INTERVIEW: Premier Guitar Paul Gilbert Interview

Great interview with Paul Gilbert in the latest Premier Guitar magazine:

You’re a huge fan of the Beatles and all sorts of jangle pop. How does that affect your writing and performing for an all-instrumental album like Fuzz Universe? Is the instrumental format liberating or constraining—or both?


The Beatles are kind of my musical DNA. If I could sing like them, write like them, and make girls jump up and down and scream like they did, then I would never have to play instrumental music at all. But for some reason, playing athletic things on the guitar always came easier to me. So I try to do that in a musical way that even a Beatles fan like me could listen to. More specifically, I try to learn lots of chords from ’60s and ’70s pop songs and use them as the foundation for my melodies. On this album, I used a lot of min7b5 and 7sus4 chords. I love the sound of those chords, and I feel they are terribly underused in heavy rock. I felt it was my mission to bring up the average.

Also, it’s funny you mention the Beatles, because when I was working on the chorus for the opening track, “Fuzz Universe,” I was suddenly inspired with a chord progression and melody. I ran into my studio to record it while it was still in my head. First I recorded the chords, then I started overdubbing the melody, and—damn—I realized I had just written the bridge to a very famous Beatles song. I ended up changing it with a couple of chord substitutions and a totally different melody of my own, but you can still sing the Beatles melody over the top and it fits perfectly. I’ll let you guess which song it is.

INTERVIEW: Gibson talks to Joe Bonamassa about Black Country Communion

Exclusive interview from gibson.com talking with Joe Bonamassa about Black Country Communion:

So, you and Glenn — and Kevin Shirley — start thinking about putting a group together. Can you take me through how you arrived at approaching Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham?

It was a brainstorming session. Kev suggested Jason and Derek. I mean, enough said. I’m glad they both said “yes.”

What was that first rehearsal like? What material did you play?

No rehearsal. Just record. Again, it lends itself to the magic of the record.

INTERVIEW: shredknowledge interviews Brett Garsed

Check out this great interview with Brett Garsed over on shredknowledge:

MARK
Is their anything comming up that your fans can look forwrd to like albums or stuff?

BRETT
I’m about 2 months away from releasing a new album. I have Virgil Donati and Gerry Pantazis on drums, Ric Fierabracci on bass and Phil Turcio on keyboards.

INTERVIEW: Tom Quayle dofret interview

Check out this great interview with Fusion maestro Tom Quayle on dofret.co.uk:

Q: Do you have any plans for a solo CD release?

A: I certainly do – I just wish I had more time to get it finished. I’m actually not too far away from finishing the writing stage now. I think I have about 9 tunes very close to being finished in demo form. I can’t wait to send them to the band and hear what they play. I’ll keep the musicians secret for now but safe to say it’s gonna be an awesome line up! The music should be fairly diverse but will all be groove based with large improvised sections and lots and lots of chord changes! You’ll see some familiar names to Do Fret on there guesting! As of yet I’m not sure on a release schedule but even the release should be a fairly exciting event as I have some cool news about who’s going to be releasing it and where it’s going to be recorded! I’m keeping quiet for now though! Sorry…

INTERVIEW: iheartguitar interviews Slash

Check out this great interview with Slash over on iheartguitar.

That was pretty ballsy, to take your second gig and broadcast it all over the world!
(Laughs) See, a lot of people misconstrue and confuse ballsiness with ignorance! (Laughs) No, I’ve always been like that. You just go for it and see what happens. And maybe it might be ballsy, and a lot of it has to do with just the eagerness to get out there. If you think you have it together to do whatever it is you want to do, just go for it.

The response to your solo CD seems huge.
Yeah, it’s one of those things where I didn’t have any major expectations, I didn’t try to figure out any kind of numbers or anything like that. I just was happy with the record and put it out. But I have to say, in the first week, to get that kind of response on a global level is really way better than having the opposite!

INTERVIEW: guitarnoize.com interviews Greg Howe!

Jon over on guitarnoize.com has recorded a video interview with *THE* Greg Howe!

Check it out!

INTERVIEW: dofret.co.uk Interviews Andy James

Check out this cool interview with Andy James over on dofret.co.uk:

Q: I understand that you are in the process of putting the finishing touches to your new solo CD – said to “re-define shred”! I’m quite excited by this news – what can listeners expect?

A: Lol, I don’t know about re-defining shred! There are a lot of awesome players out there. Yeah the new solo CD is underway. All the drums are done courtesy of Lee from Sacred Mother Tongue and all the rhythm guitars and clean guitars are done. I’ve just got to do bass then the rest of the solos and stuff. Scott Atkins (founder of Grindstone Studios http://www.grindstonerecording.com/) is producing it. We talked about working together on a new solo album and he was up for it. I wanted this one to be a proper studio effort rather than trying to record an album at home again. I’m not very technically minded and recording is something I’ve always struggled with. Scott is amazing at what he does and he is a bit of a slave driver so I know my best playing will be squeezed out of me.

As for what the listener can expect, mmm, well with the stuff on this album I’ve really tried to go for more of an epic approach to writing. I would say it’s written more like a band vocal album than an intrumental jam fest, which there is nothing wrong with, but it makes sense to me to write in this way as I find it translates to people better. You know your obvious intros and verse sections and then melodic hooked choruses. I’ve not really heard much instrumental stuff written this way, especially in more of a heavier vein, that is just guitar without vocals. There are some great instrumental releases coming out though that are really making me think “Jesus, I hope mine will be half as good as that”. I’m talking Rick Graham’s new album and Andy Wood’s solo record. Both those guys scare me, not just because they are great players, but also because they show a great deal of versatility.

One thing with my album which I don’t think is a bad thing, is that it’s pretty much all in the same vein. Lets face it, I’m a rock/metal player and thats what I love to do. I know instrumental albums seem to be judged on how versatile it is musically but this is a shred album for shred fans that has got technique, melody and hopefully good some songs (I’ll let you guys be the judge). You have to play to your strengths, and I admire guys who can do it all.

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