Tag: Guitar

The Collection: Ep. 78 – Ace Frehley: The Albums Ranked

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With the passing of my first guitar hero last week, I thought it was appropriate this week to honor his memory and do a ranking of his solo albums. He had 10 albums and I have to say I do enjoy all of them so it isn’t a worst to first, more like a least favorite to most favorite. We include the Kiss solo album from 1978, the two Frehley’s Comet albums and the rest are his actual solo albums that he has done over the last 40 years. Ace was one of a kind and will certainly be missed. That boyish laugh to that Chesire grin, he was his own unique self and I think the music world is all the better for it. He influenced so many guitar players over the years and he is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and soon will receive the Kennedy Center Honor that is so richly deserved.

So go check it out as it will air tonight, October 20th at 7pm on YouTube. Thanks for stopping by and please click “Like” and hit “Subscribe” as it helps out the site when you do.

My Sunday Song – “Always Be Mine” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #353, we are going to discuss the ballad “Always Be Mine” off Aldo Nova’s second album ‘Subject…Aldo Nova’…but I just call it ‘Subject’. The album was released on September 30, 1983 and was a very loose concept with a whole apocalyptic vision of the world. This was the 2nd single off the album but didn’t even make the Hot 100 in the U.S. which it should as this is one of the great ballads of the decade in my book. The album didn’t get a ton of press but it did eventually go Gold about 11 years after it’s release.

The song is about a breakup. A very hard break up of two people that still love each other, but they’ve played so many games, shed so many tears that it probably should be over. The guy in the song still loves her and in his heart, she’ll always be his. He is pleading with her to give it another shot, to stop the games, stop wearing the masks and just talk heart to heart and work things out. It is a little heartbreaking at times.

Musically, the song is beautifully done with Aldo on keyboards, guitars and vocals. Aldo likes to do a lot of the stuff himself. It starts off with an electronic drum beat that is followed by the keyboards…a lot of keyboards. But there is a tenderness to it all and the music has such great melody and the guitar playing…man Aldo can certainly play guitar. He is highly underrated. Aldo’s vocals pull at the heartstrings as he conveys all the love and pain the guy is feeling as he tries to win his girl back. The song sounds like the 80’s, but you know, it still works for me and is still as powerful today as it was when I first heard it back in 1983…40 years ago…damn…I’m getting old.

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My Sunday Song – “Guitar or a Gun” by Will Hoge

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For My Sunday Song #267, we are going to dive in to the song “Guitar or a Gun” by Will Hoge. The song is off his 2015 album ‘Small Town Dreams’. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, the album went to #15 on the Country Charts and #162 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. The song was written by Will Hoge, Dylan Altman and Gary Allan. Will sought out Gary specifically to write with on this track along with another song in hopes Gary would record them. Thankfully for us, Gary passed and Will got to keep this great track all his own.

The song is basically Will thinking about growing up in Franklin, Tennessee. Will would go to the local pawn shop and stare for hours at the guitars on the wall and the guns behind the counter. He would ride his bike over there every weekend. After mowing lawns all Summer, he took his $200 he earned and finally went to that pawn shop to buy one of those two items. He wanted both and the lyrics tell you what his dad said about them but not letting you know really which one his dad was talking about. All Will could think about was being in a gang…a gang of guys that form a band or a gang of guys to do nothing but get in to trouble and ride off in to the sunset like the gang from the movie “Young Guns”. Since we are reviewing a song by Will Hoge, I believe we know he chose the Guitar.

The song is a southern rock sounding track with an acoustic guitar, an electric, a piano and some driving drum beats. It starts off slow with the acoustic guitar and then Will singing the first verse before the band comes in and then they all join in and take it home. The bridge and chorus kick it up a notch and are catchy and colorful. The music and the song feel tell a great story and take you back to your childhood where you might have had the same thoughts. Will is a master at telling great stories and this song is just that.

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Turntables & Vinyl #18 – The Guitar

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Turntables & Vinyl is usually about my vinyl collecting, but most importantly it is really a documentation of my journey through music.  Instead of talking about vinyl today, the discussion is on The Guitar.

I turned 50 a couple weeks ago and one of my goals for this year is to learn to play guitar.  Most people when they turn 50, their mid-life crisis is a fancy sports car or some 20 year old young thing that ruins their marriage, but I am not most people (not really most people, but has been known to happen).  When my wife asked me what I wanted for my 50th Birthday, I said I want to finally learn to play guitar so I want a guitar.

I sent her a picture of the one I wanted.  She replied back with several other possible choices and I said the following…

“…went through the list and still like the one I chose.  I love the style and color (it has to look good!!)…”

And she kindly responded back…

“Sounds great!  and, of course it has to look good otherwise your awesomeness would overpower it!”

Yes, that is why I love her.  Her sarcasm can sometimes out do mine!

I tried learning to play when I was a kid, but I couldn’t understand why I didn’t learn it in 2 days and my frustration level was not manageable.  I gave up too easily.  I am definitely older, but not sure if I am wiser.  However, I think I can patiently work through it this time.

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