Everybody love’s a winner. But what about when the winner becomes the underdog? Like when a band sets the charts screaming for years on end and then slowly sinks into the kiddy pool of yesterdays’ has beens? As Andy Dufresne so aptly said in The Shawshank Redemption, “Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin.” And […]
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Canada, the country that puts the “north” in North America, is proud parent to some of the most influential and innovative guitarists in the history of music. From Nova Scotia to Quebec, Ontario to Manitoba and beyond, here are a baker’s dozen of homegrown guitar greats from the Great White North, and tunes you should […]
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Concept albums make for great conversation. Let’s dispense with the obvious choices – Pink Floyd’s The Wall, The Who’s Tommy and Quadrophenia, Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell, Rush’s 2112, etc. – and look at some lesser-known yet excellent records with a recurring theme. Here are 10 great, overlooked concept albums. Keyword: overlooked. 1. Lou […]
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What makes a guitar solo great? A great guitar solo makes great songs even better. Great solos build tension, heighten musical drama and expand melodic and harmonic ideas. The very best guitar solos are like mini compositions and can stand on their own, outside the song, but we’d never want them to. Think of your […]
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25 Great Moments in Rock Drumming – Day 17: Keith Moon, “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” from Who’s Next by The Who Keith Moon’s drumming is best described as “barely controlled mania.” Moon is probably the most democratic of drummers, playing all over the kit as if afraid to leave any drum or cymbal out. “Won’t […]
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25 Great Moments in Rock Drumming – Day 16: Steve Gadd, “Aja,” from Aja by Steely Dan Steely Dan’s Aja was well represented on the airwaves, including the title track, notable for its extended drum breaks. Throughout, Steve Gadd plays like an impressionist painter, applying a splash of this and a dab off that to […]
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25 Great Moments in Rock Drumming – Day 15: Jeff Porcaro, “Rosanna,” from Toto IV A Stage by Toto Cynics might say Toto were little more than slick packaging, but behind the polish lurked the monster chops of drummer Jeff Porcaro. He pushes the beat of “Rosanna” with such a light and nimble touch that […]
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25 Great Moments in Rock Drumming – Day 14: Neil Peart, “Working Man,” from All The World’s A Stage by Rush When Neil Peart joined Rush, they were a meat-and-potatoes rock and roll trio. Peart soon took over almost all lyric writing duties and pushed the band into new territory. His high points could fill […]
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25 Great Moments in Rock Drumming – Day 13: Nick Mason, “Time,” from Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd “Time” features an extended intro of tape effects and Nick Mason’s percussion. Mason pounds out a series of evolving patterns against Rick Wright’s dream-like keyboards, establishing a dark, brooding table for David Gilmour and […]
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