First off, I type these updates in Microsoft Word, then copy and paste into Blogspot. When I type the word “Facebook”, the little red squiggly line comes up underneath. In other words, my Word program doesn’t recognize the word “Facebook”. Word thinks I misspelled something. (I’ve found that Word sometimes has funny ideas about grammar, but that’s a whole other blog.) Still, it’s another way to show how something so pervasive is still so new. Facebook is still a very young entity. It’s new enough, at least, that the term hadn’t been invented when my version of Word was created. But it has quickly become a fixture in my life – you know, like oxygen and food and Star Trek and zombie films.
Now, on to the blog…
“I found a new friend today.”
That’s what I would tell my mother coming home from pre-school, when I met someone I though was kind of cool or had a better collection of GI Joes than me. These days, thousands (tens of thousands? hundreds of thousands?) of people say the same thing, “I found a new friend today.” They say this to those people they actually see in person when they log off from the virtual “friend” gallery we know as Facebook.
What’s funny is that I’ve never actually met someone “new” through Facebook. There are a couple of friend requests I’ve approved after meeting someone in a bar during a gig. But I did see those people in the real world first – you know, the world that has oxygen and trees and plants and real flesh and blood human beings. Facebook’s success isn’t in helping to find new friends. It’s helping to find the old friends – those that we’ve forgotten over the years.
Today, I had the chance to rediscover someone I had forgotten. Not only was it someone from my past, but this person also continues to have a profound effect upon my present. It was pretty serendipitous how I found person, too. And yes, I’m going to tell the whole story and make you wait to find out who it is. (It’s my blog, and I’m trying to create some freakin’ suspense, so play along…)
See, I’m Facebook Friends with a guy at work, who’s actually in a totally different city. We were both on a conference call this morning, and since he and I are Facebook Friends and I didn’t want him to see me updating my Facebook status during the conference call, I was just looking, not posting. Ironically, my Facebook Friend had fewer reservations about using Facebook during the call.
Now this Facebook Friend, outside of his day job, is a really, really good banjo player, which means a lot of his friends come from the music world — fans and fellow musicians, etc. As I was listening to the conference call, I saw that the banjo player had approved a new Facebook friend. It amused me that I was being a good little employee and he wasn’t. So I gave a closer look at the entry that announced his new friend. His new friend turned out to be an old friend of mine. What are the odds?
It was someone I knew from age 11 to 13, when my mother forced me to take up a musical instrument. She wanted me to take piano lessons. I wanted to play guitar. She was happy as long as I was playing something, so guitar it was. She signed me up for lessons at a place called Pearson Music in Winston-Salem. Pearson Music no longer exists and it’s no wonder. Even to my 11 year old eyes, the place seemed way overpriced.
The man who gave lessons in the back room of the store was named Richard Matteson. It was a name I thought of only very occasionally over the years and had nearly forgotten. It was Richard who the banjo player had just friended. (By the way, "friended" also has a red squiggly line.)
Forgetting all thoughts of workplace propriety, I immediately clicked the name, saw a very familiar face, and hit the “Add As A Friend” button. How cool. My old guitar teacher was on Facebook. The man who first told me which frets to fret and which strings to pluck was suddenly right in front of me…online anyway.
You see, my old guitar teacher was (and is) a man of many musical styles. I saw him play some beautiful flamenco music once. He gave me one of the blues tapes (yes, back in the days of tapes) he made. He taught me rock, pop, blues, jazz (only a little) and even heavy metal tunes. These days, it seems, he’s doing a bit more with bluegrass—which is how he and the Banjo Player Facebook Friend From Work Who’s Actually In A Totally Different City got to know each other.
This is despite the fact that Richard now lives in Louisville, KY.
Driving home the serendipity angle, the banjo player approved seven or eight other friend requests in a few minutes, so my guitar teacher’s name was only listed for a short time before the listing changed to “(Banjo Guy) is now friends with (some other dude) and seven other people.” I was looking at just the right place at just the right time.
It was also cool because it gave me the chance to shoot Richard a quick message. While I’ve only thought of him rarely these past few years, when he did come to mind, there was something I hoped I’d be able to do.
You see, my mother bought the guitar, signed me up and paid for the lessons. For that, I've thanked her and will continue to do so. Richard, however, taught me to play, showed me the path to teaching myself, and is just as responsible for the joy and the friends and the cash and the therapy that music brings to my life.
I can’t imagine how my life would be different when I think of the people the guitar has brought into my life. I love the sound of the instrument, I love to play it, and I love to call myself a guitar player. Richard was a big part of that.
Finally twenty one years after my first lesson, I was finally able to say to Richard, if only through a private Facebook message…
“Thanks”.
It’s not a big enough word sometimes.
I hope he realizes that. I hope he has a clue of the effect he’s had on my life. And I hope that someday my playing or teaching or recordings will have a similar effect on someone else.
Again, Richard, “Thanks.”
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Roads We Choose, and the Detours We're Inclined To Take
I guess one of the most hackneyed, overused and ridiculous things to say is, “I didn’t think life would end up this way.” Well, of course it didn’t end up like you planned it. That’s what living is. You pick the road you want to travel. You start your journey. Then a big 18-wheeler comes along and forces you down a detour you didn’t expect. Maybe you find your way back to the road of your choice. Or maybe that detour never leads back to your original path.
I say this as I sit in a very quiet house at 2:54 a.m. I got home about an hour ago, having played a gig in Charlotte tonight. I’m still awake, because Shelby should be fed in a few minutes and I’m just the man for the job.
Still, being awake at this lonely hour leads me down this line of thought…
I am not on the path I chose for myself.
At age 18 I decided I wanted to be a radio DJ. My thought was, “I’m a pretty good guitar player, but there aren’t too many job openings for rock star, so what other job in the music industry could I take?” I took the radio route.
The problem with radio…well, actually, there are a lot of problems with radio:
—The industry is shrinking. There just aren’t as many jobs as there once was.
—In order to really advance and really make good money, you’ve got to be willing to move. Nicole and I were into that at first. Then we weren’t into it as much. I ended up working at the same small station for eight years.
—Music radio these days is boring. I worked at a music station for a few months. It was the most boring job I’ve ever had. Play a song, run a liner, play a song, read from the script, repeat until a commercial break is scheduled.
So, I got out of radio, took a good job for the good benefits and here I am, right?
Nope. There’s another part of my life that keeps me awake and typing at 3 a.m.
I started playing in a band a couple of years out of college. It was a small band with a high school friend and surprisingly (neither of us realized this until I walked into the first practice) my cousin! Marble Alley is a good band that I still play with sometimes. Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett and all the blues you can handle. I really like playing a lot of that music.
Other opportunities arose though, and the need for money and more gigs led me to another band. Locked and Loaded was (and still is) a southern rock and country band. That was good music, too, though it wasn’t anything I listen to on a regular basis. Still, it was really fun to play with a bunch of really good guys, and extremely talented musicians.
But there came a time (January, 2008) that I looked at our schedule, saw one gig in February and another in May and realized that I was counting on money from gigs that weren’t there. I went searching.
It’s a longer story (and a good one, I’ll tell it sometime) about the path it took me to join SugarSmaX, but suffice it to say, that’s where I landed. It’s where I remain. And I’m happiest in this band.
Performing music with other people and getting paid takes some work and involves some late nights. At most bars, we’ll start playing at 10 p.m. and end at 2 a.m. Now, I’ve always been a night owl, but keep in mind, I’ve got a 40 hour work week, going 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Suddenly, on the weekend, I’m supposed to play on Fridays and Saturdays until 2 a.m., pack up the equipment, return home between 3:30 and 4 a.m. and work my sleep schedule back to normal by the time Monday morning rolls around?
Yep. That’s exactly what I’m supposed to do. I feel just as natural with my guitar strapped on as I do in my favorite pair of blue jeans. I’ve played in front of 5 people and I’ve played in front of 700, and as long as they’re getting into to it, I’ll take either one. (Though I would prefer the 700, obviously.)
I had written music and dabbled with some recording in Locked and Loaded, but we never really got that project off the ground — probably because I left the band. Still, SugarSmaX has been recording, I think the songs are really good, and I’m interested in what a record company might have to say about what we’ve gotten down.
So, do you get the irony? I’ve come full circle, from deciding that being a rock star wasn’t realistic and choosing another path, all the way back to recording music with the back-of-the-mind hope that there might be a little room in the rock star world after all.
Our recordings may never do a thing. We could sell the songs and have someone else record them. We could have a massive hit on our hands. There are lots of options and the worst one is that I’ll have some good recordings of some good musicians, including myself. I can pull it out and let the grandkids listen to it someday!
So that’s how I landed in front of a computer, early on a Sunday morning, typing out a few thoughts about the roads we choose and the detours we’re inclined to take.
Now. It’s late and the baby needs her food.
Mark
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Called Off Due To Snow
I turned 32 Saturday. I’ve had better birthdays.
The plan had been to play two gigs on the weekend. Friday, SugarSmaX was scheduled at Wild Wings Café in Winston Salem. It’s been a month since we’ve done a gig and I was really looking forward to playing again. Saturday, I was going to do play with Marble Alley, a band I play in from time to time, at the High Rock Boat and Ski Club. It’s a beach, soul, and R& B band that I’ve played in for five or six years now, so I was looking forward to playing that one, too.
The fact that my birthday was going to be mixed in on the weekend worked nicely. The better partiers are in SugarSmaX, but Nicole said she’d drive home Saturday (with the club only a few minutes from the house), so I figured that we would have fun both nights. That’s the really cool thing about playing in a band. You have a extra job and extra money, but you always have a place ready for you and your friends to celebrate.
A family gathering was scheduled for Sunday at my parents’ house to finish up a weekend’s worth of celebrating.
“The best laid plans of mice and men…”
The forecast looked daunting from about Tuesday. It improved a little Wednesday and then went to hell Thursday. Friday, it was just a matter of watching what I didn’t want to happen, happen. Snow, ice, etc. And the forecasters, despite the way everyone complains that they never get it right, got it just right.
So, the gigs were cancelled. Money was lost. Nicole and I were stuck at home. Nicole was just as disappointed as I was, because she’s not able to get out of the house that much. Even my parents and Nicole’s dad and stepmother were disappointed, because all of these plans had been contingent on the baby staying with her grandparents over the weekend.
It made me think how strange it is that we celebrate birthdays at all. I suppose someone, somewhere, decided that they needed an excuse for a party. The inventor of the birthday party was fairly self-centered one, I guess. Think about it. It would have been easy to come up with a reason for everyone to celebrate—the fall harvest or Christmas or New Year’s or Halloween or St. Paddy’s Day or Columbus Day or even freakin’ Arbor Day. \
But this inventor of the birthday party didn’t want everyone to just celebrate. He wanted everyone to celebrate him.
Or her. Either way, it was brilliant. And I suppose it’s nice for everyone to have a day dedicated to himself or herself, even if the concept itself is, by definition, wholly self-centered.
So, instead of focusing on the fact that my birthday, like our gigs, was essentially cancelled this year due to snow, we’ll find a way to stretch the celebration into next week. The fact that we’re celebrating is an arbitrary thing. The day on which we celebrate doesn’t have to be any less arbitrary.
So, pick a day. Let’s have some fun.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Rock (and roll) a bye baby
The other day, I walked in on Nicole exposing our child to something I really disapproved of. It’s nothing that will harm little Shelby – at least, I don’t think it will. But it was something I wish my wife would have discussed with me.
We know that Shelby has been hearing music since before she was born. While pregnant, Nicole would go to my band’s gigs, and the volume of my guitar certainly made it to the little one’s developing ears in utero.
The band plays a lot of different types of music, from hard rock to classic rock to some dance and rap tunes. The variety works for the crowd and makes it more interesting for the band members.
That variety has always been reflected in the family CD collection, too. Nicole and I each have wide-ranging taste in music. When we combined our CD’s more than a decade ago, the mix became even more diverse. Barbara Mandrel was just a few slots above Metallica. When Nicole added ABBA to the collection, my Aerosmith CD’s ceased to be first in alphabetical order. That hurt.
We each have favorites that the other hates. But more often, our tastes cross over, mainly when it comes to rock and roll. AC/DC was always part of both our collections. Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, the Rolling Stones, Van Halen, the Eagles, and Motley Crue are bands loved by both husband and wife, now mother and father.
When Nicole got pregnant, we joked about having a “rock and roll baby”. Me being a guitar player, in a band, and our musical tastes being what they are, it just made sense. Nicole even purchased two “onesies” for Shelby – with AC/DC and KISS across the front. They’re really cute.
Lately, while spending time on the computer in the afternoons, Nicole has taken to exposing Shelby to music. Later, Nicole will tell me which tunes Shelby liked (slept through) or didn’t like (cried). Shelby apparently has an affinity for Soundgarden (Outshined), Aerosmith (Rag Doll), Staind (It’s Been A While), Guns and Roses (Welcome to the Jungle), and even Price (Let’s Go Crazy). She didn’t like Queen, which is strange, because it’s not like Nicole played “Bicycle” or anything. Still, I like the idea that my daughter is getting a solid dose of rock and roll.
Friday, however, I found Nicole playing something truly offensive—at least, to my ears.
As I walked into the house after a long day at work, streaming from the computer speakers were the unmistakable harmonies of The Statler Brothers. The Kid’s Last Fight. Whatever Happened To Randolph Scott? I’ll Go To My Grave Lovin’ You. Flowers On The Wall. It was an ugly scene. Even worse, Shelby seemed perfectly content to listen.
Nicole needs to understand. Shelby’s not going to like music I disapprove of. She’s my daughter and will obviously like what I like. She’ll always dislike the things that I hate, right? Right?!?
(sigh) Okay. I realize that kids have minds of their own. And I realize my daughter is probably going to, at times, enjoy things that Mom and Dad don’t—only for the simple fact that Mom and Dad don’t like it. Maybe it’s good that Lady Gaga is doing her thing now. It’s my hope that she’ll burn out before Shelby has control of the radio dial.
Still, it’s not fair for Nicole to undermine my dislike of the Statler Brothers when I’m out of the house. I have two choices. I can either move the offending Statler Brothers CD’s to a safer place (the trash) or take some proactive steps of my own.
I have instituted KISS listening parties each Thursday night. Me and my daughter are gonna rock out to the hottest band in the land. The mighty KISS. And after a few hours of Paul’s vocal, Gene’s bass, Peter drums and Ace’s rockin’ guitar, my baby girl will scream bloody murder and cry her eyes out when she hears The Statler Brothers.
Just like her Dad.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Dog Has Turned On Me
When I lean over to take the baby from my wife, I’m in danger. This wasn’t always the case. But recently, one of our dogs has turned on me. Yep. A normal day now is just an uneasy truce between me and our miniature poodle—with occasional moments of friendliness, but more often, moments of barred teeth and growling.
Hershey is a miniature chocolate poodle. Anyone who thinks poodles are snooty dogs with their tails held high and an air of superiority are sadly mistaken. At least, they are when it comes to Hershey. He’s the most lovable dog I’ve ever had. He’s always incredibly happy to see us. If I sit down on the couch, he’s right beside me with his head on my lap. Each night, when we go to bed, Hershey curls up beside me.
Those things still happen, but Hershey has also taken to snapping and even biting me. I should be angry. But Hershey’s motives, it seems, are pure.
The reason? Shelby. Our daughter has changed the household dynamic.
Hershey actually seemed relatively unaffected when we brought Shelby home from the hospital. That’s not to say he wasn’t interested. In the first week, he would sniff at the baby several times a day, trying to figure out what was up with the funny smelling bundle of blankets.
Then one night, Nicole and I were lying in bed while Shelby was in the pack and play bassinet. Hershey jumped from his typical spot in bed (beside me) and headed elsewhere. I heard him jump again. And Shelby made a gurgle. As it turns out, Hershey decided that there was someone else he’d rather snuggle with to sleep. It wasn’t me. When I crawled out of bed and looked into the pack and play, Hershey was curled beside the baby.
For the record, with the risk of SIDS, I did not allow that situation to continue.
But it did show that Hershey had taken a liking to the family’s newest addition. Little did I know, his affection for Shelby would mean danger—but only for me.
A few days later, Nicole needed me to take Shelby from her. She was on the couch, with Hershey curled up nearby. I leaned down to take the baby and the unexpected happened. Hershey snapped. I didn’t quite believe that he had done it, so I reached for the baby again. He tried to bite me again. I yelled at him, he cowered (because he’s a wimp) and I took the baby.
I won’t be defeated by a 12 lb. dog.
Still. It’s nice to know that in a pinch, Shelby will have someone who will at least make an effort to protect her from perceived danger.
I just wish Hershey would stop perceiving ME as danger.
It’s funny how quickly he has become attached. We left Shelby at the in-laws last week. As Nicole and I arrived home and let the dogs out of the bedroom, Hershey made us smile. He ran around the house, sniffing at the baby car seat, obviously searching for Shelby. He went to the baby swing, the little vibrating chair, back to the car seat, and made another lap of the house. A person is truly a part of the family when they’re missed.
My daughter has a buddy, a canine brother, and even a protector. It’s nice.
But if the little bastard ever successfully bites me, look out. It’s on.
15 Albums - A Facebook Reprint
This was one of those Facebook posts that was going around a while back. As you can tell, I really took to this one. There were supposed to be 15 albums listed. I have 17, because I couldn’t keep any of the following out of the list. The musical choices probably say a lot about me. I don’t know what that is, so feel free to enlighten me.
The request was for 15 albums that had "such a profound effect on you they sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, and emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world."
A lot of these albums, today, I consider cheesy. But I’m being honest. And don't lie, in the late 80’s and early 90’s you were listening to the same stuff. :)
1. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet - I remember hearing "Wanted Dead or Alive" at the pool one summer and thinking, "What was that. I need to hear that again." I was only 7 or 8 years old.
2. The Beatles - "Let It Be" was my introduction, but the "Greatest Hits 1967-1970" made the biggest impact. Staggering pieces of songwriting, bridging the gaps between classical, English pub songs, psychedelia, and rock. No style, form, or instrument was off-limits
3. Def Leppard - Hysteria - This was one of the first rock albums I owned. I remember the videos. Just very cool, very rock and roll. The lyrics didn't mean much and didn't have to. The guitar work was so produced and so slick. And the drummer only had ONE ARM! It hooked me at a young age.
4. Garth Brooks - Ropin' the Wind - It's something the whole family listened to before I was old enough to have some say in what we listened to. The songs were great, whether you like country or not. It was also the idea that country music could be fun. And loud. This was the second concert I saw live, and it was like a rock and roll show.
5. Aerosmith - Greatest Hits, Pump - I discovered these albums around the same time, via my cousin Marty. It was a great representation of the early years and the comeback years. Thirty years later, you can still rock, even harder? Okay, cool. Aerosmith is the American version of the Rolling Stones. But they're better. Better singer, better guitar players. You could argue that the Stones had better songs, but that's an opinion. My first concert was the Get A Grip tour.
6. The Black Crowes - Shake Your Moneymaker - I love Stones-influenced bands, much more than I actually like the Rolling Stones. Odd. The Black Crowes were young and vibrant and doing music that harkened back to a time about 30-35 years earlier. Chris Robinson has an incredible whisky-soaked voice and Rich Robinson's guitar was tuned to open chords - something that was alien to play, then frustrating, then very very cool.
7. Guns and Roses - Appetite for Destruction - I remember thinking, "this is music my parents might not want me to listen to. But I really want to hear it." I felt more of an impact from that album as time went on. I still learn from what Slash and Izzy did when it comes to having two guitars in one band. An amazing piece of musicianship, with anger from Axl that was raw and unfettered, unlike the over-produced posturing he gave on much of the Use Your Illlusion albums and Chinese Democracy. My band now plays "Sweet Child of Mine" every show and the audience always, always gets off on it.
8. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble - Texas Flood - My first entre into the blues. That three chord progression, so very structured, with so much going on over top. An 8 or 12 bar blues makes me want to move. Then it makes me want to play. This led me down a totally different path, musically. In the end, I'll always be a blues based guitarist.
9. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? - I pulled this out of my Dad's record collection and realized what the next step from blues could be. I'm not a huge fan of the really stoned stuff. But the songs were and still are amazing. The ideas Jimi had remain staggering. He was simply on a different level.
10. AC/DC - Back in Black. Wow. More blues based guitar, but from a different direction. Guitar from heaven or hell. One way or the other, those riffs weren't created on this earthly plane. I eventually learned to play the entire album. Still can.
11. The Eagles - Greatest Hits Volume 1 - This is songwriting that is just staggering in it's beauty. We listened to this as a family when I was young. I rediscovered them as a teen and became a huge fan of the band, and can generally name which of the band's seven different members (over their entire career) were playing on which album. Harmonies. On my goodness, the harmonies. The songwriting. Lyrics that read like poetry and your buddy talking to you at the bar - at the same time! And of course, the Hotel California guitar solo may be the best of all time.
12. Jackson Browne - Practically an honorary member of the Eagles. He helped write Take It Easy and was part of the California sound. Again, the lyrics. Wow. Poetry and self-importance only surpassed by Bono and Springsteen. Still, it was spectacular and Jackson Brown's music always hit me closer to home than U2 or The Boss. Don't know why. It just did.
13. James Taylor - Greatest Hits Volume 1 - This is when I realized that wimp music was worth listening to. Much the same as the effect of the Eagles and Jackson Browne. But the stripped down nature of the guitar work was incredible. If you're by yourself (or with a girl) it's hard to go wrong here. The only problem--the music sounds far easier to play than it actually is. "Fire and Rain" and "Country Road" and "Something in the Way She Moves" all kill me.
14. Metallica - The Black Album - Suddenly, heavy metal had melodies and harmonies. And it suddenly made sense to me. I had liked "One" from "And Justice For All," but this entire album again turned me in a direction I hadn't considered. And I loved it. So very heavy. My favorite song off the album is still "Sad But True."
15. Pink Floyd - The Wall - I like "The Wall" a lot better than "Dark Side of the Moon." It feels deeper to me. I was also getting into it around the same time my English class was getting into the Expatriat poets--T.S. Eliot, etc. I liked them both a lot and saw a lot of crossover in subject matter. Again, so many levels. I can always go back and find something new.
16. Steely Dan - Best of - This is the first music I discoverd as a guitar player that I never tried to learn. I didn't see the point. It was perfect as it was. I would never be in a group that could pull it off, with the horns and keys and everything else that was going on. But I was still hooked through the nose on this album. These guys are the closest I'll ever get to really getting off on jazz.
17. Led Zeppelin – II - This is the first Led Zeppelin album I owned and loved. It has classic songs that are still played (or even over-played on the radio today. “Ramble On,” “Living, Lovin’ Maid,” “Heartbreaker,” and more. And possibly my favorite riff of all time is in Bring It On Home. It led to a love of the band and an appreciation of Jimmy Page’s influences. Their impact can’t be overstated.
Honorarble mentions: These are other albums I got hooked on that might not have rated all the time I put into the above.
Journey - Greatest Hits
Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood
Janis Joplin - Greatest Hits
Soul Asylum - Grave Dancer's Union
Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rearview and Fairweather Johnson
The Beach Boys - Greatest Hits (loved it as a kid)
The Refreshments - Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big and Buzzy - You know "Banditos". Trust me. Look up the lyrics.
Bare Naked Ladies (Greatest Hits)
Tesla - Greatest Hits
And of course, the trash rock like Warrant, Poison, and others taught me a lot of good guitar. Worth mentioning.
The request was for 15 albums that had "such a profound effect on you they sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, and emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world."
A lot of these albums, today, I consider cheesy. But I’m being honest. And don't lie, in the late 80’s and early 90’s you were listening to the same stuff. :)
1. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet - I remember hearing "Wanted Dead or Alive" at the pool one summer and thinking, "What was that. I need to hear that again." I was only 7 or 8 years old.
2. The Beatles - "Let It Be" was my introduction, but the "Greatest Hits 1967-1970" made the biggest impact. Staggering pieces of songwriting, bridging the gaps between classical, English pub songs, psychedelia, and rock. No style, form, or instrument was off-limits
3. Def Leppard - Hysteria - This was one of the first rock albums I owned. I remember the videos. Just very cool, very rock and roll. The lyrics didn't mean much and didn't have to. The guitar work was so produced and so slick. And the drummer only had ONE ARM! It hooked me at a young age.
4. Garth Brooks - Ropin' the Wind - It's something the whole family listened to before I was old enough to have some say in what we listened to. The songs were great, whether you like country or not. It was also the idea that country music could be fun. And loud. This was the second concert I saw live, and it was like a rock and roll show.
5. Aerosmith - Greatest Hits, Pump - I discovered these albums around the same time, via my cousin Marty. It was a great representation of the early years and the comeback years. Thirty years later, you can still rock, even harder? Okay, cool. Aerosmith is the American version of the Rolling Stones. But they're better. Better singer, better guitar players. You could argue that the Stones had better songs, but that's an opinion. My first concert was the Get A Grip tour.
6. The Black Crowes - Shake Your Moneymaker - I love Stones-influenced bands, much more than I actually like the Rolling Stones. Odd. The Black Crowes were young and vibrant and doing music that harkened back to a time about 30-35 years earlier. Chris Robinson has an incredible whisky-soaked voice and Rich Robinson's guitar was tuned to open chords - something that was alien to play, then frustrating, then very very cool.
7. Guns and Roses - Appetite for Destruction - I remember thinking, "this is music my parents might not want me to listen to. But I really want to hear it." I felt more of an impact from that album as time went on. I still learn from what Slash and Izzy did when it comes to having two guitars in one band. An amazing piece of musicianship, with anger from Axl that was raw and unfettered, unlike the over-produced posturing he gave on much of the Use Your Illlusion albums and Chinese Democracy. My band now plays "Sweet Child of Mine" every show and the audience always, always gets off on it.
8. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble - Texas Flood - My first entre into the blues. That three chord progression, so very structured, with so much going on over top. An 8 or 12 bar blues makes me want to move. Then it makes me want to play. This led me down a totally different path, musically. In the end, I'll always be a blues based guitarist.
9. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? - I pulled this out of my Dad's record collection and realized what the next step from blues could be. I'm not a huge fan of the really stoned stuff. But the songs were and still are amazing. The ideas Jimi had remain staggering. He was simply on a different level.
10. AC/DC - Back in Black. Wow. More blues based guitar, but from a different direction. Guitar from heaven or hell. One way or the other, those riffs weren't created on this earthly plane. I eventually learned to play the entire album. Still can.
11. The Eagles - Greatest Hits Volume 1 - This is songwriting that is just staggering in it's beauty. We listened to this as a family when I was young. I rediscovered them as a teen and became a huge fan of the band, and can generally name which of the band's seven different members (over their entire career) were playing on which album. Harmonies. On my goodness, the harmonies. The songwriting. Lyrics that read like poetry and your buddy talking to you at the bar - at the same time! And of course, the Hotel California guitar solo may be the best of all time.
12. Jackson Browne - Practically an honorary member of the Eagles. He helped write Take It Easy and was part of the California sound. Again, the lyrics. Wow. Poetry and self-importance only surpassed by Bono and Springsteen. Still, it was spectacular and Jackson Brown's music always hit me closer to home than U2 or The Boss. Don't know why. It just did.
13. James Taylor - Greatest Hits Volume 1 - This is when I realized that wimp music was worth listening to. Much the same as the effect of the Eagles and Jackson Browne. But the stripped down nature of the guitar work was incredible. If you're by yourself (or with a girl) it's hard to go wrong here. The only problem--the music sounds far easier to play than it actually is. "Fire and Rain" and "Country Road" and "Something in the Way She Moves" all kill me.
14. Metallica - The Black Album - Suddenly, heavy metal had melodies and harmonies. And it suddenly made sense to me. I had liked "One" from "And Justice For All," but this entire album again turned me in a direction I hadn't considered. And I loved it. So very heavy. My favorite song off the album is still "Sad But True."
15. Pink Floyd - The Wall - I like "The Wall" a lot better than "Dark Side of the Moon." It feels deeper to me. I was also getting into it around the same time my English class was getting into the Expatriat poets--T.S. Eliot, etc. I liked them both a lot and saw a lot of crossover in subject matter. Again, so many levels. I can always go back and find something new.
16. Steely Dan - Best of - This is the first music I discoverd as a guitar player that I never tried to learn. I didn't see the point. It was perfect as it was. I would never be in a group that could pull it off, with the horns and keys and everything else that was going on. But I was still hooked through the nose on this album. These guys are the closest I'll ever get to really getting off on jazz.
17. Led Zeppelin – II - This is the first Led Zeppelin album I owned and loved. It has classic songs that are still played (or even over-played on the radio today. “Ramble On,” “Living, Lovin’ Maid,” “Heartbreaker,” and more. And possibly my favorite riff of all time is in Bring It On Home. It led to a love of the band and an appreciation of Jimmy Page’s influences. Their impact can’t be overstated.
Honorarble mentions: These are other albums I got hooked on that might not have rated all the time I put into the above.
Journey - Greatest Hits
Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood
Janis Joplin - Greatest Hits
Soul Asylum - Grave Dancer's Union
Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rearview and Fairweather Johnson
The Beach Boys - Greatest Hits (loved it as a kid)
The Refreshments - Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big and Buzzy - You know "Banditos". Trust me. Look up the lyrics.
Bare Naked Ladies (Greatest Hits)
Tesla - Greatest Hits
And of course, the trash rock like Warrant, Poison, and others taught me a lot of good guitar. Worth mentioning.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
My Top Ten of 2009
It’s easy to live your daily life, without consideration of the accomplishments, struggles, and hurdles overcome in the past year. Mine are listed below, typed before the new year actually arrived, but alas, just now posted. If you're interested, my life is laid before you...
10. Welcoming a new nephew to the family
Carson Everhart was welcomed to the family this past April, my sister’s second son. Of course, that wouldn’t be the only family member added this year.
9. Another year of SugarSmaX gigging, frat gigs, etc.
The band continued to gig at more quality locations, and to do so consistently. We’ve now had year-long monthly engagements at two clubs, Fifty One in Pineville and Caveman’s in Mint Hill. Here’s to another year of gigs, more fans and more money!
8. Successfully helming the Disney event
At my day job (which will remain unnamed) I was put in charge of an event that grew beyond what I originally expected. Having started that job less than a year earlier (when planning began), it was not something that was going to be particularly easy. However, the museum staff are grizzled veterans at big events and made it all a success. I got some credit and was proud of how I performed.
7. Buying a new car
It’s not that Nicole and I bought the greatest, nicest car ever seen. It’s not even particularly notable, a decade old Nissan Altima. However, it did make me a happy man that when we needed to purchase a car, we found the money to do it, and the wherewithal to hold out until we found a quality car for a great price.
6. Recording for the SugarSmaX album
This will hopefully be my number one choice next year. Most of the rhythm guitar parts are recorded for what promises to be some very good music. With vocals scheduled to be added over the coming months, we should have a really cool musical document of these four people and possibly a product that people will be willing to spend some of the hard earned money to have.
5. Becoming closer to a number of friends
Nicole and I were able to strengthen some relationships this year, particularly with people we’ve come to know through SugarSmaX. Those relationships have become more important, especially as we Shelby’s birth approached. We really appreciated that support, which means more than we’ve said. And for that, shame on us.
4. Songwriting
I feel like I’ve been able to write songs that I will be proud of for the rest of my life. This is truly the first time I’ve been able to say that, and thanks of course goes to Mick and Karen for being in a position to want to record, and to want to hear what I have to say, lyrically and musically. While some of these songs have been built from the ground up, the one I’m most proud of is a true team effort. Mick wrote the music, I wrote the lyrics, and Karen applied incredible vocals and harmonies to bring those words to life. I can't wait for everyone to hear it.
3. Rochester trip/wedding
Nicole and I took our first week long vacation/trip since our first anniversary. At first, traveling to Rochester to celebrate my cousin’s wedding felt a little like an obligation. I’m so very thankful, however, that we had that reason forcing us to take to the highway. We had a really good time seeing and staying with Marty, while Melissa’s wedding was a spectacular occasion.
2. Preparing the house for a new addition
There was a fairly large task undertaken this year to prepare the house for a very big change. Nicole and I had to take a room that has been the “forgotten items wasteland” and make that room ready to serve the purpose for which it was always intended. Preparing the nursery impacted every other room in the house in one way or another and took an enormous amount of time. Again, I have to thank Mick, as well as Jason, for their help in getting the room painted. Helping hands are always, always appreciated.
1. Shelby
Nicole and I welcomed our daughter into this world December 15th, 2009. There’s a far longer piece of writing that deals with my feelings on the birth of Shelby, so I’ll let that piece speak for itself. Suffice it to say, there was no greater gift that we could have received. Thanks to all those who contributed in so many different ways – through baby showers and gifts and support and advice and jokes and a million other things.
Thanks for walking with...
10. Welcoming a new nephew to the family
Carson Everhart was welcomed to the family this past April, my sister’s second son. Of course, that wouldn’t be the only family member added this year.
9. Another year of SugarSmaX gigging, frat gigs, etc.
The band continued to gig at more quality locations, and to do so consistently. We’ve now had year-long monthly engagements at two clubs, Fifty One in Pineville and Caveman’s in Mint Hill. Here’s to another year of gigs, more fans and more money!
8. Successfully helming the Disney event
At my day job (which will remain unnamed) I was put in charge of an event that grew beyond what I originally expected. Having started that job less than a year earlier (when planning began), it was not something that was going to be particularly easy. However, the museum staff are grizzled veterans at big events and made it all a success. I got some credit and was proud of how I performed.
7. Buying a new car
It’s not that Nicole and I bought the greatest, nicest car ever seen. It’s not even particularly notable, a decade old Nissan Altima. However, it did make me a happy man that when we needed to purchase a car, we found the money to do it, and the wherewithal to hold out until we found a quality car for a great price.
6. Recording for the SugarSmaX album
This will hopefully be my number one choice next year. Most of the rhythm guitar parts are recorded for what promises to be some very good music. With vocals scheduled to be added over the coming months, we should have a really cool musical document of these four people and possibly a product that people will be willing to spend some of the hard earned money to have.
5. Becoming closer to a number of friends
Nicole and I were able to strengthen some relationships this year, particularly with people we’ve come to know through SugarSmaX. Those relationships have become more important, especially as we Shelby’s birth approached. We really appreciated that support, which means more than we’ve said. And for that, shame on us.
4. Songwriting
I feel like I’ve been able to write songs that I will be proud of for the rest of my life. This is truly the first time I’ve been able to say that, and thanks of course goes to Mick and Karen for being in a position to want to record, and to want to hear what I have to say, lyrically and musically. While some of these songs have been built from the ground up, the one I’m most proud of is a true team effort. Mick wrote the music, I wrote the lyrics, and Karen applied incredible vocals and harmonies to bring those words to life. I can't wait for everyone to hear it.
3. Rochester trip/wedding
Nicole and I took our first week long vacation/trip since our first anniversary. At first, traveling to Rochester to celebrate my cousin’s wedding felt a little like an obligation. I’m so very thankful, however, that we had that reason forcing us to take to the highway. We had a really good time seeing and staying with Marty, while Melissa’s wedding was a spectacular occasion.
2. Preparing the house for a new addition
There was a fairly large task undertaken this year to prepare the house for a very big change. Nicole and I had to take a room that has been the “forgotten items wasteland” and make that room ready to serve the purpose for which it was always intended. Preparing the nursery impacted every other room in the house in one way or another and took an enormous amount of time. Again, I have to thank Mick, as well as Jason, for their help in getting the room painted. Helping hands are always, always appreciated.
1. Shelby
Nicole and I welcomed our daughter into this world December 15th, 2009. There’s a far longer piece of writing that deals with my feelings on the birth of Shelby, so I’ll let that piece speak for itself. Suffice it to say, there was no greater gift that we could have received. Thanks to all those who contributed in so many different ways – through baby showers and gifts and support and advice and jokes and a million other things.
Thanks for walking with...
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