Howdy folks. Welcome to the first in a regular series of columns on the wild and whacked-out world of shred. I hope to make this column as interesting as possible, but for that I need your feedback. Please email the newsletter with your opinions and, if you have any suggestions about what you'd like to see in future columns, don't be shy - let's have some (excuse the pun) feedback!
First, a bit about me. I got into modern guitar playing (commonly called 'shred') in the early 80s when I heard 'I'll See The Light Tonight' (by the one and only Yngwie Malmsteen) on the Radio 1's seminal Friday Rock Show. About the same time all those amazing Shrapnel records started appearing, guys like Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore, Paul Gilbert, Jason Becker and Marty Friedman (to name just a few). In retrospect, the 80s were truly the glory-days, a time when one incredible guitarist followed another on a seemingly endless conveyor-belt of shred, guided by the godfather of guitar, Mike Varney.
Around 1990 I started to contribute to the popular underground shred fanzine, G Force. The mag, although extremely well received, ran to only 3 issues; however, during that time we interviewed such world-class players as Paul Gilbert and UK phenomenon Mario Parga and were one of the first magazines to feature such top talents as Ron Thal, Derek Taylor and Rich Kern, all of whom have gone onto make a mark for themselves in the competitive world of the six-stringed virtuoso.
In 1995 I published (in a very limited print-run) my book The Modern Guitarist: A History Of Rock Guitar Since The 70s. This was the culmination of several years hard work; my
brief had been to put the whole shred phenomenon into some kind of perspective and not just list every great player (impossible anyway) and what they'd recorded. I hope it went at least some way to achieving that (few copies still available!). Luckily I was able to spotlight some amazing talents; players like Buckethead, Adrian English, Todd Duane, Milan Polak and Rob Johnson, and to attract contributions from the likes of Brett Garsed, Mike Romeo and Terry Syrek (the player Mike Varney named as one of the greatest unsigned shredders he'd ever heard). In the years since The Modern Guitarist was completed it's been gratifying to see many of the musicians I featured achieve the success they so obviously deserve.
Now to the interesting stuff. There's a lot one can do in a column like this. For instance, I'd like to explore the trends and themes that run through the shred scene in the 90s - as well as what we have to look forward to with the approaching millennium. What, I wonder, will shred evolve into by the year 2000. Can guitarists reach even greater technical standards as the century draws to its end? Personally, I doubt it; technique is now so advanced that players will evolve into machines if they play any faster or wow us with even more incredible feats of finger magic. I mean, how do you improve on Shawn Lane?!
As well as gossiping about guitar issues, each month I intend to feature a lesser known player. Having written about and corresponded with many incredible players over the years, it will be my pleasure to introduce a few axe-merchants who may have escaped your attention; but whom you absolutely MUST hear, and now! This time it's the turn of Todd Duane.
Next to Shawn Lane, Todd might just be the most technically endowed player of his generation. Brought up on a diet of Van Halen, MacAlpine, Gambale and Gilbert (with whom he studied a little), Duane has since established himself - through a series of astounding and much-admired demos - as one of the hottest players of the 90s. His tunes take in blues, classical, rock and fusion and are often atonally strange in interpretation. However, his real appeal lies in his complete disregard for musical parameters; Todd has taken the most popular elements of modern guitar playing - string-skipping, speed-picking, legato - and fashioned for himself an utterly isolated niche. The result is unparalleled technique in combination with a clear-cut talent for writing high energy music.
To date he has appeared on Mark Varney's Guitar On The Edge projects (Vol.1, Nos. 1 & 2) and Ominous Guitarists From The Unknown, as well as recording two solo CD's, the second of which (Omnipresent) has just been released. He currently plays with his local band Touched in Minneapolis.
I can recommend few players as highly as Todd. Waste no time - track him down right now! His web site address is:
You can also email him on: tduane777@hotmail.com
I have to tell you: I'm a shred addict! No matter how many great CD's by no matter how many great bands or composers I intend to listen to, I always reach for the shred platter first. Know the feeling? You do? Then, my friend, you and I are going to enjoy each other's company……Look forward to knowing you.
I'd like to end this (and every) column with my most listened to CD's/demos of the moment. In no particular order, these are:
Todd Duane - Omnipresent
Vitalij Kuprij - High Definition (stunning Shrapnel shred, w/Greg Howe)
Milan Polak - Pre-productions for second solo CD (Austrian guitar master)
Yngwie Malmsteen - Facing The Animal
Jens Johansson - Frission (w/Shawn Lane)
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