Thursday 26 June 2008

Clem Clempson (Colosseum) Vid

I have to admit I really haven't listened much to Colosseum but I do know of Clem Clempson from when he played for a while with Humble Pie. I really love the stuff he did with the Pie and is another example of a guitarist that more people should know about. He's able to have a great blend of rock and blues and is certainly someone to check out if you love blues-based rock.

Sunday 22 June 2008

Led Zeppelin

I’ve never been a big fan of Led Zeppelin, I feel that Jimmy Page’s guitar somehow devoid of emotion. It’s all about spewing out lots of notes rather than feeling the music and trying to convey emotion. I also find that Robert Plant’s vocals to be a bit high pitched and harsh. However I did hear a more recent performance of Robert Plant and his new band and it’s way better than Led Zeppelin. I would seriously consider buying one of their CD and going to a live performance. Somehow it’s just a lot more mature and less about creating lots of loud noise.

Friday 20 June 2008

I Hate My Computer

I’m really hating my computer. I didn’t buy a branded computer such as Dell or Compaq. Instead I got something that was put together buy this guy from a kit. It’s supposed to be good for those who are working with sound recording and graphics but there have been things wrong with it. For instance the slots of the media cards don’t work and at the moment I’m listening to music on only one channel. The result is that sometimes the guitar solo is missed out and sometimes the vocals have disappeared altogether. What utter junk.

Wednesday 18 June 2008

Miller Anderson

You could say that Miller Anderson is a musician's musician. Generally people won't ever have heard of him however you will certainly know of people he has played with. And he's played with some amazing people over the years. Such as Mitch Mitchell, Keef Hartley and Mountain. I don't know why he's not more famous and can't understand why some people get famous and other don't. Miller Anderson is way better than the likes of Jimmy Page that's for sure! You can also read an interview with him here.

Monday 16 June 2008

Car CD Player Stolen

Some one broke into my car and stole my CD player. It wasn’t the most expensive system in the world but it wasn’t very old and I really enjoy listening to music in the car because it makes my driving that bit more bearable. I don’t know how they managed to break in, perhaps I forgot to lock it up. I really can’t remember but at least they didn’t cause any real damage. The crazy thing is that they didn’t steal any of my Cds or even the passport that was sitting in the glove compartment. I don’t know if I’m going to replace it now, I might just plug my mp3 player into some speakers and sit it on the passenger seat. It’s not ideal but at least it won’t cost me anything. It’s terrible that you can’t own anything these days without someone wanting to steal it. My aunt’s GPS system got stolen out of her car some time ago. She saw it happening but wasn’t dressed at the time and by the time she got outside that bastards had gone.

Sunday 15 June 2008

Monitor Audio Speakers

I’m really fed up of my crappy old hi-fi speakers. I have decided to bite the bullet and buy a really good pair. I’m not very knowledgeable about speakers but I know what I like when I hear it. Therefore I decided to buy Monitor Audio. They aren’t the most expensive speakers in the world but they certainly aren’t the cheapest either. It’s amazing to think how expensive speakers really can get. Most of the price however is due to the type of wood that is used. Certain woods are most expensive however because I bought ones made from oak the price was less. Anyway, I’m delighted with them even although I’m amazed that I really did go ahead with the purchase.

Monday 9 June 2008

Status Quo

Status Quo is not a band I tend to listen to but, wow, I would really like to be in the mosh pit of one of their gigs. The fans look like they really know how to have a good time. I love live gigs but if I go to one I have to be right there in the front. You just can't beat some good ol' rock n roll. I will wait all day so that I can be one of the first to get in and I’ll run with all the energy I can to get to the front. I’m just not one of those people who sit down at a rock concert and sit quietly. I don’t understand people who do that.

People Listening to Music in Cars

What’s up with people wanting to listen to music so loudly in their cars? I mean, I saw some guy in a convertible with the roof down listening to Johnny Cash really loudly. You would think that someone with such bad taste in music wouldn’t want people to know. I love to listen to music but I don’t feel the need for everyone around me to hear what I’m listening to as well. Plus I also think it’s important to be able to listen out for ambulance and police sirens.

Thinking of Playing The Guitar

I would really like to play a guitar. No, I don’t mean one of those Nintendo Wii types, I would really like to play a proper guitar. I’m just not sure what type I would like to buy. It might e that I buy an acoustic guitar so that I can play folk music. However I also really like blues/rock such as Hendrix and Clapton so buying a Fender Strat might be nice. I see that there are some really cheap guitars about these days. I don’t know if I should go to buy one of them or buy one of the more prestigious types like Fender, Gibson or Taylor.

Luckily I'm right-handed but I do sometimes wonder how it must be like for those who aren't. Do they really need to have left handed guitar lessons?

Thursday 5 June 2008

Free

My favourite band has probably got to be Free. I just that band and I’m surprised at how many people have never heard of them. Yes, you must know who Free are, their biggest hits have been All Right Now and Fire and Water. Paul Rodgers is also currently singing with Queen. I’m not so keen on that setup just because Paul Rodgers is very much a blues singer and Queen has no roots in the blues at all. Anyway, I also love Paul Kossoff’s guitar playing. He’s not one of these really extrovert “look at me” type of guitarists in the way that Blackmore or Jimmy Page who are all about testosterone and playing wild and furious. Instead Paul Kossoff is very much about emotion and can be playing in a very frustrated and angry sort of way and suddenly will start playing very sentively as if he’s just broken down with the pain. Any Fraser is also an amazing bass player. I’ve never really been that interested in bass but I love to listen to Andy Fraser.

Tuesday 3 June 2008

My Ear For Music Is Too Good

Sometimes I wish I didn’t have quite such a good ear for music. The problem is that so many people like particular bands and when I listen to them all I hear is instruments out of tune etc. It’s just so difficult to listen to. I mean, I was listening to the radio the other day when an Alice Cooper song came on. I have never heard anything so awful. I’m not sure what the song was but the guitar was so out of tune I was wondering if they decided to do this on purpose for some reason. I can’t think of any other reason. The guitar was in tune, just not in tune with any of the other instruments or vocals!

Sunday 1 June 2008

Crosby and Nash

Last year I was flicking TV channels and came across a live performance by Crosby and Nash. It was just the two of them on guitars and vocals yet it sounded out of this world. I don’t know what the recoding was but it looked like it was recorded in the 70’s. It’s strange because I have never seen it repeated despite the fact that BBC4 does nothing but repeat everything hundreds of times over and over again. I would love to get a hold of it because it was simply amazing.

UPDATE: I just found a few videos of it on good old YouTube. Here is one of them: