Sam Bhattacharya - rock guitarist and songwriter

How do YOU define "Ecstasy"?

2011-07-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Is Ecstasy a creation of your mind, an exalted sensation you dream up? Is Ecstasy a blissful, rapturous reality that sweeps you away? Or is Ecstasy a word you were'nt sure was spelled with 2 s's or 2 c's? or maybe an x? :-)

Have a listen to my instrumental called "Ecstasy." And let me know what you feel this song says to you it means:

Ecstasy

Sam Bhattacharya
http://www.sambhattacharya.com

How I used my Fender Cyber-Twin guitar amplifier to record "Not Fade Away"

2011-07-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

All of the electric guitar sounds you're hearing in my songs came from a single amplifier: the Cyber-Twin made by Fender.

This amp has a unique shape-shifter technology which lets you "design" it to resemble the sounds of many different amps. Most of these designs are classic Fender amps, such as the Deluxe Reverb, the Twin Reverb, the HR Deville and many others. You can select each of these simply by turning the large black knob on the right in the picture below. The Cyber-Twin is, in effect, Fender's version of a modeling amp.

In "Not Fade Away," I experimented with a few of the amp designs until found the ones that fit best. The song's verse sections, for example, were done with a Prosonic '94. A Stage '99 was selected for the backing rhythm guitar during the guitar solo section.

Also, I used no pedals at all while recording the song. That's because the Cyber-Twin has all the effects I need built right into it.

For example, I selected a design called "Route 66" for the heavy Who-ish chords in the intro section. This selection has a blackface tone stack and also little bit of one e-da delay, though it's barely noticeable in the final recording.

I also experimented with a design called "Teen Grunge" to play the guitar solo. It has distortion, triangular chorus, reverb, compression and noise gate to approximate a Nirvana-like sound.

Anyway, I don't mean to sound too technical. But the idea behind all this tweaking was to make the guitar sounds throughout the song varied and interesting. And to hopefully bring some originality to the sounds that made it to the final recording.

Free rock music and downloads

2011-06-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

Do you like Rush, Boston, Journey or Van Halen? If so, then I encourage you to check out my music.

Click on any song in the player below to get started:

The Rush album that Bites like a Snake and Pierces like an Arrow

2011-05-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not so literally. Still, the CD cover image, an ancient Indian game about self-knowledge represented by Snakes and Arrows, is apt for the subject matter. The sequence of songs does sound like a kind of spiritual journey through many trials and tribulations.

Snakes and Arrows is a welcome addition to Rush's long line of solid albums. It is sonically an evolution from Rush's most recent albums, especially Test for Echo and Vapor Trails. Varied arrangements, captivating melodies, passionate singing and vibrant choruses characterize the songs. Although much of the album has a moderate tempo, the instrumentation does have moments of busyness that are reminiscent of older Rush albums. However, that's not to say you can expect to hear Moving Pictures part II. It's more of a relaxed kind of clutter.

The songs have a "natural" feel because of all the acoustic guitar Alex Lifeson plays on them. He also returned to playing guitar solos, something he mainly took a break from on Vapor Trails.

The lyrics are often gloomy and disturbing and tend to arouse strong emotions. But they come short of wallowing in despair. Themes such as adversity, struggle, hope, faith, and perseverance tie the songs together. A few of the songs cover controversial topics dealing with religious belief and current political events. They make ample use of symbolism based on naturally occurring phenomena.

Among the highlights of the album are the opening track, "Far Cry," which is an upbeat and characteristically Rush-sounding song. "Workin' Them Angels" appears to be based on memoirs of some of Neil Peart's many travels. "Spindrift" begins with eerie sounds that give way to a heavy guitar riff that resembles menacing waves crashing on a shore. "The Main Monkey Business" is the longest of three instrumentals on the album. It has some intense parts and similarities to previous Rush instrumentals, especially "Where's My Thing" and "Limbo."

"The Way The Wind Blows" is my favorite track. It starts off with a marching snare drum, which leads surprisingly to a passionate, bluesy guitar melody. The lyrics are critical of religious fundamentalists in both the east and the west. What's fascinating is the imagery used to describe the situation of people caught between the warring sides. In any case, it's just an awesome tune.

"Faithless" is actually a statement in favor of a kind of secular faith against religion, and particularly of what some people do in the name of religion. "Malignant Narcissism" is one of the other instrumentals, on which Geddy Lee plays a rocking bass groove that has an Indian/Middle-Eastern vibe. Finally, "We Hold On" is a kicking album closer.

All in all, I think Snakes and Arrows is a strong album. If you're a hardcore Rush fan, you already own it and probably love it. It's a 9 out of 10 for you.

Having said that, it does take a number of listens for most of the songs to sink in. Some people may be turned off by the battery of negative lyrics. The songs have an almost unrelenting tension that doesn't seem to be satisfactorily "resolved" even in the last track. Although that was probably the intention, it leaves an incomplete feeling to the album. (Maybe there will be a Snakes and Arrows Part II?)

For these reasons, the fairest rating I can give it for everyone else is a 7.5 out of 10.

But beware: the SNAKES and ARROWS will be with you until the bitter end!

Sam Bhattacharya
http://www.sambhattacharya.com

What band can party harder than Van Halen?

2011-04-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

In the early evening of November 1st, 2007, a sense of excitement seemed to fill the air of downtown D.C., in spite of the usual grueling rush hour traffic. And for a good reason, because Van Halen was about to play a show at the Verizon Center.

It was going to be a rather special Van Halen on top of that. After all the lineup changes through the years, the band had come nearly full circle now – with David Lee Roth on lead vocals, Eddie on lead guitar and Alex on drums. The only difference was that Eddie's son, Wolfgang, replaced Michael Anthony on bass.

The concert certainly had the vibe of the Van Halen of old, since all of the songs were from 1978-1984. Two Van Halen blimps teased the audience before the band started. Then shirtless Eddie started playing the brown-sound guitar riffs of the opening song, "You Really Got Me," which drew an immediate cheer from the audience. The overall sound of the song was very good, as it generally was throughout the night.

The second song, "I'm The One," didn't seem to get quite the same level of response in spite of its lightning fast speed. But that was quickly remedied by the third, "Runnin' With The Devil." "Romeo Delight" and "Somebody Get Me A Doctor" were next. Then followed a slew of other classics and favorites: "Beautiful Girls," "Dance The Night Away," "Atomic Punk," "Everybody Wants Some," "So This Is Love?," "Mean Street" and "Pretty Woman."

From what I could tell, David sang all the words to the songs perfectly and did not skip words like he is known to do. During the songs, David, Eddie and Wolfgang strolled about on a huge S-shaped ramp that started from behind the stage and extended around part of the audience. One of the amazing and funny things to watch was David mouthing engine noises into the microphone and Eddie duplicating them on guitar.

Then came a surprising highlight of the show – Alex's drum solo. It was intense, bombastic and unrelenting. But it was also technically very impressive. Seeing Alex's solo has already made me reconsider my "favorite drummers" lists. ;-)

After the drum solo, they continued with "Unchained," "I'll Wait," "And The Cradle Will Rock," "Hot For Teacher," "Little Dreamer," "Little Guitars," "Jamie's Cryin'," "Ice Cream Man" and "Panama." The keyboards on "I'll Wait" were filled in by automatically playing tracks. "Hot For Teacher" was every bit as intense as the studio version and was probably played even faster than it. Before "Ice Cream Man," David came out playing an acoustic guitar (which he played surprisingly well) and started one of his long, quirky rants.

Following "Panama," Eddie played an extended guitar solo. It included the "Women In Love" intro, "Cathedral" and "Eruption." He made an interesting fugue sound during part of the solo. Overall, his playing skills were mostly in top form, although I wish he didn't change around some of his signature melodies so much.

After the guitar solo, the final song was one I was anticipating, "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love." Then the lights went out. But it seemed they couldn't end the show without playing one of their biggest "fetish" songs. And sure enough, they came back and played "1984" and "Jump" for the encore. It was a major spectacle to watch David carry a giant inflatable microphone along the ramp and then ride it on stage. LOL.

All in all, this was quite a concert. The energy of the show was spectacular. All of the band played well, although Wolfgang can use some coaching in the stage presence department. David was such a strong front man that he almost stole the show on many of the songs. He displayed his goofy sense of humor and stage antics on just about every song. He and Eddie at least showed that they were having a blast up there. Even Wolfgang joined in the fun at times.

So then, is a Van Halen concert a must-see? I'll let you decide. :-)

Sam Bhattacharya
http://www.sambhattacharya.com

Concert Review: Roger Waters Dark Side of the Moon

2011-04-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

This is a review of the Roger Waters concert held at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia on September 23, 2006. The venue is 37 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The concert was scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

I went to the concert with two of my rock'n'rolling friends. We were excited, as this was our first Roger Waters concert. We arrived at the venue about an hour early to avoid the time of peak traffic. Jiffy Lube Live has a capacity of 25,000. Not surprisingly, we faced long delays as we entered and later exited the parking lot.

As we headed over, it was already approaching twilight on the warm, fall evening. Our seats were in section 304, which is located towards the back in the left half of the venue when facing the stage. I took many pictures inside the venue both during and in between songs performed by the band. The level of light inside was rather low most of the time. That made it a challenge to take pictures with my camera, as it was necessary to use long exposure times (and a very steady hand!).

Before the concert began, it was amusing watching the stage screen, which showed a radio being tuned to different stations by someone's hand having a smoke and drink.

Then came the opening song, "In the Flesh," drawing loud cheers from the audience. It was a powerful opener and played pretty faithfully to the studio version from "The Wall." Roger Waters did a fine job with the vocals on this song, as he did for all of the songs generally.

Other highlights of the first set included "Mother," "Have A Cigar," "Wish You Were Here" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." The guitar solo in "Mother" was played with emotion, as was the saxophone solo in another song, "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." A cool, starry image was displayed during the first set.

Two other songs, "Leaving Beirut" and "Sheep," had overtly political messages. A huge pig balloon floated over the crowd during "Sheep," the last song of the first set, and then disappeared in the sky.

The second set began with "Speak to Me," which then led to "Breathe." Highlights from the second set included the Pink Floyd classics "Time," "Money," "Us and Them" and "Brain Damage." We were finally beginning to understand why this tour was called "Dark Side of the Moon." The band did a great job in making these iconic songs come alive. "Money," the well-known odd-meter song, was pulled off perfectly.

After that great set, the audience naturally wanted more. Roger Waters returned for the encore, which included the great cult classic, "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II," and "Comfortably Numb." Both of these songs featured extended guitar solos. Most of the audience remained standing during the encore.

All in all, it was an enjoyable concert. All of the singers and musicians on stage put forth great performances. The special effects were amazing. I personally enjoyed the second set and encore more than the first set. But that's mainly because I was more familiar with those songs.

I also think the experience gave us a glimpse into the mind behind one of the biggest bands in rock music.

Sam Bhattacharya
http://www.sambhattacharya.com

My 10 favorite Classic Rock bands

2011-04-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I have listened to quite a lot of music from different genres. My favorite music is classic rock.

It isn't easy for me to narrow down the huge number of great classic rock bands to my 10 favorite. However, the following list gives you a good idea of which ones I enjoy a great deal and have influenced me the most:

Rush
Led Zeppelin
Yes
Van Halen
Jimi Hendrix
Pink Floyd
The Beatles
Boston
Journey
AC/DC

Sam Bhattacharya
http://www.sambhattacharya.com

How I wrote the lyrics to "A Song"

2011-04-07T14:05:00.001-07:00

I finished composing all of the music to what became "A Song" before I wrote a single lyric. At that time, I had no idea what to write about. I even considered keeping it as just an instrumental. But the more I listened to it, the more I felt the musical structure needed words to accompany it.

I had previously taken stabs at writing poems, but this was the first time I was writing song lyrics. The music I was hearing as I listened to it sounded vibrant and inspirational. So, I tried to come up with lyrical concepts that reflected those moods. My initial concepts were scattered all over the place and just lacked any kind of direction.

Later, I began to think it might be more effective to focus on events in my own life. Shortly after that occurred to me, the idea light in my head turned on and I was able to narrow down the concept to what I should write about: MUSIC and how songs I listened to when I was growing up had inspired me in so many ways.

At that point, things slowly started falling into place. But I came to realize that it would be pointless to write only about myself. It was important for me to reach out to other people as well.

That led me to be a little more imaginative and to present A Song as a kind of force that can take You to soaring heights and anywhere else You want to be. In writing this way, I was making use of a literary device called personification. All that was left for me to do was to make sure these words complemented my music effectively and that I was able to sing them credibly.

That pretty much describes in a nutshell how I wrote the lyrics to "A Song." The whole process took me about two months. And here are the lyrics for your convenience:

Once, I heard a song
The radio play
Its music moved
My spirit
Took me away

And the energy
Of its melody
Seemed to bend
Space and time
Left me reeling
With a restless
State of mind

Heard the sound
Of the music
Charging in
To pull me through
And set me free

The song
Carried me
High in the sky
To get a
Bird's eye view
Then I searched
Among a thousand
Faces until
I found you

Do you
Feel the force
Of the music
Charging on
To rescue you
And set you free?

Let the song
Set you free
The music will
Take you anywhere
You want to be

Your spirit
Takes on the world
Recharged
Every time
The radio
Plays the song

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

Sam Bhattacharya
http://www.sambhattacharya.com

Teach yourself to play Rock Guitar in 9 steps

2010-02-12T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, welcome to my blogspot! I'm looking forward to sharing my entries with you here.

Because many of you have asked me about this, here are some tips I want to share with you about learning to play guitar. These are certainly not rules written in stone or anything. They're just things that have worked for me over the years. So, please treat them only as a guide. Ultimately, YOU decide what works best for you.

1. Start off with an inexpensive guitar. Acoustic is preferable to electric, because the former is likely to help you develop your fingers better. Plus, there's just nothing like the sound and tone of a metal string plucked over hollow wood. J

2. Learn the basic scales and chords. The major, minor and dominant 7th are widely used in a lot of different music. Learn these and a few others which sound pleasant to you. Play them in different bar chord positions. Pay close attention to your fingering.

3. Acquire at least some knowledge of music theory – either by reading music or tab. Use a song and instruction book from a music store like Guitar Center or from the internet.

4. At first, pick up easy and well-known songs. The songs you became familiar with in kindergarten and grade school are just fine. Understand the notes, scales and chords used in these songs. Also, even though the guitar is a string instrument, it is helpful to think of it as a kind of percussive instrument as well. It's important to develop a strong sense of rhythm when learning songs.

5. Once you're comfortable with the basics, pick around 5 guitar-based rock songs that speak to you very emotionally. They can be from a single band or artist or from different ones. But what matters is that the music of these songs should inspire and excite you so much that you are restless until you know how to play them.

6. Learn these songs as thoroughly and accurately as possible. Some of you will be comfortable picking up the music by ear. And others of you will prefer to have the sheet music or tab. Either way or a combination is fine and doesn't make any difference. But try not to skip over any details of the playing techniques used in the songs. Single notes, bends, hammer-ons, pull-offs, chords, arpeggios – learn everything.

7. Observe how other, more experienced, guitarists play these songs. You can watch videos or concerts of the original artists playing. But you may also want to get to know a guitarist personally who plays these songs well and can show you up close how he or she is playing. Ask questions when you have trouble following what they're doing.

8. Practice these songs over and over again until you are satisfied with how you play them. This can be a long process. But please be patient. As with anything, you will get better at it with more practice. Try to get close to the original versions. But feel free to leave some room for your own variations and a little improvisation as well.

9. Play these songs in a band. That's it - at this point, you're already pretty good at playing guitar. There's nothing like the feeling and perspective of playing great music with other musicians. Buy or borrow an electric guitar and amp if you don't already have one. Get together with at least a drummer and a bassist, and start jamming to these songs!

As you can see, although I'm basically "self-taught" on guitar, that does not mean of course that I have not learned from others. I've had numerous teachers, some of whom I've known personally, but most I've never met. That, I think, is one of the key factors in learning to play any musical instrument.

Sam Bhattacharya
http://www.sambhattacharya.com