Guitar virtuoso PAUL GILBERT will release his brand-new album, Werewolves of Portland, on 4 June 2021 via The Players Club.
Check out the new song ‘A Thunderous Ovation Shook the Columns’ from the album, here:
Paul Gilbert: “I also wrote not one, but TWO songs about the Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich. One is ‘A Thunderous Ovation Shook the Columns’, which is a line that I saw when I was reading about the audience’s reaction to the debut performance of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony. They liked his symphony! So, fortunately, did Joseph Stalin, who had made no secret that he did NOT approve of some of Shostakovich’s earlier music, and that he’d better write something more pro-state, or be sent off to a ‘work’ camp in Siberia. In these days of culture battles, I thought, today’s cancel-culture people still have nothing on Stalin.”
Track list
Hello North Dakota!
My Goodness
Werewolves of Portland
Professorship of the LeningradConservatory
Argument About Pie
Meaningful
I Wanna Cry (Even Though I Ain’t Sad)
A Thunderous Ovation Shook The Columns
Problem-Solving People
(You Would Not Be Able To Handle) What I Handle Everyday
Gilbert is a formidable force. From his time in LA metallers Racer X to helping form Mr. Big, one of the era’s most revered names. His distinguished solo career has seen him putting out 15 acclaimed records and has been asked to guest on albums from such diverse names as Todd Rundgren, Bowling For Soup, Glenn Hughes and MC Lars. He also toured with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci in 2007 (G3) and two years later with Richie Kotzen and George Lynch (Guitar Generation). This is not to mention a lengthy tenure as a much-in-demand teacher and instructor. This began when he was still a teenager, being hired in 1985 by the prestigious Guitar Institute Of Technology (GIT) in Los Angeles.
Guitar virtuoso PAUL GILBERT will release his brand-new album, Werewolves of Portland, on 4 June 2021 via The Players Club (Steve Lukather, Robby Krieger, Michael Landau, Tommy Emmanuel). To celebrate this, Gilbert has also revealed the video for the first taste, “Argument About Pie,” which you can watch below.
Now he has his 16th solo studio album ready to prove to everyone that, astonishingly, this master continues to raise the bar on what he can achieve. With the international lockdown putting the world on hold, Gilbert decided to, rather than wait, he got on with playing all the instruments on the album himself. “It took me about six months to think of it, but it finally occurred to me that I could play all the instruments myself. I’ve always loved playing drums, and I can play bass and keyboards well enough to get the job done,” he says.
Talking about the first song released from the album, he explains, “most of my titles come from the lyrics that I write in order to get a melody going. I’ve even printed the lyrics in the liner notes of the album, so you can ‘read along’ as you listen to the music. “‘Argument About Pie’ is one of my favourites. This lyric came from my pre-lockdown experiences of stopping by my local pie shop for a slice of strawberry rhubarb. Amidst all the brewing angst in Portland, the pie shop was a place where everyone was happy and at peace. Eating pie seemed to be something that everyone could agree on. Since my mind has the habit of searching for contrasts, I started to wonder what people might be against eating pie.”
Photo credit: Jason Quigley
When it comes to writing, Gilbert reveals that surprisingly it isn’t the guitar that provides the impetus. “Mostly, I write by singing. I use the lyrics to give myself a structure where I can hang the notes. Once the melody is long enough to have some life in it, my musical instincts can take over. I can often finish the song without needing more words. But if I get stuck, lyrics will always get me going again.” He continues, “My guitar can hit the high notes! It’s amazing to have the physical limitations of my voice… gone! The challenge is to be expressive, with all the slides, vibrato, dynamics, and tones that a voice has. I’m constantly learning vocal melodies on guitar, so I get used to playing with the kind of expression that singers have. “
Recorded at Opal Studio in Portland with co-producer and engineer Kevin Hahn, Gilbert pulled out some of his current favourite guitars for the job. “I mostly used my Ibanez Fireman guitars,” he says. “I’ve been collecting vintage Ibanez guitars lately, too. I brought some models from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s like the Ibanez Artist, Roadstar II and Ghostrider. I also brought and modified a ’60s Epiphone Olympic. I used to play those in the early days of Racer X, so it was fun to have a guitar that reminded me of my early shredder style.”
The album title’s inspiration partly comes from the Warren Zevon song, “Werewolves Of London”. “I live in Portland and thought it would be funny to substitute the name of my much lesser-known city. My original idea for the ‘Werewolves’ was just the guys in my band and me. When we play music, it is our version of ‘howling at the moon’. Unfortunately, Portland has become more ‘known’ in the last year for events that are pretty sad to watch. And ‘Werewolves’ could take on other meanings that I certainly hadn’t anticipated. But the title, to me, still has a musical meaning.”
The song titles are somewhat quirky and certainly catch the imagination. There are not one but two songs about the Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich. “A Thunderous Ovation Shook the Columns” is about the audience’s reaction to the debut performance of Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony. “They liked his Symphony! So, fortunately, did Joseph Stalin, who had made no secret that he did NOT approve of some of Shostakovich’s earlier music. ‘Professorship At The Leningrad Conservatory’ is my lyric about that story, and I built the melody from there.”
Gilbert is a formidable force. From his time in LA metallers Racer X to helping form Mr. Big, one of the era’s most revered names. His distinguished solo career has seen him putting out 15 acclaimed records and has been asked to guest on albums from such diverse names as Todd Rundgren, Bowling For Soup, Glenn Hughes and MC Lars. He also toured with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci in 2007 (G3) and two years later with Richie Kotzen and George Lynch (Guitar Generation). This is not to mention a lengthy tenure as a much-in-demand teacher and instructor. This began when he was still a teenager, being hired in 1985 by the prestigious Guitar Institute Of Technology (GIT) in Los Angeles.
“I didn’t become a musician to shout my ideas, complaints, or philosophies at anyone. I love music because of the music. So I love my method of using my inner rants as scaffolding to build melodies. This scaffolding can then be pulled away to unveil some pure emotional music. This works perfectly for me and hopefully for my listeners. “I need to be able to visualize the look and sound of my fretboard well enough to play accurately in my mind. It’s almost like real air guitar! Then when I actually go to play the music, I’ve got a good chance of having my melodic intentions come true. And that’s about the best feeling in the world.”
Track list
Hello North Dakota!
My Goodness
Werewolves of Portland
Professorship of the LeningradConservatory
Argument About Pie
Meaningful
I Wanna Cry (Even Though I Ain’t Sad)
A Thunderous Ovation Shook The Columns
Problem-Solving People
(You Would Not Be Able To Handle) What I Handle Everyday
Guitar Pioneer PAUL GILBERT released his new album “Behold Electric Guitar” on 17th May, via Mascot Label Group/Music Theories Recordings!
Watch the brand new video for “A Herd of Turtles” here:
Paul Gilbert on A Herd of Turtles:
How do you know when you’ve gained your producer’s trust?
You ask him this question:
“Hey John, can you set up a vocal mic? I want to recite a poem about turtles in a Ringo Starr accent, and then launch into a ferocious groove with the band, and then back to the Ringo part, and then back to the ferocious part a few more times. We’ll cut it all live too.”
To which John, the producer replies, “Sure!”
I waited until the end of the “Behold Electric Guitar” recording sessions to record “A Herd of Turtles,” as I knew the unusual arrangement might raise some eyebrows. But as I had hoped, the band, my producer John Cuniberti, and I were a tight musical unit by that time, so I knew that a wild experiment might have a chance.
“A Herd of Turtles” is the only song on “Behold Electric Guitar” that is not strictly instrumental. But instead of singing, I am reciting a poem. My poem is about overcoming challenges. The turtles want to escape a tedious lifestyle. The rabbits want not to be eaten by the fox. And the musician (me!) wants to find a way to play music, even when faced with severe hearing loss. In my poem, we all find a way.
I tried reading the poem in my normal speaking voice, and it just didn’t feel right. My instincts told me that “Ringo” was the solution. And after I put myself in a Liverpudlian frame of mind (and voice), everything worked much better.
The music is the most relentless rhythm groove I could think of. Normally, I can get through a whole show with one guitar pick. But this song destroys a pick in three minutes!
On a more serious note, my challenges with hearing loss are certainly an interesting journey. The surprising upside is that my difficulties in hearing have motivated me to know my guitar fretboard better. My playing has become much more melodic and intentional as a result. My “Inner Melodic Generator” is the best that’s it has has ever been! As I say in the poem, “I listen to the music that I can hear INSIDE.”
“Behold Electric Guitar” Tracklist:
1 Havin’ It
2 I Own A Building
3 Everywhere That Mary Went
4 Love Is The Saddest Thing
5 Sir You Need To Calm Down
6 Let That Battery Die
7 Blues For Rabbit
8 Every Snare Drum
9 A Snake Just Bit My Toe
10 I Love My Lawnmower
11 A Herd Of Turtles
12 Things Can Walk to You
Available Formats:
Standard Black 2LP+MP3
CD digipack
Digital
Guitar Pioneer PAUL GILBERT will release his new album ‘Behold Electric Guitar’ on May 17th via Mascot Label Group / Music Theories Recordings! The album includes 12 new original songs, all with Paul’s most expressive, and inspired guitar playing to date!
Watch the video for “Things Can Walk To You” here:
Paul Gilbert: Yes! I am building a tradition of cantankerous rock songs. “Get Out of My Yard,” “Everybody Use Your Goddamn Turn Signal,” “Enemies in Jail,” and “Atmosphere on the Moon” (a song about moving to the moon to escape from auto-tuned music on Earth) are melodious rants from my past albums.
“Things Can Walk to You” is the closing track on my new album “Behold Electric Guitar,” and although it is performed as an instrumental, the melody is based on my most recent cantankerous lyrics.
Let me tell you the story.
One of my goals in moving to Portland was to live in a neighborhood where I could “walk to things.” I looked forward to getting daily exercise by walking to local restaurants and shops, and getting some fresh outdoor air. I found a website called “Walk Score,” which rated the walkability of any address, and the area where I moved was rated high, and seemed perfect.
It turns out that walkability not only attracts exercising musicians, but also attracts homeless people with their shopping carts, brimming with garbage, and leaving a trail of hypodermic needles.
This led me to comment to a friend, “When you can walk to things… Things can walk to YOU.”
So when you listen to my friendly slide guitar melody, if you want to add a dimension of cantankerous thought, you can hum along with my first verse:
Well, I bought my house for the high Walk Score There’s a café, and a pizza, and a grocery store What I didn’t realize But I’m finding out is true When you can walk to things Well, things can walk to you
Yes, yes. I know that it’s callous to call anyone a “thing.” (Even when they steal your license plates, and smash your car window to steal your son’s backpack.) I’m sure everyone has a story. And not everyone has the good fortune to be able to turn their story into a song. I certainly appreciate my station in life.
So I used the power of music to transform a callous rant into a soulful slide guitar melody, and guitar solo that builds and builds until it earns its place as the closing musical statement on my album.
Some of my other cantankerous songs offer not only a problem, but also a solution.
Problem: People don’t use their turn signals. Solution: Everybody use your goddamn turn signal.
Problem: Auto-tuned music is annoying to me. Solution: Terraform the moon, so I can move there, and get away from auto-tuned music.
“Things Can Walk to You” offers no solution, because I don’t have one. For those who are struggling, I wish I had the answer. If I could help homeless people by showing them how to play patterns with the major and minor blues scales, then I think I could do some good. But I suspect they need help in other areas.
So in the meantime, I guess we’ll all keep walking, and breathing the fresh air. And if it’s blues scales you need. I’m here.”
“Behold Electric Guitar” Tracklist:
1 Havin’ It
2 I Own A Building
3 Everywhere That Mary Went
4 Love Is The Saddest Thing
5 Sir You Need To Calm Down
6 Let That Battery Die
7 Blues For Rabbit
8 Every Snare Drum
9 A Snake Just Bit My Toe
10 I Love My Lawnmower
11 A Herd Of Turtles
12 Things Can Walk to You
Available Formats:
Standard Black 2LP+MP3
CD digipack
Digital
Guitar Pioneer PAUL GILBERT will release his new album ‘Behold Electric Guitar’ on May 17th via Mascot Label Group / Music Theories Recordings! The album includes 12 new original songs, all with Paul’s most expressive, and inspired guitar playing to date!
Paul comments on Havin’ It: “I finally wrote a song with long guitar solos! It took me decades to stretch beyond my pop song structure habits, and it feels great to be FREE, and just play, and play, and play. The song still has melodies and themes, and those were inspired by the idea that when you have something good… You still want MORE. Havin’ it… don’t make me stop wantin’ it!”
Watch the video for “Havin’ It”, here:
After his recent move to Portland, Oregon, Paul set out to connect with the best and grooviest musicians in the area, and record an album in his brand new hometown. Brian Foxworth (drums) and Asher Fulero (keyboards) were both obvious choices to play Paul’s mix of rock, blues, jazz, and pop flavors. When Paul’s regular Portland bassist Kelly Lemieux was unavailable (due to his touring with Buckcherry), Paul reached out to New Orleans bass legend, Roland Guerin. Roland came to Portland weeks before the recording dates for intense rehearsing and arranging sessions.
With the band complete, Paul enlisted legendary producer and engineer John Cuniberti. John is well known for his work with Joe Satriani, but Paul was primarily interested in John’s expertise with “one mic” recording.
Paul explains, “It’s so easy to make albums with overdubbing and editing these days, but I really prefer playing live and just getting the music to sound right because the musicians, the songs, and the performances are good.”
After hearing Paul’s band, John recommended a few more mics, but still agreed that the music worked best as live performances with no overdubs. “There is not one overdub on the record. Everything you hear is four guys jamming, listening to each other, and making room for each other. The music almost mixes itself that way! And it’s just a great mindset to have. When you know that you won’t be fixing or adding parts later… It keeps your mind very active to get things right!”
Paul will be touring with his band this year to support “Behold Electric Guitar”. Make sure to catch him at the peak of his powers! Behold Electric Guitar!
Paul’s extensive tour schedule will bring him to Europe and the US and the dates can be found here: http://www.paulgilbert.com/tour
“Behold Electric Guitar” Tracklist:
1. Havin’ It
2. I Own A Building
3. Everywhere That Mary Went
4. Love Is The Saddest Thing
5. Sir You Need To Calm Down
6. Let That Battery Die
7. Blues For Rabbit
8. Every Snare Drum
9. A Snake Just Bit My Toe
10. I Love My Lawnmower
11. A Herd Of Turtles
12. Things Can Walk to You
Available Formats:
Standard Black 2LP+MP3
CD digipack
Digital
The new album “Triumphant Hearts” from JASON BECKER will be released on December 7th, via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group. The album features Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, Uli Jon Roth, Richie Kotzen, Gus G., Jake Shimabukuro, and many more.
Watch the lyric video for the stunning ‘Valley of Fire’ ft. The Magnificent 13 here:
The Magnificent 13 are: Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Mattias IA Eklundh, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G, Steve Hunter and Ben Woods.
Mascot Records are extremely excited and honored to present the new album ‘Triumphant Hearts’ from Jason Becker, which will be released on 7th December 2018.
Jason Becker’s story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and, ultimately, triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo Cacophony, with his great friend Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded on his 3rd solo album ‘A Little Ain’t Enough’ and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). A fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. Maybe.
That was 29 years ago. He lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Jason spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles, magazine cover stories, and an award-winning documentary, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet.
The album’s 14 tracks showcase Jason’s gift for melody and his deep knowledge of classical composition and orchestral arrangement. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who’s who of 6-string gods including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. And, in what will absolutely delight his fans, Jason’s amazing guitar playing—recorded in the ’80s and ’90s—features throughout.
The first song to be released from the album is the beautifully mesmerizing 9 minute and 5 second instrumental ‘Valley of Fire’ that features The Magnificent 13 – Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Mattias IA Eklundh, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G, Steve Hunter and Ben Woods. A phenomenal cast to feature on a single song.
The album opens with the title track, featuring Jason’s old bandmate Marty Friedman and an astounding violin performance. “I wrote ‘Triumphant Heart’ and it made me feel triumphant,” says Becker. “When Marty found out I was making this album, he told me he would play anything I needed. I sent him this, and his wife, Hiyori Okuda, who is a cellist, also offered to play on it. The great violinist, Glauco Bertagnin, recorded my violin parts in Italy. That fast solo section I wrote is way too hard; I don’t know how Glauco pulled it off. He put so much soul in the whole song.”
‘Hold on to Love’ is the first vocal song on the record, although it didn’t start out that way. “It was going to be an instrumental,” explains Jason, “but after I wrote the chorus with lyrics, I knew I had to tell my story, to explain how I can continue living without feeling hate. I hadn’t written many lyrics before.”
In addition to its beautiful, gospel-tinged choir, the heartfelt song features Bay Area singer Codany Holiday on lead vocals.
‘Fantasy Weaver’ displays the 4-string magic of world-renown ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro and harp arpeggios that were written back in his Cacophony days. ‘Once Upon a Melody’ not only features two Jason Becker guitar solos from his Cacophony era, but also audio of him as a three-year-old. The full-circle nature of having little boy Jason, guitar virtuoso Jason, and modern-day composer Jason all on the same song is a breathtaking accomplishment while ‘We Are One,’ features soulful Flipsyde vocalist Steve Knight, and more Jason Becker guitar delights.
Uli Jon Roth appears on ‘Magic Woman,’ along with ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick who counts both Uli and Jason as big influences. Fans of Jason’s work with David Lee Roth will be thrilled by the inclusion of two previously unreleased outtakes from the ‘A Little Ain’t Enough’ sessions, the hard rocking ‘Taking Me Back’ and the blues-infused ‘Tell Me No Lies.’ There are also performances by Joe Satriani, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse, Trevor Rabin, and many others.
“Some people feel sorry for me,” he concedes, “and I understand that. I really feel lucky though. I don’t miss playing guitar anymore. I’m sure that’s out of necessity, but I am grateful for so much more. I am surrounded by loving people, and I can still make music.”
Tracklisting:
Triumphant Heart (feat. Marty Friedman, Glauco Bertagnin, Hiyori Okuda)
Hold On To Love (feat. Codany Holiday)
Fantasy Weaver (feat. Jake Shimabukuro)
Once Upon A Melody
We Are One (feat. Steve Knight)
Magic Woman (feat. Uli Jon Roth & Chris Broderick)
Blowin’ in the Wind
River of Longing (feat. Joe Satriani, Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse)
Valley of Fire (feat. The Magificent 13)
River of Longing (feat. Trevor Rabin)
Taking Me Back
Tell Me No Lies
Hold On To Love (feat. Codany Holiday) [Chuck Zwicky Remix]
You Do It
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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