guitar & bass tabs
5 SONGS THE BLACK KEYS So He Won't Break
ARCTIC MONKEYS Cigarette Smoke KINGS OF LEON Sex On Fire
SAY WAH? KNOW YOUR STOMP BOXES 20th anniversary
Vibro King Amp
15
ICONIC LES PAUL PLAYERS
The Black Keys NEW ALBUM
featuring
THE STROKES Automatic Stop WEEZER Perfect Situation
Contents
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Photo by Pieter M. Van Hattem/NME
14 42
2
FEATURES
15 Iconic Les Paul Players From heavy metal enthusiasts to indie rock icons to reggae superstars, it seems like nearly every musical legend has strapped on a Les Paul at some point to take advantage of its signature sound.
Megadeth’s Chris Broderick Talks Technique With his monolithic chops and die-hard work ethic, Broderick has emerged as the scariest monster shredder on the planet. The Megadeth member has a deep respect for both music and musical performance and has pushed himself relentlessly in the pursuit of technical proficiency and musical freedom.
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
The Strokes: 10 Years & Up The Strokes provide a first-hand take on their oft-mythologized history and a window into the dicey creative process behind their last album.
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Green Day’s ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré!
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Robert Radler Discusses New Guitar Documentary
Armstrong talks about their monumental forthcoming trio of albums, a 36-song set heavily loaded with some of the most adolescent, loud, fast and obscene poppunk they've ever churned out.
The creators of a new film dedicated to the electric guitar — and all the magic and mayhem that comes with it — need tens of thousands of dollars to buy music clearances for the clips in the film. And they’ve turned to a crowd-funding website, indiegogo.com, for help.
Contents LOUDSPEAKER
NEWS BROADCAST
DEPARTMENTS TABLATURE
LEARN YOUR FAVORITE SONGS!
100
“So He Won't Break” The Black Keys
104
“Cigarette Smoke” Arctic Monkeys
10 Monthly Q&A with 3 bands by Aaron Lewis
122
“Sex on Fire” Kings of Leon
SOUNDCHECK
138
“Automatic Stop” The Strokes
144
“Perfect Situation” Weezer
6 The Black Keys Begin Sessions for Next Album by Damien Fanelli
8 Danelectro Auctions Guitars for Charity by Luis Sucre
GUITARS & EQUIPMENT 12 The Essential Amplifier for the Perfect Tone by Remy Hart 30 Say Wah? Five Essential Signature Wah Pedals by Tommy Pierce 32 Know Your Stomp Boxes by Justin Borucki
FRETBOARD
TIPS & TECHNIQUES 54 Quick Licks for December by Charlie Griffiths 68 Guide To Pinch Harmonics by Josh Cameron 72 Whammy Bar Tricks by Robert Warren
COVER PHOTO BY ROBERT MAXWELL
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Reverb Magazine • December 2012
The Black Keys Photo by Jimmy Fontaine
LOUDSPEAKER
News Broadcast
Patrick Carney (left) & Dan Auerbach (right) of the Black Keys photo by Jimmy Fontaine
The Black Keys Begin Sessions for Next Album THE AKRON DUO HAVE RETURNED TO THE STUDIO TO PLAN THEIR NEXT LP. THE BLACK KEYS, the power-packed
When asked about what to expect from
Though the Keys hit the studio with
Akron duo who released Brothers in 2010
their upcoming album, Auerbach noted
producer Danger Mouse for their last
and followed it soon after with 2011’s El
that the band’s albums tend to take shape
three albums, Auerbach says there are
Camino, have already started sessions for
rather sporadically.
no set collaborators yet for the upcoming
their next album. “We spent a week in the studio,” Auerbach says of a July session in Nashville sandwiched between a string of tour dates. The guitarist admits it wasn’t “the most focused studio session,” but he and drummer Patrick Carney did
“We never know what’s going to
LP. “Not sure who we’re gonna work with
happen,” Auerbach explains. “We don’t
or if we’re going to [produce] it ourselves,”
We never know what’s going to happen... It’s sort of a spontaneous thing.
“get some ideas down and started the ball
6
by Damian Fanelli
he says. When he is not touring the globe or down in the studio with Carney, Auerbach has been collaborating with other artists in music production. “That’s what I live for, honestly,” he
rolling.” Auerbach and Carney plan to
plan it. We start recording, and then all
says. “To be in the studio making music
regroup in early 2013 to begin officially
of a sudden it starts to take shape and we
and being part of a team trying to make
recording and they hope to finish quickly.
have an idea.” Auerbach adds that each
something interesting or cool. That’s
“We might not finish it until March
Black Keys album, to him, represents “a
everything for me.” The fun, it seems,
since we have to tour so much, but we’ll
snapshot of a moment in time. We like to
never stops for Auerbach. “There’s no
see,” Carney said then. “After July, we’ll
let them be like that,” he says. “It’s sort of
reason it should,” he says, laughing.
be able to know how long it’ll take.”
a spontaneous thing.”
“I like to stay busy.”
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
Practice your freedom of expression.
SOUNDCHECK
Guitars & Equipment
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PRICE $4999.99 photo by Fender
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Reverb Magazine • November 2012
ICONIC
Les Paul PLAYERS
The Gibson Les Paul is one of the most recognizable guitars of all-time and the artists who brandish it seem to transcend age, era, gender and genre. From heavy metal enthusiasts to indie rock icons to reggae superstars, it seems like nearly every musical legend has
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Reverb Magazine • December 2012
strapped on a Les Paul at some point to take advantage of its signature sound. Sure, the axe is heavy, but that’s part of the secret to its tone—and if it is good enough for these 15 legendary players listed here, it should be good enough for you too, right?
photo by Gibson
THE VIRTUOSOS JIMMY PAGE Led Zeppelin’s Page has penned so many classic rock riffs that it’s hard to even know where to start with the guitarist’s list of accomplishments. However he couldn’t have done it alone and the chunky sound of his Les Paul was intrinsic to tracks like “Whole Lotta Love” and “Black Dog” and helped add a welcome dose of heaviness to the classic rock formula. Regardless of what you think of rumors of the upcoming Robert Plant-less Zep reunion, you can bet that Mr. Page and
ERIC CLAPTON Although Clapton experimented with different styles of guitars throughout his four-decade-long career, his time with John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers and the Yardbirds were both defined by his use of the Les Paul. In fact it’s remarkable how many versatile tones the British guitarist was able to coax of his favorite axe as he channeled the ghosts of classic delta Blues acts and recontextualized them into a rock context. While you can debate all day what your favorite era of Clapton’s career was, we’ll always have a soft spot for the sonic discovery of his Les Paul years.
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Reverb Magazine • December 2012
photos courtesy of: the Jimmy Page Collection, Chris Campbell, and Heinrich Klaffs
his Les Paul will both be present.
PETE TOWNSHEND Townshend is a guitarist who has experimented with different axes, but his ‘70s output is largely defined by his Gibson Les Paul Deluxes. It’s safe to say that Townsend’s legendary windmill guitar strums wouldn’t look nearly as impressive if he wasn’t rocking out on a giant slab of mahogany. If you want a great ex-ample of Townshend and his Les Paul obsession in action, we recommend checking out the classic Who docu-mentary The Kids Are Alright.
photos courtesy of: Redferns, and John Frost
THE KINGS OF BLUES GARY MOORE Moore (left) is another termi-nally under-rated Les Paul player who has played with Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II and Greg Lake among others. For a sizable chunk of his career his axe of choice was a 1959 Les Paul Sunburst, which used to belong to British Blues legend — and Moore’s close personal friend—Peter Green. While it is impossible to know whether the warm tone of the Les Paul influenced Moore’s sound or vice versa, it’s hard to argue with the fact that Moore left an indelible mark on the music world with his playing.
PETER GREEN When you have a musical superstar like B.B. King saying things like “He has the sweetest tone I ever heard; he was the only one who gave me the cold sweats,” you know you’re doing something right. King was talking about Fleetwood Mac guitarist Green whose axe of choice was incidentally a 1959 Les Paul. The secret to Green’s tone was the fact that a magnet of his neck pickup was reversed, creating a unique effect. However, if Green wasn’t such an inventive and original player we highly doubt he would be as celebrated as he is today.
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
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THE SHREDDERS ACE FREHLEY Frehley could have picked any kind of guitar to install a smoke bomb inside, but he picked — you guessed it — a Gibson Les Paul. In fact his arsenal of Les Pauls is almost as closely associated to the guitarist as the make-up he rocked every night during KISS’ ‘70s heyday. Not only was Frehley’s Les Paul-fueled sound responsible for riffs like “Cold Gin” and “Shock Me,” it also helped make KISS one of the most recognizable bands (or as bassist Gene Simmons describes it, “brands”) in rock history.
ZAKK WYLDE Ozzy Osbourne has been blessed with a plethora of amazing guitarists, but next to Rhoads he’s probably best known for enlisting the bearded shredder Wylde. Although Wylde started out playing tracks like “No More Tears” with Ozzy, armed with his signature bull’s-eye-painted Les Paul Wylde has further established himself via his metal outfit Black Label Society and his solo work. While it’d admittedly be tough for any guitar to endure Wylde’s hard-partying lifestyle and playing, the Les Paul is the only axe that’s
JOE PERRY Perry is known for a lot of things — including avoiding the aging process — but his most recognizable trait is the Les Paul that you can find hanging around his neck when he performs with Aerosmith. In fact, Perry is such a Les Paul enthusiast that in addition to playing nearly every variation of the axe for the past 30 years he also has his own Custom model. Perry reportedly has a collection of over 600 guitars and we’re betting that his Les Paul arsenal alone could give any Guitar Center in America a run for its money.
photos courtesy of: Getty Images, Gibson, and AP Photo/The Bulletin, Khoi Ton
been able to rise to the challenge thus far.
THE FOREVER YOUNG RANDY RHOADS As the guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, virtuoso Rhoads was the first guitarist to meld classical guitar chops with a heavy metal sensibility to create a unique hybrid of music that still sounds groundbreaking today. In order to accomplish this impres-sive feat, when he wasn’t playing on nylon strings he was finger-tapping and sweep-picking on his white Les Paul. Sadly Rhoads died in 1982 at the age of 25, but tracks like “Crazy Train” continue to be karaoke staples and inspire future generations of guitarists to strap on their own Les Pauls.
PAUL KOSSOFF Paul Kossoff may not be a household name, but as the guitarist for Free, Kossoff was able to take soul, blues and rock and merge them into a unique amalgam of music with a little help from his Les Paul. In fact you can hear some of his extended guitar solos on Free’s early output such as Tons Of Sobs and Free. Although Kossoff passed away at the age of 25, his play-ing has been immortalized in several posthumous selections such as Koss.
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Reverb Magazine • December 2012
DUANE ALLMAN Allman was best known for donning Gibson SGs and other axes from time to time, but the most famous era of his playing featured him rocking sunburst and Goldtop Les Pauls. His Southernfueled brand of rock was partially due to the Les Paul’s unique tone and his most famous solos proved that Allman had a special symbiotic relationship with his guitar. Sadly, Allman passed away when he was only 24, but that only makes his accomplishments with the Allman Brothers Band and Derek And The Dominos even more impressive.
BOB MARLEY Marley is unquestionably the most influential reggae player ever and it’s no secret that he often utilized the Gibson Les Paul to help craft his sound. While most of the other guitarists in this list used walls of distortion to bring out Les Paul’s inner beast, Marley utilized clean tones and upstrokes to develop his own signature sound and proved that the Les Paul isn’t just one of the heaviestsounding guitars in existence but it’s also one of the most versatile.
photos courtesy of: Steven Rosen & Andrew Klein, Dean Simmon, and David Burnett
THE PUNKS SLASH Guns N’ Roses’ former guitarist Slash is probably best known for three things: his messy mop of black hair, signature top hat and sunburst Gibson Les Pauls. In fact his Les-Paul-through-a-Marshallstack sound is responsible for some of the most popular guitar riffs of all-time: “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” anyone? Oh and speaking of the latter riff, if you really want to nail the tone be sure your pickup selector is in the rhythm position — and despite Slash’s own preferences we don’t recommend downing a fifth of Jack Daniel’s prior to plugging in.
STEVE JONES As guitarist for the Sex Pistols, Jones is responsible for arguably the greatest punk album of all-time, 1977’s Never Mind The Bollocks. His aggressive guitar sound ushered in a whole new era of music— and out of all the guitars in the world, Jones decided that the Gibson Les Paul would be the best conduit for this pioneering new sound. These days this former iconoclast is just one of many influential guitar players to have his own signature version of the Les photos courtesy of: Getty Images, Gibson, and AP Photo/The Bulletin, Khoi Ton
Paul, which will hopefully motivate today’s neophytes to craft their own musical sea change.
BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG Although Green Day’s Armstrong didn’t start out on a Les Paul, these days you can see him sporting his own signature edition of the Les Paul Junior. However don’t let the diminutive nature of Armstrong’s axe convince you that his tone is any less aggressive than his peers, because listening to the band’s opus American Idiot, it’s clear that the exact opposite is true. Green Day’s next album will reportedly be out next summer and we can’t wait to see what Armstrong is able to pull off with a little help from his Les Paul Jr.
WHEN THEY FIRST ENTERED the public consciousness in 2001, the Strokes would’ve been the last band anyone would’ve pegged for longevity. Even in his otherwise highly complimentary review of the debut LP, Is This It, Pitchfork’s Ryan Schreiber conceded that the Strokes had “nowhere to go but out of style.” Indeed, merits of the music aside, there was a nagging sense that this band —with their vintage tees, leather jackets, and perfectly disheveled publicity shots—was something of a passing fad. Fortunately for Julian Casablancas, Albert Hammond Jr., Nick Valensi, Nikolai Fraiture, and Fab Moretti, backlash
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Reverb Magazine • December 2012
isn’t always fatal. Sometimes it’s the only way for the music to get a fair shake. Over the past year and a half, the notoriously insular, guarded band gave Pitchfork rare access, granting interviews with key members within its inner circle. They provided a first-hand take on their oft-mythologized history as well as a window into the dicey creative process behind their new album, Angles. As we learned, just because the Strokes have gotten this far doesn’t mean things are getting easier. Talking about the making of Angles, Valensi admitted, “I won’t do the next album we make like this. No way. It was awful—just awful.”
photos by David Collins
BY Jonathan Garrett
The Beginning ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY held
recalls that Hammond kept a small
misconceptions about the Strokes is
collection of rejection letters. “They got
that they were an overnight success.
rejections from Matador and Hollywood.
A persistent early rumor purported that
Albert would frame and hang them on
the band was opportunistically assem-
his wall.”
bled by John Casablancas, Julian’s
By the time the band showed up at
father and the founder of Elite Model
Gordon Raphael’s Transporterraum
Management. The truth is decidedly
studio in the East Village in October
less salacious. Casablancas, Moretti,
2000, pessimism had set in. “Julian let
and Valensi were informally collaborating
me know up front that they never had
since they were high-school age, playing
good luck with recording and didn’t like
together in a short-lived band called
the process,” says Raphael. “I asked if
"They got rejections from Matador and Hollywood. Albert would frame and hang them on his wall."
Just Pipe prior to Hammond and Fraiture’s involvement.
he had any special requests and he said, ‘Yeah, make it sound like nothing that’s
The Strokes’ lineup fell into
going on right now.’ Everyone was using
place in 1998 when Hammond
Pro Tools and digital technology, tripling
— a former Swiss boarding
the snare drum and adding samples to
schoolmate of Julian’s —
manager Ryan Gentles
make things 25 stories tall. So I thought:
moved to New York City to attend
‘What could be the opposite of that? How
NYU and, rather serendipitously, recog-
about I record the band playing together
nized the name of John Casablancas’
in one room?’”
modeling agency. All these years later,
Raphael remembers the session
Hammond still can’t believe his luck.
running smoothly, though he doesn’t recall thinking the results were anything
“What are the odds? I move to New York and wind up living across the street from Elite, where Julian was working. I had no friends, so I thought I should go over and speak to him. Two weeks later, we were living together.”
extraordinary. “When I finished, I put their three songs in a folder with another 200-300 songs I had recorded that year, “he says. “I was on to the next thing.” It’s possible the three-track recording might’ve slipped into obscurity if not
albert hammond Jr.
However, attention for the newly
for Rough Trade Records founder Geoff
christened Strokes was anything but
Travis. Gentles, who was then booking
immediate. In fact, the band struggled to
the Lower East Side’s Mercury Lounge
get anyone to take notice for the better
and had hosted the band as headliners
part of two years. “We were playing to
on several occasions, agreed to assist
nobody every two weeks in New York City,” says Valensi, who estimates the band did up to 100 shows with fewer than 100 people in attendance. Part of the problem, aside from the fact that the band was still coming into its own as a live entity, was they
"I asked if he had any special requests and he said, ‘Yeah, make it sound like nothing that’s going on right now.’" producer Gordon Raphael
had no recorded material. The Strokes made a couple of attempts to commit
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Reverb Magazine • December 2012
the Strokes in sending out the demo to
songs to tape, but each session left the
labels. At the suggestion of his boss,
band frustrated with their inability to
Gentles sent a copy to Travis, who had
properly capture their sound. They had
scouted and worked with the Smiths and
halfheartedly sent these early demos
the Jesus and Mary Chain, among many
out to a few labels, but most didn’t
others. “Geoff called me two days later
bother to reply. Manager Ryan Gentles
with the CD playing the background. He
wanted to bring them to England and
The entire tour was sold out before we
band called the Strokes.’ We got the CD
make them an offer based on the demo.”
even arrived in England.”
off him, went into the office and played
With Travis’ support, it was full-speed ahead. Gentles quit his job at the Mer-
That “fucking magazine” was UK weekly NME, which was quick to anoint
those three songs. The reaction was pretty much unanimous.”
cury to officially manage the Strokes,
the Strokes as rock’s next big thing.
Oldham believes that unanimity and
and they all immediately prepared for
While NME is known for enthusiastic
eagerness at NME had as much to do
an all-expenses-paid trip to England to
endorsements, its championing of the
with the dire state of rock as it did with
promote The Modern Age EP, which was
Strokes still seemed unusually forceful.
the quality of the band’s songs. “It was
nothing more than a repackaged version
The band appeared on the cover of the
very hard to fill the paper each week.
of the Raphael demos. The shock is
magazine twice in the span of three
The two dominant trends were nu-metal
still palpable as Valensi recounts the
months leading up to the release of
(Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park) and British
tale today. “It took us two years to get
their debut album. Then deputy editor
sensitive singer-songwritery groups like
as big as we had gotten in New York—
James Oldham was one of the first to
Travis, Embrace, and Star-sailor. Even on
countless shows and so much hard
hear The Modern Age EP. “Tim Vignon,
an optimistic day, you were saying, ‘OK,
work and sacrifice in other areas of our
a press officer, came in to play us a
they’ve got a couple of good tunes, but
lives. And Geoff was able move us way
new group he was managing called the
they’re boring, have no personality, and
past that just by releasing our demo and
Music. When he finished playing them,
they look bad.’ There was a real yearn-
getting an article in a fucking magazine.
he said, ‘We’re doing press for this other
-ing for a savior.” Reverb Magazine • December 2012
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Reverb Magazine • December 2012
is this it WHEN THE BAND RETURNED to the
though I was just standing outside the
States following the frenzy in the UK,
club, it gave me a better impression than
they found a far more receptive U.S.
I had a month prior when I saw them
record industry. According to Gentles, the
at the Mercury Lounge.” As the band
Strokes met with every major label in the
was about to embark on a tour with
States and a handful of independents,
Manchester band Doves, Ralbovsky met
though many of the indies may not have
the band outside of New York, where he
bothered because “they realized they
could converse with them at length. The
couldn’t afford them.” Raphael believes
strategy paid off: The Strokes announced
the breathless UK press clips and sold-
their signing to RCA shortly after
out shows were in fact the only thing
wrapping the tour.
stoking the major labels’ sudden love affair with the group. “Without that hype, the EP would have been in the fucking trash can within 25 seconds [at any American record company]. They liked the Prodigy and Nine Inch Nails. They would’ve said it was out of fashion.”
"The only way we can get the label off our backs is if we let Steve come in and show us what he has in mind."
Indeed, even the man who ultimately
At that point, the band was in a
signed the band was a grudging convert.
somewhat unique situation, having
A senior vice president of A&R at RCA
already recorded a significant portion
Records who had worked with the Red
of what would comprise its, debut
Hot Chili Peppers and would later go
album. Raphael, who was again
on to help guide Kings of Leon, Steve
handling production duties, claims that
Ralbovsky was initially tipped on the
Ralbovsky was not pleased when he
Strokes by an intern and had his interest
was finally invited in to hear what the
further piqued by an enthusiastic write-
band had been working on. “The next
up in Time Out New York. He saw two
day, Ryan told me Steve gave him a
early shows at the Mercury Lounge but
list of producers and mixers and said
left fairly nonplussed both times.
he was willing to pay extra if the band used one of them,” says Raphael. “They
“They weren’t the sharpest performances, and the look hearkened back to a certain period before they were even born. They reminded me very much of the bands that I would see at Max’s Kansas City in the late 70s.”
didn’t really want to go with a different producer but, after many meetings that I didn’t know anything about, they said, ‘The only way we can get the label off our backs is if we let [Steve] come in and show us what he has in mind.’”
Oddly, it was his final, failed attempt Steve Ralbovsky
Ralbovsky hints at disagreements with
to see the band that convinced him
his signings but is somewhat vague in
to pursue them. “I had gotten bad set
describing his objections, saying only:
time information and they were already
“We talked about a couple of different
onstage [at the Bowery Ballroom] when I
things, but, ultimately, I decided to
got there, and there was a line down the
support the band’s vision of what the
block. If I had waited, I would’ve missed
record should sound like. Julian had a
the set, and I didn’t want to do the whole
very specific point of view.”
’I’m on the guest list, I need to get in’
Raphael, however, doesn’t recall such
thing. But there was a window right near
a cordial exchange and remembers the
the steps to the subway and you could
argument over the sound of the record
hear the music pumping out. So I just
spilling over into the mastering phase.
stood there for two or three songs. Even
“When we finished Is This It, we had to Reverb Magazine • December 2012
31
go to Sterling Mastering Labs to master
Nite”’s rise to No. 5 on Billboard’s
‘Hard to Explain’ and the B-side for the
modern rock chart-—created high
first single release in England. I pushed
hopes. Is This It exceeded expectations
play and, to my surprise my little 8-track
in England but stalled out in the U.S.
basement computer recording sounded
when its subsequent singles failed to
absolutely stunning. At that moment,
eclipse “Last Nite”’s popularity. The
Steve stood up with the head mastering
album reached gold status, but the
engineer from Sterling and said, ‘Guys,
feeling that it didn’t achieve what it could
this is some of the most unprofessional
have in the States remains. Hammond
sounding music I have ever heard. This
admits that he hoped Is This It would
is not going to sell, and you are really
be more widely embraced but doesn’t
doing damage to your career by trying to
know how the band could have made
release music that sounds this way.’
that happen without compromising their identity. “I tend not to blame anyone but
My heart just sank because I had just celebrated the fact that it sounded exactly the way I wanted it to. I wanted to cry.
Then the mastering guy, Greg Calbi, Gordon Raphael
stood up and said, ‘That’s right. They’re not going to understand your music in Kansas anyway. Why make it more difficult by having that distortion on your voice? Be sensible.’ I picked up my computer, said I disagreed, and left the building carrying the thing.” Whether Raphael’s recollection is accurate or not, it’s hard to argue with either side. No one would ever describe sound of Is This It as professional; likewise, the decision to stick with the decayed production and vocal effect was clearly an artistic one. One thing’s certain: Those qualities ensured Is This It would stand out upon its release. In the context of major label albums,
"It's the easy way out to blame every thing around you. At the end of the day, though, it's important to be really happy with the music you're making because that's the part you can control." Hammond
it’s hard to overstate how much of an anomaly Is This It was when it arrived in fall 2001. While not exactly lo-fi, the production had a similarly distressed veneer. The Strokes frequently expressed admira-
tion for Guided by Voices, and Is This It’s no-frills aesthetic owed quite a bit to the Ohio band’s mid-period works. (The two bands would eventually go on to face off against one on “Family Feud” in the “Someday” video.) Still, despite the album’s non-radiofriendly production, the initial burst of excitement around its release— auspicious album reviews and “Last 32
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
myself,” he says. “It’s the easy way out to blame everything around you. At the
end of the day, though, it’s important to
stage [with those bands]. ‘It’s nothing
the industry may also have been to
be really happy with the music you’re
against them,’ he said. ‘I don’t think
blame. During the fall season in the
making because that’s the part you can
we’re in the same genre and I’m not
year 2001, major labels were just begin-
control.”
going to do a band-off with them.’ That
ning to understand the enormity of the
was pretty much the last time we were
threat posed by illegal downloading
played on MTV.”
and their tightening budgets may have
In hindsight, Gentles wonders if some of the band’s promotional decisions affected the album’s commercial fate. Like how they refused to play the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards because the network insisted on having them share the stage with the Hives and the Vines, with each getting a minute-and-a-half to
disproportionately impacted unproven
"That was pretty much the last time we were played on mtv." gentles
artists like the Strokes. “When the
Musician JP Bowersock, who gave
or the new R. Kelly record? When times
music industry goes into that kind of period, where do you think they’re going to put their money: On an up-and-comer
play. “No one says no to the MTV Video
Hammond and Casablancas guitar
are tough and profits are down, you
Music Awards—the producers actually
lessons and was credited as the
focus on your moneymakers. And mo-
made me get Julian on the phone to
band’s “guru” in the liner notes to Is
ving less than a million units is not
explain why he would not play on the
This It, believes that the condition of
a moneymaker.”
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
29
room on fire FOR IS THIS IT, THE STROKES had the
straight through. And I said, ‘Holy shit,
of weeks.” Though he is quick to add:
luxury of crafting songs in concert over a
Nick, when did you learn to play the
“I think it’s our most listenable album
protracted period. And while a few of its
guitar like that?’,” says Raphael. “He
start to finish, possibly even better
songs were holdovers from the Is This
was doing the craziest solos, and Julian
than our first.”
It era, Room on Fire wasn’t road-tested
was making really difficult rhythmic shifts
The rap on Room on Fire upon its
anywhere near to the same extent as the
with his songwriting. They had become a
release was that it was too similar to
material on the first record. The band
monstrously well-prepared, tight band.”
Is This It. In his review for Rolling Stone,
started arranging and recording almost
The Strokes booked exactly three
David Fricke claimed that “in most of the
immediately after touring obligations for
months of studio time, and Valensi
ways that matter, it is exactly like their
Is This It wrapped in 2002, beginning
recalls feeling under the gun. “I remem-
first.” The sub-head for the SPIN review
with renowned Radiohead producer
ber being in the studio on that last day
read: “The Strokes don’t fix what ain’t
Nigel Godrich. They ultimately scraped
and just staying up 24 hours straight
broke.” Rob Mitchum’s review for this
those sessions and returned to Gordon
trying to work out all these last little
site went so far as to brand Room on
Raphael. “They entered the studio the
kinks. I think the album would’ve ended
Fire as Is This It’s “identical twin.” While
first day and played the album for me
up a lot better if we’d had another couple
there are unmistakable sonic similarities
34
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
"Nick was doing the craziest solos, and Julian was making really difficult rhythmic shifts with his songwriting. They had become a monstrously well-prepared, tight band." Raphael between the two records, Room on Fire
to imagine how Valensi’s synth-mimicking
It and Room on Fire, recalls the second
guitar lines on “12:51” or the smooth
record being “the beginning of the other
Motown shuffle of “Under Control” would
guys starting to voice their opinions on
have fit on Is This It. Room on Fire is var-
the music as forcefully as Julian would
ied yet always careful never to stray too
voice his.” Fraiture remembers some
far from the territory the Strokeshad
palpable discomfort on tour as well.
already staked out as their own. More
“We were all up for working on music
than anything else, it sounds like a
and playing, but [Julian] would want to
natural progression.
wait to get back to New York and get
But the intensity of the Room on Fire’s
settled [before writing]. It was a little
mostly does what second albums are
recording sessions may have started to
bit frustrating. Around then he started
designed to do: further define the band’s
expose some of underlying tensions that
withdrawing, maybe because he stopped
sound while simultaneously exploring its
would fully surface during the making of
drinking as well. A large part of our rela-
boundaries. Yes, the tinny production and
their next record. Bowersock, who sat in
tionship was based on that—being
callbox vocals remain, but it’s really hard
on the studio sessions for both Is This
at a bar and drinking.” Reverb Magazine • December 2012
35
first impressions of earth “I’LL BE RIGHT BACK” is the final lyric
But Raphael’s departure didn’t seem
on their previous album Room on Fire,
to do much to streamline the creative
but it would take the Strokes close
process. Valensi describes the year spent
to two and a half years to produce its
recording as full of fits and starts, with
follow-up. Raphael, who helped the
all band members rarely in the same
band construct a new studio for the
place at the same time. “We’d write and
sessions, sensed that they were looking
arrange a song, call up the producer,
to shake things up for album number
and record it. Then he would leave for a
three. Peers the White Stripes had
couple of weeks and we’d start working
already gone platinum in the U.S. and
on another song and call him back when
newcomers such as the Killers and
we were ready to record again.”
Franz Ferdinand—groups that didn’t even exist when Is This It was released in 2001—were threatening to pass them by. “I believe they saw all the bands that came in the door behind the first record that were selling three times more than them and were wondering if it was a
has the most positive memories of
the time, they were getting married and
the sessions. Most of the others
having children and wondering how they
describe the recording process for
could go higher than they did.”
First Impressions in varying degrees of joylessness. Moretti remembers it be-
introduced Hammond to Dave Kahne,
ing “difficult to put on a smile everyday.
a producer who had worked with both
It was a get-the-job-done kind of thing.”
Sublime and Sugar Ray. The band
Fraiture concurs. “The certain thing that
believed that throwing Kahne into the
makes bands great—the communica-
mix might help them find a new way
tion, the focus—was starting to recede,”
to express and develop their sound.
says the bassist. Hammond, meanwhile,
However, they were reluctant to let
checked out entirely. “Talk about not
Raphael go. Their initial plan was to
having fun—that’s the understatement
see if both producers could
of the year. I was balls-to-the-wall fucked
coexist, but Raphael quickly
up, so it’s hard for me to judge.”
"Talk about not having fun-that's the understatement of the year. up, i was balls-to-thewall fucked so it's hard for me to judge." hammond
felt marginalized. “I said,
As a general rule, the Strokes aren’t
‘Julian, I don’t really like this
easily satisfied. Most of the band mem-
scene. I want to go.’ And he
bers are quick to criticize each of their
said, ‘Please stay.’ ‘Why? I’m
studio albums, but First Impressions is
not doing anything.’ ‘Well, because if you
a favorite punching bag. All but Casa-
leave, we’re going to fire Dave Kahne
blancas now consider the 52-minute
because we don’t know how to talk to
album to be too long. Gentles recalls
him. But we think he’s onto something
almost succeeding in getting the album
with our sound, and we need you to stay
shortened prior to its release as “Julian
in case we need you to explain what we
agreed to [cut three songs] at one point.
mean.’”
I told the label and they were happy
Raphael wound up staying on
about it, too, but [Julian] rang me up
for another month when he claims
a couple of weeks later saying he
Casablancas again pulled him aside
couldn’t do it. He didn’t want the songs
to let him know that they were able
sitting around doing nothing.”
to communicate with Kahne without assistance and that he was free to go. Reverb Magazine • December 2012
Of all the Strokes, Valensi probably
production thing,” says Raphael. “At
As it turned out, Sean Lennon
36
"It was difficult to Put on a smile everyday. It was a get-the-job-done kind of thing." moretti
But Hammond felt the issues went beyond mere numerical length. “It’s not
just about the number of songs. It’s
frequently jarring listening experience.
that, when you listen to it, it feels heavy.
Some tracks, such as the marauding
I had never felt that with us.” Meanwhile,
spy theme “Juicebox” and Barry Manilow-
Valensi’s concerns lie squarely with the
cribbing “Razorblade”, sound like they
production. “My worry is that the album
could have come from an entirely diff-
won’t age well. You know how you listen
erent band. Casablancas
to certain albums from the 90s and they
says he recently listened
just sound so 90s? That’s the problem
to First Impressions and
in going with state-of-the-art, cutting-
was “overall pleasantly
edge technology. The top of the line
surprised,” but even he
shit always gets dated because there’s
readily admits that “some
another trick that comes out in a
songs missed the mark. I think people
couple of years.”
missed the messed-up excitement
Unlike Room on Fire, the experi-
"We could’ve stayed a little weirder and people would’ve come around to us, but we rushed to it by trying to sound slicker." Casablancas
vvof what we had. We could’ve stayed a
mentation on First Impressions has a
little weirder and people would’ve come
tendency to come across as a forced,
around to us, but we rushed to it by
misguided bid for relevance. It’s a
trying to sound slicker.”
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
33
34
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
angles THE STROKES DELIBERATELY made no plans following the final tour for First Impressions. Management referred to the down time as a “much-needed break,” but fatigue doesn’t appear to have been a factor in the Strokes’ decision. Hammond released a solo album in late 2006 and, during the extended hiatus, Fraiture and Casablancas had worked to issue their own as well. Moretti, meanwhile, began contributing to a new band called Little Joy. Valensi, the only member to not actively pursue another project, doesn’t mince words when asked what he thinks of these nonStrokes-related musical endeavors: “I’m not a huge supporter of side/solo stuff. I’m of the opinion that you’re in a band and that’s what you do. If there’s leftover material and time, then sure, by all means. But if you’re playing material that you haven’t even shown to your main band and you’re just sort of keeping it for yourself, I’m not a big fan of that.”
"I'm not a huge supporter of side/solo stuff. I'm of the opinion that you're in a band and that's what you do." valensi Before entering the studio to record the fourth album, Valensi expressed some skepticism on whether the band would even be able to continue due to all the newly competing priorities. “I remember reading a review of First Impressions in SPIN and they mentioned in their review that it sounded like the last Strokes album. At the time, I took offense. But, in hindsight, they were so close to the truth. I’m not even sure we’re going to make a fourth album at this point.” Of course, the Strokes were ultimately able to complete Angles, though perhaps not in the way Valensi would have wanted. A lot of the early press for Angles has focused on the fact that each of the Strokes contributed as songwriters, which is technically true. However, that storyline also implies a collaborative spirit that seems to have been largely absent from the sessions that birthed the album. Reverb Magazine • December 2012
39
Moretti, Hammond, Valensi, and Fraiture initially started the recording process with producer Joe Chiccarelli in January 2010. Casablancas, still tied up with promotional obligations for his solo album, Phrazes for the Young, planned to join the
“I feel like we have a better album in us, and it’s going to come out soon.” Valensi
group after initial tracking. However, that never materialized and the band instead
wound up completely rework-ing the Chiccarelli sessions on their own. Chiccarelli receives credit for only one track on Angles. Still, Casablancas took a less handson approach with Angles. He recorded his vocals remotely and sent his parts to the band as electronic files. Likewise, during the recording phase, most communication between Casablancas and the rest of the band took place via e-mail, and, according to Valensi, most of the singer’s ideas and suggestions were written “in really vague terms,” leaving the others without much to go on. Casablancas’ literal distance was quite deliberate, and to hear the singer tell it, the strategy was something he’d hoped to do from the beginning. “When I’m there, people might wait for me to say something. I think it took me being a little mute to force the initiative.” While Casablancas’ disengagement may have been by design, Valensi found the whole experience deeply dissatisfying. “I won’t do the next album we make like this. No way. It was awful—just awful. Working in a fractured way, not having a singer there. I’d show up certain days and do guitar takes by myself, just me and the engineer. Seventy-five percent of this album felt like it was done together and the rest of it was left hanging, like some of us were picking up the scraps and trying to finish a puzzle together.”
songwriters, Valensi believes it could take some trial and error before the Strokes find an effective new way to establish quality control. “We’re all learning to work on each other’s songs and learning how to deal with emotional
Interestingly, although Casablancas nick valensi
40
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
issues that come up in relation to the
and Valensi remain at odds on the
songs, when to let go and when to fight
merits of the process used to record
and compromise,” says the guitarist.
Angles, both seem united in their desire
“I feel like we have a better album in
to improve upon the album itself. With
us, and it’s going to come out soon.”
all members now acting as contributing
Casablancas also expresses some
reservations about Angles, even if he’s
against-the-world mentality, the com-
fifth album will happen (and they have
not as quick as Valensi to find the silver
munication breakdowns are an especially
enough leftover songs from Angles for a
lining. Asked if he likes the finished al-
disconcerting development. Perhaps
decent head start), most express that
bum, he takes a long pause. “I mean...
belief in cautiously optimistic terms.
“I definitely think there will be a 5th Strokes album. I mean, I hope so.” Casablancas
“Everyone’s putting the Strokes as a
divergence is inevitable for any band
quick.” Casablancas, in typically cagey,
each other during the intense early
together as long as the Strokes, no
non-commital fashion, offers: “I definitely
scrutiny they experienced circa The
matter their shared history. While all
think there will be a fifth Strokes album.
Modern Age EP, priding itself on its us-
the members believe the Strokes’
I mean, I hope so.”
yes...It’s a tough question because I think the whole point was that I was going to let things go so there’s a bunch of stuff [on the record] I wouldn’t have done.” For a band that drew strength from
priority for at least the next little while,” says Valensi. “The best thing we can do right now is put out another one really
Reverb Magazine • December 2012 41
FRETBOARD
Tips & Techniques
Quick Licks for December THIS MONTH’S SELECTION OF CLASSIC ROCK PHRASES by Charlie Griffiths
THE MAIN FOCUS HERE in terms
Example 1: Phrasing
of vocabulary is classic rock, which we’re
Let’s begin with a Brian May-style lick. It has an interesting melodic shape, a great rhyth-
going to define for the purposes of this
mic structure, a marvellous sense of flow and perfect grace and composure. What more does
study as pre-Van Halen, so you’ll find no
a great rock lick need?
eight-finger tapping, no three-octave sweep picked arpeggios and no 32ndnote legato monster licks. What you will find, however, is a choice selection of medium-tempo classic rock phrases that are stylistically diverse, melodically
Example 2: Sequential (Descending)
flexible, and in addition, display a wide
Where would Thin Lizzy (or indeed Jimmy Page) be without this lick? We’re looking at a
range of articulation and dynamic devices.
descending sequence of three notes, transposed to each potential starting note from the
They are all also completely useable
minor pentatonic.
to guitarists of different levels and in a variety of settings. It’s arguable that it is this mid-tempo range phrasing that really establishes the character of a rock guitarist. When the tempo gets cranked up, there are often less workable options.
Example 3: Double-Stop
You’ll often find the same fingerings
Here is an example of a double-stop lick. The thickening effect of playing two notes at once
and melodic pathways being adopted by
is remarkably effective when projection is an issue.
many guitar players, but it is the specific melodic phrasing and note selection that really allow their personality to shine through. The following examples shown on the right (in standard tuning: egbdae) are different ideas, or some form of sequential permutation of the notes, all derived from one particular scale:
Example 4: Intervallic/Slide Nothing earth-shattering from a note perspective here; it’s the articulation that counts. Consider your fingering options as this is a massive influence on your effectiveness in executing the idea cleanly and efficiently.
Example 5: Scalar This three-notes-per-string finger-twister neatly boxes in our first area pentatonic shape, Whilst the pentatonic scale is generally at the core of each idea, we are by
and fills in the scale tones courtesy of the Aeolian-endorsed and metal-approved flattened 6th (F) and natural 2nd (B)!
no means restricted to it exclusively. Follow the associated text for each idea and all will become clear. Once they are mastered, you can move each idea through a selection of keys. It’s fair to say that rock styles tend to favour the keys of E, A, D and G, so start with these before eventually aiming for fluency in every key. For soundclips, visit our website at: www.reverbmag.com/quicklicks/
54
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
Example 6: Triadic/Arpeggio We shall ease you into our triadic based section with a simple three-against-four idea. Again, intonation (tuning between the notes) is a huge issue, so make sure you’re perfectly in tune.
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
39
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150
Reverb Magazine • December 2012
photos by Vox and Marshall
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