Goodbye Mr. Wizard . . .

Today is a sad day in the world of the guitar. Les Paul, the "Wizard of Waukesha", has passed.

People often use the word "prolific" to describe some of history's greatest guitarists and players. However, when their musical contributions are measured against Les Paul's, they seem all the more mortal - if not average.

A true "player's player", a ground-breaking innovator, and perhaps more than anything - a humble, sincere, and gracious man, Les Paul was a colossal and much-revered figure in the world of guitar.

Be assured that I'll be strumming a few tunes on my Les Paul today in fitting memory.

De-Magnetized

I am happy to welcome back into the contributor's fold my musical foil and fellow metal-head James Reetz. After considerable prodding, I was finally able to procure a review for Metallica's latest studio effort "Death Magnetic". I'll simply say the it was well worth the wait. - J.

Why haven’t I written a review for Death Magnetic yet? It’s been (8) months since it was released. I’ve listened to it enough times to have a solid opinion. Jon’s been giving me heat about not writing it for about (6) months now - and my last review (Motley Crue’s Saints of Los Angeles) became the most viewed article in Tone Farm history. So why the procrastination?

It would be easy to blame it on my family responsibilities or my increased travel, but I already use those two excuses for why I don’t ride my mountain bike, play my guitar, work out, etc. After some contemplation, however, the answer became clear: the album just isn’t that good. To be fair, it’s not that good for Metallica. I am a Metallica fan. I’ve had to remind myself of that more and more since the St. Anger release which I think was their worst effort since inception. I was excited for St. Anger. Rob Trujillo had joined the band, and he played bass for Suicidal Tendencies - one of my all time favorite bands. My good friend bought St. Anger the day it was released. He gave it a few spins and gave it to me. He didn’t loan it to me. He didn’t burn a copy for me. He gave me the one he bought because he couldn’t stand it. He’s a bigger Metallica fan than me. I listened to it about a dozen times over the next two months - - and then pitched it in a dumpster. I couldn’t find anyone to take it.

When Death Magnetic was being hyped, I tried to be interested. When I heard the fist single, “The Day That Never Comes”, I wrote the album off as St. Anger II. My friend gave them another chance. He bought the album and loaned it to me. That’s a start. He wanted it back at least. I think Death Magnetic is the first baby step in the right direction for Metallica. It’s 100% better than St. Anger, but still a far cry from the Metallica I love.

Speaking of which, I haven’t LOVED a Metallica release since 1988. Has it really been (21) years since they released something that I couldn’t take out of my cd player because it kicked ass that much? You can look at the awards and the charts and the video games and the income since the Black album and conclude that Metallica is as big as ever, but for me, “Justice” was the end of the mind-blowing greatness that was Metallica. Maybe I should have seen it coming. After all, it’s pretty tough to sound like a pissed off kid in his 20's when you’re a multi-millionaire in your 40's.

All things being equal, I don’t think it’s unfair to hold a super group to a higher standard. The Black album signaled the end of an era. James (Hetfield - lead vocalist / guitarist) changed his vocal style. - and he had to if he wanted the chords to last another thirty years. But the change was to the detriment of the sound I had come to love. The songs were more radio-friendly. I won’t go as far as to say they sold out, but they changed enough to be acceptable to mainstream radio, which was moving towards wider acceptance of metal at the same time. I remember hearing James in an interview after “Justice” saying they’d never make an album like that again because it was nearly impossible to memorize and play . . . but that, specifically, was what made it great. No one else would have even attempted an album with that many tempo changes, and tone / riff experiments. Not with songs as long as those anyway. Only the "real" Metallica could pull that stuff off - in the studio and live. Certainly, one would have to expect a drop off of some kind after a ground-breaking album like "Justice For All". Unfortunately, Metallica fell too far.

I remember watching “Some Kind of Monster” while on the road somewhere. The constant bickering while in the studio, seeing the guys sitting around, drinking coffee with their legs crossed; all the side hobbies; Lars constantly telling James that the riffs sounded “stock” but being unable to explain what he meant. For the record, if “stock” means the sound your band defined, why not sound stock?!? You’ve given us three fracken versions of Unforgiven for shitsake . . . and it sucked all three times. Will anybody be disappointed if their next album has the same general sound and feel of "Master of Puppets" or "Ride the Lightning"? For me, that’s when it hit home. The pre-Black Metallica was gone forever. What took me so long to realize that? Hope?

The bottom line, Death Magnetic is a hugely successful commercial album. The songs are solid metal songs that you’ll enjoy. The problem…Death Magnetic has nothing that will make you select it rather than the CD next to it. I shouldn’t have to convince myself that I’m a fan. I shouldn’t procrastinate when asked to write a review. Metallica should be better than that. - - by James Reetz

Now Hear This . . .

Thought we'd try a little something different this month in regards to the standard Tone Farm gear review. Along with the usual written diatribe, I've put together two additional audio features, both of which can be accessed through the Box.Net links below. The first is a short piece on the pedal itself - narrated by Academy Award winning actor James Earl Jones (*yes, I'm lying about that - - it's just me). Here I'll give you an idea of how the pedal sounds by playing it though an amp; first without the pedal - and then, with it engaged. Some of the chords / riffs I'll use to demonstrate the pedal will transfer over to the second part of the feature - an actual song written / performed using the gear / item being reviewed. I know - what an amazing concept !!

For our initial "test run", I've chosen the BOSS / Fender FDR-1 '65 Deluxe Reverb Pedal. It was a little more work doing the audio part of it, but hopefully, it adds to the fun. Below are the Box.Net links to the .MP3 files, which you can listen to using the resident player; or, download to listen to at your convenience. - - J.

Part 1 - Audio Review - FDR-1
Part 2 - Hearts & Knives - the FDR-1 in action

Paint It Black . . .

The alliance of music industry giants Roland (parent company of Boss USA) and Fender has produced (2) unique effects pedals - the BOSS '59 Bassman (FBM-1) and BOSS '65 Deluxe Reverb (FDR-1). Both are part of Boss' Legend Series and were introduced at Winter NAMM 2007 to eager players and glowing reviews (*imagine that!) Using Roland's propietary COSM technology (Composite Object Sound Modeling) technology, the FBM-1 and FDR-1 pedals were designed to impart the tonal nuances of Fender's 1959 Fender Bassman and 1965 Deluxe Reverb amplifiers to standard tube and solid state amplifiers.

Given the iconic status of these two amps and the incredibly fickle nature of die-hard Fender fans, one might look at this as an exercise in futility. Certainly, the thought of confining the tonal saviour fare one of these classic rigs into a single pedal is appealing; realistically - the task is nearly impossible, and for a variety of reasons that I need not mention.

I managed to steer myself clear of buying either these pedals for the better part of a year and a half, mostly on the basis of price (*they initially retailed for $149). But when I spied a FDR-1 on the Music Go Round website for $69, I thought, "what the hell". Even if the pedal sucked, I could unload it on Ebay for at least what I paid for it, and be none worse for wear. Ah yes, the sad plight of a sworn gear-hound.

I've been playing my FDR-1 pedal for a couple weeks now, and I must say that it does some things very well. Unfortunately, there are some things about it aren't so great - but nothing that overwhelmingly detracts from the fun of using it. Without further adieu - my tale of the tape:

HITS:
1.) Tone - While the FDR-1 does not have quite the delicious bite or full-fledged auditory swat of the Real McCoy, it works extremely well as a "color" pedal - imparting some of the unique characteristics of a vintage Blackface amp. Chords have a familiar Fender Blackface "kerrang", and single notes slice easily through a mix. Go easy on the gain / reverb / tremolo, though.

2.) Cosmetics - A sleek, black pedal casing, chrome faceplace, and Fender script logo add to the retro Blackface vibe. I know that this doesn't make the pedal sound better - but as someone with a penchant for graphics, BOSS gets style points for cool touches like these.

3.) Accuracy of design - All of the primary features of the '65 Deluxe Reverb are there - from the gain, bass, treble, and reverb - right down to the Fender's inaccurate reference of the on-board tremolo effect as "vibrato". Indeed, it seems that no detail was left unturned.

4.) Tremolo (vibrato) - While not super-great, the tremolo does help the pedal capture a bit of the Deluxe Reverb vibe. As a matter of fact, it apes the effect quite nicely - and even more so with its tap-tempo capabillity (*although a bit cumbersome to use). Best advice I can give here is to use in moderation, as it can get annoying at higher settings.

5.) Durability - BOSS pedals are notoriously over-built. My hope is that the internals are as half as tough as the case and exterior controls.

MISSES:
1.) Reverb - Digital reverb does little justice in approximating the lush, surf-y goodness of a real spring reverb tank (*that is, unless you're the Lexicon-equipped Digitech Hardwire RV-7.) The FDR-1's reverb is horribly fake-sounding and basically unusable beyond the lowest settings. Boo!

2.) Gain - Like the reverb, too much gain (i.e. beyond half-way) results in digital-y blarps and glurgs. As an 80's metal head, I have no problem with extended gain capabilities. What I want, though, is something that sounds decent at these levels. The FDR-1 does not. If it sounds shitty past halfway - what's the point? Hiss!

3.) Battery drain - If you get this little guy cookin' (i.e. maxing out reverb, tremolo, and gain settings), it'll munch through 9V batteries like Kirstie Alley at a KFC buffet. If you're planning on using this pedal regularly, a 9V power supply is a necessity.

BOTTOM LINE:
The FDR-1 is a pretty cool pedal. It'll add a bit of vintage Fender tone to just about any amp - tube or solid state. Its add-on features (gain / reverb / tremolo) are OK if used in moderation. It's real strength lies in its use as a "color" pedal - not an overdrive effect.

Since being introduced in Jan. '07, BOSS has reduced their retail prices on the Legend Series pedals by a whopping $30 - which might give one the indication that the initial hype was a bit heavy on the frosting. If you can find a good used one in the $60 - $70 range, it might be worth checking out - esp. if you have a good tube amp you can run it through. - - J.

Taking Flight

The following piece is an adaptation of an e-mail between resident Fab Four afficianado Dave Tea and I, in which we discussed one of Aerosmith's early gems: Get Your Wings.

Some of you may be already familiar with the deliciously raunchy grooves found on classic-era Aerosmith albums (*which I term as everything from "Toys" back to their debut). One release that I think is exceptional all across the board is Get Your Wings, 1974 A.D. As a matter of fact, it's a close # 2 of my fave 'smith albums, exceeded only by their incredible self-titled debut (1973). Yes, unbelievably, Toys in the Attic ranks as #3 in my book for overall Aero-quality.

It would not take an expert to deduce that modern day Aerosmith is but a ghost of a once-mighty band. From the sappy, multi-tracked balladry of "I Won't Miss a Thing" to Joe Perry's horrendously awful solo CD (*perhaps the worst vocals I've ever heard on a recorded album), it's been a sad site to witness a once-amazing band's evolution into complete crap. Honestly, Aerosmith hasn't cut a really decent studio album in (30) years (*the last being Toys), although in the modern Aerosmith era, Nine Lives did come fairly close (*to being decent, not great). Their recent blues effort "Honkin' on Bobo" did capture a bit of that old "hutspah" as far as their orignial musical form was concerned; sadly, it was barely a blip on what has now become a somewhat startling collection of flat-line studio efforts and . . . *yawn* . . . greatest hits compilations.

Aerosmith's first three albums (Self-titled, Get Your Wings, Toys) are perhaps the finest three-album run of any American rock band - ever! (*KISS' first three albums are good, but not this good.) Straight-forward, no-bullshit, grab-you-by-the-throat-and-kick-your-ass rock music at its finest. Minimal overdubs gave the music an incredibly live feel, which obviously transcended well to their on-stage performances. Smart arrangements, deft fretwork, hooky tunes, and killer guitar tone were all in abundance, with most (*if not all) being tracked live - meaning that in the studio, everyone was playing the same song at the same time with the red button in the "on" position - not track by track as is now commonplace. Indeed, the good old days.

Although their first album gets my nod as the band's best work, Get Your Wings is a very close second. Besides the fantastic deep cut "Spaced", the album rocks head to toe with killer tracks like S.O.S. (Too Bad), Same Old Song and Dance, the hauntingly beautiful Seasons of Wither, and my personal fave, Lord of the Thighs (*check this cut out on the Live / Bootleg album - fuckin' amazing!) The icing on the cake is their cover of the Tiny Bradshaw classic - Train Kept a' Rollin', which to this day is still a staple of their live show.

"Toys", of course, needs none of my literary embellishment - quite possibly the band's crowning achievement as far as studio work is concerned. Although a bit more polished than their first two releases (*which can be both good or bad, depending on your taste), it's another side-to-side affair jam-packed with killer cuts and bad-ass guitar.

If you haven't re-visited some of your older Aero treasures, now's the perfect time to re-acquaint yourself with some of rock n' roll's finest riffery. - - J.

The Answer Is . . .

The Answer.

Perhaps you've heard these lads on XM or during non-rotation hours on MTV or VH1. You definitely haven't heard them the radio because, well, the radio doesn't play shit for music these days.

Drawing heavily from Zeppelin's crushing groove from the early 70's, this Irish quartet is poised on the brink of super stardom. So much so that they've even raised the eyebrow of one Mr. Jimmy Page, who effused, "If you want to see what Zeppelin was like in their glory days, go see The Answer." Some hearty praise, indeed.

Combining soaring, bluesy vocals with a classic Marshall guitar sound and a thunderous back-beat, the Answer's latest (5) song EP steamrolls through power cut after power cut, leaving no doubt as to their ability to deliver the groceries. Smart song-writing and an impressive band dynamic lend to an authentic classic rock listening experience.

I grabbed my copy of The Answer's EP off of Amazon.com, and it came with an extremely cool rockumentary DVD that included a video of "Never Too Late", as well as a live cut or two.

I've seen / heard a lot of up-and-coming acts that have been touted as the next coming of Led Zeppelin. Realistically speaking - that ain't never gonna' happen. But believe me - The Answer has come about as close as anybody in the post-Zeppelin era to actually achieving that status. As far as 70's power rock is concerned, present day, this is the top of the misty mountain. - - J.

You can check out The Answer here:
The Answer live on Letterman
My Space

Official Website

Crossing The Road . . .

What do you get when you cross two parts Van Halen, one Chili Pepper, and an Alien? A rock n' roll molotov cocktail called Chickenfoot.

Uniting the forces of Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Chad Smith, and Joe Satriani, Chickenfoot looks to break some new ground in the arena rock genre with a forthcoming album and summer tour. At long last, a Satriani guitar will finally find itself in the context of a true classic rock quartet.

Rather than bore you with my yammering, I'll direct you to the band's MySpace page to sample two new songs from their debut CD. - - J.