Michael Hedges

Have you heard of Michael Hedges? If you have, you are among the few these days. A legend passed. But just who is Michael Hedges; he is quite simply the greatest acoustic guitarist of all time. One dull afternoon in after university I was aimlessly searching through http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/ at the music pages. I was interested to see where the guitarists I knew such as Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton were placed in the ‘greatest acoustic guitarists page’ I was shocked to find neither there, slightly annoyed I hadn’t heard of anyone there I decided to see if the supposed no.1 was any good. So I searched Michael Hedges into youtube and found a song called Rickover’s dream and was utterly amazed, after listening to one song I did the unthinkable, found his most acclaimed album, rated 5 stars by Rolling Stone and allmusic went on Play and bought it, a huge risk that could have been £13 down the drain.

His style so different to others and nothing I had heard before. So far my music taste was near enough a one way street but suddenly… this artist was not of rock but was a world music artist, a new age artist, a genre of music designed for relaxation. An artist quite alright with staying out of the public eye, physical appearance – the last of his worries and absolutely no chance of dubbing on stage! A truly pure artist of music, that even the most avid music fan struggles to find especially these days. A man who creates albums that simply consist of the sound of an acoustic guitar and a backing bass, no vocals, no other backing and no production, simply music and that’s special, not many artists can claim that.

The album itself was not a disappointment. You find yourself amazed that all that music you’re listening to is from one instrument, his technique so complex that you wouldn’t even think to try. His techniques included use of right hand hammer-ons (particularly on bass notes), use of the left hand for melodic or rhythmic hammer-ons and pull offs, percussive slapping on the guitar body, as well as unusual strummings. He also made extensive use of string dampening as employed in classical guitar, and was known to insist strongly on the precise duration of sounds and silences in his pieces. For other albums he used different instruments, all played by himself including, piano, percussion, tin whistle, harmonica, and the flute. He also played the harp guitar a very rare instrument with only one other notable player, jimmy page.

His live performances were rapid, he almost gave away his secrets on stage. Seated audiences with him alone on stage. The sound would be so peaceful yet looking at his playing he was so aggressive with his guitar, but that was the only way he achieved the sound he wanted. He came alive, recordings only gave so much when you see actually playing live, then you start to understand just how talented he was. He played entire songs without playing a single note in the conventional way. A truly rare talent that has been gone nearly 10 years. Not many artists can completely neglect production of an album and get away with it. He got away with it because the music was so complex and so good that production just seemed to be something that tarted up mediocre songs.

Please go and search for Michael Hedges music fans, he will be different to what your used to, but you will not be dissappointed, I don’t want his music to be forgotten.

Paul is Dead Rumour by Jonathan Langton

Paul is dead? (the picture shows William Campbell - today's Paul McCartney?)

Paul is dead is the urban legend that has been discussed for decades. The myth surrounds The Beatles and Paul McCartney;

On Wednesday, 9th November 1966 at 5am Paul McCartney stormed out of the Sgt. Peppers recording session after arguing with one of the Beatles believed to be Ringo Starr. He rode off in his Aston Martin crashed and died. According to believers, Paul was then replaced with a winner of a Paul McCartney look-a-like and sound-a-like competition William Campbell; he was then given plastic surgery to cover up the differences between Paul and himself.
Many people believe the story is rubbish and a lot more have never even heard about it but there are significant numbers who do believe the story to this day. See the evidence and make your minds up

A big clue is a scar on Paul McCartney’s face shortly before his accident seemed to have disappeared after William Campbell took over, something the plastic surgeons missed out?

Sgt. Peppers is packed with clues linking to Paul being dead, the car accident and William Campbell himself. Here is a list of clues supposedly from the album cover from geocities.com

The people are looking at what appears to be a freshly dug grave.

The yellow flowers (directly below the flowers that spell Beatles) are in the shape of a bass guitar. Paul was the bass player for The Beatles.

There are three sticks on the yellow flowers that represent the strings of the bass. There are only THREE sticks to represent the THREE remaining Beatles.

Also, notice that the yellow flowers spell out 'PAUL?'; questioning Paul's existance.

The doll on the right of the cover (in the white, black, and red stripes) has a small white car, with a blood red interior, on her lap. This is a model of the car that Paul died in.

This is the first occasion where we see an open palm above Paul McCartney's head. There are many different theories as to what this signifies. It is generally taken to mean either that the person under the open palm will soon die or has recently passed away. As you will see, this turns up quite a few times

Take a small mirror, or the bottom of a CD will work, and place it perpendicular to the center of the drum, so that you split 'LONELY HEARTS' in half. Now read the combined writing on the drum and the mirror. It says 1 ONE 1 X HE DIE. '1 ONE 1' equals three, another reference to three Beatles. The 'X' crosses out Paul because he is no longer alive. And the arrow between 'He' and 'Die' points directly to Paul.

Lyrics from the album:'SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND'
"Let me introduce to you the one and only Billy Shears" As I mentioned earlier, Paul was supposedly replaced by William Campbell. Billy is a nickname for William.Also, Billy Shears can be seen as a play on words. Billy Shears-> Billy'S hears-> Billy's Here. As though they were introducing William (Billy) to the world.

'A DAY IN THE LIFE'
"He blew his mind out in a car, he didn't notice that the lights had changed" Describes, in more detail, the accident.
There are far more clues than the Sgt. Peppers album cover, including clues from every album after the supposed car crash. Including the Abbey road cover showing the beatles walking in a particular order - John Lennon first wearing all white - representing god? then Ringo starr dressed in a suit - representing a herse driver? followed by paul not wearing shows - representing a corpse? and finally george harrison in denim representing an undertaker?

Personally the whole subject has confused me so much that I cant form an opinion anymore. At the end of the day if it is true Paul McCartney and William Campbell have both produced great music.

Here are some links to more Paul is Dead Clues

http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/3674/pid.html

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zvRi7fhGRgU

ALBUM OF THE WEEK - Chinese Democracy - Guns N Roses by David Jones

IT'S HERE.....and the review right here on world-of-classic-rock WAS IT WORTH THE WAIT?!

To look at Chinese Democracy by numbers is a truly stunning, if not slightly terrifying prospect. Fifteen years, an estimated $11 million dollars, three prime ministers, two US led invasions of the Middle East and, of course, one mix tape run crushed under Axl’s car. Of the multitude of questions which arise from the sheer time span involved in producing the record, perhaps the most important would be “was it worth the wait?” The answer, without any further delay, is a resounding yes. Simply put, Chinese Democracy is an amazing album, and one which is almost ridiculously varied, if you find yourself disliking one track, you’re immediately confronted with something completely different as the next songs fades in. Of course, it’s virtually impossible to ignore the hype, the anticipation, the delays, which have shrouded the album thus far, but the music stands alone, and as such for the sake of this review we should try and ignore the legendary status the record had attained before it was even released.
What stands out most is certainly Axl’s voice. Almost every song is sung with a different tone, a different feel, but there is no doubt regarding the quality of his vocals, which are utterly faultless on every track. His voice embodies a rich, deep tone, but posses so much character and emotion that he creates for each song its own atmosphere, from the darkness of “Shacklers Revenge” to the emotive, tragic sorrow of “This I Love” and the defiant determination of “Scraped.” There is something deeply personal about the album, the inescapable realisation that, as Axl sings “I refuse to be told that I’ve been brought down in this storm” and “forgive them that tear down my soul” this is something extremely close to his heart, music delivered straight from his soul to you. This is coupled with the raw emotion of the vocals, makes many of the songs deeply poignant, powerful and hugely emotive, to such an extent that unless you have a heart composed entirely of stone you will not only be able to identify with them, but be moved by many. As such the album becomes extremely powerful, with the songs “This I Love,” “Madagascar” and the crunching “Sorry” elevating Chinese Democracy beyond the mediocre, empty releases of other artists.
Variation too seems to have been atop of Rose’s lengthy “to do list.” Upon first listen, the striking difference between each track is astounding; there is virtually no resemblance between “Shacklers Revenge” and “This I Love”, for example. Chinese Democracy is a seamless blend of a vast number of different influences and styles. The hard rock tracks like “Chinese Democracy” or “Shacklers Revenge” sit comfortably with the piano driven “This I Love,” while the industrial “Madagascar” with its dubs and synthesizers rests alongside the more bouncing rythm of “Catcher in the Rye.” The mix is such that if your find yourself disliking one track, the next will no doubt be different and thus, when Axl claimed that everyone would be able to find something which they liked on the album, he seems to have been telling the truth. He has managed to create something which defies genre, and an album which is all the better for its huge variety.
It’s worth noting at this point, however, that this is nothing like the Guns N Roses of old. While some tracks bare a faint, passing resemblance to some of the “Use Your Illusion” work, most notably “Chinese Democracy” can be, if you try hard enough, linked to “My World,” while the piano “epics” are slightly akin to “Estranged” and “November Rain,” but these resemblances are vague. This is something completely new, and better for being new, as any attempt to imitate the “Appetite For Destruction” era would have seemed hollow and pointless, considering that this is essentially a completely new band, with only one original member in the form of Axl Rose. However, as a new band, with its vast array of guitarist, a new sound has been created. Undoubtedly most will focus of Axl’s vocals, but the band as a whole works excellently together, producing the crunchy, metal sound as easily as it does the harrowing, epic blues style music. The guitar work is faultless, as Buckethead, Robin Fink and Bumblefoot interweave fluidly on each track, creating some stunning guitar solos which encompass, like the rest of the album, a wide number of genres, from blues to metal via hard rock. As such, the overall sound is immensely powerful, and as some tracks are raw, while others are epic, the whole album becomes increasingly special and, crucially unique.
So was 15 years worth the wait? Certainly, Chinese Democracy is a stunning album in its own right, putting aside all the controversy and media frenzy which surrounded (or should that be detracted from?) its musical prowess. However, it’s debatable weather the long wait and constant delays, as well as the bands internal strife, can be completely put aside, and perhaps it is better not to, instead viewing the “legend” of Chinese Democracy for what it is - the build up to a truly immense album, and one of epic proportions.