Did you ever wonder if you were born in the right time?

For me, from a music point of view, the time could not have been better.

My youngest years were formed with the music of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and their contemporaries all around. Pop music was well underway and the cross culture of sound was interchanging and blending between the UK and America.

The Beatles – Yesterday

Looking back, I think the moments that formed my choice in music, were the times I spent at a friend’s house listening to his older brother’s Cream albums. The sound of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker fusing blues and rock with superb musician skills pointing the direction my taste was to follow. Around the time that I started to listen to them, Cream split up.

Cream - Sunshine of Your Love

The next remembered defining moment was listening to the radio, one Saturday afternoon. We always used to listen religiously to The John Peel Show. The music he played was always innovative, creative and showcased new bands.

To this day I remember his words, He said that he was going to play, for the first time on radio, something from the first album of a new band.

“The track’s called Communication Breakdown and the band is called Led Zeppelin.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I listened to that sound.

Led Zeppelin - Black Dog 1973

With this and music by the likes of Jimmy Hendrix influencing music the sounds seemed to flood in – what to listen to next? Which album should I save up to buy?

There was the creative writing of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, Simon and Garfunkel and their ilk, mixing with the unique sound of Pink Floyd, the Doors, Iron Butterfly, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, etc.

Simon and Garfunkel - "Sound of Silence" in Central Park

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

The film Easy Rider was released with its Rock soundtrack epitomized by the driving Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf.

Woodstock became the biggest concert to have ever taken place with some of the best bands around playing. It featured many memorable moments amongst whish were the performance by the Who, and Jimmy Hendrix rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

Concerts have been one of the reasons that I have said that musically it has been a great period to be alive in.

I have been lucky enough to have seen some great bands.

Every Thursday night saw us at the local music club, Amethyst, which showcased such bands as Genesis, Chicken Shack, Stackridge and Hawkwind (with Motorheads Lemmy on vocals)

At the larger venues I saw Zeppelin around about 1972/73, David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust costumes, the Who with Keith Moon, Paul McCartney and Wings; Leonard Cohen playing in Liverpool and many more. As a student I was even fortunate enough to "roadie" for Roxy Music at a local gig.

The Who - My Generation

I’ve been around as punk took off in the late 70s, there was the glam and the Goth of the 80s and music and styles change, innovate and move on to the present.

Musically I don’t live in the past. That music will always be there to be listened to enjoyed and reminisced about.

U2 - Where the Streets have No Name

In recent years I have been to see U2 and my present favourite live band Muse.

And with talent such as Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and others about, music will always drive on.

Muse: Knights Of Cydonia, Live At Wembley Stadium 2007

Despite all the problems there have been in the world, musically this has been a good time to be alive.

Thom Yorke - “The Clock”

Credit should be given to the article that inspired me to write this: Blink-182: Punk to Pop; Rise and Fall

Visit a coffee house/bar on open mic night

Get a taste of your local music scene's flavor. Enjoy some tunes, meet some new people. Introduce yourself to an artist or two after they finish a set. Ask about their influences and take some notes. Mingle with the other patrons, and compare musical tastes. You almost always hear a new name or three.

If you don't know which bars or coffee houses feature an open mic night, you can always inquire, or crack open those Yellow Pages and get dialing.

Browse YouTube.com

YouTube is a fantastic tool for finding new music. With it's widespread and huge userbase, everyone and their mother can upload to YouTube. This includes musicians of all stripes.

Here's an easy, step by step approach to using YouTube to find new tunes:

1. Pick an artist you like and type his/her/their name into the search bar.
2. Submit, and enjoy a selection of your artist's work.
3. Check out the sidebar on the right hand side of your browser. There's almost always a related artist. Click around, listen, take names. Find out who you like.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 with your new favorite artist.

Search MySpace

C'mon. Who doesn't have a MySpace these days? If you don't have a MySpace, you're probably not at all connected to what's going on with your peer group. This goes double for bands, both independent, signed, and anywhere inbetween. Search by city, search by genre, search by name. Add 'em as friends, and see 'em live. That's how they make their bread & butter.

Set up a Pandora.com account

This amazing website is based around the concept of Music Genomes; essentially, the DNA of music. Does your favorite band use lots of synthesizers, drum machines, and feautre mopey male vocals? Pandora will find you a band with similar sounds. Prefer your music to be female and folky? Pandora's got your back. This operates much like the YouTube method, but it takes a lot of the work out of your hands. You type in the name of an artist, Pandora finds it, and then suggest others based on the basic sounds of that artist. You vote whether or not the suggestion interests you. Rinse and repeat.

Pick up a local rag

Assuming you live in or around a decent sized city, local alternative newspapers are a good source of bands you've probably never heard of. Check the live shows section. Usually divided up by venue, live show listings are a good way to get a taste of what's going on under the radar. Find a venue that seems to cater to your musical taste(s), and pick a couple band names at random. Look them up on YouTube, MySpace, or Pandora, and if you like what you hear, go check them out live. Stick around, buy a disc or a t-shirt. Bands love that.

It depends on your reason for wanting to play music in the first place. What inspires you inside? Younger children needed to be guided in different ways than an adult beginner. Then there's everybody in between.

Tom is an adult who is learning the guitar. Tablature works well for him. I used tablature myself when I wanted to learn certain bluegrass licks on the guitar. There's no timing documented, so you have to know how the song feels, and how long each note is. And how many beats there are to the measure. You have to have heard the song. Tablature is a tool. For me, an ear musician, when I want to learn a new song, I might get a book with words and guitar or piano chords, or I could get a book that had the melodies written out in proper music notation, but I'm usually better off getting a recording.

I am not the only one who gets driven crazy by trying to figure out something from a book. Tablature is free and easy to get on the internet. However, there isn't the same quality control as there is in books. Then again, I've noticed many books where the chords weren't exactly right.
Here's a YouTube video that a friend turned me on to:



It's a short British comedy piece on an easy music book featuring musical guests including Mark Knophler. Enjoy!

What's important to know is, what tools are good for YOU? I like this video as a tool for myself. It makes me laugh and remember that printed materials are not created equal. We all get frustrated one time or another by how we learn something. If someone never gets frustrated, or at least miffed, well, good for you! Are you pushing yourself enough to improve? Playing music is a combination of emotions. You will have a wide range, from frustration to laughter. Music makes you feel good inside!

One of my favorites is Ray Charles, we all know he is a legend, but what makes his music all the more powerful is that he is blind, that should inspire just about anybody.

This is week three in this series of articles, and there are definitely some gems of the music world that deserve recognition.

I came across Ray Charles' Georgia On My Mind.

Another excellent blues man is Stevie Ray Vaughan, I mentioned him previously in my article "The Day the Music Died." Stevie lived only a short time but the music he left behind left an indelible mark. Many that came after have tried (and failed) to come close to Stevie's versatility. A sampling of his talent is Texas Flood.

Finally, one that I grew up with is Eric Clapton. The first time I heard "If I saw you in heaven" I was hooked. One thing I love about the "older" music is it actually has quality. A lot of today's "music" just seems to be vanity noise. I touched on that issue in another article not long ago. Dear readers I hope you enjoyed this week's review as usual, more to come and thank you for your time.

He covered a song I'd like to share with you all, Dave Matthews' "Gravedigger" found here:

Willie came to fame in the late 1960's as a songwriter, after bucking the Nashville establishment for trying to water down his music he came home to Texas. His most well known album "The Redheaded Stranger" brought him recognition as a singer as well as helping to further his reputation as a songwriter. I'd like to remember the legendary "Man In Black" Johnny Cash, who left us shortly after his beloved wife and soulmate June Carter-Cash. I miss them both, and would like to recognize his daughter Roseanne who followed in her dad's footsteps.

My favorite of her songs is "Tennessee Flat-top box" found here:

In my earlier review I mentioned Shooter Jennings, son of Legendary Texas Maverick Waylon Jennings. When Waylon died, it was a sad day, Nonetheless his music touched my soul. One of my favorites is a song you may recall from your youth if you were born in the 1970's that song is "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" Speaking of Waylon, that brings us to the Highwaymen, the country supergroup that featured legends Kris Kristofferson,Waylon,Willie and Johnny Cash. On a final note for this first part of the two part article, show the musicians the respect they've earned.

They have spent their lives bringing the gift of music to the masses, Who others call has-beens, true fans call legends. Since I am covering country legends at this time, I would like to take the 2nd part of this article to recognize Hank Williams, Sr. and would also like to share Alan Jackson's tribute to him called "Midnight in Montgomery."

Most remember how Hank died, but I will not judge him, instead I'll remember the music he left behind. I grew up listening to Hank's music, what made it profound to me is he lived the songs he wrote. Self destruction is a terrible thing, and it saddens me that so many artists succumb to it, I however prefer to remember their talent they shared in life. To those who insult the dead, keep in mind we will all meet our Maker one day, and wherewith we judge, we will be judged, and nobody's perfect we all fall short at times.

Some aren't all that well known, but they are still greatly talented music artists.

The first of these is my friend Keyboardologist.

If you already have heard his music then spread the word ! I have known Key for a while and both his name and music are synonymous with originality.

Another musician I'd like to recognize is a man named Lucas Speer. I discovered his music the other day during my regular youtube surf.

I have decided to begin doing a regular series of articles recognizing talents I have found noteworthy, I am honored to know some of them through various means.

If you would like to suggest any musicians I haven't listed dear readers, feel free.

Continuing in my music reviews, next we have one that you may all know. He's on the radio and the son of Legendary Maverick, Waylon Jennings. His name is Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings, and he really does live up to his name. His songs are a little heavier is subject matter, but that makes them all the better. He really lets raw feeling take the reigns and expresses himself like some of us wish we could. His song "Gone To Carolina" is especially great. 

Hope you all enjoyed the artists I've reviewed, more to come.

Thank You all for your time and God Bless

A lot of times, even if you're just on YouTube watching a music video by that particular band or musical artist, you find yourself in the middle of a heated discussion between many people on that particular band or artist, because one person made a nasty comment, that some people backed up, and other people straight up flipped out about because it was either not true, controversial, or was true, but they just didn't want to admit it because it would make that particular musical artist seem like something that wasn't even really that worth while.

More often than not, though, the nasty comment that began the pointless brawl was untrue, to the point where hundreds of people got involved.

For example... I happen to be a very big fan of Evanescence, and more specifically, Amy Lee. And I'll go on youtube, watch a video, and then read the comments. And, of course, there's some dramatic event occurring that has completely gone off the subject of the video, and it appears that all the people involved have completely forgotten that they are on youtube and not in some late night chat room.

One of the most interesting ones I've ever witnessed was someone going around on every video of Amy Lee on YouTube and declaring that she was "fat" and "ugly." Now, for starters, if you're going to try to dis a musical artist, you better make sure what you're saying can be backed up with facts.

Saying that somebody is fat and ugly, especially someone like Amy Lee (I'm not being biased here, Amy Lee just isn't your typical 80 pound Hillary Duff, and that's what makes her fat to certain people, I guess), is just a waste of time, and it doesn't even really matter if they're fat and ugly, because it's really all about the music.

But then of course there's the topic of Amy Lee completely and utterly sucking at singing live. Which is occasionally true, because singing live is not a piece of cake, it's hard work to sing over blaring instruments and in a very large stadium where you can't hear your voice well at all. But apparently, very few people on the internet, and even in real life, can understand that fact, and tend to go off, once again, on internet blogs and on youtube about how horrible she sounds.

Nobody sounds amazing every single time they pick up a microphone, sometimes they're having an off day.

But my favorite part of the entire fight about the band or musical artist, is when, somehow, politics gets involved.

Candygirl914: AMY LEE IS FAT AND UGLY!!

Marcus45: NO SHE ISN'T!! I BET YOU'RE A BUSH LOVER!!

What does being a "Bush lover" have to do with anything...? I suspect they think that's a direct blow, a serious dis, if you will.

But anyway, Evanescence is one of the bands that a lot of people really do enjoy starting fights about. Occasionally, it's a fight worth having, if you're going to leave the Bush loving comments at home, and is in the least bit civilized.

Most of the time, though, the opposing side really can't get that far, because when you're talking about a band that has a fanbase of over 16 million, most of which are extremely temperamental teenage girls, you're going to get a lot of bullshit for saying anything besides ?Evanescence is great, and Amy Lee is really talented.?

And, for the record, you don't have to like Evanescence to know that Amy Lee has some hardcore talent going for her.