Guitar Licks

Guitars, tips and great music discussions




You are here: Home / Archives for 2009

Archives for 2009

Morrissey’s health scare onstage

by

Steven Patrick Morrissey, the 50 year old ex-lead singer from the Smiths, was rushed to a British hospital around 9pm last night in the middle of performing a show at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon.

The 1000 audience members were taking in the Smith’s 1983 classic tune This Charming Man when his medical episode took place. He reportedly fell onto the stage, unconscious and was gingerly carried off by the stage crew.

Some at the show said he was looking strained and wincing while performing. Morrissey, who just happens to be doing a world tour, has already canceled a number of events this year due to an “unspecified illness”.

He was taken off to the nearby Great Western Hospital and there is still no word yet on his condition.

God speed in his recovery.

Keep on Jammin’





Aerosmith Dream On – An Overview of The Song

by

Aerosmith Dream On was the first single ever created by the group. It first appeared on their initial album in 1973. Steven Tyler wrote the song which was heavily influenced by the blues.

Aerosmith Dream On was the first major hit for the group. It only reached number 59 when it was originally released as a single. The re release made it to six in 1976. It was first played live at a Connecticut inn. Aerosmith Dream On was later released by the group in eight compilations, as well as on two boxed sets.

Aerosmith Dream On made it into the rock ‘n roll Hall of Fame as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock ‘n roll. Rolling Stone listed as number 172 in its 500 greatest songs of all time. Some Aerosmith fans believe this is their signature song.

Many times songs, such as Aerosmith Dream On, are sampled for other music. That means short portions of the song appear in some way. Eminem sampled the song in his 2002 album the Eminem Show. Aerosmith’s guitaris played the guitar in the sample. Some less famous musicians also covered Aerosmith Dream On. These include Andru Donalds, and a rapper named Slim Thug.

There is a myth that the band Led Zeppelin actually wrote the song. It’s just a hoax. Buick uses the song in their commercials. Their slogan is Dream Up. It also appeared in a number of movies.  These include Miracle from Walt Disney, and Last Action Hero.

Aerosmith Dream On has been featured in a number of video games. It appeared in the opening cut scene of Dead or Alive Ultimate. There’s a game called Guitar Hero Aerosmith. The song was re-recorded just for the game. People could also download Aerosmith Dream On for the game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Its appearance in that game was to promote the new game.

Not only has Aerosmith Dream On been featured in many live concerts, but but it has also been performed with full orchestras. It was featured like this for MTVs 10th anniversary show. And in 2006 members of Aerosmith performed it with the Boston Pops. The song has been dedicated to a captured in Israeli soldier. As well as to a fan of the band was murdered.

It’s not only a piece of rock ‘n roll history, Aerosmith Dream On is a piece of American history.

Will George W. Bush finally Give Peace a Chance?

by

George W. Bush is going to talk about his days in the old White house. That’s nice and all but his speech will be taking place in the same Montreal hotel where John Lennon and Yoko were asking everyone who would listen to them to give peace a chance? I know, this can’t be right but it is! This story is just so weird and ironic that I can’t find the words to describe it properly.

Didn’t someone think about the mockery, not to mention the humour, that would come with using a venue like this for such a purpose? Think what happened there at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel 40 years ago and what it was all really about. Doesn’t Bush have some PR person who looks out for his image? God’s that’s funny … I think?

This article from The Canadian Press by Andy Blatchford, really caught my eye and I just wanted to share it with you all.

So what do you think about the irony of this one? Is it just me or am I just blowing this event out of proportion? Enjoy!

Keep on Jammin’

Alice in Chains Dirt Album and The Group – A Quick Glance

by

Alice in Chains is well known for grunge. Their second studio album was called Alice in Chains Dirt. This article goes in depth on that album and the group that produced it.

Before Alice in Chains Dirt the group had to get their start. They began in Seattle, Washington in 1987. They were a grunge and heavy metal band. They rose to fame in the early 1990s with the grunge movement. They sold over 14 million albums in the US in the 1990s. They were number one on the Billboard 200 twice. 11 of their singles made it to the top. They were also nominated six times for a Grammy award.

Before producing Alice in Chains Dirt the group was quite prolific.   improvColumbia records signed them in 1989 and focused on the group. After an early success with their first release in 1990 Columbia rushed their first album into production. They released Facelift on August 21, 1990.  It made it to number 42 when the Billboard 200. It sold only 40,000 copies in its first six months. But after MTV featured a single from the album, it sold 400,000 copies in only six weeks. It became both a critical and retail success.

Alice in Chains Dirt deals a great deal with drug abuse and depression. That’s because one of the band members were heavily addicted to many drugs. He had been in rehab. When he came out of rehab he says that he went back to using heroin. He just completed rehab.  Once out of rehab  he got right back onto the drugs.

Much of Alice in Chains Dirt album was written while the band was on the road touring. It’s not easy writing an album well touring. Thus this album was much darker than the previous one. Then members say that the demons they accumulated during the day were worked out when they wrote and played their music.

The album cover for Alice in Chains Dirt was developed by one of the band members. It included his girlfriend’s face. It was a hit with all the band members. The album was completed in June of 1992. It made it as far as number six on the Billboard’s top 200. It vaulted the group to fame. The album was certified gold in the UK and platinum in Canada and the US.

Alice in Chains Dirt is said to be a masterpiece.

Backup Singing, Be A Shadow and Shine

by

If you want to be center stage and lead act of the show, you cannot sing backup. The meaning of singing backup is to sing behind someone, not compete with them. If you can control your need to be the center of attention, you can learn backup singing.

Backup singing is more difficult than you might imagine. Similar to an instrumental accompanist, this method of singing requires that you listen very intently and be responsive . Listening and reacting to the main singers phrasing, you must begin and end as they do. It may well be good to think of yourself as the singers shadow, never noticed but always present.

Hopefully you have some input or control over where you sit or stand on stage. See to it that you can see the singer at all times. If you cannot see the face of the singer your job will be difficult indeed. Watch the singer to learn where they are going. If you are watching the singer you can see when they make a mistake or intentionally take another repeat etc. Your eyes must be glued to the singer. Often a singer may use a gesture such as a nod of the head to indicate where they are going. Learn their motions and watch out.

You must blend your line to the singers phrase. If you want to blend in the proper way, start your line just after the singer starts theirs. If you are not sure of how loud they are going to be, start your melody quietly and raise your level as the phrase develops. Another tip is to be easy on the consonants at the start of a line. Two consonants sung slightly after each other will sound disagreeable and is largely avoidable.

The same technique is to be applied to the ending of all melodies as well. As the singer approaches the end of a melody, gradually decrease your volume so you can avoid the embarrassment of ending after they do. If you follow these singing tips, watch, listen and blend in; you can be a professional backup singer in very short order.

Beginners Guide to Percussion Instruments

by

Ask almost anyone what exactly is percussion and I bet you they can’t name more than one instrument, if that.

Some instruments in the percussion family are not often thought of as being a percussion instrument. Cymbals and timpani are often thought of as the main focus of percussion and drums in general. The drums in a band one could not do without and are thought of as being the beat or foundation of the sound and rightly so. Drums are not the only percussion as we will see. You will greatly expand your knowledge of music as a whole if you learn one or more of the instruments in the percussion category.

Percussion can be defined as striking one body against another; especially such as gives a sound or report. When you learn piano you are seldom made privy to the manner of its sound production and the fact that it is a percussion instrument. The piano straddles two groups, chordophones and percussion; being a stringed instrument but having the sound produced by hammers striking the strings. Open the piano and see how the hammers strike the strings to grasp the effects of percussion. The sounds of music are produced in many and various ways.

Percussion is divided into other classifications as well. Percussion instruments are either idiophones or membranophones and are defined as instruments that produce sounds through the vibration of their entire body when struck or instruments that have a stretched membrane that vibrates. Some examples of idiophones are the triangle, cymbals and the vibraphone. Membranophone examples are congas, bongos and the tom tom. Whether a definite pitch is produced or not is a further division of percussion instruments.

As many instruments in this area can produce defined pitches, players are often required to learn to read music as it is essential to playing.

Percussion can be much more than what you might think. Percussion instruments can play not only rhythm, but harmony and melody as well. The beat of the music is found in marching band music as well as the modern jazz quartet. Percussion is the soul of music.

Hugh Dillon the musician

by

As someone who loves the show Flashpoint and even Durham County, to a lesser degree, my favorite character in both is Hugh Dillon. He has that raw feel that he brings to us every episode which makes you want more. He is also one of those types of guys that we all knew of when we were in high school. Most critics feel that his musical past has help him develop into the actor that he is today.

He grew up in Kingston Ontario and had a classmate named Gord Downie from the band Tragically Hip. At the age of 17 they both had been bitten by the rock and roll bug. I recall in some article somewhere that he talked about a night when he and Gord were at this local Kingston watering hole called the Prince George. In the men’s bathroom they came across this 70 something blues musician smoking pot from a weird corn cob pipe. This made him think about his musical future.

Later on he was the lead singer in the popular band called The Headstones which started in 1987. It was definitely not one of those wedding type of bands. They were loud, obnoxious and were not that accommodating to their fellow members in the industry that they loved.

They first started playing at a place called Blue Moon Saloon on Bloor St. West in Toronto. What a great place to see a band. My buddies the Big Kahuna had their first start there! Then The Headstones got their big break at Sneaky Dee’s right down the street at it’s original location. Over it lifespan the band enjoyed nationwide radio-play and had a Juno Award nomination. They finally broke up in 2003.

The most popular commercial song they covered was called Tweeter and the Monkey Man(1993), from The Traveling Wilburys (1988).

Later on in his life he would be battling a part of the music world’s dark under belly. The one that no one whats to be exposed to … heavy drug use! His addiction to cocaine, followed by heroin, introduced him to the rough and tough side of life. Fortunately for him he found the right path and came back to us in one piece! He says it took him running up against that stone wall and back again that led him and the character that he portrays on TV, with the essence of actor that he came to be.

Hugh Dillon’s newest band is called The Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir. It seems a lot tamer then his earlier ventures with his old bandmates but you can notice him maturing as a singer. I really like their tune called The Gods have spoken His new sound, dare I say, sounds safer? It’s amazing how things can become quite tame when a cop walks into the room!

Keep on Jammin’

Warming up for the Next Who Tour

by

Roger Daltrey is starting to limber up his stage persona and vocal act for the up coming Who Tour. The warm up gig for Roger, it is called the Use It or Lose It tour, started off in Vancouver at the Commodore on Sunday Oct. 11th, 2009. The 1920s Art Deco building is where a lot of British band like to play because of it’s look and the vibe that the venue has.

He was playing with his American band which includes his longtime collaborator Simon Townshend. Yes his brother is none other then Pete! They played 17 tunes and then performed 2 more for an encore. The show lasted around 1 hour and 40 minutes in length.

I’ve read that a couple of patrons were not all that impressed with the quality of the music but come on, it’s just a warm up! An interesting side note from some people at the show said that he has some reservations about the sound calling it weird and having a echo worst then a stadium. Hum, you’d think that he would be use to that stadium sound after all those years playing gigs in those places.

During the show he pulled something that I do when I’m playing for friends … he forgot the words to a song, Days of Light, stopped the band and then started back up again! See Sue, Roger Daltrey does that too when he plays!

Keep on Jammin’ (and try not to forget the words 1/2 way through a song and then start over again!)

AUX TV sounds good but what is it?

by

A new music channel on Rogers cable in Ontario you say? Something that will just play music that is interesting and ground breaking? Sounds like Much Music ages ago … not exactly says Aux TV president Raja Khanna.

TORONTO — As of Thursday, Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. EST, the nation will once again have a “music” station when Aux TV launches via Rogers Cable channel 107.

Raja also said in another article that “We’re focusing on groundbreaking new music. If it’s great music, I don’t care who’s writing it. If the Jonas Brothers were writing groundbreaking new music, we would report on it.” Ok, fair enough.

They also claim to be playing about 60/40 Canadian-to-international programming and that would be nice because we seem to be producing so much music these days!

Aux TV’s platform, they claim, is around 70% unique and syndicated shows with approximately 30% videos in their overall scheme.

I checked out their website first and found some neat interviews. I then headed off to see them on Rogers Channel 107, and overall it seems ok but I’ll have to wait a while to view more of their programs when I can.

Has anyone else out there seen some of their programming?

Keep on Jammin’

The Carillon at Metro United Church in Toronto

by

A carillon is an instrument that used bells instead of strings to produce music. It’s been around since the 15th century and you’d think that I would of heard more about this thing but nope, never really heard of it before the other day.

thecarillon While waiting for a medical appointment in downtown Toronto the other day, I had some time to kill so I walked outside of the building. Across the street I found a very old house of worship called The Metropolitan United Church of Canada. That morning the church happened to be open to the public, so I walked in. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the ancient style of architecture in this building.

I found myself strolling up to this women at a table in the front foyer, under the bell tower. We talked about the architectural and historical aspects of the building. She was quite informative and witty to boot! She told me to walk in and check out the inside of the sacristy of the church.

I was spellbound by it’s beauty! Unfortunately I had to rush through the building because I had an appointment to be at in around 20 minutes.

As I walked out I ran into this man who said that he was the church’s Carilloneur? I then realized that the instrument he was referring to was called the carillon. I had just read about it in the flyer that the women gave me as I walked in before we talked.

We started this really cool conversation and it lead to him asking me if I wanted to see it! I said “Wow, would I ever!”.Then I almost forgot again about my medical consultation and asked him nicely if I could do it at a later date and he said sure. He also told me to and bring your video camera if I wanted.

Just like everyone else out there, I find that there is never enough time in one’s day to do what they really want to do! I hope that someday I will make it up the tower and check out this unique instrument up close!

Keep on Jammin’

Meta

Archives

Pages

Tags

Acoustic amp band bands Brantford Bruce Cockburn Canada Canadian concert Entertainment fender funny General guitar Guitar Equipment guitarist guitar player guitars Home house Humor humour instrument jammin jazz John Mayer keyboard Live Music musician Musicians play playing Progressive Rock Pylis rock RUSH Songs to play sound strings Technology Toronto tour Video YES