Portraits in Rock n Roll Badassery:Ringo Starr

Classic Axes: Jimi Hendrix's Stratocaster

 In his short lifetime, Jimi Hendrix was able to singlehandedly change the sound of rock through his innovative guitar style and inexplicable raw talent. An intense performer, Hendrix was known to “sacrifice” his guitars by lighting them on fire. Fortunately, the 1968
Stratocaster he played during his legendary rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock was spared this fiery fate


After Jimi’s death in 1970, the guitar was put into storage until it was sold at auction to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for $1.3 million.

Classic Axes: Keith Richards' Micawber

   Supposedly named after a character in Charles Dickens’ book David Copperfield, Micawber has been Keith’s main guitar since Exile on Main Street. Of course, when asked about the meaning behind the uncommon name,  Keith coyly says: "There's no reason for my guitar being called Micawber, apart from the fact that it's such an unlikely name. When I scream for Micawber everyone knows what I'm talking about." 
   The 1952 butterscotch Fender Telecaster is kept in the Human Riff’s trademark open G tuning, so it’s always ready to tear through such classics as "Before They Make Me Run,” "Brown Sugar", and "Honky Tonk Women.”

 

Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks teaming up for concert tour

The pair made their announcement and performed on an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." This concert will feature both artists focusing on the biggest hits from their careers, according to a spokeswoman for Live Nation, the tour's promoter.

Classic Axes: Stevie Ray Vaughn's Lenny

In 1980, Vaughan caught sight of a used Stratocaster in an Austin pawnshop, which cost $350. Vaughan couldn't afford it, so his wife, Lenny, found seven people with $50 and bought the guitar. She presented it to him for his birthday before performing at a club, Steamboat Springs, in Austin. He named the guitar "Lenny”.

Lenny was a 1965 maple-neck Fender Strat with a rosewood fingerboard. It originally had a three-color sunburst finish, though it was sanded down and refinished with a mahogany stain, giving the guitar a smoother, softer contoured body. Lenny also had a mandolin pickguard from the early 1900s inlaid into the body under the bridge. In late 1981, Vaughan received a one-piece Charvel maple neck from ZZ Top member Billy Gibbons.  He installed the neck with non-stock screws, with one going under the fingerboard and also scratched "Stevie Ray Vaughan '80" on the neckplate. Baseball legend Mickey Mantle even autographed the back of the guitar when Vaughan played "The Star Spangled Banner” at the Houston Astordome in 1985. In 1989, Vaughan added "SRV" stickers found at a truck stop.  In 2004, Lenny was sold to Guitar Center for $623,500 at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Auction.

Classic Axes:Brian May's Red Special

 

While still attending school, Brian May built himself a guitar, which he refers to as “The Red Special”. The guitar was built from an 18th century fireplace. 

May not only continues to use that unique guitar, but uses it in an equally unusual way. Instead of a standard guitar pick, Brian prefers to use coins, especially a sixpence. He says that their rigidity gives him more control in his playing.

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Pixies by Adan Chance

Classic Axes:Billy Gibbons' Fuzzy Guitars

ZZ Top has a collection of some of the world’s most unique guitars.  In fact,  Billy Gibbons has a book featuring information and pictures of some of his favorite instruments that came out a few years ago.What's it called you ask? I have no idea, why don't you look it up? You're the one on the computer...dick.

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Captain Beefheart by Adan Chance

Doodles: Christmas 1

Below drawings by Shawn Downey

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Bob Dylan-by Adan Chance

Classic Axes:Rick Nielson's Checkerboard Guitars

Rick Nielson of Cheap Trick is a certified guitar nut, having owned more than 2,000 guitars in his 35 years of collecting!  His preferred line of choice is Hamer and that company constantly provides him with customized guitars.  His most famous is the checkerboard design.   And he’s also known for sporting the 5 arm guitar.  Both presented here for your enjoyment.

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Led Zeppelin-by Adan Chance

Classic Album Spotlight: Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars

Side One: Five Years/Soul Love/Moonage Daydream/Starman/It Ain't Easy 

Side Two:Lady Stardust /Star /Hang on to Yourself /Ziggy Stardust /Suffragette City /Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

   After the massive success of 1969's "Space Oddity" single, David Bowie released two excellent, but largely overlooked, folk rock albums. He was on the path to becoming a one hit wonder, but a startling transformation saved him from mediocrity and blasted him up to the status of rock god. In June of 1972, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars was released, Bowie breaks out(in more ways than one) and becomes the biggest act in the U.K. since The Beatles.

   The album is sort of a loose concept record as it follows Bowie new persona Ziggy , the rock star from mars, and his adventure on earth. It's a masterpiece of glam rock from start to finish. The very first song, sets a standard which the rest of the album echoes, "Five Years" is a hauntingly beautiful song which  desperately builds and builds before giving way to "Soul Love". This second track isn't as great as the rest of the songs on the album, nevertheless it hold it's own and provides a nice transition into one of the best songs on the entire record. "Moonage Daydream" opens strong and the rocker explodes into a sex filled stunning melody which perfectly showcases guitarist Mick Ronson work as he proceeds to lay some of the best licks on the entire LP. Then comes "Starman", the most commercially successful single from the album and after that arrives the only cover on the record, Bowie's version of "It Ain't Easy" (A Ron Davies song which was also covered by Three Dog Night). These songs are good too, Hell every song on here is good. However they are easily upstaged when the elegant "Lady Stardust" glides in. The piano driven melody was written as a sort of tribute to David's friend Marc Bolan(of T. Rex, who are fairly big in England at this time) who Bowie would grow to eclipse in stardom. The number seems like it would be a tough one to follow yet "Star" and the ensuing rocker "Hang on to Yourself" do a damn fine job. from Hang on the album transcends into a real guitar driven affair as "Ziggy Stardust" and "Suffragette City" amaze and rock you into the stunning finale.Now,  I'm not sure I can communicate just how much I enjoy "Rock n' Roll Suicide", it's the perfect album closer and possibly my favorite Bowie track of all time.

     

   Without a doubt The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars  is one of the best glam albums of all time. The songs work beautifully  together to create a sweeping sex filled masterpiece that deserves a place on any persons shelf.

                                                                -Adan Chance

 

 

 

Further Listening: Hunky Dory, Diamond Dogs, Low

Doodles: Snowmen 1

Below drawings by Shawn Downey

Classic Axes: Eric Clapton's Psychedelic Guitars

   This LSD-influenced paint job was done by the Fool, a couple of hippies whom the Beatles discovered.  The Fool designed clothes and albums for quite a number of classic British rockers back in the Sixties.  During live performances, paint chips literally flaked and flecked off the neck while Clapton played. Eventually, all the excess paint was permanently removed.  It may have looked cool but it couldn’t handle the workload.

Clapton’s other psychadelic guitar was a Danelectro, which he used while he was in Blind Faith.

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By Adan Chance

Fast Flicks:Escape From New York

Eat Big Kahuna Burger

Damn I love Pulp Fiction

 By Adan Chance

Classic Axes: Zakk Wylde's Bulls-Eye Gibson

      Zakk Wylde is known for his use of  Gibson Les Paul Custom model guitars with a "bulls-eye" graphic on them, a design he used to deliberately differentiate himself visually from Randy Rhoads- who was also frequently identified by his white Les Paul Custom. Interestingly, one of Wylde's favorite stage guitars of late is a replica of Rhoads' Flying V.   The "bulls-eye" paint job was originally supposed to look like the spiral from the movie "Vertigo", but when it came back incorrect from the luthier, he liked the result and stuck  with it.