Weekly Top 10: December 10-16, 2022
This week, readers enjoyed new music by The Winery Dogs, our review of the Mesa/Boogie D-350 Compact Bass Amp, Paul Thompson’s in-depth look at “Stay With Me Tonight,” Luke Putney’s sharing the story of Michael Tobias, a new “Tapping Technique and Composition” lesson by John Ferrara, and more.
Here is your weekly top 10 for the week of December 10-16, 2022.
Thanks for reading!
1. The Winery Dogs: Xanadu
The Winery Dogs recently announced a new album is coming. Yesterday, they dropped the video for their first single. Here’s Billy Sheehan, Richie Kotzen, and Mike Portnoy performing “Xanadu” from “III.”
2. Gear Review: Mesa/Boogie D-350 Compact Bass Amp
Mesa/Boogie amps are known for their powerful, muscular tone – some are also renowned for their weight. We picked up the new lightweight D-350 Compact Bass Amp to see how much punch this little amp could pack.
3. Bass of the Week: Unicorn Bass Purist
Roger Hedin shared his brand new bass with us, and it’s a beauty. Built by Swedish luthier Christian Olsson, this Unicorn Bass Purist was customized for Hedin’s preferences and specs.
4. From the Bottom: An Iconic Bass Line Meets Rock Guitar Royalty
In this episode, Paul Thompson digs into a huge hit from 1983 and the iconic bass line that carried it. George Duke, Steve Ferrone, and Alphonso Johnson bring the funk on “Stay With Me Tonight” by Jeffrey Osborne.
5. Tower of Power Celebrates 55 Years with 2023 Tour
Oakland’s finest soul band, Tower of Power, has announced a winter tour for 2023 to celebrate the band’s 55th anniversary. The band is still led by Emilio Castillo, who founded the group in 1968 with his brother Jack Castillo, Stephen “Doc” Kupka, and bassist Francis “Rocco” Prestia.
6. The Tobias Luthier Legacy: Building Basses and Giving Back
Throughout his career, Michael Tobias has quietly and generously supported musicians in need. Guest contributor Luke Putney shares the story on The Tobias Luthier Legacy.
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers Announce 2023 World Tour
Red Hot Chili Peppers will be crossing the globe in 2023 with a new world tour. Flea and the gang will be making appearances at festivals as well as performing stadium concerts with a killer rotating cast of support acts.
8. Tapping Technique and Composition: False Delay Tapping on “The Gnome and The Skeleton”
In this episode of “Tapping Technique and Composition,” John Ferrara focuses on the subject of “False Delay Tapping.” This technique includes tapping notes with the left hand and then mimicking them with staccato notes with the right.
9. Roger Waters Releases “The Lockdown Sessions”
During the pandemic, Roger Waters kept busy with his band by recording tracks remotely from their own homes. Waters released the tracks vis his YouTube channel, but now he’s put them together as a album called “The Lockdown Sessions.”
10. Gibson TV Launches “Icons” Episode on Rex Brown of Pantera
Pantera has made a huge resurgence this year. The whirlwind has brought a new signature bass for Rex Brown, and now Gibson TV has premiered a new episode of “Icons” on him.
