Michael Des Barres Band - Hot N Sticky Live - This Is Rock 'N' Roll, Children

Rock Ain't Near Dead, and if you need any convincing on this point, look - no, listen no further than Michael Des Barres fiery new live set, Hot N Sticky Live. Coming on the heels of last years fabulous long player, Carnaby Street, this disc will cure what ails you with ample doses of rhythm, the blues, and a heaping helping of a sensational love of rock 'n' roll.

Des Barres has returned to the stage after an absence of way too long, but it's better late than never, and if you miss a true London bred hero fronting a tight but loose group of swaggering pirates, look no further. This makes good on the promise set to lie by such acts as Rod Stewart & The Faces, who left to soon only to not return - well, I'm here to say that this is as good as I could have dreamt for rock's growing up into the new millennium. This set moves, grooves, and shakes you down with a top flight band of LA aces, and a frontman who melts all before him.

Rock's regals seem to have made it through the dimly lit darkness that enveloped the breed and the art throughout the '80s and '90s - the real rockers, the Ian Hunters, Glenn Hughes, and yes, the Marquis Des Barres (oh yeah, he's got lineage), have all saved it up and not spent it all, they're alive well and proving on a regular basis that rock may not be on the radio, but it's doing just fine as an art form.

Des Barres has a long standing habit of keeping a guitarist with hellacious firepower just to his right, and he continues the tradition with LA veteran Mark Tremalgia who sounds perfect in his role, firing off shards of spiky leads, slippery slide playing and a great counter to the bosses solid rhythm playing. He never overplays, but when he steps up it's a rock 'n' roll joy to behold. He's bolstered on the left by Des Barres regular Paul Ill, a bassist who's obviously worshipped some Jamerson licks, but may have soaked them in some sophisticated musical stew while at Berklee, and he's a constant presence - jumping between solid pumping and melodious flights of fancy with great authority. They're joined at the back of the bandstand by drummer David Goodstein, whose name has been attached to more artists than I have room to name, but the list includes Waddy Wachtel, Edgar Winter, Ivan Neville, and the late, great Clarence Clemons  - yeah, he's got that kind of rhythm, he moves this band. Keyboardsist Damon Fox rounds out this stellar outfit, and if you don't know of Damon Fox, well just remember that you heard the name here first. Google Bigelf, and look for that name in 2014, but I digress....

My mention of the band is longer than most reviews, but bands are damned important, and I salute Michael Des Barres for going the extra mile to track down the best LA has to offer.

Carnaby Street kicks things off, being the lead track of the band's last studio offering, and it's rock 'n' roll nirvana - Paul Ill chases the fiery frontman across the track, and the band is blaring, but this is unquestionably Des Barres' show. The man is in great voice and chock full of piss and vinegar. It's a no holds barred performance, and when we get to the whooping background vocals, and the solos, it's simply blissful. Like he says at the end of the track, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen - welcome to a fucking rock 'n' roll show. Indeed, and amen.

Soulful organ, a slamming backbeat, and groove-a-liscious bassline leads us into another key track from Carnaby Street, You're My Painkiller, and it's a serious slice of rockin' rhythm and blues. Des Barres has always been an excellent composer of life confirming lyrics, and he puts it over here as well as better than ever. A killer guitar solo that's underpinned by a baseline that will have smart bassists running to the woodshed, and when Des Barres steps back in, he sells it, and it stays sold.

Hot N Sticky (Down South) is one that's for the ladies, and it does well strut as well as The Faces ever did. Fox's organ fights with the guitars for room in the mix, and it's a fight worth watching - the guitars are dirty, but not too dirty, just the right amount of swirling grit, and girth. Listening to this reminds me of why I adore rock 'n' roll. This is a church service of the highest quality. When we get to the musical interlude in the mid-section, you just want to stay there and steep in it.

Des Barres takes us back to the sixties next with a fabulous shot of Motown - Stop In The Name Of Love never rocked so righteously, as the bands eases into the groove before exploding into the chorus, and you'll be singing right along. Fox displays his knowledge of deep south Hammond stylings and again, it's love, children, it's love. His solo is a wonder to behold, then Tremalgia lays down some great guitar that leads to Des Barres lifting the tune off into the night. If you're unfamiliar with the passion this guy brings to his work you are going to be amazed and thrilled.

Please Stay is a slow, simmering blues, and Des Barres brings the audience into the proceedings as the band goes gospel, and the singer pronounces his undying love. If there were still hit singles, this would be a top tenner. The whole band sings, and they sing like angels, so listen up.

The band goes back to 1977 for Detective Man, a cut off the great lost album and band, Detective, who were amongst the first signings to Zep's Swan Song label. If possible, the band is in even higher gear as the set progresses, and it's getting hotter and hotter. My only regret is that we didn't hear this more in the years that have come since. There's a scorching wah solo on this one - handle with care.

Things get heavy for Little Latin Lover, the guitars are getting louder and even more lively. This pays it's dues to the memory of the Morrison Motel by way of Carnaby Street. This is straight up rock 'n' roll with no chaser, and it's got quite a punch. I wish I had been at this show - I don't know where I was that night, but I doubt I was having this much fun.

Redemption and love are never far from Des Barres' mind, and he wraps up the set beautifully with a medley that ties it all up quite neatly - leading off with My Baby Saved My Ass (from my wicked past...), which features a stinging slide guitar solo from Tremalgia before Des Barres becomes a jet fighter coming into JFK and landing squarely atop a loving tribute to Humble Pie and Steve Marriott with a slamming bit of I Don't Need No Doctor, and after smoking solos from the guitarist and Fox, we get a reminder that Des Barres did spend time with supergroup Power Station as the band jumps into Bang A Gong (Get It On). What a great way to end a fucking rock 'n' roll show.

If you had played me this album in 1985, and told me that this would have been the state of the art in 2013, I wouldn't have been upset at all - Hot N Sticky Live certainly makes the case that Rock Ain't Near Dead, and Michael Des Barres continues to age like fine wine, getting better and more valuable by the moment.

When he's not throwing down top shelf rock, Des Barres can be found on several Internet outlets preaching his unique blend of rock, love, and light.

Thanks to Michael Des Barres, and Billy James at Glass Onyon PR.

https://www.facebook.com/TheMichaelDesBarresBand
http://www.desbarres.com

Flying Colors - Live In Europe - A Resounding Success

Flying Colors - this band is perfectly named. Looking up what the phrase means, I see that it is cliche that refers to excellence and ease, and that's just right. Live In Europe is their new DVD/C/Blue Ray extravaganza, and it's a couple of hours of pure, unadulterated joy. I wondered how the band would sound on the road, given that their debut album was recorded in less than two weeks, and every member of the band has full time jobs elsewhere, with the exception of Mike Portnoy, who seems to have about a half dozen. My worrying was for naught, they pull this set off with grace, precision, and a subtle power that almost masks their brilliance.

This live set was recorded in Tilberg, Holland on the debut tour, and the sold out audience sounds like they knew just what they were in for - Blue Ocean opens the set and the dye is set, as the band replicates the sophisticated pop rocker with complete confidence, from Dave Larue's perculating bass intro to the soft gang vocals that come across with pristine clarity. At seven and a half minutes the song is not a second too long, and it breezes by and leaves me feeling like I could lose a lot of time to this package - so much that I think I'm going to have to seek out the three album vinyl version.

Shoulda Coulda Woulda ups the pace, and it's Neal Morse's organ that gives this its 'Vanilla Fudge in the new millenium' vibe. Casey McPherson comfortably slips from falsetto to baritone and back, and his voice blends wonderfully with Neal and Portnoy who hit the harmonies with great precision. Steve Morse sounds more at home in this band than I've heard him sound in years - he's an encyclopedia of guitar licks, chops, and tones and his unfailing sense of not just what to play, but how to play it is always spot on. Portnoy displays a small bit of his stick wizardry on the tail end, and then steps in to announce Casey McPherson's European debut.

Neal Morse's piano sets the stage for Love Is What I'm Waiting For, and the band puts on a grand display of their pure pop power - everyone wants to call this a prog band, but I'm hearing elaborate pop more than anything, and nothing could please me more. This tune evokes memories of the seventies when it was just understood that the whole band would sing, and they could all play their asses off. The other Morse pulls off a guitar solo that is half melody and half chops display, and with a tone that is, dare I say, perfect. This is like a high horsepower version of 10cc.

Portnoy plays master of ceremonies as he informs the audience that since the band has but one album, they must reach into their other projects to fill out the set, and it's a tune from Endochine, a band the singer fronted in the early years of this century, entitled Can't Find A Way. The band wraps itself around the arrangement, and while it's obviously not as sophisticated as a piece devised by the firm's senior partners, it's lifted by the empathetic backing given by what is the best backing band McPherson will most likely ever front. It turns out that he was the perfect guy to front this outfit - his stature is revered by those in the know, but his relative newcomer status in the world of classic and prof rock serves well to keep the public from having too many preconceptions - he's a lesser known entity, but no less talented, not for a minute. The guy sings like a bird, and writes like a very old soul.

You've maybe seen the YouTube clip of The Storm that the label put out as a tester, and it's not just a great song, it's also a great representation of what one can expect from Flying Colors. It's filled with hooks from every instrumentalist, and if you listen close, you'll hear Portnoy's deft cymbal and tom work and realize why the half of the world that doesn't have their heads up their asses think he's one of the finest drummers on the planet. Another barn burner of a solo from Steve Morse - he sounds like he's playing to no one's expectation here, and it's a huge breath of fresh air. He has it all, and it's all on display on this set.

Speaking of Steve Morse, the next tune is an old classic from his early days with the legendary Dixie Dregs - Odyssey is just that, and the band is up for it. It almost sounds like they're showing that they can honor this piece of musical history, and they do, they do. This shifts gears repeatedly and goes from smooth jazz to hard rock to a fistful of fusion in the turn of a trick with no problem.

Forever In A Daze is one of the harder rocking numbers from the band's studio debut, and bassist Dave Larue must be heard to be believed - he pops, pulls, and thumps with great tone, nice note selection and endless groove - very bassist who takes his playing seriously should be listening close to this and seeing how they're really doing with their instrument. When he breaks into his solo, it's a great journey - a head shaker, in that it's not just masterful, it's fun.

McPherson takes over for a meditation on his Hallelujah, and it's majestic. It takes nerves of steal to have such a group of heavy hitters take a breather while you bare your soul, and he nails it.

Better Than Walking Away starts with some mournful notes from Morse's guitar, and then is taken over by Neal's electric piano and McPherson's soul stylings - this is pop/gospel beauty. As the tune develops, listen closely to the marvelous display of comping and filling in the spaces by the band - they know exactly when to make themselves known and when to back off - it's one thing to know every note in the world, but it's a completely different exercise to be an empathetic accompanist. This is like a master's level course on what to play when a guy is singing.

Big pop returns with Kayla, one of the best adult pop songs that I've heard in ages and ages - worth the price of admission. Yeah, I might say that a lot, but then again, I'm most generally not wrong. Portnoy is perfect, knowing when to push and when to lay back - the guy is a marvel in which to listen. Steve Morse fills in with some great chord inversions that fit the vocals like a tailored suit, and Neal Morse may be the perfect match in voice for which McPherson to harmonize with - listen to the two harmonize just after the first guitar solo, and you'll be well astounded. This is Simon & Garfunkel good.

Portnoy takes the mic for a lead vocal on Fool For My Heart, and while he demurs, he also pulls it off - it's another number off the band's debut, and if I'm not wrong, he proclaims his undying love for his keyboard player in the second verse! McPherson carries a bit of the load on the bridge before Steve takes yet another nice, overdriven solo. He's so lyrical in his playing with this band,   every solo has as much melody and passion as the songs themselves.

Dave Larue takes a solo for a Spur of the Moment that leads into a cover of Dream Theater's Repentance, another Portnoy vocal turn. This is more psychedelic than I remembered, and Morse's keyboards shine, making this, along with Larue's heavily effected bass, appropriately Floyd-like. Can it be long before the world sees a Portnoy solo project? Of course, it may be unnecessary, as he seems to already do exactly as he pleases, musically. I'm guessing that Portnoy loses little sleep over his departure from DT these days.

Neal Morse gives a nod to his old outfit, Spock's Beard with a reading of June. Morse is a musical treasure, one of America's greatest, and he's always on point and never off the mark. This track has more than a bit in common with the best work of Graham Nash in CSN. A very pretty respite with some gorgeous group vocals.

All Fall Down is the metallic riff rocker of the set and by far the heaviest tune off the band's self titled debut. Steve Morse tears this apart with fleet fast fingered dalliances up and down the neck, and Portnoy is with him every step of the way. If Steve had been in a band with this much firepower in the nineties, he'd have been riding in jets instead of piloting them. About two and a half minutes into this tune, Larue and Morse take things into the stratosphere with a bit of nuclear powered soloing. Magnificent.

The soundtrack number, Everything Changes is next and it is a cinematic wonder. Majestic as anything, this is one of Flying Colors best moments, and it's even better live than in the studio. Neal Morse's recorder patches are gorgeous under McPherson's singing, and it gets little better than this. It's a great song, being played and sang by a group of musicians who are at the very top of the hill, and all I can say is that I can't see where they take it from here.

The train leaves the station with Infinite Fire the same place they left off with their debut, and that feels just right. If by now they haven't made their case the case was thrown, a frame up, for whether you're a fan of pop music, prog rock, hard rock, or even heavier, there is plenty here for any music lover to sink their teeth into. Flying Colors is one of the most powerful musical machines on the planet as of today, and if I were you, I'd already be ordering this one up in whatever configuration works for you. Music this great deserves to be supported by dollar signs, so get out your wallets and help keep great rock alive, OK?

Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock - Bridge The Gap - The Best of the Old and the New

Bridge The Gap will do just what it says - it's the record that will find Michael Schenker returning to the major leagues in the very near future. It's filled with great riffs, compelling melodies, the best set of songs on a Schenker project in ages, and it finally sounds like Mr. Schenker is back in a band.

Michael Schenker is at the top of his game - riding higher in the saddle than he has in decades, rifling off riffs that make you ask, "How does he do that?," soloing with smoldering intensity and his trademark melodicism, and writing tunes you want to hear again and again. Whist the mad axeman's guitar playing is why we attend, this record finds him partnered with veteran shouter Doogie White - the singing Scotsman has written the best melodies and lyrics to be heard on a Schenker project in a great many years, and there is something magical that happens when Michael is matched up with his Scorpions brothers, Herman Rarebell and Francis Buccholz.

The last five years have seen Michael steadily climbing, and gaining confidence along the way - once hindered by the anxieties of stage fright, and all-to-many incidents of infamy, it would appear that the guitar master has settled into a place in which he finds peace, and full command of his considerable creativity. I don't know of a hard rock guitarist who doesn't hold the man in high esteem, and now they'll be back to chasing his lead.

The album kicks off with the brief instrumental, Neptune Rising, and Schenker catapults out of the gates with ricocheting shards of molten metal over the top of Wayne Findlay's heavier than heavy seven string rhythm - no wonder the Neptune is set to become the next guitar out of the Dean factory. This is a brief proclamation, and I hear a bit of Celtic melody which may, or may not be a nod off the hat to frontman Doogie White, who rides in on a sea of Schenker guitars to belt out Where The Wild Winds Blow - I suspected that after the success of Before The Devil Knows You're Dead off the last MS Temple of Rock album, that White may have found himself a job, and I'm glad he got the nod. When you hear the chorus, you'll know why, as well - it's the most compelling song to lead off a Schenker album in eons. This will be a barnburner onstage. I love that Schenker gives us eight bars of acoustic soloing before he breaks out the big guns, and when he does, it's like going back home again.

Where The Wild Winds Blow - Soundcloud

Herman Rarebell is in rare form on this album, and his exceptional drumming features large on every cut - he leads the charge into Horizons, a tune the band had been playing on their last tour - it might be the weakest track on the album, but it's still a winner - that's how good this album really is. The double timed bass drums and Buccholz's pumping bassline set the tone, and Schenker is flying on this solo - it's straight balls out, and White's upper range is the most impressive it's ever been.

Lord Of The Lost And Lonely is another Schenker riff that has that type of timing he always breaks out that has listeners wondering how he always finds the one, and back again - White and Schenker agree magnificently on the sing-song chorus, and Michael's riffing through the verses bring back a thousand great guitar memories of his storied past. His solos sound more composed on this album than they have in ages, but I'm guessing that he's just found his personal zone - he knows where he wants to go, and he goes there. Dare I say that this band could go out and play this album stem to stern and not piss off a single fan? Yeah, it's that strong.

One thing I love about this record is that the band sounds German. Schenker going toe to toe with Rarebell and Buccholz has a power and lockstep precision that rings of fine German engineering. Rock 'n Roll Symphony is another raging rocker that steamrolls across the tundra with a swagger that Doogie White rides like a Panzer across the desert. White brought his A-game to these sessions - you can hear that he took this gig very seriously, and put his heart and soul into every moment. Another memorable riff by the master.

To Live For The King is the tune that closest echoes White's performance on the last album, but this is a definite step ahead, and it sounds to me like the ex-Rainbow singer may have listened to some early eighties classics before he sat down to put pen to paper - this sounds like what might have come of a meeting between Schenker and Ronnie Dio. However, White is his own guy here, and I throw that out just as a reference to you readers - a little road map to get you to the store and plonking down your hard earned for this well deserving piece of art. Schenker's solo is as sizzling as any he has ever laid down, and this track is guitar nirvana.

Schenker and his anthropod brothers sound like they haven't missed a day since they recorded Lovedrive, and never more so than on The Land Of Thunder - Rarebell has never gotten his due as a drummer, and by God, now he must. He drives this tune, and you go, "Yeah, The Scorpions sound had all to do with his syncopated genius." I'll be damned if I'm not sitting here wondering if White hasn't written the best hard rock set of melodies in ages. I can't think of a single disc that has hit with more regularity in way too long. Brilliant.

Temple Of The Holy is another staggering riff that is tremendously heavy, but it's not weighed down due to the melody and Rarebell's accents. Wayne Findlay throws in some lovely Middle Eastern infused synth pads, and Schenker sounds absolutely inspired. Buccholz tosses down a massively distorted bass pad which Michael skates across with passion, melody, and six string fury. If I have a complaint, it may be in the tones on Schenker's rhythm pickup when he solos in certain spots - why doesn't this guy have a signature model amplifier yet? His playing is near perfect, but I admit to some niggling niggling over certain guitar tones. A small gripe, but this solo could have sounded even yet better, methinks. Still, it's a marvelous solo, and you can certainly not be blamed for giving me grief for nitpicking a small point.

The rage continues with Shine On - another great Desert Song kind of offset rhythm that is set straight by White's tremendous vocal melody. Buccholz's bass is huge again, and it sets nicely in the mix next to Schenker's layers of guitars. Michael is finally breaking free of some molds he's been in for the last few years, and he's back to creating single note patterns and leads that we simply haven't heard before - he's once again the creator, and not just going over places he may have been in the past - the whole beauty of this record is that it sounds like exactly where we had hoped he would be later in his career - taking chances and doing what he does best, and that is composing great rock 'n' roll.

Bridges We Have Burned starts off with some patented Schenker balladisms, but then a sizzlingly flanged cymbal pattern thrusts the tune into another mid-tempo stomper, and once again, hats off to Herman. The is classic melodic metal, and I can't imagine any heavy rock fan not adoring this number. It kind of reminds me of the McAuley/Schenker Group's chestnut, Shadows Of The Night.

Michael Schenker has been climbing steadily for the last few years, and I've been waiting for him to return to his legendary riff writing, and he finally has with Bridge The Gap - Because You Lied is another one, and his soloing over the odd changes is inspired. White's vocal is wildly echoed across the track, and when he and the boss go jousting on the outro, it's Zeppelin-esque in the best sense.

This is a very heavy album, make no bones about it - it's very contemporary in its sheer breadth, but it's always so compellingly melodic that the heavy never sounds weighty. It's like a 300 pound prizefighter without an ounce of fat - there's no flab, it's as taut and tight as anything. Black Moon Rising is another anthemic chorus that should see fists pumping across the globe in 2014. Schenker sounds like he's having a blast soloing over a slightly industrial backing before the band returns into a huge bit of chorusing to put the tune to bed.

Dance For The Piper sums up the case nicely - heavy, hummable guitars, an irresistible beat, and again White seems to have reached much deeper than he has on any project in his past - he's never been bad, it's just that on this album he has achieved a certain greatness - not many have an album this good in them on their best day, and as he should. Doogie is getting better all the time, and that's maybe the message of this entire record. Everyone here is playing at their apex, and they're reaching deeper and mining pure gold. A happy day for rock 'n' roll.

Thanks to Michael Schenker, Peter Noble, and Felicitas Siegel at In-Akustik Records.

http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com/
www.facebook.com/MichaelSchenkerRocks
https://www.facebook.com/groups/144919215611375/ 

The Rising Sun Experience - Beyond The Oblivious Abyss - Good Food For The Brain and Soul

There's not much better than to have a great slab of music fall on your lap on a crisp fall morning in front of the fireplace, and today, that slab of music is from Lisbon's The Rising Sun Experience, who have just released their second long player, Beyond The Oblivious Abyss.

The record covers a lot of stylistic ground, but suffice to say that if you dig psychedelic rock that involves great guitars, heavy Hammond organ, throbbing basslines, and cool drumming, you're going to really enjoy this album.

It's a short album, coming in at around a half hour, but that's a good thing in my eyes. I've heard way too many overly long CDs, in fact, I'm of the opinion that 75 minute records did the industry no good, and actually great harm. Think about it - how many double albums were really worth it? Only a few, and they were rare. I'll take a great snack over a lousy feast anytime.

Beyond The Oblivious Abyss is a song suite of sorts, there are three songs that lead into a five piece suite entitled Wasted Dreams of Red Flowers.

Countries Off... is the opener, and it's a blissful sounding message of despair if there ever was one. The lyrics reflect the darkness of our days, but the sizzling combo sounds like aliens at Woodstock - the percolating percussion of Santana, the guitar histrionics framed perfectly by an insistent riff, and let's bless once again the sound of the full tilt Hammond organ. Almost eight minutes long, and it's over way too soon.

Anthemic psychedelia always thrills me, and The Integrity brings back the ghost of Alvin Lee's greatest moment of I'd Love To Change The World, but this updated sermon rocks harder and with a bit more wattage, but those softly picked acoustic guitars sound so sweet when topped with echo drenched distorted guitar leads, and the howling Hammond. This is great stuff, and this song is worth the price of the album. This is the single - should be a hit, if there were truly still hits....

Infinite Space Of A Man Without Character is a steamrolling rocker than dizzily steps through its changes with a great drum track, and guitar riffs that will have you jumping for joy. Nelson Dias' voice suits the material to a T, and the whole band is on fire. The best minute and a half song I've heard all year.

Wasted Dreams Of Red Flowers begins with pastoral cymbals and guitars, but soon gives way to the heaviest riffing yet to be found on the record - Bird Of Paradise, which posits the notion that many of has have pondered and posited, that which asks how do we escape this nightmarish world and get back to our true home. The wah guitars are huge, even making it over the Hammond's eternal howl - this is what I often hoped Vanilla Fudge would sound like.

Red Monkey Flower sounds like U2 jamming with early Genesis - beautiful, and all too brief.

Snapdragon is only a minute three second sample, but it's pure joy with everything we like jammed into a brief moment.

Swirling winds, meandering drums, and sweet synth musings softly announce Garden Mums, track four of the song suite, and it's properly psychedelic - some of this stuff is slow enough to be Floyd-worthy, and that's as high a praise as I can give music of this ilk. You could loop this and have yourself one great meditation.

Back to the end, we have Cosmos - where we came from and where we're going. This is all sustained guitar and galaxies gushing by in a motion so slow as to be spiritually soporific. I've been where this is going, and it feels like home.

This record fell in my lap as do so many these days, and it gives me hope, lightens my heart, and convinces me more than ever that Rock Ain't Near Deadâ„¢, and that there is great music being made all over the planet every day - you just might not turn on your terrestrial radio to hear it. Congratulations to The Rising Sun Experience for making a truly great record.

https://therisingsunexperience.bandcamp.com/album/beyond-the-oblivious-abyss

Rock Ain't Near Deadâ„¢

Rock Ain't Near Deadâ„¢ is a concept. It's taking the argument, or at least the discussion of, 'is rock 'n' roll dead?' and turning it upside down, inside out, and top to bottom. It's soon to make its debut on LA Talk Radio, and has already established a presence in social media. It's a mission that aims to further perpetuate this thing called rock 'n' roll. To hold it up and examine it from all sides, past, present, and future. To further its cause, and its call.

It all began back in the spring of this year - there was this great discussion being held on my favorite weekly podcasts - 65amps Lunch with Dan Boul. In addition to being the founder, head chief, and bottle washer at one of the world's finest boutique amp companies, Dan is not only a great webcast show host, he's a serious student of rock 'n' roll - having been raised in the region of rock's birth down in Missouri, he also earned his keep as a professional guitarist both here and abroad in England, where he solidified his love of all British amplification. Somewhere in between, he lived in Atlanta, where he worked for the legendary musical instrument retailer, Rhythm City, where he worked side by side with another gear freak who turned his passion into what's become almost 15 years with Sheryl Crow's band, guitarist and musical director, Peter Stroud. Dan walks the walk, and he can sure enough talk the talk.

This discussion of Dan's looked at rock 'n' roll's place in the world as of today. Great rock is not most generally seen, or heard in the mainstream, its having been replaced by corporate avarice, greed, a generation that has mistaken been raised on the concept that music should be free, and an absence of any act that could be described as visionary. There's no young Hendrix on the scene, no Pink Floyd standing in the shadows, and to my knowledge, no Beatles in any caverns in Germany as we speak. The question was posited - "Is rock 'n'roll dead?" The gauntlet was thrown down.

This type of conjecture stopped me in my tracks - I spend most of my waking hours immersed in all things rock. From morning to night, I am scouring the planet for great rock, and doing all I can to support artists I feel who, if perhaps are not exactly saving rock 'n' roll, are at least keeping it more than afloat. I've heard a tremendous resurgence in the quality of rock music I'm hearing these days from any number of genres - whether it's Tony Reed up in Washington state putting out album after album of ridiculously good heavy music under several guises as an ace guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer, Steve Hackett leading a prog rock revival unrivaled by anything since the days of ELP and Yes, great new bands such as The Temperance Movement and The Graveltones from England, 68-75 out of Dan's old stomping grounds in Atlanta, or Eric Gales flying the Hendrixian guitar hero flag high with Pinnick Gales Pridgen, there is literally more good music going down than I can handle. Henceforth, Rock Ain't Near Deadâ„¢.

Mr. Boul and myself have been continuing this discussion for months, and somewhat serendipitously the concept grew legs and has started become its own entity. It was cropping up on his show with great regularity, and it was appearing in my blog, Rock Guitar Daily, and in my overly busy presence in the social media. It became a platform from which we could not only look back at rock 'n' roll's hallowed past, but we could also look closely at what was going on today, and even hope to help steer where it goes in the future. Rock Ain't Near Dead, no more than is the blues, no more than is jazz. It's sure evolving, though.

Our first venture is taking shape as an internet radio show, Rock Ain't Near Deadâ„¢, which will make its debut on LA Talk Radio here very shortly, perhaps as soon as mid-November. We're looking at formats, features, guests, and exactly how we want to get the ball rolling. We've both spent years garnering good relationships within the musical community, and we've made some amazing friends who will now make for some amazing guests. In the last year I've worked with many musical luminaries - Glenn Hughes, David Coverdale, dUg Pinnick, Greg Lake, Leslie West, Orianthi, Steve Lukather, and the list goes on - it's now time to reach even further step up a little closer, and do even more to help great folks like these in furthering their missions. In addition to these great classic rockers, I've been at the forefront with new bands and acts such as Canada's Monster Truck, Scorpion Child, Andrew 50 Watt, The Temperance Movement, The Graveltones, and many, many more. Indeed, rock may not be currently King, but maybe it's not a good time for kings, and a better time for those who come from a position of love, passion, and integrity, as opposed to birth right.

In addition to our radio show, we'll also be setting up a full service website, the requisite social media outlets, and there is even talk of a small batch record label with the Rock Ain't Near Deadâ„¢ imprimatur. We're even looking at partnering up with a recording studio to make new projects happen. I'm not sure how far this can go, but we intend to find out, because I will tell you this. One can bitch, one can moan, one can carp all one likes about the sad state of affairs, but the day will be made by those who approach the issue from a standpoint of positivity and action. Don't bitch, get off your ass and make something happen. As Carlin said, "If you don't like the weather, move."

We're moving. We're working. We're getting ready to have an impact, have a lot of fun, and maybe more than anything, to get everyone - you, me, everyone, doing something to keep rock 'n' roll moving, to keep it alive and doing fine, and to even be ready when the next Giant appears - "If you build it, they will come."

Rock 'N' Roll needs some help - this much is certain. We live in a time in which the music business has gone so wrong that the proposed saviors are mostly pirates. Music must again be of true value - both sonically and economically, and that's going to take hard work, innovation, and great perseverance, because there are a great many with a great amount of control who think the status quo is just fine. We know it's not, and their are many of our breed who are reinventing a struggling business model.

At any rate, we're going to have some great fun, some great laughs, and we're going to attempt to entertain as well as to be entertained - for that was always rock's promise - not just to be entertaining, but to be enlightenment and entertainment in every direction. I'm hoping that everyone who reads this will wish us well, and join us upon this journey - for it's true, Rock Ain't Near Dead....

https://www.facebook.com/rockaintneardead
https://twitter.com/RANDRadio

Mos Generator - In Concert - And It Was Good....

Mos Generator follows up their excellent 2013 studio release, Nomads, with the perfect next step, a smoking live set - it's most appropriately titled, in keeping with their love of their musical heritage, In Concert.

Tony Reed has been a favorite artist of mine since I came across a track from another one of his projects, Stone Axe, on a compilation disc presented by Classic Rock Magazine back in 2009. Reed is often touted as an obsessive encyclopedia of all things seventies, and while that's true, his hands can also be heard playing guitar, singing, writing, and producing some of todays heaviest hitters (Saint Vitus, Blood Of The Sun). After a lengthy hiatus, he reconvened his Mos Generator brothers, bassist Scooter Haslip and drummer Shawn Johnson, and the band has been blessing audiences with their heavy, but melodic musings - someone somewhere just called them them amalgamation of Dio and Ozzy Sabbaths, and I think if you toss in some Free and a bit of psychedelics, you're just about there. A blissful stew of rock.

In Concert is a limited edition LP on vinyl with only a limited number of copies pressed, so order them today - recorded at Rockfabrik in Nuremberg, Germany on March 25, 2013, it's a blinder of a set, and bound to be a collectible all too soon. If you dig heavy, melodic rock, don't miss it.

Reed rings in the set with some tasty, full stack, Gibson drenched soloing before he announces, "We're the Mos Generator," tosses off a moment of feedback, then it's off to the riff races with set opener, Lumbo Rock, off the band's 2007 release, Songs For Future Gods - Mos Generator often sounds like a three headed beast - the cohesion and balance between the three members is that of an amazingly well-oiled machine. By the end of this tune you will be a convert, if you're not already.

Next, it's onto a track from Nomads, Cosmic Ark, and it's a thicker, heavier beast of a riff that evokes everything you love about early Sabbath, but also manages to sound very today. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Nomads was the record the Sabs should have made last year, but didn't. Whether he's belting out a vocal, or tossing off a solo that is both compelling and technically very cool, he's got rockstar plastered all over him - his unison bends that close out this tune remind me of why I picked up a guitar in 1974, and also makes me want to pick one up and play today. And they're just getting warmed up.

Lonely One Kenobi might have been the mightiest riff of 2012, and it might be even mightier in a live setting - when Reed and band swagger through the verses, then stutter step back into the changes, I'm in heaven. I unabashedly love this band, and this song is why - half way through they back it down into an instrumental interlude that stands proudly beside anything that they knelt before as neophytes. They listened, they learned, then they took the ball and ran with it. I talk about Reed, but don't think for a minute that his band mates aren't just as mighty.

More feedback, and then a riff that throws a little bit of Southern Rock in with the metal, and again, it's off to the rock races. Silver Olympus is another off of Future Gods, and it gets heavier by the minute, until Reed takes of on a skittering, sliding piece of guitar wizardry that leads into a blistering bass note solo that may take some paint off your wall, and some plaster off the ceiling. I love that Reed's soloing is not of the shredfest breed, but rather it's steeped in Iommi, Kossoff, and maybe even some Blackmore just for seasoning. He asks at the end of the track, "You like that heavy metal, don't you?" Yes, we do.

It's back to 2005 and the band's The Late Great Planet Earth album for On The Eve -  a heavy basher that rumbles with a furious low end that Reed uses to frame his midrange-y heavy riffing, and melodic vocal. There's a great moving riff under his vocal verses, and you wonder how he pulls it all off. The power of the power trio has never been more wonderfully displayed. The band slows it down for a section that wouldn't sound out of place on a long lost Bad Company album, then it's back to the floor with the pedal for a heavy round up with another blistering set of string stretching, as the rhythm section  prods and pushes the guitarist at every turn.

You've gotta have balls to call your instrumental Godhand Iommi, and Reed has 'em, uses 'em, and pulls it off both respectfully and by never dipping into being a copyest, though I think you'll dig his Whole Lotta Love quote near the end. This is a masterclass in heavy metal guitar - everything that's good and eschewing the bad. Well played, sir.

This Is The Gift Of Nature rounds out the set, and it's a great set ender, with it's moody intro that features a nicely moving rhythm figure that's underpinned perfectly by Scooter Haslip's bass - Johnson joins in, and it a stone cold groove that just gets heavier and heavier. Mos Generator wins by not just being heavy, not just being melodic, not just being literarily inspired, but by combining all of these facets into a very hard rock. "God bless this gift of nature," says the song - I say, God bless Mos Generator. Buy this disc before you miss out on it - it is a heavy metal classic.

The album is available here:

http://heavyheadsuperstore.storenvy.com/
http://burningworldrecords.com/label/lay-bare-recordings

The Winery Dogs - Live In Sacramento (God Bless The Winery Dogs)

The Winery Dogs pulled into Sacramento for a show at Harlow's Night Club last night, and proceeded to blow the roof off the joint. You know I'm given to hyperbole, but if you know of a three piece with more bonafide fire power than Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan, and Mike Portnoy, let me know. Thankfully, the stage was small, so my attention couldn't drift from anyone for long, not that they'd let you. There were the obligatory solo spots, but when you have such brilliance occurring in every song, I wonder how necessary they are, except as a device for everyone to get a breather for a few moments.

They came out with their best shot, Elevate, and the crowd went bonkers, singing every word, and plunging fists skyward at the appropriate instrumental moments. This show, by all rights, should be happening in a larger venue, but that's more about the messed up states of our economy and our radio at this point.

I almost called this review Portnoy's Complaint, but that's too gimmicky, and I'll explain - there was a point in the festivities where not everybody's favorite drummer (but arguably the best drummer in rock - at least I think so) got a little pissed at some shitty lighting cues and he had a go at his microphone stand. I would have been pissed, too, and he followed his mini-tirade with even better, even more intense playing. I don't know why anyone gives the guy any stick, but I'm guessing it's because he's a very flashy drummer in a time when shoe gazing and false humility have value. Whether it's as a hard rock basher with both finesse and furiosity (yeah, I know it's not a word, but dig it), or as a technical magician with his other projects, the guy has his world by the ass and ain't afraid to let your world know it. I call that rock - look up The Who if you don't get it. For my money, Portnoy is currently the most valuable player on the planet.

Richie Kotzen - could it be that he's been this brilliant all along, and just never had a band that reflected that brilliance appropriately? I'm not sure who's been in his bands, and I'm sure they've been good, but maybe just not quite this good. I was disappointed when I heard this project lost John Sykes as a frontman, but that's me missing Sykes on the scene more than anything - Kotzen is a better fit. He's looser and more off the cuff than the ex-Whitesnake guitarist, and his bluesy take on hard rock puts me in mind of a guy with Marriott's voice, but also with blinding skills as a guitarist. In this setting the world should now get the greatness of Kotzen's astounding musicality.

Then there's Billy Sheehan - he looks like he's having so much fun with this band, it's fantastic - mind you, he's always happy when he's playing, but watching him exchange huge riffs and grins with Portnoy throughout the set is a joy to behold. I often wonder how much his audiences realize - he's rock's most established bassist by a few blocks. Sure there are plenty of other great players, but no one combines technique with groove to this extent. And, he can sing - every time he went for the mic, I smiled - he's spent endless hours doing classic covers early in his career, and you can still hear the right markers.

So, there's a blurb on each fellow, but it's as a band that this bunch shines. They remind me of a stripped down Humble Pie, but with even better chops. I've been spending a lot of quality time with the new 4 disc set from Marrott and company, and it's been great to remember just how well versed was that classic British band. They all sang, they played with intensity and passion, and they all gave it 110%, and the same can be said of The Dogs. When I first heard their debut, I wondered if the listening public would be listening close enough, and by God, they were. The crowd last night was with them for every step, and by the time they slid into their encore with the Elvin Bishop classic, Fooled Around And Fell In Love, it was a love affair.

I'm not going to get into specific moments and songs here - suffice to say that they played the album brilliantly, they busted out a few old nuggets, and the best is surely yet to come. But what a great start this band is off to - you could see it in their eyes as they rifled through the first few songs - yes, even American audiences grasp it, dig it, and love it. They've already wooed much of the world, and now they are barnstorming across the States - I insist that you get off your ass and see them - you'll be damned glad you did. This is real rock being done right, and it's to damned good too not continue - nope, Rock Ain't Near Dead....

Am I crazy for thinking they ought to add Whole Lotta Love to the encores? Just me, thinking that they'd sound so good playing that, and the sheer bravado would fit.

SETLIST:

19. Encore:

Leslie West - Still Climbing - The Rock Guitar Daily Interview

October 28th sees the release of Leslie West's Still Climbing on Mascot Records, and indeed, he's doing just that, singing and playing as well, if not better than ever. Following the template of his Grammy nominated 2011 release, Unusual Suspects, Still Climbing features a stellar group of six stringers displaying their wares in cameo appearances. Mark Tremonti, Johnny Winter, Jonny Lang solo next to Leslie and he's joined vocally by Dee Snider on one track.

Produced by West and drummer Mike 'Metal' Goldberg, the disc was mixed by the legendary Mike Fraser (Metallica, Joe Satriani, Aerosmith) Still Climbing will certainly satisfy West's loyal fan base, and pick up new listeners as well.

It's always a pleasure to chat with Leslie West - he's not nearly as enamored with his own legend as others may be, and he's always good for a laugh or two. I recently had a chance to connect again with the ex-Mountain man to talk about his new album, and some other historic moments.

Leslie West: "Hey, how are you Tony, good to talk to you, man! 

"I was just looking at your review from the last album, I have that in my favorites - what a great review! I sure hope you like the new one, I thought it was the next step to take after Unusual Suspects, and we're really thrilled with how it turned out. 

"We sent it to Mike Fraser for mixing - Mike's incredible, he's worked with Metallica, done all of Joe Satriani's albums, so it was great to send it to someone with a fresh set of ears, someone who wasn't there for the day to day grind. The record took me over a year to finish, and I'm thrilled - the songs, the playing, yeah, I couldn't be happier!"

He'd be the last to say it, but what continues to impress me the most is the fact that with each album, it's West's voice that keeps getting better and better, stronger and stronger. His tone is great, and his phrasing is more nuanced with each year, and I told him so:

Leslie West: "Well, I appreciate that. I stopped smoking a while ago, and I guess it just keeps clearing up more and more. It lets me do some things, and I still need to scream louder than the guitars!"

West is joined creatively by his wife Jenny on this record, after penning the lyrics to Mudflap Mama on Unusual Suspects. Recalling the misadventures of his old friend and band mate Felix Pappalardi in this area, I asked if he approached this collaboration with any reservations:

Leslie West: "Yeah! A lot of reservations, haha! 

"But she had written the lyrics to Mudflap Mama on the last record, and she'd been writing more lyrics. I opened my iPad, and I'd see these lyrics from our iCloud, they'd appear in my notes section, and I'd say, 'Where did these come from?' 

"So, she was sending them to me, and I was able to pick and choose, to say, 'This will work with this piece of music really well.' 

"There's one song on the album, Not Over You At All, it's my favorite track on the album - it's the one with a sax solo by my friend Arnold Heck from The Uptown Horns. The riff itself is one of my favorites, and that set of lyrics seemed to work very well - it fits."

Speaking of guests, I asked how it felt to have some of the best guitarists on the planet standing in line to play on the new record. West remains his usual, humble self:

Leslie West:  "Well, they're not standing in line, I went and I asked! 

"Having Jonny Lang on When A Man Loves A Woman - I don't know what made me want to do that song, it's a great song, and I thought if I could do it and still sound like myself - sure enough, Jonny was coming to New Jersey to do a show, and we picked him up at the airport, he came here, and did it! I remember interviewing him for a guitar magazine once when he was about eighteen - he's grown up a little bit, huh? 

"Mark Tremonti, he plays great on the first track, Dyin' Since The Day I Was Born - I can't play like that! He plays so fast, but he's melodic! That's the difference between him and a lot of guys, he plays melodic within all that speed. He plays the solo on the ride out, and I did all the other guitars. He did a great job! 

"Johnny Winter, well, we toured together last summer, and we had talked about it. I did a cut on his upcoming record, I think it's coming out soon - it's a covers album with a lot of guest guitar players. 

"I asked his manager, Paul Nelson, if Johnny would like to play on the album, and he said, 'Sure, why don't you play on Johnny's?' So that really worked out good - On Busted, Disgusted, and Dead you can hear Johnny - he played on the middle solo, and his style and mine are so different. We're both playing slide on that."

With Long Red, West goes back deep into his catalog to 1969, and the album Mountain - the track is one of the most sampled in the history of hip-hop, being used on tracks by Jay-Z, Kanye West, and more recently on the smash, Born To Die by Lana Del Rey:

Leslie West: "The reason I re-did it - I mean, if you were to look it up on Wikipedia, look up that song. 

"There's a map - it's one of the most sampled hip-hop songs of all time. You will not believe it - I couldn't believe how many platinum albums there are. Kanye West, Jay-Z, so many people have sampled that song, there's a girl named Lana Del Rey - a heavy metal chick that raps, 4 million copies of this album, Born To Die, and she sampled my song on the title cut. 

"So, I thought it was a good time to re-do this song that I had written back in 1969. People are always wanting me to do it live - my brother Larry plays bass on it. It was just time to do it. It's different from the original version from that first album. 

"Everybody's been sampling it, and I found out why - it's a hip-hop beat! 

"In 1969, I was writing hip-hop, you know what I mean, hahaha!"

Sticking with 1969, I had to ask how it felt to be onstage at Woodstock:

Leslie West: "Haha, I can't fucking remember, hahaha! 

"I was so nervous to go onstage, and see almost a half a million people that night. We went on just as it had gotten dark, just after The Grateful Dead. I was shocked. 

"You know, on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, we got married onstage! 

"40 years after the day - that was really something. The reason I was nervous that night was because I was getting married onstage! 

"Going back 40 years, I only vaguely remember going on. In fact, somebody just sent me a Life Magazine that came out a week after the festival - I was looking through it yesterday, and I saw a few pictures of me, and I knew I was at that show, but I barely remember it. Very wild times."

I wondered if West could have envisioned such a long and illustrious career as a fourteen year old, just learning his craft:

Leslie West: "No, I never would have even thought of that at the time, who thinks like that? 

"I don't think Barack would have thought he'd be the president of the United States when he was fourteen. 

"I still love playing the guitar, working on the sound of my guitar. 

"I used different amps in the studio this time - I used the Blackstars. I didn't use any overdrive pedals, nothing. I love the sound of a big amp - maybe a little bit of delay and reverb in the mixing, but as far as the sound of my guitar, that's the sound that got recorded. I'm always working on bettering the sound of my guitars."

West's legend is not built only upon the sound of his guitars, but also on how he plays them - his vibrato is considered to be one of the most distinct and copied in the history of rock, alongside those of players such as Eric Clapton, Dave Gilmour, and Paul Kossoff. I asked about the development of his vibrato, and his answer resulted in both my being educated and entertained:

Leslie West: "Well, Tony - believe it or not, when someone asks about that - it's like jerking off. 

"The motion of my hand, it's very.... 

"It's different than I see when other guitar players use vibrato. They think you just have to make the string quiver - but when I stretch a string into vibrato, it's like an opera singer. You start slow and build it up - each time, you have to bring it back down to where you started. You don't just stretch it up, you've got to bring it back and make it talk to get that really true quiver that an opera singer or a violin player would do. 

"The idea of the vibrato came from the fact that I couldn't play fast, but I wanted to develop something that sounded silky smooth, I used it when it was necessary, and not just for the hell of it. Not every note."

Remaining in the past for another moment - I asked West what became of his original and iconic Gibson Les Paul Junior guitars, that he brought to such acclaim:

Leslie West: "The original one broke. I had two at Woodstock - one I traded to one of my friends, and Pete Townshend has one that I had given him when I was working with them on Who's Next in New York. 

"I think I have one left. That's why I designed my Dean Leslie West Signature series! 

"The Deans - we have a two pickup model now, but the single pickup models sound just like the Les Paul Juniors. That P90 pickup - I designed the Dean's pickup as a humbucker to reduce the noise. Those old P90s made a lot of noise! We really emulated the old Juniors, but we put some modern twists to it. 

"Now we have one that's going to be lower priced, so everybody that wants one can get one. The biggest difference is that they're not hand built. We have 4 or 5 models, and now we'll have an import that still has my LW logo, like on the Unusual Suspects album, and it'll be black. We're working to get that out really soon! 

"You know, I couldn't be happier with the way everything is working out. Tony, I appreciate talking with you, you're a good man!"

As are you, Mr. West, as are you.

Still Climbing is out on October 28 on the Mascot Records label.

Thanks to Leslie, Steve Karas at SKH Music, and Peter Noble at Noble PR.

Richard Fortus - Plays Great Guitar, Will Travel - The Rock Guitar Daily Interview

"Uh, well, I don't work with him in the real world, I work with him in our world!" ~ Richard Fortus on working with Axl Rose for the last ten years.

Richard Fortus' world is that of the guitar for hire - whether it's his long standing position in Guns N' Roses, his stints with Thin Lizzy or The Psychedelic Furs, as session star, or in his new gig as lead player/songwriter for The Dead Daisies, you can be certain that it's never long between calls to duty.

I first came across Richard in 2011 when he was touring with Thin Lizzy as Scott Gorham's co-guitarist. At the time I wrote:

"I was completely unprepared and shocked when I heard him with the band at this summer's Hellfest in France. Actually that performance may have ruined me for any version of the band in which Fortus does not play. His is simply the most recognizable guitar voice to hit the band since Gary Moore. This isn't a knock on Sykes, either - John is a magnificent player, but I always felt him a bit too metal for Thin Lizzy, and better utilized in Whitesnake, Blue Murder, and his solo career. However, Richard Fortus sounded incredible and very in-context with the Lizzies. His playing was exuberant, filled with passion, mad chops, and his tone....well, his tone may actually as good as any hard rock tone I've ever heard."

He's currently enmeshed with The Dead Daisies, an up and coming band from Australia - formed by ex-INXS frontman Jon Stevens, the group toured through the summer in their homeland with Aerosmith and ZZ Top, and more recently across America as part of the Rockstar Energy Uproar Festival. Fortus is emerging as lead guitarist/co-writer for the band for their second album, and with the rhythm section of Charlie Drayton and Darryl Jones coming on board, this will be one to watch.

I recently caught up with Richard at the Shoreline Amphitheater outside of San Francisco, and I started there, asking about the festival appearances:

Richard Fortus: "It's been going really well - it's being received very well, which is great!

"We're getting a great response, we're selling a lot of CDs and merchandise. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to have anything to do with the first record, but we've been writing and recording, and that's been going great!"

The Dead Daisies debut album is chock full of great tunes, written by singer Jon Stevens and guitarist David Lowy, and the promise of some superior instrumental assistance should make this band a can't miss - I asked Richard how he came to join the band:

Richard Fortus: "Actually, it was through drummer Charlie Drayton - Charlie had been working with Jon and David, they're the ones that did the first record together. Charlie got involved, and he called me. 

"The new stuff is super great - we did three songs on our days off that we recorded in New York, and we'll be finishing those up next week. It's a total band situation - these three songs are songs I wrote with Jon. He's a fantastic singer and writer. Charlie Drayton is coming back to the band for this next run in November and December, so he'll be back and also, Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones) will be playing bass."

I had seen Jones working with Richard before in an awesome performance with Martha Reeves and The Crystal Method on the Jimmy Kimmel show - I had to ask how that gig came about:

Richard Fortus: "The Crystal Method guys - I've done some records with them before, and they had called and asked if I could help them put a band together to do that show, so I put that whole thing together. I called Brain (Brian Mantia - Guns N' Roses drummer) and Darryl, and The Tower of Power Horns. It came out really cool."

Fortus' day job for the last twelve years has been as a guitarist with the notorious Guns N' Roses. I inquired as to how he got that prestigious position:

Richard Fortus: "Well, I had originally gotten a call back in about 2000, asking me if I would be interested in auditioning for G N' R. 

"I was living in New York City at that time, but I was coming out to Los Angeles to do a record in two weeks after they called, so I said, 'Yeah, I'm going to be out there, and we could do it at that time. 

"I spoke with them a few more times, but I didn't hear anything back and didn't know what was going on - it just wasn't happening. So I got out to LA to do the record, and there was Tommy Stinson and Josh Freese - I said that I found it ironic that you guys would be doing this, because I had received a call for an audition with G N' R just last week. They said, 'Oh yeah, you're the guy! Axl found this guy Buckethead, and we cancelled the auditions. So, that was the first time I got the call. 

"Then, Tommy and I became really good friends, and the next time they needed somebody, which was like a year later, they called me - and that was to fill the Izzy slot."

Of course, you can't speak with anyone from the Guns N' Roses camp and not ask about what it is like to work with Axl Rose in the real world:

Richard Fortus: "Um....well, I don't work with him in the real world, I work with him in our world! (much laughter) 

"He's great to work with - I've never had any issues. You read all this stuff, but it's really not what I see. The tyrannical monster is not what I deal with - my experience has been nothing but positive. He's a great musician."

Whether it's Steve Lukather, Steve Hunter, Doug Aldrich, or any other super guitar sessioneer I interview, I always ask how it is that they get A-list calls:

Richard Fortus: "You know, that's a really good question! 

"I think a lot of it has to do with besides being the player you are - it has to do with who you are as a person, and how people relate to you as a musician. 

"Before I was touring a lot, when I first joined Psychedelic Furs, I had moved to New York and started doing sessions. Hundreds of sessions, that was mostly what I was doing. I couldn't really afford to go on the road because I was making more money just being in New York and doing sessions. 

"Whether it be TV commercials, movie scores, or playing on people's records. Writing TV themes, things like that. 

"I think the reason I got so many calls from so many producers to play on records was just because they could relate to me in terms of using references, and things like that. They could say, 'I'm looking for an Echo and The Bunnymen type thing, a Paul Kossoff type tone on this, and I would know not only who they were talking about, but also how to get that tone - what kind of amp, guitar, and pedal combinations. 

"It's knowing these things, and knowing the references - the type of playing required. That really got me a lot of work. That's what really got me connected, and that's the way you relate to artists."

Switching gears, I mention that Richard's playing first got my attention via Trace Davis of Voodoo Amplification - again, it was Fortus' work with Thin Lizzy that enthralled me. Iasked him about his working relationship with his amp guru:

Richard Fortus: "Well, Trace has done so many things for me - he's modded Marshalls for me, modded Kelley Amps for me, Kelley amps, the designer from Selmer left the company and started his own shop. I'm a big fan of their amps, and Trace has done a couple of those for me, he's done Park amps, Vox - he's done a bunch of stuff for me. 

"I love his attention to detail. He was the guy that successfully cloned my main Marshall, which is a '73 100 watt Jose modded amp that I bought from Mick Mars. 

"Motley Crue wasn't doing anything at that point, and Mick was getting rid of a bunch of gear. I was invited over to his house, and I played through a dozen or so amps, all Jose modded Marshalls. 

"I plugged into this one and just hit one chord, and it blew my head off. That was his #1 amp, his recording amp. It then became my main Marshall. 

"I had been trying to have it cloned for a long time, and finally I came to Trace, and he cloned it - a fantastic job, and after that he became my 'go to' guy for amps. 

"We've designed an amp - we're going to release it as a signature model amp. Basically, the clean channel is based on my favorite Plexi which is a '68 PA, a 50 watt p.a. head, and it has a boost to it, as well. The other channel is based on that '73 Jose mod, and it also has a foot switchable boost for leads. 

"It's almost like a four channel amp, but it's really just two channels. I am really excited about that amp! 

"It's what I've been using live, and it's like having my four favorite Marshallsin one box, which is amazing. I've been using it with Guns N' Roses for the last year, and we've been tweaking and refining it. Lately, I've been using it with a Strat, plugging straight into it on The Dead Daisies stuff, and it's just been amazing."

I had seen clips from the Daisies tour, and I asked if it was a Trussart he has been playing:

Richard Fortus: "Yeah, his guitars are just incredible! I've been on a big Tommy Bolin kick lately, so I've really been loving my Strats again, after a long time away from them. The pickups are based on a '60s slab board that I own. Arcane Pickups copied them, and they did a great job, they sound phenomenal."

I then asked about his stint in the legendary Thin Lizzy:

Richard Fortus: "Oh, man - I grew up listening to Lizzy, so for me, it was sort of a dream come true to be able to play harmonies with Scott Gorham. 

"Absolutely phenomenal. 

"It was an amazing experience. When I got that call, I couldn't believe it, I was so excited to do it. Sort of living out a rock 'n' roll fantasy. Realizing, and I told Scott this, as I was learning the songs, and I realized how much of an influence their Live and Dangerous album had on my ideal of what the perfect guitar sound was, what the rock guitar tone was. 

"And he was like, 'Really?' 

"Yeah, man, the Les Pauls and the Marshalls - he said, 'Well, Richard, I hate to burst your bubble, but that was all we had! We had old amps, a couple of years old, and that's all we could afford! I had my phaser, a script logo Phase 90, and Brian had his booster, a '70s JMP, and an 808 (Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer).' 

"The Lizzy gig was definitely a highlight of my career."

Speaking of the Lizzy gig, I asked Richard about playing alongside 'the world's bassist,' Marco Mendoza, who also spent the summer touring with Fortus in The Dead Daisies:

Richard Fortus: "He is one of the most phenomenal bass players I've ever worked with - he totally 'gets' the bass. 

"He's capable of playing anything, but it's what he chooses to play that is so awesome. I didn't realize what a monster he was until the first few weeks I was on tour with him. 

"He plays his parts absolutely machine-like - very, very solid, but I didn't realize he was the chops guy that he is until like three weeks into the tour - we were backstage jamming, and he took a solo, and I was like, ' Oh my God! Where did you come from?' He's phenomenal, and the way he sings - he's got an incredible voice!"

And, so it goes - I find more and more, that when I have the pleasure of speaking with someone who is a master of not just his instrument, but of the art form, the best players are all about sharing the glory, getting along with band mates, and checking their egos at the door. Richard Fortus gets the A-list calls because he's an A-list individual and musician, it's as simple as that.

The Temperance Movement - Saving Rock 'N' Roll, One Song, One Show At A Time

The Temperance Movement is fronted by Phil Campbell, and he has it all - he sings like a lost remnant from Carnaby Street circa 1968, he writes like he's lived a life that hasn't always went his way, but made for great stories, looks like a movie star, and has surrounded himself with a wickedly divine band of rock 'n' rollers. The band has just released their debut album, and it's an automatic for the inevitable year end top tens - a killer record.

The band is straight up, straight ahead, and what you see is what you'll love. Exuberant guitars gush out of the speakers as their frontman tells his tales, and the rhythm section pushes and pulls just right - no click tracks in sight, no this bunch sounds like they set up, laid it down and headed back to the pub for another set. Tasty riffing is the order of the day, and the production is as crisp and clean as a summer morning. Great guitar tones are to be found from stem to stern, and I'm not really looking for one, but they have not a chink in their mighty armor.

When the opening chords of Only Friend come lurching out of your speakers you're going to smile - trust me on this. Pungent chords on the left, tasty fills and leads on the right, the guitars could not sound more right as they provide the platform for Campbell's soul drenched voice. It's so thrilling for me to hear a guitar team playing off of, and against one another with such grace and style - Paul Sayer and Luke Potashnick listen to one another, that is very evident, and they create a tapestry of rock that brings great joy to my heart.

Ain't No Telling is dirty and biting, as the guitars kick up the grit, the rhythm section digs in, and an unholy combination of The Stones and AC/DC isn't beyond the imagination. Campbell sounds like he's being chased by the devil, his demons, and every angry woman he's ever crossed.

The band steps off the gas a bit on Pride, as their singer weaves a tale of love gone wrong, chapter 999. Nothing new, but it's seldom done this well - rock balladry that would not sound out of place on one of Rod's early solo efforts. Nick Fyffe's bassline is sublime as he pulsates in and out of the verses with subtle fills and rock solid walks up and down the neck - taste, taste, taste - I'm going to keep saying it, as this material just drips with it. The guitars finally step up, Damon Wilson kicks his kick drum into gear and the whole thing soars into the blissful heavens of rock.

Chunky chording rings in Be Lucky, and it brings to mind the best of rock Atlanta style, as the band evokes thoughts of The Black Crowes and Georgia Satellites - strong song craft joined by - yes, tasty rock from wall-to-wall. No wonder my UK friends are telling me that this bunch is saving rock and roll one show, one song at a time.

The speed kicks in with a fuzzed riff and a double time beat as Midnight Black comes bouncing off the walls. Dance hall rock of the nth degree, as Campbell sounds like he's struggling to keep up with his band, and running as fast as he can to get out ahead of the chapter of verse he's expounding. One can only imagine the excitement this one provides in a live setting.

The Temperance Movement respects rock history - you can hear the lessons in the grooves, the changes, and their sumptuous melodies. Chinese Lanterns is country via the UK, and it's as sweet as early Elton John - Campbell has tremendous skills in the ways of phrasing, vibrato, and passion. He never sounds false, it all sounds like it straight from his heart onto his sleeve.

The boys get rootsy on Know For Sure - the riffs get swampier, but Campbell keeps it between the white lines with his Marriott inflected howlings. Again, the two guitars continue their joust with some sweet slide stylings meshing nicely with the jagged, plucked chord work. When the slide solo kicks in, some crazy cool counterpoint commences, and the guitars steal the show, if briefly.

Heavy riffing commences with Morning Riders - this one is almost Zep-ish in it's groove. This reminds me of Michael Des Barres best days with Silverhead in the mid-70s. One foot in the blues, on foot on the pedal. The chorus is as catchy as everything else on display here, and Phil Campbell shares the spotlight, and plays well with others.

Strummed minor chords always capture my heart, mind, and spirit, and Lovers And Fighters is sublime - when you can make one of these ballads work this well, you have earned your stripes. That high lonesome note that hangs over a backbeat and a bassline is sweet as tea on a July evening. Graham Parsons meets Keith somewhere after midnight.

The drums swing out on Take It Back, and the war whoop vocals are perfect, as is the loping bass figure that Fyffe weaves through the tune. These fellas know high style, and they ease in and out of minor genre shifts like they've been doing it for decades. No wonder this band is bold enough to let a powerhouse outfit like The Graveltones open their shows - they're fearless, and they know it.

Smoldering is a smoky piece that is slower than molasses, and twice as sweet. The soul of Ronnie Lane seems to be hanging over the best of the UK these days, as the ghost of The Faces watches over. Did I mention that Campbell has the voice of a devilish angel?

Tremolo guitar to end an album? Yes, please - this late in the set I can almost hear the tubes cooking in the back of the amps, as the boys wrap up the record and put it to bed. Serenity finds Campbell finally finding his peace, and he's earned it with this, the performance of a lifetime. What a nice way to set sail into the sunset.

The Temperance Movement are what I've termed 'a band of hope.' I've set forth on a mission that goes by the name of Rock Ain't Near Deadâ„¢, and as long as there are great debut albums by bands as great as The Temperance Movement, indeed, rock ain't near dead.

God bless The Temperance Movement.

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