The new Ibanez JEM model is available. This guitar is the newest model of the Steve Vai Signature Series of guitars.
I’m not sure whether the Ibanez Jem77BRMR “Bad Horsie” is actually available yet, but it is making it’s first appearance at the NAMM show this year, according to Vai.com.
Also, Dean Guitars is releasing a slew of Dimebag Tribute models in its 2005 product line.
Could it be time already to update my musiciansfriend.com wish list??? Why, it seems like only yesterday …
The March issue of Guitar World Magazine is a tribute to “fallen guitar heroes”. People included in the issue are “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, Randy Rhoads, Steve Clark, and Jimi Hendrix among others.
This issue is full of articles, pictures, and even full page adds in tribute to Dimebag from companies that he worked with. It also contains a transcription of ‘Cemetery Gates’ from the ‘Cowboys from Hell’ album. According to the letter from the editor, the “Tribute To Fallen Guitar Heros” issue has been planned for quite some time, and a Dimebag feature was planned as one of the only stories in the issue about a “living” guitar hero. That all changed when he was killed on stage by some nut who managed to get through security, jump on stage, and shoot him at point blank range on December 8, 2004 in Ohio.
Oddly, I had never listened to Pantera until after the news of the shooting. A few days later, I bought their Greatest Hits album just to see what the “big deal” was. I found it odd that his death was being compared to the death of Randy Rhoads as far as the impact it had in the industry. Five weeks later and a lot of album purchases, I’ve been on a steady diet of Pantera and DamagePlan. He was a really incredible player. More than that though, it seems, from all of the things written about him over the last month or so was that as a person he really touched a lot of lives.
This magazine is a really great tribute to those who have touched our lives through their music. It was really fun to read and reflect on all of the people appearing in this issue.
Metallica’s Some Kind Of Monster documentary is coming out on DVD and will be available in stores on January 25. You can preorder it now at amazon.com.
I had been waiting for this to be released in local theaters so that I could see it on the big screen, but it didn’t happen, so you can bet I’ll probably be ordering it.
Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society have a new album and tour coming up early this year. The album is going to be released on March 8, 2005, with the tour starting soon thereafter. They hit the House of Blues in Chicago on March 24, 2005.
Boy this would be a great show to see, however I think we’ve spent our concert money for the first quarter budget on the Steve Vai Concert in April.
From what I have read thus far about the new album, the music is heavier than the last album, Hangover Music Volume VI, which was kind of a departure for the band, with a lot of acoustic work. The new album is said to be more in the vein of albums prior to Hangover Music.
I’ve been a Zakk fan since his first album with Ozzy. While I always liked Ozzy, I never really liked the albums with Jake E. Lee on them. These two albums, Bark at the Moon and Ultimate Sin, were weak compared to the first two albums with Randy Rhoads. While there were songs that I liked on each of them, the albums as a whole I never really liked.
Zakk brought a whole new sound to Ozzys band and got me back into Ozzy again. Black Label Society is a great band and features Zakk on both guitar and vocals. The guitar is heavy, and he actually has a great voice.
If you want to see Zakk live, he has a live DVD called Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society – Boozed Broozed & Broken-Boned that he recorded in Detroit, and he also appears on the Ozzy Osbourne – Live at Budokan DVD, both available on Amazon.
I thought it would be fun to sit down and figure out what my top 10 guitar songs would be. These are the songs when I listen to them, make me want to just pick up the guitar.
The day that I convince Jonna to move to an island with nothing but a boom box, and a life supply of Ramen noodles, a mix CD with these 10 songs would do it for me.
#1: The two solos in this song are the best guitar solos ever written, in my opinion.
#5: The outtro solo in this song is one of my favorite Zakk Wylde solos. Don’t know what it is about this one, but it hits you right in the gut.
#9: The solo in Hot For Teacher is, in my opinion, Eddie Van Halens best solo. Eruption is way cool, don’t get me wrong, but this one takes the cake. The rest of the song I could do without, but the solo kicks some butt.
According to vai.com it looks like the new album is going to be out on February 22, 2005. Additionally, a U.S. Tour starts in March, with the band hitting Chicago on April 13th at the House of Blues.
The band this time around includes:
Steve Vai – Guitar / Vocals
Billy Sheehan- Bass
Tony MacAlpine – Guitar / Keyboards
Dave Weiner – Guitar
Jeremy Colson – Drums
Along with being a huge Vai fan for as far back as I can remember, I’ve also been a huge Tony MacAlpine and Billy Sheehan fan as well, and am really looking forward to the chance to see this incarnation of the band live on stage. All of them are just incredible musicians.
Along with this tour, there is a package you can buy called “The Evo Premium Experience” in which you also get the following along with your regular tickets (taken directly from vai.com):
Sure its a little extra (ok, a lot extra), but how many times do you really get a chance to watch Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan do a soundcheck together and attend a Q&A session with one of your favorite musicians of all time? If that wasn’t cool enough, add to it having your favorite woman of all time sitting right there with you through the whole thing.
This is one concert that I’m definitely looking forward to, even though the House of Blues isn’t exactly my favorite place to see a concert. The last time I saw Vai at the House of Blues (on the Fire Garden Tour) I wound up way in back watching the concert on the TV screens.
Hopefully, the seats will be a little better this time …
Since receiving an Ibanez JEM, from my family for my birthday last June, I’ve been trying to learn a little bit more about the guitar (and music in general) and consequently I have picked up a few books related to this subject. The one I enjoyed reading most is the book listed below by David Mead. I’m going to pick up a few more of his books as time goes on.
This is an area that I really struggle with, as I am not that structured of a thinker and get bored (and discouraged on this subject) very easily. I am hoping that the more I read about the subject, the more will sink in to my thick skull at a subconscious level. I’ve also started taking lessons. Now all I have to do is find some regular time during the week to practice …
General Guitar
100 Guitar Tips You Should Have Been Told by David Mead
Practical Pentatonics (Guitar) by Askold Buk – Tiny book, but tons of really good information.
Music Theory
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory by Michael Miller (I’m only on Chapter 6 so far, but this is a very uncomfortable distance above my level)
Reference
The Guitar Book by Adam Kadmon
The Guitar Grimoire Scales & Modes by Adam Kadmon
The Guitar Grimoire Series – A Compendium of Guitar Chords and Voicings – by Adam Kadmon
The Exercise Book by Adam Kadmon
If anyone has any other reading recommendations on this subject, please feel free to shoot them over to me.
The next CD in the series of The Secret Jewel Box is available for preorder. This CD features 11 of Steve Vai’s songs re-interpreted for solo piano by Mike Keneally. Mike is a very accomplished musician whose resume include stints as a guitarist in both the Frank Zappa and Steve Vai bands, along with his own work. You can get the full scoop on Mikes career from this timeline on his web site.
Piano Reductions Volume I will be released on Tuesday, November 16,2004. Included are the tracks:
All About Eve
Die To Live
Salamanders In The Sun
Bledsoe Bluvd
Ballerina 12/24
Dyin’ Day
Touching Tongues
Kill The Guy With The Ball/The God Eaters
Sisters
Pig
Junkie
You can preorder the new album here.
Steve Vai has opened a new online store where you can purchase previously unreleased material for $0.99 a song.
There are currently four songs available. I will talk more about them once I download them. ;>)
If you are too impatient to wait for me to write about them, you can always go download them yourself.
Update: November 1, 2004
I downloaded all four songs. Mag Jam and Burning Bush are classic Vai and great guitar songs. The “As Above” and “So Below” tracks are orchestral songs that were going to be used as the start and end of the Ultra Zone album. The first impression of both Jonna and I of these songs were something that could very well appear in a Disney movie. That is actually a compliment. They are very soothing and pleasant to listen to.
If your going to grab songs from the site, grab the guitar tracks. These are the best ones so far.
Bieber Labs 