http://www.gibson.com/en-us/LifestyleThe latest from Gibson LifestyleTue, 09 Feb 2010 21:14:57 GMThttp://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/the-anti-valentine-029For most people, Valentine’s Day blows. Whether you’re single and feeling left out of all the fuchsia-colored hoopla or attached and feeling let down by a thoughtless lover, it can be a day that draws out insecurities and exposes old wounds. (Don’t get us wrong, you could get lucky and have a ball instead!) But in the event that you’re feeling blue on this most romantic of holidays, let us suggest that you savor some simple pleasures: Draw a bath and put on one of these classic break-up albums. They feel your pain.]]>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:34:02 GMTFeatures154825http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/five-gibson-blues-heroes-0208Got the blues? Well, the blues got Gibsons. We take a look at some of the pioneering guitarists who have used our instruments while helping shape the history of rock and roll.]]>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:13:57 GMTFeatures154806http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/lady-gaga-elton-john-0208The buzz surrounding the Grammy Awards duet between Lady Gaga and Elton John lingered all last week, with postings of the glam-stoked performance appearing all over the web.]]>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:03:52 GMTFeatures154805http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Ringo-Starr-LiveRingo Starr will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, February 8. The legendary former Beatle will join his late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison at a location in front of the Capitol Records Building. Festivities will include a drum line and speeches from Don Was, Ben Harper and Joe Walsh. Gibson.com is pleased to celebrate the career of this towering figure in the history of rock and roll with streaming video of the ceremony.]]>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:00 GMTFeatures154814http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/who-super-bowl-0204Classic rock bands have commanded the Super Bowl halftime stage since Janet Jackson’s infamous 2004 “wardrobe malfunction,” with Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen providing the soundtrack to the world’s biggest tailgate party. This year The Who are scheduled for a blistering break from the gridiron action in Miami on Sunday, February 7, and they’ve already leaked a set list that includes “Baba O’Riley,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Tommy, Can You Hear Me?”, “Who Are You” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” — an orgy of flat-out great music.]]>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:59:47 GMTFeatures154793http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/memorable-intro-riffs-0203We worship classic guitar riffs. Like a rock and roll baptism, a great intro riff will plunge you into a song and make the world stop around you. That’s even after you’ve heard it thousands of times before. It’s also pretty handy that some of the best riffs are also some of the easiest to play (i.e., “Smoke On the Water”). Here we turn up the volume on five opening guitar riffs that make us remember why we love the guitar, and rock and roll, so much. We’re opening the floor for debate, we’re throwing ourselves to the wolves: Tell us which amazing riffs we left out. Just leave your feedback in the comment section below.]]>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:30:59 GMTFeatures154779http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/rita-marley-on-bob-0203“Just listen to a song like ‘No More Trouble,’ or ‘So Much Trouble in the World,’” says Rita Marley, wife of the late Bob Marley. “The lyrics to those songs fit the times, fit what’s happening.” ]]>Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:05:30 GMTFeatures154778http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/rolling-stones-history-0202It appears the Rolling Stones are gearing up to leave their mark on yet another decade. Together since 1962, the unrepentant British rockers have weathered trends, tragedies and even a brief spell where Mick Jagger insisted on wearing shoulder pads and white spandex tights. But their biggest accomplishment might be managing to get through it all with a minimum number of lineup changes. Let’s take a look at the band’s elite group of guitarists, starting with one of the most famous in the world.]]>Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:19:40 GMTFeatures154769http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Carlos-Santana-Abraxas-2011969 was a thrilling year for guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana and the band bearing his surname. They had recorded their first album and played Woodstock — where Santana wielded his SG Special like a Viking warrior — before its August release, creating a buzz that sent “Evil Ways” into the pop singles top 10 and Santana to number four on Billboard’s albums chart. By the time they returned to the studio in 1970, they were superstars and a tough act to follow – even for themselves.]]>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:22:54 GMTFeatures154764http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/lady-antebellum-0128Lady Antebellum is having a good week. On Tuesday, the young Nashville band released its second studio album, Need You Now, which looks set to debut on top of the pop charts. The title track from the record spent five weeks in the number one position on Billboard's Hot Country Song chart, and its current single, “American Honey,” seems destined to repeat the trick.]]>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:38:16 GMTFeatures154750http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/beauty-and-the-burst-0126Miss Pearly Gates and her kin from the Les Paul Standard class of 1959 have a little sister who’s just as beautiful. And this week Gibson is celebrating her birthday by unveiling the Custom Shop’s newest classic guitar reissue: the 50th Anniversary Les Paul 1960 Standard.]]>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:22:12 GMTFeatures154727http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/orianthi-interview-0127“You go with what life gives you, and for me that was music,” says Orianthi. “I love to create, and just play.”]]>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:09:25 GMTFeatures154733http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/hutch-legacy-0125One of Gibson Guitar’s most accomplished and dedicated luthiers, James “Hutch” Hutchins, who spent 45 years at Gibson, passed away from an undisclosed illness surrounded by his family last evening. “Hutch” as many of his Gibson friends called him, had a a career that’s spanned two states, three changes of ownership, and thousands of priceless Gibson guitars.]]>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:25:18 GMTFeatures154721http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/pioneering-funk-guitar-0125 Perhaps because funk guitar centers on rhythm and repetition rather than flashiness, the genre’s greatest practitioners often receive short shrift in guitar circles. That is a crime that needs rectified. And so, we’re pleased to profile the following 10 funk-guitar greats, all of whom, in a better world, would be household names.]]>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:19:08 GMTFeatures154708http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/peter-banks-0122As every prog-rock fan knows, Peter Banks occupies a preeminent place in the genre’s history. The founding guitarist in Yes, Banks helped the group forge its unique style before giving way to Steve Howe.]]>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:32:49 GMTFeatures154703http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/john-fogerty-0122Creedence Clearwater Revival had made four albums and scored six Top 10 hits, including “Proud Mary” and “Bad Moon Rising,” by the time 1970 began — an impressive accomplishment for its first two years. And yet John Fogerty and his bandmates kept on chooglin’ straight into another banner year.]]>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:56:06 GMTFeatures154698http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/7-bizarre-rock-deaths-0121In the comment section for last week’s Gibson feature “7 Bizarre Rock and Roll Deaths,” you made it clear that there were far more than seven rock stars who perished under strange circumstances. That calls for a part two. From Jim Morrison to Johnny Thunders, here are seven more rock stars whose deaths many fans might not ever consider a closed case. ]]>Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:41:34 GMTFeatures154691http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/motion-city-soundtrack-0120Although they may not have a huge hit single yet, for over a decade the Minneapolis-based act Motion City Soundtrack have been crafting some of the most satisfying power-pop to come out of the Midwest—and in the process they’ve gained legions of hardcore fans. This month, the band released their long-awaited major label debut, My Dinosaur Life, which saw them reuniting with producer and Blink 182 co-frontman Mark Hoppus. ]]>Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:00:00 GMTFeatures154686http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/5-great-reissues-0120Remaster, remix and reissue. And, if you’re Pearl Jam, Redux. What’s old is new again, as 2009’s reissues give us all a refresher course on what made classic albums like The Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique and Radiohead’s Kid A so enduring. Today these albums resonate just as powerfully, especially now that they’ve been spit-shined by some of the industry’s best producers. Here are five of the best reissued albums of 2009. ]]>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:49:45 GMTFeatures154671http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Aint-Nobody-Gonna-Knock-125This month one of Gibson’s most accomplished and dedicated luthiers, James “Hutch” Hutchins, celebrates 45 years at Gibson with a fond look back at a career that’s spanned two states, three changes of ownership, and thousands of lovely guitars. Hutch began his career in the original Kalamazoo, Michigan plant, making a name for himself there before transferring to Nashville in 1983. He’s worked every job from maintenance to pattern making with an unflinching attention to detail and an abiding pride in the Gibson name.]]>Fri, 23 Mar 2007 13:52:03 GMTFeatures154714