Alive and Kicking

Hi Guys,
My name is Joe, I am 17 and from England. I noticed this Guitar Idol website a couple of days ago, so i put this entry in.

My guitar hero is Randy Rhoads. The reason for this is that he was the first guitar player to massively influence my actual way of playing. Before Randy, I was a big Brian May fan. So i spent a lot of time doing the chuggy rhythm of Queen. While I love Queen, and will never think any different, when I heard Randy, I realized he was what i wanted to be as a guitarist. No guitarist has ever changed me in the way he did. As soon as I heard him, I realized I wanted to do everything he was doing. He is what I call a ‘Great Guitarist’. I sometimes think that we have lost our way with mainstream music. Somehow it seems strange that people like Matthew Bellamy and Alex Turner are referred to as ‘Guitar Heroes’ whereas Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads were the Gods 25 or so years ago. Seems a bit of difference in standard there, don’t you think?

My favourite type of guitar is a good old super strat. Especially ones manufactured in the 80’s. I am especially fond of Charvel’s as they were one of the first guitars that really made me feel good about my playing. Everything about them seems brilliant and when I play one, I know i’m playing one. Me and my father collect them and have a number of them. We will be uploading these to my myspace so check it out and ill put them up there in the next couple of days.

The solo I’m uploading i’ve named ‘Alive and Well’. The reason i called it this, is that classic rock isnt dead. Not by a longshot, and just because bands like Maiden, Sabbath and Zeppelin are not getting mainstream airplay like they used, it doesnt mean they are dead. I have tried to model this solo in the style of classic rock. The guitar this is actually recorded on is NOT a Charvel, but a Hohner Viper ST-II produced in 1990 loaded with EMG’s.

Its not that I am ignorant towards modern day metal, it’s just that when I hear the sound of a great rock guitarist from the 70’s or 80s, he instantly connects with me.

Hope you guys enjoy.

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