General Interest

While The Beatles’ White Album is often regarded as a pivotal rock record, Piano Man Billy Joel thinks its merely the “half-assed” work of a group of “stoned” lads.

In a recent appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Maher and Joel were picking out classic double albums. When the host namedropped The Beatles’ 1968 self-titled record, Joel was quick to criticise it. “I’m not a big fan of the White Album, but some people love it,” he says.

• READ MORE: A petition has launched to rename Birmingham Airport after Ozzy Osbourne – and it’s gaining momentum

Despite many deeming the record to be a key point in rock history, with the band shifting gear to focus on uber-cool country and blues, a sharp change from the technicolour psychedelia of 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. However, Joel doesn’t seem to think the tonal shift was intentional.

“I hear it as a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore”, he explains. “I think they had fragments and they put them on the album.”

He goes so far as to admit that he thinks “John [Lennon] was disassociating at that point,” with “Paul [McCartney] carrying the weight”.

That being said, Joel doesn’t believe that the White Album detracts from The Beatles’ legacy. While they “had their ups and downs” in quality, that happens with all bands. “Sometimes they were more prolific and sometimes they weren’t,” he notes. “I hear that in some of those [songs]”.

Joel’s opinion is sure to shock some people. Notably, in 2023 Kiss’ Gene Simmons told Goldmine magazine that the White Album is one of the 10 records that changed his life. “It’s one of my favourites because you’re seeing turmoil within perhaps the greatest band that ever existed that recorded its own music, where each member was a star,” he explained.

While Joel considers the record to be an assortment of “half-assed” and incomplete “fragments”, Simmons appreciates the “disjointed” nature of the record.

“You could hear and feel the disjointed sense of that album, although clearly the songs shined and the playing and the production was terrific,” he said. “It’s interesting that Abbey Road perhaps was the greatest Beatles album, and they were breaking up at that point, but somehow that had a more unified thing. But just for crazy out there music, it’s gotta be the White Album.”

Elsewhere in Joel’s interview with Club Random, he also gives an update on his health. The singer cancelled his entire tour after being diagnosed with a brain disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalus, back in May.

While Joel admits that the diagnosis sounds “a lot worse than what [he’s] feeling”, he does note that it is impacting his balance. “It’s like being on a boat…” he explains.

While he says that the disorder hasn’t quite been “fixed” and is “still being worked on”, he also explains that there’s no clear answer as to how he got it. “They don’t know,” he says. “I thought it must be from drinking… I don’t anymore, but I used to like a fish!”

Earlier this week, Joel released the first half of a two-part documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which is described as exploring “the love, loss, and struggles that fuel [Joel’s] songwriting”.

The first part of Billy Joel: And So It Goes can be streamed now on HBO Max.

The post “I hear it as a collection of half-assed songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned”: Billy Joel snubs The Beatles’ White Album appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Introduced in 2018, Marshall’s Studio Series amps are U.K.-made, compact, low-wattage renditions of past classics. They’re smart designs in light of the market’s turn to quieter, smaller amps, and they’ve earned Marshall kudos. Earlier Studio Series amps, like the SV20C and ST20C, were 20-watt mini versions of the original late-’60s Plexi and JTM45 models, respectively. Marshall also built Studio versions of the JCM800 and Silver Jubilee. Now, the JCM 900 Studio head and 1x12 combo captures the essence of the company’s high-gain sound of the ’90s.

Replicating the experience and sound of the 900s—the 50- and 100-watt, trouser-leg-flapping monsters from the golden age of grunge and metal—with a 20-watt output stage isn’t easy. As with the previous Studio models, one key to success is the use of large 5881 tubes, but in a cathode-biased output stage driven by lower plate voltages than in the big-bottle amps of old. Along with the ability to retain the beefy, full-throated sound of the originals, this approach yields longer life from tubes that are built to withstand much harder use. And, since the output stage is cathode-biased, a tube change means simply popping in a new pair of 5881s and off you go, with no re-biasing necessary.

Marshall aficionados will note that the JCM900 series amps were originally made with EL34 output tubes, and later 6L6s (which are direct substitutions for the 5881s used here). It was also fixed-bias rather than cathode-biased in both cases. In a circuit like this, though, the high-gain tone is driven much more by the preamp circuit, which is built around two 12AX7 tubes (plus another in the phase inverter). The Studio version also uses diode clipping to increase saturation levels in the style of the high-gain stage in the original 900 Series.

Ground Control

The JCM 900 Studio’s control layout follows a basic footswitchable two-channel topology with a shared EQ stage. Channel A is rhythm and channel B is lead. The knobs are for gain (the channel A preamp), lead gain (the channel B preamp), treble, middle, bass, presence, master reverb, plus master reverb and volume for channel A and master reverb and volume for channel B. There’s a push-button switch to engage the lead channel, but the included 2-button footswitch delivers that function plus reverb on/off. As part of Marshall’s mid-priced PCB-built range, the Studio Series might not fly with the top-shelf, hand-wired crowd, but inside, the construction is good-quality stuff.

The robustly built combo cabinet measures 21"x18"x10" and weighs 39.5 pounds and is dressed up in recognizably ’90s-era Marshall styling. The Celestion G12T-75 speaker within is shrouded by a ported back that’s much more closed than open, which should boost low-end girth relative to a more open-backed design. In addition to the 3-way output level switch, the rear panel includes two line outs (one standard, one recording compensated) with level control, effects loop send and return, one 16-ohm output for the onboard speaker, and outs for either 1x4-ohm, 2x8-ohm, 1x8-ohm, or 2x16-ohm speaker configurations.

Expansively English

Tested with a Gibson ES-355 and a Fender Telecaster, the JCM 900 Studio worked in perfect time-capsule-authentic ’90s fashion. Some players denigrate original 900 models for the fizz and sizzle that the solid-state, diode clipping adds to the lead tone. But 900s were used to make plenty of great heavy rock, grunge, and metal for decades, and by now, they are regarded as modern classics, especially for a certain set of ’90s-era tones. If you want those sounds, the JCM 900 Studio does the job very, very well. In fact, apart from the lower output making it less ideal for super-loud bands on big stages, it’s hard to hear how this new, smaller rendition suffers alongside an actual Model 4100.

“The Studio 900 is a petite, 20-watt Marshall that punches like its ’90s heavyweight inspiration, the JCM900.”

Channel A’s clean tones are useful, if not particularly characterful until you push the gain to edge-of-breakup territory. But it’s pedal-to-the-metal, guitar-god glory from the moment you stomp on the channel B switch. The key elements of 900 sounds—searing high-end bite, aggressive midrange, and low-end wallop— are all there in abundance. The dual master setup, lacking on much of the channel-switching competition, is a real bonus here, too. It enables you to rein in the rhythm channel independently to set up a broad spectrum of channel-to-channel dichotomies from smooth to jarring.

Channel switching makes the JCM 900 a surprisingly versatile amp, and the three output levels (20 watts, 5 watts, and 1 watt) selectable from the back panel make it even more so. No, the 1-watt setting won’t sound exactly like the 20-watt mode with the masters maxed, because 1 watt of output power simply doesn’t push the speaker or fill a room with sound in the same way. But with so much of this circuit’s tone coming from the preamp anyway, it will churn out surprisingly heavy doom riffs at bedroom volumes. The inclusion of reverb was also a standard feature of the original 900 Series amps, and while it is generally unacclaimed in those amps, the effect acquits itself quite well in the Studio 900. And between the reverb and the effects loop, the Studio 900 is a handy little package for adding atmospherics to clean or heavy tones.

The Verdict

As a real Marshall doing real ’90s-era tones in a compact, lower-output package, the JCM 900 Studio is a total success. For players keen to explore the widest range of sounds, I’d argue it’s more versatile than the Studio Jubilee, and it’s an interesting alternative to the JCM800-style Studio Classic. But used as a vehicle for strictly ’90s heaviness, it checks all the boxes at a fair and accessible price—especially when you consider the quality and extra versatility it delivers. . For players keen to explore the widest range of sounds, I’d argue it’s more versatile than the Studio Jubilee, and it’s an interesting alternative to the JCM800-style Studio Classic. But used as a vehicle for strictly ’90s heaviness, it checks all the boxes at a fair and accessible price—especially when you consider the quality and extra versatility it delivers.

King Crimson’s 1980s catalogue has long been revered for its rhythmic complexity, and as Adrian Belew now reveals, it can be physically punishing too.

So much so that after performing the band’s material night after night on tour with BEAT – the all-star tribute to Crimson’s ‘80s era – the guitarist needed surgery on his left hand.

The tour, which saw Belew reunite with bassist Tony Levin and join forces with Steve Vai and Tool drummer Danny Carey, paid homage to the prog legends’ trio of wildly intricate albums: Discipline (1981), Beat (1982), and Three of a Perfect Pair (1984). Between the interlocking guitar lines, polyrhythms and relentless odd time signatures, the setlist was far from a stroll in the park.

• READ MORE: Steve Vai calls one of his BEAT tour bandmates a “marvel”, explains why he’s “underrated in the echelons of guitar”

“It would get numb,” Belew tells Guitar World. “And during part of the tour, it would stay numb from the moment that I woke up, all the way until sometime during soundcheck.”

“It was a little scary,” he adds. “I’d be like, ‘Oh, boy, you better wake up soon!’”

As the musician explains, the culprit was carpal tunnel syndrome, which plagued his left hand as the group toured its way across the US. The injury also happened to be one Belew’s guitar partner on tour knew a thing or two about.

“Steve Vai was able to walk me through the process since he’s had it done twice,” he says. “He reassured me that it was a simple operation and that it was not something that was going to go wrong. And on top of that, he introduced me to one of the best surgeons in the United States, who had done this work.”

The procedure went smoothly as Vai assured. “It’s perfect,” Belew says of his hand now. “This was an easy recovery and an easy operation.”

He continues: “I’m back to full use of my left hand. While recovering, you can’t do much with it, and it’s a little tender. And then, you finally work back up to tempo. Now, I’m playing as I always did, except that there’s no more pain.”

Elsewhere, Vai himself has also spoken about the difficulties of playing King Crimson music, saying: “If you come to see Steve Vai in BEAT, you get to see Steve Vai working! You come to my solo shows, it’s another thing entirely.”

“Robert [Fripp] wrote beautiful parts, but the techniques didn’t come naturally [to me]. It’s different [from] what I do,” he admitted. “Some of this BEAT stuff took months to get under my fingers.”

The post “My hand would stay numb from the moment I woke up till soundcheck”: Adrian Belew reveals he needed hand surgery after playing King Crimson guitar parts on BEAT tour appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

System Of A Down’s 2006 hiatus marked a major turning point for the band. In the years since, various members have shared their take on what went down, and what never quite came back together.

Most recently, guitarist Daron Malakian has opened up about the break, admitting it wasn’t a decision he ever fully stood behind. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the guitarist reflects on how the break impacted him personally and how Scars On Broadway became both an outlet and a lifeline for his creative energy at the time.

• READ MORE: “What the f**k is an Armenian to someone who lives in Kentucky?! We looked like aliens to people”: Daron Malakian on how System Of A Down cracked America to become “the biggest band on the sunset strip” in the mid ’90s

“When System took the hiatus, I’m not gonna lie, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted,” Malakian admits. “But I can’t force other people to do something just because I wanted it. But my first thing was, ‘OK, if I release music, I need an outlet for that’, and Scars became that outlet.”

“I’ll be honest with you, man, I’m just as proud of the Scars stuff as anything I’ve done. I think some of my best shit is on Scars.”

Asked how much unreleased material he’s sitting on, Malakian jokes, “I don’t know about thousands, but I’ve got a few.” Writing music, he explains, is an “itch” he simply has to scratch.

“If I had a nine to five job, I would probably still come back home and write music for myself,” Malakian continues. “But even though we’re not making records with System after all these years, I still do write because it’s an itch and I just got to itch it. It’s like a child plays with his toys. You don’t play with your toys because you’re playing for somebody else, right? You’re playing for your own amusement.”

The guitarist adds that much as he’s well aware of fans’ demands for new SOAD music – the band released just two singles in the last two decades and their last full length album dropped in 2005 – he’s also “kind of lazy” when it comes to actually making a new record.

“Look, I’m very aware that there’s an audience out there and there’s people that want to hear from me and that’s amazing. Honestly, I’m very blessed, my life is fucking like… I got to pinch myself. But I’m also kind of lazy too when it comes to making an album,” says Malakian.

“I tell myself, ‘Dude, you really need to start releasing more music’. I even tell my guitar player in Scars On Broadway, ‘Remind me that I need to start recording, man!’ I just wish that was my motivation, because if that was my motivation, then I would. I get caught up in my own head, in my own world, and it’s not a priority to me. So, I got to make it a priority and start recording my shit. I just need to motivate myself to do it.”

Meanwhile, Scars On Broadway’s new album Addicted to the Violence is now out. Check out the single Killing Spree below.

The post “When System took the hiatus, it was difficult for me at first because that’s not really what I wanted”: Daron Malakian on System Of A Down’s 2006 hiatus appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you’ve ever tried to copy Frank Zappa’s playing and ended up looking like a confused poultry wrangler, you’re not alone. According to his son Dweezil Zappa, the late icon’s technique was as eccentric as his compositions, and just as tough to replicate.

In a recent conversation with Marshall, the guitarist shares what made Frank’s playing style so unique and why despite growing up around it, he still struggles to nail it.

• READ MORE: “He had very specific-looking hands – they looked different to other people’s”: Dweezil Zappa recalls the time Eddie Van Halen visited his family home and taught him guitar

“I always described it as the battle between the chicken and the spider,” Dweezil begins [via Ultimate Guitar]. “Because he had this real plucky way of playing, which I still can’t emulate, because it’s not a comfortable way to play. And he would play up close to the neck a lot, and then it would look like this: real plucky stuff happening. But this always looked like the chicken, that was like, trying to get some seeds or whatever.”

“So I would look at that stuff, and I would somehow make a mental note of what was going on. And then I would think, ‘One day I’ll learn to play this stuff. But not yet.’”

While one might assume growing up with Frank Zappa meant being force-fed experimental guitar licks at the dinner table, Dweezil reveals that on the contrary, his father didn’t think his own playing would be helpful for a young guitarist.

“When it was my own guitar playing, and he saw that I was interested in sticking with it, he played in such an idiosyncratic way, he didn’t really think that his playing style or technique was necessarily going to be helpful,” Dweezil says. “Because he played in such a quirky way.”

“So he thought, ‘Well, with the stuff that you’re interested in, maybe you should have Steve show you some stuff. And so Steve Vai [who was a member of Frank’s band at the time] showed me some stuff. Wrote down some pentatonic scales and some stuff like that, which – I still have that notebook. It has, like, four or five exercises and stuff. But he was only 21 or 22 at the time.”

Watch the full interview below.

The post “I always described it as the battle between the chicken and the spider. It’s not a comfortable way to play”: Dweezil Zappa on his father’s strange guitar playing style appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The K’s frontman Jamie Boyle believes guitar music is having a moment again, and it’s all thanks to the long-awaited Oasis reunion.

Speaking to the Daily Star’s Wired column, Boyle says the return of the Britpop legends has reignited the live music scene, sparking a new wave of excitement and momentum for guitar-driven bands.

• READ MORE: “Get back together. Stop f**king around,” Matty Healy told Oasis in 2023 – now he’s been spotted in the crowd at their Heaton Park gig

“The resurgence of bands is really, really strong and prominent at the minute,” Boyle explains. “We see it ourselves, in ticket sales, the support at gigs, and the buzz whenever we announce something to our ever-growing fan base. People are genuinely chomping at the bit to get into venues and watch bands again.”

The K’s recently caught Oasis live on their reunion tour in Cardiff and will soon be heading to Wembley to catch them again.

“We went to Cardiff and were like, ‘This is amazing’. Then Heaton Park was even better and we’re heading to Wembley too,” he says.

“It’s impossible to ignore the buzz that’s been created for guitar music and it’s no secret that they’re one of the best to ever do it, but the buzz that Oasis has created not just for themselves but for everybody is real.”

“All the excitement, all the press, all everything is back on guitar for the first time in a long time,” Boyle adds.

The frontman also shares how much he’s learned just by watching the Gallagher brothers perform.

“There’s 80,000 people there and every single one of them is just stood not being able to take their eyes off them on stage,” he says. “To get to that level is what everybody dreams about.”

Elsewhere, Liam Gallagher’s son, Gene, has also commented on how the Oasis reunion has accelerated the resurgence of guitar music.

“People have been deprived of guitar music,” the 23-year-old, who fronts his own indie band Villanelle, told W Magazine. “But now it’s coming back, and everyone’s getting excited about it.”

You can view the full list of Oasis Live ‘25 tour dates via their official website.

The post “Everything is back on guitar for the first time in a long time”: The K’s frontman credits Oasis reunion for rescuing guitar music appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.