Monday, April 20, 2009

Neil Peart

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Neil Peart is the most popular drummer today. When it comes to voting in Modern Drummer or Drummerworld - Neil Peart is always the No. 1.

Neil Peart (pronounced "Peert" not "Pert"), born September 12, 1952, near Hagersville, Ontario, is the drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band Rush. Rush is the most successful band from Canada, having played together for over 30 years, and selling over 24.5 million records (U.S.). Over the years, Rush has developed their own style of Progressive Rock, weaving together heavy metal, art rock, reggae, new wave, pop, grunge, and classical styles with thoughtful lyrics. The result has been 23 diverse albums, successful tours, and a loyal fan base.

Peart is known for his creative and intricate drum parts and extensive drum solos that delight both drummers and non-drummers alike. He's won many reader's poll awards from Modern Drummer, including 12 consecutive "best recorded performance" awards. In 1996, Peart became an Officer of The Order of Canada, the highest civilian decoration in Canada.

In 1997, following the death of his only daughter, Selena, and then his wife of 22 years Jackie Taylor (1998), Peart and Rush took a five-year hiatus. After he re-married in September 2000, Neil returned to Rush, and the band produced the critically-acclaimed Vapor Trails CD and subsequent tour, taking them to Mexico and South America for the first time. The final show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, became the multi-platinum DVD Rush in Rio. Rush toured again in 2004 as part of their 30th Anniversary celebration, and released a CD of Sixties cover songs, Feedback, to mark the occasion. After the tour, they released Rush - R30 - 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, a live concert from Frankfurt Germany.

On May 1, 2007, Rush released their twenty-third album Snakes & Arrows.

In addition to his job as a musician, Peart has written four non-fiction books, The Masked Rider, Ghost Rider, Traveling Music: The Soundtrack to My Life and Times, and Roadshow : Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle. Ghost Rider was nominated for a Canadian Literary award in 2003. He has also written many articles for Modern Drummer and other magazines. In all, his books have sold over 100,000 copies.

In his spare time, Peart rides BMW motorcycles, drives fast cars, snowshoes, bird watches, and hikes. His favorite drink after a concert or a long day on the road is The Macallan.

Peart currently lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Carrie Nuttall.

Peart's nicknames are "Pratt" and "The Professor."

Essential Rush recordings include: Fly by Night (1974), 2112 (1976), Permanent Waves (1980), Moving Pictures (1981), Exit... Stage Left (1982), Grace Under Pressure (1984), Power Windows (1985), Roll the Bones (1991), Counterparts (1993), and Vapor Trails (2002).

courtesy: drummerworld

The 10 guitars that changed music

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From Robert Johnson's Gibson to Jack White's Airline...
Chris Vinnicombe & Michael Leonard, Thu 9 Apr 2009, 4:50 pm BST
The 10 guitars that changed music



There are watershed moments in the history of popular music when the planets align, and the sense of change is palpable. Moments when the right guitar, in the hands of the right player, at precisely the right time causes a seismic shift and redraws the landscape.

In loosely chronological order, here's MusicRadar's list of the 10 guitars that changed music, and 10 players who broke down the door for a generation to follow in their wake.

Be warned, you might not find some of your heroes in this list, but you'll certainly find your heroes' heroes…

1. Robert Johnson's Gibson L-1
For all the soul-selling mythology associated with the shadowy figure of Robert Johnson, the impact on modern popular music of the 1961 King Of The Delta Blues Singers compilation album – recorded during two sessions in 1936 and 1937 – is hard to overstate.

For the likes of Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, Johnson's primal delta blues was a pivotal influence, with Clapton describing Johnson's music as "the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice."

In 2006, a New York memorabilia dealer attempted to sell an L-1 purported to be Johnson's guitar for $6 million, but its authenticity was never corroborated.

2. Charlie Christian's ES-150
Widely regarded as the first electric 'lead guitarist', Christian's work in Benny Goodman's Sextet paved the way for bebop. Christian's horn-inspired lead lines were a precursor of the sounds of T-Bone Walker, Wes Montgomery, Les Paul, BB King and many more. The single-coil blade pickup on his ES-150 (Electric Spanish, $150 price) has come to be known as a Charlie Christian pickup.

3. Buddy Holly's Fender Stratocaster
When Fender's curvaceous, futuristic new Stratocaster arrived in 1954, few could have predicted that it would become the most successful electric guitar design of all time. One of the most enduring images of early rock 'n' roll is the combination of Buddy Holly's heavy-framed spectacles and sunburst Stratocaster.

The likes of The Shadows' Hank Marvin – recipient of the first Stratocaster to arrive in the UK – and John Lennon were immediately smitten and popular music would never be the same again

4. George Harrison's Rickenbacker 360/12
The chiming opening chord of A Hard Day's Night has been the subject of much conjecture over the years, but the fact that it launched the electric 12-string on the world stage is beyond question. Its jangle would resonate via The Byrds through to Johnny Marr and beyond.

Harrison's first 360/12 was the second Rickenbacker 12-string ever made and the first to feature the brand's unconventional 12-string configuration, with the octave strings occurring second in the string pairs.

5. John Entwistle's Fender Jazz Bass

My Generation's blistering bass solo was the first time most of the world heard a bass guitar used as a lead instrument. The Ox originally intended to utilise the extra treble of a Danelectro Longhorn in the studio, but after a succession of broken strings, his more reliable Fender won out.

A decade later, the likes of Geddy Lee and Jaco Pastorius would take the humble Jazz Bass even further into uncharted territory.

6. Eric Clapton's Bluesbreakers-era 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard
The Holy Grail for vintage collectors initially misfired on launch, but nobody did more to spark the Les Paul Standard's skyward ascent than Slowhand at the height of his powers. The combination of Les Paul and Marshall on the 1966 'Beano' album would pave the way for Page, Kossoff and countless others to define the sound of rock guitar during the following decade.

7. Jimi Hendrix's Fender Stratocaster
A decade after Buddy Holly, Jimi took the Stratocaster on a sexually-charged interstellar voyage that didn't so much redefine the boundaries of the electric guitar as blow them to smithereens.

Hendrix used and abused lots of guitars in his all-too-brief career, but his white 1968 'Woodstock' Strat is the most iconic. Microsoft's Paul Allen is reported to have paid a cool $2 million for the instrument, which now resides in Seattle's EMP Museum.

8. Eddie Van Halen's 'Frankenstein'
For guitarists of a certain age, Van Halen's 1978 eponymous debut album was year zero for rock guitar. EVH set the bar for the lead guitar fireworks that would dominate mainstream rock for the next decade sporting a mongrel, self-assembled guitar with an original Floyd Rose, a Gibson PAF borrowed from an ES-335 and that iconic striped paintjob.

If you can track down one of Fender's 300 incredible Frankenstein replicas issued in 2007, expect to pay upwards of $25,000. Or just make one yourself like Eddie did.

9. Steve Vai's Ibanez Universe
The Ibanez Universe was the first commercially-available modern seven-string electric. Developed in collaboration with Steve Vai, the model went into production in 1990, but demand was low and 1995 saw no new models produced.

1996 was a different story though, and its use by bands like Korn and Fear Factory saw the Universe reintroduced, with the rumbling low B of a seven-string becoming de rigeur for the burgeoning nu-metal scene.

10. Jack White's JB Hutto Montgomery Airline
Although Jack White uses a number of different guitars, his red and white resoglass pawnshop/junkshop prize is the one with which he's most readily identified. In an era in which to many guitarists the blues means thousands of dollars worth of boutique gear and the pursuit of some sort of tonal Holy Grail, White is both a beacon and a conduit.

Through his raw, visceral music it's possible to reconnect with the white knuckle, seat-of-the-pants blues of the likes of Robert Johnson and Son House while simultaneously exploring new themes and sounds.

courtesy: musicradar

Chris Cornell says he could reunite with Soundgarden

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"There's no bad blood. It could absolutely happen"
Joe Bosso, Tue 14 Apr 2009, 8:03 pm BST


Chris Cornell says he never ruled out the possibility of reuniting with Soundgarden, the Seatlle band he formed in the mid-'80s and with whom he helped change the rock landscape as part of the movement known as 'grunge.'

"There was never any bad blood between us," Cornell says in an exclusive podcast interview with MusicRadar (listen below). "I've always remained on great terms with everyone in the band. We've always been good friends. Seeing them reunite recently on YouTube? I thought that was terrific. It gave me a warm feeling. I wish I could have been there."

Putting a fine point on the likelihood of reuniting with his former bandmates, Cornell says matter-of-factly, "I'm never going to count anything out."

"I'm never going to count anything out" Chris Cornell on a possible Soundgarden reunion

Hip-hop beats vs raging guitars

If and when that happens - and it's still a big 'if' - Chris Cornell has a new solo album out called Scream, and it's confounding critics and fans alike. An au currant collaboration with noted producer Timbaland, it finds the singer ditching the raging guitar tunes of his past in favor of hip-hop beats and synths.

And belying the album's title, Cornell has deep-sixed his paint-peeling vocal wail. "I do a hell of a lot of singing on the album," he says. "More than I've done on anything I've ever done."

Cornell is well aware that his latest effort has people scratching their heads, but he appears unconcerned. "I didn't make this record to please my fans. I made it to please myself. I already did Rusty Cage, I already did Black Hole Sun - I don't need to do them again.

"The second you start writing to please people, you may as well be a short-order cook. That's not me."
The Trent Reznor 'Twitter war'

"I haven't read what he really wrote, but I think it's kind of good, because it gets people talking about my record" Cornell on Trent Reznor calling Scream "embarrassing"

Of the recent 'Twitter war' between himself and Nine Inch Nails main man Trent Reznor, Cornell smiles and says, "I haven't read what he really wrote, but I think it's kind of good, because it gets people talking about my record. This album is a huge challenge for me...getting people to talk about it, even if it's from negativity, that draws people to it."

In the following MusicRadar podcast, Cornell talks about Scream and his decision to work with Timbaland. He also strolls down grunge memory lane and remembers good times with Kim Thayil and the rest of Soundgarden. "It was an amazing period in cultural history that'll never be repeated."

courtesy: musicradar

Matt Bellamy's new signature guitar

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See the Muse guitarist's Manson MB-1 in action
Chris Vinnicombe and Chris Wickett, Tue 21 Apr 2009, 5:16 pm BST


Muse mainman Matt Bellamy is no ordinary guitarist and his gadget-loaded Hugh Manson custom electrics are similarly extraordinary.
Until now, Bellamy's collaborations with Manson have been strict one-offs, with a long-standing agreement between the two that the body shape of those instruments would not be replicated. But that's all about to change…

Mansons Guitar Shop in Exeter, UK, has announced details of one of the most exciting production guitars in years: the Manson MB-1 Matthew Bellamy signature model. Easily the most technologically advanced signature guitar on the planet and based on Bellamy's own cracked mirror M1D1, the MB-1 features a sustainer circuit and an X/Y MIDI controller pad (like that on a Korg KAOSS pad) that can be mapped to control anything from a particular effect parameter to stage lighting.

When we heard about this, we had to head down to Mansons to see for ourselves. You'll be pleased to hear that we took a video camera along too. Without further ado, here's the first officially-sanctioned video of the MB-1 in action anywhere on the internet.

courtesy: musicradar

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM!

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New York, NY: Massachusetts' finest hard rock purveyors, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, have announced the title for their eagerly anticipated fourth album for Roadrunner Records. The title is Killswitch Engage. The album, produced by Brendan O'Brien (AC/DC, Rage Against the Machine) and co-produced by guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, will hit stores on June 30.

Some of the working track titles for the album include "Reckoning," "The Forgotten," "Light in a Darkened World" and "Starting Over." Vocalist Howard Jones offered a little insight into Killswitch Engage, saying, "It was time for us to step outside of our comfort zone and try something a little different with this record. It definitely still sounds like us, but we needed to be refreshed and take things a little further." The singer also comments on the album being the band's second self-titled effort of its career, saying, "When we all couldn't agree on an album title, someone suggested we just keep it self-titled and we all pretty much agreed...gives it the feeling of a fresh new beginning."

Killswitch Engage have been playing the tentatively titled "Light in a Darkened World" during their set on the Music As A Weapon Tour, where they are serving as main support to Disturbed. The band also performed the song as the opening act of the first annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards, which were held on Tuesday, April 7 in Los Angeles. The song, sandwiched between "My Curse" and the band's uniquely Killswitch'ed cover of Dio's classic anthem "Holy Diver," generated plenty of excitement among the crowd and set the tone for the show. The awards and KsE's performance will be broadcast on MTV2 on May 2.

The band will spend the summer touring as a main stage attraction on the second annual Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest. Jones also commented on the upcoming tour, saying, "We are excited and thrilled to share the stage this summer with Bullet For My Valentine, Slayer and Marilyn Manson. We hope to entertain and enjoy our time interacting with both old friends and new friends daily. Prepare yourself for laughs, riffs and the unexpected. We will do all we can to make you move, yell and ponder who made the mistake of letting us onstage. You have been warned. Oh, and watch new episodes of The Office."

courtesy: roadrunner
 

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