Tony Macalpine

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the rossness

the rossness

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Tony MacAlpine rolled through town and I decided to go see him. It was the first time I saw him preform solo. I saw him sometime around 2004/2005 when he was in Steve Vai’s band. Anyways, there were maybe 20 people at the show. It was tiny. I don’t know how he can make money with such a small audience? But wow! The word virtuoso definitely applies to tony. He was playing legato on his guitar and playing keyboards with the other hand. Then he started sweep-tapping, then sweeps at crazy speed. Everything was played cleanly. Virtuoso monster shredder.

How come he never grew in popularity along the same lines as guys like Vai/Satch/Gilbert/Buckethead/YJM?
 
TMac is one of my favorite players, but not one of my favorite writers. I think he got famous doing the neo classical and/or power metal and had to try to keep going in that area I really dig the stuff he did with Planet X and CAB. I saw him with Sherinian about 14 years ago and was completely blown away.
 
the rossness":rqh5v3se said:
Tony MacAlpine rolled through town and I decided to go see him. It was the first time I saw him preform solo. I saw him sometime around 2004/2005 when he was in Steve Vai’s band. Anyways, there were maybe 20 people at the show. It was tiny. I don’t know how he can make money with such a small audience? But wow! The word virtuoso definitely applies to tony. He was playing legato on his guitar and playing keyboards with the other hand. Then he started sweep-tapping, then sweeps at crazy speed. Everything was played cleanly. Virtuoso monster shredder.

How come he never grew in popularity along the same lines as guys like Vai/Satch/Gilbert/Buckethead/YJM?
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Damn shame great guitarist like Tony fall through the cracks of time as one finger drop D or C chuggers are all the rage.

Have seen most but missed out on Tony, Bonnie Moore & of course Jason Becker as ALS struck him at such a young age.

All of the Mike Varney Shrapnel Artists are soloists.

David
 
I couldn't make the show last night. Bummer that he had such a light turnout. I missed him last time he was here too, as I was traveling
 
Tony is one of my favorites, one of the absolute best of the 80's shredders.

I think a lot of the popularity thing relates to he never had the big mainstream gig to broaden his exposure.

Vai got that with Roth, plus his eccentric playing style translated to his image, including the Jem phenomenon.
Satch got Vai's endorsement at the height of Steve's fame, and then when we all went to check out Surfing after hearing Vai's comments, we finally got this amazingly easy on the ears instrumental album.
Gilbert might be in the same boat as Tony if he hadn't done Mr. Big after Racer X.
Yngwie...well, he started the whole thing. Buckethead had GnR.

Tony is a little more soft spoken than a lot of these guys too, and his image tamed further over the years as well. He's a real musician's musician though for sure. Besides those classic solo albums back in the day, totally loved Project Driver, one of my favorite albums of all time.

But yeah, a shame a player of that caliber barely gets an audience these days. Kudos to him for still bringing the goods, and glad to see him healthy after going through the cancer.
 
Saw him in Houston with Arch Echo opening about 6 months ago. Mindblowing show all around....just unbelievable.


Obviously Tony is healthy enough to be touring, but man he looked super frail at that show. I remember being shocked by how tiny his legs were lol. Didn't matter; he still ripped hard!!!
 
I always loved Tony's technique, and to be able to bring on the keys as well, wow! But, I never gelled with his writing style. As others have said, if he could have landed that great support gig, it could have changed his life.
 
TM is a GREAT player who’s music I’ve never found super interesting. Super nice guy also. Maybe I need to revisit.
 
One of the high points of 80's instrumental metal IMO...Tears of Sahara, for all of us old-time MacAlpine AND Lynch fans:

 
the rossness":2e2l9lo1 said:
Tony MacAlpine rolled through town and I decided to go see him. It was the first time I saw him preform solo. I saw him sometime around 2004/2005 when he was in Steve Vai’s band. Anyways, there were maybe 20 people at the show. It was tiny. I don’t know how he can make money with such a small audience? But wow! The word virtuoso definitely applies to tony. He was playing legato on his guitar and playing keyboards with the other hand. Then he started sweep-tapping, then sweeps at crazy speed. Everything was played cleanly. Virtuoso monster shredder.

How come he never grew in popularity along the same lines as guys like Vai/Satch/Gilbert/Buckethead/YJM?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a great show. While I know he was never the big name like Vai, Yngwie, etc, he was always the same in my book. I’ve always looked at him in the same way. I wore out his newest album, Death Of Roses. That whole album is amazing. Listen to him regularly. Thanks for posting.
 
I had Maximum Security on tape when I was in high school and absolutely loved it! Such an awesome bunch of songs. He had great tone even back then and such an ear for notes.
 
I always dug Tony. Had Maximum Security and Edge of Insanity back in the day. Still listen to those.

Upon its release, I eagerly snatched up his foray into vocal oriented music with his eponymous group and their album "Eyes of the World". It was not what I was expecting.

World class player!
 
the rossness":2r1y56hk said:
How come he never grew in popularity along the same lines as guys like Vai/Satch/Gilbert/Buckethead/YJM?
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As has been suggested, my guess is that because he focussed on the neoclassical thing, he wasn't mainstream-enough.

YJM's always been the obvious exception for the genre 'cause he brought it to the masses.

I've always loved Tony's stuff. Fellow Virgo. :rock:
 
Love Tony's stuff...big influence on me. Of course his solo work is awesome, but I really dig his other projects as well(Ring of Fire, Planet X, M.A.R.S., Macalpine. CAB) The first two albums always get mention but I love pretty much all of his catalog(and own it)...Amazing talent and a nice dude. Actually met him once when he was signing autographs after a Planet X show. Super nice dude.

One album in his catalog that I always love he actually sang on is Master Of Paradise. Pretty rare cd, LOVE the songs. Goes without saying his chops(and his synth/piano playing too which I love as well)...but what I always loved about Tony's music/playing is he's very inventive melodically.....Master of sublime melodies!




 
Maybe, just maybe, pop music, aka; popular music, is by definition popular because many people enjoy it. Tony's not popular. His playing is fantastic and all but he's not popular.

If you look at what is popular today, (2020) and Tony wants to bring in a bigger audience he may want to lose 40 years, stop playing guitar, color/cut his hair all weird and start rapping about money and big butts!

Me, myself, & I would love to see Tony with 19 others. A private, well almost private, concert. Shit, imagine Jeff Beck in front of 20 people. I live in a town with a small, 300 seat theatre https://www.boxofficeticketsales.com/ti ... 7C%20Exact where great guitarist show up all year round so I've kind of gotten spoiled with the small crowd thing.
 
Markedman":1copefbz said:
Maybe, just maybe, pop music, aka; popular music, is by definition popular because many people enjoy it. Tony's not popular. His playing is fantastic and all but he's not popular.

If you look at what is popular today, (2020) and Tony wants to bring in a bigger audience he may want to lose 40 years, stop playing guitar, color/cut his hair all weird and start rapping about money and big butts!

Me, myself, & I would love to see Tony with 19 others. A private, well almost private, concert. Shit, imagine Jeff Beck in front of 20 people. I live in a town with a small, 300 seat theatre https://www.boxofficeticketsales.com/ti ... 7C%20Exact where great guitarist show up all year round so I've kind of gotten spoiled with the small crowd thing.
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(just a little side note here)- A few years ago I was recruited into my friend's hip-hop band. He needed a bassist and while I took the gig. With the exception of RATM and will smith, I hate hip-hop/ rap. However, those basslines were really fun to play. Hip-hop was more jazz than blues based. It was a way fun genre to play... and then the band imploded lol

why is bad music always so popular? I'm not trying to dis rap, because there are SOME genuinely talented performers out there. But at a whole, I just don't get it???

This is my fave T-mac song-

 
the rossness":zagx5kn6 said:
Tony MacAlpine rolled through town and I decided to go see him. It was the first time I saw him preform solo. I saw him sometime around 2004/2005 when he was in Steve Vai’s band. Anyways, there were maybe 20 people at the show. It was tiny. I don’t know how he can make money with such a small audience? But wow! The word virtuoso definitely applies to tony. He was playing legato on his guitar and playing keyboards with the other hand. Then he started sweep-tapping, then sweeps at crazy speed. Everything was played cleanly. Virtuoso monster shredder.

How come he never grew in popularity along the same lines as guys like Vai/Satch/Gilbert/Buckethead/YJM?
Click to expand...
I had a few of his records. I wouldn’t put Buckethead on that list. I’d never heard of him prior to forums. But Tony was always known to me, back in the day. Monster player.
 
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