This video is bonus content related to the April 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at our online store.
If someone were to open a mad-scientist hall of fame, Electro-Harmonix founder and president Mike Matthews would certainly be worthy of becoming one of its first inductees.
The stomp-box world’s equivalent of Thomas Edison, Matthews and his team of prolific inventors over the years have created hundred upon hundreds of wacky and wonderful devices that make every guitarist’s life more exciting and fulfilling.
Today, the Electro-Harmonix catalog offers a staggering number of pedals—more than 100—and the lineup keeps getting bigger and better. For this review, we looked at three of the company’s new—and incredibly affordable—distortion/overdrive pedals that recently made their debut: the Hot Tubes Overdrive, the Nano Big Muff π and the Soul Food.
Together, they deliver a rainbow of tones and textures. Individually, each will likely meet your needs no matter what type of dirt you dig. No matter what variety of distortion you need or prefer, this power trio pretty much has all of the bases covered.
It sort of sounds like any old, dusty blues recording you’ve ever heard.
Its distant notes bring to mind an America that exists only in the sort of colorless photographs you see in an art museum or Ken Burns documentary.
It evokes the fantastic myths of Robert Johnson’s death, and how he sold his soul to the devil.
But John Fahey’s “I’m A Poor Boy Long Ways From Home” wasn’t a recording made in the Mississippi Delta, or by Alan Lomax.
It was a highlight off of Fahey’s stunning 1959 debut album, Blind Joe Death, a record made in a church in Adelphi, Maryland.
“I’m A Poor Boy Long Ways From Home” highlights almost everything that makes Fahey’s debut so remarkable. At that time, the folk revival of the early 1960’s had yet to spring up, so the mainstream popularity of acoustic blues was at a low point.
Fahey, an extraordinarily gifted steel-string acoustic guitar player, instrumentally interpreted traditional blues songs through his own idiosyncratic finger picking style. While an instrumental album of steel-string acoustic blues may not seem all that unusual in today’s musical framework, in 1959 it was simply unheard of. Without funding from any major label, Fahey created Tacoma Records to press one hundred copies of Blind Joe Death.
At that time, the popularity of the wild, unhinged rock of the '50s had waned and been replaced once again by safe, shiny pop. Accordingly, Blind Joe Death, an album influenced almost solely by African-American blues and gospel, went absolutely nowhere commercially. And boy, what the American public was missing out on.
The aforementioned “I’m A Poor Boy Long Ways From Home” is the album’s wonderful highlight. Fahey simulates the life of a traveling bluesman with his guitar. He keeps rhythm with the bass note, creating an inescapable pulse, and lets the high notes tell a sad, lonesome story. The emotion and lyricism Fahey wrings out of the few notes he plays are incredibly vivid and real, springing them free of their humble, lo-fi origins.
Here it here:
“Uncloudy Day” is even more unusual, especially for its time. Fahey opens the track by alternating eerie harmonics with the ominous thud of a plucked bass notes. The song that follows is dark, almost haunted by ghosts. Once again, the subtle variations Fahey throws in on the song’s main riff serve to tell a story. Every note, whether emphasized or not, serves its purpose, adding a voice to the story.
“John Henry” is more of a country-blues track, using a different technique of acoustic artistry. With no percussion at hand, Fahey does a brilliant job of providing a steady, strong rhythm and melodic leads simultaneously. “In Christ Time There’s No East Or West” is another slow spiritual. A more optimistic track, it resonates with a grand sense beauty and hope.
The strength of Blind Joe Death is Fahey’s ability to interpret classic blues and gospel songs instrumentally and channel the true feelings of the songs through his playing. Recorded, produced and released by John Fahey himself, Blind Joe Death is an incredible acoustic album that was light-years ahead of its time both musically and aesthetically.
Jackson Maxwell is a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is double majoring in history and journalism. He is a staff writer for the Massachusetts Daily Collegian and has his own music blog entitled “Two Dudes, Two Computers” with his friend Zach Newman. You can follow him here at twodudestwocomputers.tumblr.com/ or http://themotorcade.tumblr.com/
Flamenco guitarist, producer and composer Paco de Lucia, who thrilled audiences for decades with his lightning-fast flamenco rhythms and fretwork, died early today (February 26) in Mexico. He was 66.
A spokeswoman for the town hall of de Lucia's native town — Algeciras, Spain — said de Lucia's family members said the guitarist died of a heart attack.
She added that de Lucia began to feel sick while on a beach in Cancun with his child. He died while being taken to a nearby hospital.
De Lucia, a proponent of the New Flamenco style, helped legitimize flamenco among the establishment in Spain and was one of the first flamenco guitarists to successfully cross over into other genres of music, including classical and jazz. He was often referred to as the world's premier flamenco guitarist and "Spain's greatest musical export."
His influence on flamenco guitar has been compared with that of Andrés Segovia's on classical guitar.
Richard Chapman, who wrote Guitar: Music, History, Players with Eric Clapton, described de Lucía as a "titanic figure in the world of flamenco guitar." In a 2011 interview with Guitar World, Yes guitarist Steve Howe said of De Lucia's group, "It was like music had been reinvented."
De Lucia, whose birth name was Francisco Sanchez Gomez, was born December 21, 1947. One of his best-known recordings was Friday Night in San Francisco, which he released with John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola in 1981. During the Sixties and Seventies, he formed a popular duo with late flamenco singer legend Camaron de la Isla. His 1973 rumba, "Entre Dos Aguas (Between Two Waters)," became one of the most popular recordings in Spain.
Friends and fellow guitarists have taken to Twitter and Facebook to express their sorrow over the loss:
"My dear friend has passed and we will never forget his important legacy! My years with Paco were amazing and unforgettable! I will miss him terribly:(( RIP Paco."— Al Di Meola
"Today we mourn the loss of one of the world's greatest. May you rest in peace, Paco de Lucia."— John Petrucci
"One of the greatest guitarists and composers of all time, Paco de Lucia, has passed away, RIP."— Alex Skolnick
Describing the death as unexpected and premature, Education and Culture Minister Jose Ignacio Wert said he was "a unique and unrepeatable figure."
De Lucia was awarded the Culture Ministry's Fine Arts Gold Medal in 1992 and the Prince of Asturias prize for the Arts in 2004.
The Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show, presented by Epiphone — America’s only hard-rock and heavy-metal awards show — has announced its return to Club Nokia in Los Angeles on April 23.
Among this year’s nominees are Black Sabbath, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica and many more.
Tickets for the 2014 Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show will be available starting 10 a.m. February 28 at axs.com/events/248802. Details will be announced soon for fans at home to tune in and catch all the action.
This year’s Ronnie James Dio Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose, with Rose taking his place in the Revolver Golden Gods hall of fame alongside Metallica, Rush, Mötley Crüe, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead and Ozzy Osbourne.
Rocker Joan Jett will be the recipient of the Golden God Award, given each year to one special honoree that embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal. The legendary axewoman, singer, songwriter and performer makes her mark in Golden Gods history as the first female to receive the coveted honor alongside such previous winners as Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons.
Jett’s latest album, Unvarnished, surged into the top 50 on the Billboard Top 200 upon its 2013 release and features the hit single “Any Weather.”
"No one deserves this award MORE than Joan Jett. She's never compromised who she is — she's a rocker through and through,” said 2011 Golden God Award-winner Alice Cooper, who will present Jett with the award at this year’s show. “I wish some of the younger bands had the balls that Joan Jett does!"
Both honorees will take the stage for special performances as part of the 2014 Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show, with Rose being joined by Guns N’ Roses and Jett appearing with the Blackhearts. Heavily nominated for their 2013 release The Paradigm Shift, former “Album of the Year” winners Korn will also make their return to the show to perform. Additional performers included on this year’s show are A Day To Remember, Zakk Wylde and The Pretty Reckless, with more acts to be announced. Appearances will include Dave Navarro, Orianthi, Ace Frehley, Scott Ian, Jamey Jasta and Chino Moreno. The crowd at Club Nokia and viewers at home can expect the show-stopping moments the REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW has become known for, along with surprise guest appearances and once-in-a-lifetime collaborations.
Hard-rock and heavy-metal fans can weigh in on who will take home this year’s awards in 12 different fan-voted categories. This list includes: “Album of the Year,” “Song of the Year” (presented by Randall Amplifiers), “Best New Talent” (Presented by Victory Records), “Best Vocalist,” “Paul Gray Best Bassist,” “Best Drummer” (presented by Razor & Tie), “Most Metal Athlete,” “Best Live Band,” “Best Film & Video” (presented by Eagle Rock Entertainment), “Comeback of the Year” and “Most Dedicated Fans.” New to this year’s show, the “Best Guitarist” award has been renamed after Dimebag Darrell, the late, great Pantera guitarist.
"I am very honored that Revolver is renaming the Best Guitarist Award after Dime! He was and always will be what heavy-metal guitar playing is all about,” said Vinnie Paul, brother of Dimebag and his bandmate in Pantera and Damageplan. “This award is given to the person with those special skills that sets them apart from others. Dime always went for it and I know he would be proud of the winner of this award. So go for it and may the best shredder win! GETCHA PULL!!"
Voting for all categories is open now at GoldenGods2014.com and ends on April 4, 2014.
In addition to his performance at the Golden Gods, Zakk Wylde and his band Black Label Society will make their way across the country as headliners of the 2014 Revolver Golden Gods Tour. Supporting the upcoming April 8 release of their new album Catacombs of the Black Vatican, the band will kick off the tour April 16 in Seattle and continue on the road through the tour finale in Los Angeles on June 7. Joining Black Label Society on the trek are supporting acts Down (on select dates), Devil You Know (featuring former Killswitch Engage vocalist Howard Jones) and Butcher Babies.
In addition to Epiphone®, sponsors of the 2014 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS include Eagle Rock Entertainment, Fearless Records, Randall Amplifiers, Razor & Tie, Roadrunner Records and Victory Records.
Cast your vote now at WWW.GOLDENGODS2014.COM. The full list of nominees for the 2014 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS presented by Epiphone® are:
Album of the Year
Avenged Sevenfold, Hail to the King
Black Sabbath, 13
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell, Volume 1 and 2
In print for over 10 years,Revolver is the No. 1 hard-rock and heavy-metal destination in the world. The cover of the magazine was recently named by Billboard to be the No. 1 place to get maximum exposure as a hard-rock artist. Each year Revolver throws the premiere U.S. hard-rock and metal awards show, the Revolver Golden Gods, which has featured appearances by Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Johnny Depp, Gene Simmons, Mötley Crüe, Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Rush, Slash, Marilyn Manson and many others.
About Epiphone:
For over 140 years Epiphone has been a leading innovator in musical instrument design. Epiphone is the official instrument of Rocksmith 2014, the critically acclaimed video experience that is teaching millions around the world how to play guitar and bass.
From Epiphone’s humble beginnings in Sparta, Greece in 1873 through its rise to fame in Manhattan, and its reemergence as a dominant force in musical instruments from its new headquarters in Nashville, TN, Epiphone instruments can be heard over a century of classic recordings include legends Les Paul, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Joe Pass, John Lee Hooker, The Who, and today’s top artists like Gary Clark Jr., Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Jack Casady, Joe Bonamassa, Zakk Wylde, Dwight Yoakam, Tommy Thayer of KISS, Slash, FUN., Matt Heafy, Alabama Shakes, Vampire Weekend, and Brendon Small. As part of Gibson Brands, Epiphone offers innovation, history, and the guarantee that their instruments can last you a lifetime.
This video is bonus content related to the April 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at our online store.
As I have discussed in previous columns, I often use triadic arpeggio forms within my riffs and solos as a tool to create rich-sounding, poly-chordal sounds.
I’d like to continue in that vein in this month’s column by presenting different ways in which to move from one arpeggio form to another, using a series of specific triads that complement one another well.
Let’s start with the triads Fs diminished and D major, as shown in FIGURES 1 and FIGURE 2, respectively.
The F# diminished triad is built from the notes C, F# and A, and the D major triad is built from almost the same set of notes, D, F# and A. Both FIGURES 1 and 2 show these triads as played in fifth position for comparison.
This video is bonus content related to the April 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at our online store.
When we reviewed the Randall Thrasher in the February 2014 issue of Guitar World, we discovered that Randall was making some fascinating low-wattage high-gain amps as part of its Diavlo Series.
A few weeks later, the new RD5H head and RD112-D cabinet arrived at our studio so we could put them through their paces.
While the Thrasher is a fire-breathing beast for the biggest concert stages, the RD5H Diavlo is designed primarily for the recording studio or practice when you want massive-sounding, highly saturated gain tones but don’t need 130dB to get your point across.
Common sources of confusion for less-experienced guitarists are the concepts of chord tones, non-chord tones, passing tones — and the differences between all three.
This topic came up recently when I was teaching a student via Skype.
He knew some of the basic scales (major, minor, pentatonic, etc.) and how to use them in soloing situations. But he thought he sounded like he was just running through patterns. No soul, no tasteful phrasing, just regurgitating patterns. Particularly, he didn't really know which notes to hold out and which notes sounded the best to bend.
This feeling of "hitting a wall" is something we've all gone through as musicians. Our initial reaction might be to quickly slap a Band-Aid over the situation and learn more licks or new scales. Sometimes that approach can help us get out of a slump. But in this situation, are we really addressing the student's concerns? No.
It's as if we're just prescribing various medications to treat a patient's chronic illness without examining its root cause, and determining whether we can offer a complete cure. Understanding why things happen and formulating a strategy of preventative medicine is the best approach in this analogy.
Instead of memorizing countless scale patterns from a book or a website, let's try to understand why certain notes sound better than others within these patterns.
We'll first look at chord tones. If you're familiar with some basic music theory, you might know that all major and minor chords are built on a foundation of three notes known as a triad. It is comprised of the first, third and fifth notes found within either a major scale (major chord) or a minor scale (minor chord).
The first note (the root) is obviously the center of attention and, consequently, all other notes will be judged either on their stable or unstable relationship to the tonal center. The third and fifth notes will have the strongest connection to the root note. Think of them as being in the "goldilocks" zone; they're not too far away from the root, not too close, but in just the right spot which produces a very appealing and balanced harmony. Bending or sliding into these notes will translate into a pleasing sense of resolution to the listener.
The second, sixth and seventh notes could be considered non-chord tones. They're still very useful, but they each introduce varying degrees of tension in relation to the tonal center. However, tension isn't always a bad thing and could add some much needed character to otherwise predictable sounding licks. You can sit on any of these notes, but beware, your ear will most likely pull you toward the nearest chord tone. At that point, you can decide how much tension you're willing to tolerate.
The fourth note is almost in a league if its own. When playing in a major key, the fourth is only a half step (semitone) away from the third. This makes things sound very tense if you decide to hold out this note. It will never sound resolved, always wanting to rest on the major third.
In a minor key, the tension is less obvious because that flat (minor) third is a whole step away from the fourth. In some rock and blues progressions, you can ride on the fourth for a little while and use that tension to your advantage. As always, use your ears and experiment.
Since any major or minor scale contains only seven notes (and there are 12 notes in Western music), we can assume there will always be five non-harmonic notes in a given musical context. These notes will never sound stable in relation to the tonal center and, therefore, we call them passing tones. Treat them with caution, but they've been used to great effect in blues, jazz and some rock music.
So now we have a harmonic hierarchy of notes in order of their primary (chord tones), secondary (non-chord tones) and tertiary (passing tones) roles. We can write licks and phrases based on this knowledge and decide when to maximize tension or resolution.
When you become comfortable with this hierarchy, memorizing patterns will seem less important. What's now important is the emotional impact you can communicate through your solos.
Chris Breen is a New Jersey-based guitarist with 14 years of experience under his belt. He, along with his brother Jon (on drums) started the two-piece metal project known as SCARSIC in 2011. Due to a lack of members, Chris tracked guitars, bass and vocals for their self titled four-song demo (available on iTunes, Spotify and Rhapsody). They have recently been joined by bassist Bill Loucas and are writing new material. Chris also is part of an all-acoustic side project known as Eyes Turn Stone. Chris teaches guitar lessons as well (in person or via Skype). If you're interested in taking lessons with Chris, visit BreenMusicLessons.com for more info.
As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis has pleaded guilty to plotting to kill his wife.
As reported by Billboard, the singer entered the plea at a court in California and admitted he had paid a police officer — who was posing as a hitman — $1,000 to kill his wife, Meggan Lambesis. He also gave the hitman, who called himself "Red," photos of Meggan and the gate codes to their home.
Lambesis, who has admitted a felony charge of murder solicitation, will face up to nine years in prison as a punishment. He had agreed to pay the hitman $20,000 once he had completed the job. He had asked him to kill her while he was looking after their children to make sure he had an alibi.
As Guitar World reported in September 2013, Lambesis, 32, was arrested May 7, 2013, at the Barnes & Noble in Oceanside, California, after he was recorded telling the undercover agent that he wanted his wife dead. He gave him an envelope full of money and instructions on how to kill his wife.
His wife filed for divorce in 2012 after receiving an email from Lambesis saying he no longer loved her. She later learned he was having an affair.
Prosecutors had previously alleged the singer was on tour in August when he emailed his wife, telling her hat he wanted to end their relationship. She later learned that he was having an affair. His defense attorney said his client had been using steroids for body building, which had altered his mental state.
In the pantheon of Ozzy Osbourne solo albums, 1988’s No Rest for the Wicked. is neither trailblazing like the Randy Rhoads–assisted Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman nor a high-water mark like the four-times-Platinum-selling No More Tears.
It hasn’t even stood the test of time all that well: although No Rest for the Wicked. moved more than a million copies in its first six months of release and was Osbourne’s second-highest charting solo effort up to that point, its songs—including hit singles like “Crazy Babies” and “Miracle Man”—are rarely, if ever, played live by the man today (though in recent years he has resurrected the power ballad “Fire in the Sky” at select shows).
But No Rest for the Wicked. will forever stand as an essential entry in the Ozzy Osbourne catalog for one very significant reason: it presented to the metal world the debut of a young guitar phenom by the name of Zakk Wylde.
Just 21 years old at the time of the album’s release, Wylde would go on to serve as Osbourne’s right-hand man for many years to come and grow into one of the most dynamic, influential and respected guitar players in modern hard rock and metal.
“He’s a fucking absolutely amazing guitar player,” Osbourne says of Wylde today, speaking to Guitar World from his home in Los Angeles. “And from the word go, he was great. He don’t fuck around. He hits it right in the fucking gut.”
And yet, back in 1987, Wylde—or, make that, Jeffrey Wielandt—was merely one among thousands of big-haired, big-riffing metal guitarists honing their craft in small-town bars and clubs across the U.S. At the time, the New Jersey native spent his days pumping gas at a service station and giving guitar lessons, and his nights playing in a local act named Zyris that had built up a strong area following. Wylde was also, as he has attested often over the years, a huge Ozzy and Black Sabbath fan.
“I loved Sabbath, loved Randy, and I thought Jake [E. Lee] was great, too,” the guitarist, now 46, recalls. “And I remember around that time [in 1987] hearing Ozz on The Howard Stern Show. Jake was gone and he was looking for a new guy. And Barb [Wylde’s then-girlfriend, and now wife, Barbaranne] said to me, ‘If you could just get a tape to him…’ And it was like, ‘Yeah, sure. How am I gonna do that?’ ”
The answer to that question came just a few weeks later, after a Zyris performance at Close Encounters, a club in Sayreville, New Jersey. “It was a Saturday night gig, in front of, I don’t know, maybe 108 people,” Wylde says with a laugh. “Nothing too spectacular. And afterward, I’m loading up my gear and this guy named Dave Feld comes up to me and says, ‘Have you ever thought about auditioning for Ozzy?’ And I’m like, ‘Sure, whatever dude. You know the guys from Zeppelin, too?’ But he told me if I put together a demo tape and took some pictures he could get it to a friend of his, [photographer] Mark Weiss, who had just finished doing a shoot with Ozzy.”
Though Feld would later work for Atlantic Records—according to Wylde, he was responsible for pairing another New Jersey band, Skid Row, with singer Sebastian Bach—at the time he was merely a local acquaintance of the guitarist’s. “Dave said, ‘I can’t promise you anything, but it’s a shot,’ ” Wylde continues. “So I figured, Why the hell not?”
For his audition tape, which over the years has cropped up in various configurations online, Wylde compiled a few original riffs and solos, as well as some acoustic classical performances and his interpretations of Rhoads’ leads from the Blizzard of Ozz classic “Mr. Crowley” and Diary of a Madman’s “Flying High Again.”
Even at this young age, Wylde’s playing, despite some era-appropriate pop-metal and neoclassical moments in the original material, sounds remarkably similar to his style today, full of incredibly speedy and precise alternate-picked passages and wide, vocal-like note vibrato.
The quality of the recording, however, did not match that of the playing. “I think I had two boomboxes going,” Wylde recalls. “I recorded myself doing the rhythms on one, then played that back and soloed along with it and recorded that on the other one. It was early multitracking.” But Feld did in fact make good on getting the tape, via Mark Weiss, to Ozzy’s camp. In time, Wylde received a call at his parents’ house from Osbourne’s wife and manager, Sharon, asking him to come out to L.A. “The running joke was that it was one of my jackoff friends putting his mom on the phone to fuck with me,” Wylde says. “But then they sent me a plane ticket.”
Wylde was one of several hopefuls, out of a pool of what has been reported to have been more than 400, to receive an invite to audition. He recalls arriving at an old rehearsal space off of Lankershim Boulevard in Los Angeles. “I walk into the room, and here I am, first time ever in L.A., and I’m meeting Ozzy Osbourne. And Ozz comes in and—I’ll never forget it—he goes, ‘Have I met you before?’ ”
Osbourne, of course, had not, though he had in fact seen Wylde. “You can only imagine how many fucking tapes and photos we got when I was looking for a guitar player,” Osbourne says. “And the only one I remember even picking up, oddly enough, was Zakk’s. And he had this picture on it, and I said, ‘Oh, a Randy Rhoads clone! And I tossed it aside. You see him now and he looks like a member of the fucking Taliban! But then he was very clean cut, with big, blonde hair. A boy.”
A boy, perhaps, but certainly not one of Rhoads’ diminutive stature. Says Wylde, “I remember one time early on Ozz just looking at me, and I’m a good six feet tall, and he just goes, ‘Well, fuck that. There’s no way I’m gonna try to pick you up like Randy!’ ”
He continues. “But people always ask me, ‘What did Ozzy say to you before you actually played? What was that like? And this is the truth. He said, ‘Zakk, all I want you to do is play from your fucking heart.’ Then, afterward: ‘Change your trousers. ’Cause you stink. Also, make me a ham sandwich. And go light on the mustard!’ ”
According to Wylde, his audition also included drummer Randy Castillo and bassist Phil Soussan, both of whom had performed, along with Jake E. Lee, on 1986’s The Ultimate Sin. Among the songs he played were “Suicide Solution,” “Bark at the Moon” and “Crazy Train.” “The mandatory tunes,” he says. In the end it came down to Wylde and one other candidate, a guitarist named Jimi Bell who had worked previously with Joan Jett (Bell would go on to play with Geezer Butler’s solo band and, more recently, design the Shredneck guitar practice tool).
And though Wylde says he didn’t have much contact with the other players vying for the spot, he also knew it was his to lose. “I remember when I was out there auditioning, they put everyone up at the Hyatt on Sunset. And some of the guys there were talking about how well the gig pays, this and that.
They weren’t really Ozzy or Sabbath fans. They could give a shit. The analogy I always use is they just wanted to play for the Yankees, you know? Because that’s where the money was. Whereas I had every picture of every Yankee up on my wall, and knew everybody’s batting average. To me, the pinstripes were a sacred fucking thing. So I thought, Fuck these clowns. I’m gonna get this fucking gig.”
Wylde did get the gig and soon enough was shipped off to England with the rest of the band to begin writing the songs that would become No Rest for the Wicked.. The group holed up at what Wylde recalls as an “old horse stable near Brighton that had been converted into living quarters and a rehearsal space.” The best thing about it? “The pub was walking distance, just down the road,” he says. “Ten in the morning, Ozz would be there having cocktails, and then, after jamming all day, we’d all close it out at night.”
From England, the band relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where writing sessions continued. By this time, bassist Soussan had exited the group, and longtime Osbourne associate Bob Daisley, who performed on Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman and Bark at the Moon, returned to the fold. On record, the new music that they were composing—evidenced on stomping, groove-heavy songs like “Crazy Babies” and “Breaking All the Rules,” and the rampaging “Miracle Man” (which also featured the first riff Wylde wrote as a member of the band)—proved to be thicker and heavier than anything Ozzy had done in recent years.
This change was partly a result of Wylde’s aggressive playing style and ballsy, Les Paul–led attack. But it also had something to do with what Ozzy saw as deficiencies in the sound of his previous album. “The reason why No Rest for the Wicked. became a heavier album for me is because when we did The Ultimate Sin with [producer] Ron Nevison, I got the impression he didn’t really put anything into it,” Osbourne says. “Every track to me sounded very similar. And it was not my favorite kind of sound.”
And yet, the initial No Rest sessions, which took place with legendary Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker at Enterprise Studios in Burbank, California, offered up similarly underwhelming results. “I had a lot of problems with Roy, too,” Osbourne says. “Somebody else had to repair the album, because he had done a bad fucking job.”
Says Wylde, “When we first went into the studio, I remember being so excited, like, ‘Wow, we’re working with Roy Thomas Baker! He worked with Brian May!’ I was thinking that this was where all the magic was gonna happen. But pretty early on, I knew that wasn’t going to be the case. There was one time I was listening back to some guitar tracks, and I said to Roy, ‘Dude, we need more meat on my guitar tone.’ And I remember he turns to me and goes, ‘Well, Zakk, hit the “meat” knob.’ That was it! So, needless to say, it didn’t pan out with Roy.”
From there, things only went from bad to worse. “At the end, we got the tapes back, and it didn’t sound like a record,” Wylde continues. “It didn’t sound like the real deal. And I remember saying to Mom [Wylde’s nickname for Sharon Osbourne], ‘It just doesn’t sound good. Do you think Roy would let me redo the guitars?’ And she said, ‘Ask him.’ And I go in there and I’m shitting my pants because I’m all of 20, 21 years old. But I say, ‘Um, Roy could I ask you ask a question? Do you think we could redo my guitars?’ And he says, ‘Yeah. On what song?’ And I go, ‘All of them.’ And there was a pause. Roy was tapping a pencil on the console. And all of a sudden he throws it up and it sticks into the ceiling. He gets up, grabs his briefcase and just storms the fuck off. And the engineer is sitting there shaking his head, and he goes, ‘You shouldn’t have said that…’ ”
Needless to say, Osbourne eventually severed ties with Baker. The band then hooked up with producer Keith Olsen, best known for his work with Fleetwood Mac, and reconvened at his studio, Goodnight L.A. Says Zakk, “When Keith came in, he saved the fucking day.”
Olsen also saved Wylde’s guitar tone. At Enterprise Studios, Wylde, who had tracked his parts using Lee Jackson Metaltronix amps, had been frustrated with his overall sound. At Goodnight L.A., he recalls, “I was talking to Keith about what I wanted from my tone, and I played him TNT’s ‘10,000 Lovers (In One).’ I was like, ‘Listen to Ronni Le Tekro’s fucking guitar!’ I had the Grail [Wylde’s 1981 original bull’s-eye Les Paul, with EMG 81 and 85 pickups], and Keith said to me, ‘All right, Zakk, plug into this.’ And it was a [Marshall] JCM 800 combo amp—the same one John Sykes used on the Whitesnake record [which Olsen co-produced]. We ran a line out to a Marshall 4x12 cab, I threw in my Boss SD-1 [Super OverDrive] and double-tracked everything. It sounded huge, and that was it.”
For Wylde, distinguishing himself from the heavy metal pack on what would be his recorded debut meant not only nailing the perfect tone but also finding his own voice when it came to the actual playing. He achieved this on his solos through a process of elimination. “Guys like Yngwie were really big at that time, but I wanted to make sure I sounded like me,” Wylde says.
“So I had my grocery list of shit I wasn’t going to do: Sweep picking—cross that off. Harmonic minor scales—cross those off. Diminished scales—off. Tapping—off. And then I said, ‘What’s left?’ And basically it was pentatonic scales. So I started there, and then I heard some of the country stuff, like chicken pickin’, and I thought, That’s bad ass. So I incorporated some of that shit into my playing, which you can hear on songs like ‘Crazy Babies’ and ‘Devil’s Daughter.’ ”
Adds Osbourne, “Zakk on that album did some fucking great solos. And what I admired about him was that he had worked the solos out. He didn’t just fill the gaps with a little fingertapping and fucking bullshit. I remember when he did the ‘Devil’s Daughter’ solo, I just thought it was awesome.
“But you know, I have a knack for finding great guitarists. Jake E. Lee, he was and still is a great guitar player. But it was just one of those things that happened. And Zakk would ask me questions about the previous guys, about Randy, about Jake, about Tony [Iommi]. He wanted to learn. And he only got better. People used to say to me, ‘Why don’t you go for the best soccer player?’ And I’d say, ‘No. I have more fun watching a guy who wants to be the best soccer player develop into him.’ Zakk was that guy.”
No Rest for the Wicked. was officially released as Osbourne’s fifth solo album on September 28, 1988, and a little less than two months later he and the band kicked off a U.S. arena tour, with openers Anthrax, in support of the effort. By this time, there had been some changes to the lineup. Bob Daisley had been replaced with Geezer Butler (meaning that Wylde now found himself playing songs like “Paranoid” and “Iron Man” alongside half of the original Black Sabbath). Furthermore, Zakk Wylde was now, well, Zakk Wylde. According to the guitarist, the development of his name had begun even before the Ozzy gig.
“Back when I was still playing in bands in Jersey I had changed the spelling of my last name from Wielandt to Wylant, because no one could ever pronounce it,” he says. “And then at one point, Barb had said to me, ‘If we have a kid someday, it’d be cool to name him Zack.’ So I just started using the name for myself! Then after I got the gig with Ozz, we were sitting around one time and he says to me, [adopts Ozzy voice] ‘Well, you gotta change your name. We can’t be playing Madison Square Garden and have it fucking say Ozzy Osbourne and Zack Wylant.’ So one night we’re hanging out, getting hammered, and a song by Kim Wilde, that hot British pop singer, comes on. And I said, ‘Fuck it, Ozz, what about Zakk Wylde?’ And he goes, ‘I like that. We’ll use that.’ ” Wylde laughs. “Not only did I take my name from her, but if you look at some of my early photos, I probably stole her look, too!”
As for the No Rest for the Wicked. tour, Wylde’s first full-scale outing, he recalls, “We were getting blasted and having a blast. Onstage, my pants would split and my balls would be hanging out as I played, or Ozzy would be hauling ass to the back during Randy’s drum solo because he had to take a huge shit. Afterward at the bars, we’d be pissing into pint glasses, seeing who could drink them the fastest. There’d be the goofiest shit going on all the time.” He laughs. “But at least no farm animals got hurt in the process.”
To this last statement, however, Wylde may not be entirely correct. At one point, the band headed to England to shoot a video for the album’s leadoff track, “Miracle Man.” In keeping with the lyrics of the song, which taunted the then-recently disgraced televangelist Jimmy Swaggart, a longtime outspoken critic of Osbourne’s, the group was filmed performing in an old church, with Ozzy surrounded by his own personal flock—dozens and dozens of pigs. A great concept, but one that produced an unexpected result.
“When the music went on, the pigs all took a massive shit at the same time,” Osbourne recalls. “Because it was so fucking loud in there. My wife went, ‘Oh, fuck!’ The playback started and they all went pfffffftttt! Sixty pigs shitting! I had a pair of brand-new suede boots on, and I never wore them again. I couldn’t get the fucking smell of pig shit out of them.”
It should also be noted that playing to a roomful of pigs was not even Wylde’s first performance with Ozzy to take place in front of a less than traditional audience. His debut gig with Osbourne, just months after he joined the band, happened not in front of an arena full of rabid metal heads but rather at Wormwood Scrubs prison in West London, where they played a short, one-off set for inmates in July 1987. “People always ask me, ‘Zakk, were you nervous for the first show?’ ” Wylde says. “Put it this way: I was clean shaven, 20 years old, weighed about a buck-fifty. I was the closest thing those guys were gonna see to Farrah Fawcett. So I was just thinking I best not fuck up. Because Ozzy might have left me in that jail.”
By the time the No Rest for the Wicked. tour wrapped in August 1989—at a gig before more than 100,000 fans at the Moscow Music and Peace Festival in Russia—Wylde’s place in the band was firmly cemented. From there, the newly minted outfit took some time off before regrouping, once again with Daisley back in the fold, to write and record what would become 1991’s No More Tears.
Featuring some of Ozzy’s most beloved songs, including the title track and the power ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” Tears remains a creative and commercial high point for Osbourne in his solo career.
“It’s one of my favorites,” Osbourne says. “And the way I see it, No Rest for the Wicked. was kind of the developing album to get us to No More Tears. Every time I put a new band together, it gets to a certain point where you know each other and you’re sure of each other. After recording and touring together for a few years, Zakk and I were at that point. And everything fell into its right place.”
Wylde went on to record and tour with Ozzy throughout much of the Nineties and early 2000s, with a break during which he was replaced with Joe Holmes. And while he is currently fully devoted to leading his own unit, Black Label Society, and Osbourne is committed to his guitarist Gus G., in 2012 Wylde also joined his former boss as a guest on the Ozzy & Friends European tour.
As for the possibility, 25 years after No Rest for the Wicked., of the two recording new music together, both men are open to it. “Gus is a slamming guitar player, and it’s his gig,” Wylde says. “But Ozzy knows I’m just a phone call away. If he needed anything I’d always be there for him.”
Adds Osbourne, “I never say never anymore. Look, I thought I was never going to do another Black Sabbath album because it was getting on to a ridiculous time. But we did it, and it was Number One all over the place. So with Zakk, I’m not putting it out of the picture, and I’m sure he’s not either. If it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen. And we’re great friends. Our wives talk, the kids come over, he’s like a family member.”
“Our relationship is bigger than music,” Wylde concludes. “I mean, Ozzy’s the godfather of our oldest boy. If he called me up and said, ‘Zakk, can you bring over some milk and eggs and feed the dogs?’ I’d say, ‘Yeah Ozz, of course.’ ”
And if he wanted a ham sandwich with that?
“No problem,” Wylde says, then laughs. “And I’d go light on the mustard!”
TailPeace Dsignz has introduced its new Snake, Steer, Skull and Cross guitar tailpieces.
From the company:
Now you can replace almost any “bar” tailpiece from any brand guitar with one of our unique designs. Enhance your instrument’s tone and looks in seconds.
These Patent Pending lightweight designs mount easily on traditional tailpiece studs and appear suspended or floating without ever touching the surface of your guitar. Set your self apart, stand out on stage and increase your guitar’s sustain in a minute.
• No tools needed • No modifications • Goes on in seconds • Does not touch the surface of your guitar • High-quality construction and detail • Enhance the tone of any guitar • Made in the U.S.
Available in four finishes: Chrome, Nickel, Black and Gold. Suggested retail base price (Chrome) starts at $79.95 to $99.95. Seventy-five percent of all proceeds will be donated to local and regional charities to benefit animals and children in need.
When I hear about parlor guitars, I picture someone sitting by the fireplace in their 19th-century mansion, strumming chords while wearing a smoking jacket.
Maybe that’s just me.
A parlor- (also spelled parlour-) style guitar is easy to spot because of its smaller body. This gives the guitar a unique, punchy midrange tone and makes it easier to play and transport. Early American blues and folks artists preferred them for these reasons — plus they often were more affordable than dreadnoughts.
Norman released its own version, the Parlour SG, as part of its Expedition series. The top, back and sides are made of a three-way lamination of wild cherry. The bridge and fretboard are rosewood. The nut and saddle are TUSQ by Graphtech. Additional options include a TRIC case and a Fishman Isys + electronics system with built-in EQ and tuner.
The scale of the guitar measures to just under 25 inches, so even with a smaller body, the neck and fret spacing feels common. The built-in tuner on the Fishman pickup makes tuning a cinch.
The Norman comes well setup with Cleartone strings. The finish feels great. It falls somewhere between glossy and satin, similar to an already-broken-in guitar. The sound hole is decorated with a burned-in rosette that lets you know the guitar is handmade in Quebec, Canada.
Instantly this guitar could become “the couch guitar." The unplugged volume is a little quieter than your average acoustic. The TRIC case, which stands for Thermally Regulated Instrument Case, is a durable hybrid of a hard case and a gig bag. If you need to leave the couch, this guitar and case would make great traveling companions for work or camping.
For the sound clips below, I played the same chord progression three times. First, the unplugged guitar is mic’d up. Second, the guitar’s pickup is plugged in direct. Finally, I blended together the pickup with the mic.
Web: normanguitars.com Street Price: Norman Expedition Parlour SG Isys+ (with case and electronics), $349
You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but Billy Voight is a gear reviewer, bassist and guitarist from Pennsylvania. He has Hartke bass amps and Walden acoustic guitars to thank for supplying some of the finest gear on his musical journey. Need Billy's help in creating noise for your next project? Drop him a line at thisguyonbass@gmail.com.
Guitar is a practice. It’s not something you work on until some magical day when you’ve “got it.”
It’s a constant teacher, challenging and furthering us if we stick with it.
Like any practice, you actually have to practice in order to learn anything. This is one of the biggest challenges with any skill you want to learn. As soon as we try to start a new habit, all sorts of resistance pops up and creates obstacles to sticking with it.
Being masters of rationalization, it’s easy for us to come up with reasons to skip practice. “I don’t have time.” “I’m too busy.” “I work too much.” “I’m too tired right now.” “I don’t know what to practice.”
There’s nothing wrong with this. Facing these sorts of obstacles and rationalizations is actually a huge lesson that can be learned through guitar playing.
Let’s take a look at a few ways to sidestep the many rationalizations we may come up with.
Start Small
One trick to get yourself to practice regularly is to start very small. Make it your goal to practice every day for a week for such a small amount of time that you can’t talk yourself out of it.
Five minutes can be a good starting length, but feel free to start out with one minute of practice every day if that helps. Who doesn’t have time to play guitar for literally one minute?
After a week, bump up the time just a little, maybe from five minutes to seven or 10 minutes. It will be slightly easier to play for this longer amount of time because a habit is starting to form. Keep increasing the time each week until you’re practicing for whatever amount of time you’d like, whether that’s 20 minutes, 30 minutes or even an hour a day.
Get Specific
Being vague about your practice leaves lots of room for rationalization. For example, saying “I should practice guitar more” means absolutely nothing. It’s not going to turn into action.
However, saying “I will practice for five minutes every day this week at 8 p.m.” means something. Then it’s clear whether you’ve actually done it or not. You’ve become accountable to yourself. Even better, tell someone else what you plan to do so that you’re accountable to someone other than yourself too.
Set Goals
Another really useful tool for keeping practice on track is goal setting. Set long-term goals and goals for each practice session.
For long-term goals, take some time to think about what you’d like to be able to do with the guitar that you can’t do now. Would you like to write an album’s worth of original music? Or sit in at an open jam at a jazz club? Or learn all the guitar parts on a particular favorite album? Once you’ve determined your goals, be sure to write them down.
For each practice session, come up with a few concrete things you’d like to work on during that time. Make sure these practice areas relate to your long-term goals.
If your long-term goal is to play at a jazz club, maybe you could focus on transcribing a standard by ear during your practice session. If your long-term goal is to learn an album, maybe you could focus on just working on the intro to the first song on the album. Make sure you’re being realistic about what you could actually accomplish during one practice session.
Willpower tends to wear off after a week or two, so be sure to share your goals with your friends. Use willpower while you’ve got it to set up a support system to help keep you going when the times get tough.
I’ve followed the musical career of Jonatha Brooke for a dozen or so years, but knew very little about her thespian side.
I had read bits and pieces about her family life, and a trickling about the musical play that she wrote and in which she now stars at the Duke Theater in New York City.
The title, “My Mother Has 4 Noses” was, I presumed, a comedic homage to her mother, whom I had read about some years prior, who had some affiliation to the clown community.
It made sense to me. After all, a clown’s got its human nose, and then at least one big red nose, and who knows how many more?
As it turns out, the title is not a metaphor. Her mother did indeed, have four prosthetic noses.
So there I was in row F, close to the stage, actually, at The Duke, the ideal venue for this intimate-style show, since every seat provides the physical ability to connect with the performer.
The sparse quaint set was dressed with a table, chair, bookcase replete with books and trinkets, a digital piano, and not one, but two Olson acoustics. Ben Butler (guitar/musical director) and Anja Wood (cello) are positioned towards the rear of the stage, subtly out of the limelight, providing seamless support.
Then, out came Jonatha Brooke. The journey begins with Brooke acquainting us with her mother’s four noses, using projected images to aid our visual perception. She continues to use projections along the way to draw us closer to her mother’s world of reality, as well as surrealism.
And then, just as the clicking ceases when a roller coaster inches over the summit about to plummet towards the ground, the audience gets catapulted into two 45-minute rides, separated by a brief intermission, twisting and turning through the mind of Jonatha Brooke.
Brooke recounts the stories of her childhood—what it was like to grow up in a Christian Scientist home and how that played a role in casting her malleable character, for example, when she broke her wrist, she was told, “God would heal it.”
Her affectionate, yet sometimes satirical portrayal of her mother probes deeply into the world of healing, cancer, and dementia, demonstrated throughout with wit, charm, and intellectually penned pieces of music. One scene is even titled “Poop,” and offers a detailed, albeit humorous account about dealing with her mother’s biological needs. Not an everyday topic, one would agree.
Brooke’s multi-dimensional voice can be angelic, aggressive, passive, and outraged—but always appropriately tuned to the melody. Well into the play, there’s a line “How far you’d go for love.” As Brooke explained, “That's a story I tell when Mom is sort of at this very clear turning point, and she's starting to talk about dying.
“I think that anyone who’s been through this knows that it becomes part of the daily dialogue of someone who’s down this path…but it was also the point where I was realizing how much I loved her, and how grateful I was for the opportunity to care for her. So I wrote this song called ‘How Far You'd Go For Love.’ In the play, the song is split in half by this dialogue about how scary it was, and yet how beautiful the caregiving was.”
“How far you’d go for love…" the chorus sings… “You never know how far you'd go for love, until you go far beyond what you have ever known of love, for love.” It’s a sentiment Brooke explores throughout the performance, and perhaps in her adulthood, caring for her mother as she aged. Brooke was inspired to write the play while her mother was still alive, with her mother’s blessing. She also received encouragement from her fans and husband/manager, Patrick Rains.
Here's an excerpt of the show, "Are You Getting This Down?"
Born in Chicago and raised in Boston, Jonatha Brooke is the daughter of the late Robert Nelson, a writer for The Christian Science Monitor, and Nancy Lee Stone. Stone, who attended Principia College and Northwestern University, was a poet and professor. As Brooke said, “The column she wrote [for The Christian Science Monitor] for 10 years was penned under Darren Stone Nelson. In later years, as her focus was more on her poetry, it became simply Darren Stone. But Mom preferred to be recognized affectionately by her nickname, “Stoney.”
According to Brooke, both parents were her primary source of encouragement throughout her life. When asked how much her mother’s love of poetry played a role in her ability to write music and lyrics, she replied, “Mom was my most beautiful fan, as was Dad. Mom loved language, words, and of course, poetry.”
Brooke’s music has appeared on several films, including Disney’s “Return to Neverland,” “Tinker Bell,” and TV shows such as Joss Whedon’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the short-lived “Dollhouse,” as well as “Ally McBeal,” and “The Hills.”
Her musical influences—Rickie Lee Jones, Suzanne Vega, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, The Who and Joni Mitchell, and the musicals “West Side Story,” “Godspell” and “The Sound of Music” (“I know that show by heart”, she said) are abundant throughout her catalogue. She has recorded with Joe Sample, Christian McBride, Steve Gadd, Greg Leisz, Davy Knowles, Chris Botti, and others, and has released several wonderful solo albums, including 2008’s amazing The Works.
Today, Brooke’s religion is “Love.” Brooke appears to be at peace with the relationship she had with her mother, and the selfless tribute and dedication shown to her is evidenced by “My Mother Has 4 Noses.” Audience members who have cared for an ailing loved one will appreciate the honesty Brooke weaves in, recalling loved ones of their own.
The production runs through May 4 at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street, Manhattan; 646-223-3010, dukeon42.org. Jonatha’s website is jonathabrooke.com. Her new album, which bears the same name, can be found on iTunes, Amazon, and jonathabrooke.com or 4noses.org.
As you might've read in the February 2014 issue of Guitar World, Former Ozzy Osbourne and Badlands guitarist Jake E. Lee is back with a new band, Red Dragon Cartel.
Below, check out the music videos for "Shout It Out" and "Deceived," two tracks off the band's new self-titled album, which was released January 28 via Frontiers Records.
It’s a hard-hitting, 10-song collection that features guest appearances from artists like Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander, In This Moment’s Maria Brink and former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno. It also highlights Lee’s inimitable guitar playing and, perhaps most importantly to him, showcases his talents as a composer.
“I was never too comfortable being seen as just a shred guy,” he told Guitar World. “I was always more interested in the song.” You can check out the rest of our interview right here.
The band is rounded out by Ronnie Mancuso, D.J. Smith and Jonas Fairley. For more about each band member, visit reddragoncartel.com.
The last time we shared a Babymetal video — October 28, 2011— the Japanese metal vocal and dance group consisting of three girls had just released a video for a song called "Doki Doki Morning."
We felt it was time to revisit the band, since they've just released a new video, simply known as "Live Music Video." I'm sure it has a real title in Japanese, but my Japanese is a little rusty.
Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the premiere of a vintage clip of blues great Johnny Winter in action.
In the video, which you can check out below, the slide guitar master performs a truly rocking version of Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" on October 16, 1992.
That's the day a slew of respected artists — from George Harrison to Johnny Cash to Neil Young — got together at New York City's Madison Square Garden to celebrate Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary as a recording artist.
The concert was released as an album and video in 1993. On March 4, however, Columbia Records and Legacy Recording will release Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration — Deluxe Edition in three configurations: 2CD, 2DVD and Blu-ray.
The 2DVD/Blu-ray versions of the show, which were struck from a new high-def video master with remastered audio, include 40 minutes of previously unreleased material, including behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage, interviews and more (The new material includes Eric Clapton's soundcheck performance of "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright.") It also marks the show's first appearance on DVD.
The DVD includes performances by Winter, Harrison (making his first U.S. concert appearance in 18 years), Clapton (whose performance earned a spot in Guitar World's guide to Clapton's 50 best guitar moments in the March 2014 issue), Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, the Band, Lou Reed, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Ron Wood, Chrissie Hynde, Eddie Vedder and more.
Earlier this week, Legacy Recordings released a career-spanning box set by Winter — True to the Blues: The Johnny Winter Story. You can check out our exclusive premiere of a track from the box set — "Eyesight to the Blind," as performed at the 1970 Atlanta International Pop Festival — right here. The box set is available here.
If you ever get discouraged - with your writing, with your job, or even with your situation in life, I want to give you three words to hang onto. It's. About. Heart.
I learned early in life from watching my mother that the key to life is not how much money you have, how much talent you have or what kind of situation you find yourself in.
The key is having the HEART to drag yourself out of the mud and make something of whatever you have. I'm not talking about making lemonade when life hands you lemons.
I'm talking about making lemonade when you don't have ANY of the ingredients.
My father began struggling with his drug addiction when I was about 10 years old. By the time I was 12, he couldn't keep a job. My mom had not gone to college. She had married him when she was 21. She didn't have many job options.
She started a daycare in our home so that she could be home in the mornings and afternoons with my brother and I. When it became clear that we weren't going to be able to survive from the income from the daycare, she got a job as a nurse’s assistant. While she worked full-time, she started nursing school.
Over the course of 3 years, she got her degree and a great job that supported us through college and kept her and my dad afloat until she passed away.
I learned by example that the ticket to succeeding in life is not talent or luck. It's heart. Heart causes you to persevere when you feel like quitting. It causes you to do everything in your power to succeed at WHATEVER you are trying. Heart keeps you going when ALL signs indicate that it can't be done. Heart defies all odds. It trumps all cards. And heart CAN’T be stopped.
Write on!
Marty Dodson
See the video:
Marty Dodson is a songwriter, corporate trainer and entrepreneur. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and The Plain White T’s. He once bumped Psy out of the #1 spot on the K-Pop charts but that’s another story for another day. Marty plays Taylor and Batson guitars. Follow him here: www.facebook.com/songtownusa, at www.facebook.com/martydodsonsongwriter and at Twitter @SongTownUSA or visit martydodson.com
Canadian/U.S. progressive metallers Intervals are releasing a song per day from their new album, A Voice Within, which will be released in the U.S. March 4.
Today, GuitarWorld.com presents "Siren Sound," a track from the new album.
A Voice Within has received a huge response across Europe, gaining major support in the media. Back home, things have been equally enthusiastic, but not only from the fans and press. In fact, the Canadian government will be funding the band’s next music video.
Intervals features guitarist Aaron Marshall, vocalist Mike Semesky (formerly of the Haarp Machine), drummer Anup Sastry (Jeff Loomis, Skyharbor) and guitarist Lukas Guyader. Check them out in the U.S./Canada with Protest The Hero at one of the dates listed below the video.
Check out Intervals'Facebook page for more information.
Intervals on Tour with Protest The Hero 2014
Sat/Mar 1 BUFFALO NY - THE WAITING ROOM
Sun/Mar 2 CINCINNATI OH - BOGARTS
Mon/Mar 3 GRAND RAPIDS MI -THE STACHE @ INTERSECTION
Tue/Mar 4 DES MOINES IA - WOOLYS
Wed/Mar 5 MINNEAPOLIS MN - GARAGE YOUTH CENTER
Fri/Mar 7 MILWAUKEE WI - THE EAGLES HALL @ RAVE
Sat/Mar 8 JOLIET IL - MOJOES
Sun/Mar 9 LINCOLN NE - BOURBON THEATER
Mon/Mar 10 FT. COLLIN CO - AGGIE THEATER
Tue/Mar 11 GRAND JUNCTION CO - MESA
Wed/Mar 12 SALT LAKE CITY UT - URBAN LOUNGE
Fri/Mar 14 SPOKANE WA - THE HOP
Sat/Mar 15 BOISE ID - KNITTING FACTORY
Sun/Mar 16 RENO NV - KNITTING FACTORY
Mon/Mar 17 SACRAMENTO CA - ASSEMBLY
Tue/Mar 18 ANAHEIM CA - HOUSE OF BLUES
Wed/Mar 19 TUCSON AZ - 191 TOOLE (SKRAPPYS)
Fri/Mar 21 LUBBOCK - JAKES BACKROOM
Sat/Mar 22 AUSTIN TX - RED 7
Sun/Mar 23 LITTLE ROCK AR - JUANITAS
Mon/Mar 24 BATON ROUGE LA - VARSITY THEATER
Wed/Mar 26 TAMPA FL - STATE THEATER
Thu/Mar 27 FT LAUDERDALE FL - CULTURE ROOM
Fri/Mar 28 JACKSONVILLE FL - JACK RABBITS
Sat/Mar 29 WILMINGTON NC - ZIGGYS BY THE SEA
Sun/Mar 30 RALEIGH NC - LINCOLN THEATER
Tue/Apr 1 CHARLOTTE NC - TREMONT MUSIC HALL
Wed/Apr 2 WASHINGTON DC - ROCK & ROLL HOTEL
Thu/Apr 3 HARTFORD CT - WEBSTER THEATER
Fri/Apr 4 ROCHESTER NY - MONTAGE MUSIC HALL
Sat/Apr 5 CAMBRIDGE MA - THE MIDDLE EAST (downstairs)
Sun/Apr 6 AMITYVILLE NY - REVOLUTION
Tues/Apr 8 - MONCTON, NB - THE OC NIGHTCLUB
Wed/ Apr 9- HALIFAX, NS- THE PAVILION
Thu/ Apr 10- HALIFAX, NS- THE MARQUEE
Fri/ Apr 11- FREDERICTON, NB- LAVA VODKA BAR
Sat/ Apr 12- QUEBEC CITY, QC- DAGOBERT
Mon/ Apr 14- LAVAL, QC- STUDIO THEATRE
Tues/ Apr 15- CORNWALL, ON- VU NIGHT SPOT
Wed/ Apr 16- ST. CATHARINES, ON- MICHUN NIGHTCLUB
Thurs/ Apr 17- LONDON, ON- LONDON MUSIC HALL
Fri/ Apr 18- WINDSOR, ON- THE DOMINION HOUSE
Sat/ Apr 19- GUELPH, ON- VINYL
This video is bonus content related to the April 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now or at our online store.
If someone were to open a mad-scientist hall of fame, Electro-Harmonix founder and president Mike Matthews would certainly be worthy of becoming one of its first inductees.
The stomp-box world’s equivalent of Thomas Edison, Matthews and his team of prolific inventors over the years have created hundred upon hundreds of wacky and wonderful devices that make every guitarist’s life more exciting and fulfilling.
Today, the Electro-Harmonix catalog offers a staggering number of pedals—more than 100—and the lineup keeps getting bigger and better. For this review, we looked at three of the company’s new—and incredibly affordable—distortion/overdrive pedals that recently made their debut: the Hot Tubes Overdrive, the Nano Big Muff π and the Soul Food.
Together, they deliver a rainbow of tones and textures. Individually, each will likely meet your needs no matter what type of dirt you dig. No matter what variety of distortion you need or prefer, this power trio pretty much has all of the bases covered.
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