Album review - "Songs From The Goose" by the Whiskey Geese

This is a review of the Whiskey Geese's 2017 release “Songs From The Goose.” Dane Anderson, Tyler Wayne Drabick, and Jesse Farnham are listed as being who the Whiskey Geese are, although any time I've ever seen them live it's just Dane and Tyler. They often perform with two acoustic guitars, both singing, and simply told, you owe it to yourself to go see them. They're fantastic.

Now, over the years I have heard a lot of locally produced recordings and I have to say, until recent years they have just about all been sorely lacking. I am a faithful friend, and gladly pay whatever the going rate is to support a local artist, but probably anything in my local record and cassette collection from before 2000 has had one courtesy listen and left to collect dust. And the sad part is, most of these acts are/were great in a live setting.

The sad truth is, local acts don't often get to play the music that they write. Let's be honest now, people at clubs and parties expect to hear music that they're familiar with. Which isn't a bad thing, but for an artist there is no replacement for playing a song again and again. And when you don't get to play your own songs except a few times in rehearsal to learn the changes, and then in a hurry during an expensive studio session, they don't get their due.

That said, since the advent (and rapidly dropping price) of digital recording, there are a lot of good local things coming out, and this is definitely one of them. Most of it was recorded, as reported on the CD sleeve, “in a small cottage on Goose Pond in Canaan, NH.” And yet, in spite of the semi-amateur setting, the final result is very professional. The mix is good, the performances are excellent, the vibe is relaxed, the instruments and vocals are clear . . . all in all, an excellent effort.

Okay, so, because I know Dane and Tyler, I feel like I have to take pains to find what I don't like about it and present that as proof of my own integrity as a reviewer. And I would love to, but . . . damn, it's a good album. And it's one of those that's becoming an ear worm. I've now played it four times, and I'm liking it better every time. That's a very good sign.

I think Jesse Farnham does a lot of the lead vocals, although I hear Dane and Tyler's distinctive voices taking the lead on some. Blake Goedde plays excellent drums, very tasty, not overplaying but setting a deep, comfortable pocket for the songs. Drabick does some very sweet keyboard, and both he and Anderson contribute great guitar work. Their individual styles on guitar stand out as well.

This is a very tongue-in-cheek record, but far short of what I would call cynical. Cynics sneer at everything, basically despise anyone not as smart as they are (and nobody is), and at the end of the day don't really care because it's all an illusion, right? The Whiskey Geese view the world through smart-ass glasses, but do it with heart and soul.

In a lot of ways this is classic jam-band stuff. If you like Grace Potter, Keller Williams, the Allman Brothers, Umphrey's McGee, and Gov't Mule, this is right up your alley. They draw from a deep, deep well of influences; a true 21^st-century group but with roots sunk deep in the ground. Yep, the usual suspects; jazz, blues, country, the whole kettle of fish. They like taking things just a little over the top, but not so far that they fall into head-up-the-poop-chute cleverness.

If I'm not mistaken, Dane is a Berkeley School of Music graduate, and I've heard that this is where he and Tyler met, but that's second hand. If I weren't so darned lazy, I'd ask them. More fun to just spread rumors, but they are both highly educated. And I'm not sure of how else to say this, but . . . they don't sound it. School didn't beat the soul out of them.

Oh, right. Songs. The opener, “Whiskey Goose,” chugs along with a Joe Bonnamassa-meets-John Lee Hooker guitar hook and then throws clarinets (played by Drabick) at you. And, at the end, you still have no idea why they call themselves Whiskey Geese. They won't tell me, either. (Assholes.) They probably tell everybody else, and then order them not to tell me. Fine. Be that way. I don't care. Good song anyway.

I'm trying to pick a few stand-out cuts. “Funkalotapuss” is great. And, yes, Jesse, you are a blues singer. Good effort, though. “Spittin' Blood” makes me wonder where they got that particular inspiration. Hmm, Drabick and Farnham . . . You bad, bad boys! “In The Snow” is one of those modern-classic-throwaway tunes; a very calm, very sweet, very gentle roller coaster ride. (See, right here is where your guts slam up against your rib cage.)

“High White Mountains” gives them a chance to show off their bluegrass chops. “Proper Man” is just absolutely righteous. “Bucket of Blood” is Dane at his best. “Mary Claire” might be funny, but they do it so damned well it comes over beautifully.

On the whole, “Songs From The Goose” is fun, often funny, smart, and very well done. I will give it, on a scale of 5, 4 ½ NH pine cones. After all, nothing is perfect.

Find them here: http://www.whiskeygeese.com/

Songwriter's Workshop

The Warren United Methodist Church hosted a songwriter's workshop on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011, and I thought I should tell you about it.

In a nutshell, it would appear that everyone in attendance had a blast.  Two fellows from the Bristol UMC came, and one woman from the Tilton UMC.  It was promoted mostly through the NH-VT Methodist district, as "Songwriting from a Christian perspective," but everybody was invited.  We were hoping to get 5 or 6 people to come, but it worked out to be a good-sized group overall, giving everyone plenty of opportunity to get a word in and play several of their own songs.

Also there were three very good songwriters I invited to participate in a roundtable discussion.  There was Jim Tyrrell, from Campton, NH, who is one of those rare local musicians who's actually making music for a living.  He has several CDs out and has toured extensively.  We've played in a couple of bands together, and I have immense respect for him.  He talked a lot about a website he's a member of called Songfight.  It's a tool for exercising your "writing muscles," and he played a couple of songs he wrote for them.  Basically, they give the group a title and everyone has to write a song on that theme.  My personal favorite was "God Hates Penguins."

Sky King was also there, who is a very good friend and one of the best natural songwriters I've ever known.  He actually does have considerable knowledge and background in the nuts and bolts of music, but his songs feel so natural that you might be tempted to think of them as old, traditional songs.  "The Carpenter's Song" stood out for me.

Tod Moses rounded out the group.  Tod is from Thetford, VT but is originally from Ohio and spent about 20 years in Nashville on the edges of a big-time music career.  He learned the craft of songwriting from the pros and writes brilliant stuff himself.  His band, That Band, recently released its first CD and he's about to release his latest solo effort.

With such an A-list of writers, I began to worry that the others would feel intimidated.  I needn't have worried, as it only whetted their appetite to show their own work.  John Moore played us several songs that were very good indeed, and has a music ministry with his wife.  Some of his songs had a very classical feel to them, with very strong melodies.  Kathy Smith, the woman from Tilton, played us songs she'd written back in the 70's when she was still quite young.  It was like peeking into someone's diary; very personal and very moving.

We started in the morning with a basic class, led by me, on music and composition.  This made for a lot of give and take and made us all think about the process a little deeper.  Lunch was provided by the Green House, and it was delicious!  Thanks very much to Cheryl and Gary for the outstanding pizza.  The roundtable was after lunch, and we had some good home cooking for supper. 

The only unfortunate thing of the whole day was that nobody from town came for the pot luck supper.  It seems we were up against a supper and concert at the Wentworth church.  These things happen, I suppose, and I'm told it was a very good show.  But by the time we were done with our evening meal we were all pretty worn out, so we opted out of our own show.  This was sad, because we had held back Bob and Sue Moulton, and then nobody got to hear them play.  We'll have to correct that sometime very soon.

All in all, we had a great time, made some new friends, learned some good stuff, and are hungry to repeat the event sometime in the future.  Hopefully, we'll get the word out a little better and get a few more people involved.  It was a good experiment, and worthy of repeating.

Open Letter to a Rich Person

Hi. There’s been a lot of talk about you lately. President Obama has decided that you’re being paid too much, and he is – or members of his administration, at least, are – cutting your pay. It may be up to 90%. And the scary part, from your perspective at least, is that most people seem to be all for it. Even people who are against it for moral/political reasons think you deserve it.

You may count me among them. The one thing that I think will make it stick is that it’s going to happen to rich guys whose companies took stimulus money. That gives the lender some say in things like that, like it or not. They can do it to Chrysler, but they can’t do it to Ford.

Your stockholders should have already done it, but they dropped the ball just like they did when they hired you to lead the company. If you’d done a job worthy of a big bonus, they wouldn’t be in the trouble they’re in now. I have no sympathy for you whatsoever. Consider yourself lucky that you have a job.

Why is this attitude so pervasive in American society? I’ll tell you, simply and succinctly; it’s because you’re an asshole. Think about that next time you go out to a restaurant, or the grocery store, or get gas for your BMW. Listen to the words that come out of your mouth to the people who serve you, get you things, hand you your change, ask you for more detail regarding what you want, and then smile and say, "Thank you, have a nice day."

Day after day I have had you and people like you look me in the eye and call me stupid, or say something that shows you think I’m stupid, in spite of my education and experience. I know my job, and I hope I’m not guilty of sinful pride when I say I’m pretty darned good at it. When you come up and spout gibberish and I don’t leap into action, it’s your fault. Your explanation of what you want makes no sense to me. When I come back with questions that you have to actually think about, it’s because I want to give you what you want and I’m trying to figure out what that is. Coming back with the same gibberish, only louder, does not expedite the process.

You seem to forget that you need us, and we don’t need you. You ought to carry that thought around for a while. Your ability to be an asshole with no negative repercussions relates directly to the amount of money you have, and nothing more. You don’t seem to realize that your attitude toward the people that feed you, clothe you, and get you things to amuse you is reprehensible. Try to imagine what your life would be like if you woke up one morning and your bank account was empty. Your job was gone. The things you own are being repossessed. By 10 in the morning, you’re standing beside the road with the clothes on your back. And the rest of us are going about our business with no more cares than the night before. We don’t need you.

We grow the food. We pick it. We transport it to places where people will buy it. We build the store it’s sold in, and the truck that brought it. We clear the land it’s built on. And if you and your kind were to vanish tomorrow morning, we’d manage without you. We were growing, traveling, and building long before there were any banks or corporations.

But what about you? If we were all to disappear, who would bring you your latte? Who would make it? Who would harvest the coffee beans and milk the cow? Who would feed the cow?

None of us, really, doubt that you work hard. Or that you serve a useful purpose in society. We all have bank accounts, and take out loans, and we like the fact that if we buy a Chevy in Idaho we can easily get parts for it in Georgia. It’s people like you, managing these large organizations and their interaction, that make these things possible. You make and distribute the movies and music and TV shows we enjoy. You excel at the games we’ve invented, and it’s entertaining to watch you do it. We take significant amounts of our income and freely spend them to enjoy the fruits of your labors, and don’t begrudge you a dime as long as we get what we’re paying for. After all, we’ve got families to feed and bills to pay, and we hate getting ripped off as much as you do.

So when you come into the places we work so hard in and act like we’re ripping YOU off, we don’t like it. We’re not, usually, and your contempt is unjustified. You should behave better, and you should certainly teach your kids to. Have you ever seen them in line for food at a ski area? Have you heard the things they say to the people providing them sustenance? If my kids behaved that way, I’d discipline them.

Or do you even know your kids? Do you spend time with them, or do you shunt them off to schools and then in the summer shunt them off to camps? Do you send them postcards from the places you go, with two gushy sentences about how much you love them, while they deal with surrogate parents paid to amuse them for a month or two? Is that how you were raised? No wonder you’re an asshole.

Why not consider this; you’re in a Dunkin’ Donuts, or a Post Office, or a Mercedes-Benz dealership, or the place you store your boat, or a lift line at Loon Mountain. You need something. You come to a person who makes his living by getting you breakfast, or shipping your package, or making sure you don’t break your neck getting on the chair lift. Already, today, that person has served dozens, maybe even hundreds, of other people successfully. They’ve been doing it for a while, and they’re probably going to be doing it for a while longer. Maybe years. Maybe for life.
Try this; be nice. Smile at them. Thank them. Act, for two seconds, as if you appreciate their efforts, and maybe even care about them. Wish them well. Yeah, I know, you don’t care, but try and appear like you do. Just for two seconds. Believe me, they will remember you. They will mention it to others. It will give them a lift. It will even make them want to do their jobs better. And if it doesn’t appear to do that, it’s because so many people like you have been so harsh to them for so long, they’ve tuned it all out. So do it again. Don’t be pushy, just be nice. Keep it up, and it will eventually rehumanize them.

And, just maybe, it will rehumanize you, too.

And as for your pay, just suck it up. Those of us who make your life possible and get low to mid five figures for doing it would trade with you in a heartbeat.

Matt Smart

I had the privilege of seeing the latest evolution of one of the finest musicians in New England the other night. It was at a benefit party/concert at King's Lumber's airfield in Wentworth, NH. Bob King and his partner, whose name I've sadly forgotten, played, and then me, and it finished up with Matt Smart's band. Bob and his friend were very good, and the audience was very kind to me, thank you very much. The benefit was for the Warren/Wentworth Ambulance Service.

The first time I met Matt he was about 19 and already sounded like Stevie Ray Vaughn. I don't mean just played the notes, I mean he did it with real soul. That was probably ten years ago, and he's done nothing but improve since.

He hung around with me and the band I was in for a while, back when Chris Sweeney and I were playing as The Flexibles. He liked the variety of music we did, but he's always been primarily a modern blues man. Last night I saw a more mature artist, but one who is still stretching out. He's left the SRV clone behind and is working more from a modern Southern Rock stance, channelling Duane Allman and Steve Gaines from latter Skynyrd.

He started the night on a Les Paul, but quickly switched to a Telecaster, which he's clearly more comfortable with. He's also taken the step of being this band's lead singer, and he's not bad. Al Boucher played great drums, and I believe the bass player's name was Fish, and he was very good as well. Plus, Bob King joined them on second guitar, but I don't think he's a regular member of the group.

As far as rock guitar goes, the only serious competition to Matt is Mike Bottigio of Cobalt Blue, and Mike's got about twenty years on Matt. Mike is simply incredible; a Hendrix disciple but with his own distinct voice. That is something that Matt doesn't have quite yet, but it's coming. He's an incredible player, but he hasn't hit that Carlos Santana/Phil Keaggy identifiability yet.

And yes, I know there are guitarists out there who have a lot more technique than Matt, Mike, or any other rock and roller. But if rock and roll is your music, these are the guys that everyone else in New England has to answer to. And dat's de name o' dat tune.

Local Phenomenon

The other day I was in a record store. Strike that; there is no such thing any more. CD store, I suppose, although they’re getting fairly rare. Anyway, this one was in Tilton at the Tanger Outlet. Music For A Song, it’s called. I was browsing through the CDs and came across a stack of discs by Jim Tyrrell. He’s a local artist, and I’m proud to say a good friend of mine.

It was really great to see Jim’s face looking up at me out of a rack of CDs. I don’t know if he’ll ever be seen anywhere else, but he certainly deserves to be. Very talented musician and songwriter, and I highly recommend that you get yourself a copy of his disc at your nearest record store . . . or whatever they’re called nowadays. There’s even a link to his blog right over there, no not there, yeah, right . . . right THERE.

There’s two reasons his CD is on sale at Music For A Song. One is that Jim is very talented. The other is that he’s driven. I think he still harbors dreams of one day being a big star. Not only can he play, sing, and write, but he works very hard on his craft. And even if he never gets to sell his CDs anywhere else, you can bet you’re going to get a quality product.

For myself, at the ripe old age of 53, I’m no longer worried about hitting the big time. That ship has sailed. No worries. Hey, at this point if I did get offered a record contract I couldn’t afford to take it. No way could I quit my job and go on the road. You know what the odds are of a new artist breaking through and having a hit? They’re astronomical. For every Dave Matthews, or Michael Jackson, or Hannah Montana, there’s a hundred – maybe a thousand – people that somebody thought was worthy of a record contract that sell three or four hundred copies and disappear without a trace.

That doesn’t stop me, though. I just flat love to write and play, and I’m going to keep right on doing it. And I know plenty of other very talented people who keep doing it, too. Here are some of them.

http://www.myspace.com/cobaltbluevt will get you to the myspace page of the best damned blues band in New England, Cobalt Blue. These guys rock. I’ve seen them as a 3-piece and a 5-piece. I also have their CD, which is excellent, and I mean that. I have a number of CDs and cassettes by friends and acquaintances that I never listen to. Sorry, but a lot of that kind of thing simply isn’t that good. Sometimes there are good reasons that somebody doesn’t get signed, y’know. But Cobalt Blue’s CD is on my player regularly.

The whole band is great, but the guy that most impresses me is the guitarist, Mike Bottiggi. He’s a graduate of the Hendrix/SRV school, but takes it to his own place. He also is a tube amp rebuilder/fixer/toaster who’s got the tone that comes right out of the ground and straight up your spine. You cannot listen to this guy and not be moved. They are based in Northern Vermont, and are worth travelling for.

http://www.abandcalledspike.com/?mpf=frame is for A Band Called Spike. If you like your rock hard, this is the place to go. What would you call this stuff? Punk metal? That’s probably pretty close. To tell you the truth, I don’t listen to a lot of this kind of music, but they do it very well. Jim Alger, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, is a very old friend of mine, but even that wouldn’t get him mentioned here. The reason I’m mentioning him and them is that they’re very, very good. The other day I put in the live DVD I have of them, and it’s great. Even though I don’t make this variety of music my first choice, they are compelling. They’re based in Massachusetts.

A good musician needs a good instrument, right? If you’re a guitarist, like I am, you owe it to yourself to check out Green Mountain Guitars at http://www.greenmountainguitars.com/index1.html. Glen DeRusha makes some of the best acoustic guitars I’ve ever played, and it is my goal to one day own one. Check out some of his craftsmanship at this site. Or better yet, get yourself over to Bradford, Vermont and see them first hand. Believe it or not, Glen loves to have people drop by and play his instruments, or even just hang around and talk guitars and music. He even lets me do it! What a guy!

The Greenhouse

Last Friday night, 11/7/08, got a chance to play right here in my own 'hood at the Greenhouse restaurant. I can literally see it from where I'm sitting right now.

I occasionally go to their Thursday open mic night, which is run by a very good friend named Sky King. The Greenhouse is one of those places that has changed hands several times. Last year it was The Twig; before that, the Garlic Clove, and when we first moved to Warren 9 years ago it was Paramount Pizza. The Twig went whole hog into live music, and the Greenhouse has been getting into it as well. But it's a small place with a small budget.

The Open Mic works out well for them. If you're on the list, you get your first drink free, which is a good deal imho. The list fills up quickly, and the place stays packed until closing time. It's also one of the better open mics around; not so much because of the quality of the players, but just the atmosphere. You can tell that most of the people that play there only play in their own living room, but it's that love for the music that permeates everything.

Most places, you go to their open mic, you get to see a lot of people who are trying to get a group happening. And that means it's mostly people who aren't quite good enough to be in a working band. Which isn't necessarily bad, but the sad ones are the ones who think they're really good, and they really aren't. And everybody in the room knows it, except for them.

Hanging out on Thursday night at the Greenhouse is just flat-out fun. You haven't lived until you've sung "Good Night, Irene" with Sky. Anyway, I went there to play one evening and the owner came up and said that she'd love to have me come do a Friday night, but she couldn't afford me. It was very flattering, I must say. I assured her that she could afford me just fine. After all, it's a hundred yards from home! And, I love to play.

So we did the handshake and I went down. I got a free dinner, and we put out a tip basket, and it went very well. I've got to say I do like playing solo. More and more I'm treating solo gigs more like concerts; more chatter, and more stuff that I like to play or even wrote myself. It's more personal.

Not that I dislike playing with the band. Jon and Ken are excellent musicians and we have a great time. Band gigs tend to be more about getting people to dance than to listen. But I get to play electric guitar, and that's big-time cool.

The places I play solo are usually pretty small. Actually, the only other place I'm doing solo lately is the Colatina Exit in Bradford, VT, which is also a very nice gig. For PA, all I'm bringing is my powered board and a pair of monitors, which I lay on the floor and point toward the audience. I'm tellin' ya, these are small rooms. No need on bringing my 12's-and-horn mains and putting them up on stands.

So maybe I'll see you at a solo gig sometime soon. I'm playing the Colatina Exit on the 21st, and the Greenhouse the first Friday in December. In between, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Red Hat Band is at the Bridgewater Inn.

Live music

Hi. A little update on live performances. Got asked to be a last-minute fill in for the monthly poetry reading at the Moultonboro public library, and found myself the opening act for a very talented young man who calls himself Redbeard Bullrider. He gave me his card, but then I had to ride home in the rain, so all the printing washed off. Still, he has a website of some sort, and if it's half as good as he is live it's more than worth the google search. He's not only very gifted, but was gracious enough to help me with a song. Thanks, Red.

The centerpiece of my performance was the CD, Rough Edges. I had nine copies with me and came home with only one. Four were paid for, two were traded for books of poetry, and the last two took my word that I wasn't interested in charging for them. Which is cool, by the way. And, if you have one, and the link has led you here, search the blog for references to "Rough Edges" to find the liner notes for the CD.

Anyway, that was all on Tuesday, August 5. On Friday, the 8th - which was also my wife, Lynn's 39th birthday - I played with the band at Bluesology. The band goes under the semi-poor name of The Red Hat Band, which relates to the red fedora I wear on stage. We never have thought of a proper name, and that is how people refer to us, so we're making the most of it.

The down side of that is that it makes it appear to be my band. It is not. It is a pretty equal collaberation between myself on guitar, Ken Anderson on drums, and Jonathan Sindorf on bass. We all sing, and we all pick material. For the most part we're classic rock, but we've been known to blur the edges pretty badly, even resorting to original material when pressed.

Which reminds me, there's an interesting gig coming up in the fall. More about that later. To see The Red Hat Band, come to the 4-wheeler annual pig roast in Warren NH on Sept. 13, or the Bridgewater Inn in Bridgewater NH on Sept. 19.

Good gig at Bluesology 7/11/08

Hi.

Well, the Red Hat Band played last night at Bluesology, the club at the Lodge at Belmont, home of the famous dog track. It's a great club, with very good acoustics, and it's been a real pleasure to play there.

We did our standard thing of classic rock covers and it went over really well. We did a lot of our favorites; Walk Away Renee, Sultans of Swing, Some Kind Of Wonderful. Plus, we're adding some new tunes to the mix; Soak Up The Sun, You Wreck Me, and Ken's really beautiful version of Wicked Games. At one point the audience was getting so into it that they cleared a bunch of tables and put them off to the side to make a dance floor. Get down with your bad selves, so to speak.

Big thanks to Jewel Fox, a good friend of the band and one of Ken's drum students, who sat in on three tunes. This allows Ken to play some guitar. Jewel is really coming along well, and she sounded great.

Our next gig is again at Bluesology on 8/8, which is also my wife's birthday. Help me talk her into coming, would you?

Also, if you email me regarding this blog, please put something about Peter Pan in the subject line. My email address is set for exclusive, because I get so much spam. I want to make sure I don't delete you along with all the offers for cheap Viagra.

Quick update

Hi.

Just a quick update on things in general. Now that the NH primary has come and gone, I'll be concentrating on music again, I suppose.

You may note a new link, for another blog called IDIC. This is one by a couple of friends of mine from Frontier Fleet. Both are conservatives, and both Americans, but with markedly different points of view. East and West coast, high and low tech, young and old, but both very good and quite insightful writers. Check them out.

I'm in a band once again, playing with old friends Jonathan Sindorf and Ken Anderson (bass and drums respecively). We've been playing at the Bridgewater Inn in Bridgewater, NH mostly, with the odd thing at the Country Cow (Plymouth) and occasional private parties. Check us out at the Country Cow, just off exit 26 of I-93 in Plymouth on June 6. Also, at the Bridgewater Inn on May 16.

I've also been playing occasionally as a solo, mostly at the Colatina Exit in Bradford, VT. Great Italian food. Check them out. No upcoming bookings there, but I'll keep you posted.

On the down side, one of my all-time favorite music venues will be closing at the end of May. The Middle Earth Music Hall in Bradford, VT is in its final month, so click the link to their website while it still takes you somewhere and pick a show to go to. You won't regret it.

That's all for now.

My favorite music stores

As a public service, this is about a handful of music stores I think it would be worth your while to check out. Remember that I live in central New Hampshire, so all the stores are in that general area. Also remember that I am a guitar player, so the list leans heavily to that end of things.



Also, you should know that I'm not a big fan of big music stores. Although from time to time I do business in them, I never really feel at home in them. It's rare to find one that really knows a lot about everything they have in stock. If you want an electric guitar, you'd better want a Strat or a Les Paul or nobody's going to be able to answer your questions. On the other hand, a good small store with a few product lines can usually give you intelligent answers about everything in the store.



These are laid out in roughly geographic order, from South to North. No other ranking should be implied.



WORKING CLASS MUSIC, Tilton, NH.

Link: http://www.workingclassmusic.com/



This is where just about all of my PA gear has come from for the last ten years. Greg is the owner, and he's a good guy. A little terse sometimes, but straightforward and honest. You may not like everything he says, but you can take it to the bank. Working Class is a long-time Peavey dealer, and if I had to buy anything musical on name alone, I'd lean heavily to Peavey. Their stuff always sounds at least pretty good, and often damn good, and it's tough as nails. Greg's also got a good selection of reasonably priced guitars, which often includes some real gems. He always seems to have a couple of inexpensive Stratocasters I wish I could buy.



They actually have a website again, although Greg's never relied much on the internet for his business. He's notoriously bad about answering his emails, so call him on the phone. He's also got a selection of hand-made jewelry.



VINTAGE FRET SHOP, Ashland, NH

Link: http://www.vintagefret.com/



Dave Coburn is a figure of almost mythic proportions to the local music community. To be sure, some people are disdainful of VFS and Dave. In part, because he's not afraid to ask what he really thinks a piece is worth, and then let it hang there until he gets his price. But also, because he sets the standard for small music stores in New Hampshire. Everybody at some time or another bends the knee to Dave. He's done it all, and still stands head and shoulders above the rest. Most of the proprietors on this list think of Dave as a friend, and even a mentor.



The famous profile of Dave that is the icon of the store shows him with the long beard that he actually hasn't worn in years. I've known him, and shopped with him, since before he could grow it. His store on Riverside Drive in Ashland is a treasure trove of fine fretted instruments, although if you're on a budget he's got something for you as well. His long suit is acoustic guitars, and VFS sells both Martin and Taylor flattops. He's also a Fender dealer, and there's always a bunch of lust-worthy electrics hanging on the walls.



They've also got a world-class repair facility. Yes, Scott thinks everything he touches becomes worth its weight in gold, but he gets away with it because he's very, very good at what he does. I've learned over the years to only ask once what a repair will cost, because every time you ask, the price goes up. You can trust, however, that if you put your precious axe in their hands it will be treated right.

DAVE ALLBEE, Main Street, North Haverhill, NH
Phone: 603-787-6196

Dave doesn't have a website that I'm aware of. I don't even know if he's got an email address. What he does have is magic hands. He is my repair guy of choice. I'm also proud to be able to call him my friend. Even if I have nothing to fix, I try and make it a point to stop by and swap stories with him from time to time.

The biggest thing I ever threw at him was my Guild dreadnaught. It's a 1969 D44 with pearwood back and sides, and it got rather unceremoniously dropped on its heel a number of years ago. Half a dozen good repair people had me convinced that I'd never play it again. One said they'd use the neck and put on another top, back, and sides. Another said they could fix it, but it would cost $1500. Everybody else said simply not to bother.

When Dave saw it, he looked it all over real good. Then, he described step by step how he would fix it. When he'd finished, he quoted me a price of $200. I left it with him. A month later, I picked it up. That was three years ago, and I'm still playing it. The man's a genius, I tell ya. I saw him take an Epiphone ES335 copy with a badly warped neck and straighten it out. I don't care what it is you need fixed, you owe it to yourself to at least let Dave take a look at it.

He also buys and sells various used instruments. He's got a nice selection of acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, fiddles, and you can even get the standard accessories there; strings, picks, tuners, cables, etc. He works out of his house, so it's pretty casual. You catch him at home and he's open. His place is just north of the N. Haverhill town building on main street. When you stop in, tell him I said hi.

NORTHERN LIGHTS, Littleton, NH
Link: http://www.northernlightsmusic.com/

Dan Soloman's the principal dude here. Brilliant musician, and a super nice guy. He built this place up from a hole in the wall with his own instruments into one of the North country's premier music shops. He's got a big acoustic guitar room, stocked with shiny new Taylors. The main part of the store has two walls full of a variety of electrics. But the room that knocks me out is the electric room, stuffed to the gunnalls with the best that Fender, Gretsch, etc. have to offer, and lined with shiny new amps.

He's also got keyboards, effects, sheet music, damn, the place has everything. And he's even reasonably priced! Recently, a friend of mine was interested in purchasing a hollow-body electric guitar. We went to a big-name store in the Southern part of the state, found what he wanted, and got the salesman down to his rock-bottom price. They were just about to close the deal, and I pulled my friend aside. I told him that Dan had the identical guitar hanging on his wall for fifty bucks less. The salesman scoffed.

Buddy, if you're reading this, I wasn't kidding, and you blew a sale. Bob loves his new Gretsch, and he really loves the deal Dan gave him. Tempus fugit.

FRIENDLY RIVER MUSIC, Cornish, ME.
Link: http://www.friendlyrivermusic.com/index.htm

I'm tempted to name this place my new favorite, even though I've only been there once. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the selection of guitars and amps this place had. And, it's all housed in a barn attached to a house on a side street near the river in Cornish, Maine. If not for the classy hand-carved sign in the front yard, you'd never know it was there. A hidden treasure, to be sure.

Let's start with the wall full of classic Fenders, Gretschs, Gibsons, Martins, Taylors, and anything else your pit-pattering heart can imagine. On top of that he also sells new Fenders and Taylors. Then, we go to the amps. Fender, Rivera, and Orange amps dominate the floor, including a really sweet collection of old Champs. Yes, he's got some inexpensive stuff, but he's a firm believer in quality. We talked for an hour about amp cabinets, and why he likes real plywood over particle board. "Would you make a solidbody guitar out of particle board?"

From the lakes region of New Hampshire, take US rt. 25 to Maine, stay on 25, and when you get to Cornish keep an eye out for a nondescript sign on the left directing you down a side street. Hint for first-time visitors: Ask to see the Hunt Tele. You won't believe your eyes, or your fingers. And, be sure you check the hours before you go. He's got a day job, and if you get there in the early afternoon you're out of luck.

GREEN MOUNTAIN GUITARS, Bradford, VT
Link: http://www.greenmountainguitars.com/

This is not a music store, but Glen DeRusha makes the best acoustic guitars I've ever played, so I'm giving him a shout-out. His workshop is in his garage. Open his website and you'll immediately hear one of his guitars. He builds them one at a time, and he seems determined to price his guitars below those of every other boutique luthier in the world. It's a case of getting way more than you pay for. You owe it to yourself to go to his house, accept his gracious hospitality, and bless your fingers with one of his git-fiddles. You'll never forget it. For myself, I've been talking to him about building me a 12-string.

'Nuff for now. Keep on rockin'.

Link to Sweeney

Hi.

Some of you got here via a link on my CD. There's another CD I'd like to draw your attention to. Most of the copies of both CDs have links to both pages, but some don't, so here it is.

http://tcsweeney.blogspot.com/

This will take you to information that goes with a CD called "The Ricochet Project" by T. C. Sweeney. TC was a very good friend of mine, who passed away early in 2002. These are among the best recordings of his own songs, and I am proud to have been a part of them. I hope you enjoy the blog, and the CD.

Guitars

I think I'm going to drop a few thoughts about one of my favorite topics; guitars.

I've been thinking a lot about guitars lately, because my house was robbed a couple months ago and most of my guitars got ripped off. I've been gigging with borrowed gear, thanks to some very generous family and friends. When we get the money from the insurance settlement, it's time to go shopping.

Now, for you women who have to put up with men complaining about your shopping, you know that we're just as bad. The difference is that we don't make you go with us when we go. 'Nuff sed.

Anyway, I lost five guitars, but now I'm thinking about what I'd get if I'd taken 5 guitars worth of money and had a chance to re-spend it. One thing I definitely want is a hollow-body electric. I once had a really good one, a blonde Gibson ES-175. Had to sell it to pay the bills, and been kicking myself ever since. It's not the kind of guitar I'd use all the time, but I love to play them. The other main thing I need is a good solidbody with single-coil pickups. Strats are good, although I'll probably do a mod on the electronics. A good Telecaster can do anything.

Here's where we get into one of my pet peeves; "tone woods." What most manufacturers call "tone woods" I consider toneless. Alder, basswood, poplar . . . These woods make dead guitars. Which can be a good thing, if your style of play includes a lot of processing. These kind of woods send a much simpler signal into your processor, and if that's what you do, then that's what you need. I like to serve mine up Rory Gallagher style; guitar, cord, amp. The rig acts more like an acoustic instrument when you run a simple set-up. For that, I much prefer heavy, resonant hardwoods like mahogany, ash, and maple.

One thing I'm considering is having a custom guitar made. In a way, I'd like to start collecting favorite instruments. An SG, a Strat, a Tele, things like that. On the other hand, I've always wanted to have an uber-guitar made. One that was exactly the way I want it.

So, here's what that would be:

Short scale. 24.75", like a Les Paul. Nice, C-shaped neck that was thin, but fit snugly in the palm of your hand.

Mahogany, with maple top and back. I've got the slab of maple, too. Birdseye, cut in New Hampshire, sliced into plank back in 1978 by my father-in-law. Beautiful wood, and rings like brass.

Carvin humbuckers, with coil splitters.

Graphite saddles and nut. No tremolo.

There it is; my Christmas list for '06. All donations cheerfully accepted.

And, I would, of course, love to know your thoughts on the subject.

r