Tag: Music

1980's, Music

Letters From Jan
Jan Kuehnemund (November 18, 1961 - October 10, 2013)
Jan Kuehnemund
(November 18, 1961 – October 10, 2013)

I was so sad to hear the news today that Vixen founder and guitarist Jan Kuehnemund had passed away after a battle with cancer.

As a metal head myself, whose never discriminated on the basis of sex, I’m proud to say that Vixen’s music was an integral part of my coming of age in the late 80’s.

Over the past few months, I have been extremely fortunate to have spoken with Vixen members Janet Gardner, Share Ross, Roxy Petrucci and Gina Stile. These ladies (along with Jan) produced some of the best hard rock music ever. For me to not only have the opportunity to interview them, but also actually meet them in person at this year’s M3 Festival (where they performed as JSRG) was nothing short of amazing.

Of course, (being a guitarist myself) I was incredibly interested in speaking with Jan. Jan’s guitar work inspired me right from that very first album. I didn’t even care that she was a girl who could run circles around me on the fret board. I wanted to pick her brain about guitars and songwriting. She’s a musical hero to me.

If you’ve read all of my articles with the girls of Vixen, then you’ve probably noticed that Jan Kuehnemund was the only member of the band that I didn’t interview. But what you may not know is that Jan was actually the very first member of Vixen I approached for an interview way back in July of 2012.

Sadly, Jan and I weren’t able to coordinate a date/time for an interview. But even though I was never able to confirm what I actually already knew about Jan the guitarist and Jan the songwriter; I still learned a lot about Jan the person just through our brief email correspondence.

Correspondence which I’ll now share here.

*

On July 2nd, 2012: I learned Jan was a humble person.

Hey Jim! Thank you very much for the invite to do an interview with you! I would be extremely honored!! Please let me know what your timeline or deadline might be, and let’s set it up! Looking forward to talking to you! Thanks again! Best regards, Jan K

*

On July 14th: I learned that Jan was an exciting and busy person.

Hi Jim –
I’m really looking forward to this, too!!
Will let you know when it’s not soo craaazee around here, so we can schedule something! (This past week has been really busy!)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and stay in touch! : ) – Jan

*

On October 12th, I learned that Jan was a caring person.

Hi Jim! I have not forgotten, and I was just thinking about YOU the other day!  Let me see how this next week and next weekend looks, and I’ll get back to you… Thanks very much for your patience! Have a great weekend, too! Best, Jan

*

The last time I heard from Jan was December 9th, when I learned that she was human and compassionate.

Hi James!

So sorry once again, for the delay.. I just lost my dog, so it’s been a real rough and sad time. I really, really DO want to speak with you, so I don’t want you to think I’m making excuses, because I am not!

Still no (recording) news, so would still like to have some specifics on some things when we do talk, so please continue to be patient for a little longer, and we will DO this!!!

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving as well, and wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and happy holidays, just in case we don’t get to talk before Christmas!?!?

Please continue to keep in touch, and I thank you once again for your extreme patience!!! 🙂

Best,
Jan

Do I lament that Jan and I only had a brief email exchange and never actually connected for an “official” interview? Of course.

But I’ll take comfort in remembering Jan Kuehnemund as someone who not only inspired me to be a better guitarist, but also as someone who indirectly taught me how to be a better person.

Godspeed Jan!

Album Reviews, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Guitar World: Lita Ford Discusses Her New Live Album, Gear and More

LitaLiveFollowing the success of her true comeback album, 2012’s Living Like a Runaway, Lita Ford took to the stage at LA’s Canyon Club to record a live performance as a gift to her fans.

The result is The Bitch is Back…Live, the new album from the reigning queen of hard rock and heavy metal.

In addition to live material from her latest studio release, The Bitch is Back also digs deep into Ford’s catalog, showcasing songs from Out for Blood, Dancin’ on the Edge and 1988’s monster album, Lita.

Ford is hard at work on her biography [set for release in 2014] as well as becoming an advocate for Parental Alienation Awareness. I recently spoke with her about the live album, her current setup and an encounter she once had with Led Zeppelin.

GUITAR WORLD: What made you decide to do this live album?

It was kind of spur of the moment. After we did the tour with Def Leppard and Poison [in 2012], I really wanted to give something back. So we jumped into this club in LA, mic’d up the room and recorded it. It’s really a gift to the fans. Everything came together like magic and I’m very happy with it.

Lita Ford (Photo: Kitty Rossander)
Lita Ford (Photo: Kitty Rossander)

Check out the rest of my Guitar World interview with Lita Ford by Clicking Here.

Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Sammy Hagar Discusses New Album, ‘Sammy Hagar & Friends,’ and His Four Decades of Rock

HagarAndFriends

There’s only one way to celebrate 40 years of rock, and that’s with your friends.

Sammy Hagar’s new album, Sammy Hagar & Friends, is a collection of songs that pay tribute to the Red Rocker’s musical success.

With contributions from Joe Satriani, Neal Schon, Nancy Wilson and Michael Anthony (among others), Hagar not only looks back on his solo career, but also his time with Montrose, Van Halen and current bands the Waboritas and Chickenfoot. The new album also gives fans a taste of what the future might hold for Hagar.

I recently spoke with Hagar about the new album and got his thoughts on Van Halen, Chickenfoot and some of his best memories from four decades in rock.

GUITAR WORLD: What sparked this new album project?

John Carter [Hagar’s manager who died in 2011] had a dream of getting me to do a “four decades of rock” record and tour. The idea was to do something from the Montrose, early Sammy, Van Halen and Geffen years and write a new song from each of those eras. Write a Montrose-type song, a “cars” song from the Red Rocker era, a Van Halen/Chickenfoot-esque-type song and a lifestyle song.

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Read the rest of my Guitar World Interview with Sammy Hagar by Clicking Here!

Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Guitar World: Michael Sweet Discusses New Stryper Album, “No More Hell To Pay”

StryperCrossStryper guitarist and vocalist Michael Sweet can hardly contain his enthusiasm when discussing the band’s upcoming album, No More Hell to Pay — and rightly so.

Not only has Sweet’s songwriting and guitar prowess matured over the years, but Stryper has truly never sounded better.

Whether it’s the opening lines of “Revelation,” the tasty guitar work in “Saved By Love” or the apropos cover of Arthur Reid Reynolds’ “Jesus Is Just Alright,” No More Hell to Pay rivals the band’s 1986 monster, To Hell With The Devil, and might actually be the band’s best album to date.

I recently spoke with Sweet about No More Hell To Pay and got updates on T&N, his autobiography and another new project he’s working on. Incidentally, No More Hell To Pay will be released November 5 in North America.

Read my complete Guitar World interview with Michael Sweet by Clicking Here!

Childhood Memories, Life, Music, Thought and Opinion

Time In A Bottle – Remembering Jim Croce & Maury Muehleisen
Jim Croce - January 10, 1943 - September 20, 1973
Jim Croce : January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973

I can’t say that I remember it as if it were yesterday. Heck, I was just on the verge of turning four on September 20th, 1973 and about the only thing going through my mind at the time was probably wondering whether or not Sesame Street was coming on anytime soon. Although I have no personal recognition about that day in particular, I still feel as if I were somehow there.

It’s hard to believe that forty years have passed since the lives of Jim Croce, Maury Muehleisen and four others were tragically cut short when the twin-engine plane in which they were traveling crashed shortly after takeoff. Croce and Muehleisen had just finished performing a show in Natchitoches, Louisiana and were en route to another show in Sherman, Texas when the crash occurred.

As I look back now, I wonder if Jim and Maury were aware of the impact they were going to have. Because I can still remember the very first time I ever heard their music.

Maury Muehleisen: January 14, 1949–September 20, 1973
Maury Muehleisen : January 14, 1949 – September 20, 1973

It was sometime in the mid 1970′s when my father took me and my brother on our first overnight camping trip to a place called Camp Hugh Beaver.

At the time, I recall being extremely excited about going camping; that is until after we had actually arrived at the campsite and the realization of being away from home hit me like a ton of bricks. From that moment on, I immediately wanted to go home and let my father know it every chance I could, through both tantrum and tears.

Dad initially ignored my pleas, but by the next morning just couldn’t take it any longer and finally gave in to my childish demands. Shortly after breakfast, we packed up our things and began making the long drive home.

Why do I remember this you ask? No, it’s wasn’t because it was one of the many times I was being a spoiled brat (although I was). Rather, the real reason I remember this so vividly is because on the drive home the song “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” came on the car radio…and I was mesmerized. I distinctly remember asking my father who it was that was singing the greatest song any seven-year old had ever heard in his life and finding out all about Jim Croce.

Dad told me all about Jim and his other great songs like “Time In A Bottle” and “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”. How Jim had appeared on television shows and how his songs and stories related to the “common man”.

Then he told me about the plane crash and how Jim and his lead guitarist, Maury had both died. In the naivety of youth, I didn’t really understand what he was saying to me at the time. I thought Dad telling me that Jim and Maury “died” just meant that they went away and would eventually be back. Sadly, it wouldn’t be long until I discovered what death really meant and realized that we (the world) had lost two of the greats.

Less than two months after Jim and Maury’s untimely deaths, Croce’s “I Got A Name” album was released. Songs like the title cut (which still gives me chills listening to it to this day), “Workin’ at the Carwash Blues” and “I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song” only remind me of what could have been.

“I Got A Name” is also an apropos title, considering the names Jim Croce & Maury Muehleisen won’t soon be forgotten. Sure, it may have been the last album from two guys whose careers were only beginning to take off, but here I am still thinking about them and their music, forty years later.

Jim Croce * Maury Muehleisen

A Conversation With, Interview, Music

Time In A Bottle: Maury Muehleisen’s Sister Discusses Her Brother’s Music, Time with Jim Croce
Maury Muehleisen in 1973
Maury Muehleisen in 1973

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
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!

For more on Maury Muehleisen or to order a CD Visit: www.maurymuehleisen.com/

Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Perpetual Burn: Jason Becker Discusses ‘Not Dead Yet’ Documentary, His Life and Music

becker

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.

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To find out more about Jason’s amazing documentary visit: http://www.jasonbeckermovie.com/

Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Guitar World: Motor City Madman Ted Nugent Talks New CD/DVD, ‘Ultralive Ballisticrock’

TedNugentLive

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.

gw_logoRead the rest of my new interview with Ted Nugent by Clicking Here!

Interview, Music

Filter Frontman Richard Patrick Discusses New Album, “The Sun Comes Out Tonight”

filter

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)
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)
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.

For more on Filter check out their Official Website and Facebook.

Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Guitarist Tommy Kessler Talks New Blondie Album, Networking and ‘Rock of Ages’
Debbie Harry & Tommy Kessler (Photo: Emma Blackband)
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.

gw_logoRead the rest of my Guitar World interview with Tommy Kessler by Clicking Here!