Buckethead
Now here is a musician that has done something special over the past few years. Some folks might recall Buckethead being the quirky guitar virtuoso that has played in bands such as Praxis, the Deli Creeps, numerous projects with Les Claypool, Viggo Mortenson, Bootsie Collins, and of course, his stint replacing Slash in Guns N' Roses. Though his real name, Brian Carroll, has been known for a while, he still chooses to wear a KFC bucket over his head with mask to hide his identity. He projects an outrageous musical stage persona regardless of the stigma it brings. Of course, it can be argued that the mystery and bravado of his attire has helped build a fandom beyond any stigma; though, clearly the majority of his fan base is built upon and reinforced by the tremendous discography of music he has amassed over his career. He is exceedingly brilliant on guitar and bass, perhaps any stringed instrument for that matter, but he is also very proficient at piano, keys and percussion. Clearly, he is best known for the guitar work. He is a technical freak, being super fast and skillful in tone as a player, even if overwhelming sometimes to a fault. On the other hand, he is also a very emotional player and much of his work reveals just that. He plays all styles of guitar including Spanish flamenco, old-school blues, progressive rock, to blistering speed metal. Yet, there is a lot of soul to his playing that I would say is definitely his own style, even if recognizable influences of many famous guitarists all seem to have been absorbed by him.
Over the past three years, Bucket has not toured much if at all. He suffered an illness in 2010/11 and did a few short tours in 2012. Then he seemingly holed himself up inside his studio in 2013. Since then, Bucket has released over 90 albums! 60 in 2014 alone, which is just MIND-BOGGLING! They are called Pikes and are released like comics from a kiosk inside his mythological theme park called, Bucketheadland. Sometimes the music contained throughout is more akin to the strange oddities and noises one might expect to hear if visiting such a strange land that is perhaps the polar opposite of Disneyland. A tremendous amount of beautiful music is contained in this lengthy project though. Be absorbed, take the edge off and relax, rock out, or perhaps just geek out on his musicianship. Many of these Pikes continuously evolve over a multitude of different styles and tastes that cover virtually everything in the confines of band music.
Over 101 Pikes exist now at the time of this post. You have a lot of listening to do if you are going to start at Pike #1 It's Alive. But if you are new to Buckethead and would like some recommendations to sink your teeth into first, I say give these a try...
Pike #5 - Look Up There - The title track is amazing.
Pike #51 - Claymation Courtyard - "Disintegration Mirrors" is mind-blowing.
Pike #71 - Celery - Perhaps my favorite Pike.
Pike #72 - Closed Attractions - One of the many that are super mellow.
Pike #78 - A tribute to David Gilmour.
Yes, there is a lot to explore in these Pikes, not to mention his many previous musical endeavors. Perhaps you can take the adventure upon yourself to listen through them all at some point. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, while you're listening to these Pikes, keep in mind that Buckethead plays and tracks each individual instrument with the help of his small studio staff of Bucketbots (à la Willy Wonka's Oompa-loompas). He does have guest musicians, but most of this stuff is all him. That in itself is just mind-blowing to me. Perhaps when you listen, you'll understand.
Bucketheadland Kiosk Store
Enjoy!
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Originally Posted by ShaneFalco
