It’s not often you get to work with one of your heroes, but for Melvins guitarist Buzz Osborne, that’s exactly what happened.
Butthole Surfers’ Paul Leary joined the Melvins for their new album, Hold It In, which will be released October 14. Also joining Osborne, Leary and drummer Dale Crover for this 12-song Melvins outing is Butthole Surfers’ bassist JD Pinkus.
Osborne says Hold It In is a refreshing piece of fiction in a boring world of “fact and bullshit.” If Leary’s outside-the-box approach to guitar playing and Osborne’s passion for songwriting are anything to go by, it’s definitely best to just let it ride.
The Melvins will kick off a round of U.S. tour dates October 15 in Sacramento, California. Osborne, Crover and Pinkus will be the touring roster for this run of dates.
I recently spoke with Osborne and Leary about the new Melvins record. I also asked Osborne about his Nirvana connection.
GUITAR WORLD: How would you describe Hold It In?
OSBORNE: It’s a good cross-section of a lot of things we’ve done as well as some things we’ve never done. It’s the first Melvins record I played on where I didn’t write a majority of the material. That was a little different than what we normally do. Paul is also one of my favorite guitar players, and I’ve thought about doing something like this with him for a long time.
LEARY: For the most part, it’s a little fresher and an amalgam album. I wrote three songs on there and we’ve also got Jeff Pinkus, which provided another Butthole element.
Read the rest of my Interview with Osborne & Leary by Clicking Here!
Most rock biographies tend to follow a similar pattern. The artist’s road to redemption is paved with tales of debauchery, drug abuse, marital infidelity and a trashing hotel room or two.
Although Jim Peterik’s story doesn’t really follow that path, it’s even more special.
For instance, did you know the founder of such bands as the Ides of March, Survivor and Pride Of Lions was already playing shows alongside Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin as a teen? Or that Peterik’s original role in Survivor was one of dual guitarist and lead vocalist?
Peterik’s new book, Through the Eye of the Tiger: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Life of Survivor’s Founding Member, discusses all of that and much more in a look back at the life and career of one of rock’s best songwriters.
With the help of writer Lisa Torem, Peterik reveals stories from his almost 50 years in music. Like the time the Ides of March stole the show from Led Zeppelin or when Peterik unwillingly ceded control of Survivor and took on a diminished role in order to achieve a greater good.
There are revelations of his encounters with Hendrix, Sammy Hagar and Brian Wilson; making studio magic with the late Jimi Jamison (one of rock’s greatest voices) as well as the challenges he faced becoming a husband and father. Oh, and then there’s the little matter of a how a phone call from Sylvester Stallone turned into “Eye of The Tiger.”
Through the Eye of the Tiger is more than just the memoir of a songwriting legend. It’s a classic rock and roll story that’s told through the eyes of someone who has lived through it all.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Peterik about his new book, career and his amazing guitar collection.
GUITAR WORLD: What made you decide to write a book at this stage of your career?
It’s a good time in my life. I’m feeling good and have a lot of stories to tell. Certainly, there are a lot more stories ahead of me and quite a few stories behind me that I wanted to get out.
Read the complete Interview with Jim Peterik by Clicking Here!
What do you get when you combine two bona-fide guitar heroes in their respective genres — and then have them go toe-to-toe with each other? You get Eclectic, a new album by blues/jazz/rocker Eric Johnson and jazz master Mike Stern.
Recorded at Johnson’s studio in Austin, Texas, Eclectic — which will be released October 27 — is a tasty collection of songs highlighting the strengths of both guitarists. It features an infectious rhythm section consisting of drummer Anton Fig (The Late Show with David Letterman) and Johnson’s regular bassist, Chris Maresh.
Stern’s body of guitar goodness spans more than four decades. His career includes partnerships with such artists as Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Cobham, Miles Davis and Jaco Pastorius.
Johnson’s playing has often been compared to that of Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck. His six-string wizardry earned him a Grammy award in 1992 for his instrumental hit, “Cliffs of Dover,” which came in at Number 17 on Guitar World’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitar solos of all time.
Johnson and Stern will support Eclectic with an Eastern U.S. tour beginning in November.
I recently spoke with both guitarists about their new album. Johnson also gives a bit of advice for properly playing “Cliffs of Dover.”
GUITAR WORLD: How did this collaboration begin?
STERN: I’ve known Eric for years and always dug his playing. Every time I saw him, I’d tell him that it would be great for us to do something together. Finally, I was doing this record called Big Neighborhood and had the idea of doing something with him.
JOHNSON: We had so much fun working on that record that one day the Blue Note Club in New York called and asked us if we’d like to do a joint gig together. So we put together a band, rehearsed and learned music. We ended up doing a two-week tour out of that and got offered to do a record and a few other tours that are now slated to happen.
You can read the rest of my Interview with Johnson and Stern by Clicking Here!
Even though the Empty Hearts feature members of Blondie, the Cars, the Chesterfield Kings and the Romantics — and even though their name was chosen from Little Steven Van Zandt’s super-secret list of unused band names — this is no cynically constructed supergroup.
Featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer Clem Burke, guitarist Elliot Easton, bassist Andy Babiuk and lead singer/rhythm guitarist Wally Palmar, the Empty Hearts have parlayed a combined lifetime of rock into their self-titled debut. Their new album is a raucous collection of tunes shaped by Fifties American roots rock, Sixties British Invasion and Seventies garage-punk.
I recently spoke to Easton about the Empty Hearts, his signature Gibson Tikibird and the 30th anniversary of the Cars’ Heartbeat City.
GUITAR WORLD: When did the idea for the Empty Hearts begin?
The germ of the idea started with Andy [Babiuk]. The Chesterfield Kings weren’t doing anything and Andy called me up and said, “What do you think about doing a band with me, you, Clem Burke and Wally Palmer from the Romantics?”
I wasn’t doing much at the time so I told him that if he could get it together, I was in. Andy is such a great organizer and motivator and put everything together. We found that we liked each other’s vibe and enjoyed each other’s company. Everything about it really felt good.
How would you describe the album?
It’s a reflection and celebration of all of our influences that went into making us the musicians we are. Recalling those early days of innocence when you played music for the sheer joy of it. We really wanted to make a record that reminded us of why we got into music in the first place. You hear some Who, Beatles and our garage rock influences. It’s all stuff we loved as kids starting out.
Read the rest of my Interview with Elliot Easton by Clicking Here!
Flyleaf have consistently dominated the active, alternative and mainstream rock charts since their eponymous, self-titled debut was released in 2005.
With the arrival of new vocalist Kristen May and the band’s new album, Between the Stars, which was released September 16, that trend is continuing.
Produced by Don Gilmore (Pearl Jam, Linkin Park and Avril Lavigne), Between the Stars is Flyleaf’s fourth studio album. It delivers 12 hook-laden tracks that are deeply rooted in guitar-based rock.
Guitarist Jared Hartmann’s hypnotic riffs are tastefully executed, creating a surreal landscape of infectious melody that takes the listener on a sonic journey. Flyleaf is Kristen May (vocals), Jared Hartmann (guitars), Sameer Bhattacharya (guitars), Pat Seals (bass) and James Culpepper (drums).
I recently spoke with Hartmann about the new album and his musical upbringing.
GUITAR WORLD: How would you describe the sound of Between the Stars as compared to previous Flyleaf albums?
It’s going to be a little different than some of the other Flyleaf records. Obviously, it will be different because we have a new singer [Lacey Sturm amicably left the band in 2012], but it’s also going to be a bit different musically as well.
We used a lot of keyboards on this album to add some interesting elements to a few of the songs. We’ll see what people think! There’s something that’s similar to our previous albums but it’s also going in a new direction.
How did you connect with Kristen?
After Lacey decided to leave the band, we started looking for singers and someone suggested that we check out Kristen. Her band, Vedera, had recently broken up, so the timing was perfect. So Kristen came in, knew all of the songs and was cool to hang out with. She’s the perfect fit.
Roger Hodgson has been widely recognized as one of the most gifted composers, songwriters and lyricists of our time.
A co-founder of Supertramp in 1969, Hodgson remained with the band for fourteen years before embarking on a solo career. It was Hodgson’s tenure with the band that became the driving force behind their monumental success. Writing music that defined a generation of progressive rock.
Hodgson wrote and sang Supertramp’s most enduring anthems, including “Breakfast In America”, “Give a Little Bit”, “Take the Long Way Home” and “It’s Raining Again”. Songs which helped the band sell more than 60 million albums. His trademark way of setting introspective lyrics to upbeat melodies resonates in the hearts and minds of people from all over the world.
Hodgson talks about his career and what fans can expect from his Bethlehem performance in a recent interview.
What can fans expect from your Bethlehem performance?
People often tell me I am one of music’s best-kept secrets. I have many fans following me around the world because the show I am currently doing with my band is so special. Even many huge Supertramp fans are admitting that the band I have put together actually sounds better than the original, so the audience is in for a wonderful surprise. This year, in addition to my popular duo and orchestral shows, I am performing with an excellent band of four very versatile musicians. They are high caliber musicians and passionate about the music.
Songwriting is an amazing and magical process. For me, the music always comes first. There are usually a few lines of lyrics that come at the same time. For a two or three week period I sing the new song every opportunity I get. It’s like a brief love affair; the emerging song just goes round and round in my head the whole time. It has that consuming quality to it, like falling in love. The structure and melody come to me relatively quickly – the lyric usually takes much longer.
I do realize I have written some wonderful songs and have an ability for writing great melodies, but I think the reason these songs have stood the test of time so well is because they came from a very pure place and were not contrived. I never sat down to try and write a hit song. Music was where I went to be alone to express my deepest emotions, my deepest longing, my deepest pain and joy and questions. And I think that is why the songs have endured so well over time.
Can you tell me a little about your Spiritual connection with your songs?
For me, music was where I went to express my longing to know God, to know true love, my longing to feel truly at home inside myself. I put this inner quest into my songs and I believe, because they came from such a deep place, this is one of the reasons they have such an enduring quality. They touch that place in everyone who is searching for true happiness, belonging, for God – whatever you want to call it.
So, yes, a lot of my songs have a spiritual theme to them – when I write music, I am always alone and it’s very much an inner communion for me. It’s not generally known that I never wrote with the band, and the other members of Supertramp didn’t share many of the spiritual beliefs that I wrote about – so all my songs – new and old – are all very personal expressions for me.
It’s now been more than thirty years since you left Supertramp. Do you have any regrets about it?
When I left Supertramp in 1983, it was to follow my heart, which was telling me it was time to make home, family, and spiritual life my priority. I wanted to be with my children as they grew up. I had become disenchanted with the music business. Supertramp had been my baby, my life for 14 years but I felt a completion. At that point I chose to have my primary focus be my family and not my career. I also pretty much left the music industry and took my family to a healthier place to raise my kids – up in the mountains of Northern California. I moved out of Los Angeles and built a home studio so I could continue to create music and although I made a few albums, I never toured behind them. My kids are now grown and I’m older and wiser and very happy to be touring again these last years.
Contrary to what people believe, Supertramp did not break up because I wanted to start a solo career or because of difficulties between me and Rick [Davies].
Do you ever foresee a reunion of Supertramp?
Many fans used to ask me about a possible Supertramp reunion. Because I knew how much it meant to the fans, I did make an offer to Rick Davies and his agent to join the band for some special Supertramp reunion concerts in 2010, but they declined. So at this point, the time for a reunion has passed. The ship has sailed.
What inspires you as an artist?
One of the things that I like most about making music is how it has brought people together from all over the globe and how many lasting friendships have been made through a common love of my songs. It is a very special and personal connection I have with many of my fans and that the fans have with one another. I feel it’s because my songs came from my deepest longing and joy and pain and touch those same places in the hearts of the people who listen. At my concerts I’m now seeing three generations singing along with me and it’s wonderful to see more and more young people discovering my music.
Roger Hodgson will perform at
The Bethlehem Sands Event Center on Sunday, Nov 9.
Whether he’s performing as part of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages, touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra every fall or jetting around the country for sessions and shows, Joel Hoekstra is one of the hardest-working guitarists you’re ever likely to meet.
And now he’s taken on another challenge.
It was recently announced that Hoekstra would be leaving his gig with Night Ranger to become the new guitarist in Whitesnake, replacing departing guitarist Doug Aldrich.
Hoekstra’s seven-year tenure with Night Ranger included three critically acclaimed albums and tours, not to mention being part of a killer one-two punch with guitar great Brad Gillis.
With Whitesnake, Hoesktra finds himself in a band whose ranks over the years also were filled by guitar royalty: John Sykes, Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell, Steve Vai, Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach. Hoekstra will join a Whitesnake lineup that includes David Coverdale (vocals), Reb Beach (guitar), Michael Devin (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums).
I recently caught up with Hoekstra and asked him about the new Whitesnake gig and also got a sneak peak into the band’s next album. I also asked him what he’ll miss most about his time with Night Ranger.
GUITAR WORLD: How did you first hear about the Whitesnake opportunity?
Oddly enough, Doug [Aldrich] and I are friends and were texting the night before the news came online. He didn’t mention anything about it to me at the time. All he said was there was some news coming. The next day, I woke up to hear Doug would be leaving Whitesnake.
How did you wind up getting the gig with the band?
I think it was a combination of me putting out some feelers and some people recommending me for it that led to me going out to meet with David at the end of May to hang/audition. That went well, so the next step was to go back in August to play on material for the upcoming Whitesnake album and to make sure it was going to be a good fit for both sides. At that point, I started to realize this was really happening.
You can read the rest of my Interview with Joel Hoekstra by Clicking Here!
Over the course of his illustrious career—one that includes time in Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit and Velvet Revolver—Slash has amassed album sales of more than 100 million, garnered a Grammy (to go with his seven nominations) and was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Slash also has seen plenty of success with his solo albums. Both his Slash and Apocalyptic Love offerings landed in the top five of the Billboard albums chart.
World On Fire, which will be released September 16, is Slash’s second album with his official band, the Conspirators, which features Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass).
From the infectious up-tempo aggressiveness of the album’s title track to the sexual politics of songs like “Battleground,” “Dirty Girl” and the coming-of-age “Bent To Fly,” the 17-song opus delves into a wide range of topics. World On Fire also features a rocking instrumental, “Safari Inn.”
Produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Falling In Reverse, Incubus), World On Fire is a diverse record that covers a multitude of musical feels with a rawness and energy that’s reminiscent of Slash’s early work with Guns N’ Roses.
Make no mistake about it: World On Fire is not a solo project. It was recorded by a band with all four members contributing their strengths as a whole.
Slash is touring with Aerosmith on the “Let Rock Rule” tour. I recently spoke with him about World On Fire, touring, his love of Les Pauls and, of course, some of the most memorable moments from his career.
Wow! It’s hard to believe it’s Labor Day weekend. It seems like it was only yesterday that summer had started and now, here we are already at the end of August.
This has been a very productive summer of writing for me and this past week in particular in terms of interviews. And to prove that I’m not just a “metal-head” (even though it says that in my bio) – contemporary jazz, alternative rock and blues genres were all on the agenda!
These are my latest interviews that you can find now on AXS.com:
Peter White: Some of you may know Peter as one of the most popular instrumental players in contemporary jazz. But did you know that he credits his guitar playing to Al Stewart? Peter’s first real “gig” was with Al back in 1975.
Imagine this – you’re a wide-eyed teen fresh out of high school. You audition for a group, get the gig and the next thing you know… you’re in Abbey Road studios recording ‘The Year of The Cat’ with Al Stewart!
Read my interview with Peter where we discuss this story as well as his incredible new album, ‘Smile’ that’s coming out in October.
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Kristen May: Since their eponymous, self-titled debut album in 2005, Flyleaf has consistently dominated the active, alternative and mainstream rock charts.
Kristen May is the new vocalist for the band and in my interview with her we discuss the band’s infectious new album, “Between The Stars”, her musical upbringing and how a best-selling book turned blockbuster film ignited the album’s first single.
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It’s been an extremely busy summer for guitarist Ana Popovic. Apart from touring Europe and the U.S in support of her most recent album Can You Stand The Heat, the Serbian blues powerhouse will soon join a multitude of other guitar greats for this year’s Experience Hendrix Tour.
I recently caught up with Popovic to discuss her upcoming visit to Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA, the Hendrix Tour and what she loves about Blues guitar!
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Thanks so much for taking the time to read my articles and be sure to follow me on Twitter @JimEWood and ‘Tumblr’ – I follow back!
For several years, Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar had always promised to make good on his quest to record a solo album.
After years of waiting, the time has finally arrived. LaBar’s new album, One for the Road, was recorded in Nashville with long-time friend and engineer Ronnie Honeycutt and features mixing by Cinderella bandmate Fred Coury, with mixing and mastering by Chris Collier (KXM, Lynch Mob, Lita Ford).
What’s unique about LaBar’s first solo endeavor is that not only does it showcase LaBar’s guitar playing, but it also highlights his singing and songwriting prowess. Aside from drums by Tesla’s Troy Luccketta, all of the instruments and vocals on One for the Road are performed by LaBar, a true “solo” album.
The new album also captures the magic and spirit of a genre of music LaBar helped define. “No Strings” has a classic Cinderella feel, while songs like “Asking for a Beating” and ”Nightmare on My Street” take on a far heavier edge. Then there’s the acoustic-flavored “Hello or Goodbye,” which speaks to LaBar’s folk influences.
I recently caught up with LaBar and asked him about One for the Road, which was released today, August 26, plus guitars and more!
It’s not often you get to work with one of your heroes, but for Melvins guitarist Buzz Osborne, that’s exactly what happened.
Interview with Osborne & Leary by Clicking Here!
What do you get when you combine two bona-fide guitar heroes in their respective genres — and then have them go toe-to-toe with each other? You get Eclectic, a new album by blues/jazz/rocker Eric Johnson and jazz master Mike Stern.
Even though the Empty Hearts feature members of Blondie, the Cars, the Chesterfield Kings and the Romantics — and even though their name was chosen from Little Steven Van Zandt’s super-secret list of unused band names — this is no cynically constructed supergroup.
Flyleaf have consistently dominated the active, alternative and mainstream rock charts since their eponymous, self-titled debut was released in 2005.
Roger Hodgson
Whether he’s performing as part of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages, touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra every fall or jetting around the country for sessions and shows, Joel Hoekstra is one of the hardest-working guitarists you’re ever likely to meet.
Over the course of his illustrious career—one that includes time in Guns N’ Roses, Slash’s Snakepit and Velvet Revolver—Slash has amassed album sales of more than 100 million, garnered a Grammy (to go with his seven nominations) and was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Peter White:
Kristen May:
It’s been an extremely busy summer for guitarist 
For several years, Cinderella guitarist Jeff LaBar had always promised to make good on his quest to record a solo album.
go.Jimmy.go 