Features

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath Opens Up About His Battle with Cancer and the Struggle to Make '13'

Brad Angle — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:28:47 +0000

This is an excerpt from the July 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine. For the rest of this story, plus features on Joe Satriani, Ghost B.C., Mick Jones of Foreigner, Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flats, plus transcriptions of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and Jason Becker's "Perpetual Burn," check out the issue at the Guitar World Online Store.

2011 was well on the way to being one of the best years of Tony Iommi’s life. The guitarist was on a successful book tour to promote Iron Man, his revealing autobiography in which he talks about his life and his career with Black Sabbath.

At the same time, he was reuniting with the original Black Sabbath members—vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward—to write and record a new full-length album, the quartet’s first since 1978’s Never Say Die!

But celebration gave way to concern when Iommi discovered a lump in his groin. Doctors initially misdiagnosed the problem as nothing more than an infection, but when Iommi’s condition worsened, his doctor biopsied the mass. At a follow-up appointment, he told Iommi the result: We found lymphoma.

“Once I heard my doctor say that, my whole world changed,” Iommi says. “I thought, Bloody cancerous lymphoma? Well that’s it. I’ve had it.”

This news came as such a shock that even today, as Guitar World sits across from a healthy-looking Iommi in a cottage in rural West Midlands, England, the guitarist’s affable disposition darkens when he recalls that grim period.

“Once they diagnosed it, I had to start the treatment right away,” he says. “And it knocked me about. I’d go through stages thinking, Can I do this? And then: Of course I can do this. I don’t want to die. I want to carry on and do what I’m supposed to do.”

Iommi’s treatment included an aggressive course of chemotherapy and radiation that attacked the cancer but seriously taxed his immune system. He began to feel sicker, lose weight and weaken, and had to focus what little energy he had into fighting his illness. Plans for the Sabbath record were put on hold. But as the guitarist’s body began responding to treatment, Iommi’s creative spark was rekindled. Much to everyone’s surprise, he turned his attention back to writing the songs that would eventually make up Black Sabbath’s new disc, 13.

“They thought I would pack up,” Iommi says. “But I asked the doctor, ‘Is it okay if I work?’ And he said, ‘Yes, you’ve just got to be careful.’ So I’d go in the studio and play for a bit. Then I’d get tired and I’d have to go and sit down. The guys would tell me not to push it.”

Iommi was determined to get the album made. And as Osbourne and Butler tell us when we catch up with them in a Los Angeles recording studio, where they’re putting the final touches on the album, he rose to the occasion.

“We all rallied around him,” Osbourne says. “But it’s not like we’d be saying, ‘Are you okay? Are you okay?’ We just got on with it. Sure, he looked tired, but he was a soldier and marched on. He still had more riffs coming out of him than anyone. None of us would go, ‘Oh, he’s fucking ill again.’ We’re bros. We grew up together. It’s like a family member getting sick.”

“It brought up how we’re all just mortal beings, and we aren’t gonna be here forever,” Butler adds. “Tony and I were on the Heaven & Hell tour with Ronnie James Dio, and six months later Ronnie was dead [from stomach cancer, in 2010]. We didn’t have any inkling that was gonna happen. When Tony got the cancer, obviously that was in his mind. We didn’t know how he’d respond to the treatment. So it was like, Let’s get the album done at all costs, as long as Tony’s up to it. So we’d write for three weeks, and then he’d go for his treatment and we’d all have three weeks off. But it didn’t affect his playing at all. In fact I think it really encouraged him and kept his mind off the cancer, which is the best thing you can possibly do if you have that.”

As Iommi got stronger, his future, as well as Black Sabbath’s, started looking brighter. The band continued writing and rehearsing, and making progress on the new album. On November 11, 2011, Sabbath held a press conference at Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go-Go to officially announce that they had reformed and would record an album of new material. But in early 2012, Bill Ward surprised everyone when he announced that he would not move forward with recording, saying he felt “ostracized” by the band and calling the contract he was offered “unsignable.”

“I was shocked,” Iommi says. “We were hearing stuff from lawyers, like, ‘I’m not happy with this. I’m not happy with that.’ We waited a long time for Bill and we wanted to sort it out. But at the end of the day, especially after I was diagnosed, I thought, Fucking hell, that’s it. We’ve got to get a move on. I might pop off next year! So I emailed him and said, ‘Bill, we can’t wait any longer. We’ve got to get on with it.’ And that was it.”

The band switched gears and began auditioning drummers but didn’t find the right fit until producer Rick Rubin offered the seemingly left-field suggestion of Brad Wilk, from Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. “We had our doubts, because they play a different, funky sort of music,” Iommi says. “But after a few days of rehearsal, we knew Rick was right. Brad was a really good player, and he was getting it. We liked his style and the way he tried different things instead of being regimented. It was sort of jazzy and loose, like Bill.”

With Wilk in place, Black Sabbath set up camp at Rubin’s Shangri-La studios in Malibu to record the album. Rubin had the band cut the basic tracks live in the studio together to help capture the vibe of the early Sabbath records. These sessions were also the first time Osbourne had tracked a studio record with Sabbath since the contentious, drug-addled experience of recording 1978’s lackluster Never Say Die! Not surprisingly, the singer felt a twinge of performance anxiety.

“The pressure on us was terrific,” Osbourne says. “I didn’t want to sound hokey, trying to cop Paranoid or Master of Reality. But at the end of the day, you just have to go with your heart and ‘let go and let god,’ as they say. I’ll know if I’m cutting corners and if I can do a better vocal take or melody.”

Photo: Travis Shinn

For the rest of this story, plus features on Joe Satriani, Ghost B.C., Mick Jones of Foreigner, Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flats, plus transcriptions of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and Jason Becker's "Perpetual Burn," check out the issue at the Guitar World Online Store.

Additional Content

'Learn Slide Guitar' DVD Teaches Slide Scales, Improvising, Muting, Vibrato and More

Guitar World Staff — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:27:46 +0000

The Learn Slide Guitar DVD is available now at the Guitar World Online Store.

It's the ultimate DVD instructional guide to playing slide guitar like a pro. The disc, which was designed for beginning-to-intermediate guitar players, contains more than two hours of lessons that will help you play in open and standard tunings, learn slide scales for soloing in all keys, plus improvising, open-tuning chord forms, muting, vibrato, Delta and electric blues and more.

The Learn Slide Guitar DVD contains:

Chapter 1: Introduction

• Performance/DVD Objectives
• Wearing the Slide: What Finger?
• String Action/String Gauge
• Picking: Fingers vs. Pick
• Slide Types/Materials

Chapter 2: Open E Tuning

• Open E Tuning: E B E G# B E
• Chord Forms in Open E Tuning
• Slide Scales for Soloing
• Slide Positioning/Intonation
• Right-and Left-Hand Muting Techniques
• Expanding Basic Scale Position
• Using Open Strings
• E Major Pentatonic
• E Major Hexatonic
• Medium-Slow Shuffle, Elmore James Style
• Medium-Slow Shuffle, Johnny Winter Style
• E Shuffle, a la Robert Johnson
• Duane Allman Style
• Ry Cooder Style
• Derek Trucks Style

Chapter 3: Open D Tuning

• Open D Tuning: D A D F# A D
• Johnny Winter Style

Chapter 4: Open A Tuning

• Open A Tuning: E A E A C# E
• Chord Forms in Open A Tuning
• Slide Scales for Soloing
• Using Open Strings
• John Lee Hooker Style
• Johnny Winter Style
• Robert Johnson/Sleepy John Estes Style
• Muddy Waters Style

Chapter 5: Open G Tuning

• Open G Tuning: D G D G B D
• Slide Scales for Soloing
• Muddy Waters/Johnny Winter Style
• Keith Richards Style
• Mick Taylor Style

Chapter 6: Standard Tuning

• Slide Scales for Soloing
• Slow Blues in E, Robert Nighthawk Style
• Earl Hooker/Wah-Wah Slide Style
• a la "Statesboro Blues"

Chapter 7: Vibrato

Chapter 8: Standard Tuning with a Twist

• Stevie Ray Vaughan's G String up One Half Step to G#

For more about this exclusive DVD, visit the Guitar World Online Store.

Blues Power: An In-Depth Guide to the Amps and Effect Pedals in Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Arsenal

Chris Gill — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:36:33 +0000

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar tone was as dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante, the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom.

However, Vaughan occasionally used pedals to augment his sound, mainly to boost the signal, although he occasionally employed a rotating speaker cabinet and wah pedals for added textural flair.

Vaughan’s fierce playing style was the key to his distinctive sound, but it was also very hard on his equipment, and over the years his amps and pedals were heavily modified to withstand the abuse.

AMPS

1980 Marshall model 4140 Club and Country

Most guitarists with multi-amp rigs will use Fender amps for clean tones and Marshalls for distortion and overdrive, but Vaughan did the opposite. However, it made sense that he used a Marshall for clean tones, as his Marshall was a model 4140 Club and Country combo with two 12-inch speakers, which was Marshall’s version of a Fender Twin Reverb. With 100 watts of output and a power amp section driven by KT77 tubes, the Club and Country provides more clean headroom than the typical Marshall design. The amp remained in Vaughan’s rig until early 1984, when a Dumble Steel String Singer replaced it.

1964 Fender Vibroverb

The heart and soul of Vaughan’s live rig for most of the Eighties was a pair of Fender Vibroverb combos. The Vibroverbs, each featuring a single 15-inch speaker, were the source of Vaughan’s cranked-up overdrive tones, and he also used one of the combos to power his Fender Vibratone rotating-speaker cabinet throughout his career. Introduced in 1963, the Vibroverb was Fender’s first amp with built-in reverb.

Fender initially produced the Vibroverb with two 10-inch speakers and brown Tolex covering, but in late 1963 the model’s design switched to a single 15-inch speaker and black Tolex. Vaughan always assumed that his Vibroverbs were one serial number apart from one another based on the numbers “5” and “6” on the tube charts, but those are production run numbers and the actual serial numbers were 36 numbers apart.

Dumble Steel String Singer

Vaughan first discovered the amps of legendary Los Angeles boutique-amp pioneer Alexander “Howard” Dumble when recording Texas Flood at Jackson Browne’s Downtown Studios in 1982, using Browne’s Dumbleland 300-watt bass amp to record most of the tracks during the sessions.

Impressed with the Dumble amp’s ability to maintain crystal-clean tone even when subjected to his aggressive low E string attack, Vaughan custom-ordered a Steel String Singer head, which Dumble beefed up with 6550 tubes and 150 watts of output instead of the model’s usual 6L6 tubes and 100 watts. Vaughan usually used his Dumble head with a custom-built 4x12 cabinet loaded with Electro-Voice speakers.

When delivered in 1984, the Steel String Singer immediately became the main clean amp in Vaughan’s rig, earning the “King Tone Consoul” nickname that Vaughan bestowed upon it. Vaughan acquired a second Dumble Steel String Singer in 1986.

Mid-Sixties Fender Super Reverb

Before Vaughan bought his Marshall Club and Country amp, a mid-Sixties blackface Fender Super Reverb was the source of his clean tone. When Vaughan started playing increasingly larger venues in 1983, he added a pair of Super Reverbs to his rig, which he used along with his Vibroverbs.

Like the Vibroverb, the Super Reverb is powered by two 6L6 tubes and provides 40 watts of output, but because it has four 10-inch speakers (Vaughan loaded Electro-Voice speakers in his Super Reverb amps) instead of a single 15-inch speaker it provided the louder clean headroom Vaughan needed onstage.

Eventually, the Super Reverbs replaced the Vibroverbs as the source of his onstage overdrive tones, although Vaughan kept one Vibroverb in his rig exclusively for driving the Vibratone rotating speaker cabinet. During his 1990 tour, Vaughan replaced the Super Reverbs with a pair of Fender’s newly released ’59 Bassman Reissue amps.

Fender Twin Reverb

For his 1985 Japan tour, Vaughan used a pair of Fender Twin Reverb amps (a mid-Sixties 85-watt blackface model and a late-Seventies 100-watt silverface version with master volume) in place of his Dumble Steel String Singer head. The Twins disappeared from his rig after that tour, only to resurface for a brief period in 1987 when they temporarily replaced his Vibroverb combos.

Early Seventies Marshall model 1967 Major Lead

As Vaughan’s insatiable appetite for power increased, so did the size of his onstage rig, until 1988, when he decided to simplify his multi-amp setup by stripping it down to a pair of high-powered amps: his 150-watt Dumbles and a 200-watt Marshall Major Lead head. Vaughan experimented with a variety of speaker cabinets for the Marshall, including huge 4x15 and 8x10 cabinets designed for bass, before settling on a 4x12 loaded with Electro-Voice speakers like he used with his Dumbles.

If the Marshall Major lasted through the set (this model’s linear design frequently caused intense voltage spikes that arced across adjacent tube sockets and blew tubes), Vaughan would use it to perform a raucous version of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” to close his set.

In Step session amps

When recording In Step, his last studio album with Double Trouble, Vaughan had 32 different amps at his disposal, including a 1962 Fender Twin, a mint original 1959 Fender Bassman, and vintage Fender Harvard and Magnatone amps, in addition to the Fender Vibroverbs, Dumble Steel String Singers, and various Fenders and Marshalls he used onstage. When recording each song, Vaughan experimented with different combinations of amps and settings until he dialed in the sound he wanted.

EFFECTS

Ibanez Tube Screamer

According to pedal-geek lore, Vaughan was a big fan of the TS808 version of the Ibanez Tube Screamer, but evidence in the form of stage photos, live videos, insurance documents and customs declarations reveal that the TS9 version of the Tube Screamer was his preferred choice from 1982 through most of the Eighties.

Vaughan usually used his TS9 to provide a clean boost to his Fender Vibroverbs for solos, with the level control all the way up and the drive control set to relatively low gain.

In 1988, a new Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer replaced the TS9 in his pedal board, which Vaughan generally used to generate high-gain distortion (with both the drive and level controls boosted) that wasn’t otherwise available from his Dumble and Marshall Major rig.

Fender Vibratone

The lush rotating-speaker effects heard on Vaughan tracks like “Cold Shot” and “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” were generated by a Fender Vibratone speaker cabinet. Similar to a Leslie Model 16, the Fender Vibratone is designed for gigging guitarists and features a rugged, roadworthy cabinet covered in black Tolex.

More importantly, the Vibratone is also designed for use with a standard guitar amp and features a guitar speaker that emphasizes crucial midrange tones instead of the full-range, two-way woofer and tweeter speaker array found in most Leslie cabinets. Fender sold the Vibratone from 1967 through 1972, and it is still considered one of the best true rotating speaker effects for guitarists.

Roland SDD-320 Dimension D

Although Vaughan didn’t use the Roland Dimension D in his live rig, it was a secret weapon in the studio, where he often added it to his guitar tracks during mixing. Vaughan first discovered the Dimension D while mixing his guitar tracks on David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, and he liked how its subtle chorus effect thickened his guitar sound without changing his natural tone significantly like other chorus effects frequently do.

The Dimension D was used on the solos to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Pride and Joy” on Texas Flood and most of the solos on Couldn’t Stand the Weather. During mixing, Vaughan would add the Dimension D effects himself via the effects send/return controls on the mixing console.

Vox V846 wah

Vaughan’s wah pedal of choice was a Vox V846 from the Sixties that originally belonged to Jimi Hendrix. Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie’s brother, acquired the pedal from Hendrix when Jimmie’s band shared a bill with the Experience in Fort Worth. Vaughan owned several other Vox wah pedals and was allegedly very fond of an early Seventies version with a Japanese TDK inductor.

Vaughan used the Vox wah on his Hendrix covers and “Telephone Song” on the Vaughan Brothers’ Family Style, and he famously used two wahs at once to record “Say What.”

Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face

Vaughan tended to prefer clean tones and natural tube-amp overdrive, but in 1988 he added an original Sixties Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face pedal to his rig when he became obsessed with emulating Jimi Hendrix’s signature sounds.

Unfortunately, the Fuzz Face’s germanium transistors were extremely unreliable when exposed to hot stage lights or the sun during outdoor gigs. Vaughan collected several Fuzz Face pedals, and he would try several during sound check to choose the one he thought sounded best that particular day. Eventually, he got tired of the unreliable transistors in his Fuzz Face pedals, so he had them modified by his amp tech César Diaz, who later used the modifications as the basis for the Diaz Texas Square Face pedal.

Tycobrahe Octavia

Another key effect that Vaughan used to emulate Hendrix tones was an Octavia fuzz pedal that produces octave-up effects. Vaughan initially used Roger Mayer Octavia pedals (housed in distinctive “spaceship” metal boxes), but when Diaz located three New Old Stock Tycobrahe Octavia pedals, Vaughan switched to those.

His guitar tech, Rene Martinez, says that Stevie thought the Tycobrahe pedal produced the best Octavia effect he had ever heard. Vaughan especially liked how the Octavia sounded when used along with a Tube Screamer.

Be sure to pick up the new March 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine, which features SRV on the cover and celebrates the 30th anniversary of Texas Flood. The issue also profiles the amps and effects in Vaughan's arsenal, dissects 10 Vaughan albums and discusses Vaughan's "Number One" Fender Strat. The new issue is available now at the Guitar World Online Store.

Additional Content

Shred Zeppelin: How to Play Like Jimmy Page

Jimmy Brown — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:11:28 +0000

That his solos in such Led Zeppelin classics as "Good Times, Bad Times," "Heartbreaker," "Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To Heaven" are so firmly etched in two generations of guitarists' memories is testimony to his compositional and improvisational genius.

[[ Be sure to check out the "How to Play the Best of Led Zeppelin" DVD, available now at the Guitar World Online Store. ]]

In this lesson, we'll examine the main technical elements and improvisational approaches that characterize Page's soloing style, and we'll look at some of his signature licks.

The Smear Box

Jimmy relies heavily on the minor pentatonic "box" pattern illustrated in FIGURE 1 for many of his licks, using mostly the top three or four strings. When he does go down to the bottom string, he'll shift positions with his middle or ring finger on the 5th string, as indicated here.

FIGURE 2 shows this fretboard pattern in the key of E with the root note E falling on the top and bottom strings at the 12th fret. Using this visual pattern as a template, Jimmy will often begin a phrase by playing the Chuck Berry-influenced "smear" motif shown in FIGURE 3 in the key of E.

This lick begins with a whole-step bend on the G string from the fourth up to the fifth (A to B). The bend is executed with either the ring or middle finger while the index-finger barres the root-fifth doublestop on the top two strings.

Page utilizes this smear motif as a springboard to dive into blazing E minor pentatonic speed licks like those shown in FIGURES 4-6. As you play through these figures, notice the use of pull-offs on the top three strings, as well as whole-step bends, such as from the minor third up to the fourth (G to A) on the 1st string at the 15th fret. You can hear Jimmy playing licks along these lines in his solos in "Good Times, Bad Times" (1:30), "Dazed and Confused" (3:52), "The Lemon Song" (1:51) and "Communication Breakdown."

Jimmy also uses these same types of repeating smear/pull-off licks in different keys. For example, in his outro solo to "Black Dog" (4:12), he plays a lick similar to the one shown in FIGURE 6, but in the key of A using the 5th-position A minor pentatonic (A C D E G) box pattern illustrated in FIGURE 7. In his first two lead phrases in "Moby Dick" (:36 and :41), he uses this same fretboard shape in the 10th position (see Figure 8) to play scorching blues licks in D minor pentatonic.

Page utilizes this same fretboard shape to play major pentatonic licks as well. He does this by simply moving the minor pentatonic box pattern shown in FIGURE 1 down three frets, transforming it into a major pentatonic box pattern in the same key, as illustrated in FIGURE 9.

If you compare the E minor and E major pentatonic box patterns depicted in FIGURES 2 and 10, you'll notice that the fingering patterns are identical, but that the notes assume different harmonic functions. This simple three-fret transposition enables Jimmy to transform minor pentatonic licks into major pentatonic licks (and vice versa) in the same key using the same fretboard shapes and fingering patterns.

Jimmy applies this transposition principle brilliantly in his "Communication Breakdown" solo. After playing several measures of rather dark sounding E minor pentatonic blues licks in the 12th position, he suddenly creates a lighter shade of blue by playing E major pentatonic licks using the exact same fretboard pattern in the 9th position.

Page uses this same major pentatonic box pattern illustrated in FIGURE 9 to play bright-sounding country-style licks, most notably in "The Song Remains the Same" (in D, 7th position, at :58, and in A, 2nd position, at 4:19), "Celebration Day" (in C, 17th position, at 1:46, and 5th position at 1:53) and "Houses of the Holy" (in A, 2nd position, at 1:11).

FIGURE 11 is a signature Jimmy Page "wall of notes" triplet run played in the 12th-position E minor pentatonic box pattern illustrated in FIGURE 2. You can hear him playing similarly blistering runs, both ascending and descending, in "Good Times, Bad Times" (at 1:30, 2:02 and 2:33) using this same fretboard pattern. In "I Can't Quit You Baby" (2:29), he plays almost the same lick in A minor pentatonic using the box pattern depicted in FIGURE 7.

Though he's mostly revered for his huge-sounding, eternally cool riffs, inventive altered tunings, acoustic fingerpicking masterpieces and otherworldly, ambient soundscapes, Jimmy Page is also one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock. That his solos in such Led Zeppelin classics as "Good Times, Bad Times," "Heartbreaker," "Rock And Roll" and "Stairway To Heaven" are so firmly etched in two generations of guitarists' memories is testimony to his compositional and improvisational genius. In this lesson we'll examine the main technical elements and improvisational approaches that characterize Page's soloing style and look at some of his signature licks.

Sweet Bends

One of the things that makes Page such a great lead player is his tasteful, lyrical use of string bending (he prefers extra light gauge strings because they're easy to bend and shake). FIGURE 12 illustrates a minor pentatonic box pattern Jimmy uses to play soaring Albert King-style bends like those shown in the key of E in FIGURE 13. (Notice the inclusion of the major third in this shape. Jimmy will often teeter between the major third and fourth when playing in a major or dominant seventh tonality.)

As this example demonstrates, this compact little box shape lendsitself to performing a variety of soulful half-step and whole-step bends, such as from the fourth to the lowered fifth (A to Bb), from the minor third to the major third (G to G#), from the fourth to the fifth (A to B) and from the root to the second/ninth (E to F#). It's also great for playing screaming one-and-a-half-step and two-step "overbends," such as from the root to the minor third (E to G), from the root to the major third (E to G#) and from the fourth to the major sixth (A to C#). Jimmy uses this box pattern in the 15th position to play these types of bends in E in "Good Times, Bad Times" (1:43), and in A (8th position) in "I Can't Quit You Baby" (2:48).

Vibrato

One the most distinctive features of Jimmy's lead "voice" is his polished vibrato, especially his bend vibrato (vibrato applied to a bent note). His vibrato is fast, even and shimmering. A classic example of Page's impeccable bending and vibrato technique, as well as his phrasing genius, is his lead break beginning at 3:05 in "Whole Lotta Love." This excerpt is comprised of six succinct, punctuated phrases and each one reveals at least one signature Jimmy Page move. This solo is also a great example of how he uses notes from the E minor pentatonic scale (E G A B D), the E blues scale (E G A Bb B D) and the E major pentatonic scale (E F# G# B C#) in combination to create soulful, bittersweet melodies.

Jimmy plays phrases 1 and 3 in the trusty 12th-position E minor pentatonic box, which, as we've already seen, facilitates the rapid execution of pull-offs, hammer-ons and bends on the top three strings. He begins the first phrase with the whole-step smear bend on the G string, then plays a slick descending lick using the E blues scale. Notice the smooth double pull-off from Bb to A to G. He finishes the phrase with the same bend from A to B, which he then adorns with a haunting, wide vibrato. This bend vibrato is produced by partially releasing the whole-step bend and pushing it back up to the "target" pitch (B) in a quick, steady rhythm, as illustrated in FIGURE 14.

Phrase 2 demonstrates Page's judicious use of the "open-position" E minor pentatonic scale pattern. Notice how he takes full advantage of the open-string notes by playing a slick double pull-off (B to A to G) to the open G string, followed by a descending succession of fast single pull-offs to the open G and D strings.

Jimmy returns to the 12th-position E minor pentatonic box in phrase 3 and plays a smear lick on the top three strings, which he follows with a bend on the 2nd string at the 15th fret from the minor seventh (D) up to the root (E). Notice how he then plays the minor third (G) on the 1st string at the 15th fret, then quickly bends the D note up to E again and sweetens the bend with a robust vibrato, using the same partial-release-and-rebend technique detailed for the bend vibrato in phrase 1.

B.B.'s Box

Phrases 4-6 demonstrate Jimmy's tasteful use of a fretboard pattern many guitarists endearingly refer to as "B.B.'s box" (in honor of the legendary blues guitarist B.B. King, who relies on it for most of his signature licks). This pattern is based around the index finger on the root note on the 2nd string and facilitates the playing of major pentatonic, minor pentatonic and blues scale licks, all in the same position and key, with the index finger functioning as an "anchor" on the root note. FIGURE 15 illustrates this box pattern in E, with the root note located on the B string at the 17th fret. Jimmy begins phrase 4 on this note, then performs a gut-wrenching two-and-half-step overbend at the 20th fret on the same string, bending the G note all the way up to C (the lowered sixth) using both his ring and middle fingers to push the string (this technique is known as reinforced fingering). After releasing the bend he picks the E note again then plays the natural sixth (C#) below the root on the 3rd string at the 21st fret.

Jimmy begins phrase 5 on the root, E, at the 17th fret, then plays a screaming one-and-a-half-step overbend on the 1st string at the 20th fret, bending the fifth, B, up to the lowered seventh, D. Again he employs both his ring and middle fingers to push the string for added strength and control. After releasing this bend, he plays a descending lick using notes from the E blues scale. You can hear Jimmy playing a similarly wailing lick using this same box pattern (and an Echoplex) in his "You Shook Me" solo (4:18).

At the end of this solo, 3, Page contrasts the harmonically darker sound of the blues scale by playing a brighter sounding E major pentatonic lick in the same position. Notice how he bends the second/ninth, F#, up a whole step to the major third, G#, then overbends it an additional half step to the fourth, A, again using two fingers to push the string.

Unison Bends

Another signature move in Page's lead lexicon is the unison bend. This technique involves strumming two fretted notes that are a whole step apart on two adjacent strings (either the G and B, or B and E), thenquickly bending the lower note up a whole step to match the pitch of the higher note. This maneuver works best on the B and G strings, as the notes are comfortably fingered two frets apart with the index finger on the B string and the ring finger on the G string (the middle finger can help the ring finger bend the lower note up to pitch). Properly executed, this technique produces a natural chorusing effect and makes the doubled note cut through the roar of the rhythm section like a laser beam through fog. Page uses unison bends to emphasize notes during key melodic phrases and licks. You can hear him utilizing this technique on the G and B strings in "Dazed and Confused" (3:39), "Stairway to Heaven" (7:29) and "Communication Breakdown."

Open-string Licks

Some of Page's fattest sounding and most memorable licks are performed in the lower fretboard positions and involve the use of open strings. FIGURES 16 and 17 are twangy 1st- and 2nd-position licks that use single and double pull-offs to the open strings. You can hear Jimmy playing similar types of open-string licks in his solos in "The Song Remains the Same" (4:30) and "Moby Dick" (:46).

Behind-The-Nut

Another cool move Jimmy does is bend a string behind the nut by pressing down on it with his fingers. A classic example of this is the slinky, psychedelic lick he plays in his a capella solo in "Heartbreaker" (2:06). This lick is performed using double pull-offs to the open G string with the left hand as the right hand repeatedly bends the string behind the nut to raise the pitch of the C note (5th fret) a whopping two whole-steps. Jimmy uses a similar technique in his "Dazed and Confused" solo (4:04). In this case, he bends and shakes the open string behind the nut using his first two left-hand fingers as he repeatedly picks the stringwith his right hand. He uses the same technique during the song's intro (:14), where he sounds a G natural harmonic (N.H.) on the 3rd string at the 12th fret, then, as the harmonic is still ringing, bends its pitch up a whole-step to A by pressing the string downward behind the nut with his left hand.

Lateral Mobility

Jimmy will often shift from one position to another in the middle of a phrase to play long, smooth ascending runs like those shown in FIGURES 18 and 19, using finger slides to seamlessly connect the notes and transport his left hand up and down the fretboard. You can hear him playing similar types of ascending runs in "Moby Dick" (:52), "Black Dog" (3:36) and "Heartbreaker" (2:35 and 3:08).

"Since I've Been Loving You" is a fine example of the expressive use of "crammed" phrasing in a slow blues context (the "wall of notes" approach). Notice also how he effectively exploits the minor pentatonic box pattern introduced back in FIGURE 1, this time in the key of C minor, and uses the ninth (D) as a "color" tone.

This primer is but a glimpse into one aspect of Jimmy Pages' unique, multifaceted guitar style. The best way to truly understand and appreciate his diverse, inventive approach to melody is to study complete transcriptions of classic Led Zeppelin songs, many of which have appeared in these pages over the years. (Complete album folios are available from Warner Bros. Publications, Miami, Florida.) If you really want to emulate Jimmy, then do what he did early on and open your mind and ears to a healthy variety of guitar styles and musical genres.

Additional Content

Video: Sample Guitar World's New 'Mastering Scales' DVD

Guitar World Staff — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:54:06 +0000

Guitar World has released a new DVD we think you'll enjoy: Mastering Scales.

The DVD, which is available now at the Guitar World Online Store, is a deluxe crash course in guitar theory, with more than 80 minutes of instructional video to help you reach the next level.

The DVD features everything you need to know about the pentatonic, hexatonic and blues scales, plus exotic scales, monster shred patterns, moving through the cycle of fifths.

Your Instructor on the DVD is Jimmy Brown, author of Guitar World's best-selling DVD, Mastering Fretboard Harmony. Over the last 24 years, Jimmy has built a reputation as one of the world's finest music editors through his work as transcriber, arranger and senior music editor for GW. He's also a busy working musician, performing regularly as a solo acoustic guitar/vocal act and rocking out with a full band at taverns, restaurants, resorts, weddings and private parties.

Here's the complete list of chapters:

• Chapter 1 – C Major, A minor, G major, E minor pentatonic scales.
• Chapter 2 – Two-notes-per-string pentatonic box patterns.
• Chapter 3 – Moving through the cycle of fourths and fifths.
• Chapter 4 – “2+3” and “3+2” fretboard patterns.
• Chapter 5 - Two-note-per-string and three-note-per-string pentatonic box patterns.
• Chapter 6 – Pentatonic “modules.”
• Chapter 7 – A minor, C major, E minor, G major blues scales.
• Chapter 8 – More blues scale exercises, the “monster shred” pattern, E minor hexatonic scale.
• Chapter 9 – E minor, D major, C Lydian, A minor, and G major hexatonic scales.
• Chapter 10 – Alternating between hexatonic scales.
• Chapter 11 – Obscure but cool-sounding hexatonic scales.
• Chapter 12 – Comparing back to back hexatonic scales, and the “Iberian” hexatonic scale.

The Mastering Scales DVD is available now at the Guitar World Online Store for $14.99. NOTE: This product includes a PDF booklet on the DVD and can be retrieved by opening the DVD on your computer.

Interview: Guitarist Robby Krieger Discusses The Doors' Albums and Working with Jim Morrison

Alan Paul — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:48:11 +0000

The Doors’ Jim Morrison lit the world on fire, but it was guitarist Robby Krieger who supplied the matches. In 2008, the legendary axman shed light on one of rock’s most mysterious bands for Guitar World.

The Doors’ Jim Morrison lit the world on fire, but it was guitarist Robby Krieger who supplied the matches. Here, the legendary axman sheds light on one of rock’s most mysterious bands.

“It was hard living with Jim.”

Robby Krieger is talking about his days as guitarist with the Doors, reflecting on his role as creative sidekick to one of rock’s all-time great lyricists, singers, sex symbols and extreme personalities, Jim Morrison. “It would have been so great if we’d just had a guy like Sting,” says Krieger wistfully. “You know, a normal guy who’s extremely talented, too. Someone who didn’t have to be on the verge of life and death every second of his life.”

The guitarist laughs at his own fantasy. He knows better than anyone that it was Morrison’s inner demons, which surfaced all too frequently, that gave the Doors’ music its resonance and power. But while Morrison was undoubtedly one of rock’s great visionaries, the contributions of the other Doors to the band’s unique sound and success cannot be overlooked. The blues-based, often hypnotic music created by Krieger, organist Ray Manzarek and drummer John Densmore perfectly complemented Morrison’s commanding, sensual vocals and mesmerizing lyrics. And it was actually Krieger who penned many of the Doors’ greatest songs and biggest hits, including “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times” and “Touch Me.”

Remarkably, when Krieger joined the Doors in 1965 he was only 18 years old and had been playing guitar for just two years — electric guitar a mere six months.

“I really learned to play as a member of the Doors,” he asserts. “I just tried to sound like myself—I consciously avoided copying Chuck Berry or B.B. King because that’s what everyone was doing. I tried to come up with the right part for the song and play something that would complement Jim’s singing.

“It must have worked,” he adds coyly. “I think we came up with a pretty good body of work.”

Pretty good, yes. Good enough to have gotten the Doors inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last January and to have inspired Oliver Stone’s reverential 1991 biopic. And, most of all, good enough to enthrall three decades of rock fans with music that remains as powerful and profound in the Nineties as it was in the Sixties.

Robby Krieger cannot escape his past with the Doors, even though the band essentially died with Morrison in 1971. Although he has remained active, touring regularly and recording seven solo albums dominated by instrumental music, Krieger says, “I realized pretty quickly that I would never again have another band like the Doors. Music has become more of a fun thing for me, much like painting is — something that’s personally rewarding. It’s what I do and how I identify myself: I’m Robby Krieger, guitarist.”

Most people would say: Robby Krieger, Doors guitarist. What follows are Krieger’s recollections of the Doors’ career, from their 1967 self-titled debut to 1971’s brilliant swan song, L.A. Woman.

THE DOORS
Released January 1967

GUITAR WORLD: What was your first impression of Jim Morrison?

I first met him when he came to my house with John Densmore and he seemed pretty normal. I didn’t really get a sense that there was anything unusual about him until the end of our first rehearsal. Initially, everything was cool. Then this guy came looking for Jim. Something had gone wrong with a dope deal, and Jim just went nuts. Absolutely bananas. I thought, Jesus Christ, this guy’s not normal.

What were your impressions of Ray Manzarek?

When I first met him, he was the “big man on campus” at the UCLA film school. In fact, our first gig as a band was to provide music for one of his student films. Afterwards Ray got up in front of an auditorium full of people and gave a speech. I remember it well, because he had them in the palm of his hand. He was down-right mesmerizing. He was a major character, but Jim kind of kept him in his place. Jim was so out there that Ray’s personality was overwhelmed — which, oddly enough, created a good balance.

And you were pretty much what you appeared to be: a nice, quiet guy who fit in between these two powerful personalities?

Well, dealing with Jim kind of changed me, too, because I was pretty crazy myself. I was the first one at my school to try acid and I was always the one pushing things. Then I got into the Doors and I couldn’t hold a candle to Jim and Ray. [laughs] But I had already gone through acid and I was onto meditation by the time I joined the Doors—I actually met John at meditation class—so I had already mellowed out.

When were the Doors thrown out of the Whisky-A-Go-Go for performing “The End”?

Well, that’s overstating it a little bit. That whole incident has been blown out of proportion. There was a fight with the owner and we were thrown out, but I don’t think we were actually fired. We kept playing the Whisky after that.

Jim’s antics are held in such reverence now. Were they funny at the time?

It was always a bummer. We had this group which we all knew had the potential to be something really big, and Jim was trying to sabotage it by fucking up at every turn. We would call a rehearsal, Jim wouldn’t show, and we’d get a call from Blythe, Arizona, telling us that he was in jail.

Yet you guys were amazingly productive. You produced six studio albums in three or four years. Were his work habits really that bad?

No. the music was all he lived for. A lot of times he was at the office when we weren’t. He’d even live there sometimes, because that was his whole life. We all had lives other than the Doors, but he didn’t, and he kind of resented that. He felt like he was living it 24 hours a day, and we weren’t. And he was right.

But the recording sessions really bored him. We had to hang around interminably until they got the drum sound down and all that shit, so I can’t blame him for going crazy. Paul Rothchild, our producer, was a real perfectionist.

How important was Paul to your music?

It really differed from album to album. On the first one, he just turned on the mic and stepped out of the way. The second album, when we actually had a budget, Paul really got involved in the sound.

We were all kind of freaked out recording the first album because we didn’t know what it would be like. For example, it really bothered us that we couldn’t turn up as loud as we wanted.

Yet it really sounds like you were all playing with total abandon.

That’s because we had been playing those songs for so long that we really had the material down cold. Everything was cut in one or two takes.

Your version of “Back Door Man” is really effective. Were there any debates about how faithful you should be to the original version?

No. For one thing, we probably weren’t good enough musicians to do exact copies and we knew that Jim would never sing it anywhere near the original anyhow. So we just went on our own.

For years it was a little-known fact that you wrote “Light My Fire.” That changed when Oliver Stone made it a point to show how the song evolved in his movie, The Doors. Was it as simple as pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of your pocket and offering it to the band like the movie suggests?

It’s pretty close. Jim had been writing all the songs and then one day we realized we didn’t have enough tunes, so he said, “Hey, why don’t you guys try and write songs?” I wrote “Light My Fire” that night and brought it to the next rehearsal. It was my idea to have that scene in the movie, by the way. I wanted it there because it’s always kind of bugged me that so many people don’t know that I was the composer.

Your solo on “Light My Fire” is truly one of your shining moments as a guitarist. Was it improvised in the studio?

It was the kind of solo that I usually did, but it was different every night. To be honest, the one on the record is not one of my better versions. I only had two tries at it. But it’s not bad; I’m glad it was as good as it was.

Was the whole album recorded live?

No. Jim always sang with us, but they rarely used the scratch vocal. “The End” was an exception.

What do you think of the song now?

I think that particular version of “The End” was nowhere near as good as the way we played it many other times. All the songs on the first album were like skeletons of how we really played them. It was just a combination of not having any studio experience and having to do everything so fast. I also think that studios are, by nature, limiting. You cannot get the sound of five big amplifiers on a little piece of tape.

Did you ever think about how strange it was not to have a bass player?

Definitely. We always thought about that. We wanted a bass player, and we auditioned a few — but we never could find one who was right. Looking back, I’m glad we didn’t, because the Doors’ sound was largely a result of the fact that Ray had to play really simple bass lines, which gave the music a hypnotic feel.

And not having a bass player affected my guitar playing a lot. It made me play more bass notes to fill out the bottom. Not having a rhythm player also made me play differently to fill out the sound. And then, of course, I played lead, so I always felt like three players simultaneously.

“Light My Fire,” the first song you ever wrote, was a number-one hit. It’s sudden success must have been mind-boggling.

It wasn’t that sudden. It actually felt like forever to us. We started the band in 1965, and nothing happened for two years. We were going crazy. Finally, after being turned down by everyone in town, Elektra signed us. Our first single bombed, and it was another six months before “Light My Fire” hit. So it seemed like a long time. We felt like veterans.

Did you use your standard gear in the studio? Were you playing an SG?

Yeah, though the first red one I had was a Melody Maker. I had a few red SGs in the Doors, but they’re all gone now, mostly stolen or lost. Amp-wise, I usually used a Twin Reverb in the studio.

You almost allowed “Light My Fire” to be used in a car commercial before Jim put an end to it. Did Jim do the right thing?

Oh yeah, absolutely. In fact, it’s been our policy to reject any subsequent offers—and we’ve had quite a few. I really hate it when I see other bands selling their music to commercials. And by the time a big corporation is interested in using your music, you don’t need the money. So there’s really no excuse.

STRANGE DAYS
Released November 1967

When the second album came out it was attacked by many critics as being a retread of the first. Do you think that was valid criticism?

Only on one count. I’ll admit that “When the Music’s Over” was similar to “The End” in length and structure, but so what? Something works, so you do it again. It’s one of my favorite songs.

I don’t think that Morrison’s poetry rap is quite as interesting on “When the Music’s Over” as “The End.”

No, it’s not. How can you possibly top “The End”? What’s left once you’ve fucked your mother and killed your father? [laughs] The reason it’s my favorite song is my solo — I think it’s my best.

That solo is composed of two solos being played simultaneously. Did you improvise both of them on the spot?

Pretty much. In fact, I’ve never been able to reproduce them. That solo was really a challenge because the harmony is static. I had to play 56 bars over the same riff, which isn’t easy. It’s a lot easier to play something over an interesting chord progression. But we did that a lot because we were really into [saxophonist] John Coltrane, who pioneered “modal” jazz and soloed brilliantly over static harmonies and minimal chord progressions. I was always trying to play something that sounded like him — just totally out there in terms of tonality. I think “When the Music’s Over” is the closest I ever came.

You recorded Strange Days less than a year after your debut. Did Elektra put a lot of pressure on you?

No, we were ready. We had tons of material for the first two albums; the pressure came on the third album. We ran out of stuff and Jim was pretty fucked up on liquor by then, so it was hard to write with him and that’s when I started writing more of my own songs. It was also difficult to write while we were touring, so we started writing a lot more in the studio.

What was life on the road with the Doors like?

Not as crazy as you would think. At first, it was mostly teenyboppers and groupies and a few local nuts hanging around. But a couple of years down the road, when people realized how weird we were, we really started drawing some creeps. We still do, I might add—Morrison wannabes show up on my doorstep all the time. And they always want to sing. [laughs]

Speaking of weirdoes, “People Are Strange” has a great chord progression. Did you write that?

Yeah. Jim came up to my house in Laurel Canyon one night, and he was in one of his suicidal, downer moods. So John said, “Come on, Jim, we’ll go see the sunset. That’ll get you out of this.” We went up to the top of Laurel Canyon and it was incredibly beautiful — we were looking down on the sun reflecting off the top of the clouds. Jim had a total mood flip-flop, and said, “Wow! Now I know why I felt like that. It’s because if you’re strange, people are strange.” And he wrote the lyrics right there. Then I came up with the music and we went back down the hill.

Why wasn’t “Moonlight Drive,” the first song you wrote and rehearsed together, on the first album?

It wasn’t really the first song: “Indian Summer” was, and “Moonlight Drive” was the second. But we didn’t think the version that we cut was good enough, so we decided to drop it off the first album and try again next time. Unfortunately we’ve never been able to find the damn master for the first version. I think we may have found it now, and I hope I’m right because I always thought it was good. It was totally different than the one on Strange Days. It was real dark and laid-back, very spooky.

Any strange memories from the Strange Days album?

One time, we were getting ready to leave for the night and Jim didn’t want to stop because he was feeling good. He kept saying, “Man, I want to play all night.” But we were all tired and wanted to go home. Jim finally left, but he came back half an hour later, climbed over the fence, broke into the studio, took out the fire extinguisher and sprayed it into the piano and all over everything. It was quite a surprise in the morning. [laughs]

Were you guys around when Jim recorded “House Latitudes”?

Yeah. He said he had a poem he wanted to read and he wanted something real weird to back it. There were all these instruments in the studio from an orchestra session — harpsichords and pianos and timpani. We all started banging on them and fumbling around inside the pianos, and there were 10 or 12 people just screaming at the top of their lungs. After we laid that down, Jim overdubbed the poem.

The funny thing was, as we were listening back at full volume and Jim was reading, the guys from the Jefferson Airplane came straggling in — high as kites, or course. They stared at us like we were out of our minds, but we just acted casual and said, “Oh yeah, this is one of our songs.” [laughs]

Were you friends with them?

Sort of. We always played on the same bill, but we didn’t really hang out much. There was always a bit of competitive vibe—to see who could blow who off the stage.

We didn’t hang out with other musicians that much — just Van Morrison when he came to town, and occasionally the guys in Buffalo Springfield. We didn’t get too close with the San Francisco groups — especially the Grateful Dead, who wouldn’t let us use their amps one night. We had a gig at Beverly Hills High School in the afternoon and then one about an hour up the coast in Santa Barbara, so we left our gear, figuring the Dead would let us use their stuff. You’d always let people use your amps in those days, but they just refused. I ended up playing through a Pignose or something equally ridiculous.

Ray was aghast at the fact that Pigpen wouldn’t let him use his organ. He kept saying, “Pigpen? Someone named Pigpen won’t let me use his instrument? I could catch cooties from his organ.” He couldn’t believe it.

WAITING FOR THE SUN
Released August 1968

It seems like the band was in a creative lull and feeling a lot of pressure by the third album. Do you see a band like Pearl Jam going through a similar thing?

Their situation is a lot different, but, yes, I see the similarities. I know Eddie [Vedder] — he sang with us at our induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year—and he wants to be like Jim. He was drilling me about Jim — asking me a million questions about how Jim would have reacted to various situations. And he is kind of a troubled person and a very serious guy, like Jim was. But I don’t think he, or anyone else in that band, is too fucked up to write good material. They may not be the straightest people in the world, but it’s not like our situation, where you have a guy who’s really out of control. Eddie’s not like that; he knows what he’s doing.

Does it trouble you to see someone emulate a person whose self-destruction you witnessed?

Yeah, it really does. I always tell people, “Don’t drink because Jim drank. That was a mistake. That’s what fucked him up.” If it weren’t for the booze he might still be writing today.

Had his drinking gotten seriously worse when you were recording Waiting for the Sun?

Definitely. That’s when the liquor really started being a problem. Before that, everything was more or less fine. LSD was no problem because it was a creative thing. There’s nothing good about liquor — it just fucks you up—though at first it relaxes you, which is what you probably need after taking eight-zillion acid trips. [laughs]

“Hello, I Love You” was a number-one hit and Waiting for the Sun topped the album charts. Can that kind of success get you through a creative lull?

It helped a lot. In fact, we were just going out on tour when “Hello, I Love You” hit number one, and it really buoyed our spirits. People always think that we stole that track from the Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night,” but we weren’t thinking of them at all. What I did steal was the drumbeat: I told John to play something like “Sunshine of Your Love.” So, we ripped off the Cream, not the Kinks.

What specific recollections do you have of these sessions?

A lot of very horrible ones. By that time, Jim was being taken advantage of by various hangers-on. He would bring them to the studio and Rothchild would go crazy — all these drunken assholes would be hanging around, fucking in the echo chamber and pissing in the closets. It was a mess.

Jim would drink with anybody because we wouldn’t drink with him. He would take on all these assholes, who used him: “Hey, we’re hanging with Jumbo.” And they wouldn’t care how fucked up he got—they’d leave him on somebody’s doorstep in his own puke.

At what point did you guys refuse to drink with him?

I never drank with him because I didn’t like to drink to excess and he loved to go until he couldn’t see. I knew what was coming and hated to see it, so I would usually be gone by that point. John and Ray felt the same way.

Were you three using a lot of drugs at that point?

No. Not at all. And the fact that Jim was using so much made us use even less. The romance was definitely gone. Once in a while he would talk me into taking acid — just like you saw in the movie — but not often.

THE SOFT PARADE
Released January 1969

The Soft Parade features several heavily orchestrated, intricately arranged songs. Were you compelled to go into this direction because of the Beatles?

Yeah, totally. In those days you had to try to keep up with the Beatles! But, to be honest, I didn’t really like orchestrating the songs. It definitely wasn’t my idea — it was Paul Rothchild’s. I never would have done it.

Does it sound better to you now?

Actually, it does sound better with time. But I never thought it sounded bad—I just thought it didn’t sound like us. The Doors were lost. It was Jim and the orchestra.

This was the first album where you had individual songwriting credits.

Right. Jim originally wanted everything to say “written by the Doors” to keep things mysterious. But everybody just took it for granted that he wrote everything. I think he realized that wasn’t fair and wanted to give others credit.

Did he actually write the music on those songs where he alone is credited?

No. He would hear the song in his head. But he didn’t play anything, so he would sing a vocal melody, and we would have to figure out what to do. But a lot of times he just had a poem on paper and I would come up with something. Other times I would come up with a melody, and he’d put words to it.

What about the Soft Parade sessions sticks out in your mind?

The endless mixing sessions. That was a very long, drawn-out album. We spent more money on it than we did on any other album. And Jim was hard to find. All the mixing bored the hell out of him. But I think his drinking problem wasn’t as bad as it was on Waiting for the Sun, because he had started making a film, which kept him busy.

There was one funny thing that happened. This crazy guy appeared and apparently he thought that “The Celebration of the Lizard” [a Morrison poem which appeared on Waiting for the Sun] was written about him. He was yelling, “How did you know that I’m the Lizard King, goddamn it! That’s me. You wrote a song about me!” And he smacked Ray right in the eye because he thought Ray was Jim. Ray had his glasses on and they just crumpled. It was a mess.

Before the poem appeared had you ever heard Jim refer to himself as the Lizard King?

He was always obsessed with lizards—he loved that kind of stuff because he’d seen it on acid a lot. But I don’t know when he came up with “I am the Lizard King.” I think he wished he had never said that. It was just another thing he had to live up to.

During the Soft Parade tour, your Miami concert erupted in pandemonium and was canceled. Later Jim was charged with indecent exposure. What do you remember of the concert?

Well, first of all, Jim did not pull it out. But it was bedlam, just total craziness. The place was oversold, thousands of people swarmed the stage, and it collapsed. I remember Jim just rolling around in the midst of all those people and I was wondering if we would ever get out of there. It was very much like in the movie — they did a real good job on that one.

But you had no sense that the incident was going to turn into such a big thing?

No, hell no! Okay, the concert was fucked up, and we didn’t finish, but nobody was angry, nobody asked for their money back. And the cops were friendly — they sat around drinking beers with us after the show. Nothing happened until a week later, when somebody decided to make a stink about it. Some politician decided to make their career at our expense. Then it fucked everything up. We couldn’t play anywhere for a year. The Hall Managers’ Association basically banned us.

Did Jim feel very persecuted?

I’m sure he did. But he wasn’t surprised. He knew he was pushing authority as far as it could go. We really did have the sense that we had pushed the system to the edge and finally they were pushing back.

MORRISON HOTEL
Released March 1970

“Roadhouse Blues” and a couple of other songs on Morrison Hotel hinted at the changes to come on L.A. Woman—heading in a bluesier, more bare-bones direction.

I think it was a reaction to the overproduction of The Soft Parade. We wanted to get back to basics. “Roadhouse Blues” is one of my personal favorites. I was always proud of that song because, as simple as it is, it’s not just another blues. That one little lick makes it a song, and I think that sums up the genius of the Doors. I think that song stands up really well as an example of what made us a great band. And the session was really cool — one of my fondest memories of the band. We cut the tune live, with John Sebastian playing harp and Lonnie Mack playing bass—he came up with that fantastic bass line.

How did Mack end up on there?

He just happened to be hanging around. I think he had a contract with Elektra and wasn’t recording so they gave him a job at the studio. We just said, “Hey, why don’t you play bass?”

You co-wrote “Peace Frog” with Jim.

Yes. I had written the music, we rehearsed it up, and it was really happening, but we didn’t have any lyrics and Jim wasn’t around. We just said, “Fuck it, let’s record it. He’ll come up with something.” And he did. He took out his poetry book and found a poem that fit. But it always seemed kind of forced to me, to tell you the truth.

The legend has Ray and Jim being very tight, but you’re the one who wrote with him a lot.

In the very early days Ray was very close with Jim; Jim actually lived with Ray and his wife. He was almost like their son, and he was great for a while—he wasn’t drinking or anything. The problem was that Ray became a father figure, so Jim rebelled. He fucked their house up—trashed it on more than one occasion — and took advantage of them in many ways. Then I joined the band and sort of latched on to Jim, and we hung out a lot.

Ray worked up all the early songs with Jim — everything on the first album. Then I wrote a lot with Jim — before I started really writing on my own—and those songs went mostly on the second and third albums.

Did you ever talk about lyrics with Jim?

Not much. He didn’t like to explain lyrics because he wanted people to interpret them themselves. But he thought about that stuff a lot. He was also somewhat into pure impressionism — which I think is what he liked about my songs. I always tried to write something that just fit the music, even if it didn’t especially mean anything.

L.A. WOMAN
Released June 1971

Legend has it that L.A. Woman was cut entirely live.

Not entirely, but a lot of it was live, and the song “L.A. Woman” was completely live. I think that could be the quintessential Doors song, and the way we came up with it was amazing. We just started playing and it came together as if by magic. Jim made a lot of it up as he went along, which is amazing because I think it’s one of his most poetic songs. I can remember Jim sitting in the bathroom with the mic singing and all of us just having a great time.

That album was the first time you had a rhythm guitarist— Marc Benno.

That was basically just so we could do it live. It freed me up. And we thought it might add a different flavor. I actually enjoyed it, and I didn’t have to do as much overdubbing.

You still did some overdubbing; it sounds like there are at least four guitar tracks on “I’ve Been Down So Long.”

Yeah, there probably are. Ray played a guitar and Benno played, and I probably overdubbed one too. I think I also overdubbed two or three slide parts.

That slide solo is one of your craziest.

Definitely. I was just trying to capture a mood without worrying about technique.

The beauty of your slide playing — and your blues playing in general — is you don’t mimic the originators. And you never really cleaned your blues up — you left it a little messy. Some white guys tend to be very anal.

That’s right. That’s what I didn’t like about Mike Bloomfield — too perfect. I always just tried to do my thing. I could play traditional blues slide, but all the other guys reacted more enthusiastically to my untraditional slide playing. In fact, that’s what got me into the band. Jim always loved my slide playing—he wanted me to play it almost exclusively.

Did Jim ever critique your playing?

He would always tell me that I was the most underrated guitar player around. What’s funny is that the four of us hardly ever criticized the others’ playing—or even suggested anything. We worked so well together that we hardly ever had to talk about it. Everybody just played the right part in the right place at the right time.

“Cars Hiss By My Window” is a rather unusual blues.

Yeah. That was our Jimmy Reed piece. Jim was really getting into the blues at that time and he loved it when I would just play straight blues. He’d sit there and make up songs on the spot. He just wanted to play all night. It’s too bad because I really think that had we done another album it would have been a lot more straight blues stuff, which I always loved.

How did “Riders on the Storm” develop?

We were fooling around with “Ghost Riders in the Sky” one day and somehow it turned into “Riders on the Storm.” It just happened.

Another change on L.A. Woman is the absence of reverb, particularly on Jim’s voice, which was so heavily reverbed on your first few albums.

Well, Sunset Sound, where we recorded the first two albums, had one of the best echo chambers in the world. It was a live chamber, which they don’t make anymore. And it sounded so great that we used it a lot more than we might otherwise have. We piped everything through there.

But L.A. Woman was recorded on an eight-track in our rehearsal space and Paul Rothchild was gone, which is one reason we had so much fun. The warden was gone.

So, even after all your success, you still had that sort of relationship with the producer, where he was cracking the whip?

Yeah, we just kind of took it for granted that he would produce and we would do things his way — you stick with success. And, finally, he was like a rat deserting a sinking ship. I think he figured it was time to bail.

So there was a sense that the Doors were a sinking ship?

Yeah, definitely. We couldn’t play anywhere, we were fucked because of the Miami incident. Morrison Hotel didn’t do that well, Jim looked bad and was getting fat… All things considered, I thought it was pretty cool that L.A. Woman did well.

I think we came up with something so loose because there was no pressure. We figured we were already screwed, so we were having fun again. we were so far gone that it was like our first album.

Just weeks after the album entered the Top Ten, Jim was dead. Do you remember finding out?

Yeah. I got a phone call and I didn’t believe it because we used to hear shit like that all the time—that Jim jumped off a cliff or something. So we sent our manager off to Paris, and he called and said it was true.

People often talk about the inevitability of him dying young. Do you buy that?

No! I thought he would never die. I thought he’d outlive everybody, like one of those Irish drunks who’d drink a fifth of whisky a day and live until they’re 80. He seemed invulnerable, the way he would do things and jump out of windows without getting hurt. I never saw those things, but I would hear about them the next day. For some reason, he was fairly well behaved around me. Somehow our relationship developed where he stayed fairly calm around me, thank God. [laughs]

After Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin died, Jim supposedly told people that he would be the third to die at 27. Did you remember him saying such things?

Yeah. He was definitely obsessed with death. He talked about it all the time.

There’s always been talk that he’s not dead, and Ray has occasionally fueled that idea. Have you ever thought that?

Yes and no. I’ve allowed myself to fantasize at times, but I’m sure that if he wasn’t dead he would have gotten hold of us by now. But then again, if there’s anybody who could pull off something like that, it was him. I still think about him quite a bit. I always have dreams that he’s alive, and we’re playing together again. Wishful thinking.

Additional Content

Juke Box Hero: Lou Gramm Discusses New Autobiography and Foreigner

James Wood — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:07:02 +0000

Former Foreigner vocalist Lou Gramm pulls no punches in his new autobiography, Juke Box Hero.

In the book, which was co-written with Scott Pitoniak, Gramm leads readers on a journey from his humble beginnings in Rochester, New York, to the biggest stages in the world. He recounts his stint with Black Sheep, plus the ups and downs of working with guitarist Mick Jones in the band that made him famous.

From the diagnosis that nearly took his life to his solo career success and fascination for muscle cars, Gramm’s book is an honest portrayal of self-reflection from one of the greatest voices in rock history.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Gramm to discuss Juke Box Hero and get his thoughts on being inducted with Jones into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 13.

GUITAR WORLD: What made you decide to write a book at this stage?

It was a good point in my life to write the book. I had a lot to talk about and fortunately, I remember all of it! [laughs]. Those were exceptional times with a lot of great groups, and I really wanted to tell my story.

What was the writing process like?

Scott [Pitoniak] lives here in Rochester, and once a week he and I would meet at my recording studio for a few hours. It took almost a year and a half, but it was a good way to do it. We weren’t in any hurry and didn’t do it in any kind of chronological order. Scott would surprise me with questions from things that happened 30 years ago and then ask me others that were from six months ago.

Many of the questions would often instigate something, and I’d come up with an old story that usually had a funny end to it. Of course, there were also some questions that actually stirred up a little anxiety or anger, but I really wanted it to be off the cuff.

Prior to joining Foreigner, you were with Black Sheep when a van accident destroyed most of your equipment and ended your tour. Do you think if events had been different, that tour may have been the breakthrough for the band?

Who knows? We already had two albums out on Capitol and were opening for Kiss on a huge world tour. At one show we played in Boston, we received a standing ovation. Kiss’ management and crew were very good to us. Even though we were the opening act and knew we shouldn’t go back out, their tour manager told us to go answer our encore! If that accident didn’t happen, maybe that tour might have been our stepping stone.

One of the things I found intriguing about your time with Foreigner was that you always carried around notebooks everywhere you went. Tell me about that.

I always had a spiral-bound notebook or writing pad with me. I’d usually carry them around in a satchel and whenever I was reading a book or watching TV or a movie, if someone would say a phrase that caught my ear, I’d write it down. In my book of lyrics, I’d have song titles, verses and choruses all written out.

Can you give me an example of how that book came in handy?

I had just finished reading a book about the Civil War and remember they were talking about how guys in the heat of battle became hot blooded and would kind of come out of themselves and just be mean warriors. Of course, I wrote “hot blooded” down in one of my books. A few months later, Mick was playing me cassette tapes of some of the guitar ideas he had been working on. I heard this one particular riff and as I was looking through my book, that “hot blooded” part just jumped right out at me and I started singing it along with the riff. We both just went crazy because it sounded so good [laughs]. That’s when we started working on the song.

What was it like working with producer Mutt Lange on the 4 album?

Mutt was a nice guy; very knowledgeable and knew how to get the best out of you. But a lot of things he did at the time were derivative to AC/DC (because that’s where he had his success). So when he wanted you to do things a certain way, he’d say, “Do it like AC/DC did on this song." He’d often try to get me to sing like Brian Johnson. Now I could tear it up and sing tough songs, but I certainly didn’t sound like Brian Johnson. But Mutt was pushing me to go in that direction, so I pushed back. By that point, we already had completed three successful albums. So why would I want to change my vocal style?

How did you and Mick determine royalties for Foreigner songs?

At the end of recording every record, Mick and I would both sit down with a list of song titles. For each song, we’d write down on a little scrap of paper what we thought the split should be and then show it to each other. Most of the time it was pretty close: 50-50, 60-40, 55-45. But for the song "I Wanna Know What Love Is," he wanted most of it for himself. Even though I had spent weeks and weeks with him on vocals, chords and words, he only offered me 5 percent.

Do you feel that one event was the turning point in your relationship with Mick?

Absolutely. Up until that point, we had always worked it out and I walked away satisfied. He was always a fair guy, but in that one instance he was determined to have most all of the song to himself. Offering me 5 percent was very insulting, so I told him I wanted nothing.

Having seen the success of that song, do you lament your decision?

Of course, but I think he goaded me into that decision. By insulting me, he was hoping I’d say I didn’t want anything, and I played right into it. I did help write that song. Maybe not 50-50 or 60-40, but I’d say at least 35 percent of that song was my input.

Is there one single event over the course of your career that stands out above everything else?

I’m proud of most everything I did. Playing Madison Square Garden was unbelievable. Playing the Forum in LA was fantastic. Then there was playing Cal Jam II in front of 450,000 people. That was a crowd as far as the eye could see, and beyond.

You and Mick will soon be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. What does that honor mean to you?

It’s an incredible honor and will be the first time Mick and I will play together in a dozen years. I enjoyed working with him and it’s going to be a good time. As a songwriter, it’s good because I had hits both with him and without him.

Before it’s all over, do you ever foresee a time where there might be another Foreigner reunion with you and Mick?

Honestly, I don’t know. If we could have some sort of friendship, that would be enough for me. Mick has his Foreigner and we really don’t have to play together other than this award ceremony. Unless something interesting happens, I’m just going to leave at that. But I wouldn’t anticipate it at this point.

James Wood is a writer, musician and self-proclaimed metalhead who maintains his own website, GoJimmyGo.net. His articles and interviews are written on a variety of topics with passion and humor. You can follow him on Twitter @JimEWood.

Guitar Girl’d: Interview with New York City Country Girl Ali Isabella

Laura B. Whitmore — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:18:47 +0000

I wasn’t sure what to expect from singer/songwriter Ali Isabella.

I met her at her hotel in Los Angeles the day before she was to perform for a showcase I hosted at the ASCAP expo last month for the Women’s International Music Network. I can honestly say I was delighted with everything about her — her smile, her giggle, her infectious music, her strong songwriting, and her energy. Like a breath of fresh air.

At the tender age of 17, Isabella has checked more off her bucket list than some do in a lifetime. She’s opened up for Reba McEntire at Wembley Arena and was the youngest performer to ever appear on that famed stage.

She’s headlined pre-Grammy parties that honored Quincy Jones and Stevie Wonder. Her debut single, “New York City Country Girl,” reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales Chart and was No. 1 for four weeks on the Billboard Country Hot Single Sales charts.

Now Isabella is poised to release her next album, which will include co-writing credits with top writers like Chas Sandford, Susan Ruth, Marty Dodson, Ryan Tyndell and Matt Bednarsky.

Her music has matured into a lovely blend of country-tinged pop songs that showcase her sweet voice and knack for writing those niggling hooks that play over and over in your head. I for one anticipate her star will continue to rise. And I’m usually right about these things!

GUITAR WORLD: Tell me about your background. Why did you start playing guitar and writing songs?

I got into music because of my dad. My grandma lives in Queens, New York, and we lived in Westchester. When we came home from her house, it seemed like a pretty long drive for a little kid. My father would play Frank Sinatra in the car, and those are some of the first songs I learned. I remember my favorite song of his, and it still is today, “My Kind of Town Chicago Is.” I know all the words to it.

You have some country tinges to your music. How did you get into that?

I do like country music. I don’t consider myself a full-on country artist. I definitely have country influences, but the reason I love country music is because a lot of the songwriting is story-telling, and that’s what I love to do with my songs. That’s why country music is so relatable. I really love the story-telling aspect.

I hear you have some new songs you’re going to be releasing.

On my last trip in Nashville, which was a couple of weeks ago, I had this new song, “Stay.” I wrote that with Chas Sanford, and it’s got a bossa nova kind of feel to it. It’s really cool. It’s really different, but it’s really fun. I’m also doing this other song, “Remind My Heart,” which I wrote with Marty Dodson and Ryan Tyndell. Ryan Tyndell, actually, he co-wrote “Springsteen” for Eric Church, so it was really cool. It was awesome.

And you’ll be touring this summer?

Yes! I’m doing Cirque Musica. It has an orchestra and there’s also like trapeze artists. It’s really cool. It’s kind of like Cirque du Soleil. But I’m going to be headlining that for them. I’m going to be singing some songs Debbie Gibson wrote. Then I’m also going to some summer camps and performing there for kids, so that should be a lot of fun.

Can you tell me a little bit about your guitar?

I have a Taylor 814-CE, and it’s really nice. It’s acoustic-electric, and I really love it.

Do you play any other instruments?

Yeah, I play the piano. I really wanna master both of them. I also picked up mandolin. It’s just really fun. And you can take it anywhere, it’s so small. I kind of know ukulele, but not that well.

You're not a ukulele master?

No, I think I know like two chords on that. It’s a cool instrument. It’s just, I don’t know, I really wanna master the guitar and piano first before I start doing that. Also, it doesn’t really help me with my music, but I played French horn for the longest time ever in elementary school and middle school. So I know French horn, and you can’t really use that to sing bu ...

Well, you probably learned how to read music from playing the French horn.

Yeah, I think doing band in middle school and elementary school really helped me.

That’s why there needs to be music in school, right?

Yeah, definitely. And actually, at my school where I am, they didn’t have music before, but a couple of friends and I were suggesting it, and now they do have band and orchestra.

What advice would you give other aspiring musicians if they wanna move ahead with music?

I think it helps a lot if you write your own songs, ‘cause I think by doing that, people are able to relate more to them because you’re telling your own story. I think that’s really important just to have your own music. I just think it’s different if you’re singing a song that someone else wrote for you.

I heard you are involved in a Foundation, can you tell me about that?

Yes! I recently became a creative activist for the Creative Vision Foundation in Malibu. This lady, Kathy Eldon, her son Dan Eldon was the youngest Reuters photographer over in Somalia. There was an international crisis over there, and unfortunately, he was stoned to death when he was 22. But the way that she dealt with this ... her son was really into inspiring people and spreading a positive message, so she created this foundation Creative Vision Foundation. Its goal is to inspire other people to make change to the world through media and art. I recently wrote a theme song for them for their movie. You can find out more about them at creativevisions.org.

What’s the name of the song?

It’s called “All of my Life.” It’s about making change in the world and inspiring other people to be inspired. I think that’s really important, because especially with all these tragedies, to send positive messages out there.

Find out more about this talented singer/songwriter at aliisabella.com.

Laura B. Whitmore is a singer/songwriter based in the San Francisco bay area. A veteran music industry marketer, she has spent over two decades doing marketing, PR and artist relations for several guitar-related brands including Marshall and VOX. Her company, Mad Sun Marketing, represents Dean Markley, Agile Partners, Peavey, Jammit, Notion Music, Guitar World and many more. Laura was instrumental in the launch of the Guitar World Lick of the Day app. She is the founder of the Women's International Music Network at thewimn.com, producer of the Women's Music Summit and the lead singer for the rock band Summer Music Project. More at mad-sun.com.

La Grunge: The Top 10 Blues-Approved Overdrive/Distortion Pedals

Chris Gill — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:33:04 +0000

The origin of guitar distortion goes back to the earliest electrified blues guitarists.

They didn’t care that their primitive tube amps were breaking up and distorting, as long as they were loud. Soon, blues guitarists grew quite fond of those nasty, gnarly distorted tones, and they sought to replicate them by any means necessary.

Enter the overdrive pedal. Designed to push an amp to the brink, the overdrive pedal allows players to summon singing sustain, compelling crunch, and glorious grit at any volume level, giving guitarists the bite and balls they need for genuine blues-approved tone. While a handful of purists prefer to plug a guitar straight into an amp, most blues guitarists these days have a handful of overdrive, distortion and even fuzz boxes in their rigs.

Thanks to the proliferation of boutique pedal builders over the past 20 years, there are easily more than a thousand distortion devices available to help guitarists find their signature blues sound. The following pedals are the top 10 classics and modern marvels that get our mojo working when we spank that plank and crank up the volume.

10. Way Huge Pork Loin

By blending modern soft-clipping BiFET overdrive and classic clean “British” preamp tone pathways, the Pork Loin allows players to dial in raw, raunchy tones that never lose bottom-end clarity or definition. The Pork Loin plays a massive role in Joe Bonamassa’s bigger-than-life modern blues sound.

9. Klon Centaur

The Klon Centaur’s legendary clean boost transforms a guitar’s natural tone the same way a livestock farmer turns a piglet into a prize-winning porker—by making it bigger, fatter, juicier, meatier and more muscular. Centaur designer Bill Finnegan discontinued production several years ago, driving prices for used Klons well above $1,000, but he’s trying to bring a similar pedal to the market again with the same hand-selected parts, attention to detail and signature sound that the numerous “klones” have failed to match.

8. PaulC Audio Tim

Thanks to its impressive tonal range and expressive touch sensitivity, the Tim is a favorite of tube amp aficionados who don’t want to sacrifice the dynamic response of their favorite amps but need more gain and tonal-shaping capabilities. With the EQ controls set at 12 o’clock, it provides some of the most transparent clean boost and overdrive tones available.

7. Fulltone Full-Drive 2

Fulltone makes an impressive variety of incredible overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals, including the OCD, PlimSoul and Fat-Boost FB-3, but when it comes to the blues, most guitarists choose the Fulltone Full-Drive 2. With separate overdrive and boost footswitches and mini toggle switches for selecting clean boost, midrange emphasis, MOSFET clipping and more, the Full-Drive 2 is a versatile overdrive pedal that makes it easy to dial in your own signature blues tones.

6. Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer

Thanks to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s use of an Ibanez Tube Screamer (he replaced the TS-808 with a TS-9 and TS-10 later in his career), this pedal has gone on to become the best-selling and most copied overdrive pedal of all time. The Tube Screamer’s output boost and signature midrange hump, along with a characteristic warmth that the TS-808’s successors lack, make it ideal for playing fat, aggressive solos that destroy everything else in its path.

5. Electro-Harmonix Big Muff π

Most staunch traditionalists think that the raunchy fuzz tones of a Big Muff π are a little too furry and furious for the blues, but that hasn’t stopped a new generation of blues-inspired players from using one. The Big Muff is a key element of 21st century blues as envisioned by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and Jack White of the White Stripes, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather.

4. Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster

Eric Clapton’s alleged use of a Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster on John Mayall’s legendary Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton album remains the source of much controversy, but the Rangemaster was also a key element of Rory Gallagher’s late-Sixties rig that similarly redefined blues guitar tone during the British blues revival, thanks to its marvelous midrange and gritty germanium transistor grind. Numerous clones are available today, including the Analog Man Beano Boost and Keeley Java Boost.

3. Boss BD-2 Blues Driver

Not since the late Seventies, when the Ibanez Tube Screamer and Boss OD-1 made their debut, has a mass-produced overdrive pedal won over the great unwashed and cork-sniffing tone snobs alike. The BD-2 delivers a wide variety of overdrive tones, from creamy to crunchy, with personality that ranges from retro smooth to modern blues-rock raunch.

2. Blackstone Appliances MOSFET Overdrive

This pedal’s nameplate and crinkle finish may have the retro-cool vibe of a Thirties toaster, but underneath the hood lies a modern circuit that uses small-signal MOSFETs and an unconventional input stage to cook up distortion and overdrive with rich harmonic overtones that will melt your face off like a million-watt microwave. “It’s heavy stuff, not the sound of a popcorn machine,” says Billy Gibbons, who used the Blackstone in tasteful excess on several new ZZ Top tunes.

1. Analog Man King of Tone

With a two-year waiting list, the Analog Man King of Tone is one of the most sought-after overdrive pedals, and for a very good reason: it provides a clean boost that preserves a guitar’s tone, making it sound bigger, badder and more bodacious, with just the right amount of natural-sounding distortion. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Gary Clark Jr. and Buddy Miller are just a handful of the pros who have discovered that the King of Tone truly rules.

June 2013 Guitar World: Megadeth Talk 'Super Collider,' Dave Grohl, Tool's Adam Jones, Epiphone's '60s Axes and More

Guitar World Staff — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:31:00 +0000

The all-new June 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine is available now! This month's cover stars are none of than Dave Mustaine and Chris Broderick of Megadeth!

As Megadeth hit the big 3-0, Dave Mustaine and Chris Broderick sit down to reminisce about the group's rebellious history and discuss the making of Super Collider, the band's high-energy new album. lso, Dean Guitars' Dave Mustaine Signature Series features some of the most visually striking guitars on the market. Here, Mustaine gives his views on three of the new-for-2013 models.

A host of other music giants trace the history of metal in the new book Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal.

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl teams up with Paul McCartney, Trent Reznor and other greats for Sound City: Real to Reel, a multimedia celebration of rock music's former glory.

Guitar World pays tribute to epic guitarmaker Epiphone with a look at the coolest and craziest axes from its extraordinary 140-year history.

Jerry Cantrell tells how Alice in Chains buried their past with The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, a monster of an album unlike anything they've made before. Cantrell also shares the tales behind some of the most treasured pieces in his arsenal.

Adam Jones of Tool talks about the limited-edition reissue of the group's 1992 debut EP, Opiate, with new artwork and collectibles.

Four Songs with Tabs for Guitar and Bass!

• Foo Fighters - "Rope"
• Extreme - "Get the Funk Out"
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - "Down on the Corner"
• Megadeth - "Sweating Bullets

The June 2013 issue of Guitar World is available now at newsstands and at the Guitar World Online Store!

Additional Content

Watch Video Highlights from 2013 Golden Gods Awards: Metallica, Anthrax, Danzig, Dillinger Escape Plan and More

Guitar World Staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:40:46 +0000

The biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal rocked Los Angeles on Thursday, May 2, at the fifth annual Revolver Golden Gods Award Show.

As always, the event featured the once-in-a-lifetime collaborations that America’s only hard-rock and heavy-metal show has become known for.

The event featured appearances by Gene Simmons, Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Jason Newsted, Zakk Wylde, Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D, Kerry King of Slayer, Munky and Brian “Head” Welch of Korn, David Ellefson and Chris Broderick of Megadeth, Heaven’s Basement, Testament, In This Moment, John 5, Queensrÿche, Al Jourgensen of Ministry, Rudy Sarzo, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Orianthi, Butcher Babies and many more. Also in attendance were UFC legend Chuck Liddell and actor Danny Masterson.

And, of course, there were lots of great performances by Metallica, Anthrax, the Dillinger Escape Plan, Danzig, Halestorm, Five Finger Death Punch and Stone Sour. Check out performance highlights from the event RIGHT HERE.

Videos include:

• Metallica - Disposable Heroes"
• Metallica - "Seek & Destroy"
• Metallica - "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
• Metallica with Rob Halford - "Rapid Fire"
• Anthrax - "This Love and Raining Blood Intro"
• Danzig - "Death Comes Ripping"
• Danzig - "Mother"
• Danzig - "Hammer of the Gods"
• Best Guitarist Award, Presented by Epiphone
• Stone Sour - "Children of the Grave"
• The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Prancer"
• The Dillinger Escape Plan - "When I Lost My Bet"

Head here for more Golden Gods highlight videos.

Additional Content

Small Wonders: Five Essential 15-Watt Guitar Amps

Damian Fanelli — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:18:11 +0000

Let's face it, bringing a 100-watt guitar amp to your average weekend bar gig is a lot like taking a Lamborghini to Shop Rite for Sunday-afternoon grocery shopping.

You simply don't need all that power (Unless Shop Rite also happens to be hosting a Sunday-afternoon drag race).

Which is why several amp manufacturers have spent a lot of time, effort and money developing less-powerful and more-portable (not to mention affordable) amps, namely those of the 15-watt variety. Unlike larger amps, including 50-watters, you can really open up a 15-watt amp at a gig and take advantage of all its features, including that beautiful, natural gain that magically appears at high volumes.

Here's a list of our five essential 15-watt guitar amps. As always, this list was compiled by a group of Guitar World editorial staffers including Technical Editor Paul Riario, the guy who tries out every piece of gear that arrives at Guitar World. He also appears in one of the five demo videos in this story.

As always, the amps are presented in no particular order.

Marshall Haze MHZ15

There's nothing hazy about this choice, Marshall's Haze15.

The amp runs on three ECC83 preamp and two 6V6 power amp tubes, providing this two-channel head with a pure-tube pedigree. The amp's traditional EQ section of Bass, Middle and Treble allows massive amounts of control; the Normal and Overdrive channels create beautiful clean and distorted tones — and everything in between.

Turning up the Normal channel volume takes the clear tone and adds tube drive, compression and bite, which can be adjusted through your guitar’s volume control. Engaging the Bright function adds sonic sparkle and an extra cutting edge. Switching to the Overdrive channel sees the amp really start to roar with Volume and Gain controls allowing direct access to your sound.

At low volumes, the Haze15 offers smooth, rich overdriven tones. When it's cranked up, you can look forward to classic, fat, Marshall distortion.

What does it sound like?

Here's our own Paul Riario trying out the Haze15 in a GW video from 2010:

MSRP: $840 | Visit marshallamps.com for more about Marshall's Haze series.

From its humble origins in the back of a small music store in London, Marshall Amplification has defined the sound of rock for generations of guitarists around the world. The History of Marshall Amps: The First Fifty Years by Michael Doyle and Nick Bowcott tells the story of Jim Marshall's remarkable life and documents the many innovations of Marshall amplifiers, from the famous “stack” to the most current offerings. It's available at the Guitar World Online Store.

Orange Amplifiers Tiny Terror Series TT15

Lunch, anyone?

Orange Amplification's Tiny Terror Head — known by fans as the original lunchbox amp — is a best seller for a reason. When driven, this tiny amp has almost as much gain as most four-stage lead channels.

The Tiny Terror puts a host of boutique amps to shame with its clean crunch and full-on overdrive sounds. At mid-gain settings, this tube-driven head has plenty of vintage British character. The Tiny Terror was designed to the same specs as larger Orange amps, and its portability makes it perfect for gigging around town or rehearsing. As an added bonus, the Tiny Terror can go from 15 to 7 watts for studio use, recording and practice.

What does it sound like?

Here's an official demo video from Orange:

MSRP: $769 | Visit orangeamps.com for more info about this amp.

Fender 65 Princeton Reverb 15W

I own one of these babies, so I can vouch for it from years of personal experience. This is simply a great amp for the majority of gigs I play — bars and clubs. There are four guitarists in our band, and this amp never gets lost in the mix.

The 65 Princeton Reverb is versatile enough to go from the living room to the recording studio to the small gig. It's got plenty of vintage vibe, plus dynamic clean and overdriven tones, spring reverb and tube vibrato.

The amp delivers 15 watts through a 10-inch Jensen Special Design speaker. It has two inputs (one channel), plus a footswitch, and control knobs for Treble, Bass, Reverb, Speed and Intensity. The tube complement consists of a trio of 12AX7s, a 12AT7, dual Groove Tubes 6V6s and a single 5AR4 rectifier tube.

What does it sound like?

This video wasn't created by Fender or Guitar World, but it does a fine job of demonstrating the sounds and features. You'll notice the model being tested is the recently introduced Surf Green version of the amp:

MSRP: $1,299.99 | Visit fender.com for more info about this amp.

Vox Night Train NT15H/V112NT

Simply put, this is one cool-looking, mirror-finish 15-watt amp.

The industrial-looking amp, part of Vox's Night Train series, is a solid, all-tube, portable head. It runs on two 12AX7 preamp tubes and two EL84 power tubes; this is the same tube complement as the company's classic AC15 amp.

The Vox Night Train's single switch lets you select between Pentode or Triode tube operation. In Pentode mode, the amp delivers 15 watts of power. In the Triode mode, the power is cut to 7.5 watts. The Triode mode also relaxes the tube power stage, letting the mellow tube character shine through.

Night Train greets you with a clear, simple panel design, offering the familiar Gain and Volume controls. The Tone controls include Treble, Middle and Bass, allowing you to dial up just the right character for your individual, signature tone. In addition, the preamp section features a mode switch, offering both Bright and Thick options. The Bright mode accentuates the high-frequency components for a clear, ringing tone; the Thick setting bypasses the tone circuit to boost the gain and create a chunkier, heavier sound.

What does it sound like?

Here's an official video Night Train demo video from Vox:

MSRP: $700 | Visit voxamps.com for more info about this amp.

Mesa Boogie Transatlantic TA-15

The guys at Mesa Boogie noticed everyone else was bringing lunchboxes to the amp party, so they decided to make their own. They did a fine job; the TA-15 is a tasty, portable amp that packs in a lot of features.

The TA-15 packs all the performance found in high-end, full-size models and offers classic British and American sounds in a 12-pound package. Two channels feature five modes; choose a preamp style in each channel, then select the perfect power for it from three output choices: 5 Watts (Single-Ended Class A), 15 Watts (Class A) or 25 Watts (Dyna-Watt).

From Mesa Boogie: "The Channel Modes start off with lower gain NORMAL and higher gain classic versions of the iconic TOP BOOST sound in Channel 1, which includes an ingenious Pull MASTER on the CUT control that can be Hard Bypassed for purists. Channel 2 houses three Modes; a gorgeous TWEED clean, a British high gain in HI 1 and a classic Boogie Lead in HI 2."

What does it sound like?

Check out these seven audio TA-15 samples available on mesaboogie.com. Here's Mesa Boogie's official demo TA-15 video:

MSRP: $899 | Visit mesaboogie.com for more info about this amp.

'200 Rock Licks' DVD is a Guitar Licks Goldmine

Guitar World Staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:16:17 +0000

A guitar licks goldmine awaits you in an incredible rock collection, the 200 Rock Licks: Guitar Licks Goldmine DVD (Hal Leonard).

The DVD, which is available now at the Guitar World Online Store. is jam-packed with killer lead lines, phrases and riffs personally taught to you by professional guitarists Greg Harrison, Matthew Schroeder and Troy Stetina.

From classic rock to modern metal, each and every authentic lick includes: a walk-through explanation by a professional guitarist; note-for-note on-screen tablature; normal and slow-speed performance demos.

Total running time: 4 hours, 14 minutes.

The '200 Rock Licks: Guitar Licks Goldmine' DVD is available now at the Guitar World Online Store for $24.99.

Gig Review: An Evening with Steven Wilson in Downtown Los Angeles

Andrew Bansal — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:05:30 +0000

It takes a certain ability to be able to appreciate everything British musician Steven Wilson brings to his multiple projects — from Porcupine Tree to Blackfield to No-Man to IEM — but whenever he's in town, the fans show up in droves.

That’s exactly what happened at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles on May 10, when he performed with his solo band.

As posh as the venue is (It's part of LA Live in the immediate vicinity of the Staples Center), it still makes for an intimate setting. It’s no wonder Wilson prefers to play here when he's in LA; in terms of sound quality, I don’t think there’s a better venue for rock/metal in the city.

The stage and the atmosphere were set for a full-on Steven Wilson live experience.

As there was no support act in this "evening with" show, the doors opened at 8 p.m., and the evening’s proceedings began with an intro video at around 8:35 p.m. The backdrop screen showed an image of the moon similar to the one on the cover of Wilson's latest solo album, The Raven That Refused To Sing, with clouds slowly moving across it on screen and in the form of stage fog. As the clock went past 9 p.m., the video faded away and the band appeared on stage, led by Wilson.

What transpired over the next two and a half hours was a stunning musical exhibition that displayed all of Wilson’s talents, and then some. He brought on a much different on-stage personality and energy throughout this performance as compared to shows with Porcupine Tree.

His multi-instrumental prowess couldn't be missed as he sang, donned electric and acoustic guitars and handled piano and computer samples. In terms of the set list, he and his band played the new album in its entirety, plus selections from his last two solo albums. The focus on solo material was apt for this evening, and only during the encore did Wilson reference Porcupine Tree, ending the show with "Radioactive Toy" amidst loud cheers.

That said, it wasn’t a one-man show by any means. When Wilson picks a group of musicians to tour with him, he doesn’t mess around. Guitarist Guthrie Govan was a bonus for all attendees. Chad Wackerman was a beast on the drums, as mentioned by Wilson several times during the show. Nick Beggs on bass and Chapman Stick, Theo Travis on saxophone and flute and Adam Holtzman on keyboards rounded out this incredible band.

Even though the entire new album was performed, it wasn’t as if the crowd was waiting for older material. Wilson’s music is so twisted and unconventional, the song sometimes doesn’t even matter. The evening was a musical story with 14 chapters, all of which seemed connected to each other, following a progression of sorts.

In between some of these chapters, Wilson shared some great anecdotes. His audience interaction was nothing short of hilarious, as he briefly described the stories behind "Postcard," "Harmony Korine" and "Raider II"; made fun of an Amazon.com review of his album and made snide remarks about the traditional "Free Bird" joke.

A sizeable portion of the evening’s latter half was played with the projection screen in front of the band, something I'd never seen before. It was a unique way of combining music and theater, with tunes such as "The Watchmaker" being enhanced tenfold by a slide of images taking the foreground even as the band continued on playing the music.

I should mention that the set included plenty of downright heavy moments, making it a truly diverse show capable of pleasing fans of heavy and mellow music.

This tour has come to an end, but the next time Wilson comes around for a solo tour, I suggest all music lovers try to attend. My advice would be to do so in a completely sober state of mind, like I did, because this exhibition is extremely mind-bending. Any further alteration of the mind would be pointless and dangerous.

For more information on Wilson and his projects, visit stevenwilsonhq.com.

Set List:

01. Luminol
02. Drive Home
03. The Pin Drop
04. Postcard
05. The Holy Drinker
06. Deform to Form a Star
07. The Watchmaker
08. Index
09. Insurgentes
10. Harmony Korine
11. No Part of Me
12. Raider II
13. The Raven That Refused to Sing
14. Radioactive Toy (encore)

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Little Games: Jimmy Page's Five Best Guitar Solos with The Yardbirds

Damian Fanelli — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:10:42 +0000

Before he wielded the hammer of the gods — and a Les Paul — as a member of mighty Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page was a Telecaster-wielding Yardbird.

Today we turn our attention to Page's best guitar work with his former band.

Fortunately, we don't have very far to look, since Page recorded only one album with the band — 1967's Little Games — plus a few non-album singles and B-sides, all of which have wound up on deluxe versions of Little Games over the decades.

While the band's Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck eras enjoyed decent chart success — from "For Your Love" to "Heart Full of Soul" to "Shapes of Things" — its Page-fronted version managed to fly under the radar until imploding in 1968. (Even "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," which featured Beck and Page, only reached Number 30.)

Check out our five choices for Page's best guitar work as a Yardbird. This list was compiled with the input of Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Brad Tolinski, author of Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page. If you're interested in Page's Yardbirds days — not to mention his Led Zeppelin days — you might want to check out the book, which is available now at the Guitar World Online Store.

P.S.: I'd like to award an "honorable mention" to a lesser-known Yardbirds track from 1968 called "Avron Knows," which features Page playing a Tele with a simply beautiful fuzz tone. The recording, which is incomplete (And I don't think Page and the boys will be gathering to finish it anytime soon), wasn't released until a few years ago on the Cumular Limit album.

On that note, enjoy!

"Think About It," B-side of "Goodnight Sweet Josephine"

If the guitar solo on "Think About It" sounds familiar, that's because Page borrowed and re-purposed it a year later when recording "Dazed and Confused" with Led Zeppelin. The guitar solo makes this the Yardbirds' most Zeppelin-like track, and it's easily the most shred-centric solo in the band's catalog. Be sure to check out Aerosmith's cover of this tune, which can be found on their Night in the Ruts album.

"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago," A-side of a 1966 single

"Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" was the first Yardbirds single to feature Page, who — this time around — shares the guitar spotlight with Beck. There are only three Beck/Page-era Yardbirds recordings — "Happenings," "Psycho Daisies" and "Stroll On." "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" is a mini-masterpiece, what Tolinski calls "a tour de force of guitar invention and orchestration ... a moody slice of psychedelia with nightmarish overtones." That's John Paul Jones on bass, by the way. You can hear Beck's voice during the mid-song ranty interlude.

"White Summer," from Little Games

This acoustic instrumental track is the precursor to Led Zeppelin's "Black Mountain Side," and Page often performed the two songs as a medley during early Led Zeppelin tours. It's interesting to note that during the Yardbirds' final days as a touring band, Page performed this song with an electric guitar, as heard on Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page. Said Page: "I used a special tuning for [the song]; the low string down to D, then A, D, G, A and D. It’s like a modal tuning, a sitar tuning, in fact."

"Smile On Me," from Little Games

"Smile On Me" is the closest the Page-era Yardbirds got to straight-ahead (and spaced-out) blues. P.S.: That's '60s fashion model Edie Sedgwick in the video below. We like her!

"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor," from Little Games

From Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page:

BRAD TOLINSKI: Those ringing guitar parts and suspended chords on "Tinker, Tailor" are almost like a precursor to "The Song Remains the Same."

JIMMY PAGE: Well, it could be, except I've got two or three different demo versions, each with different guitar approaches. What is somewhat funny is I presented [producer] Mickie [Most] with the poppiest version. Here I am talking about shooting ourselves in the foot by doing pop stuff, but I really sort of enabled the situation by coming up with parts that were intentionally quite catchy. I guess I still had that instinct from doing sessions for all those years!"

Note that Page is playing guitar with a violin bow during the solo, a sound that would turn up on the first Led Zeppelin album.

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