One of Di Meola’s biggest projects is, of course, the guitar trio he shared with John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía and their thrilling 1981 record, Friday Night in San Francisco, which elevated the acoustic guitar ensemble to the level of high art. Di Meola shares the behind-the-scenes stories of that tour and the 2022 archival release from the next night’s concert, Saturday Night in San Francisco. He calls the ensemble’s dynamic a “real healthy competition” and explains, “I knew I was up against two guys who were relentless in their delivery of phenomenal ideas. When they finished a solo, it was like, ’Oh my god, what am I gonna come up with.”
No chat with Di Meola, who famously opened up his kitchen in the post-lockdown part of the pandemic, would be complete without a survey of Southern Italian food. Why is sfogliatelle the maestro’s favorite pastry, and where does he get his? If he’s on tour and there’s nowhere to eat but an Olive Garden, what’s his order? And much, much more.
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Q: In your opinion, what is the best debut album by a band?
Photo by Kelly Shee
Steve Selvidge
The Hold Steady
A: I'd have to go with Van Halen. It's always hard to rate music when so many people's favorites are tied up with memories and personal musical tastes. There have been a lot of “game-changer" debuts. To me, the best serve as an artist's Statement of Intent. Everything that follows from there is set up on that first album. You could point to debuts from both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Led Zeppelin as examples, and many more.
Van Halen's debut certainly did this and more. As a debut, it's a perfect album. All killer no filler, as they say. The mix of sunny Southern California hooks and groundbreaking riffs has never been equaled. But for me, it's just the simple fact that Van Halen changed so much upon its release and afterward. This is obviously a very guitar-centric opinion, but I can't think of another album that created such a monumental shift in the way the guitar was played, promoted, and even manufactured. The legacy of all of that is still very evident to this day.
Current obsession: Lonnie Johnson. I was always familiar with his earlier acoustic recordings, but I only recently discovered the later period when he was playing electric guitar. I'd actually heard him on electric for a while but was unaware it was him! One of my favorite records is a solo album by the great pianist Otis Spann. It's all solo piano and voice, save for one song that has a beautifully sympathetic electric-guitar accompaniment.
Photo by Russell Lee
I was always so seduced by the tone and phrasing of this guitar, but there were no credits to let me know who it was. Many, many years later I stumbled upon a YouTube video of Lonnie Johnson playing a Kay Value Leader guitar and singing “Another Night to Cry," and it was like finding the Rosetta Stone. There he was! I knew for sure it was him. That was the magic guitar player on that Otis Spann album. Now I'm trying to find as many albums of his from this period as I can. I also bought a one-pickup Kay Value Leader just like his. I don't sound at all like Lonnie, but it's still a lot of fun to play.
James Miller
Reader of the Month
A: Chicago Transit Authority. Up until that release, there were no bands like Chicago. It was an unheard of for the time—a double album, incredibly well recorded, and every song stands up over 50 years later.
Current Obsession: The session players known as the Wrecking Crew. I knew many of the songs they played on but didn't realize it was the same core of amazing musicians that played the music on those hits. When I happened upon the excellent documentary by Denny Tedesco, Tommy Tedesco's son, I was in awe and it sent me down the rabbit hole of finding and listening to as much music the Wrecking Crew performed on as possible. There will (probably) never be another group of session musicians like the Wrecking Crew again and I want to ensure I take the time to truly enjoy the hundreds, if not thousands, of songs they performed on.
Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor
A: A ridiculously difficult question when 20 albums come to mind almost immediately, but I can't not go with Van Halen. Why? It awakened the world to EVH's genius, was a complete rewriting of what a guitar and human are capable of, and introduced us to arguably one of the greatest rock frontmen of all time. Just as important, Van Halen cooked up 11 tracks that remain as fresh and mind-blowingly amazing as they did at first listen.
Current Obsession:Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President. I didn't know much at all about 39's deep ties and friendships with so many legend-level influencers in music, but I now like him even more. Highly recommended!
Jason Shadrick
Associate Editor
A: So many albums flash through my head but the one that really sticks with me is Pat Metheny's Bright Size Life. Metheny brought a Midwest sensibility to jazz, which proved that not every chord needs to have a seventh in it and triads can be melodic as hell. Not to mention that this record introduced the world to Jaco Pastorius (his self-titled album wouldn't be out for another seven months).
Current Obsession: The beauty and musical simplicity of a trio is fascinating to me and I've been immersing myself in what that format is capable of. Considering Chick Corea's recent passing, I went back and dived into Now He Sings, Now He Sobs with new ears. The freedom is astounding and inspiring and fulfilling. Other groups that are getting major rotation are Joshua Redman's Elastic Band, Delvon Lamarr's Organ Trio, and anything with Paul Motian.
Return to Forever: Live at Montreux 2008
Founded in 1972 by legendary keyboardist Chick Corea, Return to Forever went through several stylistic and personnel changes before settling on its final incarnation with Lenny White on drums, Stanley Clarke on bass and a 20-year-old guitarist named Al Di Meola. It is difficult now to imagine that time in the ‘70s when fusion bands could sell out arenas and there were instrumentals on the pop charts. But back then RTF was huge. Other than fellow fusion guitar master John McLaughlin, Di Meola’s chops were unlike anything we’d ever heard or seen. RTF split after several successful albums and Al went on to other adventures, including the super trio with McLaughlin and flamenco guitarist Paco De Lucia.Now thirty some years later, RTF reunited for a tour that coincided with the release of their anthology, which brings us to this offering. Available both in DVD and Blu-ray formats, this is a beautifully recorded concert from their 2008 appearance at the Montreux Festival. We hear Di Meola wielding his classic Les Paul as well as his new PRS Prism signature model, a beautiful tiger-top PRS and some nice acoustics. While the fire of youth may be spent, the wisdom of experience lingers and a fine performance is what we get. Al can still burn it up, and the whole band appears to be digging on the fact they get to play their old tunes once again. The sound and picture on the Blu-ray are perfection, with ideal camera angles and cuts that enhance the viewing experience rather than detract from it. It’s a pure pleasure to hear and see these masters at work together. —PS
List $14.98 DVD
List $24.98 Blu-ray
eaglerockent.com
Black Label Society: Skullage CD/DVD
There’s no tried-and-true formula with Black Label Society; its just heavy, in-yourface rock that is brutally honest and loud with ferocious drums, driving bass lines, killer guitar tones and solos from the bearded, leather-vest-adorned crew. This is no more evident than with their latest offering Skullage. Packaged with a greatest-hits CD featuring 13 tracks, including “13 Years of Grief,” “Fire It Up” and four acoustic renditions recorded live in Lehigh Valley, PA, the DVD is the real treat of the combo.The DVD provides a well-rounded retrospective of the band in several formats. It shows off Zakk playing a solo version of “Spoke in the Wheel,” full band renditions of various live songs, a batch of the band’s most popular music videos and never-before-seen footage from Zakk’s “Slightly Amped” acoustic performances with Nick Catanese on their “Blessed Hellride” promotional tour. While this all stacks up as the meat and potatoes of the DVD, some of the coolest footage features Zakk at home in L.A. The BLS front man gives an MTV Cribs-esque tour of his house, including the coveted guitar room where many of his legendary Gibson guitars and Marshall amps and cabs from the “Wall of Doom” reside when not on tour. A personal favorite of the collection has to be the one-off paint job on a Les Paul by none other than the prince of darkness, Ozzy Osbourne. Another gearhead moment occurs when Zakk is shown working on a George Metropoulos Marshall Plexi replica kit on the kitchen table. Also, in between some beer swilling and weightlifting, Zakk opens up about the lyrical concepts on some of BLS’ more poignant songs. And to show that some things, when done by certain people, can still be labeled metal, he shows off his eclectic Barbie collection—rivaling his guitars in number and personal value.
Fair warning, for those who don’t like beer chugging, vulgar language and pick squeals galore, this package may not be your type of brew. But for those who can stomach it, Skullage offers BLS fans—new and old—a chance to own a cross section of the band’s best recorded songs, stunning live performances and never-before-seen footage of Zakk having some downtime at home. —CK
List $24.98
eaglerockent.com
Books
Motley Crue: A Visual History 1983–2005
There was hair metal and then there was the look that killed. Mötley Crüe’s visual aesthetic simply cannot be separated from the band’s music, and the subject is due for reflection as we wade through a new era of metal bands seeking to embody the images created for them.With his latest book, legendary rock photographer Neil Zlozower celebrates the band that defined rock 'n' roll decadence. Accompanied by first-person accounts from managers, clothing designers, Nikki Sixx’s tech, the band’s head of security and others within the band’s inner pentagram, the 232- page book offers a glimpse into the business of rock imagery, not to mention debauchery.
Picking up in 1983, the band’s Too Fast For Love years are missing, but the Crüe that is probably tattooed on your brain—the big hair, Road Warrior, Warlock bass, Shout at the Devil-era Crüe—is preserved in all its glory and evolves into more of a wicked circus as you turn the pages. The photographs comprise Zlozower’s performance shots, studio sessions with the band (including the infamous “blood session”) and behind-thescenes candids. Whether posing in straitjackets, kicking back in the studio between takes, or strutting on a stage with full-on‘80s rock rigging, Crüe embodied their image with unquestionable authority, and Zlozower was there with the right angle or access to get the shot. The degree to which the photo selection was kept somewhat family- friendly is the only thing some Crüe fans will question. You just know there are shots in Zlozower’s Crüe stash that could’ve been filed under “Caligula” just as easily.
This book isn’t about that, though—despite the inevitable shots of a few ‘T’s and, unfortunately, Tommy’s ‘A.’ Rather, this book documents a rock 'n' roll image that was carefully crafted in an attempt to keep up with a band that pushed limits, flirted with death enough times to actually experience it, and wrote an anthem that is played in every strip club in America every single night. —JC
List $35
chroniclebooks.com
By the Time We Got to Woodstock: The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Revolution of 1969
Rock’n’roll changed the world. It didn’t put a man on the moon, or cure cancer, or make it possible for large numbers of people to travel from one part of the world to another, but it changed the way people thought about all those things. In particular, 1969 was a huge year in rock’n’roll, starting with Nixon’s late ’68 election, which so many artists and fans had fought against, and peaking with the events of Woodstock and Altamont. And Bruce Pollock was in the thick of it all, as a music journalist, writer and songwriter.By the Time We Got to Woodstock is half memoir, half documentary. He describes the experience of being a part of the “counterculture,” but includes a great deal of background on the political and social events through which rock’n’roll percolated. Through recollections, news reports, interviews then and now, and writings of some of the monumental personalities of the day, he tells the story of the pivotal year when the hippies’ utopian dream went down in flames.
It’s a fascinating tale, and well worth reading, however sometimes the language is a bit over-the-top and sensational. Ah, but so were the times! —GDP
List $19.99
backbeatbooks.com
