Tag: features

A veritable holy grail, this recording from CSNY’s first tour captures their harmonies in amber. Better, the integrity of the audio has been strenuously maintained, as guitarists Neil Young and Stephen Stills helped mix the original eight-track tape. Young said recently, “[We] have the tapes, and they sound so real. We mixed at Sunset Sound… staying all-analog throughout the production.”

Despite decades of fractious infighting, cue up “Helplessly Hoping” to hear the foursome crack up laughing mid-song, a reminder of the joy they once wove. Their cover of the Beatles’ “Blackbird” is a showstopper, a stunning reinvention in four-part harmony with Stills adding lead vocals and fingerstyle. Buffalo Springfield’s “On the Way Home” is given fresh life in acoustic form.

Plugging in electrics, the full band hits the stage for “Long Time Gone” with David Crosby on vocals and Young handling lead guitar. Co-written by Crosby and Stills, “Wooden Ships” was already a guitar tour-de-force. Young sings his Woodstock rocker “Sea of Madness,” with Stills on lead, but takes the soloing chair on his own “Down By the River.”

In all, Fillmore East is a gem, letting us hear CSNY during their sweetest, most-harmonious era.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Though he was a multifaceted guitarist, Ten Years After’s Alvin Lee had a reputation as a speed demon – not something he tried to dissuade. Never was it on display more than at 1969’s Woodstock mega-festival. Still, on the band’s set-opener “Spoonful,” he proved himself a worthy blueser.

Per the fashion of the period, tunes were often stretched into extended improvisational jams. With today’s ears, such things can seem tedious and indulgent. The 17-minute excursion on Al Kooper’s “I Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes” showed promise, hinting at Lee’s jazzier side. But he ultimately crossed the line of good taste, backed up, then ran over it – playing his ES-335 with a drumstick, cranking its tuning keys, and quoting Cream and Hendrix riffs (not very well).

The crowd endured two false starts of “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,” and now, record buyers also have to – its repetitive 12-note hook engrained in all of our heads forevermore.

Of course, the number that became a highlight of the eventual concert documentary was the closing rave, “I’m Going Home.” Fast? You bet. Gloriously so. In an admittedly warts-and-all set, it’s worth the price of admission.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Rotella’s long-established fretboard brilliance has put him in some heady music, film, and TV sessions over the decades (including frequent contributions to “Family Guy”). A protégé of revered L.A. “Wrecking Crew” guitar giant and fellow Buffalo native Tommy Tedesco, Rotella’s roots reflect the traditions of early hero Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, early George Benson, and Pat Martino.

Clearly at home in timeless ’60s guitar/organ/rhythm section format, his 13th album tackles a set of originals and standards with understated finesse. His eloquent “Georgia on my Mind” features rich, Montgomeryesque octave passages. The original “Who Dat?” invokes the spirit of Montgomery’s original compositions. Rotella establishes a moody, reflective theme on Marvin Gaye’s “Don’t Mess with Mister T,” complemented by Jeremy Pelt’s muted trumpet. “Not So Much” doubles down on classic grits-and-gravy funk, assisted by sax man Eric Alexander.

A brilliant merger of Jaco Pastrorius’ “Three Views of a Secret” and Charles Mingus’ immortal “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” with different sidemen moves Rotella solidly into fusion, masterfully executed. His economical single-string lines enhance Tadd Dameron’s “On a Misty Night” as Rotella smoothly interacts with organist Bobby Floyd. Rotella’s long-established fretboard talents are all here, passionately and flawlessly displayed.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

A premier folk-rock band morphing into psychedelia in the mid ’60s, the Byrds pioneered country-rock with 1968’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Personnel upheavals had seen David Crosby fired, Gene Clark going solo, and Michael Clarke replaced by drummer Kevin Kelley. Bassist Chris Hillman was one of only two original members standing, Roger McGuinn being the other. Pivotal additions were singer/songwriter Gram Parsons and bluegrass-turned-electric prodigy Clarence White, not yet a full-fledged member, but session guitarist on previous albums.

Reproducing the material live 50 years later was a tall order for which only one band could seriously be considered – Marty Stuart’s Fabulous Superlatives. With Stuart playing White’s prototype bender Tele, the ever-tasteful Kenny Vaughan, Chris Scruggs alternating bass and steel, and McGuinn’s Rickenbacker 12-string, the tracks are brought to life. The same can be said for the Byrds’ famed harmonies.

The collaborative 2018 tour mixed Sweetheart favorites like “Hickory Wind,” with Hillman replacing Parsons’ vocal, alongside such classics as “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and the Dylan-penned “Mr. Tambourine Man” – forever cementing the “jingle-jangle” tag, the Rick 12 as an icon, and the Byrds as one of the most influential bands in rock history.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Grand Funk Railroad, the hard-rock “people’s band,” earned little critical respect. But there’s no denying GFR’s massive influence – led primarily by Farner’s vocals and primal guitar – considering their level of early-’70s success. Farner’s first studio album since 2006 is straight-up, no-frills music, similar to his famous Detroit band. Lyrically, the longtime born-again Christian wears his heart on his sleeve.

Slaughter vocalist/rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter co-produced this album, contributing guitar, bass, and more. “Anymore” and “Real” have the heaviest GFR feel in Farner’s guitar work as well as the background vocals. “The Prisoner” has a great R&B groove with horn fills and flowing guitar riffs. The snarling, catchy “Same Game” lobs a grenade at the 2020 presidential election. “Oh Darlin’” unspools an uplifting guitar melody and energetic pop vocals, giving a distinct ’60s vibe. The unusual tempo of “Surveilling Us” is offset by Farner’s slide solos.

A re-recording of Grand Funk’s beloved “I’m Your Captain (Closer to Home)” sounds close to the original, while Jim Peterik (The Ides of March, Survivor) co-wrote “Friends Forever” and plays keyboards and lead guitar on the easygoing, CD-exclusive tune. If you love Farner, Grand Funk, and meat-and-potatoes rock, this album will stick to your ribs.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

One of the most-underrated rock guitarists in history, it’s about time homage was paid to the master of the Flying V.

My Years With UFO is a tribute to the cherry years of UFO starring Michael Schenker. The album features a massive lineup of some of the most talented musicians in heavy rock. It’s jam-packed with UFO classics played to perfection; guitars and vocals are out-front, intense, and played with proper respect to the original recordings.

Highlights include a killer version of “Lights Out” featuring Jeff Scott Soto and John Norum, “Only You Can Rock Me” with Schenker, Joey Tempest, and Roger Glover, and a ballsy take on “Mother Mary” featuring Slash and Swedish vocalist Erik Grönwall.

With vibrant production by Schenker and Michael Voss, support is provided by keyboardist Derek Sherinian, drummer Brian Tichy, and bassist Barry Sparks. Guitar ace Joel Hoekstra is a beast on “Natural Thing” with frontman Dee Snider. Saxon vocalist Biff Byford is on fire singing “This Kid’s,” while Adrian Vandenberg smokes with Michael on “Too Hot To Handle” with singer Joe Lynn Turner. My Years With UFO is a guitar love fest, and any self-respecting UFO freak should check it out.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Grammy-winning sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell deliver an album that continues their trajectory into rural soundcapes and bluesy, heartfelt authenticity. Produced and composed by the duo with guitarist/songwriter Tyler Bryant, Bloom is saturated with superb musicianship, employing personal stories that address universal themes. The anthemic “Mockingbird” makes use of mile-wide power chords and a hook that brings the heat. The confluence of pop, gritty rock, edgy songcraft, and nasty guitar work is the stuff of “Pearls.” Defiant, triumphant, and aggressive, this song punches hard.

Excellent production shines with Megan adding fantabulous distortion and octave effects on slide. “Bluephoria” takes heavy rock to the Delta, combining plush vocal harmonies and Rebecca wielding her Strat like a demon. Tinges of AC/DC appear on “Nowhere Fast” with its jaunty groove, and Rebecca’s big guitar solo. The siblings get low-down and swampy on the poignant “If God Is a Woman.”

The Lovells offer a welcome change from the “guitarist who sings” excuse for subpar vocals and superb guitar work. They wield beautifully expressive voices, display first-rate songcraft by dressing up roots-based rock, and deliver severely badass guitar playing.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.