The forced, intrusive background vocals on the “definitive” versions of “Funny How Time Slips Away” or “Crazy” (from The Essential Willie Nelson) are argument enough in favor of this project. The songs on Naked Willie were recorded between 1966 and 1970, and though Nelson was a successful, respected songwriter by that time, his own records […]
Monthly Archives: April 2010
The Replacements – Tim, Pleased To Meet Me, Don’t Tell A Soul, All Shook Down
The final four Replacements LPs are back in deluxe style, thanks to Rhino. Accompanying the label’s re-release of the band’s first four albums and EPs earlier this year, the band has finally been done right. Not surprisingly, there’s many more extra tracks available from this time period, running from 1985′s Tim through the band’s swan […]
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Carvin DN440T
1988 Carvin DN440T, serial number 25437. Instrument and photo courtesy of Kevin Wright. One of the few family-owned guitar/amplifier manufacturing enterprises remaining in the industry, Carvin was founded by Lowell Kiesel in 1946 and started by making pickups, then transitioned to building lap steels and other stringed instruments. Some of the company’s early guitars and […]
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Kenny Neal
Back in the Game
Photo courtesy Kenny Neal. Recent times have been tough for veteran bluesman Kenny Neal. After recently contracting Hepatitis C and undergoing treatment, for the first time in 30 years he was forced to stay off the road. Also, in an eleven-month span, Neal lost his dad, sister, and brother. But those negatives helped create a […]
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The Framptone Talkbox
Do You Feel (Like Frampton)?
The Framptone Talkbox When you hear the words “Do you feel,” what comes to mind? If you’re of a certain age demographic, you know how ubiquitous Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive was in the 1970s. It made Frampton an international mega-star. Commercial success aside, Frampton’s abilities with the guitar are somewhat underappreciated. He wrote great […]
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Tommy Castro – Hard Believer
Top Contender
Tommy Castro makes the move to Chicago’s Alligator Records, and fittingly serves up one of the most focused and toughest records of his considerable career. Contributing no doubt to the great guitar sounds, the fine songwriting, and the overall feel of the record is the production of veteran John Porter, who has worked with folks […]
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Mick Mars
Shows Off A Piece Of His Action
Photos by Neil Zlozower Since emerging from Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in the early 1980s, Mötley Crue has defined the Los Angeles metal scene. Fueled by the catchy powerhouse riffage of guitarist Mick Mars, the group dominated the rock charts throughout the ’80s, producing a stream of anthemic albums and hits that have echoed through the […]
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Joe Long’s “stack-knob” Fender Jazz Bass
Joe Long’s “stack-knob” Fender Jazz Bass, serial number 57392. Instrument and photo courtesy of Nadav Galimidi. If you’re a fan or aficionado of vintage instruments, odds are that any early-’60s Fender Jazz Bass catches your eye. And “lefty” versions are especially intriguing, given their rarity. The Jazz was Fender’s second electric bass, following the groundbreaking […]
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Mercury Magnetics Fender Champion 600 Conversion Kit
Now It's a Champ!
Fender’s tiny Champion 600 is aimed at the guitarist who requires rich power-tube distortion at low volume levels. With just one 6V6 power tube putting out five watts, getting the little Champ to scream is no problem. Introduced after Epiphone’s similarly-sized Valve Junior, the Champ 600 has a smaller (6″ compared to the Epi’s 8″) […]
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BuckWheat Zydeco – Lay Your Burden Down
Singer/ accordionist/ keyboardist Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural became a popular solo act in the zydeco world years before the unchallenged King Of Zydeco, mentor (and former bandleader) Clifton Chenier, passed away in 1987. While helping to fill that void, he (like Zachary Richard and the late Beau Jocque) had no compunctions about zydeco-izing rock and pop […]
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