ALL REVOLUTIONS ARE TEMPORARY...

Recently I rediscovered my old turntable. Covered in dust, neglected and relegated to an unused corner of the den, tucked into it’s “imitation woodgrain cabinet’ along with the dual cassette deck, AM/FM receiver and 5 disc CD tray, MASSIVE remote included, my JVC component stereo system was pretty awesome stuff when Buff and I bought it some 22 years ago, at Circuit City in Nashville. In the ensuing years, it had become just a piece of furniture and thanks to the CD/iTunes revolution, it’s absence wasn’t noticed at all for a looooong time! It was a good place to stack books when the bookshelf was too full (or far away). I had even thought of selling it from time to time. 

 A vinyl record shop re-opening in my hometown (https://www.facebook.com/VarietyRecordLounge) probably had something to do with me “remembering” my stereo, but for whatever reason, sitting down with my record collection made me realize just how much I’d missed it. Buff bet me that it wouldn’t even work anymore but as I dropped the needle that warm, boomy tone jumped out of our speakers that still bear the tattered remnants of our long passed cat General Sterling Price’s passion for well sharpened claws. 

 First, a disclaimer, I like technology. I am a fan of all things new and shiny and, when it comes to recorded music, iTunes and MP3’s have their place and play a huge part in my personal enjoyment of music as well as in my professional relationship with the art form. I have about 60 vinyl albums at the moment but I have about 4,000 CD’s and according to my iTunes library 7,536 “albums”, so obviously iTunes wins in quanity! As much as I travel, being able to take my entire iTunes collection on the road, via en external hard drive is awesome. Being able to pull up any song on YouTube or Rhapsody, Spotify, Pandora or any other streaming service (I’ll have to write another blog about how artists are getting screwed by the unfair streaming laws) is really a sign of the times for our culture. My iPhone and iPad are instant jukeboxes for me and my car stereo is actually just a flash-drive socket that plays stuff from my iTunes. It was 6 months or so before I discovered that the radio portion of my car stereo wasn’t even hooked up in my car.  We are the “RIGHT NOW” generation. We don’t wait well for anything. In fact, I see examples all the time of how little patience many of us have for, well, ‘patience’. 

 As I sit in the floor (yes it’s best to sit in the floor while listening to records, try it.) and pull out some of my albums I remember how strong of an impact the music has when I can look at the artwork (in a size that you can actually see), read the liner notes, absorb the entire artistic effort and then of course you have to get up and turn the record over to hear side 2 (or 3 or 4 for that matter). The smell of the cardboard and vinyl, the occasional crackle and pop from the speakers as the needle jumps a tiny scratch. The sound of the needle automatically lifting, signaling the time to change sides. 

 Listening to records is a physical commitment that you can’t have with iTunes. In one of the great ironies of technology, listening to vinyl albums is an interactive experience while iTunes is really a static experience. Records require something of the owner and the listener. There’s the aforementioned physical “turning over” of records, not to mention taking them out of the sleeve and placing the needle on the groove (no accident that they’re called ‘grooves’)They get scratched and warped if they’re not taken care of so you have to be responsible. You tend to listen to songs on albums in order and I at least, tend to listen to an entire side of a record before I change to another. Records make it more likely that you’ll listen to the tracks “in order”, in other words, in the sequence that the artist intended for them to be played. When I started making records, it was still standard practice to put thought into the sequencing of a record. They told a story or at least had some kind of thread. Those days are mostly gone and songs drive the popular conscience these days. In some ways I agree, I don’t want to hear an entire album of The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?). Maybe they would do all animals with different senses like; “What Does The Goat Hear” or “What Does The Unicorn Smell” or “Why The Komodo Dragon Cries”. And I could go off on a tangent about how disposable music seems to be to our culture today but I won’t. 

 I pulled out my copy of Prince’s 1999 and remembered listening to it over and over, when I first discovered it back in the late ‘80‘s, studying the cover for clues, reading the liner notes and trying to hear Dez Dickerson’s parts as opposed to Prince’s guitar licks. I remembered the fact that for a double album, I thought it was strange/cool that it came in a single album cover with two inner sleeves. Pictures of Prince and the band on each side. The label on the record was simply a picture of Prince’s eye. Lyrics printed out for the songs! The imagery tying in with the music making it somehow more powerful and stronger. Sure I went on to buy that record on cassette and later on CD and even later on iTunes (I really like that album) but no other format ever had the impact of hearing it on vinyl. Before you think that I’m about to go off on how much “better” vinyl sounds than CD, let me just say that I’ve spent the last 24 years standing in front of LOUD guitar amps and crashing cymbals. I don’t testify to be able to hear any sonic superiority for anybody but me (I know what sounds good to me:)). 

 My stack of Jimi Hendrix bootlegs brought back many memories of being in Japan or Italy or the UK and searching through record stores and flea markets for basically any albums with Jimi’s name or face on the cover. Imagine a 6 week tour of Europe and carrying a stack of albums along with your luggage and guitar! That my friend is commitment! My copy of Santana’s Abraxas album, even in it’s worn and faded state seems to explode with color and imagery. Coming from the same vibe as Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, it just draws you in and says, “Play me!”. I listened to it yesterday and was instantly inspired. I can’t say the same for the 1,000+ times I’ve listened to that record on iTunes. 

 While I would claim to have a fairly cool and extensive CD collection (easier to carry throughout Europe...) and an insane iTunes collection that will require a team of psychologists many years to explain, my record collection is small and more of a combination of cool stuff (Hendrix, SRV, Sinatra, BB KIng, Muddy Waters, George Jones, an insane amount of Earl Hooker records...) quirky stuff; The Carpenters Greatest Hits, and various mysteries that have been lost to time; Why do we have an album of “The Worlds Greatest Sound Effects”, 3 copies of Hank Williams Jr.’s Greatest Hits, 2 copies of the soundtrack to The Blues Brothers Movie, The Best of Tony Bennett Vol. 2 (where the heck is Volume 1?!?!?). 

 One of my best friends and I argue all the time about the merits of being able to hold an album in your hands while you listen as opposed to the immediacy and convenience of an MP3, I’m sure we’ll argue some more after he reads this:) but I didn’t really write this blog to spark any arguments or debates, it’s more of an epiphany for me that, through my “re-discovery” of my record collection, I can easily and immediately revisit specific times and memories in my life and that, to me, is one of music’s greatest strengths and magical powers. Music transcends language, culture, time and even technology!

My Gateway Drug

Riding down the road today, my mind started wandering about how I got here (with a GPS! Hahahahaa...sorry I couldn’t resist!). I love my job. I love making music and performing, I love recording and working with other musicians to create something bigger than ourselves. I have grown up being a musician. From my earliest memories, music was always around and I look at those times as an indoctrination of sorts that enabled me to become who I am. Music has always been there. I started playing music seriously (I think that‘s an oxymoron) late in respect to years, but I think I was studying lessons that would serve me in that regard all along. Church, my parents record collection, television, radio and later MTV, all of these factors contributed to my education. I can still sing the words to Gilligan’s Island, Love Boat, The Brady Bunch and Green Acres (back when TV theme songs had lyrics and cool melodies!). Little did I know that I was practicing remembering lyrics!
So what was my ‘tipping point’? My ‘gateway drug’, so to speak. James Marshall Hendrix. I distinctly remember the first time I came across his name; it was at school. We had these wooden desks that prior classes had carved into. Pot leaves, call letters for the local rock radio station (WKDF in Nashville, now a country station, my how things change!), girls’ names, boys’ names, band names (Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Deep Purple, etc.) and on one desk that I sat at, I can remember seeing the name Jimi Hendrix. That’s it, just the name. No explanation or even a clue as to who he was or what he did. I remember asking a classmate who Jimi Hendrix was and they said, “I’m not sure, I think he’s a guitar player or something.”
My local record store was called Sound Shop. It was in the local Mall. I came up during the cassette era and they had a good sized selection of rock and country. I bought my copy of Rebel Yell by Billy Idol, my copy of Heartbeat City by The Cars, the Footloose soundtrack, I could never manage to buy the .38 Special tape Wild Eyed Southern Boys, because it was never ever on sale... NEVER! I grew up with 5 really close friends. At some point, for some reason that I’m sure made sense in my youth, my friends and I decided to get really heavy into “60’s” music. I doubt if we even really knew exactly what that was or why we should even care, but we decided that The Doors would be a good place to start. Probably thanks to the fact that we were watching Apocalypse Now about twice a week, (I had that soundtrack on VINYL thank you very much). The Doors were cool and spooky and no one else at school was listening to them, so we liked them even more! I remember going in the store alone one day and seeing a white cassette that said ‘Jimi Hendrix: Soundtrack to the Motion Picture’. It looked interesting, guy in a cowboy hat sitting on a stool on an otherwise white cover. I wish I could remember what I paid for it, $7.99 probably, but I do remember the thin, plastic yellow bag that said Sound Shop in bold black letters on the outside. I remember walking out of the Mall past the video arcade (Pirates Cove!) and getting in my truck, tearing the plastic off my new purchase and cranking the old Pioneer (with an additional booster with graphic equalizer in the glove box!). I remember all these details because they would forever be marked in my life as the before part, as in ‘before and after’.I had never heard any of these songs before and I had never heard any songs like them. The songs were interspersed with interview clips from Little Richard, Jimi’s dad and some others I can’t remember. The acoustic version of Hear My Train A’Comin” with Jimi asking “did you think I’d do that?” at the end, The Star Spangled Banner, Johnny B. Goode was ferociously cool but the song that really stands out in my memory was Purple Haze. It was my first time hearing that song and it sounded huge! Metallic. I have since become a devoted student of Jimi’s music and I have probably heard every version of Purple Haze, from live versions to every studio take of the song, but it never hits you like the first time. I currently have 135 different versions on my iTunes alone!
I think it’s interesting how past memories seem to condense. I’m trying to remember how things happened sequentially after that, but it really seems like a blur. I do know that I immediately fell in love with Jimi Hendrix’ music and had to find and hear all of it that I could. My next purchase was Kiss The Sky a compilation tape that Warner Brothers put out in the 80’s (probably in response to my interest!). That’s the first time I heard Are You Experienced?. Again, I was hooked. It’s hard to relate to now, but I had no real resource for my interest in Jimi. There was no internet, no YouTube, none of my friends knew who the hell he was, much less the best way to approach learning his music and his story. I’ve always been that way, if I find an artist or an actor or a writer that I like, I tend to devour their work and learn as much as I possibly can about them. In the case of Jimi, I had no idea what albums came first, where he was now, or anything. This is the time before DVD and music videos were in their infancy. I had probably heard all three studio albums (Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland) before I had even seen any video footage of Jimi. I found a book about Jimi by Jerry Hopkins in the school library (the only thing I think I ever stole) and then I could get the discography together, understand when he died and how, and try to gain some initial idea of why he was significant. I was blessed with parents who gave me confidence and self value so that I was able to appreciate the music that I liked because I liked it instead of being told ‘this is good, you should like this.’. I liked Elvis long before I found out he was the King of Rock and Roll and still liked him when it was no longer cool to like him. I loved Jimi Hendrix. He could have just as easily been some kind of cult figure in music and I would have still devoured his every note.
Around the time that I acquired the soundtrack and heard Purple Haze for the first time, a voice I had never really heard in my head told me that the time had come for me to learn how to play the guitar. It wasn’t the voice that told me that it might be time for some fish sticks and ketchup after school, or the voice that told me algebra was a waste of time, it was a new, confident, clear voice that left no doubt that I would do what it said. Get a guitar, learn how to play it like Jimi Hendrix, simple! I asked for an electric guitar for Christmas and my parents, God bless them, got it for me. I doubt if they ever dreamed that that act would lead to the tattoos, ear rings, loaded passports and closets full of guitars and amps that followed, but they knew that their child wanted something and they figured out how to pay for it. That didn’t always happen, we didn’t have a lot of money growing up, but my parents broke their backs to give me and my brother everything they could. Along with the guitar, I got a Mel Bay Chord book. A big Mel Bay chord book with thousands of chords that I had no idea how to play. I didn’t know how to tune my guitar or even where to start. It was a catastrophe! My dad loved to tell this story, especially the part where he said “either you’re going to take lessons or I’m throwing that thing out in the yard!” he said it with a smile and with love (like he said everything to me) but he meant it! The short version of this part is that I found the best teacher in the world, Doug Thurman, and he had me bring in a song I wanted to learn and he showed me how to learn it from the cassette. That song was Voodoo Chile (Slight Return), (from my Kiss The Sky tape!!) and I was off! That was a long time ago, I went on to work with and become friends with one of Jimi’s biggest influences Buddy Guy, I recorded with his final rhythm section Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox, I became friends with Band Of Gypsys drummer Buddy Miles, met Jimi’s dad before he passed. I can’t believe the path my life has taken, but i still put on my Jimi Hendrix records (or Cds or MP3 files) and search them for some new hidden treasures. I am never disappointed, Jimi never lets me down!
We just passed the exit for Clear Lake IA and the Surf Ballroom where another Strat player played his last gig, now about Buddy Holly...

The Electric Church...

Great weekend! At the last minute, we got invited to go to Florence SC and play at the Pee Dee Blues Bash. We were fortunate to have Brian Pepo on bass for the weekend and we had a blast. I do, however, think that the Hampton Inn has some really strange “parking issues”. I even made it home Sunday in time for the Titans game (which they WON) and to make chili for my girls (which was too spicy and promptly made my wife sick!). Working this morning on the next project in line which looks like it’s going to be an EP, just working on the running order and what’s actually going to go on it, but I will have the full scoop soon. So far I can say that it is the proud tradition of Loud Is Good!
Random Thoughts;
1. Finally ate at Five Guys Hamburgers, Very Good! Although one order of fries would probably feed a family of 6!
2. Reading The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology by Ray Kurzweil. Just started it but a good thought provoking book so far!
3. Listening to Miles, Michael Landau, Stockhausen and Living Colour
4. Curb Your Enthusiasm is an awesome show!

Numero Uno!!

MEDICAL HISTORY OF #1

PATIENT NAME: #1

PATIENT AGE: 14 yrs.

DESCRIPTION: Fender Stratocaster built in 1995 @ Fender Custom Shop by Larry Brooks. Ash Body, Hand Shaped Bird’s Eye Maple Neck

DISTINGUISHING MARKS: Eric Clapton signature on back of headstock (To Scott Eric Clapton ’96), various dents, scratches, scrapes, dings, gouges, scars, blood stains, etc.

HISTORY OF REPAIRS: 2 Fret Jobs, 11 pickup replacements, 3 tone knob replacements, 3 volume knob replacements, 3 volume pot replacements, 4 tone pot replacements, 2 pick guard replacements, 3 tremolo block replacements, 14 tremolo bar replacements, 3 nut replacements, 6 spring replacements, 6 strap button repairs (including drilling new hole for rear strap button), 2 headstock repairs, 2 5-way switch assembly replacements, 2 output jack replacements

Read The Secret! Now!!

My five favorite melodies, in no particular order;
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No.2 2.2Adagio sostenuto
Carlos Santana - Europa
Jimi Hendrix - May This Be Love
Earth Wind & Fire - September
Claude Debussy - Arabesque


Great gigs this weekend, hitting Stevie Ray's in Louisville tonight for round 2. Thanks to Mario Sangermano for filling in on bass! Great to see my friends Gary Brinkley and Kempf Poole. Looking forward to Chicago tomorrow, Buddy Guy's of course! Listening to Fleetwood Mac's Pious Bird Of Good Omen album this afternoon, Albatross is a beautiful song! Yes kids, Fleetwood Mac was a blues band at one time! All guitar players should recognize. We broke the record on this trip tp Louisville for eating at one spot, 3 times at Lynn's Paradise Cafe. Great Food!!

My top five books of the moment, again, no particular order;
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
Secrets of the Talking Jaguar by Martin Prechtel
Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo
The Bible

Quote of the day, or something for your brain to chew on until we meet again; "I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none."
Ben Shahn
US (Lithuanian-born) painter (1898 - 1969)

Michael Jackson/Ted Kennedy conspiracy revealed!

So it’s been a while and a lot of stuff’s going on so here’s a little catch up. Richard decided to come off the road after 8 years as my bass player and it’s a good thing for him but still very sad. We’re still in touch and he’s really getting into writing and hopefully we’ll be doing some recording together in the near future. Most of you know Richard and he’s been such a big part of the band for so long that I know we’ll all miss him on the gig, but as he gets projects out, I know you’ll all support him and his work!
We’re working on a bunch of new stuff for the future and I’ll talk more about it as it comes up, but rest assured that we are headed to a whole ‘nother level! Last week, I had a chance to spend some time hanging out with my MF brother CMFL, Buddy Guy and BB King in Westbury NY. It’s always a blast to get to see BG, my mentor/friend and catch up. Buddy recently celebrated his 73 birthday and he’s in great shape and playing his butt off! He was nice enough to invite me up to jam and we played Slippin’ In together (haven’t been able to find it on You Tube tho!). I haven’t played that song in a while and I was nervous as a cat! Buddy’s band is a great bunch of guys and they always make me feel welcome. After the show, we hung out with BB on his bus for a little bit and I got him to autograph a picture for my daughter.
Looking forward to seeing our friends in London ON in a couple of weeks and getting some new music together. I’ve been digging on Pandora thanks to my MF brother KMFP. Merle Haggard, Buddy Guy and Ratt all on one radio station! We live in a great age! I’ve been listening to some cool stuff lately that’s really helping me open up musically. Tinariwen, Tom Waits, lots and lots of Miles, The Replacements, David Lindley…just finding new areas of the garden to explore. I’m really excited about the future. I want to work harder at creating work that is uplifting, inspiring and entertaining. Music is a tremendous force of healing and I want to use it for that purpose! Yesterday I was listening to Aubrey Ghent’s version of Amazing Grace. The soul and joy in that performance left me speechless!

Gene Simmons; "I'm really not a vampire!"

Finally home and rested from the 7 weeks we’ve just put in the van (2 days off didn’t count!). My ears have stopped ringing and my caluses are all good and hard! Pardon me for the tech talk, but I’m using a new pedal that I’m really digging and I want to spread the word; http://www.heavyelectronics.com/ check ‘em out!
I had a blast this past weekend playing at home and with some old friends. We had Keith Kenyon on bass, Hodge Cook on keyboards and Doug Thurman on guitar. We were also joined by our old friend Geno Haffner on keys and of course Bobby Inman. My cousin Nick Holt played some blazing guitar and sounded great! I was glad that my wife was there, because she hasn’t heard us play in a while. Looking forward to this weekend in Iowa and playing for our friends in the Mid-West!
Thought for the day; Nothing in the world is permanent, and we're foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we're still more foolish not to take delight in it while we have it. If change is of the essence of existence one would have thought it only sensible to make it the premise of our philosophy.
W. Somerset Maugham,

Lists:

Top 5 Albums (as of right now):
1. Donny Hathaway – Live
2. Jimi Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys
3. Miles Davis – Live Around The World
4. Jeff Buckley – Grace
5. Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks

Damn Right I've Got The Blues

I wanted to post some more thoughts about the new record and talk about the song Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues. This song has special memories for me, because it’s one of the first ones that we were playing with Buddy when his first record for the Silvertone label came out. The intro, I think, Buddy copped from Cream’s Strange Brew, which was actually a lick that Eric Clapton borrowed from Albert King. Anyway, let’s just say that the song’s got some deep roots!
When I started trying to decide which songs of Buddy’s to put on the record, Damn Right was kind of a no-brainer. It’s so strongly identified with Buddy that it would almost seem weird not to at least attempt it. I really didn’t know what to do with it, so we just took the intro and then transformed the groove into a minor key and let it rip. I also listened to the lyrics, to make sure that the message of what’s being said can be accompanied and reinforced by the music and not detracted from it. We’ve all heard cover versions of songs that sounded like they just took some music that they had lying around and wrapped other words to it. Luckily, I think we came up with a nice little slant on Buddy’s version. I’ve said it a million times, but my goal in this project was to pay tribute to Buddy and try and reinterpret his work, not make a slavish copy of what he’s already done.
Playing this song live with Buddy, always used to excite me. This was a song that we knew the crowd would go wild on and Buddy always attacked this song full throttle which made you want to really dig in and get it. Looking back, I’m sure there were times when I probably hit it too hard, but fortunately for me Buddy always managed to forgive my excitement! Thanks again Buddy!
For you tech heads, this song (as well as every other song on this record) was recorded using my trusty Obrien 100 watt head through the Marshall 4X12 cabinet that I used when I was with Buddy. That thing’s got some vibe, let me tell you. It’s also heard Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues as many times as I have! If you listen close on the very first part of the intro, you can hear entire room vibrating! That’s how loud we were going on this record!

Dispatch: Buffalo

Buffalo last night, night off tonight and then two more shows and home! Gigs have been going great. The band sounds ferocious (when they’re allowed to…hmmmm). Our gear still limps along battered and bruised but refusing to bow. Much like the SHB. We won’t stop. I’m so excited about the new record. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. Some of our friends have heard it and they say they like it. These are people that I trust to tell me the truth. It’s much like the time I spent in the Congo working with the Peace Corps. Once I woke before the rest of the team and in the still quiet of the morning in the rain forest, I looked out of my tent and saw a huge silver back gorilla just feet from the campsite. We looked at each other for what felt like an eternity before he stood to his full height and beat his chest. He then disappeared back into the jungle and it was then that I realized what true silence sounded like. Even the birds were still. I smelled something. I was standing in a large pile of gorilla feces. I forgave the gorilla immediately, but I’ll never stand barefoot near one again!
William Shatner is brilliant!

Dispatch #2: London

Last night was London. Great town, great crowd. Very understanding considering the problems we had. My amp decided that she wanted to give me the silent treatment and in the short amount of time we had before we went on, I couldn’t convince her otherwise. Guitar tech #16 (a.k.a. Cedric) is just learning the ropes and has truly been thrown into the fire head first, but he made his way through and I hope someday he looks back on this time and realizes that he maybe learned something from the crazy bald guitar player!
The Canadian audiences that we’ve had the privilege of playing for are some of the most gracious and kind people I’ve ever had the joy to meet. I look forward to every visit to their country and hope that no matter what, we’ll always be able to entertain them.
Wayne Shorter’s Native Dancer CD is amazing.
Angels surround us all…

Dispatch #1: Windsor

So you play guitar. Or you work in a store, or you make shoes. Your work should be your art. It is your art whether you know it or not. Do what you love. Do what you love and let the rest take care of itself. Tonight we played in front of 2 or 3 thousand people, and it was great. The band played up. They played at that pro level that they live at. We attacked the people who don’t realize sometimes that you don’t play those kinds of gigs every night. Some nights are hard. Some nights you’re playing for folks who don’t really want to receive what you have to offer. Some nights God places you in a town or in a situation where you’re purpose isn’t clear. Maybe you’re not the key ingredient in the mix on that moment, but you better believe that if God’s got you there, it’s for a reason. At the end of the night, people tell you how much they enjoyed you, and they have no idea how much you need to hear that. How quiet it is some nights. How you doubt and worry and wonder. I love to play music. I love Buffy and Olivia much more, so if I didn’t love playing music, there’s no way I’d leave home for weeks at a time to do what I do. Tonight, as I write this, listening to Wayne Shorter, waiting on the pizza that Tom ordered (bad idea though it be), missing my love, my heart is full of the joy that people gave to me tonight. The light on Richard and Tom’s faces as they felt the love of their audience and knew that what they were doing was good, and well received. Good night.

I'm gonna try to post some blogs that deal with the specific songs on the new record. As many of you know, when we're on the road, we don't always get Internet and we stay pretty busy, so this little project might take longer than the actual record, but I think it's a worthy thing to do.
The first song on the new record is simply called "Intro". It's just a small piece of music, but it's very significant in my history of studying the work of Buddy Guy. I first heard this on a record called Folk Festival Of The Blues. it was released on Chess and is a sort of half live/half studio thing with canned audience noise added to make it seem like a real live recording. First of all, find that record and listen to the whole thing! Buddy and his band (Fred Below & Jack Meyers) back up Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf & Sonny Boy Williamson. The MC, Big Bill Hill, a Chicago DJ, refers to Little Walter being there too. Anyway, at a couple of points on the record, sort of as a set up between artists, Buddy and the band play this little riff. Both times, it's so cool because it's so out of context. The song following it is always in a different key! It just sounds raw and cool. Pure Buddy Guy. I next heard the riff on a Jeff Beck record. I then read somewhere that he had copied it from the same record. Good enough for Buddy Guy & Jeff Beck, good enough for me!

¡Se hace el viaje de la costa oeste!

The West Coast tour is finally in the history books, and after everybody has a chance to take a little vacation, we get right back at it in Louisville on June 1 & 2. What a trip the last month has been! My Uncle Wayne is always kidding me about the fact that we take out 3 guitar amps with us when we tour. I finally had a chance to call him and tell him that, this time, 3 wasn't enough! I got my guitar back from the repair shop yesterday (Thanks Mike Lennon @ The Apprentice Shop!!) and Tim (Obrien) tells me that my red amp is fixed and ready to go. Still have to fix the 100 watt Obrien and my emergency back up amp. Maybe I should start taking 4 amps out with me! The new record is ready to come out on June 26 and we are playing the songs live every night in the show, so come check 'em out live! The June 17 gig at Buddy Guy's will be a special night for us since the record will be out a few days later. We are trying to figure out if we'll be able to sell copies of the record at the show or not. (fingers crossed!)
A lot of people asked me after everything that happened on the last leg of the tour, how I'm staying so up and positive? Even though I'm not really a negative person to begin with, I really think it's because I believe that 2007 is going to be the biggest, most amazing year yet for the SHB. We are sitting on the best record we've ever made, we have an amazing group of people supporting us and musically this band is the best I've ever been in. Just watch what happens!

The SHB and The Legend of the Lost Chord (or How Richard got online)

A harsh desert wind blew across the horizon in front of the group, burning their skin and robbing their vision. The trail curved first one way and then another. "This is worse than a pig trail!", said Tom. The equipment wagon rocked to and fro from the rocky terrain as Chris tried valiantly to hold the reins and steer. In the cloud of dust that surrounded the boys, only Tom, Richard and Chris could be seen. "Where's Scott?" Richard wondered, "Did he fall off a cliff? Was he lay ed upon by highwaymen? Did he find a record store?" Just then Tom noticed that the whine of the wind was growing louder and more pronounced. "What the hell is that?" wondered Tom, "It sounds like...like...FEEDBACK!"
Suddenly, right in front of the boys, a large silver ship descended from the sky. As it landed in the middle of the trail, 2 O'Brien 4X12 cabinets extended from either side of the craft and Scott's voice came booming out at 120db, "HEY GUYS! I FOUND THIS SPACESHIP IN THE DESERT BACK THERE. IT'S GOT ROOM FOR OUR HORSES AND A JACK TO PLUG MY GUITAR INTO!" With that, the air was filled with a flurry of notes that crashed into a whammy bar dive and the door to the ship opened. There was Scott, sitting on a large sofa playing his guitar. As the boys led their horses and the equipment onto the ship, Tom was struck in the back of the head by a cellphone. "Let's get out of here!", exclaimed Tom, "it's agents trying to change dates on our tour and they've got club owners and old people who just want to have dinner and not have to listen to music with them!"
"I'm trying to get us out of here, but the door's stuck!", said Richard, as another cellphone and a rock with a request for Sweet Home Alabama tied to it struck him in the forehead. Chris began to sob uncontrollably, "We're doomed! Doomed!" Scott grabbed his guitar and said, "Don't fret little bear, I have an idea."...

TO BE CONTINUED

The SHB rides again (or how Chris found the light)

The coals from the campfire were glowing with the last heat as Richard emptied the last of his coffee cup and swung into the saddle, saying, "Let's ride boys, we're burning daylight." The dust from the trail was held close with the morning dew as our four intrepid riders of the purple sage headed off into the violet dawn. With Tom riding point and Scott riding drag, they were sure that the equipment wagon would be safe from road agents. The first arrow caught Chris in the shoulder blade. "Injuns!" he cried. "No", said Tom, "it's worse...it's...clubowners!" With a bloodcurdling war cry of "TURN DOWN!" the pack of rouge club owner warriors swarmed our faithful little troop and tried to do them in. The air around the boys was filled with bar tabs and song requests. "Let's get out of here." said Scott, "We can out run them!" Suddenly Richard exclaimed, "Look! Up ahead!" It was a canyon rim, and the boys were headed straight for it...

To Be Continued

Western Tour '07 / Our story so far...

Blew up amp #1. Blew up amp#2. Blew up amp #3. Broke the headstock on my #1 guitar. Broke headlight dimmer switch. Broke trailer taillight. Lost 3 socks. Tom has dysentery. Have only 2 high "E" strings left. Can't find parts to fix amps. Paid amp repair man in Seattle to fix amps...didn't fix amps...Tom yelled at them and got half our money back. Tom threw up. It was very cold, now it's very hot. Motel 6 doesn't have Internet...they do have a Denney's in the parking lot...I hate Denney's. Borrowed amp (thanks Kyle). Richard says he's having a glorious day...I agree.

Marching pt. 2 / Intermission

We finished the Canadian dates with Johnny Winter on Tuesday and were back home by Wednesday afternoon. What a blast getting to open shows for a legend like Johnny Winter. We finally got a chance to meet him on the last day, and I thanked him for letting us open for him. What do you say to someone whose music has influenced you so deeply?

So now the month is almost done, 2 shows left before a nice long 6 day break! Meantime, Project X has a name (TBA) and hopefully a release date in the next couple of months. We're just finishing the mixing and song selection. Just a little hint, while we were in Canada, Richard and Tom visited with the fans in line for the shows and gave out SHB compilation cds. I didn't tell anyone, but I put a couple of new tracks at the end of the cd, so if you got one of the ones I made, you've got some unheard (outside the band) music!

Thanks to all our Canadian friends who always make us feel so welcome when we come to your beautiful country. I can't wait to come back this summer and have some more fun with ya'll!