Daily Kindling: Steven Tyler, Aerosmith, and Bad Band Breakups

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Steven Tyler AEROSMITHAs I’m sure many of you were already aware, there was a rumor floating around this week that Steven Tyler was leaving Aerosmith. The rumor spread quickly after Joe Perry tweeted (that’s right, Joe Perry is on Twitter and you should be too) that Aerosmith was “looking for a new singer to work with” and told several news outlets that Tyler had quit, at as far as he could tell. Many brought up the fact that Tyler did not have the physical ability at the age of 61 that he once had, citing the fact that the band canceled the remainder of its summer tour this year when Tyler fell off a stage and was injured during a performance in South Dakota.

All those rumors were quashed, however, when Steven Tyler and Joe Perry made a surprise appearance at a New York City venue and Tyler told the crowd: “I am not leaving Aerosmith,” according to Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines. That seems to have put an end to speculation about the Tyler’s future with Aerosmith, but it also got me thinking about band breakups that didn’t turn out so well. Check a few of them out below and see the full list over at Spinner.

Feel free to share your own bad band breakup story in the comments!

Pink Floyd
ThePinkFloyd“Original bandleader Syd Barrett was an early casualty in 1968, addled by drug-fueled mental illness. Roger Waters (left) departs in 1985, just after releasing ‘The Final Cut’ — practically a Waters solo album with the other Floyd members as sidemen. Waters declared the band “a spent force” and then sued David Gilmour and Nick Mason for carrying on with the Pink Floyd name.” - Spinner

The Beatles
the-beatles65“In 1969, the Beatles’ final year together, John Lennon got sick of Paul McCartney, George Harrison felt snubbed, and everyone but John resented Yoko Ono’s omnipresence. The ‘Let It Be’ sessions the Fab Four were recording early that year as a documentary and an album were an infamous disaster; the results were released posthumously in both formats in 1970.” - Spinner

Sex Pistols
sexpistols“Sid Vicious’ debilitating addiction to drugs spawned increasingly violent and unpredictable behavior. Johnny Rotten couldn’t stand to be around the heroin-addled Vicious, calling him a “waste of space,” and Rotten constantly feuded with the group’s manager, Malcolm McLaren. When Rotten declared he was leaving the band while on tour in California in 1978, they abandoned him in Los Angeles with no money and no plane ticket home to England.” - Spinner

The Mamas and the Papas
MamasAndPapas260-715401“The marriage of members John and Michelle Phillips was rocked by her affair with bandmate Denny Doherty; Jill Gibson, a “secret” replacement for Michelle Phillips, was briefly employed before Michelle was welcomed back. In 1968, “Mama” Cass Elliot quit when Phillips insulted her in front of Mick Jagger.” - Spinner

The Eagles
the_eagles-1127“Original members Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon departed in the mid-’70s. In 1980, Glenn Frey and Don Felder came to blows backstage during a concert; Frey and Don Henley mixed the swan-song LP ‘Eagles Live’ from opposite coasts; by the end of the year they were no more. Henley declared the group will reunite “when hell freezes over.” (The band’s live album of its 1994 reunion tour is titled ‘Hell Freezes Over.’)” - Spinner

The Doors
The+Doors“In 2002, years after the 1971 death of Jim Morrison and the initial dissolution of the Doors a year later, keyboard player Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger formed a group they called the Doors of the 21st Century, with the Cult’s Ian Astbury as frontman. A year later, Doors drummer John Densmore (left), who did not participate in the reunion, successfully sued the reconstituted band from using the Doors name.” - Spinner

Boston
Boston“By 1979, Boston mastermind Tom Scholz’s perfectionism led impatient mates to record under the name of guitarist Barry Goudreau. CBS marketed the project under the name Almost Boston; the inevitable lawsuits followed. The recent suicide of Boston singer Brad Delp (left) is attributed in part to his disappointment over the band’s problems.” - Spinner

Check out Spinner to see their full list of 20 bitter band breakups.

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Weekly Kindling: TrueFire Toon #2, Top 30 Guitarists, Top 10 Slow Solos, and Juiced Blues

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Weekly Kindling is a new feature on The Punch-In and will feature the latest guitar news, tricks, tips, and inspiration. Check back at the end of every week or subscribe via email in the right sidebar.

TrueFire Toon #2:

What’s Burning:

>> 30 on 30: The Greatest Guitarists Picked by the Greatest Guitarists – 30 of the greatest living guitarists said who they would pick as the greatest guitarists of all time. The full list from Guitar World:
- ANGUS YOUNG by Joe Perry
- CHUCK BERRY by Angus Young
- STEVE VAI by Tom Morello
- TONY IOMMI by James Hetfield
- ERIC CLAPTON by Edward Van Halen
- JIM McCARTY by Ted Nugent
- KEITH RICHARDS by Steven Van Zandt
- JIMMY HERRING by Alex Skolnick
- RITCHIE BLACKMORE by Phil Collen
- GLENN TIPTON & K.K. DOWNING by Zakk Wylde
- LESLIE WEST by Martin Barre
- JEFF BECK by David Gilmour
- JIMI HENDRIX by Joe Satriani
- BRIAN MAY by Steve Vai
- MARTY FRIEDMAN by Jason Becker
- EDWARD VAN HALEN by Richie Kotzen
- YNGWIE MALMSTEEN by George Lynch
- MICK TAYLOR by Slash
- RANDY RHOADS by Frank Hannon
- ZAKK WYLDE by Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal
- B.B. KING by Billy Gibbons
- MALCOLM YOUNG by Scott Ian
- GEORGE HARRISON by Elliot Easton
- ULI JON ROTH by Kirk Hammett
- NEIL YOUNG by Nancy Wilson
- FRANK ZAPPA by Dweezil Zappa
- PETE TOWNSHEND by Ace Frehley
- ALVIN LEE by Mick Mars
- PETER GREEN by Rich Robinson
- RON ASHETON by Kim Thayil
- Read the full article.

>> The Top 10 Slow Guitar Solos – Spitting out sixteenth notes at 200 beats per minutes isn’t always the most winning approach; sometimes, a lead calls for a little less hands and a little more heart. So let’s step back, take a breather and examine some of rock guitar’s greatest slow burns. The full list from GuitarWorld:

1. “’Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers” – Jeff Beck

2. “Something” – The Beatles

3. “The Messiah Will Come Again” – Roy Buchanan

4. “Brothers In Arms” – Dire Straits

5. “Parisienne Walkways” – Gary Moore

6. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” – Pink Floyd

7. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” – Jimmy Page

8. “The Thrill Is Gone” – B.B. King

9. “Riviera Paradise” – Stevie Ray Vaughan

10. “Bell Bottom Blues” – Derek and the Dominos

Read the full article.

TrueFire Guitar Lesson of the Week

>> Juiced Blues by Chris Buono

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Weekly Kindling: TrueFire Toon #1, How to Set Up a Gibson Les Paul, and More Secret Sauce

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Weekly Kindling is a new feature on The Punch-In and will feature the latest guitar news, tricks, tips, and inspiration. Check back at the end of every week or subscribe via email in the right sidebar.

TrueFire Toon #1:

What’s Burning This Week:

>> Charlyne Yi Selling Guitar on eBay to Help Pay for Surgery – Comedian Charlyne Yi (Paper Heart, Knocked Up) is auctioning “the only thing I own of any worth” to help pay for a friend’s open-heart surgery. Check out the auction.

>> How to Set Up a Gibson Les Paul Guitar – The Gibson Les Paul model revolutionized the guitar industry when it first appeared in the 1950s due to its distinctive sound, which made it a great fit whether you played country or rock and roll. The Gibson Les Paul is the guitar of choice for many guitarists. Before playing, you must set up your guitar. Here’s how.

>> Kaki King Wants to Be More Than a “Guitar God” – Kaki King was the first woman to be named a “Guitar God” by Rolling Stone magazine, yet she wants to be more than that. About seven years ago, the Atlanta native started establishing herself with her dextrous, creative slapping-and-tapping style. Over time she has evolved into a multidimensional artist. Read the full article.

Featured TrueFire Guitar Lesson of the Week:

>>”Electric Groove” from Blues Rock Secret Sauce by Jeff Scheetz

The instant download of the full Blues Rock Secret Sauce course is now available for 50% off ($14.50) for a limited time. Get it now!

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Weekly Kindling: Slash’s Love Letter, New Jeff Beck Album, and Secret Sauce

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Weekly Kindling is a new feature on The Punch-In and will feature the latest guitar news, tricks, tips, and inspiration. Check back at the end of every week or subscribe via email in the right sidebar.

Classic Performance of the Week:

>> Chet Atkins & Eric Johnson – “Somebody Loves Me Now”

What’s Burning This Week:

>> Love Letter From A 14 Year Old Slash Finds It’s Way Online – Slash was just 14 when he wrote and illustrated the following letter to Michelle Young; an ex-girlfriend who had just recently ended their relationship and, in a previous letter, blamed the decision on Saul’s unending talk of his guitar. The guitar obsession never ended and Saul soon became Slash, one of the world’s most admired guitarists and member of Guns N’ Roses, whilst Michelle stayed in the picture and after dating Axl Rose in the mid-80s became the subject of My Michelle, a song that frankly spoke of her drug-fuelled lifestyle, her father’s career in ‘porno’ and her mother’s death. The letter:

>> Musical Instrument Furniture – We know we wouldn’t mind having some of these interesting guitar-inspired items around our office. See the rest.

>> Classic Nintendo Themes on the Guitar – Despite being simply the background music to video games, the themes to Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda are about as recognizable as any song to appear on the Billboard Top 100. Some people have actually taken the time to learn and play Nintendo themes on the guitar, and some of them are pretty damn good. See the top 10 Nintendo themes on the guitar.

Review of the Week: Jeff Beck – Emotion & Commotion

jeff beck emotion commotionFrom a purely promotional standpoint, Jeff Beck’s first studio album in seven years couldn’t have had a better setup.

Emotion & Commotion comes on the heels of a series of high-profile live appearances with fellow guitar great and ex-Yardbird Eric Clapton, and last fall’s star-studded 25th Anniversary concerts for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

It also follows last year’s Performing This Week… Live At Ronnie Scott’s — an amazing live concert document captured during Beck’s residency at the venerable jazz and blues club. Backed by his great band including drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, keyboardist Jason Rebello, and bass prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld, Jeff Beck tore the house down at this show, particularly during a stunning version of the Beatles’ classic “A Day In The Life.”

You’d almost think the guy was mounting a comeback or something — except that Jeff Beck has never really been away. Although he is known nearly as much for the long gaps between his recordings as he is for being one of the two or three best guitarists on the planet, when Jeff Beck drops a new album people just tend to take notice. Read more…

Featured TrueFire Guitar Lesson of the Week:

>>”Electric Groove” from Blues Rock Secret Sauce by Jeff Scheetz

The instant download of the full Blues Rock Secret Sauce course is now available for 50% off ($14.50) for a limited time. Get it now!

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Weekly Kindling: A Web Comic, RIP Jim Marshall, and Guitar Murder

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Weekly Kindling is a new feature on The Punch-In and will feature the latest guitar news, tricks, tips, and inspiration. Check back at the end of every week or subscribe via email in the right sidebar.

Guitar-related Web Comic of the Week:

What’s Burning This Week:

>> Jim Marshall, Legendary Rock Photographer, Passes Away at 74
Jim Marshall, the photographer who captured some of rock & roll’s most unforgettable images including photos of Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar at Monterey Pop and Johnny Cash flipping the bird at San Quentin, died in his sleep last night in New York. He was 74. Read the full article.

>> Failed Guitarist Even Fails at Murder
A 37-year old musician accused of slamming his guitar into his girlfriend’s head, choking her until she passed out and saying, “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to kill you,” was jailed recently. Read the full article.

>> The Precocious Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart as The Runaways
Check out what Fanning and Stewart had to say about embodying rock icons and their relationships with their real life counterparts as well as Stewart’s hesitation to retell exactly how Joan Jett explained to rock out on the guitar. Here’s an excerpt from the actually-interesting interview:

Kristen, you play guitar yourself, but did Joan give you any tips on how to really embody the female guitarist?
Stewart: She’s got a really unique connection to the music, the way it comes out of her. The compulsion to make it, to create the sound isn’t something that all musicians have and the fact that she never started playing lead guitar – she wanted to play rhythm guitar, she wanted to keep the music going. So she was always telling me to connect like it’s coming through you and considering your guitar is right here [points to pelvic area], it really is a weird center. The only way that I can describe it and I’ve said it before, is like – she literally sort of told me – it was like – why am I doing this right now? The only way I can describe it and the way she told me to play like her and it’s the only way that feels right is to like – you have to @#$% your guitar. [Turns to publicist] I didn’t know how else to say that. I’m sorry!

Read the full article.

Random Inspiration of the Week:

>> The most fascinating guitarist in Africa: Ronnie

Let us know what you think of this video in the comments!

Featured TrueFire Guitar Lesson of the Week:

>> “Duffy’s Edge” from Guitar Cubed

Of the many things Guitar Cubed brings to the table that you might have otherwise dismissed, its major as a key center that might prove to be the biggest revelation to some (I know from my days in the jam session trenches it was all about minor and chugging E strings. Major was just too, well, major sounding! Man, did I miss out!). So far weve explored the muscle rock version of major through Stiff Upper Lip and the lighter jamband side with Granola. Now its time go a little alt-rock/arena rock with Duffys Edge as well as continue to dive into two-chord jams with a jam that exploits the mighty I-V change. Named after its two primary sources of inspiration Billy Duffy of the Cult and The Edge of U2, this jam is major all right—major rock star, that is! Check out the full course by Chris Buono.

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