Detritus
Mini-Issue #309.5 March 25, 2005
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower@...

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
lof@...

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@...

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@...
http://www.vongoober.com/

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*** LET ME SPEAK ON THIS ***
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- Now this is a treat—a special issue devoted to Neal Woodall's
interview with living-guitar-legend Vinnie Moore! And you'll notice
nowhere does Neal misspell Neil Peart's name (or Keri Kelli's, for
that matter)! -Patrick

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*** SPECIAL REPORT ***
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by Neal Woodall (MysticX10@...)

-Interview w/ Vinnie Moore
March 15, 2005

- It is unlikely that Vinnie Moore needs an introduction to fans of
blazing virtuoso guitar and melodic instrumental music. Currently
with legendary rockers UFO, Vinnie can be heard on Magna Carta's
recently released tribute to Rush entitled SUBDIVISIONS. I spoke with
Vinnie about that album, his thoughts on Rush and his upcoming projects.

Detritus: Let me first say that you've been on my short list of
favorite players since MIND'S EYE (Vinnie's debut album from 1987)
came out!

Vinnie Moore: Oh man, thank you very much!

D: Yeah, and Rush is my overall favorite band so this is a real treat
for me!

VM: Oh, thank you very much!

D: Also, congratulations on MIND'S EYE landing in the #3 spot on
Guitar One Magazine's "Top 10 Shred Albums Of All Time" list.

VM: Thanks!

D: I think it should have tied with Yngwie Malmsteen's RISING FORCE
at #1 myself!

VM: (laughter) Hey, I'll take #3!

D: O.K. well SUBDIVISIONS is the name of the new Rush tribute CD, and
that comes out today (March 15th), right?

VM: Does it really?

D: I think that is what I read; I was looking up some information
about it on the Internet and I believe they said it would be released
today. How did you get involved in the project?

VM: I've known the president of Magna Carta, Pete Morticelli quite a
few years -in fact, back in the 80s he was my manager for awhile and
so I've always done projects with him over the years and I guess when
the Rush thing came up he thought of me and asked me to do it and it
was exciting for me so I agreed to do it.

D: What did you think of the first Magna Carta tribute to Rush,
WORKING MAN?

VM: You know what? I heard that once about five years ago and I have
no recollection of what it sounds like! (laughter)

D: I hear guys like Michael Schenker, Allan Holdsworth and Al Di
Meola in your playing but you are quite a different player than Alex
Lifeson - was he a big influence on you when you started out?

VM: When I first started playing guitar I was into the Rush ALL THE
WORLD'S A STAGE record, and you know as I began playing he wasn't one
of my big influences, actually, to be honest; I mean I always thought
he was a good player and I've always liked
Rush but no, he wasn't one of my big guys.

D: Right. I noticed you are doing all of the rhythm tracks on
SUBDIVISIONS, but only one lead guitar solo, on 2112 if I remember
correctly?

VM: Yeah, that's it.

D: Why didn't you do more solos on there?

VM: I think with the solo stuff and the vocal performances they were
looking for many guest artists so he asked me to handle all the rhythm
guitars and be on top of that, and contribute a solo and then he was
going to ask other people to all contribute solos and singers to
contribute vocal tracks, so it was more of trying to get as many
artists on the record as possible, that type of thing.

D: 2112 was the tour from which they recorded ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE
- is that your favorite Rush track or were you assigned that one?

VM: No, I actually chose that one; I don't know why I chose that one.
I guess it was just something interesting musically to me at the time.

D: You're playing with some familiar faces like Stu Hamm...

VM: Yeah, he did a great job on the record too, he just plays so solid
and loose. I think his playing was really important to the record
because it added a little dimension of looseness to the music.

D: Stu plays all the bass, right?

VM: Yeah.

D: Mike Mangini (from Steve Vai's band) is doing the drum parts, I bet
he sounds really good!

VM: Yeah, he's really hardcore, really great technically; it was a
good combination, him and Stu, because Mike has the whole technical
thing down and Stu kind of brought it to life, I think, playing a
little more loose and lively.

D: The songs are probably all pretty easy for you to play but were
there any tracks that were particularly challenging to record?

VM: I think the biggest challenge was learning so many tunes at once,
but it was good that I was familiar with them -that always makes it
easier; so that was the biggest challenge. Also, the fact that Alex's
parts aren't just like a straight sound all the time, he goes for a
lot of different textures, tones and things. So a lot of my work was
in, you know, trying to come up with tones that were similar to the
tones he came up with.

D: Did you have to adjust your gear quite a bit to get the sound Alex
uses?

VM: I used effects more, like chorusing, delay and reverb and played
around with that stuff a little bit more than I normally do but as far
as the main amp sound, that part of it wasn't really hard, it was
really just adding the little extra stuff, the
effects and stuff to give it a little bit more of the texture that he
creates.

D: Some of the other soloists on the album I'm not really acquainted
with; do you know much about Dominic Cifarelli, Jeff Stinco, Robert
Berry and Jeff Feldman?

VM: Yeah, to be honest, I'm not acquainted with them either!

D: Yeah, they weren't names that stood out to me; I guess they are
session musicians or something?

VM: I'm not sure either!

D: (I take a look at the press release to find some information on
each participant). Looks like Robert Berry played with Ambrosia; Jeff
Stinco is with Simple Plan, while Dominic Cifarelli and Jeff Feldman
both play with Pulse Ultra, I'm not familiar with them. Should be
interesting to hear, some newcomers...

VM: Right.

D: How were your parts recorded, did you go into a studio with the
other participants or did you do them in your studio and send them in?

VM: I did them in my studio at home, they sent me data discs, I loaded
them and just tracked all my stuff here and then sent more data discs
somewhere else, which is pretty much the way I like to do things
nowadays, I do all my solo stuff here and I also did the UFO stuff
here too.

D: So it's pretty easy for you to do it that way?

VM: I prefer to do it this way because I get more time and I don't get
interrupted, there's no distractions and I'm more comfortable in my
own environment - because if you go into a studio, I don't know - it's
just more clinical in a way and nerve wracking...

D: Right, the pressure and everything.

VM: I'd much rather be at home and take my time.

D: I wish I knew more about computers, then I'd feel more comfortable
recording at home; I'd like to start using something like Nuendo,
that's what you are using now, right?

VM: Yeah, that's what I use; it's a great program!

D: Let's talk about the most recent Rush CD VAPOR TRAILS; have you
heard it?

VM: No, I think I heard one of the tunes on the radio, but I haven't
heard the whole disc. Is it good?

D: Yes it is, but one of the things I've noticed is that you make
great use of keyboards on your solo albums, very atmospheric and
dynamic, while Rush seems to be trying to get away from using them.
Do you favor the Rush stuff with the keyboards or more of Alex's
textural playing?

VM: I like kind of the earlier stuff where it was really raw, less
keyboards, more guitar-oriented...

D: Yeah, I'd say I prefer the earlier stuff to the recent output but I
also like the 80s stuff like GRACE UNDER PRESSURE...

VM: I actually opened for those guys on the ROLL THE BONES tour...

D: Yeah, I was going to ask you about that! How was that experience?

VM: It was really cool, it was in '91 or '92, did a bunch of shows
with them and it was really cool; playing with those guys was a lot of
fun.

D: Did you get to hang out with them at all?

VM: Just a little bit, it was more of an acquaintance thing, wasn't
like we were hanging out every day. Funny enough, UFO used to tour
with Rush back in the
70s and those guys used to hang out together and drink a little and
stuff...

D: Yeah! (laughter)

VM: There's a book that just came out about Rush and there's a little
paragraph about UFO, it's really hilarious, talking about how all the
UFO guys did was show up so they could drink!

D: (laughter) I think that book is called "Contents Under Pressure,"
that is a good book!

VM: Yeah! (laughs)

D: Speaking of books, have you read any of Neil Peart's writings?

VM: No.

D: He has three out, and they're all really good.

VM: What kind of stuff is it?

D: (I summarize the themes of Neil Peart's books "The Masked Rider,"
"Ghost Rider" and "Traveling Music.") I'd recommend any of those.

VM: Wow, sounds cool!

D: Well, let's talk about UFO for a second. How are things going there?

VM: Good, I've had a couple of months off but we're going back out in
May to Europe and we're doing some more shows and doing a DVD, doing a
couple of live shows for DVD.

D: That's going to be in Germany, isn't it?

VM: Yeah.

D: Any more dates in the U.S.?

VM: We're doing some stuff in July, the only date I know of at this
point is BB King's in New York City on July 6th, and I know they're
putting some more shows together also but I don't know what they are yet.

D: Do you have any influence on where the tour goes or is that all put
together by management?

VM: That's pretty much management putting together shows, booking
agents and stuff like that.

D: Well I hope you come through Atlanta, Georgia - that's where I
would be able to see you...

VM: Oh, that would be cool; we didn't make it down that far south last
time...

D: Yeah, I was disappointed the tour didn't make it through -

VM: Initially we had some Florida dates but then that tour got
cancelled...

D: I could have gone down there!

VM: Then when they rescheduled, for some reason those dates were left
out, I don't know why...

D: What about a new solo album? It's been over three years since
DEFYING GRAVITY -

VM: Yeah, I've been writing some new tunes, that's what I have been
doing since I've been home. I should finish up after this next UFO
tour, sometime in June or July. I don't have a label yet, I'm just
going to kind of wait until I have the record finished, and then
decide whether I'm going to shop or put it out myself; I don't know yet,
I'm just kind of leaving it open.

D: I'm looking forward to that!

VM: Thanks; so far it's turning out really well.

D: Can you give any indication of what it's going to be like,
stylistically?

VM: It's hard to say because there are only three songs finished, you
know it sounds like stuff that you'd expect from me but a little
different twist on it too. Hopefully it just keeps going well; so far
I'm really happy with the way it's turning out.

D: Great! Well, I have all your instructional videos, those are some
of my favorites, and they've really helped my playing tremendously.
Will you be doing any more of those?

VM: There is no talk of that, I get asked that a lot, so I might do one.

D: I think you should!

VM: Just wondering what I teach this time!

D: (laughter) Yeah, you've already given so much information in the
other ones!

VM: Here's an open A chord folks (laughter)

D: Yeah! One of the things that would be nice is if you could detail
your sound next time; I know that wouldn't take up a whole video but
you could go over what all you use, such as effects and amps, because
you have a really good tone.

VM: Thanks - yeah, I avoided that in the other ones, the equipment
stuff, so that would be pretty cool.

D: What about clinics, do you still get the chance to do many of those?

VM: Sometimes; I have some coming up in England in September. I don't
do them as much as I used to but I do the occasional clinic.

D: I was fortunate enough to attend several of them in the late 80s
in Houston, Texas.

VM: Oh, O.K.

D: Then again in the mid 90s, really inspiring!

VM: Oh, thanks so much!

(At this point we talk awhile about some clinics Vinnie did in Atlanta
at Atlanta Discount Music, and finish up the interview).

D: I appreciate you calling Vinnie, hope to see you at a future
clinic and on tour with UFO!

-Thanks to Vinnie Moore and Nancy Sayle for the interview!

Relevant links:

Magna Carta
http://www.magnacarta.net/

Vinnie Moore
http://www.vinniemoore.com/

UFO
http://www.ufo-music.info/

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