PHIL CAMPBELL Announces Solo Record
Additional Information
After two very successful releases with PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS and countless live shows with rock giants like GUNS N' ROSES among others, legendary long-time MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell is currently laying down finishing touches to his first-ever solo record.
Commented Campbell: "I'm really happy to release my first solo album, Old Lions Still Roar, worldwide. I'm also honoured to have mega talented guests and friends do their thing. Looking forward to everyone taking a listen!"
Old Lions Still Roar will include performances by rock heavyweights like Alice Cooper, Dee Snider, and Rob Halford among others and is set to be released later this year via Nuclear Blast Records.
More details to be released soon.
PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS live dates:
11./12.07. N Kvinesdal - Norway Rock Festival
13.07. EST Haapsalu - American Beauty Car Show
26.07. UK East Lulworth - Camp Bestival
23.08. B Liège - Golden Age Rock Festival
24.08. UK Newark - Stonedeaf Festival
31.08. UK Durham - Stormin The Castle !!!NEW!!!
07.09. AT Wels - Trabrennbahn BÖHSE ONKELZ Open Air !!!NEW!!!
13.09. D Altenbergen - Rock N Revel
14.09. D Bochum - Rockpalast !!!NEW!!!
15.09. F Raismes - Raismes Fest
16.09. B Leuven - Het Depot (w/ GLENN HUGHES)
18.09. F Boisseuil - Espace Culturel du Crouzy
20.09. CH Aarau - KIFF
21.09. D Neuenstadt am Kocher - Stadthalle (w/ NITROGODS)
22.09. F Strasbourg - La Maison Bleue
24.09. F Nantes - Le Ferrailleur
25.09. F Bordeaux - Rock School Barbey
26.09. F Alencon - La Luciole
27.09. F Paris - Café de la Danse
28.09. F Le Havre - Magic Mirrors
13. - 18.10. USA Los Angeles CA - MegaCruise
w/ KING CREATURE
29.10. UK Stoke - The Sugarmill
30.10. UK Glasgow - Classic Grand
01.11. UK Manchester - Rebellion
02.11. UK London - The Dome
03.11. UK Norwich - Epic Studios
04.11. UK Nottingham - Rescue Rooms
06.11. UK Southampton - Engine Rooms
07.11. UK Wolverhampton - KK’s Steel Mill
08.11. UK Exeter - Phoenix
09.11. UK Cardiff - Tramshed
w/ LEADER OF DOWN
29.11. D Cologne - Gebäude 9
30.11. D Hamburg - Logo
01.12. D Berlin - Bi Nuu
02.12. D Nuremberg - Hirsch
04.12. D Dresden - Beatpol
05.12. D Munich - Backstage (Halle)
06.12. D Frankfurt - Das Bett
07.12. D Oberhausen - Nikolaut Winterfestival
Visit PHIL CAMPBELL at
Yngwie Malmsteen "Blue Lightning" out March 29
YNGWIE MALMSTEEN AND MASCOT RECORDS ANNOUNCE MARCH 29
GLOBAL RELEASE DATE FOR NEW STUDIO ALBUM BLUE LIGHTNING
To Stream Lyric Video For “Sun’s Up Top’s Down” Click Here:
Pre-Order: http://smarturl.it/Yngwie_Malmsteen
Yngwie Malmsteen will release BLUE LIGHTNING globally on March 29 via Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group. To call Yngwie Malmsteen a 'maestro' or 'virtuoso' is to state the obvious. But such terms don't do sufficient justice to either his talent or impact. There are innumerable guitarists who have copied a small part of the vast musical spectrum that defines him, but nobody comes close to achieving what he has over a period of nearly four decades.
This man is an undoubted pioneer, someone whose style and creativity has inspired so many others. While he first came to everybody's notice in Los Angeles with Steeler's self-titled album (1983), followed by Alcatrazz's 'No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll' the same year and 'Live Sentence' ('84), it's been what he's done since in a distinguished and far ranging career as a solo performer and band leader that has momentously shown Malmsteen's craft and worth as one of the elite guitarists on the planet. Combining skills that span a vast spectrum of inspirations, he stands as a giant, melding melody, technique and an epic scope in a unique and inclusive fashion.
Now, with Blue Lightning, the man highlights not only his enduring dexterity and diversity, but also pays homage to those from the Blues world who have fueled his artistic spirit for so long.
“I have always played around with old songs, both live and also in the studio. I did a similar album called Inspiration a while ago (1996), and it was Mascot who came to me and suggested I do a Blues record.”
“Now, I grew up in a classically trained family, and people know me for playing in what is called a neo classical style. But when I got a guitar for my fifth birthday, what I would try to emulate were John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers – I would jam along to what they did on record with Eric Clapton ('Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton' album). That's something people don't realize about me – I do have a strong interest in the Blues. So, when Mascot came to me with the suggestion of doing an album of songs in this style, it didn't faze me at all. In fact, it seemed so natural.”
What Malmsteen has done here is combine choices which might seem almost obvious with some that will turn heads. He shares, “There were songs that were immediately clear I wanted to do. These were the likes of “Purple Haze” and “Smoke On The Water” which I have been playing since I was a kid. But then I also went for something like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” which I wasn't sure I could do. In this case, it's about trial and error. I am delighted that I was able to do justice to the original.”
Anyone who is expecting Malmsteen to copy exactly the way the original versions sound is in for a shock. Because that is not what he has done. He reflects, “I have never been one of those people who wants to sit down and mimic the way in which a song sounds on record. I don't see the point in doing that. If all you want to hear is a song the way you remember it, then the originals are there for you. What I have done is add in my own vibe and personality, while paying tribute to what you already know. That way I feel I am being myself, yet also being respectful to those artists.”
One thing this album has allowed Malmsteen to do is to challenge himself, which is certainly the case of Eric Clapton's “Forever Man.” He offers, “I heard this on the radio, and honestly I didn't know whether I could do it for this album. But I sat down and tried things, and they worked out. I had to rise to the occasion and am delighted to have done exactly that.” This track showcases not only Malmsteen's celebrated guitar qualities, but also his maturing individual vocal confidence. He reflects, “On the singing side with 'Forever Man,' I did it all in one take. I got the lyrics through, went into the studio, and just got them done. I am not someone who likes to do take after take. I feel you should be able to get it right the first time around. That applies to the vocal parts and also my guitar playing. And for the most part, this is the way I did Blue Lightning.”
The man has also paid homage to a particular favorite. He shares, “When I was ten years old, I got Deep Purple's Fireballalbum, which I have always thought was very undervalued. And the song that really killed me was 'Demon's Eye.’ And I was very keen to do it for the album. Thankfully, the key was just right for my voice, and I had so much fun doing it. In fact, I would say that I had a great time doing all the songs here.”
Aside from the covers, there are also four original tracks included. And these clearly bring to the fore Malmsteen's abiding love for the Blues, as well as his capacity for doing interpretations possessed of emotion and depth. He offers, “I have always featured songs with a Blues groove on albums. So, having my own material in this vein was very natural for me.”
The album is self-produced, and Malmsteen has followed a traditional manner in the way this was recorded. He shares, “In the old days, a band would go into the studio, do a couple of songs, then go out on tour, before returning to the studio to do a couple more new tracks. That's the way I did things this time. I have been so busy on the road in recent times that it was the most pragmatic way to do the album. In all, it took me about ten months to get it done, but by going in the studio in between touring commitments, I feel it kept everything fresh.”
The complete track listing includes “Blue Lightning,” “Foxey Lady,” “Demon’s Eye,” “1911 Strut,” “Blue Jean Blues,” “Purple Haze,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Sun’s Up Top’s Down,” “Peace, Please,” “Paint It Black,” “Smoke On The Water,” and “Forever Man.”
Confirmed appearances include:
4/13 Dayton, OH Oddbody’s
4/25 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
4/26 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
4/27 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Live!
4/28 San Antonio, TX Vibes Event Center
5/01 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
5/02 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
5/03 Santa Clarita, CA The Canyon Events Center
5/04 San Diego, CA House of Blues
5/05 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
5/07 Fresno, CA The Tower Theatre
5/08 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues Las Vegas
5/09 Montclair, CA The Canyon Events Center
5/10 Vallejo, CA Empress Theatre
5/11 Pasadena, CA The Rose
5/14 Denver, CO The Oriental Theater
5/15 Lincoln, NE Royal Grove
5/16 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
5/17 Turtle Lake, WI St. Croix Casino Turtle Lake
5/18 Sioux City, IA Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City
5/22 New York, NY PlaysStation Theater
5/23 Derry, NH Tupelo Music Hall
5/24 Old Saybrook, CT The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
5/25 Ardmore, PA The Ardmore Music Hall
5/29 Sellersville, PA Sellersville Theater
5/30 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
5/31 Hartford, CT Infinity Music Hall
6/01 Niagara Falls, NY Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino
6/02 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
6/04 Milwaukee, WI The Pabst Theater
6/05 Lexington, KY Manchester Music Hall
6/06 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
6/07 Clearwater, FL Capitol Theatre
6/08 Orlando, FL The Plaza Live
Demon Hunter to release "War" & "Peace" on March 1
Demon Hunter are an American metal institution. The band embraces brazenly transcendent melodies, without apology, while maintaining a defiant heaviness reminiscent of the most timeless of metal music. For nearly two decades, Demon Hunter has weathered the changing tides of rock subculture, proving ever resistant to trends, and ever resilient, making music as determined and resolute as the men within the band.
In 2019, the band unveils not one but two brand new full-length albums on March 1. War is filled with aggression and Peace doubles down on melody; both are dynamic and diverse standalone offerings. They are linked most prominently by release date and a plainspoken theme: “War in every breath / Peace in only death.”
Demon Hunter’s ninth and tenth studio albums arrive just two years after Outlive, which debuted at #1 Independent, #2 Rock Music, #2 Hard Music, #8 Current Albums, and #25 on the Billboard 200 charts. “Raining Down” remained #1 at Christian Rock radio for over 9 weeks.
Listen to “On My Side” and “Peace.”
Listen to “The Negative” and “Rescue Myself.”
Ghoul premiere "Shred The Dead" animated video
"I was chained to a desk in a Creepsylvanian 'animation' studio, drawing till my fingernails cracked and bled, subsisting on nothing but corpse juice and old hot fries." -- "Shred The Dead" Director Zak Kirwin
View / Share GHOUL's "Shred The Dead" Video At THIS LOCATION.
The masked mutants of Creepsylvania, GHOUL, are pleased to undrape their hilarious, animated visual accompaniment to "Shred The Dead" via Revolver Magazine. The track comes by way of the band's Dungeon Bastards full-length, released in 2016 via Tankcrimes.
Writes Revolver, "'Shred The Dead,' [is] an animated effort that follows the quartet as they skate through a series of obstacles, attacking gangs of ghouls (and people we despise). The fun clip comes to us via director Zak Kirwin, who uses the ripping thrash track as a catalyst for all the mischief the four get into, making for a highly fun and memorable clip."
Adds director Zak Kirwin, "When I talked to whoever runs GHOUL's social media, I was itching to animate a GHOUL song. The music and aesthetic are right up my alley. When they came back with the idea of doing 'Shred The Dead,' things really kicked off. Skateboarding, zombies, riffs, and grievous injury... what more could you want? After that, I was chained to a desk in a Creepsylvanian 'animation' studio, drawing till my fingernails cracked and bled, subsisting on nothing but corpse juice and old hot fries. I lost two fingers and partial vision in my right eye. Do I regret it? Of course not! Do I wake up screaming every night? Yes, but I always did that; it's just louder now."
Peep "Shred The Dead," courtesy of Revolver, at THIS LOCATION.
In related news, GHOUL will headline Tankcrimes Takeover this weekend. Set to take place at The Oakland Metro February 2nd, the all-ages event will find the band playing alongside their labelmates in Necrot, Brainoil, Kicker, Mortuous, Connoisseur, Los Huaycos, and Deathgrave.
GHOUL:
2/02/2019 Tankcrimes Takeover @ The Oakland Metro - Oakland, CA [info]
Dungeon Bastards was produced and mixed by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City) at Antisleep Studios in Oakland and mastered by Dan Randall (Impaled, Annihilation Time, Fucked Up, Necrot) at Mammoth Sound in San Francisco. Boasting eleven hemorrhage-inducing tracks of the band's now-patented Creepsylvanian splatterthrash, the record decimated Billboard Charts upon its first week of release debuting at #11 on the Heatseekers Chart, #13 on the Top Vinyl Albums Chart, #13 on the Hard Rock Chart, and #27 on the Independent Albums Chart.
GHOUL's Dungeon Bastards is out now on CD and digital formats. Tankcrimes recently repressed the LP edition (now available limited-edition splatter or blue vinyl) which includes a gatefold jacket that opens into the Dungeon Bastards board game. Players take turns advancing through a Creepsylvanian map; the first one to get to end of the map and jump the Wall Of Death wins. CD orders are availableHERE, vinyl HERE, and digital HERE where the record can be streamed in full.
"For those who lived through Nancy and Ronald, S.O.D., and D.R.I., GHOUL's sound is like finding a shoebox of discontinued candy, all of it fresh to eat. That said, the gonzo midnight movie vibe and cartoonish energy on Dungeon Bastards perfectly articulates the apocalyptic anxiety that we're all sharing..." - Decibel
"Infused with the savage technicality of thrash behemoths and legendary crossover beasts such as Blind Illusion and Attitude, the energy and power of early Death and Sodom and the morbid humours of GWAR, GHOUL's lifelong mission has taken another crucial step toward world domination. Thrashing time is here." - Mass Movement
http://www.facebook.com/GhoulunaticsAsylum
http://www.creepsylvania.com
http://www.tankcrimes.com
http://www.facebook.com/tankcrimes
Fallujah discuss new vocalist
Progressive extreme metal masters FALLUJAH recently revealed plans to release their highly-anticipated fourth, full-length album, Undying Light, on March 15th via Nuclear Blast Records. Today, the band has unveiled the first trailer for the record in which the band discusses their newest member, vocalist Antonio Palermo.
WATCH TRAILER #1 HERE: http://youtu.be/L-76TwzyYto
The trailer follows the band’s music video for Undying Light’s first single “Ultraviolet,” which was directed by Robert Graves (The Black Dahlia Murder, Abysmal Dawn). Watch the video now at http://youtu.be/qS-bPdlbqd8.
Undying Light was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Carnifex). Drums and vocals were tracked by Lewis while guitars and bass were recorded by guitarist Scott Carstairs. Cover artwork was created by Nick Keller (The Black Dahlia Murder, Disentomb). Pre-order Undying Light in a bundle and in various physical and digital formats from this location (http://nuclearblast.com/fallujah-undyinglight).
Undying Light track listing:
01. Glass House
02. Last Light
03. Ultraviolet
04. Dopamine
05. The Ocean Above
06. Hollow
07. Sanctuary
08. Eyes Like The Sun
09. Distant And Cold
10. Departure
Catch the band on tour in Europe this February with Obscura, and in the United States this April with Whitechapel and Dying Fetus. Confirmed dates are as follows:
OBSCURA, FALLUJAH, ALLEGAEON, FIRST FRAGMENT:
Feb 01 Munchen, DE - Backstage
Feb 02 Nurnberg, DE - Z-Bau
Feb 03 Haarlem, NL - Patronaat
Feb 04 Bristol, UK - The Fleece
Feb 05 Dublin, IE - Voodoo Lounge
Feb 06 Glasgow, UK - Cathouse
Feb 07 Manchester, UK - Rebellion
Feb 08 London, UK - 02 Academy Islington
Feb 09 Paris, FR - Trabendo
Feb 10 Toulouse, FR - Metronum
Feb 11 Bilbao, ES - Santana 27
Feb 12 Porto, PT - Hard Club
Feb 13 Madrid, ES - Caracol
Feb 14 Barcelona, ES - Boveda
Feb 15 Lyon, FR - CCO
Feb 16 Milan, IT - Legend
Feb 17 Aarau, CH - Kiff
Feb 18 Wien, AT - Arena
Feb 19 Leipzig, DE - Conne Island
Feb 20 Berlin, DE - Lido
Feb 21 Hamburg, DE - Logo
Feb 22 Oberhausen, DE - Kulttempel
Feb 23 Salzburg, AT - Rockhouse
"Chaos & Carnage 2019"
FALLUJAH w/ WHITECHAPEL, DYING FETUS, REVOCATION, SPITE, UNCURED, BURIED ABOVE GROUND
April 18 Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
April 19 Worcester, MA - Palladium
April 20 Reading, PA - Reverb
April 23 Pittsburgh, PA - The Rex Theater
April 24 Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater
April 25 Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
April 26 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot
April 27 Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
April 28 Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
April 30 Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
May 02 Berkley, CA - UC Theatre
May 03 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues
May 04 Phoenix, AZ - The Pressroom
May 05 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
May 07 Springfield, MO - The Complex
May 08 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
May 09 San Antonio, TX - The Rock Box
May 10 Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live!
May 11 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
May 12 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
May 13 Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
May 15 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution Live
May 16 St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
May 17 Winston Salem, NC - The Ramkat
FALLUJAH is:
Antonio Palermo | vocals
Scott Carstairs | guitars & vocals
Robert Morey | bass
Andrew Baird | drums
For more information:
www.facebook.com/fallujahofficial
CARMINE APPICE’S GUITAR ZEUS PREMIERES NEW MUSIC VIDEO “MOTHERS SPACE” (feat. Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal)
Billboard Magazine is premiering “Mothers Space,” the new music video from Carmine Appice’s GUITAR ZEUS album. Carmine loved working with current Sons of Apollo/ former Guns N’Roses’ guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal. Carmine praises Bumblefoot for his mastery of the fretless guitar, and how easy he is to work with, “He is one of the nicest people I know . Talented singer player writer. Love to create good music . Always helpful to others, and he gets the job done quick. And does it great. “
Bumble foot has mutual respect: “Carmine and Tony (Franklin, bassist) are such a killer team. They take the song from trippy vibes to solid, heavy grooves. Love playing this song!”
The Billboard article is at https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8495735/carmine-appice-guitar-zeus-mothers-space.
“Mothers Space” can be viewed at https://youtu.be/4IG5NpjYv04.
The video features visual affects such as distortion and cuts between a recording studio and our polluted planet. It asks the question, “What are we doing to our planet? What does it take to communicate with what’s we’re doing to our planet?”
In addition to smoke stacks and trash in our water, the video includes lyrics to make sure the message comes through. “We’re counting on you,
Don’t look away,” and “Are we too late?”
Album available now on CD, vinyl, download and across all streaming platforms here: http://smarturl.it/GuitarZeus.
GUITAR ZEUS is gathering praise from a variety of music industry scenesters:
“This is a one time thing and with so many heavy hitters on it, rather than highlight choice selections, I'm playing the whole thing “ says KNAC.com DJ Will, who featured the album in its entirety on Sunday, January 27, on his show, “the Vault.”
Songfacts’ Carl Wiser cheers, “Only Carmine Appice could gather Brian May, Slash, Ted Nugent, Richie Sambora, Zakk Wylde, Leslie West, Mick Mars and several other guitar gods (and one goddess: Jennifer Batten) for the same collection… Carmine has the personality, persistence and bona fides to pull this off. “
Free Your Mind ... Expand Your Horizons’ Robert Speed says, succinctly, “ GUITAR ZEUS is a rock guitarist dream “
GUITAR ZEUS is a compilation album featuring a who’s who list of the best and world-renowned guitarists on the planet backed by his core band featuring Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder) on bass, Kelly Keeling (T.S.O., M.S.G) on vocals / keys / rhythm guitar, and Appice on drums.
Originally released as two separate albums in 1995 & 1997, this newly re-mastered album combines both releases as one complete version on January 18, 2018 for the first time ever across all digital platforms, as well as feature 5 brand new songs with Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Pat Travers, John Norum, and top Japanese guitarists RaiZi and Char. Select songs will also be available on a special limited-edition vinyl and CD.
Carmine Appice is an in-demand and popular,legendary drummer, known—especially—for his work in Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Beck, Bogert & Appice.
Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osborne, Ted Nugent, King Kobra, Blue Murder, The Edgar Winter Group. He has written two books, “The Realistic Rock Drum Method” and his 2016 autobiography, “Stick It.” He was the first Rock Drummer and Rock Musician to conduct instructional clinics and symposiums around the world.
Carmine Appice is, truly, A Different Drummer!
Carmine Appice’s Guitar Zeus – Tracklisting:
• “Mothers Space” (feat. Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal) + **
• “Gonna Rain” (feat. Richie Sambora) + **
• “4 Miles High” (feat. Steve Morse) +
• “Nobody Knew” (feat. Brian May) + **
• “Where You Belong (feat. Slash) +
• “Out of Mind” (feat. Neal Schon) + **
• “This Time Around (feat. Yngwie Malmsteen & Dug Pinnick) + **
• “Nothing” (feat. John Norum) +
• “Doin’ Fine” (feat Vivian Campbell) +
• “Under the Moon and Sun” (feat. Mick Mars / Edgar Winter) + **
• “Code 19” (feat. Zakk Wylde) + **
• “Days Are Nights” (feat. Ted Nugent) + **
• “Do Ya think I'm Sexy” (Sung by Carmine, feat. Pat Travers)
• “Angels” (feat. Char)
• “Guitar Zeus, Pt. 1” (feat Jennifer Batten)
• “Safe” (feat. Neal Schon)
• “Dead Wrong” (feat. Dweezil Zappa)
• “Trippin’ Again” (feat. Ty Tabor)
• “Even Up the Score” (feat. Ted Nugent)
• “Dislocated” (feat. Paul Gilbert)
• “Stash” (feat. Stevie Salas / John McEnroe)
• “Perfect Day” (feat. Warren DeMartini)
• “Killing Time” (feat. Ty Tabor)
• “So Long” (feat. Doug Aldrich)
• “My Own Advice” (feat Kenji Kitajima)
• “Time to Set Alarms” (feat Elliot Easton / Bob Daisley)
• “GZ Blues” (feat. Seymour Duncan / Steven Seagal)
• “Guitar Zeus, Pt. 2” (feat. Leslie West / Jennifer Batten)
• “Where you Belong” (feat Paul Gilbert)
• “Cruzin” (feat. Denny Laine)
• “Couldn’t Be Better” (Feat. RaiZi)
• “Score” (Feat. Ted Nugent)
• “Snake” (feat. Bruce Kulick)
+ CD Release
** Vinyl Release
STEVE VAI RELEASES FIRST MUSIC THEORY BOOK
Steve Vai on Vaideology: Basic Theory for Guitar Players – Screen here:
Piano Reductions Vol. 2 Trailer here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HvrIL9gYHI&feature=youtu.be
Los Angeles, CA – Steve Vai has released two new titles. First, his first music theory book via publisher Hal Leonard. Titled Vaideology: Basic Music Theory for Guitar Players, the gargantuan effort was designed to help both beginners and veteran guitar players. Vai takes a deep dive into the basics of music theory to help players better understand the language of music and become more musically literate. Through in-depth discussions of music theory fundamentals, the esteemed player combines practical exercises, diagrams, tips, practice methods, and various ways of looking at music to help kickstart a new view of the guitar for readers. Topics covered include: Academic vs. Experiential Learning; Notes on the Neck; Music Notation; Reading & Writing Music; Scales; Intervals; Key Signatures; Circle of 5ths; Chords and Chord Scales; Rhythm Basics; Time Signatures; Guitar Harmonics; Modes; and more. The book carries a list price of $24.99 and will be available at local music stores, halleonard.com, or vai.com. E-book versions are also available at all major e-book outlets.
Vai states, “One of the questions that I’m usually asked by aspiring guitar players is, how much music theory do I really need to know, and is it necessary? My answer is usually, “You don’t need to understand music theory at all to be an effective player, but it will always help to at least understand the basics”. So, I wrote a book that I believe contains the basics of music theory that can aid the student to be musically literate, and perhaps much more.”
In the pages of Vaideology, he shares, “Since as far back as I can remember remembering, I always had a deep fascination with the written language of music. On paper, it looked like beautiful art to me. It felt like a warm, safe place (a bizarre analogy, I know). It was this mysterious language that I instinctively knew could unlock my musical expressions. To be able to write a composition for a large group of people by starting with a blank piece of score paper, with its infinite possibilities for inventiveness, was absolutely spellbinding to me. I always had an intense desire to understand it fully and master it completely. Although I’m still a work in progress—because the evolution of music theory is infinite—I so much enjoy being able to use what I do know, and I still continue to study it.”
Steve Vai and Miho Arai have collaborated on the release of PIANO REDUCTIONS VOL. 2.
He offers, “I had seen video clips that Miho had made of her performing some of my songs on solo piano from her home on an electric keyboard, and I was blown away. I contacted her and asked if she would be interested in recording this record. Based on the fact that she had my Vai logo tattooed on her neck, I assumed she would be interested in this project, and she was! I choose the songs and over a 3-4 year period we would go into Ocean Way studios and record a few tracks at a time. It was obvious to me that she is a completely thoroughly trained musician and piano virtuoso. Her command of the instrument is stunning, and she took these songs and found all the little golden nuggets within them. She is an inspired player and I feel great appreciation for the way she respected, arranged and performed these tracks.” To hear music and read more: http://www.vai.com/pianoreductionsvol2/
The complete track listing includes, “Burning Rain,” “Lotus Feet,” “Lucky Charms,” “Whispering A Prayer,” “The Silent Within,” “The Moon and I,” “For The Love of God,” “Blood and Glory,” “Creamsicle Sunset,” “Dying For Your Love,” “Feathers,” and “The Story of Light.”
Vai’s prior similar release “Piano Reductions: Vol. I” was released in November, 2004, and featured eleven songs from his repertoire performed by Mike Keneally. Over the past four years, the current title took flight with piano virtuoso Miho Arai as the featured artist performing twelve Vai compositions. The title will be released globally by The Orchard.