Back to the Woodshed

My pre-1983 electric: a Kent 12-string

After a couple of years of neglecting my guitars, I've recently come back around. Some guitar-playing friends at work have pestered me for months to pick up the axe again. I haven't actively resisted, but the instrument just hasn't held my interest for quite some time. Too many other hobbies, for one thing. And another is that my music listening choices aren't exactly guitar-oriented. I've been more inclined to put on some EDM (electronic dance music) or even dance pop. Hey, tastes can change, and I've simply added more genres to my collection. Not that I've completely dropped my love of 70's rock, 80's metal and other older genres of my more youthful years. Sort of like a change of scenery in order to keep from feeling stale... or getting bored. 

But when it comes to playing guitar, I need those older influences to fire me up. And since I'm not into listening to Rush or Metallica much anymore, I've leaned toward music that I never explored on guitar before. I have to admit that I'm tired of playing the same bunch of songs over and over, especially the ones from twenty or more years ago. And that means bands like Rush and Metallica. And since I sort of covered the spectrum of my listening interests on the guitar back in the day, it now feels like I should give the stuff a chance that I liked less then but much more now. That means The Eagles for starters, since I've more recently acquired all of their "classic" albums (all of those up until and including The Long Run in 1980) and have a new appreciation for them. I'll cast about for more ideas, like maybe some Fleetwood Mac, and maybe even some more current artists like Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes.

You see a trend here? Yes, it's largely lighter, acoustic, country-folk-oriented rock. I don't think I picked the genre so much as the genre picked me. Some music feels dated after a few decades, but the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac do not. Their style of the 70's and early 80's still sounds fresh and inventive, and very obviously influenced newer artists like Band of Horses. Melodic rootsy rock with great vocal harmonies and the ability to turn to a heavier sound now and then. 

As I strum the acoustic these days, and listen to the likes of the Eagles, I begin to think about tuning up the electric so I can hit those raunchier notes as well as the singing lead solos. If can even remember how to play like that, not that I was ever all that great at lead. At least I could have some fun trying while jamming with friends who can probably show me a thing or two. 

Maybe this old dog can learn a few new tricks after all.

And my post-1985 axe, a Phoenix Phantom Telecaster copy