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guitarBlog.com http://guitarblog.com/blog musical reviews and ruminations Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:33:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 en Great Moments in Song - Verse 2 http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/10/great-moments-in-song-verse-2/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/10/great-moments-in-song-verse-2/#comments Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:40:20 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/10/great-moments-in-song-verse-2/ musicsheet

musicsheet

The first Great Moments in Song post described critical points in a composition - a poignant lyric, monumental riff or exhilarating key change - that signal a shift to greatness. A few examples were offered and several excellent submissions were added by comment. Subjectively great? Objectively great? No need to debate the details.

Those moments are gathered below [edited lightly, credited further below], and are led off by a new offering. Perhaps the list will grow . . . (more…)

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/10/great-moments-in-song-verse-2/feed/ Puff Breathes Again http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/08/puff-breathes-again/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/08/puff-breathes-again/#comments Thu, 09 Aug 2007 02:24:52 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/08/puff-breathes-again/

Peter Yarrow

(photo: peterpaulandmary.com)

This Sunday afternoon, Peter Yarrow of the legendary folk group Peter, Paul & Mary and co-writer (with Leonard Lipton) of perennial kids’ favorite and unintended hippie anthem Puff, the Magic Dragon, will mount a stool at a DC Barnes & Noble and sing his sweet song for perusing bibliophiles, overheated tourists and a gaggle of family oglers. (more…)

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/08/puff-breathes-again/feed/ guitarBlogRoll http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/03/guitarblogroll/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/03/guitarblogroll/#comments Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:17:16 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/03/guitarblogroll/

Eliminate guitar blogs with dated posts, ignore the ones with so-so content, leave aside the gems I have yet to discover, and you are left with: guitarBlogRoll!

If you are in the market for a new axe, Electric Guitar Review is a solid first-stop resource. EGR does an impressive job of providing pretty pictures and informative descriptions of newly released guitars and, on occasion, accompanying gear.

For the Fender-inspired, Strat-o-Blogster focuses on all things Stratocaster, but includes (more…)

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/03/guitarblogroll/feed/ Strong Fingers http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/01/strong-fingers/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/01/strong-fingers/#comments Thu, 02 Aug 2007 01:12:00 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/01/strong-fingers/ His name is Andy McKee, and based on the View Count over at YouTube, I am approximately the 10 millionth person to discover him. So, this is not what I’d call a scoop. Here are a couple fun videos that demonstrate what pumping tiny little dumbbells can do for your guitar prowess. Just don’t watch if you’re having trouble holding that barre chord; it may just be discouraging.

Get more info at Andy McKee’s Official Website.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/08/01/strong-fingers/feed/ Satch and/or Vai http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/31/satch-andor-vai/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/31/satch-andor-vai/#comments Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:42:21 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/31/satch-andor-vai/

Satch & Vai

(photo: guitarworld.com)

The latest issue of Guitar World hits the stands today with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai on the cover, revealing something that I never fully comprehended: These are two different guys. I don’t mean that their seemingly congruent styles - which Guitar World credits with launching the shred boom twenty years ago - are actually quite distinct. I mean that they are not, in fact, the same person. This is a Clark Kent/Superman type of realization.

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]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/31/satch-andor-vai/feed/ Halo Guitar http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/24/halo-guitar/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/24/halo-guitar/#comments Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:17:17 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/24/halo-guitar/ On the heels of the previous post’s introduction of Mary (cannabis leaf-shaped guitar) to Jane (hemp guitar cabinet), it seemed appropriate to acknowledge another match from the “only a matter of time” file: Halo played on an Xbox using the Guitar Hero controller. The video has undoubtedly made the rounds, but for those who have yet to spot it:

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/24/halo-guitar/feed/ Mary, Meet Jane http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/23/mary-meet-jane/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/23/mary-meet-jane/#comments Mon, 23 Jul 2007 13:15:02 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/23/mary-meet-jane/ Mary

Mary

The notion that all musicians rely on psychotropic aids - either to stimulate their creativity or as an inherent part of their lifestyle - is an antiquated cliché with little basis in reality. Scores of musicians, including guitarists, attack their art with singular purpose and untainted mind, inspired only by the grace of their instrument and the glory of their calling.

For the remaining 98% of us,* the stars aligned this past week (more…)

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/23/mary-meet-jane/feed/ Making Guitars and Stuff http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/20/making-guitars-and-stuff/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/20/making-guitars-and-stuff/#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:11:06 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/20/making-guitars-and-stuff/

100k_pyr

If the final category at the top of the $100,000 Pyramid were “Things that guitarBlog would love to make,” the following is a list of clues to patiently but persistently offer in the waning, frenetic seconds of the Winners’ Circle round:

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/20/making-guitars-and-stuff/feed/ Great Moments in Song http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/16/great-moments-in-song/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/16/great-moments-in-song/#comments Mon, 16 Jul 2007 10:41:47 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/16/great-moments-in-song/ Certain songs contain a specific moment - a poignant lyric, or monumental riff, or exhilarating key change - that signals a shift to greatness. It is a moment for which listeners wait, stilling their hands from turning the dial until . . . check it out, here it comes . . . rock ON!

Sometimes the shift is fleeting, a brief ascent to distinction in an otherwise mediocre composition; or the greatness purely subjective, resonating with only a few individuals who happen to experience it during a pivotal juncture in their own lives, imbuing the passage with sentimental import. Sometimes the moment is universally acknowledged as propelling a good song to great, or a great song to classic; occasionally even defining the band or, in rare moment, an entire genre. (Appropriate or not, the haunting pre-verse plucks and raucous 4-chord chorus in Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit are forever linked with the introduction of grunge to mainstream America.)

Just to get a list rolling, below are three song moments that transcend. (more…)

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/16/great-moments-in-song/feed/ Hashing Mash Bashing http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/12/hashing-mash-bashing/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/12/hashing-mash-bashing/#comments Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:30:04 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/12/hashing-mash-bashing/ On the heels of your thoughtful and thought-provoking comments on playing originals vs. covers, an Ultimate-Guitar.com article profiles “Beatallica” - a band that mashes Beatles and Metallica songs into hybrid “creations.” The songs are mashed (”Blackened In The U.S.S.R.,” “A Garage Dayz Nite,” and “Helvester Of Skelter”); the band members’ names are mashed (Jaymz Lennfield, Grg Hammettson, Kliff McBurtney, and Ringo Larz); and the genre is mashed, skirting parody as much as serious effort (as the article notes, Beatallica “started out earlier this decade forming to perform their clever mash-ups during Milwaukee’s Spoof-Fest for April Fools Day”). (more…)

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/12/hashing-mash-bashing/feed/ A Lighter Shade of Green (Guitar) http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/09/a-lighter-shade-of-green-guitar/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/09/a-lighter-shade-of-green-guitar/#comments Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:33:55 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/09/a-lighter-shade-of-green-guitar/ Music blogs are buzzing with cross-over issues stemming from the recent Live Earth concerts, (check out iGBlog and GuitarNoize), many citing questions by the media as to the whether the performing musicians are personally committed to “going green.” (John Mayer, one of many put in the “hot” seat, apparently quipped, “If you want to peg me as not being entirely eco-friendly, you’ll win.”)

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/09/a-lighter-shade-of-green-guitar/feed/ Original or Cover? http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/06/original-or-cover/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/06/original-or-cover/#comments Fri, 06 Jul 2007 14:56:06 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/06/original-or-cover/ Nothing furthers musical understanding more than studying how skilled musicians have constructed a song. Then again, nothing furthers musical understanding more than going through the process of creation yourself. That said, practicing songs that you know and with which everyone can sing along provides the best inspiration for the critical task of continuing your efforts every day. Of course, practicing songs that you wrote and which express your talent and perspective provides the best inspiration for the critical task of . . . You get the point.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/06/original-or-cover/feed/ Roger Hodgson Gives a Little Bit More http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/05/roger-hodgson-gives-a-little-bit-more/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/05/roger-hodgson-gives-a-little-bit-more/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:10:18 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/05/roger-hodgson-gives-a-little-bit-more/

Roger Hodgson

Roger Hodgson of Supertramp strummed a 12-string acoustic guitar earlier this week like he was leading a campfire sing-a-long, and 63,000 fans of Diana at Wembley Stadium sang along, enthralled.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/05/roger-hodgson-gives-a-little-bit-more/feed/ Air Guitarists: The Nerd/Stud Missing Link http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/03/air-guitarists-the-nerdstud-missing-link/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/03/air-guitarists-the-nerdstud-missing-link/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 12:49:13 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/03/air-guitarists-the-nerdstud-missing-link/

Nothing says “stud” like taking center stage and shredding feverishly through a boot-stomping lick as 50,000 fans extend their tongues and throw devil’s horns your way. Nothing screams “nerd” louder than gathering in convention halls dressed in outlandish costumes and pretending to be a stud. Where the unstoppable force of ax-wielding stud meets the immovable object of convention nerd lives the Air Guitarist.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/03/air-guitarists-the-nerdstud-missing-link/feed/ Rock n’ Roll - A Charity Case http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/02/rock-n-roll-a-charity-case/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/02/rock-n-roll-a-charity-case/#comments Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:26:21 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/02/rock-n-roll-a-charity-case/

Diana

You can’t swing a relic guitar these days without hitting some form of rock n’ roll charity endeavor based on the notion: if you play it, they will give. The most recent was last night’s “Concert for Diana,” a star-studded musical event at the new Wembley Stadium in London.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/07/02/rock-n-roll-a-charity-case/feed/ Reunion Hopes Sink Like Lead Zeppelin http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/reunion-hopes-sink-like-lead-zeppelin/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/reunion-hopes-sink-like-lead-zeppelin/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:29:44 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/reunion-hopes-sink-like-lead-zeppelin/

Robert Plant

And just like that, hopes of a reunion show featuring the remaining members of Led Zeppelin, and concomitant optimism over the possibility of a follow-up tour, are up in flames.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/reunion-hopes-sink-like-lead-zeppelin/feed/ Pentatonic Blues Lesson http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/pentatonic-blues-lesson/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/pentatonic-blues-lesson/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:01:11 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/pentatonic-blues-lesson/ “Free online guitar lessons” are everywhere, but a really good lesson site can be hard to find. The Internet is a medium that often suffers from its own comprehensiveness, burying gems beneath a mass of sponsored sites, broken links and mislabeled tags. Mediocrity always has the numbers, by definition.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/29/pentatonic-blues-lesson/feed/ No Guitars for Dogs http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/28/no-guitars-for-dogs/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/28/no-guitars-for-dogs/#comments Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:56:37 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/28/no-guitars-for-dogs/

Doggie

I love guitars. I love dogs. On a whim, I Googled “guitars for dogs.” I was curious to see the extent to which the entrepreneurial fervor associated with all things canine had crossed into the realm of luthierism. Know what I found?

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/28/no-guitars-for-dogs/feed/ Guitar Center’s New Boss http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/27/guitar-centers-new-boss/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/27/guitar-centers-new-boss/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:36:10 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/27/guitar-centers-new-boss/ If the shareholders follow their Board’s recommendation, Guitar Center will soon have a new boss: Boston-based Bain Capital Partners LLC, which “manages about $50 billion in assets and has invested or acquired more than 240 companies since its founding in 1984,” according to this Bloomberg.com article.

]]> http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/27/guitar-centers-new-boss/feed/ Ridiculous Band Names http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/27/ridiculous-band-names/ http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/27/ridiculous-band-names/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:11:23 +0000 guitarblog http://guitarblog.com/blog/2007/06/27/ridiculous-band-names/ The reasoning (or lack thereof) behind the 25 most ridiculous band names is explained in a recent article at Cracked.com. Both the explanation for the moniker and the commentary as to why it is “ridiculous” are entertaining enough.

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