I love my taxes….

Posted from the Dry Fly Distilling blog:

A couple of days ago the Liquor Board was forced to increase the markup on distilled spirits from 39.2% to 51.9% making our state the highest priced state for spirits in the United States. This was a result of a move by our state government to capture $78 million from the liquor revolving fund ($ used to run the liquor system.) This capture skirted proposition 960 which does not allow for new taxes unless the measure is passed by a super majority or is put to a vote of the people. So in other words, this is a backhanded way to tax the public. Washington now has taxes/markup TWICE the average of all control states, and SIX times that of private three tier systems, giving a complete new meaning to the tax and spend term. Two other considerations – the Washington Restaurant Association estimates 1300 jobs will be lost as a result of this increase. Also, DISCUS estimates that decreases in volume due to consumer buy down, and purchases being moved across state lines will reduce the income from the increase to $50 million – some $30 million short of the objective. The result of this loss in revenue will result in . . . . . wait for it . . . . another price increase next year to make up for the shortcoming. This will force small distillers to make a choice – allow the price of their products to increase per the changes, or lower the sales price to the state, thus lowering income, to allow for the same shelf price. In short, sales revenue per bottle from Washington could become lower than all other states, in theory forcing Washington distillers to pursue business outside the state as it would become more profitable. Soon Washington will surpass the the 168% average markup in Canada, making us the highest priced spirits in north America. A lofty, but obtainable goal.

It looks as if my desire to visit Portland now has at least one more reason. 

Grand Princess 2009

Last week we finished work on our 4th Princess Cruise Ship, the Golden Princess.
Victoria Shipyards played host to the Golden from April 15-May 4th in the largest drydock refit that Princess Cruises has ever undertaken. Among some of the projects was the addition of the Movies Under the Stars big screen, a Swap of the Casino on deck 6 and 2 restaurants on deck 7, an addition of several suites on deck 16, a complete overhall of the atrium (spanning decks 5-7), and a general overhall of most of the ship.

Our work was focused on the Horizon Court buffet on deck 14, where we removed the corian and wood buffet counters and tray slides, and replaced them with Silestone in contrasting colors. While our job was comparatively small, it still took 14 days to complete our part of the project.

Tequila!!!

Since I am sick this week, and today is Cinco de Mayo, I will not be consuming Coronas, margaritas, or any tacos. However, I thought I would write up a post on Mexico’s most well known spirit, Tequila.

Tequila was first produced in the 16th century near the location of the city of Tequila, which was not officially established until 1656. The Aztec people had previously made a fermented beverage from the agave plant, which they called octli (later, and more popularly called pulque), long before the Spanish arrived in 1521. When the Spanish conquistadors ran out of their own brandy, they began to distill this agave drink to produce North America’s first indigenous distilled spirit.

Some 80 years later, around 1600, Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle, the Marquis of Altamira, began mass-producing tequila at the first factory in the territory of modern-day Jalisco. By 1608, the colonial governor of Nueva Galicia had begun to tax his products, however the tequila that is popular today was not mass-produced until the early 1800s in Guadalaljara.

Don Cenobio Sauza, founder of Sauza Tequila and Municipal President of the Village of Tequila from 1884-1885, was the first to export tequila to the United States. Don Cenobio’s grandson Don Francisco Javier gained international attention for insisting that “there cannot be tequila where there are no agaves!” His efforts led to the practice that real tequila can only come from the State of Jalisco.

Since 2002, sales of high priced tequilas, called “ultra-premium” and “super-premium” by marketeers, have increased 28 percent. That is an average growth rate of 8.6 percent per year, as reported by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Sales exceeded expectations by reaching well over 10 million cases as shown in the 2007 report by IWSR based on Adams Liquor Handbook. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, increasing worldwide popularity of tequila drove corporate interest in the drink. Notable developments as a result included:

* The purchase of Herradura by Brown-Forman for $776 million in September 2006.[5]
* A new NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicana) for tequila (NOM-006-SCFI-2005) was issued in 2006, and
among other changes, introduced a category of tequila called “extra añejo” or “ultra-aged” which
must be aged a minimum of 3 years.
* The purchase of the Sauza and El Tesoro brands by massive holding company Fortune Brands.

Although some tequilas have remained as family owned brands, most well-known tequila brands are owned by large multinational corporations. However, there are over 100 distilleries making over six hundred brands of tequila in Mexico and over 2,000 brand names have been registered. Due to this, each bottle of tequila contains a serial number depicting which distillery the tequila was brewed and bottled in. Because there are only so many distilleries, multiple brands of tequila come from the same place.

Harvesting the agave plant remains a manual effort, unchanged by modern farming technologies, and stretching back hundreds of years. The agave is planted, tended, and harvested by hand. The men who harvest it, the “jimadors”, contain generations of knowledge about the plants and the ways in which they need to be harvested. The Jimadors must be able to work swiftly in the tight rows, pull out the pups without damaging the mother plant, clear the piñas, and decide when and if each plant is ready to be harvested . Too soon and there are not enough sugars, too late and the plant will have used its sugars to grow a quiote (20-40 foot high stem), with seeds on the top that are then scattered by the wind . The piñas, weighing 40 to 70 pounds, are cut away with a special knife called a coa. They are then shredded, their juices pressed out and put into fermentation tanks and vats. Some tequila companies still use the traditional method (artesian tequila) in which the pinas are crushed with a stone wheel. The final process is to add a yeast to the vats to convert the sugars into alcohol. Each company keeps their own yeast a tight secret.

There is a clear difference in taste between tequila that is made from lowland or highland agave plants. Agave plants that are grown in the highlands often have more fruit tastes due to the growing process. The plants are grown on the western side of the hills, allowing the plants to receive the most amount of sunlight throughout the day. These plants are taller, wider, and juicier. Agave that are grown in the lowlands have more earth tastes, and are typically on the smaller side.

Types of Tequila

There are two basic categories of tequila: mixtos and 100% Agave. Mixtos use up to 49% of other sugars in the fermentation process, with Agave taking up the remainder. Mixtos use both glucose and fructose sugars. With 100% agave tequila, blanco or plata is harsher with the bold flavors of the distilled agave up front, while reposado and añejo are smoother, subtler, and more complex. As with other spirits that are aged in casks, tequila takes on the flavors of the wood, while the harshness of the alcohol mellows. The major flavor distinction with 100% agave tequila is the base ingredient, which is more vegetal than grain spirits and as a result more complex.

Tequila is usually bottled in one of five categories:

* Blanco (white or silver) – white spirit, un-aged and bottled or stored immediately after distillation, or
aged less than two months in oak barrels;
* Oro (gold) – un-aged blanco tequila, blended with caramel coloring, sugar-based syrup, glycerin,
and/or oak extract added so as to resemble aged tequila;
* Reposado (rested) – aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels;
* Añejo (aged) – aged a minimum of one year, but less than 3 years in oak barrels;
* Extra Añejo (extra aged) – aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels. This category was established
in March 2006.

Reposado may be rested in barrels or casks as large as 20,000 litres, allowing for richer and more complex flavors. The preferred oak comes from US, France or Canada, and while they are usually white oak, some companies choose to char the wood for a smokey flavor, or use barrels that were previously used to hold a different kind of alcohol ( i.e. whiskey, scotch, or wine in the case of Asombroso). Some reposados can also be aged in new wood barrels to achieve the same wood flavor and smoothness, but in less time.

Añejos are often rested in barrels that have been previously used to rest reposados. The barrels cannot be more than 600 liters, although most are stored in barrels of about 200 liters. Many of the barrels used are from whiskey or bourbon distilleries in America, France, or Canada, resulting in the dark color and more complex flavors of the añejo tequila.

By far the most common (and most mismade) tequila cocktail is the Margarita. The origins of the drink have been claimed by several, and the drink has gone through many versions through the years.
The margarita cocktail was the “Drink of the Month” in Esquire magazine, December 1953,
1 ounce tequila
Dash of Triple Sec
Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

I usually make my margaritas along the classic 3:2:1 formula.
1.5oz silver tequila
1 oz cointreau
.5 oz lime

Cocktails+ iPhone App for Free!

Currently on iTunes you can download what I feel is one of the best cocktail apps for your iPhone or iPod touch. The app is only free until the 12th of April, so be sure to check it out pronto.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=284419213

Coctails+ was created by the minds over at cocktaildb.com. It is by far my favorite cocktail app, and features the contemporary masters collection, showcasing recipes by Jamie Boudreau, Dale DeGroff, and Gonçalo De Souza Monteiro.

Other features:

* No “noise”. All recipes were vetted by experts and nearly all have been published.
* Contemporary Masters program presents cutting-edge recipes from esteemed mixologists.
* Recipes of the same name are grouped for side-by-side comparison—a unique feature that enables the user to see how some drinks have changed over time.
* Imperial (ounces or gills) and metric (centiliters or milliliters) units.
* Mark favorites for future reference.
* Share recipes with friends through Facebook (New!), Twitter, and email.

Slash to record solo album

Slash Commences Recording Solo Album | News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

Former Guns N’ Roses and current Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has commenced recording his debut solo album with Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails) on drums, Chris Chaney (Jane’s Addiction) on bass, and Eric Valentine (Smash Mouth, Third Eye Blind, Good Charlotte) in the producer’s chair. Slash says, “I know you’re saying, ‘Didn’t Josh play with Axl’s Guns N’ Roses?!’ He did in the ’90s for a while but left after a couple years, so I don’t know if it counts much. Besides, that doesn’t undermine that he is an amazing drummer.”

Regarding which singers will guest on his upcoming CD, Slash said, “Unfortunately, I can’t divulge that info yet, but you’ll know soon enough. I will say, however, that they are fantastically talented songwriters who it’s been an honor to work and write with, to say the least.”

Slash’s wife Perla Hudson said in a video interview at Rockerrazzi.com that both Ozzy Osbourne and Fergie will make guest appearances on her husband’s upcoming solo album. Slash himself told The Pulse of Radio that he was still working out the guest list. “I’m using different singers for each song, so we’re figuring out which song goes with which person and I’m not sort of divulging the list of singers, but they’re all well-known singers and…sort of, you know, like I go and play on a lot of other people’s records, so I’m just making a record and gonna have people come play on this one, you know.”

Slash left Guns N’ Roses in the mid-’90s, forming Slash’s Snakepit before later assembling Velvet Revolver with several other ex-members of Guns N’ Roses and Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland.

Velvet Revolver is currently searching for a replacement for Weiland, who was dismissed last April.

Thanks for the report to Blabbermouth.net.

Dry Fly Distilling wins awards

One of my favorite spirits companies has won two awards at the recent World Spirit Competition in San Francisco. Hats off to both Kent and Don for producing such excellent spirits.

San Francisco World Spirit Competition Awards Dry Fly Vodka

BEST OF SHOW VODKA

DOUBLE GOLD

Over 200 vodkas were entered in this years event, the premier spirit competition in the United States. Approximately 50% of the entrants won medals.

Chris Cornell ‘Expected Controversy’ With New Album

Chris Cornell ‘Expected Controversy’ With New Album | Interviews @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

Chris Cornell ‘Expected Controversy’ With New Album

If you grew up listening to the groundbreaking grunge albums Louder Than Love or Badmotorfinger, you’re in for quite a shock. Chris Cornell, the vocalist who rose to fame with Soundgarden and experienced a similar success with Audioslave, has gone where few rockers dare: The world of electronic pop. Cornell’s 3rd solo album Scream has replaced the usual guitar-driven tunes of his past with tracks that are heavily based in dance beats and R&B grooves, a switch that undoubtedly was partially influenced by producer Timbaland (Justin Timberlake, M.I.A.).

Since Scream was released on March 10, critics and fans have expressed passionate views, and often times, drastically opposing opinions. You only need to take a peek at a few publications’ reviews to see just how divided the public is when it comes to Scream. While the Los Angeles Times explained that the album is a “fascinating but heartbreaking document of how many wrong decisions one can make in writing,” Entertainment Weekly wrote that Cornell almost succeeded in creating “his very own Thriller.”

It was evident during a recent interview with Cornell, however, that this is one musician who cannot be flustered easily. Rather than taking offense at the negative reviews, he has been looking at each comment analytically and sociologically. This is not an entertainer who is about to second-guess himself, particularly when he explained that his current live set (which includes a good batch of his old and new material) has made him the “happiest” he’s been in a good while. When Cornell talked with UG writer Amy Kelly, the singer’s time was quite limited, but he didn’t hesitate to provide our questions with candid, thorough responses – some of which might just have you thinking differently about Scream.

UG: Your new album Scream hit stores on March 10 and has already been evoking quite a bit commentary from critics and fans alike. When you pursued this project, were you prepared for the controversy that might develop by working with Timbaland?

“It’s not a simple album in terms of understanding what’s going on musically.”
Chris: Yeah. I definitely did that math pretty quickly in my head when I made the decision to do it. I didn’t know that the album was going to sound like it does. None of us knew. It was different than I even expected because the combination of influences kind of came from a lot of different directions. It’s not a simple album in terms of understanding what’s going on musically. It’s not as simple as rock-world-meets-hip-hop-world or any other sort of set or combination of components. It doesn’t really work like that.

Having said that, I sort of expected controversy, and Timbaland expected it. He’s been through it obviously before. I think he really felt that it was going to come more so from my album than other people he worked with. When you’re rooted pretty much entirely in rock and you make a dramatic move – or what seems like a dramatic move like that – it’s going to ruffle some feathers. I’m really glad that it has, though. I would actually have been disappointed if it didn’t. It kind of came out and everybody was all smiles about it. It wouldn’t have been as interesting.

Now it’s like this sociological experiment. You get to look at the different statistics, as opposed to just what people are saying. It’s like, “Okay, this is what they’re saying, but who are they? Where are they from? How old are they? What country is it? What period of my career were they a fan of first?” There were a lot of different periods, and all those different periods had different kinds of music. All of that is really interesting. Even though I’m a guy who comes from what someone could easily say is the rock world, the music that is in that is very different. I’ve released and written a lot of songs that are very non-hard rock inside that world. So then it starts to come down to, “Oh, so it’s really more about guitars versus not guitars, or guitars versus lots of synths or dance beats.” It’s really interesting to look at it from all these different angles, and then try and come up with my understanding of why people are responding in some ways.

The really obvious ones are the most negativity and the most positivity. In other words, the most polarization is definitely in the U.S. Outside of the U.S., people are used to hearing remixes from every rock band. I mean there are Metallica remixes if you go to Ireland. They’re used to it. So it hasn’t been as polarized.

In the U.S., there is also that we’re a country that loves the underdog. There are people who will hear negative stuff, and they’ll come back with, “This is the best thing he’s ever done.” Even that is sort of tough in that I have to gauge, “Well, is this person saying that because they want to be encouraging or it’s because they really believe that?” Some of the comments that I hear from people I really believe. Other ones I feel like they may love the record or it may not be their favorite record, but they don’t like it when somebody gets picked on. So it’s all been pretty interesting.

I recall in past interviews that you’ve mentioned many of your songs start out in a rather traditional rock way – with a few chords from your guitar. So many of the tracks on Scream are beat-driven, which probably changed the entire songwriting process. How did you form the groundwork for most of the album? Did you concentrate on the percussion or vocal elements first?

Basically everything was beat-based. So Timbaland would kind of work from home on beat ideas one at a time. As he was doing that, he would bring them in. Sometimes he would do it in the studio and sometimes he would do it at his home studio. He would bring them into where I was, in the studio where I was working, and play them. Generally, it was like a 2-track, stereo file with his percussion and maybe like one other part already kind of mixed in there. I would write and sing all my parts over that. Some of them, like on the song “Ground Zero,” were actually nothing except drums and this one little keytar note that would sometimes not be there. So as you’ve just said, the vocal harmonies and the vocal melody dictated the key changes to the song. It was like writing a song entirely with just vocals, and other parts were added later.

In a song like “Never Far Away” or “Scream,” there would be much more lush music that we’d write, and it would have much more of an already-arranged-song feel. Working in the computer environment to this degree was different for me because a lot of the song arrangements kind of happened as we’d go. I would write down lyrics for what I felt was a song and sing the parts. When we were kind of figuring out what is the bridge, how many times should the chorus be, when it should come in, what should the length of the verse be, and all of it had been more or less arranged, Jeff would be in cyberspace versus a band standing there trying all the different ways to see how it sounds.

“Basically everything was beat-based.”
Another difference, too, was that none of this album was ever performed by a group of people in a room and then recorded and rehearsed – which I’d never done ever. The only thing that I’ve ever done that’s like this is when I would demo at home. I will write songs, using a recording device for the process of writing. I’ll write out lyrics and be singing, but I’ll still kind of have to read lyrics off the sheet since I just wrote it and didn’t remember it yet. Whatever is going down on the tape is what I put as my first impression of the song. I actually have a knack for that.

I’ve had a hard time sometimes with demos as a vocalist because I want to sort of feel like I know how to sing the song and know what I’m doing. Sometimes there’s something sort of missing and in trying to find it, there’s something in there that’s more exciting. I’ve had producers over the years tell me that some of my demo performances were better. I used some of that on the album. There’s certainly a freshness to every vocal on it that’s not like something rehearsed or over-rehearsed.

I actually had to rehearse quite a bit once the album was finished. I just wanted to get used to performing the songs. I did the whole album at several shows on the tour, so I had to rehearse that. The main difference is that you were writing the song and recording the song at the same time.

In listening to Scream, I did have to wonder how you were planning to translate the album into a stage show. Are you going to add quite a few additional bandmates to your usual lineup?

I’ve done it where I had just keyboard players – 2 and then where I had 1. Basically what it is now is using some of the synth tracks and backing tracks and playing to those, and then having guitars sort of mimic synth parts and just replay those parts. Then the drums are just live and we’ll have sort of a reproduction of what’s recorded. That’s been the best way. There’s something about it, too, that it translates really well. The feeling of the song and the feeling of the album come through, but it’s also about a band playing. Therefore I can go in and out of new and old material pretty much effortlessly, and it’s not weird at all.

That was my only concern in this whole process. How am I going to bring this live and mix it up with my old material? Being able to do what I like to do, which is like a 2-and-a-half-hour set, how am I going to get in and out of it? I came up with a lot of ideas before I tried it. One was that I could do an acoustic set where I could just play lots of new music and mix it up. You can get in and out of anything with that. But when we started playing, not only was it not a problem, it’s actually become this huge bonus to the live show. It’s really dynamic and it’s a new level sonically and rhythmically. To me, it’s just kind of broadened my live set to where I’m the happiest that I’ve ever been.

You’re probably not looking too far ahead with the new album just being released, but have you reflected on your next possible move? Is it possible that you might even push the envelope further by exploring more new musical genres?

Yeah, I’ve already had a couple of ideas of what I would do next. At the time I’m focused on the album, so I can’t make any predictions – but I will take this experience me wherever I go.

Interview by Amy Kelly
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2009

MxMo XXXVII: First Time

It’s time for Mixology Monday again, something that I have not participated in for a couple of months.  I have been on a little uncreative spree, so I figured this could be a good way to get back into it.

The theme for this month is “First Time”, chosen by the ladies of LUPEC Boston.

What drink do you suggest for the delicate palate of the cocktail neophyte? Something boozy and balanced, sure – but one wrong suggestion could relegate the newbie to a beer-drinker’s life. To which go-to cocktails do you turn to when faced with the challenge?

To this all important question I have several answers.  First of all, although I am relatively new to the cocktail world, I prefer well made classics to the syrupy/sugary messes that are served at most bars, and as such consume most of my drinks at home because I don’t feel like paying $10 for a drink that tastes like soda water and 7up.

When mixing up a drink for a friend, I will inquire as to their tastes.  Are they a big beer drinker?  Do they prefer wine?  White or Red?  Are they feeling adventurous, or just looking for a little refreshment.

The most common drink I will make for a newbie will be a Collins.  Simple to make, can be adjusted for their tastes, and can be made with different spirits.  Essentially a Collins is a variation on a sour, and is made by adding soda water to the sour’s ingredients.  My personal favorite would be the standard Tom Collins.

Tom Collins
2oz gin
1oz lemon juice
3/4oz simple syrup

Shake up gin, juice, and syrup in a shaker with a lot o ice.
Strain into a collins glass filled with ice, and top with soda water.

This drink can also be made with other base spirits such as vodka, rum, or whiskey. For a slightly stronger drink I would serve up a fizz or sour, although I think that there are a lot of great drinks that be used to open someone up to the world of cocktails.

Brian Welch: ‘I Was Completely Out Of Energy Before I Found Christ’

Brian “Head” Welch was born June 19, 1970 and grew up in Bakersfield, California. At the tender age of 11, Head picked up a guitar and found his original calling. Barely out of high school, he helped found the nu-metal band Korn. The band quickly became a Grammy® award-winning, multi-Platinum selling band, and quickly rose to the top of the music world while selling some 40 million records internationally.

In early 2005, Head rocked the music world by announcing his resignation from Korn. At the time, Head was committed to moving away from the crazy Korn life to continue to care for his daughter Jennea, as a single father. Additionally, Head committed his life to Christ with the goal of touching people’s lives and giving back to those most desperately in need.

His debut solo album, Save Me From Myself, finally surfaced back in September. The album was produced by Head, who recorded the music off and on for the past two years in Phoenix, Arizona. It also featured renowned musicians Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, David Bowie) and Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails), and was mixed by Ralph Patlan and Bob Clearmountain. In this exclusive interview, Joe Matera caught up with Head to discuss his solo album, guitars and Korn.

UG: In what ways did the writing and recording process for Save Me From Myself differ from the approach you used writing and recording the Korn albums?

Brian Welch: I did everything differently when I recorded my solo album. When I recorded while I was in Korn, I drank beer, did my tracks and drove home drunk. On my solo album, I prayed a lot, did my tracks and drove home sober. Another thing I did was take my time on the recording of Save Me From Myself. I was in a great place financially and it was cool to not have a deadline at all. I started recording the album in the summer of 2005, took a break in 2006 to write my book also titled Save Me From Myself, then I finished recording in 2007, mixed it and released it in 2008. Now that’s taking your sweet ass time! The writing process was a lot different too. Instead of writing my songs on my guitar, I wrote them on a keyboard that had all these nasty cool synth sounds that sounded like distorted guitars. I demo-ed the songs all electronically and then brought them in the studio to lay the real tracks.

Was it hard to dig deep inside during the creative process now that you’re clean and sober whereas previously you may have found the creative process enhanced by the environment you found yourself in and were surrounded by?

It was actually easy to dig deep inside because I spent years covering up the real me and I needed to let everything out. I went through a lot of crap in my life and this was a way for me to pour out the pain into my songs.

Obviously your new found faith in God and spirituality, has brought a sense of renewed energy and musical growth?

Yeah, definitely man, I was completely out of energy before I found Christ. I was sick, tired, confused, depressed and literally going insane from drugs. Before I found Christ, I was the type of guy that would want to stay as far away from Christians as possible. To me, they were boring, but when I was desperate for help, I had to at least try to pray and see if it worked. I swear to God after I prayed a few times, I felt the power to want to totally change my life for the better and I did. When I prayed to Jesus for Him to come and live inside of me, a crazy thing happened–He actually did and my changed life is proof of that. I haven’t done drugs since and I never will. Everything in my life is better.

“I did everything differently when I recorded my solo album.“

You produced the album as well, so was it hard to be objective in the studio when it came to wearing both hats such as that of musician and producer?

Yeah sometimes it was a train wreck! Especially in the beginning, but I had a lot of support from my friends and engineers that lent me their ears for second opinions. I couldn’t have done it without them. My emotions were all out of control in the beginning, but I started to mellow out later on.

When it came to gear, what did you use for Save Me From Myself?

I used mainly Ibanez baritone guitars for all the rhythm tracks. I used a Les Paul, G&L and a Strat for the lead guitar melodies. For the amps we used Mesa Boogie, Orange, Marshall and a Bognar. We recorded tons of rhythm tracks and combined the amps to get a phat tone. For my pedals, I used anything and everything. That’s probably my most favorite part of recording. Every time I record a new record, I go pedal shopping at all the cool guitar stores and buy everything that sounds crazy. I only end up using a few of the pedals that I buy, but its fun to shop and good to have the collection. Anyway, the pedals I used the most are Boss Digital Chorus and Digital Reverb, Digitech Whammy Wah, Boss Flange, Big Muff, Small stone, and a few others that I don’t remember.

You have a collection of custom guitars, so what do you look for when it comes to a guitar?

I look for guitars that have a great sound for sure. With the low tuning that I use in my music, the guitars I use got to have a meaty sound, but clear so you can hear the Chord progressions good. Sometimes it’s a guess though. You just plug them in and see what they sound like, and sometimes the guitars you think are going to sound the best, end up not sounding so great and vise versa.

So going back to your guitar collection, what is it like these days?

I actually only have a few guitars right now. I have a couple Ibanez Baritones, a couple 7-strings and a double neck 7 string/14 string. When I left Korn, I didn’t go and pick up my gear at our studio because there was some tension between me and the guys, so they still have a bunch of my guitars, but I don’t need them anymore because I’ve switched to 6-string baritone guitars. Plus, after I left Korn, I sold my house in Bakersfield CA, and some really expensive jazz guitars came up missing during the move…oh well.

You’ve become associated with the Ibanez 7-string guitar, in what ways did playing a 7-string bring a different perspective and approach to the way you approached music?

It really helped Korn come up with heavy grooves that people could bounce to and the low 7-string helped to bring out a deepness in Korn’s choruses that not a lot of bands had at the time. Fieldy, the bass player in Korn, played a 5-string bass, so we were sometimes fighting over the low end, but most of the time it worked out.

In what ways, do you think your playing have evolved over the years?

I kind of think that I’ve come back to the basics on Save Me From Myself. In the early days of Korn, we focused on the songs rather than over playing our instruments and that’s what I tried to do on my new album. It goes back to the old saying, “why reinvent the wheel?”

Do you think that you could switch to playing a 6-string guitar exclusively one day?

I actually have switched to play 6-string guitars. I used 6 string Baritones on my entire CD. Not one 7 string was used. It seems to me that I could get a cleaner, less muddy, guitar tone with the baritone compared to the 7 string. That’s my opinion anyway.

“If you’re an unstable person when you’re a nobody, you’ll be an unstable person when you’re at the top of the charts.“

So what is the secret to getting Head’s guitar tone?

It’s a secret, I can’t tell you….no, I just try anything and everything and I try not to do anything by the book. You got to keep an open mind if you want to keep improving your tones. There are no rules in making music. We are all free to try anything and everything with music, and nobody can tell you that you’re wrong because it’s just a matter of opinion.

When you made the first Korn album, did you realize at the time that the band were in effect creating what became “nu-metal” and a sound that would influence all the bands that came in Korn’s wake?

No way, we knew we had something different, but we had no idea the impact that Korn would have on the metal scene. Nobody predicted that. It was just something that happened and none of us were complaining. It was definitely a rollercoaster ride that we weren’t prepared for though. I think all of us thought that if we made it to the top, everything would be perfect and we would feel content with life because our dreams came true. But that wasn’t the case. We found that there are a lot of pressures at the top and it can mess with your mind being in a band that big. If you’re an unstable person when you’re a nobody, you’ll be an unstable person when you’re at the top of the charts.

Are you proud of what you contributed, musically, whilst in Korn?

Yeah, I grew up with all those guys and it was a trip to make it big with all of my childhood best friends. That kind of stuff just didn’t happen in Bakersfield, CA, but dreams do come true. When I was a kid, I used to rack my brain trying to come up with a guitar sound and style that didn’t sound like anything or anyone else out there. When I couldn’t find that unique sound I was looking for, I gave up and then a few years later, I joined Korn and the unique sound just kind of found us. It was crazy.

Do you think the day will come when you and Korn will be reconciled and maybe make music together again?

I’m really looking forward to playing with other musicians right now. I started my life over, so I don’t feel that I want to go back to the familiar. That’s where I’m at today.

What have you got planned for 2009?

I want to get out on the road and do some live shows. We are working on putting my touring band together so we should be rockin’ really soon here. I’m also very close with my daughter Jennea. I’m a single father and that takes a lot of my time. I bought her a new puppy so I’ll be busy with that in 2009 as well. She’s been asking me for a puppy for five years, but first I talked her into a fish, then a hamster, and now I finally gave her a puppy.

And are there any plans for another solo album?

Yes, I have a butt load of songs that I look forward to recording soon so we’ll see what happens.

Interview by Joe Matera
Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2008

I saw this article 28 hours after it was published, and there were already over 200 comments on the article.  What is very interesting to me is how so many people have such strong opinions about whether or not a person should share their religious views, even if that is a primary focus of thier lives.  Even though he did not say that anyone should follow his religion, people take offence at what he has to say.  It’s a sad commentary on the present state of western culture, that you can’t even share your life with people without being judged.

Imbibers 100

Originally posted by Darcy O’Neil, Art of Drink, this is the top 100 liquid items you should consume before kicking the bucket. I say items, because some of these cannot really be classified as beverages in the traditional sense of the word. If you want to participate, please do. It’s great fun.

Instructions:

1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment at Art of Drink, and link to your results.

OR

If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.

List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budwieser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory (in a blend, does that count?)
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup (unfortunately I have had the pleasure of this unique Canadian product)
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate (about eight cups a day for the last week)
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)

I’m at a healthy 59 of 100.  Since I still have at least 2/3 of my life to look forward to, I think I’m well on my way to completing the list.  Thanks to Darcy for posting this up, and giving us all the challenge.