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Guitar World Interview: Stryper’s Michael Sweet Discusses New Albums, Book, Tour
Michael Sweet may just be the busiest guy on the planet. For 2013, the Stryper front man has plans for no less than three albums, two tours and an auto-biography. The revival officially begins on March 26th when the band releases the appropriately titled “Second Coming”; a sixteen-song collection of classic Stryper re-records as well as two brand new tracks.
In an era when such “re-makes” are generally frowned upon, Stryper has managed to take their already vintage sound and moved it to a much heavier level. Fans of the band’s first three albums will be blown away with the freshness from “new” versions of songs like “Loud N’ Clear”, “Soldiers Under Command” and “Calling On You”. ‘Second Coming’ also features two brand new Stryper tracks that balance out an already amazing effort and puts the spotlight squarely on Sweet’s own phenomenal guitar prowess.
In addition to the new album, Sweet’s own solo album and auto-biography are planned for release this year. And, if that isn’t enough, Stryper will enter the studio in April to record an album of all new material that will coincide with a summer tour.
Stryper is: Michael Sweet (Guitars/Vocals), Oz Fox (Guitars), Timothy Gaines (Bass) and Robert Sweet (Drums).
I spoke with Sweet and got the scoop on all of these projects. In addition, he also lets us in on yet another “scary” surprise that he has planned for the end of the year.
What was the genesis for Second Coming?
Initially, we intended to make this record for our publishing company. Usually, people tend to roll their eyes at the thought of doing re-records because you’re already used to the original and sometimes think, “What’s the point?” Typically, it’s hard to recapture the same “magic” that you had on the originals. But what’s cool about these songs and this record is that not only we were able to capture all of the magic from the original songs, but in some ways surpass and add some new magic to them as well. When people hear this album as whole, they’re going to be blown out of the water.
Check out the rest of my Guitar World interview with Michael Sweet by clicking here.
Guitar World Interview: Dave Rose Discusses New Book on Achieving Real Music Success
Dave Rose runs Deep South Entertainment, a successful business and artist management company that’s been around since 1995.
Over the years, he’s worked with some big names, including Michael Sweet, Bruce Hornsby, Marcy Playground and Allison Moorer, to name just a few.
Rose’s own musical journey began as others often do: with a guitar and a dream. But shortly after he began regularly performing in bands, he discovered his true calling relied less on the art of making music and more on the act of helping others learn from the experiences he’s had. Thankfully, he’s shared that knowledge in an amazing new book.
Everything I Know About The Music Business I Learned From My Cousin Rick: The Musician’s Practical Guide To Success is a mouthful of a title, but it’s also one of the best books a musician can read on how to really become successful in their craft and enjoy the moments along the way.
Based upon the epiphany he had when his cousin (Rick) played him the first Boston album, Rose’s book is part “biography” and part “how-to.” It’s also a valuable resource for musicians of all levels.
If it’s something a band is going through now — or has done in the past, Rose has been through it. From writing songs and booking gigs to recording albums and creating a fan base, Rose shows you how to achieve real success in music. Success that’s not measured by the number of albums sold or the money earned from gigs, but rather from the goal that anyone who’s ever picked up an instrument should have in the first place: the desire to make great music.
Novice musicians will find plenty of informative information on things to avoid when building up their band; while those with more experience may find themselves looking into a mirror at times as they turn the pages. In either case, Dave’s book is a fast, fun read.
I had the chance to speak with Dave about his new book and some of the lessons he’s learned along the way. – Read the complete article here.
