Jay P.-P.

I  agree with Dr. pooper. The latest Satriani episode is not 5150 bundle. 

Dweezil

Fixing the issue right now!

Dr. Pooper

See  the new episode in the right here right now section but not here in 5150.

Dweezil

Just checked on the admin side and the file shows as processing. I'll keep an eye on it. I may need to re-upload it.

Dweezil

Hello Everyone, I just posted part 2 of Joe Satriani! So sorry for the delay in production. I hope you enjoy the episode.

Ørjan K.

Just got to hear the preview. Episode number 16 does not appear in my bundle order. The only option is buying it, but I've payed for it. Right?

Dweezil

If you listen from the player on the page from your bundle you should be able to hear the complete episode. If you own 5150 then would would listen from the 5150 page and same for the Right Here Right Now bundle owners, you'll need to listen from that player. If you own either bundle and still cannot hear the complete episode, make sure you are logged in. If you still can't hear the complete episode I'll help you get to bottom of it with support. Please try those things first.

Buddy Seamus

Dweezil, any way you can get to the bottom of how this track (and the other two on Rich Wyman’s album) came about? “The Water Sings” is another stand out. The liner notes say Eddie and Andy Johns produced these tracks in ‘93.  It’s that weird interim between Carnal Knowledge and Balance. The DNA of “Right Now” is all over this one, and I must say Eddie’s awesome solo comes at such an uplifting moment in the song. Ed and Andy playing around. It’s like Van Halen with Peter Gabriel on vocals lol! 

Benjamin L.

While we're patiently waiting for part 2 of the Satch episode, I thought I'd contribute a fun bit of geeking out for the whole community here: I was just listening to the Jennifer Batten episode where she's talking about Panama and mentions the fun harmonic choices Eddie makes on that song that are "not normally in rock". 

(disclaimer:  next bit is written as fingered in Eb tuning, so the notes sound a half step lower than I'm calling out)

She talks about the FM7b5, which I love but there's more that Jennifer and Dweezil didn't touch on that I think is one of the coolest things:  the chromatic walkup during the breakdown (starting at "She's blinding, I'm flying"...). 

You'd think it's just chromatic power chords but no, instead he plays E5, F, D/F#, G, E/Ab, A5, and then--my favorite--a chord that sounds like a Bb6b5 (because he hits the E on the bottom) but (I think) is actually an inverted Gm6/E before he hits the B5 (V chord).  vi-V-i, what a way to get back to E!  What made him think of that?

@Dweezil--maybe a fun bit of geekery to explore in a future bonus episode?

Allen G.

I totally agree…the walk-up part is amazing and not at all what it appears on casual listening. The tuning is also one of the most unusual in the catalog which was never repeated again:

1st string: Eb +35.7 cents
2nd string: Bb +30.9 cents
3rd string: F# +28.6 cents
4th string: C# +39.0 cents
5th string: Ab +30.0 cents
6th string: Eb +29.7 cents

I’m of the opinion that Ed used the Frankenstein to record the ‘1984’ album version of “Panama” and I have lately begun to theorize that the condition of that guitar at the time of the recording might have led to this unusual (even for Ed) tuning offset.

The FRT-5 Floyd Rose bridge on it at the time was not installed in the proper position and regardless of what neck he was using, the intonation would have been off and extremely difficult if not impossible to adjust with any great accuracy as a result of the placement of the bridge. I think this is part of why the guitar was retired shortly after the recording of ‘1984’. Tom Anderson repaired the bridge placement on the Frankenstein in 1985 which would have likely made the guitar work much better intonation wise, but by that time Eddie was well into the Kramer endorsement and the 5150 Kramer became his new main guitar.

At any rate, I think the VERY whacky tuning offset on what was likely the Frankenstein on the ‘1984’ recording of “Panama” might very well have been at least partially a result of this botched FRT-5 bridge installation. 

Benjamin L.

Allen, thanks for this!  I tried this tuning and it sounds way more in tune than when I was tuned to A440 and then dropping to Eb standard using the Fractal's virtual capo.  :-)

Allen G.

Thanks Benjamin, I’m glad the offset was useful…I’ve found it makes a huge difference. For more information on Eddie’s use of tuning offsets, please check out my forum thread on the subject here: https://www.vhlinks.com/vbforums/threads/62695-Van-Halen-tunings-with-Peterson-strobe-tuner-reference

And if you have a Peterson Strobo HD series strobe tuner, you can download all of the Van Halen tuning offsets that I’ve found and notated directly to your tuner with ease!