Flasback '90s: Michael Lee Firkins

 

 I recently bought the CD version of Michael Lee Firkins' debut (self-titled) release. I had the cassette tape version of it bought way back during my secondary school days- where skipping recess & saving money was the usual practice for guitar dweebs like me.

Anyway, MLF's signature technique was unmistakable; he would utilize the guitar's whammy bridge & simple finger slides to create a pseudo slide tone but no slide implements of any kind was used. He was also one of the very few Yamaha Pacifica players at that time (the other Pacifica champion was Firehouse's Bill Leverty) to alleviate one's technical capacity beyond the product brand name. While the rest of planet shred inhabitants were busy sporting skinny-necked Ibanez guitars, Mr. Firkins stood firm with his Yamaha. I realized that some of the lick ideas I am playing now are derivatives of MLF's tunes. I had subconsciously recreated his phrasings to suit my ability- which is a far cry from Mr. Firkins', of course.

Vinnie Moore: To the Core

Shred overlord, Vinnie Moore, is back with a new set of tunes & a fresh guitar deal. To the Core is a timely reminder of why Mr. Moore remains to be one of the forerunners of all things very fast & melodic; the precision manifested here is also very scary, to say the least. We often get too nauseated by accelerated guitar playing because they demonstrate technicalities at the exclusion of memorable melodies- that's not what music is all about. To the Core contains some of the most memorable rhythm generated by this instrument & the tasteful mix of programming while keeping things guitar inclined.

On that note, the guitars here sound very pleasant but let's be mindful that good tones include amps & every implementation in between.