Rock gone acoustic & Heron Pinot Noir

Nothing stretches an electric guitarist more than playing a brains-against-the-wall rock tune unplugged. It’s much harder to disguise screw-ups when you’re playing acoustic. So, tonight I thought I’d take a look at some serious rock tunes played by their respective bands in an acoustic format. It amazes me how beautiful some of these songs sound unplugged. Listen to Stevie Winwood playing “Can’t Find My Way Home,” the Eurythmic’s “Here Comes The Rain Again,” or the Scorpion’s “Send Me An Angel” as examples. Others seem more amenable to toe tapping and a nodding one’s head such as “Panama” by Van Halen or catch Joe Perry’s slide work on “Monkey Off My Back.” Very cool. Some very nice guitar work here. Hope you enjoy it.

Eagles

Hotel California: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYf4kqnAWos

Bruce Springsteen

Thunder road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-hF_QrvfR0

Steve Winwood/Blind Faith

Can’t find my way home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSn2Y-b6wI

Eric Clapton

Sunshine of your love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osalLZDo_SQ

Bon Jovi

Wanted dead or alive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVgbTBlH9M

Van Halen

Panama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0c6naJkYEE

Jethro Tull

Life’s a long song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE8YLPHZImw

Aerosmith

Monkey off my back/Love me two times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM04A9HZfxA

Brian May (Queen)

39: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqOdu2xjlBA

Kansas

Dust in the wind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQem15Ow6hw

Cheap Trick

Flame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD3xPO5f0ks

Scorpions

Send me an angel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53ZQ8cIE_6Q

Eurythmics

Here comes the rain again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYeIyR2hzdo

Yes

Roundabout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riE2xHDgODg

The Pretenders

Back on the chain gang: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_UjjQq_ZxI

My favorite reds for summer are Pinot Noirs. They’re light, fruity, and wonderful. So tonight, try a 2011 Heron Pinot Noir ($15.00). Heron winery is out of San Francisco and isn’t a vineyard. Rather, they buy grapes from all over the world to make one fine wine. For a Pinot at this price point, it’s stunning. The wine is bright ruby red and quite complex with aromas of cherries, vanilla, and a touch of pepper. It’s more like a French Burgundy with flavors of red cherries, cranberry, and vanilla and higher acidity than a California Pinot Noir. For $15.00, you can’t beat it. Enjoy it with some very tasty acoustic rock.

Cheers!

Favorite Acoustic Performances &Talbott Pinot Noir

I’ve been out on business for some time and unable to blog. So tonight, I want to review some of my favorite acoustic performances. John Gomes rendition of the Chaka Khan song is amazing and what can I say about the late George Harrison, Eric Roche, and Michael Hedges? Steve Winwood’s version of John Barleycorn has always been a favorite that I used to play in coffee houses back in my college days as was JT’s Something in the Way She moves, always nice to sing to a lady friend. Richard Thompson’s Vincent Black Lightning was the first song of his that I learned and one of these days I’m going to work out my own version of Sting’s Fragile. Hope you enjoy these.

Jon Gomes:

Ain’t nobody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vCcZIARw9k

George Harrison

Here comes the sun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGKPHFrHVVY

Michael Hedges:

All along the Watchtower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5vRLeMFm8Y

Indigo Girls:

Closer to fine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUgwM1Ky228

James Taylor:

Something in the way she moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvZd27-uT1s

Mike Dawes:

Somebody I used to know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1bzUaf_gvU

Adam Rafferty:

Superstition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVvfFtb3Y9s

Eric Roche:

She drives me crazy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-tO6IFwBXI

The Eagles:

Hotel California: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIPu92RddRA&list=PL562C3B2F05BE7907

Eric Clapton:

Layla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbLvltFS7yM

Steve Winwood & Eric Clapton:

Can’t find my way home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAL8qZyeciI

Steve Winwood:

John Barleycorn must die: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8878chOvfI

Jackson Browne:

In the shape of a heart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgy3f6TNcoY

Crosby, Stills, and Nash:

Suite Judy Blue Eyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVUwrifwKrI

John Mayer:

Neon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdHfzrRE0Kc

Bonnie Rait:

Love me like a man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXVoOgwiYc8

Richard Thompson:

Vincent Black Lightning 1952: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0kJdrfzjAg

Kelly Valleau:

Message in a bottle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4kxOoJ2xi8

Sting:

Fragile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKq2_Mz6HMA

Monte Montgomery:

Moonlight tango: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fR0z7_qYrs&feature=related

Zach Deputy:

Tube Steak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rACg0n1B7B0&feature=relmfu

Pete Townsend:

Won’t get fooled again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5yymadwxj8

Bruce Cockburn:

Get up Jonah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bwlLGsl-TY&feature=related

Andrew Winton:

Number’s down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKnngyCIctA

Eric Mongrain:

Airtap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfwaUYpf3lo

Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin, & Al DeMeola:

Mediterranean sundance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cadbYIzhqQ

Although we’ve gotten 7 inches of rain in the last four days, at least it’s spring, so I’m breaking out my favorite type of wine, namely Pinot Noir. Tonight I recommend a 2010 Talbott Pinot Noir Kali Hart Monteray ($17.00). The nose if full of strawberry and rhubarb aromas. The taste is smooth with nice cherry and vanilla flavors. Its finish transitions to a bit of blackberry and lingers moderately long. Very nice for welcoming spring indoors out of the rain.

Cheers!

Nostalgia, Anniversaries, and Shramsburg Blanc de Noir

Feeling nostalgic this week as my wife and I celebrated our 36^th anniversary. In honor of that, I’m revisiting some of the guitar greats of the past. The 60s, 70s, and 80s saw some great guitarists hit the stage. Those were boom years when guitar technique blossomed from hard driving rock to shredder to more melodic forms. While everybody has their own opinions, the guitarists listed below can be found on many of the “top 100” lists, including mine. There are some great songs here, too. So, to end your week on a high note, I give you some of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument.

Nancy Wilson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXeb7Ohfkk

Joe Walsh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rlaF16gLF4

Tommy Iommi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9jqcgnpGKw

Brian May:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYabmM-uxdE

David Gilmore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N82TLB03Vk&feature=related

Paul Kossoff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNVMJdqs5XE

Gary Moore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJI1y0i1mk&feature=related

John Sykes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnzfE8war2w

Van Halen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpX3NhpRGdE

Steve Howe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNsbtnMeGbU

Richie Blackmore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFH36je9Hro

Jimmy Page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS5R42ZWe8A

Robin Trower: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tLsFsGxLmE

Rory Gallagher: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxiEMpcI83E

Duane Allman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6mwOixCObc

Eric Clapton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9N8Qi6zLSU

Leslie West: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMXeZWv6AS0

Alvin Lee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYwfZKl1BzY&feature=fvst

Jeff Beck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZlFTbvfKPE

Celebrated our anniversary with a great champagne. Well, actually it’s classified as a sparkling wine since it didn’t come from the Champagne region of France, but I’m not a snob.  The wine is a Blanc de Noir from California’s Shramsburg Estate. Shramsburg has a long, very interesting history detailed on it’s website, and the estate is actually a state historical landmark. They pioneered Blanc de Noir (“white of black”) made primarily from Pinot Noir, in the U.S. with the first release in 1967. The wine is pale gold colored with aromas of toasted almonds, peaches, and orange peel. It has a creamy texture and subtle flavors of red fruit, orange, and almonds with a citrus finish and perfectly balanced acidity. It’s about $32.00 a bottle, a little above my usual $25.00 limit, but hey, it’s our anniversary, and we’re worth it. So enjoy a blast from the past and try a wonderful sparkling wine to go with it.

Cheers!

Pump It Up Music & La Vielle Ferme Rose Ventoux

It was 105^o in Lincoln today. That makes the 20^th day of 95^o+ weather we’ve had in a row and the 7^th time we’ve hit the century mark in the last two weeks. It makes it difficult to want to do anything, let alone head off for work on a Monday knowing the temperature’s gonna make Hell look like the North Pole. So to motivate and pump you up for the week, I’ve assembled a collection of my favorite “Pump-Up songs. 

What do I mean by a pump-up song? It’s a song you want to listen to when you’re in the gym and feeling the strain of lifting weights or running on a treadmill or cross trainer. It’s a song that keeps you going when you’re out on a 5 mile run in the heat. It’s a song when you’re traveling cross-country and need a boost to stay awake. And it’s a song when your job sucks and you need something to get you through the drudgery, i.e. I’ve had some really sucking experiences at my job lately and as I listened to my Pandora channels, on two consecutive mornings, AC/DC’s Highway to Hell came on. Ironic? 

These are songs that you crank, that you tap your toes, or feel your body sway to the music. One of my all time favorites is Dire Strait’s Money for Nothing, but all of these will get you going. One caution, be careful if you listen while driving as the next thing you know, you’re 25 over the speed limit and there are flashing blue and red lights in your rearview mirror. Pump it up!

ZZ Top:

Sharp Dressed Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn2-b_opVTo

Gimme all your lovin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4VFFBCa5Aw

Metallica:

Enter Sandman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPJKuygePHk

Aerosmith:
Sweet Emotion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V87ZNemLyRk

Walk this way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av2dUXjarX4

Scorpions:

Rock you like a hurricane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI2COawqMJQ

AC/DC:

Highway to hell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_yvrROCtU&feature=related

Back in black: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gComM_ASfuM

Cream:

Sunshine of your love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16h6vLy6n4A&feature=related

Crossroads: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=becWr0vc6cA

Van Halen:

Panama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-NshzYK9y0

Jump: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlq0lYB3iSM

Orianthi:

Highly Strung: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7b-_YcACuQ

Joe Satriani:

Summer Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vp7TmTfVZI&feature=fvst

Satch’s boogie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzQb79IhoRE

Eric Johnson:

SRV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKYKxXc2D4I

Zenland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txp2FwL9bE4&feature=related

Stevie Ray Vaugh:

Scuttle Buttin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHEVIWpX2XM&feature=related

Crossfire:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsHXd4rQnW0

Led Zepplin:

Whole lotta love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mln0RciE2o0&feature=related

Dire Straits:

Sultans of Swing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jxsnIRpy2E&feature=related

Money for Nothing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlPjxz4LGak

The weather begs the question, “Why does anyone live in Nebraska?” My wife and I have asked that question a lot lately. Maybe it’s time to move to cooler climes. But when it’s this hot, it calls for something refreshing, like a 2011 La Vielle Ferme Rose Ventoux, Rhone Valley ($10.00). It’s produced by the Perrin family of Chateau de Beaucastel fame. It’s a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. Beautiful strawberry pink color with aromas of strawberries and cherries that follow on the palate. It’s a very rich, balanced wine that refreshes on a hot summer evening (it’s still above 100 as I write this at 7:15 PM). So grab a bottle and hit the floor with some great music. In fact, play it while you’re getting ready for work tomorrow morning. Anything to get you going! Enjoy!

Cheers!

Eric Clapton & Casarena Cabernet Sauvignon

Since I love the blues (duh!), about once a year I feel I have to feature the music of my all time fav guitarist, Eric Clapton. No, he’s not God, but I believe even God loves his music. From his early days with the Yardbirds and Bluesbreakers to his solo  work, both electric and acoustic, he is like a bottle of fine French Burgundy that just keeps getting better with age. The first numbers below are electric while the last few are acoustic. All blues, what else would you expect from the blues meister? Enjoy!

Every day I have the blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnjSQGKuarM

Groaning the blues:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxTWQD91b5c

Have you ever loved a woman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VukiMyI45sA&feature=related

Driftin blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4yI-F0Dz8

Double Trouble: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugB2PGnlvTw&feature=related

Ain’t gonna give up on love: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nGPQ_YPDbU&feature=related

Hold on:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6fljxCXuh0&feature=related

Same old blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA-0BbHeRS8&feature=related

Outside woman blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oarej9z--E

Stones in my passway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UH6co6Va3g&feature=related

Ramblin on my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8FyHMI8W4A&feature=related

Key to the highway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oei5PTADpPM&feature=related

Before you accuse me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31zuGwu3Jxc&feature=related

Can’t afford that fine French Burgundy that goes for more than $500.00 a bottle on average, but I can recommend a really nice, affordable 2010 Casarena Cabernet Sauvignon from Mendoza. The wine is deep ruby color with a bouquet of blackberries and dark chocolate. The taste is a mouthful of blackberries and cassis with a hint of chocolate, mocha, and just a touch of sweetness. It finishes long and spicy with smooth tannins. At $15.00 a bottle, I don’t think you’ll find a better bargain. So uncork a bottle and hit the deck to enjoy one of the premier blues guitarists of all time, Mr. Eric Clapton.

Cheers!