Two at a time over the next couple of posts before we get to the top dog!

5.  Paul Gilbert

I remember very well the first time I heard Paul Gilbert…  I was in a record store (my regular hang in my younger years) sometime in 1986, perusing the shelves for something fresh and new to listen to when out of the speakers comes a slow buildup of double kicked drums and a tapped guitar measure that immediately caught my attention.  Then after 30 seconds I was transfixed by some of the most reeeee-diculous guitar playing I’d ever heard in my life-  it was fast, it was technical, it was meaty, and it had my wallet hook, line, and sinker.  It was Paul Gilbert’s debut disc with his band Racer X and it was jam packed with metal that was up my alley-  a good dose of heavy Judas Priest (and this is pre-Painkiller, mind you), Van Halen swagger, and Yngwie Malmsteen.  Gilbert put out another studio disc and a couple of live releases with the band before making a huge leap into the majors with Mr. Big, where he put his talents to good use for quite a few years before going solo and putting out some mighty fine discs in the process.  Pablo covers a lot of ground, whether it be writing ballads, something with a Beatle-esque or Hendrixy vibe, or showcasing his shredtastic talents.  He’s not one to stick to a particular style but has covered a lot of ground over the years and quite impressively.  A great teacher too… check him out on YouTube!

Choice cuts:  “Frenzy/Street Lethal”, “Daddy, Lover, Brother, Little Boy”, “Technical Difficulties”, “Going To Mexico”, “Scarified”, “Addicted To That Rush”, “Green Tinted Sixties Mind”, “Bliss”

4.  Jake E. Lee

1989…  a year I remember well…  college graduation and the summer of one of THE best live shows I have ever experienced in my life-  Badlands at Bogarts in Cincinnati, OH.  I’d already known Jake to be a fantastic player based on his two album stint with Ozzy Osbourne (Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin) plus I’d already devoured the Badlands debut, but I had NO inkling of what I was to experience that night at the show.  The man was possessed!  Finally free from Ozzy’s shackles, Jake could finally let loose and play what he wanted to play and play whatever pleased him.  There was so much fluidity in his playing AND his stage movements; plus he and lead singer Ray Gillen (check out my favorite singers list!) had such a command of the stage and crowd that night that I left out of there wishing I could be nearly as cool as either of those guys.  Unfortunately, Jake and Ray’s tenure only lasted two more albums (one the posthumously released “Dusk”) and he pretty much disappeared for a decade but has returned with a very good band in Red Dragon Cartel.  Jake’s got the riffs, he’s got the lead playing, he’s got style and flair, he’s got primal rawness, he’s got the acoustic bits, and he’s got the rhythm.  He does have a stubborn streak in that he often doesn’t have a set style, but that willingness to take chances and strike gold with something different often leads to very exciting results.

Choice cuts:  “Bark At The Moon”, “Centre Of Eternity”, “Shot In The Dark”, “Live Wire”, “Rumblin’ Train”, “Jade’s Song/Winter’s Call”, “Streets Cry Freedom”, “The Last Time”