive sees Rodrigo y Gabriela playing face to face, guitar versus guitar, bursting with melodic energy and rhythmic invention. Recorded at their Pacific Coast hideaway in late summer, the album captures the warmth and spontaneity of two great musicians locked in together; perfectly distilled into nine new songs teeming with desire, elegance and gusto.

The end result is a thrilling explosion of rhythm and melody, capturing Rodrigo y Gabriela at their most inventive and exuberant.

A documentary film about them called For Those About to Rock: The Story of Rodrigo y Gabriela directed by journalist Alejandro Franco has been completed and will have its world premiere at this year's SXSW film festival in March.

Complete tour dates below:

May
1, 2 - New York, NY - Beacon Theater
6 - Los Angeles, CA - Orpheum
7 - Los Angeles, CA - Palladium
9 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
11 - Seattle - The Paramount

August
17 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks w/Nathaniel Rateliff

More dates to be announced. Find out more at rodgab.com.

Interview: Recording and Mixing Advice from Grammy-Winning Engineer Jason Goldstein

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Engineer Jason Goldstein has worked with top musical talent such as Beyonce, Jay-Z and the Roots.

Goldstein, who is based in New York, mixed the Lonely Island's The Wack Album and Turtleneck & Chain, which were nominated for a Grammy and an Emmy for Best Comedy Album, and won a Grammy for mixing Beyonce’s multi-platinum B-Day album.

Goldstein was involved in the design and release of Logic Pro X and helped create the R&B and hip-hop drum kits available to users in Drummer, a new virtual instrument introduced in the Pro X version of Logic. He's currently working with the Roots on their upcoming album, tentatively titled & Then You Shoot Your Cousin.

GUITAR WORLD: How do your techniques differ when working with an artist whose recordings are primarily about the beats versus someone like Beyonce, who is all about the vocals?

They’re pretty similar. I value records sounding consistent across the spectrum. A record should sound just as good on a pair of small speakers as it does in earbuds, a club, a car, or if you’re standing on a corner and a car drives by and the record is playing. All the nuances need to be as present in all those listening environments. It’s very easy to mix for one or two listening environments.

A club is easy, but when you turn it down, a lot of the definition you thought you had is gone. If you mix for smaller speakers, when you turn it up loud in a club, you get piercing high end or aggression that doesn’t translate well to that environment. I pride myself on having everything about the record speak. When you’re talking about a Beyonce record, it’s of paramount importance that Beyonce is out there and clear, but her records also have to make you bob your head.

“Single Ladies,” and even “Irreplaceable,” which I did, there’s a rhythm and a vibe that has to be there. If it’s not, she’s sort of standing by herself on top of the music bed and it doesn’t work. Conversely, if you feature the music too much, then you’re losing all the nuances that she has in her voice, the lines, runs, changes in pitch and emotions that she goes through in the course of singing a song. So striking a balance is the most important thing.

It’s the same with rap. Rap is about the lyrics, but it’s also about it being banging in a club, so I take the same approach. There’s got to be a balance between the two. When you turn around and someone is nodding to a record, you know you’re in the right world. If they’re talking to the person next to them, you don’t have their attention and you need to do something to change that.

If it’s not a great production, but the hi-hat pattern is ridiculous, that’s what I focus on. Make that the best hi-hat ever. Take something in every record and pull that out so that it moves them somehow. Dynamics are really important to me. We’ve lost a lot of dynamics because of the production styles now, and also because of the loudness wars. If I don’t know who’s mastering the album, I will mix into a limiter so that my rides and level adjustments throughout the songs stay there, even in mastering. Otherwise, mastering can literally change the volume — not just from section to section but within each section.

I try to minimize that now, and that’s why having a strong understanding of digital helps. I can fake what a master is going to sound like really easily, and make sure that my mix is going to stay the way I want it and that the talent and the producer like it. They sign off on it at the end of the day and I don’t want it to sound different when it gets to mastering.

You’ve noted in the past that the way you work in digital is based on the way you worked on an analog console.

Yes. I lay out my Pro Tools sessions like I would on an 80-input console. I have the drums to the left, the bass next to that, instruments that play all the time next to that, the lead vocal was always on 24 so that it was in front of me, the background vocals were always on 25 and 26 at my right hand, to the right were miscellaneous things, and I had faders in the middle that controlled the drums, the bass and the music.

Sometimes I would break that into kick and snare and whatever was a featured aspect of the song, so that I never had to leave the sweet spot when mixing, or as little as possible. All the effects are way off on one side. That’s exactly how I have my Pro Tools sessions set up. I have VCAs that I can use. Pro Tools is endless. I can have a VCA on every instrument if I want. But I have six or eight set up at the beginning of a mix, and I have subgroups, like on a console. If I had a 90-inch monitor and you could see the whole session laid out, it would look like a console. I use a lot of the same techniques when it comes to compression and the types of delay and reverb I use.

Obviously, it’s great. You can automate and change so much now. I can automate EQs and pop them on different tracks. It really makes it easier, but the techniques are the same. I don’t like reverb on every track. That’s a mistake a lot of beginners make. Not only does that eat up DSP, but it sounds different from having one reverb that you’re sending everything to.

Although it has its place in an effect-y kind of way, it’s not as natural-sounding and you end up with thirty reverbs going instead of one. There are common mistakes and practices that people without an education get into, and again, that’s where having that old-school journeyman education, and the ability to learn from so many guys and how they did things, really comes into play.

Without that old-school education, how can anyone learn?

It’s tough. I feel for these kids. There are plenty of schools and a lot of them are very good. USC and NYU have exceptional schools and they do their best to bring in guest engineers and producers. At Ocean Way, I would get the setup for the day for a band tracking date. I’d go in and get to see which mics the producer was using, he’d tell me which instruments they went on, and I would place them and take Polaroids. I would patch all that gear into the console, and I could go in after the session and see how much EQ he’d added.

I was listening the whole time the session was taking place, so I could hear how he was tweaking it, and then hear the finished result. At the end of the day, I could look at the mics and see where he moved them. I could hear the difference, literally, from where I placed them and the session started until he left. I could hear the sound, and I was seeing it happen and making the patches. I was in the room. Now everything happens on a computer screen. All the patching is virtual.

There are no recall notes taken at the end of the day. I don’t know how these guys get to learn, other than what they’re taught in school. Spending a month on a Don Was record or watching Han Zimmer’s guy, Alan Meyerson, mic a 100-piece orchestra and working with him pretty frequently — there’s no substitute for that. I worked with Glyn Johns and he had a three-mic drum technique. I don’t know how these guys get to do it. I guess it’s trial and error, work in a small studio, figure it out for yourself. Move the mics around. Play with it. The big studios, especially in New York, are gone, so that mentoring kind of thing doesn’t happen as much as it used to.

It does out west. There are still large facilities, if you can get a job there. I walked into Ocean Way and swept the floor and tarred the roof for six months before I got to make coffee. Now you probably have to be a graduate from Full Sail or NYU to even get that job, so it’s definitely a different thing. I try to educate any assistant I have. I ask them to take notes, and at the appropriate time when the client is not there, feel free to ask me questions about how I did something and why I did something, because how else are they going to learn?

For more about Goldstein, visit jasongoldsteinmixer.com.

Read more of Jason Goldstein’s interview here.

— Alison Richter

Alison Richter interviews artists, producers, engineers and other music industry professionals for print and online publications. Read more of her interviews right here.

Album Review: The Beatles — 'The U.S. Albums'

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Unless you’ve been under a rock, missed the Grammys and close your eyes while you’re at the grocery store checkout, you’ve probably noticed it’s the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in the U.S.

To mark the occasion, there’s a new box set called The Beatles: The U.S. Albums that, more than anything in the band’s recent catalog, is truly the sound of Beatlemania.

The 13-CD set, which compiles the band’s unique U.S. Capitol releases from 1964 to 1966, with 1970's Hey Jude thrown in for good measure, has caused an enormous stir amongst audiophiles, Beatles purists and some first-generation fans.

Since the announcement of the release late last year, the Internet has been alight with hand-wringing over what mixes would be — and should be — used to compile this set. Well, there’s an excellent breakdown of what’s what over at thebeatlesrarity.com, and the truth is that these aren’t really the albums you grew up with. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t still great.

“It seems like a bit of a scam not to use the original Capitol mixes,” musician Marshall Crenshaw, who’s also an alum of the late-1970s Broadway show Beatlemania!, told me recently when we chatted about the set. “I think the compression and the echo that they used in putting together those releases were a really important part of what made those records sound the way they did and what made them special.”

Crenshaw is right. But there are also plenty of places to find perhaps the first great rock and roll record, The Beatles Second Album, or the proto-folk perfection of the U.S. Rubber Soul and all of their bastard U.S. brothers, albums that bear no correlation to the Beatles’ U.K. catalog.

We’ve already had two volumes (eight CDs) of the Capitol Versions series, which were low budget but true to the original versions of the albums; armfuls of bootlegs, including the near-perfect Dr. Ebbetts releases that any industrious fan who can spell e-b-a-y can find, and, of course, the original vinyl versions, which still line used record and Goodwill stores everywhere.

So perhaps these aren’t the albums you bought in the mid-Sixties. But in this singles-driven, iTunes world we live in, not only would the “duophonic” (fake stereo) mixes on those original LPs be unacceptable to more casual fans, but even songs that were more or less direct transfers by Capitol in the 1960s that we got a sampling of on CD in those Capitol Versions sets pale in comparison to the recent 2009 remasters Apple painstakingly prepared.

In other words, think of it from the Beatles’ point of view. Millions of people every year are buying your music, mostly as single downloads via iTunes and other digital services, and only a small (if very loyal) percentage of them expect to hear things exactly as they did in 1964. Rather, you’d certainly turn off any teenager, or “civilian” fan for that matter, who might download “She’s A Woman” or “I Feel Fine” in the fake stereo versions prepared by the infamous Beatle-hating Capitol exec Dave Dexter.

So with that in mind, and on those relative merits, The U.S. Albums is a fantastic set. There are five albums from 1964 alone that spell out the doom of the adult-oriented world so prevalent in the pre-Beatles years in big, bold letters. By the time of the 1965 and ’66 albums, it’s truly game over, and the power and commercial influence of the burgeoning youth culture has truly taken hold.

There are certainly things for diehards to quibble about. While Apple did try to recreate the early-Sixties experience by adding reverb to some of the 2009 remasters, many of the mono fold-down mixes or mixes unique to Capitol’s original releases are missing. And the oomph of the over-compressed Dexter tracks is gone, especially on the Second Album.

But the overall listening experience of hearing these albums in pristine quality is probably worth it for most casual fans. The packaging, too, is top-notch, and the booklet, with an excellent essay from Bill Flanagan, includes some great pictures, though don’t expect the level of detail afforded the 2009 CD or 2010 vinyl remaster sets.

In the end, I suppose a little perspective is warranted. “Serious” fans were just given a wonderful surprise holiday gift in the 1963 Bootleg release. So if this one is more for the casual or younger fan, curious to revisit or learn what all the fuss was about in those months after JFKs assassination, when the world was turned upside down by four working-class kids from Liverpool, I say let them have it.

Jeff Slate is a NYC-based solo singer-songwriter and music journalist. He founded and fronted the band the Badge for 15 years beginning in 1997 and has worked with Pete Townshend, Earl Slick, Carlos Alomar, Steve Holley, Laurence Juber and countless others. He has interviewed and written about everyone from the Beatles and Kiss to Monty Python and rock musicals on Broadway. He is an avid collector of rock and roll books and bootlegs and has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Dylan and the Beatles. For more information, visit jeffslate.net.

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