Since T-Mac was brought up in another thread...

[khabibissell]

One more...

Hundreds of Thousands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4woGQQ_7g0&feature=related

[mrrs]

Tony has been my favorite for the last 20 years.
He plays fast, slow, arpeggios, melodic, and all with feel.

To me he is what Randy Rhoads would have become......there I said it.

The man has more talent than any other musician I've ever heard.

Met him back in 87' at the Greater Southwest guitar show.
I was about 13 I guess, and he was more than happy to sign and talk a little with my friend and me.
Very cool dude who I have the utmost respect for.

[åron]

I think that T-mac's at least as good as Stevie Vai, that's why it bothers me that he's always seems to be the "sideman". I guess he just never had that "Gunslinger" personality.
Do you reckon that if he'd had an Ibanez endorsement back in the day, he could have been another Satch/Vai/PG?

That might have helped, though I suspect not having a high profile album that transcended the guitar mags is what kept him back. Vai/Satch/PG wrote songs that were accessible to the mainstream on their breakthrough albums and had record labels and distributors that effectively managed their promotion.

Vai's time with White Snake and David Lee Roth and PG's time with Mr. Big, though not the greatest parts of their respective careers, opened a lot of doors. They spent their time as sidemen.

TMac's stage presence doesn't come close to Vai/Satch/PG as well, but I think it comes down to songwriting and marketing. You can shred over all the complex neoclassical fusion you want, but until you write a classic tune accessible to most anyone, you're just another wanker with talent.

[imaguy2]

If I want to hear a car commercial I'll just catch one on television, instead of listening to a Vai or Satch song...

Tony MacAlpine has his share of catchy material and it never reaches the extreme cheesiness of your stereotypical Vai or Satch song. I don't know if he wasn't marketed as much as those guys, just didn't get lucky, or what, but its a shame.

[pro-fusion]

Tony has a new band with Billy Sheehan and Virgil Donati, called Devil's Slingshot. They have been touring Europe and have an album out called "Clinophobia." Really good stuff, and lots of great playing from Tony.

[MEX3]

IMO Tony is the best all around player out there. Throw in the fact that he writes great music and he easily tops Vai.

[kmanick]

over the last year or so Tony has become one of my favorite players.
he's so melodic and he can burn with the best of them when he wants to.
"Chromaticity" and "Edge of Insaanity" are always on in my house.
I have the new Devils Slingshot CD too
Pretty good

here they are doing "Chromaticity"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2SdYe0Eu5U&feature=related

here is "Isis" (Nice guitar )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovGweuznxlk&feature=related

[Shawn Lutz]

do you guys remember Project DRIVER? It was a band with Tony, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldrige (cant remember the vocalist) but that was a kick-ass band. Tony is a monster in his instrumentals but it was kinda cool hearing him sticking to sort of radio friendly metal formats and bust our a cool solo or two.

[kmanick]

never heard of Project Driver"
I'll need to look it up.

[Top Jimmy B]

The singer was that Rock dude from Racer X. It was actually called:
M.A.R.S. - Project Driver. MacAlpine, Aldrige, Rock, Sarzo. I have the cassette here and there are some good songs on it; of course, Tony's playing is bitchin'.

Good call, Shawn.

[nuclear banana]

Tony was somewhat local to the Hartford area, went to the UofH Hartt school of music, as a pianist, picked up the guitar in college, and the rest is History. One of the more humble virtuoso's/shredders I've met...

Bill

[jgcable]

Tony is truly a great player. I remember reading an interview with George Lynch where he stated that he thought Tony was a guitar god and would love one day to work with him. Very soon after he did. I also heard a rumour that Tony taught the guitar player from Staind and that the guy is a real shredder.

[MatthewK]

His tone isn't amazing, but he's my favorite of the neoclassical instrumental guitarists because of his excellent sense of melody.

[horns666]

His work with Mark Boals' solo works as well as Ring of Fire is AMAZING!

I have everything Ton Mac has done, including both Cabs, which are my least favorite. I've been a fan since Edge Of Sanity was released in '85. As much as I love Greg Howe's , Vinnie Moore's awesomeness, I prefer Tony's writing much more..it grabs me big time!

His "duet" with George Lynch on Maximum Security is one of the best instrumentals ever recorded..IMO!!!

His abilities never withered, he is one of the few players that has improved with age. I'm sure John G appreciates his piano abilities.

Bill Z Bubz

[fullmetalguitar]

The singer was that Rock dude from Racer X. It was actually called:
M.A.R.S. - Project Driver. MacAlpine, Aldrige, Rock, Sarzo.

The Project Driver singer was Rob Rock, but he was never in Racer X. The singer in Racer X is Jeff Martin.

By the way, I thought Rob's vocals sounded terrible on that album. I heard from someone who knew him that he didn't like the way they made him sing. He sounds so much better on other stuff he's done.

And MacAlpine is awesome!