Gregory Hyde ::: BLOG

Most Influential Albums: HUM

2012-01-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is technically two albums... it isn't a double-album, but for me it might as well have been in the fall of 1998, when I discovered HUM.

The single "Stars" from HUM's previous disk, You'd Prefer an Astronaut, had some airplay on what was just beginning to be dubbed "Modern Rock" radio. I loved "Stars", but the radio personalities in Tulsa never announced who it was. In those days, you couldn't just Shazam your way into knowledge of a cool artist - if someone didn't tell you who made that awesome track blasting your car speakers into oblivion, you just didn't know.

For this reason, when I had time to kill, you could usually find me in a record store listening through all the preview CD kiosks. It took either a very confident or very stupid artist and a label with money to burn to get a CD in one of those headphone-attached CD players welded into the display aisles. The major labels certainly didn't want anyone deciding not to spend their $15 on a CD because they actually got to hear the thing ahead of time. Why, they just might find out the versions of those Poe songs on the radio aren't even ON the stinkin' CD, not to mention her other songs sound like a mental patient found a cheap keyboard and a tape recorder. I did discover a few artists had great albums via those kiosks though. I digress...

HUM's Downward is Heavenward album happened to be in such a kiosk at Blockbuster Music (remember them?) in Tulsa on one of my time-killer excursions. The opening track, "Isle of the Cheetah", has a very long intro. But once I heard Matt Talbot's voice, I knew this was the same band from that single I couldn't trace months before. Nobody sounds like Matt. Nobody. Love his voice or hate it - there's no disputing his uniqueness.

It wasn't just that I found the answer to a music riddle. It wasn't just that these were some stellar musicians playing some cool songs. This was the sound I had been chasing on my own projects for years. Heavy. Super heavy. Spinal damage via your ear canal heavy. But there was no growling, screaming, testosterone overloaded frontman barking about darkness and how he was tougher than death. No fake macho bull to appeal to skinny teenage boys in black t-shirts, just some killer melody lines sung by a guy who was only moderately able to carry a tune. This was space rock of the highest degree.

I had been trying to make music of this sort through a few different bands I was in, but nobody else seemed to get it. HUM was making the albums I wished I could make. So I, of course, bought this album and its predecessor.

Most albums that hit me spend a lot of time on repeat in my CD player (or now, my iPod), and these 2 were no exception. Truly, they drove me to exceed even my normal predisposition for immersing myself in a record. I played these HUM albums constantly. I became certifiably addicted to these disks - I just didn't feel normal unless I was listening to HUM. I never got tired of them, but on rare occasion I desired something softer to fit a different mood I was in, and so I'd spin through Frente's Marvin The Album (a sugary female-fronted Australian pop group my friend Phillip hipped me to) once and then get right back to HUM. This went on for nearly a year.

When I finally recognized how disturbingly fixated I was with these albums, I gave them to a friend for safe keeping to kick my HUM habit back down to a healthy level. If I had ever found like-minded musicians (and a drummer good enough - Bryan St. Pere deserves to be mentioned alongside John Bonham and Dave Grohl as one of the best rock drummers to ever pick up the sticks), I probably would have been very happy playing in a HUM cover band for the rest of my life.

Alas, as with so many of my favorite band's albums, this would be HUM's last. The group was dropped from their label and broke up. I learned that Matt Talbot went on to start his own recording studio in Illinois. So it's no suprise that when it came time for me to produce an album for my then band, Skyblynde, I sought Matt out and booked time at Great Western Record Recorders (now renamed Earth Analog) in Champaign, IL.

That experience is worthy of a blog entry on its own. I returned to Matt's studio to record the drums for the Hello God This is Gregory Hyde album. I've heard few drum tracks from other studios that can compare to the sonic quality of what Matt's live room offers.

I still play these albums often, and each time I wonder to myself, "Why don't I just listen to this every day and ignore everything else on my iPod?" I still have no answer for that question.

Musician Tip #6: Anatomy of a Gig Poster

2011-08-05T08:36:00.001-07:00

I've been getting questions about the poster for my upcoming full band show, and it occurred to me that this would make a good blog entry. So here it is. First, the poster:

Now I must give credit where it's due, and this particular design was inspired by Hank III's work with Third Alert Designs. His art is incredible, and I highly recommend you check it out here: Third Alert Designs

Obviously there are major differences in the aesthetic of mine and Hank's work, but that's the point of something being inspired and not ripped off. My cousin, Steve Erwin, an incredible artist, once told me, "All art is either inspired or stolen. The difference being that inspired art is just more ambiguous about where it was stolen from." Great quote, eh?

The things to notice about my poster (as well as many of Hank's):

1) At first glance, you have no freaking clue what this poster is for. Is it a show? Political rally? Anti-Digital Conversion Convention? Neighborhood homeowner's association fed up with the 1970's satellite dishes in that creepy porn-moustache guy's yard? Who knows... this is a good thing. My intent is to peak people's curiosity to actually READ the poster rather than just think, "Another stupid band posing in front of a brick wall trying to get me to go to their show? Pass."

2) There's not much to read. This keeps things simple and easily digestible. Also, the lack of information (What time do they go on? Is there a cover? Is this an all-ages show?) leaves the interested folks with the task of finding out on their own, which usually means contacting the venue, which makes the venue feel confident that there's some buzz about your show.

3) Lastly, it's bold. It will undoubtedly stand out when tacked to a bulletin board, or taped above the club's urinals which are already littered with posters of 40-something guys with skullets in front of a brick wall vying for the same attention. Sometimes bright color overload works for that, sometimes black & white accomplishes it. Contrast and unique imagery does more for you here than anything else.

Got other ideas on what makes a good band poster? Feel free to let me know.

Gig Etiquette Pt. 6: "You Know What You Oughta Do?"

2011-05-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

The music industry is unique in many ways. Die of a drug overdose as an accountant or even an actor, and it's regarded as a sad, tragic, wasted life - but a musician? You're now a legend and you get your face on T-shirts at Hot Topic! In no other field can failing to produce any evidence of work for the last 14 years (looking at you, Axl) actually enhance excitement and interest about your endeavors. And in no other field does the mass public automatically assume they have full knowledge of exactly what a professional in that field should do; the subject of this blog entry.

As with other similarly themed blog posts I've done, I realize the good folks taking the time to direct me to the Wonka's golden ticket for riches and fame in the music biz only want me to succeed. However, fielding the same impotent advice night after night gets a little tiring. Normally I just smile, nod, and hope that suffices for a reply... in my mind I'm thinking:

"You should be on iTunes"
- I am, but I don't make a ton of money that way, so I sell downloads on my website too.

"You should go on American Idol!"
- (Click here and read this blog)

"You should get your songs on the radio!"
- (Click here and watch the movie on my home page) It takes a million dollars (approx.) and a label or major management to make that happen with any remote hope of success.

"You should make a viral video!"
- Viral is a term to define what happens AFTER the video is made, controlled entirely by the viewing public. That's like saying I should record a hit song, write a #1-selling book, roll nothing but 7's in Vegas, or campaign successfully for the office of President.

"You should get a manager!"
- Really? Personal manager? Tour manager? Do you know one? Any idea how hard that is? You're making it sound very easy.

"You should get an agent!"
- Booking agent? Publicity agent? Secret service agent? Know a good one, or an attorney who can draw up a contract with one?

"Oooh! Yeah, get an entertainment attorney too!"
- You gonna pay for one? I've dealt with a couple. It was kinda like throwing hundreds of dollars into a garbage disposal except it took hours of calling the garbage disposal and leaving messages for it to start grinding my cash into oblivion.

"Well you could pay for one if you played bigger, better paying shows. You should play Summerfest this year!"
- Gee, why didn't I just decide to play Summerfest, pay an attorney to write up contracts for a team of agents & managers, get my songs on the radio, put my CDs in Best Buy and make a viral video?

Let's think of this in another field.

If someone tells you they're thinking of becoming a lawyer, do you immediately respond with, "Ah - you should pass that BAR exam! And win all your cases!"?

How about if you discover the fella next to you on the plane is an aspiring writer? "You should get your book published! Why haven't you got your books in Barnes & Noble? You should get an editor."

An aspiring underwater welder? "You should master hyperbaric metallurgy and arc techniques!"

I really hope I'm not sounding cynical or vicious here, but I think one could understand how this all seems condescending and implies that I'm either so incompetent or grossly uninformed in my chosen field that I've missed the path to success that is so obvious to nearly every layperson I run into.

You know what you oughta do? Ask questions about what you don't know. You'll get a wealth of information from people who are passionate about what they do, and they'll get to talk about a subject they love. It helps everyone.

Music 101: Pt. 5 - Knowing the Rules of the Roles

2011-03-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

As a professional musician who makes most of my income from live performances, I feel compelled to share some essential information about the roles of performers and venues. This could have qualified for a Musician Tip, but it applies to venue owners as well, and it's good info for the mass public, so here it is as the latest "Music 101" entry. If you know a club or venue owner, please pass this along.

Imagine this scenario: Johnny W. Rockstar (the W. stands for Wannabe) is a small-time, local musician. He gets hired by Bud's Beer Barn to play a solo acoustic show on Friday, then Dick's Dumpy Dive on Saturday. Both are live music venues that serve food & drinks. I know this is starting off like one of those screwy "two trains travelling opposite directions" algebra test questions, but hang with me.

#1: What is Johnny W. Rockstar's role?

Entertainment? Yeah, but as a by-product. His ultimate role: alcohol salesman. Johnny's job is to keep people's butts in the seats (or dancing) and buying more beverages. If he were playing stadiums, his role would change to ticket salesman. Without some cash changing hands, he's gonna be stuck playing "Smoke On The Water" in his parent's basement.

#2: Whose fault is it if nobody comes out to the shows?

Johnny's? Only if both venues NORMALLY have good crowds on those nights. If you've never been to Dick's Dumpy Dive (or already don't like it), the add-on of seeing an artist you've never heard of probably isn't going to inspire you to give it a chance come Friday. If those bars normally bring in 100 people on a weekend night, and only 15 show up when Johnny plays, yep - it's Johnny's fault. Otherwise, THE VENUES ARE RESPONSIBLE. Read on...

#3: Whose fault is it if Bud's is filled to capacity on Friday, but Dick's is empty on Saturday?

It's Dick's fault. Dick will whine that Johnny shouldn't have booked those dates so close together, or that he promoted the Bud's show more. But the truth is Johnny's crowd is choosing to attend at the venue they like most. Bud's probably has better drink specials, better food, cleaner bathrooms, nicer staff, etc.

Why do SO many venue owners think like Dick? Because they're ignorant. They look at gigantic artists and stadiums and think the same logic applies on the small scale. If U2 comes to Chicago to play Soldier Field on a Tuesday night, who is 100% responsible for the turnout? U2 is, of course - nobody would be at Soldier Field on a Tuesday otherwise, and you can't see U2 anywhere else.

But if U2 is coming to Chicago and will play 30 different venues over 30 nights, people will buy tickets based on the venue where they want to see them perform. The Soldier Field, Navy Pier, Allstate Arena, and Grant Park shows might sell out, but there will be tickets to spare on the night they play the parking lot next to the county landfill.

So, for 90% of music venues out there: The venue's role is to bring people out, the artist's role is to keep them there.

Musician Tip #5: What I Am Is What I Am...

2011-03-03T17:49:00.001-08:00

...are you what you are, or what?

I am a musician. Like all other human beings, musicians come in all shapes and sizes, colors, personalities, tax brackets, and varying degrees of personal hygiene. The constants are a desire to create and possessing the tools of the trade.

If you're a vocalist, your tool is your voice, and you can take your pipes wherever you may roam. The huge upside - they're FREE! But for those of you who either aren't vocalists or lack the rousing, musical bodily functions my grandfather was blessed with, your tool is an external musical instrument. Elementary? Nay, my good sir.

I am astounded by how often I'm approached by well-intentioned attendees at my shows who stumble through a dialog similar to the following:

DUDE: "Great set man - are you looking for a guitarist?"

ME: "Well, I'm always interested to know other musicians. You play guitar?"

DUDE: "Yeah! I love guitar, man. I'm looking for a band to play with, and I think I'd be the perfect guitarist for your songs. I'm thinking about buying this awesome Les Paul at Staff Infection Music."

ME: "So what guitar are you playing now?"

DUDE: "I don't have one. I USED to have this killer Fender Stratocaster that was built by the Archangel Gabriel and given to Jimi Hendrix before he sold it to my dad, but I had to pawn it. It's been a bummer not playing at all for the past 5 years."

ME: (thinking: "You are not a musician. ...and you are a liar. Everybody knows St. Peter built Jimi's guitar.")

Ever have a mechanic shop ask you to bring some tools along so they can fix your car? How about a professional photographer that hasn't owned a camera in the past 3 years? Even beyond those things, music is an art form that sustains musicians - you survive off of it. A drummer I knew who moved into an apartment with thin walls taught himself to play guitar to avoid the constant threats of eviction over the noisy drum kit. Why? He was a musician and was going insane without the cathartic outlet music provided (he kinda went insane anyway, but that's unrelated).

The quality of the tool doesn't even necessarily affect the situation. Some songs that changed the course of popular music were written on department store trinkets. But without at least some sort of instrument to utilize, you are a hobbyist at best and as such shouldn't go around advertising yourself as the next Clapton in the making.

Writers write. Painters paint. Architects design. Actors vote democratic and sleep around a lot. These creations begin within us, but at some point require a physical tool to help communicate the vision to the rest of the world.

Choose your weapon.

Gig Etiquette Pt. 5 - Storytellers

2011-01-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

If you know me to any degree, you're well aware that I can talk for hours upon hours about music, musicians, bands, albums, the music industry, instruments, recording techniques, music history, etc. If you start me up, I'll never stop (thanks, Mick).

However, time and place are important factors. I openly invite anyone and everyone to chat me up before or after a show, and I'm almost always happy to have a quick exchange with fans, friends, or both between songs in a set (if it's a QUICK exchange clocking in well under 5 minutes, not a recitation of Homer's The Iliad) and provided it doesn't happen between every other song I play.

Content is also important.

GOOD: You drove here from a state away? That's awesome! You rock, and I'm glad to meet ya.

BAD: The girl over there likes me? Thanks, but I'm very happily married. Yes, I am. Yes, I really am. I AM telling the truth. No, I'm not just saying that because your friend looks too nerdy. I didn't say she looked nerdy, you did - I was just repeating you. No, it wouldn't change things if she wasn't wearing those glasses. Please go sit down.

GOOD: You recognized the Over the Rhine song I threw in? Glad you enjoyed it, and you have exquisite taste in music, sir (or ma'am).

BAD: You saw the Rolling Stones on their last tour? Hmmm... so did 2 million other people. They tour all the time. I'm not sure why you needed to stop the show to tell me that. I haven't played a Stones song all night. Is this a request? I have a Yorkshire Terrier. Is that of interest to you?

Beyond that, frequency is the final element to be mindful of. I already mentioned the "Oh, he just ended another song... must be time to go talk to him again" issue, but try and keep track of who you've told your story to. You got drunk in Minneapolis and somehow bumped into Prince, got nervous and puked all over him, only to laugh hysterically when you saw it was purple? Awesome story... the first 12 times. Now it's just kinda annoying (and a biohazard now that I think about it).

So tell me what's on your mind. But keep it brief, on topic, and timed properly.

Where Ya Been?

2011-01-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

"Hey Gregory, why so long since you've posted a new blog article?"

ANSWER:

New posts coming soon...

Most Influential Albums: Queen - Flash Gordon Soundtrack

2010-10-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

My first childhood memories are of my brother, Chris, and I teaming up with Todd and Wade (our same-aged next-door neighbors) to battle Darth Vader and the Empire, wage war against the opposing yard with “dirt clods” (handfuls of packed, drying Oklahoma mud), or engaging in our favorite pastime; reenacting Flash Gordon. Not the comic or black-and-white serial from the 1930’s, but the full-on camp of the 1980 film with Sam Jones.

“Fans” would be too conservative a description. We were rabid, addicted Flash Gordon zealots. If we weren’t watching it (time registers much differently at that age, but it seemed it was on HBO every day), we were turning swing sets into space ships, sand boxes into alien swamp pits, and big wheels into rocket cycles. Offers to ride along on shopping trips were declined, excursions to the park or zoo were bailed on, and quite a few meals were even missed solely for the sake of being able to once again join forces to destroy the evil Mungo minions and their ruthless, alien tyrant of a leader, Ming the Merciless.

It’s interesting that we never chose one of us to play Ming. He was always just an invisible evil. At that age, too young to yet know all the injustice and cruelty in the real world, Ming was the worst thing my naive, still-forming mind could conjure. Anyone who wanted to kill innocent people and damage the earth MUST be an insane, goatee-sporting alien from light-years away. Everybody on earth was one of the “good guys”, everywhere I could go was safe, and all was right with the world – the “world” being my one little block in Jenks, America. And as for Ming, why worry? We’ve got Flash on our side.

My dad bought us the Flash Gordon soundtrack, written and performed by Queen, on vinyl (which I still have) and transferred a copy to cassette tape so we could rock out to it in the car. This started a trend which later included the soundtracks for Star Wars and a couple of the Rocky movies. But this is truly the first album I ever owned or remember hearing.

I always eagerly anticipated a part in the song “Hero” - the thunderous, impacting tom hits when the band comes in full-force. Not having ever seen a drum kit, I thought they had to be hammers hitting metal. My pulse surged every time I heard those bombastic impacts. I felt electrified, exhilarated, and a little frightened all in the same moment. Thus began my love of enormous rock drum sounds.

The soundtrack is peppered with sound clips from the movie, which is engaging on so many completely different levels. Awkward, annoying, thrilling, laughable, yet inspiring the voice-overs may be, but the music just plain rocks. Queen was killer, and Brian May is a genius. No, really. The guy has an astrophysics PHD. Look it up. His composing and guitar skills are out of this world (pun intended), and a couple of the songs represented here are among Queen's best in my opinion.

This album is awesome. For sentimental reasons as well as audio content, it will always be a fave of mine.

Don't own it yet? Listen and buy it here:

Musician Tip #4: Community Gear

2010-09-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

As a musician, you will very likely come into a situation where you're playing a show with gear, often owned by the venue or sound company, which is used by other musicians. Your treatment of this equipment is directly related to how much of an inbred ditch pig other musicians consider you to be.

If you were paying attention in Kindergarten, you understand that you should put things back in their place when you're done with them. You should also take care of other people's things as if they were your own. Though if you are a slobby-slob and, let's face it, as a musician... you probably are, you should treat other people's things as if said people have the ability to psychically flip your nipples inside-out at will.

So you broke a guitar string and had to do a lightning-fast restring on the spot? That happens. But the sin of leaving your left-over string clippings on the stage is cardinal. You would understand this if you've ever innocently reached down to pick up a cable on a dark stage only to have the needle-sharp end of a high E string stab an inch deep into the skin underneath your fingernail.

To the gents who feel the need to tighten the joints on an ADJUSTABLE microphone stand to somewhere in the neighborhood of 35,000 ft-lbs of torque: not a single person is impressed with your strength. It's not terribly difficult to lock those stands up. It is, however, difficult to not be considered a raging twit for ruining the very feature that made that stand an attractive purchase in the first place. Also, the carpal tunnel fairy will be visiting you soon.

On a somewhat related note, don't touch that button on the mixer marked "phantom power" unless you actually know what it does. There's a 99% chance you're singing/playing into a Shure SM-58 or SM-57, both of which are dynamic mics. Don't know the difference between a dynamic or condenser mic? Leave the phantom power button alone. You can even damage certain types of mics by engaging the phantom power. So unless you want the next act who takes the stage to realize what a total noob you are, no touchy.

So do everyone (including yourself) a favor and be kind to the equipment on stage. The next guy on stage after you just might be me...

Most Influential Albums: Stone Temple Pilots - Core

2010-08-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

This was the first CD I ever bought.

I purchased this album the day Jurassic Park was released in theaters - June 11, 1993. My brother Chris, my buddy Dustin Keith, and I were planning to see that Cretaceous blockbuster flick and had time to kill. Earlier in the day, Chris drove Dustin and I to a guy's house to buy some comic books the fella needed to unload for monetary reasons. I still have those comics, including a copy of X-Men #1 autographed by Jim Lee - and am hoping all the other kid's moms threw their comic mags away while they were off at college so mine will actually be worth something significant one day. But I digress...

That summer, for a few months previous, my brother and I had been flipping out over this song that would play on the radio as we drove home from church on Wednesday nights. Windows down (the A/C was busted), radio blaring, American-made Ford steel creaking as we hurled ourselves at breakneck speed down I-44 in Tulsa listening to this song. We strongly suspected it was Pearl Jam, but the chorus had no lyrical hook, so it was anyone's guess to what the title was, and it wouldn't have helped guessing since the word "Plush" is never uttered in the song.

I eventually heard a radio personality (this was the era of the death of the real D.J.'s) announce the name of the group. I think I called a record store and asked if they had the "Stone Tower Captains" album or something along those lines. No dice.

But on that fateful day when we were killing time at Tulsa's Promenade mall before watching dinosaurs killing Samuel Jackson and eating Newman from Seinfeld, I saw the cover of this album in the CD bin at Camelot Music (a terribly overpriced precursor to FYE and those other vile mall music shops). Stone Temple Pilots... THAT'S what they were called. My brother had recently acquired an archaic CD player from a kid at school, so I opted for the CD instead of the usual cassette tape. It was 1993 - this was the freakin' future, man.

The album itself doesn't offer up much in the way of surprises, but what it does, it does REALLY well. It's a heavy, rocking collection of grunge-inspired, heroin-fueled angst. The raw, biting attitude is expected, as are the vague, surreal "what does it mean to you?" lyrics. But the band is locked in within nanoseconds of each other, the production quality and sonic clarity are outstanding (Brendan O'Brien, my fave producer, was at the helm), and Scott Weiland's voice never sounded better. My guess is he hadn't yet cocaine-carved his septum into a Grand Canyon diorama. Also, Dean DeLeo's chord usage is a master-lesson in songwriting.

"Dead and Bloated" kicks off the album. Not just kicks, but drop-kicks with atom bombs strapped to its boots. Groove like that is hard to find. For some reason, most drummers seem to hate Eric Kretz - I have no idea why since he's better than most of the guys in the game. True, he's never flashy, but in the departments of groove and feel, he's over-stocked. Other highlights are the radio staples "Wicked Garden", "Sex Type Thing", the groove-o-saurus "Where The River Goes", and my fave "Crackerman".

Listening to this CD as often as I did got my mind leaning more creatively towards song structures and chord progressions. It also gave a bit of inspiration to my dying my hair fire-engine red (as Scott's was in the video for "Plush") several years later.

Don't own it? Listen and buy it here:

Music 101: Pt. 4 - Singing Contest Shows

2010-08-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

"The contestants on American Idol are to musicians what meth dealers are to pharmacists."
- Gregory Hyde

I get asked quite often why I don't try out for American Idol, America's Got Talent, and the other shows like them. I usually try to be polite in responding with "It's just not my scene". The person asking is, after all, insinuating I'm good enough to excel as a singer against the stiff competition these shows offer. That's a compliment in my book, so I try to leave it at that. But for you who would like a deeper look into why I would light my eyeballs on fire before joining the Idol elite, read on.

My quote above holds true, I feel, in almost all aspects. Being a meth dealer, as well as an Idol finalist, requires some serious skill. With both, if you're not accomplished at the techniques of your trade or have at least some ability to market yourself, you'll destroy your career before it ever gets started (and your mobile home along with it in the case of the meth dealer).

The Idol shows aren't just the get-rich-quick scheme for a bona fide music career. It's something else entirely; just as with meth dealers - killing off the very people & industry that support your endeavor. In fact, getting rich AT ALL, much less get-rich-quick, is a long shot for these shows. If you're even a finalist on these programs, you're roped into a contract with the corporation that produces them. You think they're gonna pay you a "fair" wage? Think again. Even guys like Green Day or Justin Timberlake are barely making more than 2 or 3% on every album they sell. Yes, the cut performers get from major labels really is that terrible, but that's another blog post... the likelihood that they'll offer anything close to this for an Idol winner or finalist is nil.

What about writing? Writers make more money right? Heck yes they do. That's why singers & performers keep edging in to take writing credits they don't deserve (yep, it happens all the time. Yet another blog post...). The Idol winners write their own songs on their CDs, right? Heck no they don't.

The reason why goes hand in hand with the direction of the Idol winner's career in general. You win and you're essentially a product owned by this massive corporation. This corporation is a public company that has shareholders that want to see the stock rising each quarter. Do you think this multi-billion dollar machine is going to drop millions on this album's production and marketing and then hand the reins over to a 17 year old girl from Alabama just because she won a singing contest? Don't think so. The label has a stable of hit-making songwriters at their disposal, plus thousands of competent writers vying for a shot to get their song on one of these albums. Do you think they're gonna let Suzy Idolwinner write her own stuff over these guys? I don't care if she made Ellen dance on Randy's lap... the answer is emphatically no.

You don't want to make the worst movie in history? Too bad Kelly Clarkson, you're required to be in "From Justin to Kelly" and you better not say anything bad about it at the junkets or we'll sue your Cinderella-story butt back to Nowheresville, USA.

So what's the draw? Why do people keep going on these shows, barring ignorance of these details, of course? Well, out of the rich & famous expectation, fame is still on the table. People will know who you are and, for a little while at least, might even care enough to listen (but maybe not, right Ruben?). That's worth something, no doubt, but the question is whether the cost isn't too high.

For me, the cons simply outweigh the pros. I prefer having control of my art, career, and income stream. Having the freedom to create for the sake of the creation rather than what a corporate CEO thinks will sell, and not ever having to perform a smiling, group sing-a-long while butchering a Queen song for a Ford Focus commercial are all luxuries that I simply can't live without.

But don't get me wrong - I don't detest these shows. There's some grandiose entertainment value in the try-outs when people sing like Helen Keller praying in tongues, get an honest review, and then run out crying, "I gonna be bigger than all a yall's!!!"

More importantly, these shows have fostered the notion in the masses that there is a wealth of undiscovered talent out there. The guy on the train next to you might be a much better singer and songwriter than John Mayer - who knows? The band in the bar you're going to tonight just might be the most incredible group you've seen in years. Gone is the mindset that if you aren't on the radio or on the t.v., you must not be that good. For this, I can't thank these shows enough.

Most Influential Albums: The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

2010-07-26T11:37:00.001-07:00

Roll up, roll up for the Magical Mystery Tour, step right this way!

Technically not an intended 'album' per se, this was more a collection of previously released singles tacked on with tunes for the movie soundtrack of the same name by The Beatles.

"But Gregory, you love the Beatles. Can't we just assume you'd post all of their albums in your Most Influential section of the blog and move along?"

Not so. Believe it or not, I don't love every Beatles album (gasp!). True story.

The White Album, monumental success though it may be, seems to me a scattered mess of about 7 great songs clustered into a collection with several decent tunes, a little album filler, and a few outright junk songs. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is about the same. Many consider this blasphemy, but I'm just calling it as I see (hear) it. You really shouldn't let it ruin your day though...

But not Magical Mystery Tour, no sir. These songs are bulletproof from front to back. Many of these songs are worth the price of the album all by themselves. There never was or will be anything like "I Am The Walrus", there will probably never be better feel-good pop songs than "Hello Goodbye" and "Your Mother Should Know", no better trippy songs than "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Magical Mystery Tour", and nothing that sums up life quite as well as "All You Need Is Love".

Regardless of how this collection came together, it bears a more concise, air-tight structure than most intended albums ever get close to possessing.

And for all the Ringo haters out there, you simply must listen to the opening track - his ability to move the song through so many tempos, turnarounds, and feels without ever losing the vibe is jaw-dropping.

So throw on an animal suit, make a withdrawal from the zoo, give Poe a kick on your way up the hill from Penny Lane, and throw this CD in the player.

Don't own it yet? Buy it here:

Gig Etiquette Pt. 4 - Clapping

2010-07-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

This is not a blog post about applause.

This post is about clapping along with the music, or rather clapping despite the music, without any concept of rhythm as the world knows it.

Check out the video for a real-world example of what I'm talking about.

Clapping along is almost always encouraged at my shows. If you dig the music so much that you just gotta put your hands together (Prince told me to!!!), make sure you have some sense of where the beat is.

This check list just may save your life and the ears of those around you:

* Look around - is anyone else clapping with you? It's okay to give them a few beats to jump in. If not, STOP CLAPPING.

* So other people are clapping - woohoo! The party is almost started. Are you clapping your hands together at the exact time, over and over, as they are? Ya might want to compare with 2 or more folks as the person next to you may be cursed with white-boy rhythm too. If you aren't on the money with somebody on every single clap, STOP CLAPPING.

* If this still doesn't tame that dancing devil inside you and you simply MUST clap to the beat of your own one-armed drummer, do so quietly. It seems these folks that God assembled without a metronome like to clap louder than thunder (again, see video). You're throwing the band off, sweetheart.

I often wonder if these people recited their ABC's or counted to 10 off time. How is that possible? "One, two, three... four... ... fivesixseven... eight, nine,... aaaaaaaand ten."

If these points don't apply to you, Congratulations. Give yourself a hand...

...in 7/4 time at 73 BPM.

Musician Tip #3: Volume

2010-07-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

"This one goes to eleven..."

Yeah, but should it?

I do believe that good music should be played loud, and that it sounds better when it is loud. However, a guaranteed way to make fast friends or enemies out of the venue, host, or even the audience themselves, has to do with your volume setting and - more importantly - your willingness to adjust it.

I've been told the same tale by venue owners/workers and live show enthusiasts alike of artists or groups that played so loud the audience actually left or moved to the complete other side of the venue. This could easily turn into psychoanalysis... Why would anyone ever feel the need to be so loud that they actually chased off their own audience? This won't make your father love you or bring that pet goldfish you washed down the sink at age 4 (Captain Awesome) back to life.

Why would the volume that the crowd hears matter to someone on the stage, where you're likely using monitors of your own? My only guesses are that:

A) You think by being louder than Gilbert Godfrey giving a play-by-play at Pearl Harbor you'll destroy all other distractions and the audience will have no choice but to focus on you. Keep in mind they're bipeds and as such can transport themselves away from you to continue their discussion elsewhere on how little the world would change if the Kardashians never existed.

B) Delusions of Grandeur. "When I saw Mötley Crüe in '86, they made the speaker's ears bleed, dude!" Big, loud rock shows can be fun. Trying to squeeze one into a nightclub or a restaurant bar is like squeezing Oprah into Barbie doll outfits: It won't work, and it's honestly uncomfortable to even be in the same room with it.

C) You're old and your hearing is shot.

Yeah, you might think it saps some of the intensity out of the show. I've had to play my share of gigs where I was asked to turn down below nursing-home level... but I got paid for the gig and received a lot of compliments from those people with eggshell eardrums. That's what they wanted, that's what they paid for, so that's what they got.

There are exceptions. Years ago, I started a show at a venue that was empty when 2 old women strolled in for a drink. They sat right next to me (this place was HUGE - empty seats and booths everywhere), then called the manager over to complain about my volume level. The word moron does come to mind.

You wouldn't believe how laid-back and supportive a venue owner will be when you simply state up front that you'll gladly adjust your volume to whatever level he'd prefer. When I started doing this, the requests for me to lower my volume almost disappeared. Some guys just like to know they're running the show - so tell them up front and they'll have no reason to push the point with you later.

Influential Albums: Dishwalla - And You Think You Know What Life's About

2010-06-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

In August of 1998, I was driving down the road and heard a song on the radio. Instantly, I knew it had to be the voice of J.R. Richards, vocalist for Dishwalla. I nearly drove into oncoming traffic as I madly reached for the volume control to crank their new song, "Once In a While".

I discovered Dishwalla when they opened for Letters To Cleo at The Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa on their previous album's tour. I tried turning everyone on to the goodness that was Dishwalla's Pet Your Friends album. These failed converts scoffed, made fun of the band name (you expect me to listen to a band called Dishwater??!), laughed at the album title, and refused to even listen to the CD. About a year later, "Counting Blue Cars" was all over the radio, and the schmucks who so smarmily mocked this group became instant fans. This happened A LOT back then... (sigh)

So their sophomore effort was finally going to be unleashed on the mass public. I drove to a nearby Barnes & Noble and found out they already received a shipment of the new Dishwalla CDs prior to the release date. I somehow convinced them to sell me one ahead of time. I'm crafty like that...

So to home I went, shut my bedroom door, turned out the lights (it now being nighttime), and immersed myself into this album - a large, cheshire-cat grin plastered across my face throughout. I listened again... and again... until it was about 2:00 a.m., at which point I called my bud Matt to inform him I was in the possession of the coolest freaking album that had come out in years. He was less than thrilled to hear the news.

Given the history of my Dishwalla-pitching in the past, most of my friends jumped on board with this album, though none quite as whole-heartedly as myself.

If you want to talk about emotional / musical roller-coaster albums, this one deserves more than a nod. It runs the gamut of pulse-pounding anthems, introspective heartache ("Until I Wake Up" makes my soul hurt - and is well worth the price of the entire album), and mysterious, groove-laden, coolsville trip-rock. In fact, the last 2 songs on the CD barely sound like they were recorded by the same band, yet they work perfectly to give you a breath right when needed and complement the brain burn the earlier songs on the album give.

Due largely in part to the production style, the album is bright, brash and almost harsh at points, granting the guitars Rodney Browning plays through his Bogner amp a particularly severe bite and intensity not heard on many other disks. Samples and loops weave seamlessly in and out without taking away from the raw, rock asthetic of the band. Drummer George Pendergast's unique style and creative techniques lend the songs more musicality than most drummers can muster.

The musicianship of this band is stellar. The songs are outstanding. If I could trade my voice for anyone's it would be J.R. Richards. And it has one of the best album titles ever.

And You Think You Know What Life's About...

Don't own it yet? Listen & buy your copy here:

Music 101: Pt. 3 - There Is No Such Thing as Christian Music

2010-05-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

"So is this Christian music?"

I was asked this question about my projects / albums long before I put humanity's most popularly accepted & recognized deity in the title of my latest album. But the question keeps coming, so I thought it was time to express my thoughts on the subject here:

I'm a Christian. I try my best to follow Christ's teachings, though I obviously fail constantly. I am also a rock musician. Personally, I don't think these things are mutually exclusive.

I play music at church, at my house, in bars, at parties, at concerts, etc. - and I truly feel it's what God has called me to do even though many of my songs have no direct lyrical reference to spiritual matters. But as for Christian Music, I disagree that it exists.

When people refer to 'Christian Music', it is better defined as 'The Christian Music Industry'. As the name implies, it's a business created by human beings for the purpose of commerce of art separated into a faith-based market niche. The motivations behind it are as numerous as the people involved, ranging from saintly to sadistic.

I have a large collection of albums released from Christian labels, and thoroughly LOVE many of them. I think supplying the world with uplifting music is a great thing to do with your life and career, so please don't take the following to be a criticism of individuals or the genre as a whole. Rather, I just want to express my concerns against blanket judgments of art & music based on this term.

There are songs that glorify and praise God, songs that directly blaspheme and mock God, and songs that do neither of the above. Songs are without will. People on the other hand...

Here are some hypothetical scenarios I used for thinking this through:

A) Marilyn Manson writes a song claiming he is Jesus Christ, which he recorded while hanging upside down on a black crucifix, drenched in pigs blood, in a Jewish cemetery. Later, Michael W. Smith (a popular Christian artist) does a cover of it. Is it Christian music now?

B) Good ol' Marilyn does a note-for-note, line-by-line cover rendition of "Amazing Grace" on his new album with the London Symphony Orchestra. It's so illustriously beautiful, it moves the pope to tears before he finds out who recorded it. Does this glorify or blaspheme God? Is it Christian music?

C) Michael W. Smith writes a song about his favorite flavor of ice cream and sings it in church. Christian music or just a song? Is God mad or just happy that Mikey enjoys Triple Butterscotch Ripple so much?

D) A well-intentioned Christian musician writes and records a song that becomes a major hit on Christian radio, though in reality the concept or lyric is the antithesis of something taught in Scripture. Is it anti-Christian music?

E) Ozzy Osbourne dedicates his life to Christ and begins a recording career with a Christian music label. Is "Bark at the Moon" now a Christian album?

F) Michael W. Smith denounces Christ, joins a Yak-molesting cult, and starts releasing albums which worship Tralfarganom, Creator of All Things Slightly Off-White. Is Mike's back catalog of songs no longer worshipful to God? Want to take bets on whether or not Family Christian Book Stores would yank his albums off the shelves?

Scenario D (which happens way too often, BTW) also brings to light another issue. If you want to preach to a congregation or start a church, it's standard practice that you attend a seminary, be mentored by another minister, or obtain an ordination of some kind. Yet anybody with a microphone and a claim to have heard the call can seemingly jump on stage and spout their own brand of cultish religion without much, if any, contradiction. Many people are so militant about only exposing themselves to "Christian music" that they overlook they fact that it sometimes directly contradicts their beliefs more than some of what they consider to be "secular" music.

Also interesting is the lack of denominational attention to detail. Personally, I am ALL FOR breaking down the barriers between denominations and unifying in our common goals and ideals as Christ-followers. But it truly baffled me when a Southern Baptist Christian youth group I knew of was in attendance at a concert, bobbing their heads to their favorite Christian band, which happened to be a Spirit-filled, tongue-talking (therefore hell-bound by their interpretation) band from Georgia. That detail is conveniently omitted from most group's songs and even public lives. Why? You lose album sales. Is that what would motivate Christ?

Would it bother you if Jars of Clay were Methodists? How about if you discovered Third Day or The Newsboys leaned more toward the homosexual-endorsing side of the Episcopalian Church than the Assemblies of God denomination? Would they still be "Christian" music to you?

Lest I need say more (you're gonna love this)...

Testamints. Go to a Christian Bookstore and you'll likely see these in the checkout line. Christian mints. They have Bible verses included and even sport little crosses on them. So does that make Certs secular mints? Which breath-freshener would Christ choose?

If you're not seeing how ridiculous this is, then where do you draw the line with "Jesus Junk"? If songs are either Christian or secular, what about instrumentals? Jingles? A tune you make up and hum in your car on the way to work? Are there Christian guitars? If a novel is Christian or secular, what about children's books? Anecdotes? Memos? Notes on the fridge? Can you have Christian or secular pens? Cars? Clothes? Hairspray? Or is it all just labeling and marketing?

People can make the decision to accept and follow Christ. Nothing else can. Judge what you like and accept on the merits of content and creativity, not a label.

Gig Etiquette Pt. 3 - Appreciation (ahem... Tipping)

2010-05-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Johnny Loungesinger just played your favorite song of all time and rocked it even harder than Billy Squier and Pat Boone put together with The News as their backup band. Wow.

So how do you show your appreciation? Clapping is good. Screaming his name and "WE LOVE YOU!!!" might get good or bad results depending on the performer, venue setting, or the sensitivity of the audience members around you. But tipping is arguably the highest form of praise for a local, live performer.

You might think this topic seems like something that needs no instruction, but you'd be wronger than a nonexistent tense of the word wrong.

1. No Requirement - This ain't the waitstaff. If you think the band blows, keep your dough. Don't feel bad about it. Still try to be polite though.

2. No Pantomimes - so you're low on cash and didn't expect your date to order the lobster-stuffed duck, only carry credit/debit cards, or maybe you don't want to part with your last $2 bill. These things happen.

Doing the overacted pat down of your pockets and conjuring up a "darn... sorry!" expression isn't necessary. In fact, it can be a little patronizing and insulting. Just say, "Thanks, I enjoyed the music/show/cat-juggling" (which is a rewarding compliment to get in its own way), and move along. Even better - tell the manager (and others) that you really dig the performer.

3. Delivery - if the show is still going, put it in the jar. No jar? Just place it on a flat surface near the performer. If you prefer to hand it directly to someone, just do so in between songs or after the show is over and everything's groovy, baby. NOTE: Trying to hand a dollar bill to a guy playing guitar and then acting like HE'S a jerk for not sprouting a 3rd arm to take it is a stupidity crime worthy of brain reassignment.

4. Advertisements - Yeah, you can drop a business card in with your tip. Can't speak for everyone, but I'll check it out. But don't just drop in a fold-out ad of the multi-level marketing scam that isn't a multi-level marketing scam (really!) you're recruiting for.

5. Amount - Locales and cultures often have their own norms for tipping, so use your best judgment. If this is the best show you've seen in months, or you really want to help and support this performer's career, compensate accordingly. If you're an annoyingly drunk close-talker, go metric with this number (double it & add 30).

Influential Albums: The Beatles - Abbey Road

2010-05-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Of course.

This album is a classic for a very, very good reason: It's one of the best collections of songs ever recorded.

Though there may be certain songs on other albums by The Beatles that have a more sentimental place than some tracks on this record, Abbey Road is possibly my favorite album by the Fab Four for a few reasons, but particularly for its versatility.

I always keep this album in mind when I start thinking my songs are too sporadic and unconnected. Those qualities are what make this album so endearing; so engaging through every single track. I usually hate "desert island" hypotheticals, but I think this just might be my desert island album of all time for that very reason.

Abbey Road has it all: Cool, vibing songs. Fun, upbeat, silly songs. Love songs that define the genre. Trippy, psychadelia-influence. Ballads that lull you into waking dreams. Grand, illustrious, orchestral masterpieces. Intense, brazen rock. All performed by some musicians at the peak of their abilities and creativity, overflowing with emotion throughout. The tensions that were coming to a head with the group at this time catapulted this, their final album, all the way to the bleedin' moon and back.

The recording quality is also the tip-top of what George Martin and the lads achieved. George's guitar tone on "Something" is outstandingly warm. Ringo's tea-towel muffled drums are like being punched with a 10-story tall balloon. Paul's bass is just Paul's bass... it always sounds that freakin' good, nothing new.

George really swung for the fences with "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun" and (in my mind) proved himself capable of being every bit as much a songwriting powerhouse as Lennon/McCartney. Sadly, I don't think he maintained that edge without said tensions driving him to compete on that level.

There's undoubtedly never been a better swan song for a group. Up to the blistering rock solos that Paul, George, and John play that build the calamity up to let you softly down on the scripture-esque "The End". I cried the first time I heard the whole thing front to back.

If I put out songs the caliber of "Come Together", "Something", "Here Comes the Sun", "Because", and the closing half of this record all on one album... well I might just have to call it a day too. How could they top Abbey Road? Simple. They didn't. (sigh)

Don't own it yet? Buy it here:

Music 101: Pt. 2 - Avoid Blind Allegiance.

2010-05-03T15:46:00.000-07:00

So you loved the first album - it changed your life. The second album was pretty good. But now that this artist/band is 10 disks deep in their catalog, your once favorite performer of all time seems to be taking a tire iron to that once mighty, though now thoroughly deceased, artistic steed.

It's O.K.

You can call it like it is. It's all right to not like every single stinkin' thing an artist or group releases. You no longer have to pretend that each new Radiohead album is even half as good as The Bends or O.K. Computer. Fret not - admitting that the new Pearl Jam album is a festering pile of phoned-in, mediocre, pretentious upchuck doesn't make Ten any less of a monumental achievement of musical greatness. Van Halen was outstanding. Van Halen III is one of the worst things you could ever put in your ears.

It's O.K.

In a related manner, it's no disrespect to the greats that their kids didn't get the goods passed down. Yes, John Lennon was brilliant. It's not blasphemy to admit that Yoko and Sean consistently put out audible dingo feces (though Julian certainly had a few fine moments). Sting - also brilliant, but stating the obvious that his son's band, Fiction Plane, is suited more for torturing enemies of the state than for entertaining the crowd before a concert by The Police... well that's just good old common sense. You can still love "Every Breath You Take".

It's O.K.

Like what you like. Admit what you like. Admit what you don't. Be a fan of good music, not a mindless cult member who nods in lobotomized agreement with whatever an artist does.

Influential Albums: Veruca Salt - American Thighs

2010-04-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Words can't express how much I love this album. But I'm gonna try...

Back in 1995 I was hanging out at my buddy Mark's apartment and the video for "Seether" came on MTV (they used to actually play music videos back then). I was entranced. The other guys in the room were making fun of me for being so enraptured by these weird, nerd girls in slips eating ground up, raw meat out of dismembered baby dolls and occasionally singing like they had sucked in helium. I didn't care. This was awesome.

A week later, I developed a pretty serious case of bronchitis. My grandmother drove me to the doctor, and on the trip back home, she agreed to let me stop off at Media Play (a store which I sorely miss... they started an incredible CD price war in Tulsa with Best Buy around that time which drove all the CD prices down to $9). I was praying the album cover wouldn't look anything like the video, or there would be no chance I'd be able to buy it without a long lecture. Fortunately, the cover was tame, so she actually paid for it (thanks, G-ma), and I headed home and popped on the headphones while I played video games and hacked my lungs up.

I probably heard this entire disk more than 20 times that day. I was HOOKED. The playing is sloppy in all the right ways, impacting, gritty, yet with moments of elegance here and there. This was grunge, yeah, but a far cry from the Seattle thing, and with much more creativity than just 3 chords and screaming about angst, apathy, and heroin.

The recording quality is stellar. This is another one of my stereo test CDs. The low end on the bass is appendix-shaking, and the crisp, brilliant highs on the ride cymbal bell takes you to the other end of the sonic spectrum.

There are some who will say "But Gregory, they were just ripping off the Breeders!". Kinda true... also like saying Guns 'N Roses ripped off L.A. Guns. It's the same sound, but in my humble opinion, The Breeders had a formula that they really couldn't see or reach the potential of. Veruca Salt was somehow able to construct skyscrapers off of a blueprint The Breeders were using to build dog houses. Plus, Nina and Louise were waaaaay cuter. :)

Every single time this album cues up with that fuzzed-out midrange heavy guitar and "I'm spinning out..." on "Get Back", it's like the climb up on the first big drop of a rollercoaster. The album just rolls from there. "All Hail Me" still creeps me out. I still rewind the scream at the beginning of "Seether" multiple times before I let the rest of the song play. I still sing at the top of my lungs with the whoa-ohs at the end of "Spiderman '79". The harmony parts throughout the album are breath-taking, and the lyrics on all the songs, but especially "Wolf", "Sleeping Where I Want", and "Celebrate You" still conjure up such vivid, demented imagery... I will adore this album for all time.

And if anyone out there knows how to get the guitar sound on the lead that plays out at the end of "25", please let me know.

Don't own it yet? Listen and buy it here:

Musician Tip #2: Show Up

2010-04-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Again, this probably seems simple to the point of being asinine.

Believe me, it needs to be said. When I first decided to take on being a full-time musician, I made some calls to local club managers, event booking agents, etc. I was trying to promote myself, but before the calls ended I would ask, "What is it that makes an artist someone you love working with?".

I must have asked this to a dozen people, and all the answers I heard could be boiled down to these points:

1) They show up.
2) They don't get hammered drunk while on stage.
3) They don't take long breaks or take breaks every 20 minutes.
4) They either bring people in, or keep people here.

I was amazed. NOBODY said anything about the quality of music being made. And really? Just being there is Priority 1? Isn't that obvious? It seems not.

In the months to come I heard stories from all sorts of people who booked performers that never even showed up to a gig. Some didn't even show to people's weddings they were booked for. I was amazed... all you have to do is drive to this place, play guitar and sing, and people will pay you. And you DON'T GO??!!

Obviously, musicians have a bad rap for being flaky, irresponsible, artsy, bums (and I'm not even gonna get into jam bands)... and for good reason. In my estimation, roughly 90% of "musicians" are nothing more than hobbyists who are far too lazy to do any real work in any form, and a music career is no exception. Yes, I just said that.

So I was excited beyond belief at these list points above. That was EASY. I can show up, not get smashed to the point of vomiting on my microphone, keep the breaks to a minimum (or non-existent... but that's another article), and entertain a room full of people.

Without a doubt, I must say that only the Divine favor of God Himself could have brought me to the level of success I've achieved thus far... I'm certainly not that good on my own. However, diligent work pays off. Always.

If you're struggling as a musician, first ask yourself if you're adhering to these points. If not, there's good news - being a more successful musician is gonna be easier than you think.

Influential Albums: Cream - Disraeli Gears

2010-04-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

This was the first cassette tape I ever bought with my own money.

Around the age of 11, my brother had begun taking guitar lessons and started a quest of finding the best guitarists to emulate. Though I hadn't yet picked up an instrument of my own, I was already an avid music fan, so I shared my brother's enthusiasm for finding new players/groups to check out. Of course, Eric Clapton ranked pretty high on almost every one's recommendation list.

So Chris (my brother) bought a cassette single of "Bad Love" off of Clapton's Journeyman album. We wore that thing into the ground, rewinding and replaying it for hours as we did our homework after school. It's just an incredible song. Clapton's guitar work was everything we had heard it would be (SIDEBAR: Phil Collin's drumming on that track is also artwork in and of itself), and we were instant fans.

Chris later tracked down some of Clapton's earlier group work - namely The Very Best of Cream and the Blind Faith album (I had to draw a black t-shirt over the topless girl on the cover so as not to freak our mom out). Blind Faith didn't have much appeal then, since there weren't any rockin' guitar solos, though I rediscovered the album once my ears had matured a bit. The Cream tape was great though. It's hard to imagine some of those sounds are actually coming out of a guitar.

A while after, I had a birthday coming up and was allowed to pick out a cassette tape as a present at our local mall music store. As I scanned the tape racks (not yet in the market for those new-fangled CDs), I stumbled across this album. An actual Cream album, not just an incongruous selection of cuts. Thanks to the Greatest Hits tape, I was already familiar with songs like "Sunshine of Your Love" and "Strange Brew", but "Tales of Brave Ulysses" (which I hadn't heard since it was only available on the Greatest Hits CD, not the tape) quickly became my new fave song of all time. "Blue Condition" was another favorite, with Ginger Baker's sloppy, cockney vocals making that track jump off the album.

There was obviously some psychedelic influence creeping into the blues-based trio around this time. I was entranced by the subdued, almost eerie vibe to "World of Pain" and "Dance the Night Away". The slow, intense build of "We're Going Wrong" still gives me chills every time I hear it. And "Mother's Lament" is just brilliantly hilarious.

"Outside Woman Blues" also became a staple in my live set. If you've seen me play live more than once, chances are you've heard this song, though my rendition is a hybrid of Clapton's take and the original version.

This album was a major influence on me creatively, and it was also one of my major inspirations for learning bass. Jack Bruce's approach, attack, and note selection were always the target I was aiming for as a young bassist. His tone... not so much. These Cream albums weren't recorded very well, and personally, I think the remastered versions that came out in the 90's sound even worse. Clapton's guitars were already ridiculously high in the mix, and the bass and Baker's drums were barely audible on a few tracks... the remastered versions only amplify these problems.

I'd love to hear an entire remix of this, if it were ever possible. Chances are the only thing they have to work with are 2-track masters, but I still often wonder what it would sound like to have these redone by one of the Lord-Alge brothers.

Fun tidbit... the day I bought this cassette, the guy at the checkout counter asked me if I liked this new band Pearl Jam. I told him I had no idea who they were. He informed me the guy in line ahead of me paid for their new CD, Ten and forgot to take it with him. It was mine if I wanted it. I didn't have a CD player (and wouldn't even know anyone who owned one for a few years), so I declined. It was about a year later when the video for "Even Flow" broke on MTV and I wholeheartedly regretted my decision.

Don't own this album yet? Listen and buy it here:

Amazon.com Widgets

Gig Etiquette Pt. 2 - Song Requests

2010-03-29T21:15:00.001-07:00

Requests can be fun. Requests can also be jalapeño-soaked, sautéed hell on a stick.

There are a few key points to keep in mind when making requests of a performer that will ensure the likelihood of you hearing your fave song and (hopefully) avoiding said performer berating you from the stage immediately prior to burying a microphone stand in your ear canal.

I don't need to be tipped for each and every request, but it sure is nice when that happens! I really dig almost all the songs I know how to play, and am more than happy to play them when requested... though every time someone asks for "Sweet Caroline", I die a little inside.

Here are 10 tips to help make the most of your song request:

1 - Please don't make a request while I'm singing. Yes, this happens. Often. If my mouth is open, and my vocal chords are vibrating, how is it that you expect me to answer you when you keep repeatedly shouting "Do you know any BODEEEEEANS???!!". Think, darlin'.

2 - Please don't make a request if you're smashed drunk. The sloppy-slurred request for "that song that goes duhduhduh-duhduh-duh... you know?" is about as welcome as a rabid ferret in my shorts. UNLESS you're laying down an insanely huge, monstrously sizeable tip. Currency covers all manner of sins at a gig. This one is often very closely related to the next one:

3 - Know the song you're going to request. "We had it played at our wedding... umm... gee... what was that... it's my favorite Bob Dylan song of all time... or was it Pat Boone? Could have been Denver Stevens. Is that his name? It's something about a horse and time travel in Alabama I think... you know?"

4 - If I say I don't know it, I don't know it. I enjoy playing people's requests, I really do. If I say I don't know how to play "Welcome to the Jungle", I'm not lying to you. Why would I? And every time you say, "Oh come on, you know it! Uh-huh... you do too... just play it!", you're only making me contemplate how wonderful it would be to possess the ability to make others spontaneously combust. As referenced in #2, singing/humming/duh-duh-duh-ing part of the song is equally pointless.

5 - Keep it realistic. Asking for anything that's actually received radio play is your best bet. Asking for an artist's deep cuts is less likely to get a positive result... not something I'd recommended making a habit of, but you never know. And asking for that b-side from the Live in Tokyo disk that was only available as an 8-track bootleg from their tour in 1973... there's a good chance that I'm imagining your head as a fireball again.

6 - Tip accordingly. If you've asked for a ton of songs over the course of the night, and the guy (or gal) at the mic has managed to play most of them, you'd better be dropping some legal tender with someone besides Lincoln or Washington on it in their jar.

7 - Put a cap on it. Do you really want to hear a certain song, or is the act of making a request somehow thrilling in and of itself? Making a request between each song I play is bad. If you stop me from moving to my next song to just sit and go, "Hmmm... wait a minute... ummm... (turning to the person next to you) what's a good song? Let me think for a minute..." Flame on.

8. Don't give me a hard time if I don't know it. I know over 300 songs (and counting). I simply don't have time to learn everything there is. Also, everyone has artists they can't stand, myself included. My apologies if you love someone I'm not fond of, but I just can't bring myself to listen to Neil Young or learn a song by some Cat who supports religiously-motivated hits on people.

9. Keep it in style. Do I really sound like I would do Korn or Slipnot? Pink? Taylor Swift? Sit down.

10. Don't request the same song multiple times. Yeah, you might love "Layla" so much you want to hear me play it back to back until the gig ends, but that doesn't mean everyone else that's listening feels the same way. Think of others. Other people... and other songs.

I hope this helps. Feel free to print this out and take it with you the next time you're venturing out for an evening of live music. You'll be requesting like a pro before you know it.

Music 101: Pt. 1 - Your Favorite Band Sucks.

2010-03-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

We've all said this at one point or another. Somebody mentions an artist they saw butcher a classic tune on the Grammy's, Disney releases another pop tart starlet while she's still in the womb, you see some college fratboy with an ankle tattoo of his favorite jam band, Justin Timberlake comes on the radio, and out it comes... "That musician/band/artist/charlatan/entertainer SUCKS!"

Tempting though it may be to say this, it's incorrect.

I could go into all the P.C. crap about diversity and how boring the planet would be if we were all the same, yada yada... whatever. I think I threw up a little just typing that. There's still a tinge of it in my right nostril. But I digress...

So here are the rules. You can dislike a style, song, artist, producer, or even misspelled album liner notes. You can even downright HATE all of the above, but you have to give your own (good) reasons and not just blanketly say something sucks or else you'll you sound like an imbecile who is secretly going home and listening to those Miley Cyrus albums you are openly condemning to the public. Ya dig?

For example:

BAD - ZZ Top sucks. (blasphemy, by the way)
GOOD - I hate ZZ Top because I can't stand blues-based rock songs with sexual innuendo. I also have an intense fear of facial hair.

BAD - Ashley Simpson sucks.
GOOD - Lip-syncing chicks who have no musical talent or skill and yet get on Saturday Night Live because of millions of dollars spent on over-producing their albums thanks to their dad's pandering of their eldest sister to Sony execs for that daughter's music career turn my stomach.

BAD - The Beatles suck.
GOOD - I need to find a place to hide this body of the guy who said "The Beatles suck."

You get the point.

True, I have been guilty of this more times than I care to admit (and will very likely violate this rule again in the future... probably the next time I hear Neil Young), but let's give this our best effort, ok kids?

Influential Albums: King's X - Ear Candy

2010-03-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

If you happen to be either:

A) a Christian who digs heavy rock music, or

B) a major, major, raging, music geek

you know who this band is. For everybody else... allow me to introduce you to King's X.

A power trio from the Midwest, these guys came to prominence in the late 80's / early 90's as a quasi-hair metal group with a dash of proselytizing fervor (or so it seemed).

They eventually garnered a major label deal on Atlantic thanks to their growing cult fan base which was fueled by heavy grooves, Ty Tabor's guitar virtuoso solos, and Doug Pinnick's soulful, Hendrix-conjuring vocals.

At times bluesy, at times full-throttle rock, occasionally experimental, and often laden with Beatle-esque harmonies throughout, the group was a musician's dream, but were always seemingly just out of reach of the general public's acceptance.

After a few releases, the band was paired with über-producer Brendan O'Brien for their album Dogman. That disk was HEAVY... tuned down to D, then dropped another half-step across the board, and engineered to make the bass rattle your internal organs loose.

They played on major network late night TV shows, they toured endlessly with future Seattle grunge movement super stars, and they even had a primo spot on the bill at Woodstock '94. Yet this disk, ground-breaking as it was, kept with their previous history of being too far ahead of their time to do them any good in the present. Though without question, almost every heavy rock band thereafter followed the Dogman playbook line for line.

Then... silence. For years we all wondered what these guys were up to. Rumors circulated, conspiracy theories abounded about why they cut their hair, and most of their Christian fans gasped in horror when they heard the report that the new album had the F-word on it somewhere (even though it wasn't true).

And then out of nowhere, Ear Candy dropped. I listened to this for the first time in a back bedroom at my grandmother's house through some headphones. Upon that initial listen, I thought these guys had finally done it... there were undeniable, unquestionable radio hits on this disk. Their day had finally come.

"Lookin' for Love" would be the smash hit of the year on rock radio, "Mississippi Moon" would be their crossover chart-topper, and "A Box" would be played at high school proms across the land. "Sometimes", "The Train", and "Thinking & Wondering" were also songs I could see getting some airtime at that point in the melting pot of what was "Alternative Modern Rock Radio".

Yeah right... Atlantic Records pulled the funding for the marketing & promotion, the disk sank like a rock, and none of these tracks ever saw the light of day on mainstream radio. Then Atlantic promptly dropped them from the label. Gasp. (sarcasm)

A lot of King's X fans will tell you their best album was their 2nd disk, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, but unless you like a monsoon of Aqua Net and spandex on your lead singer, and all that goes with it, disregard that info. This album is where it's at. Some of the best songwriting and performing that came out of the entire decade of the 1990's is found on these 13 tracks (Ok... "67" is just freaking weird, I admit, but it grows on you).

This was, in my mind, the pinnacle of King's X's career. After this it seemed like the air went out of the tires. The albums became more obviously thrown together, Doug changed his name to Dug and came out of the closet and completely recanted his faith (which turned off more than a few of the Christian rock crowd), and the high quality of songwriting and performing began to fade. But this album is still a gem among my collection.

It's got all the goods. Lyrics, melody, musicianship, intensity, sensitivity, and a song called "American Cheese". What more could you ask for?

Don't own it yet? Listen & buy it here:

Hello God This Is Gregory Hyde

2010-03-15T10:20:00.001-07:00

The new album is finished.

Many people (myself sometimes included) thought this day might never come. But after nearly 3 years of working on this recording, not to mention years before that were spent in efforts just to get the project started, I can finally say this recording is completed.

Stick a fork in it. It's done.

The official release date is April 17, 2010.

Preorder now!!!:
Gregory Hyde CDs

Musician Tip #1: Merch First

2010-03-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know this doesn't seem like a very deep insight. But its simplicity is the very reason many musicians overlook its importance: Set up your merch before anything else.

The moments before a show can be anything from an energetic, anticipation-filled, adrenaline ride to a neurotic, sweating, pray-your-bowels-hold, nervous breakdown. And chances are, every performing musician will experience both more than a handful of times.

So it's easy to get lost in the panic or excitement compounded by the avalanche of other distractions (loading in through the kitchen, bad sound check, no sound check, bi-polar club manager, last-minute equipment failures, wardrobe malfunctions, etc.).

But this IS important. I can't remember how many times I've had people walk up and buy a CD of mine before a show... without even having heard me. Sometimes an intriguing CD cover or display is enough to win a few people over, and there are always some people who just like taking a gamble on a new artist (I LOVE these people).

If I was more concerned with grabbing a drink before my set, chatting up the other artists on the bill, going overboard tweaking amp settings and effects, or was doing anything other than taking the time to set up my CD display, that would've been one less sale (sometimes more), and potentially one less fan, which can ultimately turn into many more fans.

Priorities: Merch first. Then the show.

Gig Etiquette Pt.1 - Freebird!!!

2010-03-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

NEVER yell "Freebird!!!" at a live performance. Ever.

You may think you're being funny, but you're actually ruining people's lives.

Seriously. Imagine if each day you went to work, some... person told you the exact same "knock, knock" joke at some point. You don't know exactly when he's going to wander over and destroy your faith in humanity with his sad, pathetic attempt at humor, but it's gonna happen. Might drive you crazy after the 700th time, don't you think?

You're that guy.

Truth of the matter is that I hear this at almost every show I play. This gag is more tired than the "stopping a wedding to tell the bride she should be with me instead" ending of a romantic comedy movie. Notice how the only people who still chuckle at this are the inbred d-bags who yell it?

I've had people call it out who didn't even know the song once they started to hear some of it (because they cheered when I said, "OK", and started to play an obscure Waterdeep track). Someone once was so tactless they called it out before a memorial service I played. I've even had some guys at shows who were so socially retarded they called it out between every single song I played (yes, this has happened WAY more than once).

Stop it. Forever.

For a more humorous insight into this from a gentleman who is also a performing musician, I now leave you with this blog post from my buddy, Les Hodge:

There are some things that will always make me laugh no matter how many times I hear them. It's really rare for a joke to have longevity, because surprise is a keystone of comedy. Nope, it takes a great story, or a running joke that is so funny it hearkens (that's right, I said 'hearkens') you back to the first time you heard/experienced the gag to keep you laughing for an extended period of time. If you're a band you can keep playing your hit song your entire career, but if you're a comedian you have to constantly update your material or no one will pay to see you. Imagine if Letterman was still using the same jokes he used a year ago? Wait, that's a bad example. Anyway, you know what I mean.

So last night, I was playing a show at Crow Creek when it happened

I'm sorry. I had to take a break because I'm laughing just THINKING about it. Right between two songs some guy; some genius... yells out "FREEEBIRD!"

Oh.

My.

God.

Of course, the entire bar just erupted. There were people on the floor, people were high-fiving, an older gentleman reminisced about how some guy yelled out Freebird at another show he was at... We briefly took a hard look at just tearing down our P.A. and heading home. How were we gonna top that? The people came to be entertained and they got what they paid for. Alas, somehow, we pulled ourselves together and finished our set.

Later, as the Freebird guy was leaving, I gave him an appreciative nod as if to say "Thank you. I know that you weren't the first guy to yell "freebird," and you won't be the last, but every time is unforgettable. Even if we never meet again, tonight is something we will always share."

Your ways are mysterious, Freebird man. How do you make it to so many shows? Is there a meeting every night at 6 pm, where a small group of comedy sultans pour over an Urban Tulsa picking out shows to bless with your golden nugget of hilarity? My gut says no. It's something more... organic than that. Spiritual. You just tucked your dirty polo shirt into your jean shorts, fastened that braided belt, and headed out. You had no idea you'd be the Richard Pryor of Crow Creek Tavern. But sometime after your fifth High-life and your ninth GPC, it welled up inside you... like a fire. And then you let that sweet gem pass out from beneath your sans-irony mustache and into comedy immortality.

I know I speak for every musician I know when I say thank you, and keep em' comin.' We love when you 'help us out.' If laughter truly is the best medicine, you sir are the cure for what ails me.

Most Influential Albums: Zakk Wylde - Book of Shadows

2010-02-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

Zakk Wylde... jeez. My first real rock concert was Ozzy Osbourne & Alice in Chains at the Tulsa Fairgrounds race track, next to Driller Stadium in the early 90's (the now laughably titled "No More Tours Tour"). That Ozzy album & tour was a wake-up call to guitarists everywhere. Ibanez guitars, rack effects, and solid-state amps got ditched for Les Pauls, Marshalls, and stomp-boxes. Why? Zakk freaking Wylde, that's why.

Zakk was amazing. Yeah, he had chops for days, looked cooler than anyone on MTV (who else could wear a bowler hat with a bullseye painted on his guitar and still look cool??), but man - that SOUND. I was addicted to that buzz-saw guitar tone and those signature screaming harmonic squeals.

So all of us recently-converted Zakk addicts were crushed when Zakk left Ozzy. We waited in anticipation for his new project, Pride & Glory. When it wasn't metal, but rather a swamp-blues infected Southern Rock that had more influence from the Allman Brothers than from the Van Halen brothers, most Ozz fans were bummed, myself included (I later rediscovered the Pride & Glory album and still dig it immensely). I was also shocked that his voice sounded so deep and bluesy, when he looked much more like a Sebastian Bach-esque pretty boy from that era.

A few years later, I saw this CD in a record store. Given my previous let-down with Pride & Glory, I passed it over a few times, but kept going back whenever I'd return to that store, wondering if it would be as cool as No More Tears. Keep in mind this was before you could preview tracks on the internet... buying an album was a dice roll, so with no radio play, you might be flushing $15 and won't know it until the crap is already in your ears. So I never pulled the trigger...

Fast forward a few years - my buddy and fellow Ozzy fan, Homer Robison, was commenting about this CD one night. He gave me the impression it was worth a listen and offered to let me borrow it. I was working in web design at a company in Tulsa at the time and took the CD to work with me to plug into the headphones while I designed websites for people who always just wanted us to rip off someone else's work... not expecting the disk to be anything more than mediocre.

I was so stunned by how amazing the opening track, "Between Heaven and Hell", was that I was literally immobilized by it. I sat there with my jaw open, staring at my CD player wondering what in the world was going on. I listened to it again... and again... and again... the whole album can't be this awesome, can it?? I decided to find out. Yep, it was.

Given, some albums/songs/movies/books/cult leaders hit you at just the right time in your life to make a life-changing impact when they might not have even scratched the surface a year previous. Maybe that's what happened, but this record resonated with me then beyond anything else I had known.

Truly though, Zakk got ripped with this project. If this had been released by an up & coming black kid from Louisiana and had been executive produced by Clive Davis, this thing would've stomped the Grammys that year. Hard.

It's the perfect marriage between swamp blues, acoustic folk, and heavy rock (if a 3-way marriage can be considered perfect - maybe the album is Mormon?). Yeah, he's still got the riffs & chops (I don't think it's physically possible to play any faster than he does on the solo to "Throwin' It All Away"), his piano work is practically a religious experience, but its the songs on here that seal the deal. Raw, vulnerable, yet lush and undefeatable at the same time. He's hitting the target he aimed for dead-center and then some.

So I absorbed this music for months, indoctrinating anyone who would listen. It sparked a writing streak of southern-fried rock songs in me that lasted for years. The undisputed fan favorite from my band's album at the time was a song called "Better". It's hard to say if that tune, "A Beautiful Girl", "Don't Walk Away", "Southern Highway Love Song", or several other songs I've written would even exist if I hadn't heard Book of Shadows.

Since I was late getting on the bus for this CD, Zakk released yet another new album several months later. This time it was with a new group, Black Label Society... a heavier than hell, grungy, decrepit, tuned-down, scare your mom, beat up your dad, kill your spatula dealer, set fire to your elementary school, and run away with your bus driver's wife, metal band. The kinda crap that weenie, young, white-trash teen boys listen to in order to make themselves seem scary and tough... audio testosterone substitute. Garbage.

However, Black Label would be playing in Joplin, Missouri, and my buddy Homer and his wife were going. I hitched along and experienced the loudest concert ever.

What's that? You have a loud concert story you're thinking of? Nope. Yours wasn't as loud as this. No, it wasn't. We're talking 'Boeing 747 landing on your ear drum' loud; praying for your ears to bleed so the blood can act as an insulator between the razor-blade sharp sound waves and the liquefied brain stem you're trying to prevent from spilling out of your split skull.

And Zakk was scary. By this time he had transformed from pretty boy glam rocker to demon trucker with arms the size of Hulk Hogan's torso, who used gigantic chains for a guitar strap. To top this off, his first guitar, the infamous bullseye Les Paul, had been stolen a few nights previous. He looked like some sort of crazed, beer-guzzling Norse God who hates... well, everything. When he demanded the crowd "Make some F***-ing NOISE!!!", his ice blue, bloodshot eyes got the size of circular saw blades, and we all screamed out of fear, not willingness to show him we were rockin'. We honestly just did whatever he said so he wouldn't come down into the crowd and eat us.

After the show, a line was forming for autographs with Zakk. I didn't really need the signature, but I just had to tell him what I thought of Book of Shadows. The line went pretty quickly. The metal-head fans in front of me would rave about what a great guitarist he was, and 8-foot tall, world-devouring Zakk would just grunt and sign, without ever looking up. I finally got up to him, and muttered out, "Book of Shadows is my favorite album of all time" (which it honestly was at that point). Zakk stopped, put down the black Sharpie marker, looked me right in the eye, and said, "Man, thanks... that really means a lot. I worked really hard on that album." He shook my hand (HARD), patted me on the back, and said, "Thanks for coming out, dude." Then he went back to grunting at people.

At first I was confused why he took the time to address me personally out of the crowd. My brother put it together and told me, "That's the only album of his that he put his own name on. It's obviously the most personal representation of himself".

Don't own it? Buy and listen here:

Most Influential Albums: Common Children - The Inbetween Time

2010-02-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of Common Children (and all of Marc Byrd's various projects after their demise) since the very first disk. My friend Chad Bonham had a copy of their debut, Skywire, on cassette and let me listen to it during a nighttime drive to a friend's house. He explained that they "are totally awesome" (true), "rock so hard that you need to pad your pants with double-ply Charmin, because of how hard they're going to kick your butt" (also true), and "sound like a mix between Candle Box and Goo Goo Dolls" (very, very, very, absolutely, falsier than the falsiest of false).

I heard "Hate" followed by "Treasure" and I was hooked. I won't go too far into that experience, because that album will surely get its own entry eventually. They released the album Delicate Fade not long after and then promptly vanished off the face of the earth. Their label (Tattoo records) was gone, no more tour dates were announced, and there wasn't even a peep of them on the web anywhere. I was shattered.

Years passed, and I had all but given up hope that I would ever hear them again. Then one night, on a whim, I did a search online and found a single splash-page announcing an upcoming 3rd album by Common Children, The Inbetween Time. I freaked out.

Needless to say, I signed up, paid the $15 and waited patiently. Ok, rabidly might be a better adverb there... It arrived. I couldn't make myself wait for the typical "at night, in bed, through headphones" approach I preferred, so I threw it in the player in my car (still at nighttime, thankfully) on a drive out to my grandmother's house in the badlands of far West Tulsa. Winding through rain-covered country roads lined with aged, decaying trees, under the stars, the album unfolded like the masterpiece it is.

On a sonic level, you won't ever find an album with this many guitars layered on top of each other that still sounds this present and clear. Marc Byrd is an unparalleled master of manipulating ambient guitar sounds in my opinion. Your mind bathes, swims, and drowns in a universe of echoes and distant melodies. But the real strength of this album is in the depth of feeling it conveys; a flood of emotions from grit-your-teeth anger to heart breaking sadness, contemplative, aching loss to reverent, bliss-filled awe - all compounded with the overwhelmingly immense scope of the soundscape all around you.

There are no singles on this disk. Nothing "radio-worthy". Nothing that the mainstream music industry would bother giving the time of day. But The Inbetween Time can break you and rebuild you over and over again if you let it.

It's one of the best albums ever released. Ever.

Don't own it yet? Listen & buy it here:

Most Influential Albums: Tugboat Annie - The Space Around You

2010-02-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

This is quite possibly the best album you don't own.

I stumbled across this disk back in 2001. I was in a glorified cover rock band called San Dimas and we put a CD up for sale on CDBaby.com. Besides providing album distribution for independent artists, the site also makes recommendations for other bands/CDs that are similar in style so that fans of your stuff can find more music they dig. This album was one of those links from our page. I gave the samples one listen and knew I was on to something amazing. So I bought the CD...

The first day it arrived in the mail (I was living with my brother and sister-in-law in Tulsa at the time), I did my normal CD listening routine: wait until dark, lie down in bed with the lights out, put on my headphones and blast the album all the way through uninterrupted. I was in heaven. I listened to this CD 5 times through that night. For about the next 2 weeks, every night I would repeat the routine, listening through the entire album 2-3 times.... often skipping back over Stop, Wishing Song, Helen of Troy and Away.

This is a disk of flawless, noisy, shiny, battered pop songs. The sonic layers and textures these guys achieved are so lush that you feel like your sense of hearing has gained extra dimensions. Michael Bethmann's voice is an otherworldly, haunting, raspy, yet deeply expressive wonder. The guitar work is unparalleled even by the artists that obviously influenced it. The drumming... kinda sucks, yeah. But if you know what a huge nit-picker of drumming I am, then you know it is NO small statement for me to say the strength of the songs and other performances on this album completely make up for what the drummer(s) lacks.

There are a few albums that are such complete works of art that it is a heinous crime to skip songs, even for the purpose of previewing, and this is one of them. So whenever I attempt to introduce anyone to this disk, it comes with the caveat that they're in for the long haul.

I've actually listened to this album so many times that I use it to test the sound systems of cars, stereos, etc., because I'm so incredibly familiar with exactly how the sonic range should sound on this disk.

I tried desperately to capture many of this album's finer points on my latest album, and the inspiration of simple chord structures underneath a cataclysm of guitar rage still drives my approach to many of my own songs. I'm sure I'll be chasing this sound for a long time to come.

Don't have it yet? But it here:

Most Influential Albums: The Beatles - Help!

2010-01-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

This is probably the album that shaped me the most, above all others.

I've always been entranced by the vocal sounds on the title track (possibly my favorite song by The Beatles). How could you NOT be amazed by every sonic nuance of this song?

I spent the majority of my teenage years indulging my "faster, louder, more complex = better" musical tastes. Prog rock and instrumental guitar virtuosos were almost all I was subjecting myself to.

My junior year in high school, I began swapping album recommendations with a friend in my Advertising Design class, (Headless Phil - still a great friend of mine) and when I threw the newest Dream Theater release into the ring, he would counter with... Beatles albums?! But this isn't impressive, is it? Everybody's heard The Beatles. It's Oldies... it's simple... easy... basic... and... wait a minute... freaking brilliant.

Many of Phil's introductions are still faves of mine (Harry Nilsson, Blur's Parklife & The Great Escape albums, Marion), though I don't think it went both ways. It's a safe bet he doesn't have any Galactic Cowboys or Dream Theater albums littering his illustrious collection.

At some point after hearing "I am the Walrus", I started falling in love. I bought the double-disk "red" CD collection of Beatles hits and completely rebooted my musical direction. It didn't take long for me to become somewhat of a fanatic.

Not long after, I was recording some demos with my great friend/engineer/drummer Mark Keefer. At the end of our sessions, we met up at a local burger joint in Tulsa and he gave me this CD, knowing I was interested to hear a proper full Beatles "album".

I plugged it in on my drive home and when "The Night Before" came on, I lost it. This was the coolest thing I had heard in as long as I could remember. I played that track over and over for hours, driving nowhere, just listening to this work of art.

Even though many of the songs on this disk were major singles, I was astounded at how solid each song is. This CD was still on repeat in my player months later. Also adding to my fervor over this album were my circumstances at the time. I had just gone through a heart-wrenching relationship fiasco and every single track on Help! seemed to directly apply to some situation or feeling I was experiencing as a result.

Due to my aforementioned prog-addiction, it was a little difficult to get past the poor timing of George's guitar volume-pedal on "I Need You", but the strength of the songs lifted me past the production and engineering shortcomings (not yet knowing what innovators they were in this department or the limited resources they had to work with). If they released it today, it would probably be labeled as "alt-country" or something, but in my mind it's one of the best rock albums ever made.

The drum part on "Ticket to Ride" is absolute genius, "Act Naturally" is one of the most fun songs ever recorded, "You Like Me Too Much" is one of George's best, "Yesterday" is a classic heartbreaker, and if "The Night Before" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" don't get your pulse racing, you are DEAD.

Don't have it yet?
Buy it here: