Jim Stalker

Guitar fans are overly familiar with lists of great guitar solos and great guitarists. There are hundreds of these on the Web, with the usual suspects, “Stairway to Heaven,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “Comfortably Numb,” and my personal favorite, “Kid Charlemagne.” These lists are fun to debate and often motivate me to review some great music.
I, too, have had a go posting my list here. That was a list of “overlooked” solos.
The other day my iTunes shuffled up Eric Clapton playing Freddie King’s “Hideaway” from the John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers album. Every single note Clapton hits on that track is a winner – from start to finish. His tone is biting, his playing fluid, melodic and bluesy. His bends and vibrato are all emotional. It is a fantastic piece of guitar work he might never have duplicated in his career.
It certainly helped to have Freddie King’s roadmap – but what Clapton does on that tune goes beyond the original. For Clapton, this is an “essential” performance. Give it a quick listen, and you should quickly “get” Clapton as a guitarist and what all the fuss surrounding him was about. You might even forgive him for so much of his later uneven material.
So I thought, what other performances by another guitarist would produce that same “wow, I get what the fuss is about” response?
Here are five of them.
Jimi Hendrix – “Pali Gap” – Anytime I hear Hendrix later, like this tune from Rainbow Bridge, I can’t help but think what he might have been having if he did not die at 27. His playing here is so inventive, relaxed, and unrelenting that it simply boggles my mind. This is a track most people (including Hendrix fans) have not heard. I’ve played this for friends, and they don’t know it’s Hendrix. This is not the Hendrix of Smash Hits. Here he uses chromaticism, and long melodic hammer-on runs over feedback that represents a maturity in his playing. What might have been one of the significant losses for guitarists? While “Machine Gun” on Band of Gypsies is his tour-de-force, this track, without the psychedelic whammy bar interlude, is more accessible.
Steve Howe – “Yours is No Disgrace” – While Howe is not the most soulful lead guitarist, his tone and vibrato are always a bit off for me; his versatility as a guitarist may be unparalleled in rock. He can play classical, Travis fingerstyle, jazz, and his distinctly Steve Howe amalgam. Some may claim that progressive rock does not rock, and they are right – it isn’t. But no one, including Robert Fripp in King Crimson, played better prog-rock guitar or won more guitar polls. Why? Check out this song from the Yes Album. 8 minutes of complete guitar mastery. He changes tones, adds echo, and plays solos in different styles, all while driving the song forward with tasty chord voicings, changing tempos, and the occasional dose of controlled feedback. This song is a clinic.
Jeff Beck – “Good-bye Pork Pie Hat” – A match made in heaven – Beatles producer George Martin and Jeff Beck playing the Charles Mingus jazz standard. No one before or since has appropriately captured Beck’s genius for tone, intonation, and space the way Martin did on Blow by Blow and this tune from Wired. You wonder, over and over, how he gets those sounds out of his guitar. No one has such mastery over tone as Mr. Beck. Hints of feedback throughout the song that breaks free at just the right time, then move quickly again to the background – create what may be one of the most emotional performances captured on vinyl. The sound is so rich here. Later self-produced records by Beck would almost always disappoint. It wasn’t until last year’s Appearing this Week at Ronnie Scott’s would Beck’s mastery be so clearly and entirely on display.
Eric Johnson – “Cliffs of Dover” – This composition, and it is a composition, accomplishes a rare feat for an instrumental featuring a guitarist – the song remains accessible despite being incredibly complex. Like many composers do when asked about their best songs, Johnson indicated that Cliffs “came from another place,” writing it all in five minutes. Five minutes, you have got to be kidding me! Its intro, opening riff, and impossible string-skipping melody perfectly blend into each other into one excellent performance. Johnson is known for his “thousand electrified violins” tone, but he nicely integrates the classic clean Little Wing-Strat fashion throughout the composition. A deceptively tricky, difficult song to play, an iconic performance of the highest order.
With his Berklee School of Music degree and Zappa internship, Steve Vai – “Tender Surrender” – Vai might be one of rock’s most technically accomplished musicians. He pushes the Van Halen model further than anyone else with right-handed tapping and pyrotechnic whammy bar antics. Some may argue Vai takes the electric guitar further than EVH – which he sometimes does while still invoking the blues – something EVH struggles with. I suspect this is due to Hendrix’s profound influence on Vai. “Tender Surrender” is Vai’s masterpiece. Partly based on Hendrix’s “Villanova Junction,” it mildly introduces the melody through tasty octaves, then slowly builds, providing no hint of the low to high E-spanning runs that come midway through the pieces. This is highly accomplished finger work of the highest order, and despite being a technical marvel, manages to remain tuneful and, I dare say, even soulful.
As much as I would like to say this list is complete, it isn’t. There are dozens of other “iconic performances.” These are my favorites.

Here we go again…
Today, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced artists who will be eligible for induction in 2012. These nominees will be presented to voting members, and typically 5 acts are chosen for installation.
Recent years offered up some pretty schmaltzy inductee choices that allowed Madonna and Abba, hard rock and roll, to sneak into the Cleveland-based hall’s doors.
Let’s look at the list while providing some very high-level comments. For a complete description of the nominee’s “accomplishment,” look at the official press release.

• Beastie Boys
• The Cure
• Donovan
• Eric B. & Rakim
• Guns ‘N Roses
• Heart
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Freddie King
• Laura Nyro
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Rufus and Chaka Khan
• The Small Faces/The Faces
• The Spinners
• Donna Summer
• War

Overall this is a terrific list of some genuinely worthy nominees. Not only are many natural rock and roll, but several were also hugely influential, which is generally the primary yardstick the RRHOF applies to induction.
Four shoe-ins here.
Guns ‘N Roses. I don’t know what to say if you need an explanation here. “Appetite for Destruction” is one of the finest debut albums in Rock and Roll history containing several songs that will be in eternal rotation wherever rock music is played – I am thinking Hell. I think all these guys were on heroin at some point – not a requirement for induction, but it helps…
Beastie Boys. “License to Ill” was a watershed for rap and marked the crossover from rock to rap and arguably helped further bring hip-hop to the mainstream. The Rock and Roll Hall already acknowledged the migration of R&B and Soul to rap with Run-D.M.C and Grandmaster Flash. These guys were trendsetters, and “you gotta fight for your party, right” is hip-hop that rocks!
Heart. OK, they may have damaged their reputation with their ’80s output of future karaoke hits. Please don’t hold that against them.  No one can argue that these two Seattle-based chicks rocked better and harder than any other female-led band… except The Pretenders. Put on “Magic Man” or “Barracuda” – with that tremendous original band, speak for themselves.
Freddie King. Clapton, Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and hundreds of other blues-based players were influenced by this wonderfully fluid and soulful player. The RRHOF write-up says King is part of the “DNA of the blues,” and they are spot on. Listen to “Hideaway” or the “The Stumble” – despite sounding incredibly similar – the authentic blues riff is all there. Such a shame he died so young.
After those acts, I am not sure who gets in—going down the list.
The Cure. Dudes who wore makeup were not so great. But they are one of the few new wave bands whose songs still sound great today. Too lightweight for the hall. This nomination makes some hall haters put on their mascara.
Donovan. Those 60’s hits were groovy beyond belief. Always sound great wherever they pop up today. He was never in the league of Dylan or other singer-songwriters of that era in terms of influence, but he sold many records and was at the center of all the action hanging with the Beatles and Stones. Plus, he is such a nice guy no one will want to deny his entry and hurt his feelings. It may be the best chance for the fifth nominee.
Eric B. & Rakim. Ask any hip-hop aficionado; these guys are dope. If the Hall wants to one day let in Jay-Z, these guys have to get it. Long shot for 2012.
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Because the voters fear Joan will kick all their asses if she doesn’t get in, she stands a chance. The music, though – “Bad Reputation!”
Laura Nyro. Hitmaker for Three Dog Night and The 5th Dimension? Are that Rock and Roll? Alert – David Geffen “discovered” her. That may get her in.
Red Hot Chili Peppers. These guys rock, but not enough, as they have been passed over.
Rufus with Chaka Kahn. Chaka Kahn may be the most important name in the history of female singers. Not sure that the Stevie Wonder penned “Tell Me Something Good” is enough to qualify. Rufus was the launching pad for “the world’s most recorded drummer,” JR Robinson however…
The Small Faces/The Faces. If one song qualifies as an act for the hall, not sure “Stay with Me” is good enough. It’s a good song, but I prefer “I Love Rock and Roll.”
The Spinners. These guys might have a better chance at being number 5 than Donovan. More hits and maybe even better songs. Plus, the O’Jays induction might have cleared the way.
Donna Summer. I have gone on and on about why she should be in. She passed over several years now; maybe this will be her year. Perhaps the disco affiliation is too much. Opening the door for KC and the Sunshine Band getting in and the massive global vomiting that would ensue might hurt her chances.
War. The variety and range of their tunes are incredible. Influential for sure. Maybe next year.
So there you go.
And, of course, the snubs remain that piss all the RRHOF haters off. KISS, Chicago, Moody Blues, Rush, Frampton, Journey, Boston, Jethro Tull, and on and on… You’re never going to please everyone.
All in all, a pretty excellent and deserving list.

I don’t know about anyone else, but for me, my birthday always triggers reflection. Mainly I think about my life thus far and “how I am doing” – whatever the hell that means.
I’m not sure this is such a good thing, as I suffer from the “comparing my insides with your outsides” conundrum.
Plus, there is the endless torrent of social and media messages internalized as “expectations” for how my life should be going.
Somewhere in the deep dark recesses of my mind is the thought that because I am not a billionaire with six-pack abs, I have somehow made a mess of my life.
And here lies the first key learning in my life thus far – filtering out the culturally induced cacophony (like that) and defining your life on your terms is essential for achieving peace of mind and happiness.
I’m sure most of you figured that out years ago. Not so for me. Ideas with cobwebs were in my head, driving me in uncritically challenged directions for many years. Hopefully, much of that has stopped.
The good news is that the older I get, the more evident what matters to me has become. Pursuing the right things for me becomes more accessible and has the bonus that it makes me happier.
And indeed, I am a pleased person today. Too bad my face and posture don’t always show it. I’m working on that (see #3 below).
Most, if not all, of this happiness, is directly attributable to the people who have been or are in my life.
Herein lies my second key learning in life – what matters most to me today is the quality of my interactions with others.
How much thoughtfulness do I bring into them? Was I engaged or distracted? Was I kind or simply expedient (and abrupt)? Was I funny?
Was I more worried about my smartphone than the person in front of me?
And, am I spending time with the right people for me? Are these people I respect, enjoy, and love who, in turn, appreciate a bit of what I bring to the table?
And what I strive to bring to the table is my third key learning – a commitment toward continuous improvement. Lofty, I know, but I am sincere about this even when I fail.
Quality lasts, where lack of it distracts. A single typo can overwhelm excellent content.
Taking the time to get “it” right (whatever “it” is)  develops patience, concentration, and skill (aka “craft”). There is a cliché I like, “do it right, do it once!”  Wouldn’t that be nice?
Plus, there is the added benefit that seeking feedback for improvement and adopting new learnings requires humility – the most spiritual of all virtues. Rarely is more humility a bad thing?
So, I might not have a billion dollars or the ability to lift my shirt and flash killer abs. So what!
Instead, I have a wife I love and a son who delights. And so much else. If I told you everything, I think I have; you’d say I was bragging. So I won’t. Remember what I said about humility.
Mainly I appreciate all of it and understand how delicate the balance keeps it all there. Not all my friends made it this past year.
And for this on my birthday, THANK YOU to my family, friends, and acquaintances – without you all, I couldn’t be the person I am. No man is an Island.
Mostly, I hope we can spend some time together soon.

There are records full of great songs with meaningful lyrics and nearly flawless execution that fail to find a significant audience despite these attributes. The Jazz idiom, in particular, has been plagued with matching quality to quantity sold. Many virtuoso performances remain the domain of a few fans.

Now with the whole music business mainly in the can (especially the album or collection of songs business – thanks to iTunes) Worse,  there is no change to this injustice within focus. This lack of fairness in the music business underscores the most frustrating truth of life that luck plays as big a role as anything when it comes to success (and many other things).

“Strange Kind of Love” by the now defunct Scottish band Love and Money, initially released in 1988, never got their share of luck and has just been served up with a reissue treatment. Maybe now, with new liner notes by producer Gary Katz and principal songwriter, singer, and guitarist James Grant Love and Money might get some luck and find more fans than the last time out. While this is not an excellent 5-star record, it is a solid four-star one you should check out.

Strange Kind of Love will charm you with its clever lyrics, memorable melodies, and guitar heroics by singer Grant. Grant is a terrific soloist, and finger picker and guitar dominate the record. Grant’s near-baritone comes through loud and clear providing many nuances to the ironic and melodic wordplay found throughout the song collection. Much of this audiophile sonic quality is thanks to Steely Dan producer Katz in one of his very few post-Dan projects.

The whole CD has that Steely Dan flavor of studio perfection. The late, great studio legend and  “groove master” – Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro – lay down some irresistible beats (including his version of the famous “Purdie shuffle” on the title track). Drummers will love the sound and feel he adds to support these rich compositions. It’s one of my favorite of Jeff’s studio performances. Dig the triplets and fills in “Scapegoat City.” Porcaro is irreplaceable. This record will make you miss him.

Porcaro’s drumming provides the perfect backdrop for Grant’s songs of love’s lost-and-gained. The interplay between keyboardist Pat McGeechan and bassist Bobby Patterson further informs the music. Patterson, in particular, shines as his bass work never overpowers in the tradition of Dee Murray, supporting each song most interestingly and melodically. Sadly, Patterson passed away in 2006. The bonus demo cuts included on the reissue, if nothing else, highlight Patterson’s rhythmic thumping that got buried a bit in the final mix.

Many outstanding records, like Who’s Next, had the benefit of working out the songs live in front of live audiences before going into the studio. According to the liner notes, this was the case with “Strange Kind of Love.” The tempo changes and the solo breaks all flow and seem just right. Hard to create that in the studio without an audience providing feedback.

The big deal here is the songs. “Jocelyn Square” with its chimney wha-wha pedal, “Walk the Last Mile,”  and “Avalanche” with their sing-a-long choruses and lush background vocals added by some Katz/Dan studio veterans. All these songs are anchored with Grant’s one-two of vocals and guitar that communicate longing and wailing. While not the greatest guitarist ever, he is one of the absolute finest lead singer/songwriter/vocalist combinations. Grant is the star of this record.

There are few, if any, real duds on this record – almost every song holds up upon repeated listening – and they are all toe-tappers—no boring ballads here to wade through.

Love and Money never broke the top 40 in the US but did have a bit of a following in the UK with some successful singles. According to Wikipedia, Strange Kind of Love sold about 250K copies worldwide. While their other albums offer a few excellent tracks, none achieved the consistency found on Strange Kind of Love. With Patterson and Porcaro gone, Strange Kind of Love will remain the band’s watershed.

Grant has soldiered on as a troubadour, focusing less on blazing guitar and more on crafting lovely, introspective, primarily acoustic songs (worth investigating) that explore his Scottish roots and show off his songwriting chops.

Have you seen these? I have. I might add with increasing frequency.
So my cards are on the table; I am not a fan of bumper stickers, license plate frames with custom messages, or personalized license plates.
This might have to do with my not being a fan of tattoos. I know this is a minority view within some demographics. So be it. There is no phrase, word, icon, or image so important that I want to make it a memorable part of my body (or car). Notepads and pictures work just fine for this purpose.
Wait, I take that back. In college, I had a “no bozos” sticker on my car. This was a picture of Bozo, the clown, with the international “no” sign over it. Maybe I think people with tattoos or stickers on their cars are bozos? It’s all interconnected. So very Kevin Bacon.
In college, I had a “no bozos” sticker on my car. This was a picture of Bozo, the clown with the international “no” sign over it. Maybe I think people with tattoos or stickers on their cars are bozos? It’s all interconnected. So very Kevin Bacon.
I digress.
Anyone who puts a sticker on their car is fair game for criticism. Inflict me with your image; I have a right to comment.
For those unaware, 26.2 is the length of a marathon. Some marathoners, whose number increased by 3%  last year, love these stickers. They are so proud of marathoning that they want to say to the world, “hey, look at me, I run marathons!” or, “Hey, fellow marathoners, I am one of you!” The underlying
The underlying sentiment is, “aren’t we cool – we did a marathon!”
Is that such a cool thing to do and broadcast?
Consider the following:

• • Training for a race typically requires 16 weeks and nearly 200 hours.
  • Health benefits are unclear, if not primarily damaging (overuse).
  • The inventor of the race, Pheidippides, died after running it!

The whole sticker thing strikes as yet more vanity. More “look at me!”
While running a marathon may be a tremendous personal achievement, it is a Pyrrhic victory for society. Why broadcast this, of all things?
If you broadcast something on your bumper sticker, why not something that is encouraging and could improve our society? A few ideas:

• • I give blood, plasma, and platelets every month.
  • I give my extra time to (name a charity or cause).
  • I buy less and save more.
  • I take responsibility for my happiness. Happy people = a happier world.
  • I seek balance.

Then again, I wouldn’t say I like bumper stickers.