I’d donate a liver to go see this: Crossroads 2010

For those who don't know, Crossroads is more than a crappy Britney Spears movie. It was also a movie with "The Karate Kid" and Steve Vai as the Devil's axe-slinger.

But above all else, it's a giant celebration of guitar and a fund raiser for Eric Clapton's own rehab facility for exceedingly rich junkies and alcoholics substance abusers to recover, with a world class reputation. 2010 looks crazy good.

This line up is ri-donk-u-lous!!!!! Holy crap Batman. I would donate my liver to an inpatient to get to this gig! I've bolded my highlights for this show.

Albert Lee
Allman Brothers Band
BB King
Bert Jansch
Buddy Guy
David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos
Doyle Bramhall II
Earl Klugh
Eric Clapton
Gary Clark Jr.
Hubert Sumlin
James Burton
Jeff Beck
Jimmie Vaughan
Joao Gilberto
Joe Bonamassa
John Mayer
Jonny Lang
Keb Mo
Pino Daniele
Robert Cray
Robert Randolph
Sheryl Crow
Sonny Landreth
Steve Winwood
Vince Gill
ZZ Top

The Crossroads Centre, Antigua

Founded by Eric Clapton in 1997, Crossroads Centre was created to provide quality, affordable treatment for alcohol and other drug dependencies. This 32-bed facility, located on the island of Antigua, has become recognized as an international Centre of Excellence for addiction treatment. Program services have expanded to also include:

* a 16-bed half-way house called the Bevon House;
* The Sanctuary at Delray Beach, which offers transitional living homes for men and women in early recovery;
* Case management services and
* The Renewal Program which offers five-day recovery retreats in Antigua for people in recovery.

Recovery begins with just one step and Crossroads Centre is the perfect place to start the process of recovery. For more information on the program services offered visit www.crossroadsantigua.org and www.sanctuarydelraybeach.com.

2009 Top 10 Albums

As I do every year, it's time to give you my Top 10 albums. I have to say, this year again it was hard for me to find 10 stand out albums. As it is, I short listed 15, and the remaining five will be in the honourable mentions.

Also keep in mind this s MY favourite ALBUMS, not my Top 10 GUITAR albums of the year. I listen to music, not guitars so this list may have some not so guitar biased music in there.

So here we go. Starting from 10

10.Full Circle - CREED

Yep, that one is out of left field to start with. The Tremonti love on this site is no secret, and this is by far the best Creed album. It sounds more like Alter Bridge musically, but there is something about Stapps voice that sits much better. The lyrics are still crap (seriously, "Bread of Shame". WTF?!?!?!) but the album does indeed rock.
Highlights : On My Sleeve, Overcome

9. Black Clouds & Silver Linings - DREAM THEATER

The kings of modern progressive metal hit a home run with this one. A massive concept once again executed to perfection. Petrucci and Co. still set the standard when it comes to this style of music. Brutal in parts, melodic in others, and even some pure singalongs in there as well. Petrucci is one of the rare who know when and when NOT to play, and Dream Theater stand out because of it.
Highlights : A Rite Of Passage, The Count of Tuscany

8. Inshalla - Eskimo Joe

Unfortunately the only Australian album to make my list this year. "Black Fingernails Red Wine" was always going to be a hard album to follow, and Eskimo Joe were up to the task. Kicking off with Foreign Land (inspired by the death of friend Heath Ledger) and ending with the powerful Morning Light, "Inshalla" is one of those "once in a career" albums. But then again, we said that about "Black Fingernails" as well. How these guys have not broken internationally yet is beyond me.
Highlights: Foreign Land, Inshalla, The Sound Of Your Heart, Please Elise

7. Horehound - THE DEAD WEATHER

Jack White is one of these guys who just has to keep pumping stuff out or his head will explode. This album is a dark, twisted, screaming, blues explosion of pure aggression. From fuzz bass tones, to screaming vocals, screeching organs, this album has it all. More proof that like Family Guy, Jack is better off without Meg.
Highlights: I Cut Like A Buffalo, Hang You From The Heavans, Treat Me Like Your Mother, Will There Be Enough Water?

6. Glitter and Doom Live - TOM WAITS

You either love Tom Waits or you hate him. I definitely fall into the former. This live album, culled from his many performances from his latest tour, breathes new life into these songs, letting each song's personality cut through like never before. These aren't just live performances of studio creations, they are brand new interpretations of these twisted little stories from the mind of Waits.
Highlights: Lucinda / Ain't Going Down, Goin' Out West, Dirt in the Ground

5. The Ballad of John Henry - Joe Bonamassa

Bonamassa is like fine wine. He is just getting better with age. He's slowed down the blistering runs, and has really developed as a dynamic blues performer, rather than just a guitarist. These are the best vocals I have heard from him on any release. A couple of great covers, some rocking originals, and this blues rock album is bound for greatness.
Highlights: Stop, The Ballad Of John Henry, Feelin Good

4. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

The supergroup of Homme, Grohl and Jones really stumbled across something special. I was not expecting this album to be so good, but you can tell there is a genuine chemistry between each member. A rollicking good rocking time is found in this album. QOTSA riffing with Foo Fighter style arrangements, mixed with the other-worldly sounds of Led Zepplin. A killer record.
Highlights: Mind Eraser No Chaser, Scumbag Blues, Warsaw or the First Breath You Take When You Wake Up, Elephants, New Fang

3. Only Revolutions - Biffy Clyro

The best band you never heard of (unless you from the UK). If this album doesn't break them nothing will. Puzzles was great and they have topped it with this. Think of it as progressive alt emo rock. Bizarre lyrics, odd time signatures (4/4 is a rare thing for these guys), and a sea shanty to open the album! This was my most anticipated album of the year and it was worth waiting for.
Highlights: Captain, That Golden Rule, God & Satan, Mountains, Many of Horror, Know Your Quarry

2. Black Gives Way To Blue - Alice In Chains

I initially wrote this album off, but I forgot that AIC's music tends to grow on you like a cancer. It starts slow but then works it's way through, eating your flesh until you and it become one. Those trademark harmonies are there, the dirge like drones hypnotise you and before you know it the album is finished. This album is nearly as good as Dirt.
Highlights: All Secrets Known, Check My Brain, Lesson Learned, Take Her Out

1. The Resistance - Muse

It's scary when you think an album this good, the best album of the year, could have been better. So far every radio edit I have heard has made the songs more concise and focused. That said, there are no weak tracks on this album, a broad sweeping concept album full of synth rock and crushing riffs.
Highlights: The entire album

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot
Backspacer - Pearl Jam
By A Thread - Gov't Mule
Sick - Duff McKagan's Loaded
Already Free - The Derek Trucks Band

Joe Bonamassa

Awesome. The guitarist whose surname I can never remember how to spell, Joe Bonamassa, has a new album coming out February 24, 2009.

The new album is titled "The Ballad of John Henry" and if the video below is anything to go by, then this is going to be the most amazing thing he has ever done. The last few albums has seen Bonamassa slowly step out of the straight blue/rock thing he was in and start adding some extra colour to his style. This song is a running leap into a new direction.

There is a full interview over at the video's source, as well as the performance.

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Don’t call me SRV: Joe Bonamassa

I have been on a huge Joe Bonamassa kick after reading this quote.

“One night, I was doing this classical thing I do using the volume control, and I was playing it on a Strat,” Bonamassa said. “When I finished the show someone came up to me and told that I sounded like Stevie Ray [Vaughan] playing a violin. Well, bless his heart, and God bless Stevie Ray, but it sounded nothing like Stevie Ray. And please don’t get me wrong, I was heavily influenced by Stevie, but what it showed me is that if you waltz up there with a Stratocaster and play anything remotely resembling the blues you’re going to be compared to someone else.”

It's so sad that it is true. How many blues strat players have emulated that sound of the strat through a tube screamer into a nice crunchy Fender amp? The playing may not sound like SRV, but the style of tone sure does. And depending on the player, it makes them sound like a bad take on SRV even if they are good. It took me a long time to get into southern/texas blues and I now think that this is the reason why. I always enjoyed SRV, but couldn't get into any one else.

Thoughts?
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Do you know what you want?

Please tell me you are a fan of Slash? He has got to be my favourite guitarist of all time. So I'm going to go on a rant here about Slash, but stay with me, there is a point to all
this.

When we think of innovation and talent in the guitar world, Slash is usually at the top of the list. With many years in the spotlight as the lead guitarist for Guns N' Roses, Slash left the band in
1996 to pursue a solo career after the band had musical disagreements.

Since then, Slash and two other members that left Guns N' Roses with him (Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum) have formed the very successful band, Velvet Revolver. If you want to know the whole story from the man himself than you should grab his biography from here.

Slash hated to replicate any guitarist, rather, he let their style influence his. That's why he wrote so many fresh licks, because he wasn't trying to be anybody but himself.

As far as scales are concerned, he relied many on the minor/major pentatonic scales in addition to some mixolydian and Dorian scales for his solos. This may come as a surprise to some, considering how
overused these scales have become. The trick to keeping your sound and solos original is to use a variety of techniques coupled with your own ideas.

Slash favoured vibrato and using hammer on/ pull off's to create speed. His right picking hand isn't used for speed. Instead, he uses his picking hand to add a percussive feel to his solos.

The more you change the rhythms in your solo, the more unique and intricate it will become. The solo will take on a life of its own. The bottom line is this: put your heart into the solo, add in some
ordinary techniques and cool effects and you have yourself a world class solo.

The key ingredient here is practice. Regardless of what techniques you use, you have to know how to apply them in such a way as to move your audience.

I know exactly what I want to achieve with my guitar playing. I would love to combine the blues rock of players like Slash, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa, shred like Zakk Wylde, and have the quirks of
Jack White.

So, what about you?

Why do you play guitar? What makes you tick? What drives you to become a better player? What can help you get there? You need to know what you want before you can get it.

Think about that for a second...

YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BEFORE YOU CAN GET IT.

Sure, you want to get better at playing guitar. But what about your playing do you want to improve? You picking hand technique? Your fretting hand? What about a particular style - blues, rock, metal?
You need to sit down and think about that before you start to practice.

When you do know, then you need to find something that can get you there. There are plenty of resources out there that can help you. But don't bother looking till you know exactly what you need.

So before you do anything else. Sit down, relax and really evaluate where you are with your playing, where you want to be, and how you are going to get there. It's a long road, so you may as well start now.

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