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In no particular order Dog Years Half the World Anagram (For Mongo) Second Nature Rivendell Tai Shan Speed of Love

Still use a desktop computer, and I still have a TV and a home theater system. In fact, the audio and video from the computer is fed into the home theater/TV. I do not have a smart TV, so if I do any streaming it's from the computer. I'm not a fan of smart devices in general -- too intrusive. Still using a CD player and a Blu-ray player. They look and sound way better than streaming or a phone. I have a large subwoofer that shakes the rafters -- a stupid little phone can't do that. Still have a landline phone. I'd probably get rid of it if it weren't bundled with the cable and internet.

I like Buck Dharma better, but Schenker is the better player.

Streaming that album as we speak. It's a banger!

Looking forward to the review!

Envy Of None, Alex's current recording project. Stygian Wavz is their latest album.

If Alex were open to touring, yeah, he and Steven obviously know each other and EON would be a good fit on that tour.

The work hours needed to delete a thread, the people we'd have to pull in on a Saturday and pay them time and a half, the clearances from corporate, the permits from the Local 2112, the funding from the CFO...this is the hard part of the job.

It's easy to pick Holdsworth because, how many players are better than him at what he does?

That's very true, and I'm a big fan of his, but in recent years, from the Latin pop music craze in late '90s and on, Santana started sounding too much like Santana, if that makes sense. His solos all started sounding the same, with the same phrasing and signature licks. To me, he started getting lazy. Larry Carlton isn't a household name outside of the guitar world, but he's an absolute monster of a player, and has played on a lot of songs you've probably heard but didn't know it was him. Treeduck used Kid Charlemagne in the title for a reason -- his solo on that Steely Dan song is regarded as one of the best guitar solos ever recorded. It's skillful and super melodic.

And they do that even if they're answering the same question for the 20th time. They never sound like they're disinterested or phoning it in.

It might be easier to start with why I don't like certain bands. Bands that never experiment and try to grow their sound (AC/DC never deviated from their brand of pub rock), who write their music simply to cash in on a trend (modern country and pop music) whose music takes no chances rhythmically or harmonically (ditto and ditto), and who can't play live without backing tracks that play their instruments or vocals for them (Motley Crue, The Eagles). The bands that I like do none of those things. The bands I like make songs that have that magical passage or great performance that make me go back 10 seconds to hear it again, and again. The bands I like don't lob softballs, they throw curveballs. They write lyrics that make you go back and re-read and maybe analyze them, and they make music that you want to share with others. Remember when you first heard Van Halen's Eruption? Or Smells Like Teen Spirit? Or the instrumental break in Freewill? Remember hearing those songs and telling people, "You gotta hear this!"

I could be wrong, but it sounds like the same recording, just with Dany and Pau replacing some of the vocals. It's a good song made a little better. That ending is pretty killer.

Rod, you earned this, congrats! Can't wait to see it.

I certainly appreciate Zappa's avant garde approach to guitar -- and music -- but I have to be in the right mood to listen to it. I can listen to Di Meola any time.

There are plenty of bands that never got a second look, only to be "discovered" years later. My musical taste is more diverse now than it's ever been. BTW, you might want to re-think the Bon Jovi thing.

This is correct. While VH did have a few popular cover songs, their biggest hits are their own. This is the track listing of their 2022 greatest hits album. The songs in bold are covers. Jump Hot for Teacher Panama Runnin' with The Devil Ain't Talk about Love Eruption Dreams Why Can't This Be Love Unchained You Really Got Me Jamie's Crying Mean Street When It's Love Right Now I'll Wait Dance The Night Away Love Walk In Pretty Woman Beautiful Girls

I'm not a huge AC/DC fan and am unfamiliar with most of Powerage. But Fair Warning is my favorite VH album, so it would get my vote against any AC/DC album.

Alvin could rip, but Duane was a hugely influential slide player, so he got the nod.

A drum-centric look at this obscure B-side from some Canadian trio that isn't Triumph.

Got to pick EVH here but Lukather would win against a lot of players.

Ahh crap, missed that on that tour dates list. The Palladium in NYC is a pretty good gig,, 2150 seats, might try to go to that.

Any acronym with BM in it means Brian May. IBM, like you illustrated. People think BMI means Body Mass Index. Nope, it's Brian May Index, and it measures how much Brain May is needed for peak physical health Look it up. Need a new luxury car? A vehicle by Brian May Wheelworks will give you instant business world status. Yes, IBM invented the wheel.