Blown On The Steel Breeze

It’s what notes you play, not how many of ‘em, as aptly illustrated by Guitar World’s Top 10 Slow Guitar Solos.  The list features masterful, expressive, passionate solos from greats such as Clapton, Page, Beck, Gilmour, Knopfler, SRV and Gary Moore.

With the exceptions of George Harrison and B.B. King, all these guys are revered for being able to tear it up, but this list shows they also knew how to make their guitar cry and sing.  They knew a guitar solo should make the song better.

Rock This Country

I don’t what geniuses decided to move Rock ‘n’ Roll over into Country and hide it there so’s they could keep it alive, but bless ‘em.

Let Me Roll It

Imagine one of those cheesy TV commercials that sell a product of dubious worth applied to Paul McCartney (whose worth is anything but dubious, just to be clear).

Paul McCartney!  Legendary partner of John Lennon!  Cornerstone of the greatest rock band of all time!  One of the best bass players in the history of music!  Inspired songwriter!  Iconic singer!  Idol to generations!  Excellent pianist!

But Wait!  There’s more!  Paul McCartney was also a gifted guitarist!

Check out these gems from Guitar World’s McCartney’s Top 6 Guitar Solos with The Beatles.

Yep!  Paul had some pretty good chops on the guitar too.  One talented dude.

Hopefully Enough

Happy birthday, John.
Baby's In Black, Shea Stadium

Well I Know What’s Right

I have no moral objection to shredders, and some of my favourite guitarists have put down some lightning fast licks.  But have a listen to the guitar solo in Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down.

What additional notes would improve that solo?

Paying The Cost To Be The Boss

Imagine a world without Hendrix, Cream, Santana, Paul Butterfield, The Allman Brothers, Johnny Winter, Fleetwood Mac, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Robert Cray.

Hard to imagine, isn’t it?  Not something you’d want to imagine, is it?

Well, according to Rolling Stone’s 10 Legendary Acts That Wouldn’t Exist Without B.B. King, all that magic would not have happened were it not for B.B. King.

That’s 10 more thankyous we owe to B.B..

Nowhere To Run

A thumping beat that punches you in the back.  A relentless riff that hooks and then numbs your brain, until you suddenly find yourself inside the song.  Biting social commentary.  Energy.  Pathos.  Rebellion.  Despair.  Hope.

I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure Born In The USA should be Bruce Springsteen’s entry in the contest for best rock song of all time.

Got Live If You Want It

As the introduction to Rolling Stone’s 50 Greatest Live Albums of All Time says, it’s impossible to capture the frenzy (and I would add joy) of a great live show on record.  But as the list shows, there have been some awesome live recordings.

Confession:  in general, I have always preferred studio albums, because the sound quality is better, there’s less self-indulgence from the band, and the mistakes land on the cutting room floor.  But I still enjoy a good performance, and I love going to concerts.

The list has something to satisfy just about every musical taste, and it includes some career-establishing performances.  But for me, its main virtue is that it serves as a healthy reminder that music is meant to be enjoyed live.

We Salute You

To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the death of rock have been greatly exaggerated.

I was at the AC/DC concert in Quebec City last week, and I assure you that rock and roll is alive and very well, thank you very much.

The Song Doesn’t Remain The Same

Interesting article from Gibson on 10 Led Zeppelin Songs That Deserve More Attention.  Given corporate radio has reduced their canon to a handful of songs, the list should be much longer, but no matter.

Even the most ardent Zeppelin fan would admit that some tunes are less approachable than others, but the list serves as a great reminder that this band had simply incredible range.  They covered pretty much every genre of music that was even remotely popular during their day, and pushed us into a few new directions while they were at it.  They covered more real estate than anyone else.

Most bands find a sound and then hammer it into the ground.  The best bands challenge themselves, explore, experiment, investigate and instigate.  Sure, these guys always sounded like Led Zeppelin, but they had the range of about 10 different bands.