It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since the lives of Jim Croce, Maury Muehleisen and four others were cut short when the twin-engine plane in which they were traveling crashed shortly after takeoff on September 20, 1973.
In the years since the accident, Muehleisen’s sister Mary has been keeping her brother’s memory alive. In 2006, she re-released Maury’s only album, Gingerbreadd, on CD. She also released early recordings made by her brother, whose guitar arrangements are synonymous with the classic Jim Croce sound.
On September 21, Mary Muehleisen will be in attendance for Time in a Bottle: A Tribute to Jim Croce, an event taking place at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, to remember the lives and music of Croce and her brother.
Because Croce graduated from Upper Darby, proceeds will go to the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation for a scholarship fund in Croce’s name. In addition to Croce song performances, the evening will feature the music of Maury Muehleisen as well as stories from the people who knew them best.
Maury Muehleisen & Jim Croce
I spoke with Mary about the 40th anniversary tribute as well as her brother’s music and his legacy. You can read the rest of my Guitar World Interview with Mary Muehleisen By Clicking Here!
For more information on the Tribute To Jim Croce Click Here!
Jason Becker is not your typical guitar hero. His ability to inspire goes well beyond the fretboard.
From his time spent composing with fellow Shrapnel alum Marty Friedman to his being chosen as Steve Vai’s replacement in David Lee Roth’s band in 1989, Becker was a star on the rise.
Guitar World even chose Becker’s 1988 instrumental masterpiece, “Perpetual Burn,” to kick off its first transcription challenge, where readers submitted videos of themselves performing the challenging song and Becker himself choosing a winner.
Shortly after hooking up with Roth, Becker was given the grim diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and given only three to five years to live. Although the disease would eventually take away his ability to play guitar, walk and even speak, Becker’s spirit and determination has enabled him to continue living and composing amazing music.
The 2012 documentary, Not Dead Yet tells the incredible story of Becker, a guitar legend who refuses to give up on his dream of being a musician, despite the most incredible odds. It’s a story of dreams, love and the strength of the human spirit.
I had the opportunity to interview Jason via email and asked him about the film and his music. In this interview, Becker offers advice on how to play — and how to live.
Please take the time to read the interview by Clicking Here.
Regardless of what you think about his politics, there’s no denying the fact that Ted Nugent has solidified his place in rock history.
In addition to his successful solo career and his stints with the Amboy Dukes and Damn Yankees, the Motor City Madman has performed well more than 6,000 shows and contributed some of the most memorable guitar licks the rock world has ever heard.
Nugent’s new live CD/DVD, Ultralive Ballisticrock (set to be released October 22), isn’t just a souvenir of a kick-ass rock concert. It’s an experience — a spiritual revival, sermon, history class and rally for America rolled into one.
Nugent and his band, including Derek St. Holmes (guitar/vocals), Greg Smith (bass) and Mick Brown (drums), were filmed and recorded by seven cameras in 5.1 audio mix during Nugent’s 2011 I Still Believe Tour.
I recently spoke to Nugent about the new CD/DVD. We also talk his most famous guitar licks and more.
Read the rest of my new interview with Ted Nugent by Clicking Here!
Shoving a fist in the face of tradition has been Filter’s method of operation since the release of their debut album, “Short Bus” in 1995. Since then, the band has continued to raise the bar with it’s unique blend of modern industrial rock, including 1999’s “Title of Record” which featured the hit “Welcome To The Fold” along with the crossover smash “Take A Picture,” a song which charted on both the Billboard rock and dance charts.
The new millennium saw the release of three more Filter albums: 2002′s “The Amalgamut,” 2008′s “Anthems For The Damned” and 2010′s “The Trouble with Angels”, all while touring the world and amassing a multimillion member international fan base. Most recently, Filter has contributed songs to film soundtracks, including a cover of The Turtle’s song, “Happy Together” which was featured in the trailer of the film “The Great Gatsby” and has sold more than 85,000 copies.
Continuing it’s brand of fist to face music is the band’s insanely good sixth studio album, “The Sun Comes Out Tonight”. Recorded at Blue Room Studios in Los Angeles with producer Bob Marlette, the album was written and recorded by leader and vocalist Richard Patrick and bolstered by his new writing partner, guitarist Jonathan Radtke.
The album’s title got its inspiration from the band’s song “Drug Boy,” written about a group of outsiders Patrick used to hang with in between Nine Inch Nails tours (Patrick was a touring guitarist for Trent Reznor’s NIN before leaving the group in 1993 to form Filter).
Filter LIVE in Bethlehem, PA (Photo: Lisa Cuvo)
With a new major label behind them in Wind-Up Records, Patrick and Radtke; along with bassist Phil Buckman and drummer Jeff Friedl are ready to return Filter to the spotlight. I caught up with Patrick recently as the band began a tour with Stone Temple Pilots in Bethlehem PA.
What is the meaning behind the album title: The Sun Comes Out Tonight?
Back in Cleveland, I would have to take drugs for the sun to come out at night. I would climb underneath the bridges and ride them as lake liners, or would come underneath them. We would live in the shadows because LSD was too strong for the normality of a club or bar. Inspirations from that period in my life will always be there for me even after the fact that I’ve been sober for more than ten years.
How would you describe the sound of the new album?
Old-school Filter. New school Filter. All Filter.
What was the writing process like for this album?
It was to make sure it blows our own minds. We would never release anything that we didn’t love. Jonny, Bob and I would sit with acoustics and make the chords and melody. Then we would take the computer and finish it.
Let’s discuss a few songs from the new album: “We Hate it When You Get What You Want”.
People f$ck each other over for profit. People have no shame when it comes to money. Capitalism is the law of the jungle and humanity has no place for it. Humanity is about each other.
“What Do you Say”.
Everybody is speaking and no one’s listening. We need to learn to listen as a species.
“It’s My Time”.
No one wants to die alone. It’s for those people on death row that were innocent, and so on.
Filter (Photo: Leann Mueller)
What was the recording process like? Any differences from previous Filter albums?
It was easier! I’m getting better all the time!
What was it like working with producer Bob Marlette?
Bob Marlette is great! Sometimes I think you should get a second end engineer to make things way faster because he’s slow!! [laughs]
This is your first album on Wind-Up records. How has the experience been?
They are absolutely amazing. They have money, they have resources and they have great people and great artists. It’s great to be back on major.
What do you find is the most challenging thing about touring?
The only thing that sucks about touring is not being home with my family. I have two small children and a beautiful wife.
What’s your view of the music industry today?
It really hasn’t changed beyond the fact that you have to make great music and hope it catches on.
Debbie Harry & Tommy Kessler (Photo: Emma Blackband)
Guitarist Tommy Kessler is living proof that hard work pays off.
Not only does his work ethic allow Kessler to travel the world as part of Blondie, but there’s also the matter of his other “day job.” To date, Kessler (along with Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra) has performed considerably more than 1,000 shows as part of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages.
My recent discussion with Kessler included an update on the next Blondie album and info about his stints with Broadway’s Rock of Ages and Blue Man Group. Kessler also explained why networking is so important for professional guitarists.
GUITAR WORLD: What’s happening with the next Blondie album?
It’s called Ghosts of Download, and it will be released in November. The album is very electronic. Chris [Stein, guitarist] is influenced a lot by South American music, so a lot of the songs have that theme going on. The first single, “A Rose By Any Name,” has already been released. The artwork for the album is especially cool and there’s also something else on the album that fans will like (especially those who like to read everything and go on the Internet). There’s a little Easter egg on there that they’ll enjoy.
Read the rest of my Guitar World interview with Tommy Kessler by Clicking Here!
Regardless of your own political persuasion, there can be no denying that conservative rocker Ted Nugent has firmly solidified his place in the annals of history.
In addition to a hugely successful music career that’s seen him perform well over 6,000 shows, the Motor City Madman is also a radio personality, an actor/reality star, host of his own outdoor show (Spirit Of The Wild) as well as a Washington Times contributor.
On the musical end of the spectrum, Nugent’s new live CD/DVD “ULTRALIVE BALLISTICROCK” is not just your typical kick ass rock concert. Together with his killer band made up of Derek St. Holmes (guitar/vocals); Greg Smith (bass) and Mick Brown (drums), Nugent’s live show is one part sermon, one part history lesson and one part spiritual revival. It’s a line drawn in the sand where (like most things) Nugent is either admired and solidified for the attitude, or despised for it. But Nugent says let the chips fall where they may. He believes in focusing on quality of life in all of those arenas, because quality of life comes from all of those issues.
Recorded by seven cameras in 5.1 audio mix during Nugent’s 2011 “I Still Believe Tour” at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA; “Ultralive Ballisticrock” captures the raw, primal essence of Ted Nugent at his musical best. DVD/Blu-Ray bonus footage includes “Spirit of the Wild” and The Making of ULTRALIVE BALLISTICROCK.
Personally, I’ve seen dozen’s of shows at Penn’s Peak over the years and thought I knew a thing or two about the venue and the people there. But as you’ll see in this interview, Nugent makes me aware of something I never knew about Penn’s Peak and his audiences.
You can say what you will about his stand on hunting and Second Amendment rights, but when you interview Ted Nugent, you can’t help but come away with the knowledge of having spoken to a man who not only is a musical legend, but one who also truly loves his country.
I spoke with Nugent about the new CD/DVD release and also got his thoughts on some of the most important issues of the day.
What made you decide to do this particular live CD/DVD?
What Greg [Smith], Mick [Brown] and Derek [St. Holmes] bring to every concert is intense. It’s so compelling and satisfying for me. I’m just proud and so moved by what these guys do that if it wasn’t me up on stage, I’d buy a front row ticket just to see them. Every concert is a musical orgy of fun and grind and funk and passion and spirit and attitude. I figured, “My God, we’ve got to capture this, right now!”
Was there a reason why you decided to film the Penn’s Peak performance?
It’s a special place. All of my audiences are the best in the world, and I have well into the 50-60 percentile of deer hunters in attendance. But at Penn’s Peak, it’s 100 PERCENT! You can smell guts in my audience. It brings an ultimate effervescence to the entire procedure! [laughs].
Derek St. Holmes, Ted Nugent, Greg Smith, Mick Brown (photo: James & Marilyn Brown)
How would you describe your live show?
Chuck Berry meets Natty Bumppo in the bend of the Louis and Clark exploratory advance meat man point of view! I don’t think any musical force ever in the history of the world has more fun than my band and audiences. If you’re not having fun with me, you’re weird!
You take a lot of heat for some of your views. What are some of the things you think liberals just don’t understand?
It’s not really a matter of understanding. Liberalism is a cult of denial. One where discomforting information is discarded. It would be similar to having Old Yeller foaming at the mouth, and you keep telling yourself that he doesn’t have rabies; versus someone like me who would just shoot the f$cking dog! [laughs].
Let’s start right at the tip of the culture war spear: gun control. How can you possibly deny, when the irrefutable facts from every major source (United Nations, FBI, Scotland Yard) has concluded that a gun free zone (where liberals have accomplished their dream of banning guns) has become the number one murder zone in the world? Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora Theater, Sandy Hook – all of them, gun free zones. So, now that we all know that the most innocent of lives are lost in gun free zones, how can you begin to explain why someone would want more of them? An intelligent, caring soul is aghast at such a mind-set where you’d want to increase injurious conditions.
Ted Nugent – photo by James and Marilyn Brown
Another example of the anti-gun insanity revolves around my lifestyle of eating venison. Wherever liberals have succeeded in banning a certain type of hunt (California mountain lions for example), they’ve actually increased the killing of them. But, only after the mountain lions have either killed people, maimed people or destroyed millions of dollars worth of livestock and personal property, and then your tax dollars go to help clean up the mess you didn’t allow to be cleaned up before the mess happened. If there had been a hunting season, all of those alpacas wouldn’t have been eaten.
Then we’ll move on to the whole welfare thing. Who can deny that the big lie of entitlement has actually brainwashed people into celebrating dependency? How about not giving a bonus for being non-productive and instead chiding people into getting an alarm clock and being productive? You’d be much happier and more self-sufficient if you were independent. These are good things.
The bottom line though is that liberals are crazy, deranged people and I’m always right! It’s pretty simple, actually. [laughs].
Having now seen the effects of what’s happened in Michigan, do you ever lament not running for governor?
Occasionally. But the suicidal death march of Detroit actually began back in the early 1960’s when the most positive, productive, proud Detroit was strangled by liberal democrats who chastised them for being so positive and productive. They engineered the greatest city in the world to stop caring. But let’s look beyond that. The entire state of Illinois is more bankrupt than Detroit, and the entire state of California is more bankrupt than Detroit. They’re just living on a lie.
What are your thoughts on what’s happening in Syria?
That’s a cluster f$ck if ever there was one. I’ll go with what the military pros that I speak with say and suggest that we should just let them kill each other. Both sides are our enemy. One side is basically the Taliban and the other is basically Al Qaeda. They all want to kill us and anyone who’s not a member of their gang. They both preach that. It pains me to have to say that because there’s untold number of innocents involved in the crossfire, but I don’t believe America can be the world’s cops. But I do believe that any enemy who can metastasize to have the capability of a 9/11 we must obliterate.
Those that hate freedom and America and Christians will do anything they can to destroy us and the sad part of it is our President is basically feeble. He’s not a force to be reckoned with and I thought the President of the United States should be the definitive force to reckon with. How ugly is it that a guy who loves his country so much has to say that about his President? I’m surprised I’m not playing the blues.
Do you think the real plan of the enemy isn’t so much about having us invade countries or fighting skirmishes, but rather the notion of having us spend untold billions of dollars endlessly fighting them until it inevitably bankrupts us from within?
All of the above. I’ve got it from inside authority. Are you aware of the Department of Defense’s recent summit? There was a debriefing recently where they identified that OTM’s (Other Than Mexican) are coming in through our porous borders and are slowly bankrupting us. They’ve identified that 90% of the wild fires in America are purposely set by either Taliban or Al Qaeda operatives. And why? Because it costs us trillions of dollars to fight these fires. There’s a lot of stuff going on that America doesn’t know about.
Have you given thought to running for President yourself?
God, wouldn’t that be awesome? Just the debates alone. Everyone gathering around their televisions to watch me gut my opponents! [laughs]. I doubt it. Although I am in communication with some of the most dedicated, patriotic statesmen in the country. I’m in touch with people who really care. I don’t think I’m going to run, but boy am I going to put pressure on those who do.
Do you have any advice for us as human beings?
God Almighty, take better care of yourself. Think about the precious gift of life and don’t allow poisons into your sacred temple. Look around you and ask honestly if your conduct is beneficial to your quality of life and the quality of life of your family and fellow-man or if it’s detrimental. That’s the mantra of the Nugent family.
There’s always going to be hate, but I’m dedicated to always conducting myself in such a way to benefit others. If more people would be conscientious about the effect of their cause, America would be a much better place.
ULTRALIVE BALLISTICROCK will be released on October 22nd and be available in three formats including a 2CD+DVD deluxe edition, DVD, Blu-Ray as well as digital download!
For more on Ted Nugent check out his official site by Clicking Here
In today’s world, most independent films aren’t able to achieve independent distribution directly with an actual theater, but Mission Park is the proven exception. AMC Theaters loved writer/director Bryan Ramirez’s film so much that they decided to distribute the film independently in several of their big city theaters.
Mission Park will be released in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago on September 6th, 2013. The film has already won the Best Narrative Feature, Best Direct and Best Acting Performance (Walter Perez) awards at this year’s Boston International Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize at the World Fest Houston International Film Festival.
Mission Park stars Jeremy Ray Valdez (Walkout), Walter Perez (The Avengers), Fernanda Romero (Drag Me to Hell), Joseph Julian Soria (Crank: High Voltage, Filly Brown), and Wil Rothhaar (Battle Los Angeles).
Written by Bryan Ramirez and produced by Spirit Award Nominee Douglas Spain, Mission Park tells the story of the ambitions of four childhood friends who land on opposite sides of the law. Rookie FBI agents Bobby (Valdez) and Julian (Rothhaar) must go undercover to face their hidden pasts in an attempt to bring down their “best friends'” (Perez, Soria) criminal organization. The film also features performances by Vivica A. Fox, Will Estes and Sean Patrick Flanery.
Although made up of a predominantly Latino cast, it’s the storyline of Mission Park that takes center stage. One that will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very end. It’s a testament to Ramirez’s creativity and the ambitious mind of Spain in helping to bring the vision to life. Mission accomplished!
I spoke with Spain about Mission Park and the film’s AMC distribution. He also lets us in on a surprise announcement for the people of San Antonio (where Mission Park was filmed).
How did you get involved with Mission Park?
I’m originally an actor and was working on a film in San Antonio several years ago when Bryan approached me with the script. It immediately caught my attention and after I read it, I fell in love with it. The fact that he had written these wonderful, rich characters that were both American and Latino just inspired me. It’s a rare piece of material that doesn’t come around very often in Hollywood. I gave Bryan a letter of interest as an actor and asked him to give me a call when he was ready to move it forward.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have a producer at the time, so the script sat around for a while. I had already done a few years of “behind the scenes” work producing and directing my own short films and since I really loved the piece and wanted to help Bryan execute his vision, I said “If you’re willing to give me a chance to produce, I’ll run with it!” And I’ve since been running with the script, story and movie all the way to the theaters on September 6th.
What are some of the challenges of being a producer as opposed to an actor?
There are so many because as a producer, you’re overseeing every single department. From casting to wardrobe to even the locations where you shoot. I already had experience with that from doing short films, but this was a hundred times more than what I had done previously. Doing those short films prepared me for what I had to do for this one. It came very second-hand, since I already had those skills in me.
What was the filming process like?
I loved being on set. The energy we created was amazing. We had a lot of wonderful moments and an amazing bond with the cast and crew. The thing is, we were all there collaborating on a movie to entertain the world, so we should have fun doing it.
How would you describe the story of Mission Park?
It’s a story between good and bad and the choices that we as individuals make in determining which path in life we choose. The four main characters in the film walk on both sides of the law and end up meeting when they’re older and confronting each other over the paths they’ve chosen. It’s an action/thriller with an indie infrastructure. It also has a mainstream flair because it was shot so brilliantly.
Tell me a little about the AMC Theaters distribution of the film.
There aren’t many proven successful films with a predominantly Latino cast, so it was difficult to find a distributor to take on the challenge of marketing this type of film. In the end though, it’s all about the story and avoiding stereotypes. Our co-producer, David J. Phillips had a contact over at AMC. They’re creating a division just for independent cinema. One where they allocate a certain percentage of their theater for screening independent films. They saw the film and knew that Mission Park had a winning chance and offered us this opportunity.
Douglas Spain
What’s next for Mission Park?
Because AMC only has one location in San Antonio [which unfortunately wasn’t available]; another theater chain local to the area, Santikos Theaters, has come on board to screen the film in four of their primary locations. So, as a gift to our fans in San Antonio, we’re opening the film one day before the rest of country, on Sept 5th.
We also have some screening interest from Maya Cinemas in Salinas, Bakersfield and Pittsburgh as well. It’s a moving train, but we’ve all done a lot of work to get it on the track and now it’s beginning to roll!
What satisfies you the most about Mission Park?
Usually, producers will just see the film through to completion and that’s it. But for Mission Park, we’re all handling the marketing and PR ourselves because we really believe in it. It’s much more than just a “Latino” film. We never go out into the world and say “This a Latino project.” We go in trying to tell a story and do the best we can to convey that story accurately and entertainingly. Although we’re very proud to be Latino, it’s the story that really connects with people. It should always be about the story first.
Mission Park opens September 5th in San Antonio, TX at the Santikos Theaters and September 6th at the AMC Theaters in LA, Chicago and New York.
After the departure of longtime vocalist Josey Scott, Saliva’s Wayne Swinny (guitar), Dave Novotny (bass) and Paul Crosby (drums) weren’t sure if they’d be able to find a suitable replacement.
Thankfully, after a month of deliberating, the search for a new frontman led them to singer Bobby Amaru, whose arrival kicked off a new chapter for the band, one that Swinny equates with hitting the lottery.
Saliva fans will get their first taste of Amaru’s vocals on the band’s eighth studio album, In It To Win It, which will be released September 3 via Rum Bum Records. Produced by Bobby Huff (Halestorm, Drowning Pool, Papa Roach), the album not only forges the band into new territory, but also stays true to the classic Saliva sound.
I spoke with Swinny about In It To Win It, his gear and the best advice he’s ever been given as a guitarist. Check out the interview by Clicking Here!
Jeff Pilson is a busy man. In addition to his regular role as Foreigner’s bassist, he’s also been dividing his time with a host of other projects.
He’s working with other former Dokken members George Lynch and Mick Brown on the next T&N album, and he’s just finished producing the upcoming Kill Devil Hill album and Loveless Fascination, the first new Starship album featuring Mickey Thomas in almost 25 years.
Below, we discuss all the projects mentioned above and a whole lot more.
GUITAR WORLD: How did you get involved with Mickey Thomas’ new Starship project?
It started off from a songwriting angle. I was working with another producer on a project, and he ended up hearing a bunch of my songs. He also was working with Mickey Thomas at the time and said, “What would you think if I worked these songs with Mickey Thomas, who’s planning on doing another Starship record?” I loved Mickey and already had the songs available, so I said, “Sure, why not?” He started working with Mickey on the album, but things just didn’t work out. That’s when I got involved as the producer as well.
Hear the new Starship track “It’s Not The Same As Love” here
Read the rest of my interview with Jeff Pilson by Clicking Here
Heaven & Earth’s new album, Dig, celebrates the sound of iconic ’70s rock music, a time when rock was at what some consider its purist, most accessible form.
Originally an all-star project for guitarist Stuart Smith, Heaven & Earth has since evolved into a full band that includes Joe Retta (vocals), Chuck Wright (bass), Richie Onori (drums) and Arlan Schierbaum (keyboards).
Picking up where iconic bands like Deep Purple and Bad Company left off, Heaven & Earth are on a mission to resurrect the sanctity — or lat least the sound — of classic rock.
I recently spoke with Smith and Wright about the new album, their gear and more.
GUITAR WORLD: How did this album come together?
WRIGHT: Stuart called me and told me he was doing a new Heaven & Earth record and asked if I wanted to take part. I had played on the other Heaven & Earth albums, but those were more like solo records for Stuart, with a lot of guest stars on them. For this one, he wanted us all to get together in a room and hash things out. Get a real band sound going and do it for real. So we partnered up and came together as a band.
SMITH: Joe Retta [vocals] and I have been playing in Sweet for a while. He has such an amazing voice and reminds me of a young Paul Rodgers. Chuck is such a great bassist and also an amazing writer.
You can read the rest of my interview with Stuart Smith & Chuck Wright
plus see TWO Heaven & Earth videos by Clicking Here
Regardless of your own political persuasion, there can be no denying that conservative rocker Ted Nugent has firmly solidified his place in the annals of history.
In today’s world, most independent films aren’t able to achieve independent distribution directly with an actual theater, but Mission Park is the proven exception. AMC Theaters loved writer/director Bryan Ramirez’s film so much that they decided to distribute the film independently in several of their big city theaters.
After the departure of longtime vocalist Josey Scott, Saliva’s Wayne Swinny (guitar), Dave Novotny (bass) and Paul Crosby (drums) weren’t sure if they’d be able to find a suitable replacement.
Heaven & Earth’s new album, Dig, celebrates the sound of iconic ’70s rock music, a time when rock was at what some consider its purist, most accessible form.
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