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[Reality]

 
Because I'm a '70s kind of guy, my influences stem from that period - Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Schenker (UFO), Al diMeola, Edward Van Halen were the players I strove to emulate.  However, once I got married in 1980, my wife quickly became dismayed with some of the habits of the guys in my band.  In the interests of marital harmony, I decided to reduce my contact with the wild side...I guess it was for the better (LOL).
   
msc, I have to tell you that I cannot part with my instruments - they are like my pets are to me.  However, should I crash (again!) on one of my motocross bikes and my hands become useless, I'll consider it.  I would want them to go to a good home!
     
- RB
Shaq #1 

UFO songs
Let it Roll
Oh My (what a time to change)

What is your takes on the Van Halen reunion?  Anyone attending?  Think Eddies fingers are still limber enough to bring it?
Michael Anthony forced out.  I don't really follow these drama queens and their haggling, but it seems like forcing Anothy out takes the zing out of the runion.  All about $$$ no doubt.  Roth I'll he will be lipsynching from 1980s concerts.

[Joe Vancil]

As for Van Halen forcing Anthony out, it's probably due to his close ties with Sammy Hagar.

Anthony appeared this past year with Sammy Hagar at several venues - touring with Hagar under the name "The Other Half."  That couldn't have gone over too well with the brothers.  Add in David Lee Roth - who despises Hagar (especially after being shown up on the tour the two went on) - and it's not a surprise that Anthony is gone.

I'm a huge Sammy Hagar fan, and he's still an absolutely huge draw in St. Louis.  St. Louis *ADORES* Sammy Hagar, and from all appearance, Hagar *ADORES* St. Louis right back.

[westkoast]

I think he should stick to making Cabo Wabo personally.  I never cared for his music.

[msc]

Hey msc!!!
   
That was great to hear you are a fellow 'jammer' - I want to know more, but first...
   
I was classically trained on both clarinet and violin - fortunately for me, I was educated in public school (the 'L.A. City Schools', as the LAUSD was called in yesteryear) during the 'Wonder Years' (1960s, 1970s) when the schools here in L.A. were truly great.  I learned violin in public school at Nobel Junior High School in Northridge, CA (where I still live to this day, BTW - there are still two teachers left there from when I graduated almost 36 years ago!)...the schools don't even HAVE instruments anymore!  I was never into rock at all during my entire time in secondary school - however, I do remember a guy (who later became my guitar teacher) playing "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" at a Chatsworth High School football game intermission - that was cool.  Why?  Because the girls went nutz!  A light bulb's dimmer switch started letting amperage through...
   
However, it was not until I went to UCLA that I really started to develop my skillz on guitar.  One night while having our nightly discussion on the problems of the world and how we would personally solve them, my 4 roommates and I caught "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" (the precursor to MTV) with a segment on Jimi Hendrix at the famed Winterland venue in SF.  It was all over for me...I had to learn how to play like that!  For the next seven years (until I got married when I was 24), all I did was listen to Hendrix and Zeppelin and tried to play like Jimi and Jimmy (Page).  I can still burn "Since I've Been Lovin' You" by Zeppelin, BTW - I broke out the Lester and busted some riffs tonight!
   
My Stratocaster is the last year of the pre-CBS Fender guitars - a '79, with a natural finish and a maple fretboard.  It's
beautiful!
   
The Les Paul is a 1998 sunburst-finish Epiphone with some great action - I love this axe.

Music Man 210 amp with Celestion speakers - oh, yeah.  Of course, I have a Pignose just for practicing.

I also have a Yamaha (can't remember the model) - however, my son took it with him to USC and I haven't seen it in 6 months.  Hopefully, he is practicing - as I said, he really is a natural.  It is probably the best of all of the guitars I have (sweet sustain), but my son has really beaten it up as far as appearance goes.  The other two are immaculate!
 
Because I'm a '70s kind of guy, my influences stem from that period - Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Schenker (UFO), Al diMeola, Edward Van Halen were the players I strove to emulate.  However, once I got married in 1980, my wife quickly became dismayed with some of the habits of the guys in my band.  In the interests of marital harmony, I decided to reduce my contact with the wild side...I guess it was for the better (LOL).
   
msc, I have to tell you that I cannot part with my instruments - they are like my pets are to me.  However, should I crash (again!) on one of my motocross bikes and my hands become useless, I'll consider it.  I would want them to go to a good home!
     
- RB
Shaq #1

Hey RB! 

No worries, I'm just glad to hear you are still close to your instruments.  The only reason I offered was b/c in your earlier post it sounded as if they'd been sitting in a closet for 25 years or so.  That would be a shame!  I'm glad to hear they're not and are alive and well.  That pre-CBS Strat sounds like a beauty!  Hold on to her for as long as you can ... the value will only continue to appreciate.  Both of my Strats are newer ones (1999 am. std hardtail & 2001 am. hss) and have Rosewood fretboards, but I will own a maple fretboard strat someday!  I've made the jump to maple and have two tele's with maple necks which I love. 

I too was heavily influenced by Jimmy and Jimi ... but moreso Jimmy Page.  Zep is my all time favorite band and although my musical tastes are vast and cover a wide spectrum (jazz, blues, funk, reggae, metal, alternative, classic rock, folk, etc), I always come back to home to Zep.  Since I've Been Loving you is definitely a classic and Page really pours every ounce of his emotions in to the solo ... esp. in live versions like on Song Remains the Same and the DVD that came out with How the West was Won. 

Anyway, get back at it, I'm glad to hear this thread inspired you to dust off that LP and noodle some Cminor blues ala Since I've Been Loving You. 

Peace, 

msc

[Rolando Blackman]

What is your takes on the Van Halen reunion?  Anyone attending?  Think Eddies fingers are still limber enough to bring it?
Michael Anthony forced out.  I don't really follow these drama queens and their haggling, but it seems like forcing Anothy out takes the zing out of the runion.  All about $$$ no doubt.  Roth I'll he will be lipsynching from 1980s concerts.

   
Hey Reality!!!
   
Here's link from the L.A. Weekly about a recent Edward Van Halen sighting...not good, it seems.
   
http://www.laweekly.com/general/a-considerable-town/not-with-eddie/15381/

David Lee Roth is a total freak, much too weird/strange for me...and as far as Michael Anthony is concerned, he never impressed me much as a bassist.  As matter of fact, while Roth's vocals were pretty good, it was Edward that was the driver for the whole group.  As long as he can still rip, it would be at least a decent show..but I would be pretty skeptical, based on the article above.
   
I think reunions are ok, I guess - but I have to say that the image of 60+-years-old rockers hobbling around trying to pretend that they are still in their youth is pretty ridiculous, and even disheartening.  It definitely depends on the genre and stage persona of a band, though - for example, the Grateful Dead could have kept going until they were all over the century mark with no perceptible diminution of skills (I realize this could be perceived as a dis...LOL, it's not) or audience appeal - however, the demise of Jerry Garcia ended the 'Long Strange Trip'.  Keep "Truckin'", Uncle Jerry - RIP (snif)...
   
Then you have the 'Stones (otherwise known as 'Dead Men Shooting Up') - these guys' mugs could be used to frighten (not-so-) little children into submission...in fact, they even scare me!!!  They should all have been safely in the hereafter long ago.

As for UFO, I have to go with "Lights Out" - still one of the best songs ever performed live.

Also "Love to Love" - a great ballad, even live. I think it was at Cal Jam 2 (1977?) I last saw UFO - they don't do concerts like that (100,000+ people in attendance) any more. 
   
- RB
Shaq #1
   

[Rolando Blackman]

I too was heavily influenced by Jimmy and Jimi ... but moreso Jimmy Page.  Zep is my all time favorite band and although my musical tastes are vast and cover a wide spectrum (jazz, blues, funk, reggae, metal, alternative, classic rock, folk, etc), I always come back to home to Zep.  Since I've Been Loving you is definitely a classic and Page really pours every ounce of his emotions in to the solo ... esp. in live versions like on Song Remains the Same and the DVD that came out with How the West was Won. 

Hey msc!!!
   
Your choices in music genres are very much the same as mine, in general - however, I have to admit that I haven't listened to much folk or country.   I was a monster Bob Marley/Peter Tosh fan in the 1980s, though..."Crazy Baldhead" still cracks me up!  Have you ever listened to "Equal Rights" by Tosh?  Checkitout, brah.
   
Although I am not much of a Sammy Hagar fan, I did like his vocals on the Ronnie Montrose solo album 'Montrose' -  'Rock Candy' is one of those songs where you just turn the volume to max and let the vibes hammer your body.  In fact, now I'm going to get the Stratoblaster out and bug my wife some...LOL

One more thing...i know how it is about acquiring axes you desire. There's a guy I know of with a brand-new sunburst 1969 Gibson 335 (these are to me the most beautiful electric guitars ever made) - I remember when he got it for his birthday, and he still lives with his mom in the same place as they did way-back-when.   He NEVER even played it - spoiled brat. I am determined to add this one to my collection...unfortunately for me, he is aware of it$ value (sigh)!
   
- RB
Shaq #1
   
     

[Joe Vancil]

Now you guys are making me want to get the studio downstairs straghtened up.

I'm a keyboard player.  Have a piano, a Roland D50, two Korg DX-8000's, a Roland Juno-106, a Moog Concertmate, and a Yamaha DX7 downstairs, along with a Korg EX-8000 module, a Yamaha TX81Z module, and an Alexis QSR multitimbral module downstairs, along with mixing board and keyboard amp.  Also have my 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, my Stratocaster and amp, a saxophone, a bassoon, two tin whistles, a slide whistle, an ocarina, a fife, a mandolin, a fiddle (in awful shape), and a hammered dulcimer.  Oh...and my friend Brad's trap set.

I've not done any serious musical work in years, and right now, my stuff is in such disarray that it's a chore just to get to some of the keyboards.  Plus, I'm not really happy with the sturdiness of my main A-frame. 

The big problem for me is that sitting down at the keyboards is frustrating, and quickly becomes work.  The nice thing about toying around with the guitars is that I'm not a guitarist;  I play guitar strictly for fun (and I'm not very good and am well aware of it).

The other problem for me is that my musical tastes are far removed from anyone else that I know here in town.  I'm still fond of that early 80's stuff - Night Ranger, Loverboy, Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon.  It's a different level of complication than the typical I, IV, V stuff that most of the musicians around here do.  If I'm lucky, I'll find someone who knows some Tom Petty or some Bob Seger.  (Amazingly enough, one guy I met knew some Dan Fogelberg.  He seemed pretty shocked that I was able to do the horn parts for "Leader of the Band" on keyboards.  I was just surprised to find that anyone even knew the song "Leader of the Band.")

[westkoast]

RB you live in Northridge?  My significant other is from there and is actually moving back towards the end of summer.  I've actually found myself in the valley quite a bit lately, almost more then being in downtown/hollywood.  The Valley has always had a bad wrap as far back as I can remember but it actually is not any better or worse then most other places in Southern California.  Only problem is there is no way for me to go from Orange County to the Valley without taking the 405.  Annoying!

Joe that studio sounds awesome! You can't let that equipment just collect dust!  There are alot of sites online where muscians come together to share work/tips/ideas.  Just boat loads and boat loads.  Granted alot of them right now are hip hop related (probably something you don't care much about) but they do have alot of guys who can use the equipment very well.   

[Rolando Blackman]

I'm a keyboard player.  Have a piano, a Roland D50, two Korg DX-8000's, a Roland Juno-106, a Moog Concertmate, and a Yamaha DX7 downstairs, along with a Korg EX-8000 module, a Yamaha TX81Z module, and an Alexis QSR multitimbral module downstairs, along with mixing board and keyboard amp.  Also have my 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, my Stratocaster and amp, a saxophone, a bassoon, two tin whistles, a slide whistle, an ocarina, a fife, a mandolin, a fiddle (in awful shape), and a hammered dulcimer.  Oh...and my friend Brad's trap set.

Hey JoeV!!!
   
Now you are really getting into my realm - I am probably one of the biggest (early) Journey fans there is!!! The first two albums by Journey got played so much on my old Dual turntable with the Shure M-91 cartridge and the Marantz amp and JBL speakers (LOL...remember that!) so many times, it's translucent now...Aynsley Dunbar (drums) tore up on that first album.  And, although I could never even come close to Neal Schon (one of the true rock-guitar gods - I have a live album from 1972 where Schon was playing with Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles at some stadium concert when he was 14!), I still love listening to the soaring, liquid sound he is able to (seemingly without effort) produce. However, once Steve Whatizname took over the vocals for Greg Rolie (keyboards for Santana before forming Journey w/Schon), I never liked them as much again.  Sure, they had some monster hits...but the new style just did not resonate with me.  Back then, I was into the more hard-edged rock - Tesla, Ratt, Cinderella, Judas Priest, AC/DC, etc. was what I was listening to and regurgitating in my own playing.  I've always enjoyed a screamer...LOL (double entendre intended)
   
Joe, I can't believe that in that awesome inventory of keyboard instruments that there is not a Fender Rhodes in there somewhere!  What's up with that - I ask you purely from a musician's standpoint, not for any agenda/religious reasons.  After all, there's only so much money to spend and so much room to house your instruments in!  LOL
   
Great thread.
   
-RB
Shaq #1

[Rolando Blackman]

The Valley has always had a bad wrap as far back as I can remember but it actually is not any better or worse then most other places in Southern California.  Only problem is there is no way for me to go from Orange County to the Valley without taking the 405.  Annoying!

Hey wk!!!
   
I have to tell you that as a longtime Valley resident who has also lived in may other places far and wide, the widely held (mis)perception you mention about the SFV has always mystified me.  At almost every level, the Valley epitomizes the best of modern suburban life - of course there are problems, but usually people are too burnt from spending at least a couple of hours in rush-hour traffic after a tough day at the office to put too much energy into causing disturbances once they get home!
   
Yes, I live in Northridge - if you know where Devonshire St. and Tampa Ave. intersect, I live 2 blocks south-east of there on Mayall St. in the Buckingham Estates subdivision just north of Nobel Middle School (I was going to say "Junior High School", but did not want to date myself...LOL).  I have lived in this area since 1968, and of course have seen many changes in that time...rather than go on old-geezer diatribes about how F-ed up everything is now, I will say that the air quality is amazingly better than it was when I was coming up, despite massive commercial and residential development in the vicinity since then.
   
-RB
Shaq #1 

[jn]

I'll have to wade into this discussion more this weekend but for now I'll say it's very cool to go "gearhead" with you all for a bit. 

I've got a Fender Cyclone 6 string, a Mexi-made Fender in the Mustang vein. I really love that body type and one of these days I'll get an actual Mustang or perhaps a Jaguar or Jazzmaster.I also have a Danelectro U2 reissue and a Peavey Classic 30 amp and a Rickenbacker bass.

The Dano is a piece of junk in terms of durability but it was dirt cheap and has "lipstick" pickups that have an unbeatable retro sound.  The Classic 30 is an all tube and while it's sound is not as warm as some of the classic tube amps (Fender Twin or Bassman) it's still a terrific amp for about $400.  Definitley the best amp Peavey has put out.   

The Ricky is the real prize though.  Got it for a mere $300 bucks at pawn shop.  It's a late 70's 4001 that's been through the wars.  The paint on the back of the body is worn off in exactly the spot where a huge belt buckle would go.  I figure the previous owner was either a metal dude with some sort of leather and studs getup or country player with huge belt buckle that had "Earl" spelled out in rhinestones.    In spite of all the wear and tear the fretboard is in PERFECT condition.  Rickenbacker must have access to some sort of top secret shellac technology.  It's really amazing. 

Now, if I just had some talent to go with gear.

[westkoast]

The Valley has always had a bad wrap as far back as I can remember but it actually is not any better or worse then most other places in Southern California.  Only problem is there is no way for me to go from Orange County to the Valley without taking the 405.  Annoying!

Hey wk!!!
   
I have to tell you that as a longtime Valley resident who has also lived in may other places far and wide, the widely held (mis)perception you mention about the SFV has always mystified me.  At almost every level, the Valley epitomizes the best of modern suburban life - of course there are problems, but usually people are too burnt from spending at least a couple of hours in rush-hour traffic after a tough day at the office to put too much energy into causing disturbances once they get home!
   
Yes, I live in Northridge - if you know where Devonshire St. and Tampa Ave. intersect, I live 2 blocks south-east of there on Mayall St. in the Buckingham Estates subdivision just north of Nobel Middle School (I was going to say "Junior High School", but did not want to date myself...LOL).  I have lived in this area since 1968, and of course have seen many changes in that time...rather than go on old-geezer diatribes about how F-ed up everything is now, I will say that the air quality is amazingly better than it was when I was coming up, despite massive commercial and residential development in the vicinity since then.
   
-RB
Shaq #1 

Hay I grew up in a time in Southern California where the schools would force us to play inside if the air quality rating dipped.  Many a sunny days were spent inside the classroom playing heads up 7up and checkers because we were 'in the red' that day.  That of course came after your time when people finally realized how unhealthy it was to let your kids play touch football in the smog.

I am not too familiar with the area (yet) but I know where Devonshire is.  My lady lives off of Corbin (sp) and Nordhoff.  Right near a huge open park that I was told is very unsafe to go to at night.  Alot of gangs have blown up in the Valley recently I thought?

Since we are talking musical equipment...I have two Vestax direct drive turntables with a Vestas 05 mixer hooked up directly to an external sound blaster card that runs Cool Edit Pro to do all my music editing.  I have a little room in my garage that I am planning on adding to my ghetto little setup (it works but I want to get to Joe Vancil-status!)  Right now I have more crates of records then I do pieces of equipment.  Vinyl ranging from Dead Kennedys to the single She Blinded Me With Science to Steve Miller Band to Dr. Dre to  Jonthan Winters comedy records to Frank Sinatra, Wu-Tang Clan to The Kinks.  Yes, I have a very broad taste of music.  Most of my records are hip hop records from the 80s till present but I have quite a number of records from all over

[Joe Vancil]

I'm a keyboard player.  Have a piano, a Roland D50, two Korg DX-8000's, a Roland Juno-106, a Moog Concertmate, and a Yamaha DX7 downstairs, along with a Korg EX-8000 module, a Yamaha TX81Z module, and an Alexis QSR multitimbral module downstairs, along with mixing board and keyboard amp.  Also have my 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, my Stratocaster and amp, a saxophone, a bassoon, two tin whistles, a slide whistle, an ocarina, a fife, a mandolin, a fiddle (in awful shape), and a hammered dulcimer.  Oh...and my friend Brad's trap set.

Hey JoeV!!!
   
Now you are really getting into my realm - I am probably one of the biggest (early) Journey fans there is!!! The first two albums by Journey got played so much on my old Dual turntable with the Shure M-91 cartridge and the Marantz amp and JBL speakers (LOL...remember that!) so many times, it's translucent now...Aynsley Dunbar (drums) tore up on that first album.  And, although I could never even come close to Neal Schon (one of the true rock-guitar gods - I have a live album from 1972 where Schon was playing with Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles at some stadium concert when he was 14!), I still love listening to the soaring, liquid sound he is able to (seemingly without effort) produce. However, once Steve Whatizname took over the vocals for Greg Rolie (keyboards for Santana before forming Journey w/Schon), I never liked them as much again.  Sure, they had some monster hits...but the new style just did not resonate with me.  Back then, I was into the more hard-edged rock - Tesla, Ratt, Cinderella, Judas Priest, AC/DC, etc. was what I was listening to and regurgitating in my own playing.  I've always enjoyed a screamer...LOL (double entendre intended)
   
Joe, I can't believe that in that awesome inventory of keyboard instruments that there is not a Fender Rhodes in there somewhere!  What's up with that - I ask you purely from a musician's standpoint, not for any agenda/religious reasons.  After all, there's only so much money to spend and so much room to house your instruments in!  LOL
   
Great thread.
   
-RB
Shaq #1

Rolando,

Actually, there've been two times that I've considered adding a Fender Rhodes, but both times, I ran into the same obstacle:

I HATE FENDER RHODES ELECTRIC PIANOS!

My DW-8000's (and EX-8000) did a good job as an Electric Piano at the time I was considering getting one, and then, when I got my QSR, that really made it pointless.  While actually having such an instrument would be nice, I've never liked them.  I hate the keys;  I hate the feel.  And you have to really pound one of those suckers if you want really good dynamic control.  Nothing beats the hands into submission like a Fender Rhodes.

Actually, I'm pretty sure I know what my next purchase will be, since I've been missing the one I sold off all those years ago - a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5.  Problem is that when you find one, these days, they're just more expensive than a 20+ year old keyboard is worth.  And given that most aren't MIDI-capable, it's a huge minus.  And I can do a few of the things with my Concertmate MG-1...but then again, my MG-1 is a beaten-up piece of crap.  But it's a link to my old days of serious playing.

Anyway, little surprise being surrounded by stacks and stacks of keyboards that my favorite keyboard player was Geoff Downes....

[Rolando Blackman]

The Ricky is the real prize though.  Got it for a mere $300 bucks at pawn shop.  It's a late 70's 4001 that's been through the wars.  The paint on the back of the body is worn off in exactly the spot where a huge belt buckle would go.  I figure the previous owner was either a metal dude with some sort of leather and studs getup or country player with huge belt buckle that had "Earl" spelled out in rhinestones.    In spite of all the wear and tear the fretboard is in PERFECT condition.  Rickenbacker must have access to some sort of top secret shellac technology.  It's really amazing. 

   
Hey jn!
   
I'm glad you decided to take a dip here...come on in, the water's fine!
   
I used to have a 1958 Jazzmaster that I had totally refurbished myself - believe it or not, even though it looked kind of staid compared to some of the zingier designs that have emerged over the years, I loved this guitar!  It had beautiful sound (I put DiMarzio humbuckers on it), and awesome action on the rosewood fretboad.  I made the mistake of lending it to a 'friend', way back when (dang...almost 30 years ago!) - of course, he traded it for drugs.  You cannot believe how much trouble I caused this guy after this...I did the only thing I could do, I told his mom!  Because she was a classic Roseanne-type, I felt sorry for her and let her slide and give me an S.D. Curlee guitar (actually quite unique, but looks pretty raw) to replace it...I'm still pissed at this idiot to this day.
   
I have ALWAYS wanted a Rickenbacker 4001, the Paul McCartney machine!   Sounds like you got a diamond-in-the-rough that can be made into a brilliant jewel.  And as far as raw talent goes, it is truly amazing how quickly a steady, challenging practice program will improve your playing.  Get down on it, my friend!
   
- RB
Shaq #1

[Rolando Blackman]

Anyway, little surprise being surrounded by stacks and stacks of keyboards that my favorite keyboard player was Geoff Downes....

   
Hey Joe V!
   
What do you think of Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake and Palmer?
   
-RB
Shaq #1