Johnny Hiland gets his Satriani on

[charlie]

The Yngwie of double stops and chicken pickin' twang has been diming his amps and throwing more rock tunes into his set in recent years. Here's a bit of Joe-ish thump, an original called Groovin':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhgYObHSECI

It's always fun seeing if someone can play credibly outside of their comfortable genres. Probably the craziest thing I've seen is Bireli Lagrene(!) doing goofy hair metal shred in this old clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFF7LiTIaTI

I've never seen another instance of him using high gain, let alone playing metal. It's pretty bad stuff, but shows he could've been a contender if he wanted to take it seriously.

[ProfessorGAC]

1. While I Readily Acknowledge. . .

. . .his skills, i don't hear the Satch in there. I know i'm a Satriani freak, and i know about 15 of the songs, but this guy's playing is much less modal than Joe's. I like it a lot, and the band is super tight.

It reminds me more of Eric Johnson or someone like that. That's not a criticism! Just a technical difference, i suppose.
GAC

[charlie]

2. Lol! You have a more discerning ear

I have a Master's in musical illiteracy :D

I noticed he doesn't stray off the minor pentatonic too much, but from that opening chord, to the open string hammered triplets, the trilling moveable harmonics, the greasy blues phrasing, I thought man, this guy's had Joe in heavy rotation on his iPod. I was surprised he had it in him.

Hey, I've been wondering, have you heard a Danish guy named Steffan Schackinger? Very interesting cat. Has great chops, but holds them mostly in reserve until the middle sections of his songs. He's stylistically eclectic and a great texturalist. His soloing is heavily informed by the blues -- by which I mean, he's not a blues slinger, he just knows how to vocalize with strings, very musical. Watch for his broken chord arpeggios (sort of like the way Eric Johnson likes to use root, fifth, octave-third arpeggios, but more developed) in his solos, they give him a very distinctive sound.

This is the first song he uploaded from his debut release. The Dixieland, a country(ish) rocker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=famYtHftpwE

Judging from the number of YouTube tribute covers, this is his most popular tune. City Lights, a sort of Klugh/Benson-ish bit of ear candy with guitar bombast in the middle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAnv66NDZ74

Time, a Celtic-flavored tune that turns into a poppy something or other, then returns:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWYeU25fA5Y

Perfect Waves, where he plays over a Come Together bassline and turns it into the moody clop-clop of a horse drawn cart (Weird description, I know. But it's very nice).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX61Jlvd-Yw

The title cut from his CD, ElectricGuitartistry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH-ksko-2HQ

Finally, Bulldog Bite. Midtempo rock. Just guitar, bass, and drums, no rhythm track:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTgxkQnQKjw

[ProfessorGAC]

3. I Watched The First Two

Thanks. That guy is cool. I'll watch the rest later, but the guy for the sprinkler system is coming over and i have to go out and wait for him.

My wife and i are SO into our yard, and spent so much on bushes, flowers and the like, that we're spending part of my mom's bequethement on a sprinkler system. Sort of investment protection.

I'll watch later and PM you when i get done.

Thanks again.
GAC