15 albums

What inspired to come back to this blog was a note I writing on Facebook. I saw one of those chain letter things that is starting to go around, and it's asking to name 15 albums "you've heard that will always stick with you." You gotta tag people blahblahblah.

I wrote my list:

Rust in Peace - Megadeth
Boston - Boston
...And Justice for All - Metallica
Be Here Now - Oasis
Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
Back In Black - AC/DC
Powerage - AC/DC
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughn
The New Order - Testament
Evil Empire - Rage Against the Machine
Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne
Led Zeppelin II - Led Zep
CCR Greatest Hits - duh
The Guess Who (Best of) - durr

I initially wrote a long list of album via stream of conscious and needed to narrow it down, so I came up with criteria for an album remain on the list.

1) Song "liking" consistency - as in, how many songs do I actually like within the album. I decided that an album would need to have at least four songs that I "really like"to stay on the list. In doing this, I realized that "really liking" every single track on an album is somewhat rare for me. I can only say that for three. For the rest though, I can say I really like most of the tracks.

2) Sentimentality - Music can draw emotions or memories from periods in your life. Two albums I selected contained songs I heard alot as a child (you can probably guess which), while another is the first CD I ever bought.

3) Musical inspiration - Being a guitarist, there are certain albums that inspired or helped me to push my musical and technical skills further. Not surprisingly, most of the albums listed are guitar-driven. One album listed inspired me to learn guitar, while another helped me tremendously to overcome a rut and advance my playing.

Save for a couple, the albums are in the classic-rock/metal realm. This obviously stems from my upbringing and penchant for guitar-playing.

An interesting point is that I didn't think about lyrical content. When listening to song, I tend to listen to the actual music than the words. As such, I rarely like a song for what the singer is saying. This is odd given that I'm a writer (of sorts). That is not to say I should only listen to instrumentals. The singing within a song can enhance my music enjoyment through its melody and attitude; but poor lyrics will not ruin a song for me.

Been a while

Well, I totally forgot about this blog space.

Some updates:

• I've been keeping busy for the past year or so. I've moved to Thunder Bay and am pursuing a career in film. I'm going into my second year of the film production program at Confederation College.

• I'm still writing. After a few posts on this blog, I got asked to maintain a blog on the SEVEN Youth Media Network site. SEVEN is a youth network that aims at promoting and telling positive stories for Aboriginal youth. I actually helped to get SEVEN started off the ground by putting the first two issues out when it was called "Celebrate Life! with the Seventh Generation", which was a partnership at the time between Wawatay and a youth organization based in Toronto. I'm always happy to share my experiences stories with other youth. I hope it inspires them to go out and try things. I tried to remind myself to link the blog here so the 3-4 of you can read it (haha!), but alas, I'm lazy and forgetful.

ANYWAY, my SEVEN blog can be found here. I wrote about some of my college film experiences there.

• I'm heading to Mexico in a couple days (technically tomorrow, Aug. 23). I'm going with three other film students to attend the Monterrey International Film Festival. We've been fundraising throughout the summer and I'm excited to go.
  

I'll try to write here and on the SEVEN site as much as possible.

60 Minutes...with Me!

Whenever I bought a new issue of Guitar World, I always looked forward to the section called "60 Minutes: 'The Hour of Music that Rocks my World.'"

In it, a famous guitarist would select about 10-12 songs that have inspired or deeply affected them, then they would describe why they selected each song. Even if it’s from a guitarist I don’t know or care for, I liked to read it because it offered some insight into music or the song and it would inspire me to check out new music.

I was thinking recently about what songs have inspired or influenced me, and figured hey, I’ll write it out and put it here. I made a list of about 20 songs and it took me a while to narrow it down, but here they are (click on song name for link to the song):

“Hell’s Bells”
AC/DC
Back in Black, 1980

When I was 16, my friends were getting into guitar, but I wasn’t as into it as they were. One night, I found a cassette of AC/DC’s Back in Black. Hmm, these guys are supposed to be good, I thought, so I gave it a listen that night. The next day, I went up to the best guitarist of my friends and said ‘Teach me this song.’ I just love the intro, how it builds up to the full band playing to the ominous riff; then the raspy vocals come in singing these bravado lyrics. Two years later, for my first public performance, I played this song.

“The Shortest Straw”
Metallica
...And Justice For all, 1988

Metallica was kind of the next step in my guitar-playing. It was more complicated than the open-chord based riffs and 4/4 time signature of AC/DC. Solos were more difficult too. It was hard to pick one song by this band, but I chose this. It has one of meanest riffs ever. I like the strumming pattern of the verse and chorus riffs, and the lyrical structure (three lines, then one word). I consider this to be Kirk’s most technically-challenging solo. It requires a variety of techniques. I still can’t get it down.

“Undun”
The Guess Who
Canned Wheat, 1969

I first heard this song when my dad watched a VHS tape of the band playing live. It’s a cool song, very laid-back with its jazzy chords and vocals. Burton Cummings is so underrated as a musician. I love his flute solo in this.

“No Shelter”
Rage Against the Machine
Godzilla Soundtrack, 1998

I’ve always liked this band for its infectious grooves and riffs, and this song encompasses that. Tom Morello’s whole Whammy Pedal-effects thing is a little schtick-y, I think, but it works and has helped define the band’s sound. Meanwhile, Zach’s rap vocals fit right in. Although I don’t particularly care for his political stance, I always thought he wrote intelligent lyrics.

“Pretty Girl”
John Rodrique
Unreleased, performed 1988?

I wrote about this song here, which pretty much sums up my feelings on it. Still brings back a lot of memories and stirs some emotions.

“Hummel Gets the Rockets”
Hans Zimmer
The Rock Soundtrack, 1996

The Rock is one of my favourite movies, and the score is a huge reason why. This track featured in the opening six minutes of the film and has two themes: first, during the opening sequence when General Hummel decides on the mission; then the badass theme when the Marines are infiltrating the base. It sounds very cool. I have it on my mp3 player.

“Hotel California”
The Eagles
Hotel California, 1976

This song also brings back a lot of memories, as my parents listened to this a lot. The lyrics evoke a lot of images – the desert road, the hotel corridor, girls dancing. The solo is one of my all-time favourites. When learning about music theory and scales, this was the first solo I dissected, seeing how the notes related to the chords underneath (I remember doing this in physics class haha). I also performed this song, and I think I did a good job.

“Estranged”
Guns ‘N Roses
Use Your Illusion II, 1991

This band is known for its dirty rock sound, but they’re so underrated as musicians. Along with “November Rain,” this song revealed their musical abilities are beyond rock stuff. The song is so epic, just the way it’s arranged and orchestrated. No instrument is overbearing. And Slash showcases his melodic playing here. His bends and note selection are so taste. This song is their masterpiece.

“East Hastings”
God Speed! You Black Emperor
F♯A♯∞, 1997

This is another band with great orchestration. The song is slow, but it's still captivating with the sombre guitar melodies and the cellos and violins that come in. Slowly, it intensifies and builds up to a crescendo that climaxes at the 12:00 mark. So awesome, I love it.

"Since I've Been Loving You"
Led Zeppelin
How the West Was Won, 2003

While I like the studio version (from Led Zeppelin III) of this minor-blues song, the live version is much more raw and intense. Guitarist Jimmy Page improvises more, and the interplay between him and Robert Plant during the verse is fun. Page expands on the opening solo, and the main solo is just so passionate. I get chills. The breakdown before the song's end is also pretty intense.

“2 Become 1”
Spice Girls
Spice, 1996

Every guitarist usually put a guilty pleasure. Here is mine. I like a lot of its elements: the backing track, the mood, the beat, and how each member has their own section to sing. I especially like Emma’s pre-chorus part. (Yes, I know their names. My sister worshipped the band back then, OK?)

“Tornado of Souls”
Megadeth
Rust in Peace, 1990

It was hard to pick a song on this album, let alone any Megadeth song, but I picked this song for several reasons. The intro is one of the most innovative – natural harmonics? Actually, I would describe the whole album as innovative, with its finger-tangling riffs and passages. Mustaine is known for his single-note riffs but he comes up with some the most interesting chord-progressions. It’s exciting to solo over in a jam session. So many possibilities. That said, the solo on this is my favourite of all-time. Marty Friedman claims he winged it, but it sounds just too good. His notes just fit so well with the chord played underneath. And the climax gets me every time. It sounds so amazing.

Been a while

More than two months, actually. Terrible. I have no excuse, really. Now I need to get back into a routine.

Some updates from previous posts:

• I went to the AC/DC show on Jan. 9. Fucking amazing. When they came onstage, I was like 'omg there's Angus in the flesh'. The place rumbled during the the first audience chorus chant during Dirty Deeds (I'm serious, the concrete floor felt rubbery for a second). They did all the things I expected, in terms of stage props and the trademark Angus antics. And yes, it was LOUD. Overall, awesome and unforgettable experience.
  

• In my video game post, I mentioned the game, Dead Space. Well, I beat it and was a bit disappointed in the ending. It was predictable and the story got kinda dumb; the sci-fi story turned out to have a huge religious aspect (not of Earth's, but still). And after the fifth level, the gameplay got repetitive. What kept me going was the suspense, mostly by how the story was told through audio logs recorded by crew members that are found throughout the levels.

• I still haven't finished Through Black Spruce! I went to Moosonee last month and brought the book along, and I forgot it when I came back but I have it now. I will finish it though and provide a review.

That's it for now, I guess. More posts will follow. I swear.

For Those About To Rooockkkk

I'm going to see AC/DC on Friday at Roger's Centre in T.O. and I'm vvveeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrryyyyyy excited.

You see, AC/DC is my all-time favourite band.

It all started when I found a cassette tape of their classic Black In Black album in my basement. The badass riffs and sweet solos inspired me to learn guitar. Then my dad gave me a VHS concert tape called Let There Be Rock: Live in Paris, which is from 1979. Through this, I discovered the awesomeness of their first lead singer, Bon Scott.

I bought all of their albums, concert DVD's, and read up on their band history.

"You Shook Me All Night Long" was the first solo I ever mastered, and when I joined the performance class in high school, "Hell's Bells" was the first song I covered.

For the last eight years, I've waited for their new album so that they can tour again.

I've always said 'I must see them live before I die.'

I was getting worried because they're getting old. When I told someone I was going, she exclaimed "They're still alive?"

With most of the members being in their late-50's (singer Brian Johnson is 61), the band is obviously on their last legs.

But apparently, they still put on a great (and LOUD) show. So I'm verrrrry psyched to go.

I'll still relish it if they play terribly.

And afterwards, I can die a happy man.

9

Whoa, so much for my post-a-day routine.

My laptop is out of commission until I receive the adapter I ordered, so entries will be sporadic until then.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Until the next entry, check out this trailer. Looks very cool.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/9/

On a dark desert highway

One of the greatest thrills a person can experience is the applause after a performance.

I think this is the loudest I've ever received:



(Special thanks to Chris Kataquapit in Moosonee for converting my dad's VHS copy of the performance to his PC and uploading it to Youtube.)

That was in my last year of high school. I was a student in the school's Music Performance Class, a unique course where the emphasis is performing onstage.
A little on how it works: to get into the course, you need to audition; a concert is scheduled and you select a song for which you'll be evaluated; you recruit whatever instrumentalists or vocalists you need; rehearsal; and then the concert.

For this performance, in April 2004, I selected 'Hotel California' not only because it's one of my favourite songs, but I wanted to do something a bit more grand -- a bit more complex than the Metallica or AC/DC songs I was doing.

It required the most classmates (seven: acoustic and electric guitarist, bassist, drummer, lead vocals and two-backups/maraca shakers), so it needed a bit more orchestration.

Thankfully for me, everyone knew their parts and were there for rehearsal.

And then of course, there was the solo. I wanted to trade solo sections with the other electric guitarist, as it's done on the recording, but before we went on-stage, she insisted I do it all myself.

So I was pretty pumped up for this song. I almost bought a 12-string acoustic just to make it that much better, but I thought 'How am I going to switch to the electric for the solo?'

One thing about grading: we had to introduce everyone performing in the song, or else we'd lose marks.

We also had to say an 'intro,' a note on why you're doing the song, or whatever -- 'something the audience will take away from the song,' our teacher always said. Students usually just said the year and album, and why they liked the song.

Fifteen minutes before showtime, I remembered an interview with Eagles' guitarist Don Felder on how he came up with the song: leased house on Malibu, chords 'oozed' out and he rushed to record idea, set cha-cha beat and tempo, singer Henley liked idea, Felder had doubts about it being a single.
It was in a guitar magazine I brought, so I scribbled the quotes down and used it as my intro, ending it with this: "Every once in a while, it seems like the cosmos part and something great just plops into your lap. That's how it was with 'Hotel California.'"

Everyone liked it, especially the teacher. After the show, as I was rolling up cables, he came up to me, shook my hand and said "Excellent intro." He started to walk away, but he stopped, turned around and said "Oh, and your performance, of course."

And the performance was pretty good. Everyone knew their parts, the sound levels were good. On my part, some sour notes still irk me but overall, I'm proud of it. It's my favourite performance of all the concerts I did in my two years in that class.

And I'm glad the audience appreciated it at the end. It's hard to see the faces out there, with the blinding stage lights, but I could hear them. I could hear their applause.