Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and
Mr. BigMr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
, as well as many solo albums and numerous collaborations and guest appearances with other musicians.
He has been voted number 4 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time", as well as a spot in
Guitar World'sGuitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time list.
Shrapnel Records
Gilbert was raised in
Greensburg, PennsylvaniaGreensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...
. Around 1981-82, he first contacted
Mike VarneyMike Varney is an American musician, record producer, music publisher and impresario. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International. He also has a 50% stake in Magna Carta Records, a New York-based label...
, founder of
Shrapnel RecordsShrapnel Records is a guitar-oriented record label started in 1980 by record producer Mike Varney. Guitarist Marty Friedman , one of the label's most successful artists, first appeared on the album Unsung Guitar Heroes II in 1980 with the band Vixen. Vixen would later change their name to Hawaii...
, asking for a gig with
Ozzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
. At the time, Varney couldn't think why Osbourne would want a 15 year old guitarist, but after listening to his demo he changed his mind. Gilbert was featured in
Guitar PlayerGuitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
magazine at the age of fifteen. They talked for the next 3 years, until Paul went to L.A. for the
GITMusicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
(Guitar Institute of Technology), and then was ready to record Racer X's debut album
Street LethalStreet Lethal is the debut album by Racer X. It introduced the original band lineup featuring drummer Harry Gschoesser.-Background:Street Lethal was recorded in Prairie Sun Studio, in Cotati, California. Guitarist Paul Gilbert used two borrowed guitars to record the album - a Squier Strat and a...
.
Racer X
Formed in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1985, Racer X originally comprised Paul Gilbert (guitar),
Juan AldereteJuan Alderete is an American bassist known for his work with the band The Mars Volta. Prior to his work with that band, he was known for playing in Racer X, where he received credit as John Alderete.-Biography:...
(bass), Harry Gschoesser (drums) and
Jeff MartinJeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea....
(vocals). They were heavily influenced by
Judas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
and Gilbert's playing was reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, displaying fast-driven solos with extreme-level technique. Gschoesser was replaced by
Scott TravisScott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
(later known for being the drummer for
Judas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
) in 1986, and
Bruce BouilletBruce "Einstein" Bouillet is a guitarist who has played in the bands Racer X, The Scream, DC-10, and Epidemic.-Racer X:Bouillet played on Racer X's Second Heat, Live Extreme - Vol.I, and Live Extreme - Vol. II. After leaving the band, he joined with former Angora singer John Corabi, and his former...
was added as a second guitar player. Bouillet was a very skilled player, as he had to play over Gilbert's always difficult and challenging phrases. Paul Gilbert gained recognition as one of the fastest guitar players in the world due to incredibly technical pieces like "Technical Difficulties" "Frenzy", "Scarified", "Y.R.O." and "Scit Scat Wah". Gilbert left Racer X in 1988. Racer X carried on for a short time with guitarist (and fellow GIT alum) Chris Arvin and vocalist Oni Logan (later of George Lynch's Lynch Mob) when singer Jeff Martin departed to play drums in Jake E. Lee's Badlands, in which he replaced Eric Singer who left to join
Alice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. Shortly thereafter, the members of the re-invented Racer X went their separate ways. The original band would eventually reform (although without Bruce Bouillet, who in-turn did produce the first reunion record).
Paul contacted the members of Racer X, and all agreed to return, with the exception of Bruce Bouillet. In mid-1999 the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties. Technical Difficulties went gold in Japan, and Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up. In late 2000, the band released another album, Superheroes. The record was mixed by former Racer X guitarist, Bruce Bouillet.
In order to further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band record a live show for another live CD and DVD. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years to a sold-out crowd at the famed
Whisky a Go GoThe Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
in Los Angeles. The show was recorded for both audio and video, and in 2002, both the CD and
DVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
were released under the name
Snowball of DoomSnowball of Doom is the third live album by Racer X. It was recorded on May 25, 2001 at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California at Racer X's first live concert since their hiatus.The concert was also recorded and released on DVD.-Track listing:...
.
In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and
TaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes, and the final show, in
Yokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board and was to be later released as
Snowball of Doom 2Snowball of Doom 2 is a double album released by Racer X. It is the band's fourth live album, and was recorded in Japan. It was initially released alongside Getting Heavier.-Disc one:#"Superheroes"#"Phallic Tractor"#"Fire of Rock"...
. Later that year,
Universal JapanUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
pushed for another Racer X release. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to record
Getting Heavier-Track listing:#"Dr. X" - 5:31#"Lucifer's Hammer" - 3:43#"Golden God" - 4:23#"Bucket of Rocks" - 4:27#"Go-GG-Go" - 4:19#"Heaven in '74" - 3:26#"Everything's Everything" - 3:46#"Empty Man" - 4:57#"The Siren's Eye" - 6:23#"Ghost Dance" - 5:03#"Endless" - 5:24...
, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal. Although the album was a successful release in Japan, some fans were disappointed with the lighter tracks, which resembled a Paul Gilbert solo album more so than a traditional Racer X album.
Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
Andy TimmonsAndy Timmons is an American guitarist who has played in the bands Danger Danger, Pawn Kings, and Andy Timmons Band . He has also released several solo albums and has worked as a session guitarist...
and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally Racer X. The Racer X lineup consists of Paul Gilbert,
Scott TravisScott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
,
Jeff MartinJeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea....
and John Alderete.
Mr. Big
When
Billy SheehanWilliam "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
left
David Lee RothDavid Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
's band in 1988, he joined with Paul Gilbert, who had left his former band, Racer X. They founded
Mr. BigMr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
, with
Pat TorpeyPat Torpey is an American rock and roll drummer, known as the drummer of the hard rock band Mr. Big. He has also played for Impellitteri, The Knack, David Lee Roth Band and the Exile Social Club. He is noted by Neil Peart for composing unique rhythms such as that of "Take Cover", a rock song from...
on drums and singer Eric Martin. The band was initially a huge success in Japan, and became famous internationally in 1991, with the release of their second album,
Lean Into ItLean into It is an album by hard rock band Mr. Big, released in 1991. Known as the band's breakthrough release, it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 charts, while the single "To Be With You" became the band's first and only song to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100...
. This album featured the ballad "
To Be With You"To Be with You" is a song by the American hard rock band Mr. Big. It appears on the album Lean into It. The song charted in 20 plus countries, many of them at number one, such as on the United States Billboard Hot 100...
", which received strong media play and reached #1 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Gilbert continued playing in Mr. Big until the late 1990s. He left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by
Richie KotzenRichie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
. Mr. Big disbanded in 2002.
In June 2009, Paul Gilbert reunited with original Mr. Big members; Eric Martin (vocals),
Billy SheehanWilliam "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
(bass), and
Pat TorpeyPat Torpey is an American rock and roll drummer, known as the drummer of the hard rock band Mr. Big. He has also played for Impellitteri, The Knack, David Lee Roth Band and the Exile Social Club. He is noted by Neil Peart for composing unique rhythms such as that of "Take Cover", a rock song from...
, for a world wide reunion tour. They recorded a new album with producer
Kevin ShirleyKevin Shirley is a music producer and mixer for many artists, such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Joe Bonamassa, Marya Roxx, Dream Theater, Tyler Bryant, Mr. Big, and Europe.-Biography:...
. titled
What If...-Bonus tracks:- Personnel :*Eric Martin – vocals*Paul Gilbert – guitars & backing vocals*Billy Sheehan – bass guitar & backing vocals*Pat Torpey – drums, percussion & backing vocals-Release history:- External links :* * *...
. The album was released in Japan on Dec. 15th, 2010, in Europe on Jan. 21st, 2011 and in the USA in Feb. 2011. A tour to support the album kicked off at The
House of BluesHouse of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
, in Hollywood, CA on April 2, 2011, followed by several dates in Japan in the same month. In May and June 2011, the tour continues in China, Korea, The Philippines and Europe.
Projects
In May 2003 he played in an only twice-performing project called
Yellow Matter CustardYellow Matter Custard is a Beatles tribute supergroup consisting of Mike Portnoy , Neal Morse , Paul Gilbert , Matt Bissonette...
, a Beatles
cover bandA cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
consisting also of
Mike PortnoyMichael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
(ex-
Dream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
),
Neal MorseNeal Morse is an American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Background:...
(ex-
Spock's BeardSpock's Beard is a progressive rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles by brothers Neal and Alan Morse. Neal played keyboards and was the lead vocalist, as well as being the primary songwriter before leaving the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career. Alan plays electric guitar...
), and
Matt BissonetteMatt Bissonette is an American bass player and the brother of drummer Gregg Bissonette. He attended the University of North Texas's jazz music program. According to Guitar 9, an online musicianship magazine, he has played bass and other stringed instruments on at least 22 albums, with music...
. In February 2011 Yellow Matter Custard re-formed for 3 Nights Across America.
Kasim SultonKasim Sulton is an American bass guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. Best known for his work with Utopia, Sulton sang lead on 1980's "Set Me Free," Utopia's only top 40 hit in the United States...
replaced Matt Bissonette in the 2011 shows due to other commitments. They took their name from a Beatles lyric in "
I Am the Walrus"I Am the Walrus" is a 1967 song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon claimed he wrote the first two lines on separate acid trips. The song was in the Beatles' 1967 television film and album Magical Mystery Tour, and was the B-side to the #1 hit "Hello,...
": "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye".
He rejoined Portnoy along with
Dave LaRueDave LaRue is a bassist who has performed with the Dixie Dregs since 1988 and with the Steve Morse Band since 1989. He also has worked with Dream Theater's John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and Jordan Rudess...
and
Daniel GildenlöwDaniel Gildenlöw is a Swedish musician and songwriter. He is best known as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for Pain of Salvation, a Swedish progressive metal band. In the band, he is the main songwriter, lead guitar player, and the mastermind behind each album's concept...
for a
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
tribute band called Hammer of the Gods in November 2003. The same year, he toured Japan with
Linus Of HollywoodKevin Dotson , better known by his stage name Linus of Hollywood, is an American rock and pop singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer...
, TJ Helmerich, and
Scot CooganScot Coogan is an American session musician and touring drummer.-Career:Coogan has worked with groups such as Violets Demise, Ednaswap, Parade of Losers, Annetenna, Sinéad O'Connor, Peter Yorn, Vanilla Ice, and Otep...
in support of his solo albums
Burning OrganBurning Organ is an album released in 2002 by American rock musician Paul Gilbert, also a guitarist for the heavy metal band Racer X and formerly of the hard rock band Mr...
,
Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul GilbertPaul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert is an album by Paul Gilbert formerly of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big...
, and
Gilbert HotelGilbert Hotel is a 2003 solo album by Paul Gilbert formerly of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was initially released as a bonus CD with his compilation album Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert.-Track listing:...
. In September 2005, he joined Portnoy,
Sean MaloneSean Malone is an American musician who plays primarily fretless bass guitar and Chapman stick. However, Malone also plays piano, keyboards, and guitar. He is most well known as a member of the progressive band Cynic.- Biography :...
, and Jason McMaster in the Rush tribute band Cygnus and the Sea Monsters. In May 2006, he joined Portnoy,
Gary CheroneGary Francis Caine Cherone is an American rock singer-songwriter. He is best known for his work with the rock group Extreme, as well as his short stint as the lead singer for Van Halen on their 11th album Van Halen III and subsequent tour. In recent years he has released solo recordings. In 2007,...
, and
Billy SheehanWilliam "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
to form Amazing Journey: A Tribute to
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, playing three shows. The band (excluding Sheehan) destroyed their equipment after the show in homage.
He was also revealed to be the guest guitarist on the
Neal MorseNeal Morse is an American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Background:...
solo album,
Sola Scriptura-Band:* Neal Morse - keyboards, guitars, vocals* Mike Portnoy - drums* Randy George - bass-Special Guest:* Paul Gilbert - lead guitar in "Upon the Door" and "Do You Know My Name?", flamenco guitar in "Two Down, One To Go"-Additional Musicians:...
.
In 2007, Paul Gilbert toured with
Bruce BouilletBruce "Einstein" Bouillet is a guitarist who has played in the bands Racer X, The Scream, DC-10, and Epidemic.-Racer X:Bouillet played on Racer X's Second Heat, Live Extreme - Vol.I, and Live Extreme - Vol. II. After leaving the band, he joined with former Angora singer John Corabi, and his former...
for promotion of his first instrumental album,
Get Out of My YardGet out of My Yard is a 2006 album by guitarist Paul Gilbert.The only lyrics the album features are "Get out of my yard" which are yelled through the guitars pick-ups at the end of the first track, as well as "1, 2, 3, 4!" at the beginning of the eighth track.-Track listing:# "Get out of My Yard" –...
, which was released in 2006. Also joining him was his wife, Emi Gilbert, on keyboards. Paul Gilbert also joined
Joe SatrianiJoseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
and
John PetrucciJohn Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
in the 2007 G3 tour. This was the 5th North American G3 run and the 12th tour worldwide since its inception.
On January 23, 2008, Paul released an instrumental CD titled
Silence Followed By A Deafening RoarSilence Followed by a Deafening Roar is the second full length instrumental album and 8th overall by hard rock guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert.-Track listing:# "Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar" – 3:48# "Eudaimonia Overture" – 4:35# "The Rhino" – 2:46...
. It was released in Europe on March 31, 2008, and in America on April 8, 2008. This is Paul's second instrumental album.
On October 22, 2008, Paul released an album with vocalist Freddie Nelson entitled
United StatesUnited States is the first full length hard rock collaborative album between hard rock guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert and singer Freddie Nelson. The collaboration has been described as a cross between Queen and Mr...
. The collaboration has been described as a cross of
QueenQueen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
and
Mr. BigMr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
.
Paul with Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in
Anaheim, CaliforniaAnaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
.
Andy TimmonsAndy Timmons is an American guitarist who has played in the bands Danger Danger, Pawn Kings, and Andy Timmons Band . He has also released several solo albums and has worked as a session guitarist...
and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Gilbert, and finally Racer X. This Racer X lineup consisted of Gilbert,
Scott TravisScott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
,
Jeff MartinJeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea....
and John Alderete.
Gilbert also joined
George LynchGeorge Lynch is a hard rock/heavy metal guitarist best known as a member of the band Dokken, his own bands Lynch Mob and Souls of We.-Pre Dokken:...
and
Richie KotzenRichie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.At a young age, Richie Kotzen was taken by music and first began playing piano at the age of five. At the age of seven he was inspired by the band KISS to learn the electric guitar...
on the Guitar Generation tour.
On June 30, 2010, Gilbert's new album Fuzz Universe was released in Japan, with a release in America and Europe soon after. It is Paul's 3rd solo album being entirely instrumental. A cover of Johnny Cash's "Leave That Junk Alone" is featured as a Japanese bonus track.
Influences and Style
Talking about his influences, Paul mentions many different artists, including:
Randy RhoadsRandall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
, ,
Eddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, Yngwie Malmsteen, John J Kirby,
Tony IommiAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
,
Alex LifesonAleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a second generation Serbian-Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend, drummer John Rutsey...
,
Jimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
,
Robin TrowerRobin Leonard Trower , known professionally as Robin Trower, is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio.-Biography:...
,
Ritchie BlackmoreRichard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
,
Pat TraversPatrick Henry "Pat" Travers is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career with Polydor Records in the mid-1970s...
,
Gary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
,
Michael SchenkerMichael Schenker is a German rock guitarist, best known for his tenure in UFO, in addition to his solo band. He first rose to fame as a founding member of the Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid 1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the...
,
Judas PriestJudas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
,
Akira Takasakiis the lead guitarist and founding member of the Japanese heavy metal band, Loudness.-Career:He started his career as a guitarist, winning a TV contest for young music talents at the age of 14. He was rapidly put under contract to be part of the pop-rock band Lazy, of which drummer Munetaka Higuchi...
,
Steve ClarkStephen Maynard Clark was an English musician, co-lead guitarist for the British hard rock band Def Leppard up until his death in 1991 due to a combination of alcohol and multiple prescription drugs...
,
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
,
KissKiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, and The Ramones. Paul has stated many times that he was heavily influenced by his uncle Jimi Kidd who was instrumental in getting Paul interested in playing the guitar. He is also a great fan of
The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
and
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. He states on the Space Ship Live DVD that
George HarrisonGeorge Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
is one of his favorite guitar players.
Guitar WorldGuitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
magazine declared him one of 50 of the world's fastest guitarists of all time, along with
BucketheadBrian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
,
Eddie Van HalenEdward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Gilbert composes music in a wide variety of styles including
popPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
,
rockRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, metal,
bluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
,
funkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and european classical music, but is perhaps best known for his versatility and speed. He is noted in particular for his efficient picking and his tendency to pick many notes rather than relying on
legatoIn musical notation the Italian word legato indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence...
for fast passages.
Instructor
Paul Gilbert wrote his own section of the British guitar magazine,
Total GuitarTotal Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
, where he normally demonstrated guitar techniques in the magazine and accompanying CD. Even before that, he contributed instructional articles to Guitar Player Magazine in a late 1980s/early 1990s series entitled "Terrifying Guitar 101". His period of working with Total Guitar spanned thirty-one issues until the November 2006 issue. Paul also teaches at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) regularly, and is also an
"honorary dean" of the GIT division in Japan. Paul visits Japan, enjoying the lifestyle like his Shrapnel labelmate Marty Friedman, who still lives in Japan and speaks Japanese fluently. Gilbert is known for his instructional videos, which are often comical in nature. One of his instructional videos includes him pulling a rabbit out of his guitar, putting his guitar in a straightjacket and having presents thrown at him by members of the film crew. Paul also was, for a short time, the guitar teacher of
BucketheadBrian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
,
Michelle MeldrumMichelle Meldrum-Norum was an American hard rock guitarist known for being a member of the bands Phantom Blue and Meldrum.-Biography:...
(The late wife of
EuropeEurope is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...
guitarist
John NorumJohn Norum is a rock music guitarist and founder of the Swedish band Europe . Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project...
) and
Nicole CouchNicole Couch is a female American musician and songwriter, and founding member of the all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue.-Biography:Nicole Couch was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in rural Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee....
of
Phantom BluePhantom Blue was an all-female American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1987. Phantom Blue were the first and only female artists to be signed to Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records, only three months after forming....
. Gilbert now writes a column for
Premier GuitarPremier Guitar is an American monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. Founded in 2007, it is based in Marion, Iowa, and has an editorial staff composed of experienced musicians. Content includes instructional material, guitar gear reviews, and guitar news...
entitled "Shred Your Enthusiasm".
Gear
Paul Gilbert primarily uses his
Ibanezis a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
PGM signature series guitars, identified by the unique painted on "F-holes". Although earlier PGM models featured the Ibanez Lo-Pro/Edge double locking tremolo system, many of his guitars (such as his main PGM300) were modified to accommodate a fixed bridge after he stopped using whammy bars in the early 90s, hence the Ibanez PGM301 guitar. Along with his signature guitars, Gilbert often uses his sticker-covered "Dino" Ibanez RG750, in addition to a wide variety of Ibanez solidbody and semi-hollow electric guitars. Recently, Gilbert has been using Ibanez "Fireman" (a reversed-body
Ibanez IcemanThe Iceman is an electric guitar model produced by Ibanez. -History:The Iceman is an Ibanez guitar produced by Hoshino Gakki. Hoshino Gakki exported copies of American electric and acoustic guitars in the 1950s, and by the mid 1970s the Ibanez guitars had reached a level of quality comparable to...
with single-coil pickups and an extra cutaway) guitars, which he designed himself. A red version The Ibanez Fireman is to be mass-produced for consumers at a more affordable price than the Ibanez PGMFRM1 (current Paul Gilbert signature Fireman) in Fall 2011.
Regarding amplifiers, Gilbert used A/DA preamps (A/DA MP-1) and rack effects units early in his career prior to switching to
LaneyLaney Amplification is a British brand of guitar/bass guitar amplifiers and cabinets, and also public address systems.-History:Laney Amplification officially began on September 1st, 1967....
amplifiers. He praised the Laney amps as having "the best natural distorted sound of any tube amp ever heard" Since the G3 2007 tour however, Gilbert stated that playing with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci inspired him to take a closer look at his own guitar sound. As a result of his search he found the
MarshallMarshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
Vintage Modern series. He currently uses the Marshall Vintage Modern 2266c combo amps. Paul now uses the Marshall JMD:1 (specifically JMD501) amplifier along with his Vintage Modern amplifier. Paul uses Jim Dunlop Tortex picks, of which he prefers the orange (.60mm) picks.
As far as cables Paul uses Bullet Cable 30' Coiled Cables, Bullet Cable SLUG DIY solderless patch cables for his pedalboard and effects.
Paul has been known to use the following effects:
- Home Brew Electronics Bajo Mos
- Home Brew Electronics Detox EQ
- TC Electronic Nova Delay
- Home Brew Electronics Compressor Retro
- MXR
MXR, also known as MXR Innovations, was a manufacturer of guitar effects units, co-founded in 1973 by Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood . MXR was based in the United States in Rochester, New York. MXR Innovations, Inc. was incorporated in 1974...
Phase 100
- MXR Phase 90
The MXR Phase 90 is a phaser effects pedal originally designed in the 1970s by MXR.-History:The Phase 90 was released in 1972. It was the first pedal sold by MXR and helped launch the company. The original came in a simple orange enclosure with MXR's "script" logo. In 1977 MXR changed its logo to...
- BOSS
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
DD-3 Digital Delay
- Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
AF2 Airplane Flanger
- MXR
MXR, also known as MXR Innovations, was a manufacturer of guitar effects units, co-founded in 1973 by Keith Barr and Terry Sherwood . MXR was based in the United States in Rochester, New York. MXR Innovations, Inc. was incorporated in 1974...
Blue Box
- Home Brew Electronics THC Chorus
- Robert Keeley Nova Wah LE
- Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix is a New York-based company that makes high-end electronic audio processors. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s....
Deluxe Electric Mistress
- Korg Pitchblack tuner or Boss Chromatic Tuner (depending which is more visible in stage lighting)
- Majik Box Fuzz Universe (as of 2010)
- X-otic AC Booster
- Jim Dunlop 535Q Crybaby (as of 2010)
Paul also used a modified vintage A/DA Flanger from the 1980s (source: Berlin VIP session interview). You can hear it on tracks like 'Bucket of Rocks', and he also uses it on the 'Snowball of Doom' DVD. Paul stated the flanger had been modified. He would set the flanger to self oscillate, which would make the pitch of the resulting signal alternate up and down to create a sound similar to a dive bomb or a pull up on a whammy bar. Unfortunately, during Paul's 2008 European tour, his trusty A/DA Flanger broke. Thankfully, before the pedal broke, he and Ibanez collaborated to make a similar pedal, with both a regular flanger mode and a mode which can be set to create a close approximation of the A/DA pedal's sound, and the pedal has been released as the Ibanez Paul Gilbert AF-2 Airplane Flanger. He also uses the Psilocybe phaser and THC chorus pedals from Home Brew Electronics.
In the intro to "Get Out Of My Yard" Paul uses a
BossBoss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
DD-3
DelayDelay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...
pedal to achieve the altered pitch looped effect at the beginning of the track. This was also demonstrated by Paul on the instructional DVD of the same name.
He is also famous for using a Makita cordless drill with three picks mounted on the end of it, which he used most famously on the Mr. Big track "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy".
In 2009, Ibanez released a new PGM model, the Ibanez PGM401, which is rather different from most of Paul's previous models, with an ash body (most of his previous models were made of basswood, although his PGM800 guitar was made of lightweight ash, a similar but different wood than that used in the PGM401), Trifade Burst finish, Cosmo Black hardware and a regular headstock replacing the reversed one of the previous models. Also, rather than the DiMarzio PAF Pro, Tone Zone and Super Distortion pickups used in his previous models, the PGM401 comes with Paul's favorite humbucker model for the past five years, the DiMarzio Air Classic, arranged in a dual humbucker arrangement. Paul has stated that he had the bridge pickup moved 1mm closer to the neck, which he said results in a warmer and thicker sound, particularly for the high notes he often uses in soloing. The F-holes are 3% smaller, to make the look more balanced with the pickup mounting rings. But perhaps the biggest difference from other current Ibanez guitar models, is that the PGM401 uses the old late-1980s neckjoint, which is thicker than the current neckjoints on other Ibanez guitars.
Racer X
- Street Lethal
Street Lethal is the debut album by Racer X. It introduced the original band lineup featuring drummer Harry Gschoesser.-Background:Street Lethal was recorded in Prairie Sun Studio, in Cotati, California. Guitarist Paul Gilbert used two borrowed guitars to record the album - a Squier Strat and a...
(1986)
- Second Heat
Second Heat is the second studio album by heavy metal band Racer X, released on February 11, 1987 through Shrapnel Records. The album introduced two new bandmembers in guitarist Bruce Bouillet and drummer Scott Travis.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
(1987)
- Extreme Volume Live (1988)
- Extreme Volume II Live (1992)
- Technical Difficulties (1999)
- Superheroes (2000)
- Snowball of Doom
Snowball of Doom is the third live album by Racer X. It was recorded on May 25, 2001 at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California at Racer X's first live concert since their hiatus.The concert was also recorded and released on DVD.-Track listing:...
(2002)
- Getting Heavier
-Track listing:#"Dr. X" - 5:31#"Lucifer's Hammer" - 3:43#"Golden God" - 4:23#"Bucket of Rocks" - 4:27#"Go-GG-Go" - 4:19#"Heaven in '74" - 3:26#"Everything's Everything" - 3:46#"Empty Man" - 4:57#"The Siren's Eye" - 6:23#"Ghost Dance" - 5:03#"Endless" - 5:24...
(2002)
- Snowball of Doom 2
Snowball of Doom 2 is a double album released by Racer X. It is the band's fourth live album, and was recorded in Japan. It was initially released alongside Getting Heavier.-Disc one:#"Superheroes"#"Phallic Tractor"#"Fire of Rock"...
(2002)
Mr. Big
- Mr. Big (1989)
- Raw Like Sushi
Raw Like Sushi is a live album released by the American hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 1990.-Track listing:# "Blame It On My Youth"# "How Can You Do What You Do"# "Merciless"# "Rock & Roll Over ~Paul Gilbert Guitar Solo"# "Take a Walk"...
(1990)
- Lean Into It
Lean into It is an album by hard rock band Mr. Big, released in 1991. Known as the band's breakthrough release, it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 charts, while the single "To Be With You" became the band's first and only song to hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100...
(1991)
- Raw Like Sushi II
Raw Like Sushi II is a live album by the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 1992.-Track listing:# "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy"# "Voodoo Kiss"# "A Little Too Loose"# "Road to Ruin "# "CDFF-Lucky This Time "...
(1992)
- Bump Ahead
Bump Ahead is the third studio album by the hard rock band Mr. Big.-Track listing:#"Colorado Bulldog" - 4:14#"Price You Gotta Pay" - 3:55...
(1993)
- Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3
Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 is a live album by the hard rock band Mr. Big. The performance was recorded at Koseinenkin Hall in Tokyo, Japan October 29, 1993.-Track listing:...
(1994)
- Channel V at the Hard Rock Live (1996)
- Hey Man
Hey Man is the fourth studio album by the hard rock band, Mr. Big.-Track listing:# "Trapped in Toyland" - 4:24# "Take Cover" - 4:38# "Jane Doe" - 3:36...
(1996)
- Big Bigger Biggest: Greatest Hits
Big, Bigger, Biggest! The Best Of Mr. Big is a compilation CD and DVD by the hard rock band Mr. Big. CD released in 1996 and DVD released in 2009 , it contains the following songs:-Track listing for japanese CD edition:...
(1996)
- Next Time Around Best Of (2009)
- Back To Budokan
Back to Budokan is a live album CD and DVD by the hard rock band Mr. Big. The performance was recorded at Budokan in Tokyo, Japan Jun 20, 2009.-Disc 1:# "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy " - 4:48# "Take Cover" - 4:46...
Live (2009)
- What If...
-Bonus tracks:- Personnel :*Eric Martin – vocals*Paul Gilbert – guitars & backing vocals*Billy Sheehan – bass guitar & backing vocals*Pat Torpey – drums, percussion & backing vocals-Release history:- External links :* * *...
(2011)
Solo Albums
- Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (EP) (1991) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #59)
- King of Clubs (1998) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #28)
- Flying Dog
Flying Dog is a solo studio album by Paul Gilbert, formerly of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big.-Disc one:# "Get It" – 2:28# "Girl Crazy" – 3:55 # "Be My Wife" – 5:58# "Mr...
(1998) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #23)
- Beehive Live
Beehive Live is a live album by Paul Gilbert, formerly of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 1999.-Track listing:#"Heavy Disco Trip"#"Be My Wife"#"Get It"#"Mr...
(1999) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #72)
- Alligator Farm (2000) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #24)
- Raw Blues Power
Raw Blues Power is an album by Paul Gilbert and Jimi Kidd, released in 2001.-Track listing:# "Girls Watching"# "A 180"# "Pacific Coast Highway"# "Good Foot"# "12 Days of the Blues"# "Freedom"# "Stranded"# "Play Guitar"...
With Jimi Kidd (2002) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #94)
- Burning Organ
Burning Organ is an album released in 2002 by American rock musician Paul Gilbert, also a guitarist for the heavy metal band Racer X and formerly of the hard rock band Mr...
(2002) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #27)
- Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert
Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert is an album by Paul Gilbert formerly of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big...
(2003) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #31)
- Gilbert Hotel
Gilbert Hotel is a 2003 solo album by Paul Gilbert formerly of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was initially released as a bonus CD with his compilation album Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert.-Track listing:...
(2003)
- Acoustic Samurai
Acoustic Samurai is a solo album by Paul Gilbert, of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was recorded live in Tokyo's Hard Rock Cafe and released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Potato Head"#"Dancing Queen"#"I Like Rock"...
(2003) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #94)
- Space Ship One
Space Ship One is a studio album by Paul Gilbert formerly of the heavy metal band Racer X and the hard rock band Mr. Big. It was released in 2005.-Track listing:#"Space Ship One"#"Every Hot Girl Is a Rockstar"#"On the Way to Hell"#"SVT"#"Jackhammer"...
(2005) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #53)
- Get Out of My Yard
Get out of My Yard is a 2006 album by guitarist Paul Gilbert.The only lyrics the album features are "Get out of my yard" which are yelled through the guitars pick-ups at the end of the first track, as well as "1, 2, 3, 4!" at the beginning of the eighth track.-Track listing:# "Get out of My Yard" –...
(2006) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #52)
- Tough Eskimo (limited edition EP) (2007)
- Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar
Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar is the second full length instrumental album and 8th overall by hard rock guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert.-Track listing:# "Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar" – 3:48# "Eudaimonia Overture" – 4:35# "The Rhino" – 2:46...
(2008) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #39)
- United States
United States is the first full length hard rock collaborative album between hard rock guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert and singer Freddie Nelson. The collaboration has been described as a cross between Queen and Mr...
With Freddie Nelson (2009)
- Fuzz Universe
Fuzz Universe is the third full length instrumental album and 9th overall by hard rock guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert.-Track listing:# "Fuzz Universe" - 7:05# "Olympic" - 5:59# "The Count Juan Chutrifo" - 3:10# "Bach Partita in Dm" - 3:28...
(2010) (Japan Oricon Album Chart #57)
Other appearances
- Trouble In The Streets- Black Sheep(1985)
- Atomic Basement Tapes - Missing Lynx (1985)
- Revelation - Darrell Mansfield
Darrell Mansfield is an American gospel/blues musician.-Biography:Mansfield got his musical start in 1974, releasing his first album Gentle Faith in 1976. He later formed the Darrell Mansfield Band...
Band (1985)
- Pump It!' - Jeff Berlin (1986)
- Out of the Sun - Joey Tafolla (1990)
- Humanary Stew - A Tribute to Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
- Guitars That Rule the World (1992)
- Smoke On The Water: A Tribute (1994)
- Samad: Samad Lead Guitar on "Joget" and "Animo" (1994)
- Jeffology: A Guitar Chronicle (1996)
- Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus (track "Dislocated") (1996)
- Akira Takasaki - Wa (1996)
- Merry Axemas - A Guitar Christmas (1997)
- Mikazuki
Mikazuki may refer to:* "Mikazuki" * "Mikazuki" * Mikazuki...
"In Rock" Sound Track, Guitar on tracks "Crescent Moon" & "Theme for Kazeo" (2000)
- Becker 2001, Warmth in the Wilderness -A Tribute to Jason Becker
Jason Eli Becker is an American virtuoso neo-classical metal guitarist and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Mike Varney-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman. They released Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988...
(Guitar and vocals for Hawkin)
- Hughes Turner Project
Hughes Turner Project was a musical project formed in the 2001 by bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes and guitarist/vocalist Joe Lynn Turner ....
- HTPHTP is the debut album by Hughes Turner Project, a musical collaborators Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turner ; it was released in 2002 on MTM Music and Pony Canyon Records.-History:After a failed attempt in the late 80s to write an album together, Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turner again...
(2002)
- Battle Gear III: The Edge (played on "Charge and Discharge," "Morning View," and "The Machine of Rage" bonus tracks) (2003)
- Kim Fox Return to Planet Earth (2003) Guitar on track 4
- Guitar Wars (2003)
- Return to the Planet Earth - Kim Fox
Kimberley Harmony Angelica "Kim" Fox is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Tameka Empson. She is the half-sister of Denise Fox , and aunt to Chelsea Fox and Libby Fox...
(2003)
- One Night in New York City - Yellow Matter Custard
Yellow Matter Custard is a Beatles tribute supergroup consisting of Mike Portnoy , Neal Morse , Paul Gilbert , Matt Bissonette...
(2003) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
- Mieze - Marco Minnemann
Marco Minnemann is a German-born drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He lives in Lake Elsinore, California.-Biography:...
(2004)
- Five Feet...No Inches - Pintsize (2005)
- Contraire de la chanson - Marco Minnemann (2006)
- Parador (track "Joke") - Wisely (2006)
- Light at the End of the Tunnel - War and Peace (2006) (with Richie Kotzen, John Norum, Jeff Pilson
Jeff Pilson is an American bass guitarist, best known for his stint in the heavy metal band Dokken...
)
- Two Nights In North America - Hammer of the Gods (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
- One Night in Chicago - Cygnus and the Sea Monsters (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
- Live with Sex Machineguns
Sex Machineguns is a Japanese speed metal band formed in 1983. Their music is characterized by a heavy focus on bass as well as extremely fast guitar and bass solos...
- Tokyo (2005)
- One Night in New York City - Amazing Journey (2007) Available @ MikePortnoy.com
- Spin The Bottle - An All Star Tribute To Kiss
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
(guitars on "I Want You") (2004)
- Numbers from the Beast - An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
(guitars on "The Evil That Men Do") (2005)
- Evil Lives: A True Metal Tribute to Black Sabbath (with Racer X on Track 4: "Children of the Grave") (2006)
- The Fool - Jeff Martin
Jeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea....
solo album (2006)
- Sola Scriptura
-Band:* Neal Morse - keyboards, guitars, vocals* Mike Portnoy - drums* Randy George - bass-Special Guest:* Paul Gilbert - lead guitar in "Upon the Door" and "Do You Know My Name?", flamenco guitar in "Two Down, One To Go"-Additional Musicians:...
- Neal MorseNeal Morse is an American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Background:...
(2007)
- G3 Tour
G3 is a concert tour organized by guitarist Joe Satriani featuring him alongside two other guitarists. Since its inception in 1996, G3 has toured most years and has featured many guitarists, including Steve Vai , Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp,...
(2007)
- Lifeline
-Bonus disc :A special edition was released with a CD of bonus material, including covers of four "pretty cool songs by pretty uncool bands" as well as two original songs...
- Neal MorseNeal Morse is an American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Background:...
(2008)
- Guitar Hero Hero (Beating Guitar Hero Doesn't Make You Slash) - MC Lars
Andrew Robert MacFarlane Nielsen is an American rapper, known by his stage name MC Lars. He is the self-proclaimed originator of "post-punk laptop rap". He was one of the first underground rappers to sample and reference post-punk and emo bands...
(2008)
- Bowling For Soup - Merry Flippin Christmas VOL 1 (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause) (2009)
Videography
- Intense Rock - Sequences & Techniques VHS version
- Intense Rock II VHS version
- Guitars from Mars Japanese DVD release
- Guitars from Mars II Japanese DVD release
- Terrifying Guitar Trip VHS version
- Eleven Thousand Notes DVD
- Guitar Wars DVD
- Space Ship Live DVD (2005)
- Complete Intense Rock DVD (2006)
- Terrifying Guitar Trip DVD (2006)
- Get Out Of My Yard Guitar Instructional DVD (2007)
- Get Out Of My City Guitar Instructional DVD/VCD (2007)
- One Night In New York City - Yellow Matter Custard
Yellow Matter Custard is a Beatles tribute supergroup consisting of Mike Portnoy , Neal Morse , Paul Gilbert , Matt Bissonette...
(2003)
- Two Nights In North America - Hammer Of The Gods (2006)
- One Night In Chicago - Cygnus And The Sea Monsters (2006)
- One Night In New York City - Amazing Journey (2007)
- Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar Guitar Instructional DVD And Shred Annex (2008)
- The Last Note of Freedom
External links