CRACKSTAR from my 2001 Sony/Surfdog release Shapeshifter. The task - TopicsExpress

CRACKSTAR from my 2001 Sony/Surfdog release Shapeshifter. The task at hand is again for all you ripping guitar people out there to cop this solo and post post post it! The original idea for the song came when I was in the recording studio around 1999 doing a session with George Clinton ( that also included Bobby Womack and Billy Preston..the 5th Beatle). George was really outside that afternoon and he kept mumbling over and over...your so rock, the king rock, gonna smoke the rock...thats when the lyric idea hit me Your So Rock Im Gonna Put You In My Pipe And Smoke You...I was spending alot of time in clubs around the world doing my share of substances and one night in Acapulco Mexico I jreally got into the Dj doing these massive snare roll build ups ( the tequila was inhansing the experience no doubt). Well when I got home I decided to be bold and put a big build up in the middle of the song. Around 1998 or 2000 (I cant remember exactly) I started working with Perry Farrel and his crew working on his drum and bass record for Virgin. I was having fun getting into alot of these things until my friend and mentor Tony Berg at Virgin records told me...Its A Sure Sign Of An Aging Artist...He Makes Drum And Bass Music As To Appear To Still Be Relevant...That statement hit home...I was indeed bored and searching for something so when I recorded Crackstar I took some Hendrix and some Buzzcocks and mixed in my middle build and suddenly I was having fun. The solo was an accident as was the cool freak out guitar intro. For the intro I had all these proto type new Line 6 effects that were givin to me ( I was on the cover of Line 6 magazine which at the time was the coolest company in music). I set up a few sounds at Matt Sherrods studio and hit that intro bit once...Thank GOD Matt recorded it cuz I could never figure out how to do it again ( those F***in Line 6 Pedles were too hard to use for a bone head surfer like me). Now for the solo...I was hanging out down at my then girlfriend Nikita Agers house on the beach and surfing daily. I had moved over to long time friend and x Guns n Roses guitar man Gilby Clarks home studio to finish overdubs ( Gilby gets sick guitar sounds). I rode my bike that day from Santa Monica carrying my board to surf the Venice pier and after the session I rode back. I drove out to Gilbys that afternoon to cut some guitars and when I got there I realized I could barley move my fingers...My fingers cramped up from squeezing my surfboard while peddling my bike. So when I tried to cut the solo to this song my fingers were killing me...thats why I am barely making it to the notes BUT the effect was awesome..I think its one of my favorite solos I have ever done...I did the solo and looked at Gilby and said...thats enough for today and went back to the beach....I remember while recording Norwood Fisher from Fishbone came to play some bass on a track and when I played him this one he nodded and smiled when he heard the 2nd verse line...The Jokers On The One..The Boy Thinks Hes A Gangster And His Mouth Is A Gun.......Enjoy Brian Tichy on Drums and Dorian Heartsong on Bass....and a nice aggressive mix by the great John X...and by all means feel free to share