November 15, 2008

The Pioneers of Rock in the 80's - Led Zepplin

By Victor Epand

This particular band was extremely successful throughout its career and it was around for quite a while to prove it. The band was active from the year of 1968 until 1980, when they broke up, though they did have occasional reunions later on. They are best recognized for their hard rock, but they also played heavy metal, folk rock and even blues rock.

Members of the band included Jimmy Page, John Bonham, Robert Plant and John Jones. Jimmy Page was the guitarist, John Bonham was on the drums, Robert Plant was the vocals, though he also played the harmonica, and John Jones was the base guitar as well as the keyboards.

In 1968, the first year that the band was together, they released their first album and went on tour in the United States. They were so well accepted in their first year that they completed a total of eight tours, four of which were in the United Kingdom and the other four were in the United States, and managed to put out a second album before the year was over.

Their third album was released in 1970 and by this time their playing had become so influential that it is believed they were the ones who brought in much of the music style played by other bands in the 1970s. Led Zeppelin was able to release a fourth album in 1971.

By this time, the reputation of the band their music took off between 1971 and 1975. During this four year period, their albums would sell like hotcakes and the band's career would be a major success. During the later '70s, the band would continue to tour and perform in front of large audiences, with the exception of the year of 1976 as Robert Plant had been involved in an accident that prevented him and the band from touring that year. Unfortunately, John Bonham died in the year of 1980.

After the funeral, the rest of the band decided that they would all go their separate ways instead of finding a new drummer.

While it may have been sad for many fans that the band broke up after Bonham's death, the surviving members continued to play some music and even came together a few times to perform. In the end, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the United States in 1995 and they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. The following year, Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Music all of Fame in the United Kingdom.

In 2007, Led Zeppelin would reunite once again to perform in a concert in the U.K. that was meant to help raise money for scholarships for students planning to attend university. They were later offered money for doing a world tour, but they turned it down. Led Zeppelin was a huge hit in the '70s and the waves the band created are still being felt today.

Many young people who were not even born when the band was originally together are big fans of the group. Many young aspiring artists, as well as current artists admit to being greatly inspired and influenced by Led Zeppelin.

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Dream Theater - Octavarium - Rock Music CD Review

By Clyde Lee Dennis

Dream Theater, very talented Rock group have released their latest album titled Octavarium and Wow! It's good.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD for review that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Octavarium. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Octavarium has a pleasantly varied, mix of 8 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly gifted musicians. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.

Overall Octavarium is excellent from beginning to end. One of those CDs that after a few listens the songs are just etched into your memory. A must have for the Rock fan. Really sensational from beginning to end.

While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 2 - The Answer Lies Within, track 4 - I Walk Beside You, and track 8 - Octavarium.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - The Root Of All Evil. Outstanding!

Octavarium Release Notes:

Dream Theater originally released Octavarium on June 7, 2005 on the Atlantic label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. The Root Of All Evil

2. The Answer Lies Within

3. These Walls

4. I Walk Beside You

5. Panic Attack

6. Never Enough

7. Sacrificed Sons

8. Octavarium

Dream Theater: John Petrucci (vocals, guitar); Mike Portnoy (vocals, drums, percussion); James LaBrie (vocals); Jordan Rudess (lap steel guitar, keyboards); John Myung (bass instrument). Recording information: The Hit Factory, New York, New York (11/2004 - 02/2005).

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Top 7 Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Guitar Tunings

By Johnny Stall

There are many different guitar tunings that are used in Rock and Metal music besides standard tuning. Guitar players in these genres like to use these tunings because they give a heavier and darker sound to their music.

Some of the more popular tunings used are Dropped D, Dropped C, Dropped B, E Flat, D, C and open G. Here are the descriptions of how the strings should be tuned and some of the bands that use them.

Dropped D tuning:

E ----------1st string

B ----------2nd string

G ----------3rd string

D ----------4th string

A ----------5th string

D ----------6th string (thickest)

This tuning enables power chords to be played with a single finger on the lowest three strings and produces a dark sound with it. If you're music doesn't fit together with this dark sound, you can place a capo on the 2nd fret and can still easily play power chords.

Some bands that use Dropped D tuning are:

Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, Godsmack, Led Zepplin, Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, Silverchair, Soundgarden and Velvet Revolver.

Dropped C tuning:

D ----------1st string

A ----------2nd string

F ----------3rd string

C ----------4th string

G ----------5th string

C ----------6th string (thickest)

Dropped C tuning is the Dropped D with each string lowered one whole step. Dropped C tuning produces a very low and heavy sound and is used by many of the new Heavy Metal bands.

Some bands that use Dropped C tuning are:

30 Seconds to Mars, Atreyu, Buckethead, Bullet for My Valentine, Children of Bodom, Godsmack, Bad Religion, Metallica, Mudvayne, P.O.D., Papa Roach, Rammstein, Shadows Fall, System of a Down, Three Days Grace and Ozzy Osbourne.

Dropped B tuning:

C# ----------1st string

G# ----------2nd string

E ----------3rd string

B ----------4th string

F# ---------5th string

B ----------6th string (thickest)

This tuning will need heavier gauge strings to be effective. Also you might have to widen the string grooves as well as adjust the tension in the neck of your guitar.

Some bands that use Dropped B tuning are:

Audioslave, Limp Bizkit, Machine Head, Mudvayne, Slipknot and Stone Sour.

Eb tuning:

Eb ---------1st string

Bb ---------2nd string

Gb ---------3rd string

Db ---------4th string

Ab ---------5th string

Eb ---------6th string (thickest)

This tuning is Standard tuning turned down a half step. There are a few reasons that bands use this tuning instead of Standard tuning. One reason is to sound heavier by using heavy gauge strings. By tuning down a half step it is easier to bend these heavy gauged strings. Another reason why some bands use this tuning is to compliment the lead singers voice.

Bands that use Eb tuning are:

Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Dream Theater, Guns N' Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, Megadeth, Metallica, Motorhead, Nirvana, Poison, Slayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Stone Sour, Van Halen, Weezer and Yngwie Malmsteen.

D tuning:

D ----------1st string

A ----------2nd string

F ----------3rd string

C ----------4th string

G ----------5th string

D ----------6th string (thickest)

D tuning is also known as whole step down tuning and as you have probably already guessed, it's Standard tuning tuned down a whole step. D tuning has been used mainly in Heavy Metal music.

Bands that have used D tuning are:

Alice in Chains, The Beatles, Bullet For My Valentine, Bob Dylan, Children of Bodom, Dream Theater, Guns N' Roses, Motley Crue, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Racer X and Soundgarden.

C tuning:

C ----------1st string

G ----------2nd string

Eb ---------3rd string

Bb ---------4th string

F ----------5th string

C ----------6th string (thickest)

C tuning also produces a low sound that is mostly used by Hard Rock and Metal bands. The tuning is 2 whole steps below Standard tuning, which gives it a heavy sound but still maintains the same intervals as Standard tuning.

Bands that have used C tuning are:

Atreyu, Black Sabbath, Bullet For My Valentine, Deftones, Dream Theater, Jimi Hendrix, P.O.D., Queens of the Stone Age, Slipknot, Steve Vai and The Who.

G tuning:

D ----------1st string

B ----------2nd string

G ----------3rd string

D ----------4th string

G ----------5th string

D ----------6th string (thickest)

Other than the Drop D tuning, G Tuning is one of the most popular alternate guitar tunings.

Some bands that have used G tuning are:

The Rolling Stones, The Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd and Pearl Jam.

These are just some of the alternate guitar tunings that are available to you to experiment with. Play around with them and see which tunings fit your style of music.

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