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October 29, 2009
Alex Lifeson And Rick Mercer’s ‘Man Date’
Popular Canadian comedian Rick Mercer recently took Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson on one of his infamous “man dates” for his CBC television program, The Rick Mercer Report.
The highlight of Mercer and Lifeson’s date was a visit to an indoor skydiving facility which actually looked like a lot of fun, but may be a bit tricky to master if Mercer and Lifeson’s experience was any indication.
In typical Rush form, Lifeson seems a bit reluctant to toot his own horn when Mercer asks him what it feels like to be one of the best guitarists in the world. “Oh, don’t ask me,” Lifeson responds.
Towards the end of the segment, they visit the bar that Lifeson co-owns. Called The Orbit Room, a Toronto watering hole that offers patrons live music nightly. Lifeson and his partner Tim Notter have been running the place for about fifteen years.
Despite the respect he has earned for decades of performing with Rush, Lifeson still does not get high marks for his attempts to play along with one of Rush’s songs on what appears to be the popular music video game, “Rock Band.” Lifeson appears to be making a genuine attempt to play well, and is clearly in synch with the guitar parts but still falls somewhere short of a satisfactory performance, according to the feedback from the game.
Rush fans will likely remember a similar experience that the entire group had while making an appearance on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report during the summer of 2008.
Obviously, there’s no compelling reason for Alex Lifeson to spend time learning how to play “Rock Band,” but he and Mercer seem to enjoy their time together. I do wish, however, that he would have indulged himself a bit and actually smashed the guitar at the end of the game. It might have made for some good TV and the game could easily be replaced, considering that he happens to be a member of one of the best-selling rock groups of all time.
Check out the segment at the CBC site.
October 14, 2009
Classic Rock Briefs For October 14, 2009
Brian May Hints At Queen on Rock Band
Brainy guitar man Brian May says that there may be a Queen version of the popular video game Rock Band at some point in the future.
"Yes we’re into it, I think it may happen," May said regarding the subject during a BBC interview.
Pink Floyd’s Gilmour To Receive Honorary Degree
Anglia Ruskin University has decided to bestow upon David Gilmour an honorary degree to recognize his “outstanding contribution to music as a writer, performer and innovator.”
The honorary doctor of the arts degree will be awarded next month, according to the Cambridge News.
Acoustic Innovation Keeps Jethro Tull’s Music Engaging
Iconic frontman for Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson is another aging rocker who is not quite ready for the rocking chair.
Currently Anderson is working his way through a solo tour that will bring him to the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore tomorrow night.
According to the man himself, “It’s a good idea not to expect anything. "We’re liable to do anything, so it’s a good idea to keep an open mind.”
With the introduction of classically trained violinists and new material woven into well-worn Tull classics, Anderson’s advice seems well worth any ticket holder’s consideration. Read more at the Washington Examiner.
September 8, 2009
Music Video Games Take More Flack From Rock Legends
As the wildly-popular music video games Rock Band and Guitar Hero continue to sign new groups on to distribution deals, more classic rock luminaries are speaking out against them, saying that the games discourage young people from spending the time and investing the required effort to learn how to play a real instrument.
Most recently, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman have commented on the new generation of games.
“It encourages kids not to learn, that’s the trouble. It makes less and less people dedicated to really get down and learn an instrument. I think it’s a pity so I’m not really keen on that kind of stuff,” Wyman said. For some young people
that may be true, but on the other hand, I do not think that those with a genuine passion for music will be satisfied with a game and a computer-generated audience.
Mason has apparently had his share of first-hand experience with the games and was dismayed to see his own children playing them. Sounding a bit more concerned about the whole phenomenon than Wyman, Mason says he was actually “irritated” by his kids’ involvement with the games.
“If they spent as much time practicing the guitar as learning how to press the buttons they’d be damn good by now,” according to Mason. He’s probably right, but the real question is, do his kids really want to be musicians or do they just enjoy playing popular video games?
On the other hand, Mason also admits that Pink Floyd has not ruled out the possibility of getting involved with a video game like Rock Band or guitar hero, and concedes that groups have to look at new ways of selling their music. One does have to make a living after all.
Mason sounds a bit melancholy about the days when the album was king, and I suppose it’s hard to fault him for that, since a lot of us have fond memories of that era.
“I’m of the old guard who are really sad about that, because I always liked the concept of the album – rather than just cherry-picking tracks – and also the business of the art work that went with it,” says Mason.
As you would expect, the makers of the games come to the defense of their creations, and claim that the games actually stimulate interest in music among young people, many of whom go onto learning how to play a real instrument.
I tend to agree with the game makers, as I have done in the past. I believe those that are destined to become musicians will soon put down the plastic guitar or step away from the fake drum kit to take up the real thing.
I suppose that the only definitive answer will be known sometime in the future. Perhaps some researcher can look back and determine if the number of musicians in countries where these games are popular decreased, increased or remained the same. Surely there are numerous factors involved, including population and the economy, but I suppose researches are paid to sort those kind of things out.
For more, visit the BBC website.
June 23, 2009
Jimmy Page And Jack White No Guitar Heroes
Not in the virtual world of video games anyway. It’s probably safe to say that neither of the two real-life guitar heroes have spent much quality time with either of the two wildly popular music-themed video games “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band.” In fact, both Page and White recently shared their thoughts about the new genre of games.
“It’s depressing to have a label come and tell you that [Guitar Hero] is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music," said White. "If you [the artist] have to be in a video game to get in front of them, that’s a little sad.”
Page also added his two cents, saying, “You think of the drum part that John Bonham did on Led Zeppelin’s first track on the first album, ‘Good Times Bad Times’," he said. "How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?”
Kind of hard to argue with that one. That particular Zeppelin song has been a favorite of mine for years, and surely takes a drummer with a quick foot and great sense of timing to pull it off properly.
I’ve mostly considered the popularity of these games as a good thing, since they seem to have been instrumental (I’m not even going to say it) in introducing a younger generation of fans to some great classic rock music, and I dare say that some of them have become fans as a result.
For the kids who don’t have any plans to actually learn how to play an instrument, and that’s probably the majority of them, it seems there would be little harm in allowing them to have a little fun pretending to be a rock star. It is a bit discouraging to think that it could sway someone who has some interest in learning a real instrument away from the hard work and time that’s necessary and taking the easy way out with a fake guitar and a video game.
I suspect, however, that the young people who are really passionate about playing will not have their goals derailed by the existence of a video game. Think about how many other kinds of video games are there out there for a moment. Will there be fewer future NASCAR drivers because of “NASCAR Kart Racing” or fewer aspiring car thieves because of “Grand Theft Auto?” Now, that would be something, but I don’t think these games have the dampening effect on the aspirations of young people that others seem to.
Although I can see the point that Jack White and Jimmy Page are trying to make, I don’t think these new games are having as negative an impact as they suggest. I can honestly say that I don’t think games like that would have deterred me from playing (real) drums if they had been around when I was a kid. I think it would have only increased my desire to get my hands, or sticks as the case may be, on the real thing.
I suppose some statistician could track the emergence of new bands in the coming years and perhaps come to some conclusions about whether or not games like “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” actually diminished the number of young people who decided to learn to play a real instrument, but that probably won’t happen.
I’m not terribly concerned. I think the kids who are serious and dedicated enough to learn on a real instrument will be able to pull themselves away from the game console and invest the time and effort required to become a musician because they realize the value of the sense of accomplishment they will experience. To say nothing of how much fun it is to get together with a few other people and just jam. A game cannot replicate that experience.
And there’s always that possibility, however remote, that learning how to play the real thing could be the start of a journey that lands them on a real stage in front of a few thousand screaming fans some day.
Thanks go out to NME.
June 2, 2009
McCartney And Starr Join Forces For Beatles Edition of Rock Band
It’s not often that the two surviving members of The Beatles are seen together, but Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were recently seen sharing the spotlight in Los Angeles for the announcement of a new version of the popular video game “Rock Band.”
The two music legends made a brief appearance at the E3 video game conference along with both Yoko Ono and Olivia 
Harrison, the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison. The four were received enthusiastically by the conference attendees, who showed their support with generous amounts of applause.
The new game, which is set for release on September 9, is also a move that brings the music of The Beatles to fans in digital form, which is something that the surviving members have resisted thus far. Whether or not this will influence them to change their stance on allowing the distribution of their music via sites like iTunes remains to be seen.
The new game enables players to sing along with The Beatle’s three-part harmonies and rock along with the “Fab 4” using the traditional replica instruments that are fashioned after the actual instruments that the group used, including John Lennon’s Rickenbacker 325 guitar, Paul McCartney’s Hofner bass guitar, George Harrison’s Gretsch Duo Jet guitar and Ringo Starr’s drum kit with classic black oyster pearl finish.
The new release also brings players the experience of playing along with the band at various virtual venues, including the Ed Sullivan Theater, Budokan, the Abbey Road Studio, The Cavern Club and Shea Stadium, presumably with hysterical female fans fainting in the front row.
Also included are rare audio clips and previously unseen photographs from the archives, that are revealed to players as they master the included tracks.
Included in the game are legendary Beatles classics such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Day Tripper,” “Back In The U.S.S.R.,” and “Here Comes The Sun,” along with other fan favorites.
The new release is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com for the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360
