Johnny Cash, The Man in Black.

While I was in my third year as a college student, I was sort of thrilled by all the music that I started to hear. Trip Hop music, Hardcore Punk, Electronica, Classic Rock and Industrial Music. It's kinda cool while you have such an amount of music to hear, nothing compares to the first time you do something.

In the middle of all this great music I was sort of discovering, driven by the ''progressive'' musician in me, there was someone who really, caught my ear since day one. I saw a film 'bout his life, and I got more into his music. In fact, after watching this sort of biographic film, I started to pay closer attention to what that man did music wise, and life wise. In fact, among with Neil Young and David Gilmour, he was the third driving force that encouraged me to learn how to sing.

All of my heroes, musical and non musical, have this sort of ''Outrageous-Mystic-Lonesome'' personna. Just today, I was telling this cute girl that, Bruce Lee and Clint Eastwood, were basically my first heroes, 'cause I admired them since I was a kid. Specially Bruce Lee.

The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, wasn't any different in his personna. In fact, he gained that nickname - Man In Black - because, he only wore black clothes... Legend says that he once was told ''Why you dress in black? Looks like you're going to a funeral'' and he answered ''Maybe I am''... That's what I mean. An Outrageous, Mystic and a deliberate Loner.

He was Mystic, because in every song he played -Even the ones he covered- you hear him singing all, very heart-felt driven. With total honesty, feeling sadness for the less fortunate people -Specially the people who lived in prison. They were his biggest fans- and also, singin' out of his heart what love does to every single human being. Both happiness, and sadness.



- Outrageous, Mystic and a Deliberate Loner. -

He was a deliberate loner, 'cause he had this ''No compromise attitude''. If he was doing something, he did it anyway 'till he finished, even it caused him some trouble. Part of his honesty come together with this, 'cause you know, honesty is such a lonely word... everyone is so untrue, as Billy Joel Said.

I felt identified with him, no doubt. Johnny always did his way, from the very beginning of his musical career, 'till the day he passed away.

Honesty is what makes great artists... just like Johnny was...

Black Flag

Black Flag isn't your traditional ''Britpop''-easy listening band. Black Flag isn't easy music. Black Flag is Attitude, a kick in your ass when needed, a motivation.

While I discovered Black Flag's music, I was thrilled. I've never listened to something like that before... So fast, angry, furious, no-compromise driven music. I swear, never.

I was used only to the melodic voices, and complications of progressive rock. But while I heard the Seattle grunge sounds, things started to change, and among the things I discovered during that change, was this amazing energy-driven music. I'm really glad.

The first song that caught my attention was the great ''Rise Above''. To me it was like an anthem, as Henry Rollins himself said once ''That song is the perfect American Anthem''.



Why? I mean... ''Jealous cowards try to control...Rise above...Were gonna rise above
They distort what we say...Rise above...Were gonna rise above''.

- That will be my new world order's anthem :D...

Rise Above like the motherfucking Phoenix... From ashes to life again. That's what I got from this song. And fellas, all of you, and myself included have been through shitty, fucked-up times. But after hearing this song? I don't give a fuck, I just want to tear down whatever comes on my way and on my path :D...

Black Flag's music is all about that. To challenge yourself, your environment, every day, having no rest 'till you rise above. Their sound is really amazing. This band was formed circa 1978, by the amazing -and the master mind of the band- Greg Ginn. Years after, a fan joins them, and Black Flag started to sound even better.

The fan's name was Henry Rollins, a guy who found in music his voice, his way to speak out all the hell of things he was living through, and seeing as a youngster...In fact, music was his catharsis, the thing that gave him focus.



- Just, amazing. I hope my ''revolutionary'' jerk president would face Henry one day, so he could give a kick in his balls.

Right now, Henry Rollins is a great spoken-word artist, I dare to say, one of the most influential men in contemporary rock history.

Greg Ginn is also among the Rock N' Roll guitar greats. His style defined a new way of melting your influences, no matter how disparate they are. In fact, the man fused his Black Sabbath influences, with punk-rock Influences, and even jazz influences. Go figure, that's why those guys had such an unique sound.

I believe Black Flag was put on earth to bring you down to earth, with no excuses... Glad I've found them.

Nine Inch Nails.

While I was in high school, some of my former classmates talked 'bout music quite a lot. They mentioned a lot of bands, some of them I knew, like Korn, Metallica and Iron Maiden, and some of them I didn't at the time. Of course, there were cases where they talked 'bout indie rock -I'm not much of a fan of it, but anyway- and also, the ones what I called ''Call-Your-Attention-Acts'', like Marilyn Manson, and Nine Inch Nails.

I, as a 17 year-older fathead, didn't paid much attention to it, and continued listening my ol' goodies. Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Korn. But somehow I was intrigued, why all this guys talked so much 'bout those bands/artists?

Anyway, I even remember having a conversation in Christian Values class talking 'bout this music. ''Heretic'' and ''Mundane'' were two words this people used a lot, and seemed to like to use to describe this music. And so I was a sheep, following 'em, the ''Lamb of God''. But anyway, I got enough of it one day, and let myself go. But that's another story...

-Remember that I told you, my dear folks that I used to study in a Catholic-boys institute that was more like a reformatory?. So don't be surprised.-

My increased music-hunger demanded me at the point to find more music to hear, to dig, to study, to listen while I closed my eyes, to listen while I just stared hopeless the ceiling room of my place. And one day, a friend o' mine just kept asking me ''Why don't you listen to those guys?''. And I gave the egotistical-dumb ass driven answer: ''Because they like to show off''. Jeez, what a jerk I was.

In some point, a concert is 'bout that. At least, the show you, as an artist have to put in to blow everyone's minds away...

So one day I started to find Nine Inch Nail's songs. The first one I heard were the piano-driven ones, like ''Something I could Never Have'' and ''The Day the World went away''.

I was out of my head. I could felt what the guy who was singing was feeling, in fact, I did related and reflected myself in each one of the things he was singing about. There's this particular verse of the song ''The whole world went away'' that I like a lot:



''There is a place that still remains, It eats the fear it eats the pain
...The sweetest price hell have to pay...The day the whole world went away''

To me, that was it. I found someone who I could relate on the sad/depressive side of me. And sometimes, I really go down folks... Life's like that. There's joy, and sadness. Sun and Moon, day and night.

The pure honesty of the main architect of Nine Inch Nails was very inspiring for me. Thanks a lot Trent Reznor...

And I didn't liked good art at first, go figure... but hey, that's the way we learn.

Soundgarden

While I was on my first years of college, like on my second year of guitar learning, I wanted to push more my musical boundaries. I continued following bands that could draw things like freedom, and good art. So one day I went to my old school brother's house, as usual, I stared at the wall of posters he had, there was one from a particular band I hadn't heard at the time. By coincidence, my friend was suggesting me some new music to listen, and get influenced by.

Among the music he was suggesting me -Neil Young and David Bowie- he said the name of a band that he called ''The Black Sabbath of the 90's.'' I thought that I should give them a chance, 'cause at the time I was into Black Sabbath as well as the other experimental acts, like Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix.

So, he put the CD of this band, the song being played had a funny but catchy name. ''Spoonman'' it was. For sure, the sounds of the guitar weren't something you heard all time, or at least coming from a guitar. Same with the vocals, they weren't something you heard all time, at least in this times where all you hear is guys who attempt to sing. So the same happened with the drums, they had some sort of jazzy/intricate vibe, combined with good ol' rock n' roll drumming. And the bass? Well, go figure, the bass player used the bass microphones to do some vocal effects.

So I decided to pick up the CD my friend was encouraging me to listen. I remember going psyched by the whole group of songs issued on that CD. It was a ''Greatest Hits'' sort of album, it was called A-Sides.

There was a particular song that caught my attention. Jesus Christ Pose... It had a lot of energy on it, raw power, and fiery rock and roll. Everyone in the band was giving all of their best to give you a kick in the ass with that song. And I liked it... And in the same time, there was a song that was really, really sad, that suit any time of despair possible. The song was called ''Black Hole Sun''



- Believe me, it's a kick in your ass... -

The band's name, was Soundgarden... No one sings like you anymore, Chris. No one rocks like Soundgarden anymore...

Rhandy Rhoads.

During this days I had a lot o' trouble getting my ideas organised. I mean, through my long musical journey I've got a lot of musical heroes, so keepin' the right order of how they appeared in my head is quite hard.

Today I'm gonna write 'bout one of the most greatest guitar players in the shredding history. Mr. Rhandy Rhoads. Rhandy was the first guitar player Ozzy Osbourne had as a soloist. Legend says that Rhandy was just warming up, like running up scales through the neck, and Ozzy heard that and said ''That's God talking to me'' and hired Rhandy inmediately.

I heard him by accident. A classmate who was an avid music collector as your humble narrator is, lent me a cd where, you find a plenty of good guitar videos. Among any other names, there was Ozzy Osbourne's ''Mr. Crowley'' video. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I thought there were more than just one guitar player, but I was wrong. There was just one, and it was Rhandy.



- If you don't believe me, just hear this -

He was heavily influenced by two of the greatest guitar players in history: Ed Van Halen, and Jimmy Page. And also, he liked to hear a lot of non-metal/rock music too... like John Mc Laughlin's, Pat Metheny, and classical music as well. During his career span with Ozzy, Rhandy recorded the albums ''Blizzard of Ozz'' and ''Diary of a Madman''.

Unfortunately, what seemed to be a promisory career and a rising new inspiration for guitar players to come, ended abruptly one day, while a stoned plane pilot done wrong an airplane trick, and killed Rhandy. He was one of the passengers of that aeroplane.

But anyway, maybe Rhandy's gone, but his music stays in our spirit...