I can’t believe this fell under my radar, but last week ZZ Top released a two-DVD set titled Double Down Live. This two-disc set includes shows from almost 20 years apart. The first DVD includes 22 songs recorded in 1980, during the Top’s Deguello tour. The second DVD includes 11 songs recorded during their 2008 tour. Also included on the second DVD is behind the scenes footage from the tour. I believe the 2008 footage is shot by the same guy who directed the Rock + Roll Gearhead documentary of Billy Gibbons.

Here’s the track listing for the DVDs:

Disc One – Definitely Then 1980
1. I Thank You
2. Waitin’ For the Bus
3. Jesus Just Left Chicago
4. Precious And Grace
5. I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
6. Manic Mechanic
7. Lowdown In The Street
8. Heard It On The X
9. Fool For Your Stockings
10. Nasty Dogs & Funky Kings
11. El Diablo
12. Cheap Sunglasses
13. Arrested For Driving While Blind
14. Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
15. La Grange
16. She Loves My Automobile
17. Hi Fi Mama
18. Dust My Broom
19. Jailhouse Rock
20. Tush
21. Tube Snake Boogie
22. Just Got Paid

Disc Two – Almost Now 2008
1. Got Me Under Pressure
2. Waitin’ For The Bus
3. Jesus Just Left Chicago
4. I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide
5. Blue Jean Blues
6. Heard It On The X
7. Just Got Paid
8. I Need You Tonight
9. La Grange (with Sloppy Drunk & Bar-B-Q)
10. Hey Joe
11. Tush

I recently noticed on Jonny Lang’s Facebook fan page that he is releasing a live album next week titled Live at the Ryman. I believe this is recorded from the show my wife and I saw last year on August 30, which was a great show.

There’s not a lot of information available about the album yet. So far, it appears to be an MP3-only release, available only at Amazon.com.

The track listing for the album is as follows:

1. One Person at a Time
2. Bump In the Road
3. Turn Around
4. Give Me Up Again
5. A Quitter Never Wins
6. Red Light
7. Don’t Stop (For Anything)
8. Livin’ For the City
9. Thankful
10. I Am
11. Breakin’ Me
12. Lie To Me

This past Friday night, Joe Bonamassa played a show at the Vic Theatre in Chicago, IL. On the same night, Gov’t Mule played a show at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago. Fans of Bonamassa and Gov’t Mule had to choose which show to go to. However, fans at the Gov’t Mule show got a special treat. After Joe finished his show, he rushed over to join Gov’t Mule for two songs during their 2nd set. He played on “Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home” and “Sco-Mule”.  Below are videos from that night:

Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home:

Sco-Mule:

Gov’t Mule’s new album, By a Thread, is now available. I haven’t heard the whole album, yet, but I like what I’ve heard so far. And, with a guest appearance by Billy F. Gibbons, the album is off to a great start. Warren Haynes is one of my favorite guitarists of the past 20 years. He’s also one of the hardest working; it’s amazing that the Mule even had a chance to record this album considering all the work Haynes has been doing with the Dead and with the Allman Brothers Band, in addition to his work in Gov’t Mule.

Have you heard the album, yet? What do you think of it?

Guitarist Orianthi, who recently gained attention as the guitarist for Michael Jackson prior to the singer’s death, has a new album titled Believe that will be released on October 27. The album showcases not only Orianthi’s guitar-playing skills, but also her singing and songwriting skills.

If you’re not familiar with Orianthi, she’s a 24-year-old guitarist from Adelaide in South Australia. Several years ago, she grabbed the attention of Carlos Santana during a tour of his through Australia, and she has since played with Steve Vai, Prince, and ZZ Top. Most recently, she was selected to be the touring guitarist for Michael Jackson’s tour.

On Believe, Orianthi manages to combine pop sensibilities with a guitar shredders attitude, and it works for her. The following is the EPK for the upcoming album:

Last week Mark McGuigan posted a list of guitar-related iPhone apps that he likes. A nice list, including some interesting apps that I’d never heard of before, like iReal Book and Musician’s Practice Journal. Check out Mark’s full list here.

Eric Clapton is one of my favorite guitarists. He has been for almost as long as I’ve been playing. Most guitarists I know feel the same way. However, I wonder if non-guitarists feel the same way?

Several years ago, I was driving a younger relative around in my car, and I was playing a Clapton CD. When he asked what I was playing, he looked incredulous when I told him it was Clapton. The feeling I got was that he was thinking, “Who still listens to Clapton?”

I wonder if this is a sentiment shared by most younger non-guitarists. Even though Clapton helped shape rock music and holds a significant place in musical history, has he done anything over the past few years, or even the past decade or so, that speaks to the next generation of musicians. Or, is he just a piece of musical history.

In my opinion, Eric Clapton is definitely still relevant. But, my opinion is and always will be clouded by the fact that his music (past and present) has had such an impact on me and my playing. If I didn’t play guitar, I’m not sure I’d feel the same way.

What do you think? Is Eric Clapton still relevant to the next generation of fans?

I’ve been thinking about getting some type of recording device to record myself while I practice. I’d like the recordings to be fairly high quality and I’d like to easily be able to transfer the recordings to my computer. The Zoom recorders by Samson seem to be some of the best on the market right now. Below is a video of Page Hamilton talking about how he and Helmet use the Zoom H2:

What do you use to record yourself playing guitar?

On May 4, 2009, Joe Bonamassa played to a sold-out crowd at London’s Royal Albert Hall. This was the culmination of a life-long dream of Bonamassa’s and a celebration of his 20 years in the music business. The performance was recorded and was released on DVD this month.

At the beginning of the DVD, Bonamassa recounts watching Cream’s Farewell Concert, which was recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, and how it made him want to play the Royal Albert Hall one day. Suffice it to say, this was a special day for Bonamassa, and he brought out all the stops.

In addition to his regular touring band, which features Carmine Rojas on bass, Bogie Bowles on drums, and Rick Melick on keys, Bonamassa added a horn section and Anton Fig as a second drummer. I wondered how the additional players would affect the sound because I love the sound he gets from his regular touring band and I was hoping that wouldn’t get lost. My worries were unfounded; the additional musicians really added another dimension to the music making it fuller and bigger sounding.

As Bonamassa starts the show, the camera follows behind him so that you can see his point of view from the stage. And, as he walks out onto the stage playing the intro notes to “Django”, you can see the crowd give him a standing ovation, which must have been a tremendous moment for Joe.

The material Joe selected for the show features songs from his latest album The Ballad of John Henry as well as songs from throughout his solo career, including one of my favorites, “Blues Deluxe.” He also played a few classics, including “Just Got Paid” and “Further On Up the Road”, where he was joined by the person that inspired him to want to play the Royal Albert Hall: Eric Clapton. Another special guest, British radio host Paul Jones, joined Bonamassa to play harmonica on “Your Funeral My Trial.”

Joe’s playing throughout the show is, as usual, incredible. The tones he wrangles out of his Les Pauls and his amp combinations are second to none. The gear he uses includes his signature Les Pauls, a few Les Paul historic models, a Gibson Flying V, an Ernie Ball Musicman John Petrucci Baritone, an Ernie Ball Musicman 25th anniversary, and a Yamaha acoustic. He uses his usual combination of amps, which includes a Marshall Silver Jubilee, a Van Weeldon Twinkleland, a Carol Ann JB model, and a Category 5 Joe Bonamassa model.

The DVD also has a few bonus features, including a performance of “Woke Up Dreaming,” which is an acoustic guitar tour de force. Additionally, a bus interview with Bonamassa is included. In the interview, he discusses some of the songs that he plays in the show and how he came to write or record them. While discussing the songs, he plays some fragments of the songs using the brand-new Marshall Class 5 amp, which sounds great.

Joe Bonamassa has previously released two other DVDs, Live at Rockpalast and A New Day Yesterday Live, both of which are very good and both of which I’d recommend. However, Live at the Royal Albert Hall takes it to a different level. I think this is Joe’s best DVD so far. Not only is the performance top-notch, the production by Kevin Shirley is very well done. I had the chance to see Bonamassa a few months before the Royal Albert Hall show, and this DVD perfectly encapsulates that experience for me. I highly recommend this DVD for any fans of guitar-driven music.

I’ve recently had the chance to use a leather guitar strap from Italia Leather Straps, and I can say that these are very well made guitar straps. The one I have is their black on black model, as shown in the picture. In addition to being very well made, the straps carry a lifetime guarantee, so if anything does go wrong with the strap, they’ll replace it for free. As they say on their website: “An Italia Strap is the last guitar strap or bass guitar strap you will ever need to buy.”

I’m used to using nylon straps that came with my guitars. Immediately upon feeling the leather strap by Italia, you realize that it’s a completely different feel than the nylon straps I’m used to. The strap feels like a much higher quality strap and feels like it’ll last for a long time. The leather is also more comfortable than the nylon straps I’ve been using.

If you’re in the market for a new guitar strap, I’d recommend checking out Italia Leather Straps.