SHEER HEART ATTACK

Dinosaur Rock Guitar - Heavy music geeks only!

There's a hard rock-heavy metal guitar geek site I like called Dinosaur Rock Guitar. It's neat in that it's very nitch-y. It includes information about guitarists, equipment, and bands - but very specific ones. Old hard rock - yes. Blues hard rock - yes. Metal - yes. -But each of these only if they have those old-school blues-based, frequently classically-influenced, yet aggressive; roots, and style. It will really only be interesting to people who like 70's and 80's heavy music... and play/own a guitar.

I stumbled across it in a search result again today, and I call your attention to it now, for one specific set of pages that are truly vintage-metal-guitar-geeky. The "Guitar Alchemy" section. There they have very detailed and insightful analysis of a particular player's style, influences, strengths and weaknesses, as well as specific technical signatures, sound, equipment, essential recordings and "dinosaur credentials".

The rest of the site seems to be a bigger framework than the content it contains - and the pictures suck throughout. I don't know why they bury the alchemy section three links deep, for my money it's by far the best part. Alchemy/Guitar Alchemy/A through Z.

They have a funny description they occasionally apply when analyzing one of these masters, if they get distinctly slower and mellower in the second half of their long careers. They say they have "ALD". Alex Lifeson Disease. Gary Moore has it.

Sean and Randy at least will enjoy this - fuck you all, metal rules.

I AM THE LAW

Sniff n the Tears Drivers Seat

Here, awesome 80's one hit wonder song.

Rhythm of Nature Great Wolf Lodge WI Dells

Queen News of the World 1977

My brother requested and received this as a last second birthday gas station purchase one summer on the way to the cabin in the later 1970s. Starts with We Will Rock You/We are the you know what - that if you listen to in a quiet low-stimulation environment, the stomp-clap reverb and faint vocal grunts sound like god meets James Brown - And goes from there. Some of my favorite Queen songs are on here. Spread your wings. Get down make love. The whole thing really.

Buddy, you're a boy make a big noise playing in the street. Gonna be a big man some day. Got mud on your face. Big disgrace. Some body better put you back into your place. We will we will rock you.

Here - top 20 all time album. FLAC files love Foobar2000, download it, all versions are free, open source. It's my ipod manager too- ask me how.

SIDI Genius 6.6 2010

I will never have a really nice car, or guitar, computer probably, or even bicycle maybe, but I will now have the (second) nicest pair of road cycling shoes made - SIDI 6.6. I really spent some time trying to decide if two steps upgrade was value for the money - my basic Dominators don't leave much to be desired. I concluded that after the frame and wheels - that like a Brooks - the most important parts of the bike are the parts that touch my body. I will be strapping my stumps into the finest engineered leather and carbon, Italian-hand-made shoes known to man. I could not find anyone, anywhere who said it was not worth it. In a year the extra money would have been wasted a thousand ways, but the shoes will be a dream for many to come.

Oh, and I'm officially changing my blog slogan from "photos first text later" to things I've purchased or am planning to purchase.

Madone is early June, sigh. Just lost a SIDI Genius 5 auction, but I did decide on Shimano pd-6700's. Received my Twin Cities Cycling posters today, they look awesome! - collector's items I tell you. Tweaking Eugene's boy's new bikes on Friday and building a chain tensioner for the tall bike if I have time. G, you got my $65? I feel tired. More coffee or more beer?

Threaded Headset Threadless Headset

Well, I talked to Steve again today, about bikes. Prices and wait times. Parts, colors, specs, choices. As Steve said; Madone is the most popular road bike in the world and I'm sure he's right. It seems to be coming down to three choices. Madone 5.1 in white: 1600 bucks, two months wait. 5.2 in black: 1850 and just over one month. 5.2 + custom paint - pictured previously: 2250, 4 to 5 month wait.

The 5.1 makes sense because I kind of like the white paint better than the 5.2's black. Not a lot better though. 5.2 has a "better" (read: lighter) wheelset and a different fork-spec. Which are things I don't necessarily want, but it's a month quicker, and those are good things, right?

Here's a funny thing, I've never actually ridden one, and aside from Jared's a million years ago, I've never ridden a carbon bike at all. And I'm planning to spend 2K on it. And I hate the - yes tasteful - but still: racer graphics and huge logos. I think I would have paid $600 extra to not have them. but not in four to five months. I don't really want any of them, enough, I guess.

I think what I really want is a white Steamroller with vintage Azonic Doublewalls, Brooks, sweet cranks, wicked wheelset, perhaps new pedals and shoes... these thoughts flame my passion. I think I could ride that as fast as any bike.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me.

Winter is over, Eh.

This paint job, is available on the next model up (5.2), plus a (retail) 600+ custom up-charge. ...I'm going to ask, just to know, what it would cost. The logo could be the same color as the paint behind it too if desired. Plus I could swap parts for size or style at 5.2. Other (solid) frame and graphics color choices are available too starting at about 300. Just gonna ask. To know.

Cause otherwise I'll have to look into matching jerseys and new SIDIs so I look race-ready and that could get sad and expensive. ...New SIDIs would be really nice though.

On that bike, I'd like to get the best road or mountain clipless pedals available, designed for ease and performance - weight-weenie wouldn't hurt, but not-flexi is required, with a lean towards mountain for the grippy shoes. What should I get?