The guys at the Lick Library are donning their red hats and fat-suits.

They’re launching their 2010 Advent calendar. This means that, for every day between now and Christmas they will offer a series of special offers. Like the Advent calendar thing that you might have had as a kid, each day you open a box and see what’s inside. Instead of some, slightly sub-standard, chocolate though, inside these virtual doors is some sort of Lick Library offer.

There’s no limit to how many special offers you can grab so you can take your pick from one to twenty-five.

Off you go to the Lick Library Advent Calendar then.

Although nobody knew it, Heaven & Hell’s appearance at the Wacken festival in Germany during July of 200 was to be the last time a Ronnie James Dio live performance would be caught on film (as I’m sure you all know, Ronnie died earlier this year from stomach cancer). The festival appearance was part of Heaven & Hell’s The Devil You Know tour.

Eagle records is to release a CD/DVD featuring a recording of that performance. The release will be called Neon Nights: 30 Years of Heaven & Hell and the track listing is as follows:

• E5150
• The Mob Rules
• Children of the Sea
• I
• Bible Black
• Time Machine
• Fear
• Falling Off the Edge of the World
• Follow The Tears
• Die Young
• Heaven and Hell
• Encore: Country Girl
• Neon Knights

If you take a look at the video taster below (the encore: Neon Nights with a little bit of Country Girl as an intro) you’ll see that the band were on fantastic form. You’ll also see that the performance has been brilliantly recorded (turn it up – it’s rare to get such great sound on YouTube).

Neon Nights: 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell is to be released on November 16th.

I know what’s going in my Christmas stocking.

I’ve got to admit, when I received this, I spent some time wondering why it wasn’t called ‘Learn To Play Vivian Campbell”. The cynic in me can’t help associating this (upcoming) release with the very sad loss of Ronnie James Dio earlier this year.

All that said of course, the fact remains that the work Campbell did with Dio represents some excellent examples of 80s metal guitar riffs. Cynicism aside, this DVD tutorial from the Lick Library contains some great songs and, for anyone with an interest in playing great riffs and solos (which should be all of you), should find something to like here.

This is a double DVD with over three hours of lessons from Danny Gill (who’s written a bundle of tuition books, film and TV scores, and is apparently a pupil of Joe Satriani). Gill takes you through the songs and solos and dissects them to simple steps.

The songs in question are from early-era, solo-Dio and are: Holy Diver, Don’t Talk To Strangers, Rainbow In the Dark, The Last In Line, and We Rock.

Not a bad selection at all.

As I mentioned, this is a pre-order item at the moment. Pop to the Lick Library to order.

I’m not sure if they go through the (rather dodgy) keyboard intro for Rainbow In The Dark.

It better have Keith Don’t Go on it. Say it has Keith Don’t Go on it.

Ahhh, it does.

Right then, Nils Lofgren. He’s got a spanking new DVD out. It’s called Cry Tough and it covers three different and separate live performances from the bescarfed one. Each performance was filmed at different eras in Lofgren’s career and could be an interesting indicator of how (if at all) some of his songs and his style has altered over the years. A back-to-back viewing of these three shows, over two DVDs could make for an intriguing experiment. Or, you could just pop them on with some friends and crack a couple of beers. Whatever floats your boat.

The performances were filmed for Germany’s Rockpalast TV series. Rockpalast have had some great artists play for them over the years. I first became aware of them almost 20 years ago when a (then bootleg) VHS copy of a Rory Gallagher show found its way into my VCR and I’ve seen some great stuff from them since.

The performances here are from 1976 (when Nils had just released his fist solo album), 1979, and 1991 (freshly returned to solo work after a long stint with the E Street Band). Plenty of classics are covered, including of course, Keith Don’t Go.

Pop to Amazon and pick yourself up a copy. Nils Lofgren – Cry Tough

Or simply enjoy Nils playing Keith Don’t Go.

I’m not obsessed.

Woah. Thanks to the Fender blog for bringing this baby to our attention.

The video below is a taster for a new, double-disk, DVD, Leo Fender’s Telecaster – The Original Twang. This documentary film looks at the 60 year history of the Tele and its antecedents, the Broadcaster, Esquire and No-Caster. Teles from way back in Leo Fender’s Fullerton up to current custom shop instruments feature.

There are interviews, and performances, from a mass of Tele players and lovers including Steve Cropper, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, James Burton, Albert Lee, John 5, Richie Kotzen, Jerry Donahue and many more. You can probably tell from the list that this film doesn’t make the lazy assumption that the Tele’s just for country – plenty of genres are represented here.

Expert on all things Fender, Mac Yasuda and Fender historian Richard Smith are both filmed at the Fullerton Museum. Tom Wheeler, a friend of Leo Fender’s talks about his memories and some, recently discovered, film footage from the 50′s – showing the first production lines and prototype instruments – is featured. This footage was actually filmed by Fender big-wig, and Leo’s right-hand man, Forrest White.

In addition, there seems plenty of performance footage from all of the artists involved.

All in all, this promises to be a very interesting film. It’s released this month (August, 2010). You can buy this film (or the previous offering on the Strat) from the Stratmasters site. They will ship worldwide.

The Lick Library are launching a new DVD tuition course.

In the wake of their Andy James’ Shred Guitar in Six Weeks, comes their latest course, Andy James’ Metal Rhythm Guitar in Six Weeks. The folks at Lick Library say they are confident that, by following the course, you’ll hear and see progress in the timeframe.

The course comprises six DVDs (that can be purchased separately or, at a discount, as a set of six). Here’s what you’ll learn…

• Week 1: Standard Tuning: drop picking and palm muting, triplets and left hand muting, alternate picking, chord variations, practice routines, getting a metal tone, four metal jam tracks.
• Week 2: Drop D Tuning: Pedal tone riffs, chord progressions and phrasing, alternate picking, palm muting, the phrygian dominant scale, technique performances, three metal jam tracks.
• Week 3: Drop C# Tuning: Arpeggiated riffs, odd rhythms over a 4/4 beat, alternate picking, palm muting, technique performances, two metal jam tracks.
• Week 4: E flat Tuning: Complete song breakdown with technique lessons focusing on triplets, pedal tones, down picking and palm muting, metal guitar jam track.
• Week 5: Drop C# Tuning: Complete song breakdown with technique including arpeggiated riffs, triplets, pedal tones, down picking, plus a metal guitar jam track.
• Week 6: Drop C Tuning: Complete song breakdown using alternate picking, palm muting, odd rhythms, phrygian dominant scale, plus a metal guitar jam track.

Andy James is one of the UK’s rising stars of metal guitar. He’s lead guitarist with the band Sacred Mother Tongue. All of the jam tracks on this course have been specially devised by Andy to support your progress and help practice what you’ve learnt.

Here’s Andy with a taster of the course.

Check out Metal Rhythm Guitar in Six Weeks over at the Lick Library. A full set of DVDs will retail for UK£79.99 or you can buy each separately for UK£16.99.

I’ve been an AC/DC fan forever.  The first riff I ever learned was The Jack.  I’ve been listening to Angus and the boys for so long that it’s sometimes a surprise when I’m reminded just how popular they are with, you know, normal people.

Let me explain a little.  Many of the bands I grew up rocking to haven’t gained the widespread acceptance, and even love, that AC/DC have.  Everybody loves AC/DC.  And if you don’t, why don’t you?  If you’re a guitarist, you’d better have a good reason.

Or, you could just get these…

The Lick Library have added to their, already burgeoning, AC/DC selection by releasing Learn To Play Angus Young: The Solos and Jam With AC/DC Volume 2.

Both of the new DVDs are taught by Danny Gill, a former pupil of Joe Satriani, and co-author of the Musicians Institute’s Rock Lead Guitar series. These guitar tutorial DVDs, in the customary Lick Library style, use a split screen to show you what both hands are doing, whilst breaking down these well loved tracks into bite sized pieces which are easy to follow and learn.

Jam with AC DC Volume 2 (RRP £27.99) – is a double DVD and play along CD of seven contemporary and classic AC DC tracks, Rock & Roll Train, Black Ice, Stiff Upper Lip, Money Talks, Shot Down In Flames, Touch To Much and It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock & Roll).

Learn to Play Angus Young: The Solos (RRP £23.99) – is a DVD and CD set of five timeless solos from AC DC’s impressive track catalogue. This guitar tuition DVD helps you learn the solos from Back in Black, You Shook Me All Night Long, and For Those About To Rock and the solos and outros from Highway to Hell and Hells Bells.

The releases join the Lick Library’s other AC/DC titles (Learn to Play AC/DC Volumes 1,2 and 3, Jam with AC/DC Volume 1 and Quick Licks for Guitar: Angus Young).

More info at the Lick Library.

Another release from the Lick Library.  Five releases if you want to be exact.

Never ones to sit on their guitar-playing hands, the boys and girls at the Lick Library have brought out five guitar tuition DVDs all celebrating the guitar-geekery of Jimmy Page.  And, lets face it, everyone could use a little more Pagey in their lives.

First up are two volumes of Led Zeppelin goodness.

Learn To Play Led Zeppelin Vol. 1 sees Jamie Humphries breadk down, note by note, five all time classic tracks from Zep.  Featured are Black Dog, Rock & Roll, Stairway to Heaven, Immigrant Song and Heartbreaker.

Learn To Play Led Zeppelin Vol. 2, and Humphries opens up another five Led Zeppelin Tracks for your learning pleasure.  This time he looks at Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir, Communication Breakdown, Since I’ve Been Loving You and Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You.

Each of these double DVD sets contains over three hours of lessons and RRP is UK £24.99.

Next up, is Learn To Play Jimmy Page: The Solos. This one is presented by Danny Gill and concentrates at learning five of Jimmy’s classic solos.  You learn them one lick at a time and you can practice along with the jam tracks on the included CD.  Each track is featured at slow, medium and full tempo so you can build up your speed as you learn.  The solos included are Stairway To Heaven, Rock And Roll, Good Times Bad Times, Black Dog and Whole Lotta Love.

This is a DVD/CD set and recommended retail is UK £23.99

Lastly, Lick Library bring us Quick Licks – Up-Tempo Rock in the style of Jimmy Page and Quick Licks – Minor Blues in the style of Jimmy Page.

In these DVDs, Danny Gill looks at a number of Jimmy’s solos and examines over 70 licks (across both DVDs) to give us an appreciation of Jimmy’s style.  The DVDs examine scales, string bending, hybrid picking and plenty of Jimmy’s blues-style licks.  Each has backing tracks to jam along with.

Each of these DVDs sells for UK £19.99.

Head to Lick Library for more information.

Lick Library has just released a new series of guitar tuition DVDs aimed to help you learn and play tracks by Eric Clapton and Cream.

The first of these, Learn To Play Eric Clapton (RRP £24.99) contains guitar lessons based on five classic tracks from Clapton and Cream: Layla, Sunshine Of Your Love, Cocaine, White Room and Bad Love.  The idea is to give you some early Cream tracks and some solo stuff too.

Teaching on this DVD is Jamie Humphries, the author of the Giants of Rock and Giants of Metal guitar courses.  He shows, note for note, how the tracks are played and discusses equipment selection to get the right sound.  Jamie also encourages improvisation on what you have learned.

Contrary to the image on the cover, I believe that the 80′s style Armani suits are not included with this DVD. Repeat: there are no 80′s suits with this release.

Quick Licks – Up Tempo Blues In The Style Of Eric Clapton (£19.99) Takes s slightly higher-level approach in that it doesn’t aim to teach you how to play though a number of tracks.  Instead, it provides you with a number of professional recorded backing tracks over which, you can practice the 30 or so licks and techniques you’ve learned from the DVD.

Thought by Mike Cresswell, a guitarist and producer, the DVD demonstrates Clapton’s style and techniques.  It gives two different views of Mikes playing hand so you can see clearly what’s going on.  They’ve even added a third view/angle so you can learn more about the famous Clapton vibrato.

The third release, Jam With Cream (£27.99) is also presented by Mike Cresswell.  This is a double DVD and also comes with a CD of jam-tracks. Both the DVDs and the CD feature Sunshine Of Your Love, I Feel Free, White Room, Crossroads, Politician, Spoonful and Badge.

The lessons look at Clapton’s solo and riffing style.  They cover techniques like switching between scales, plectrum techniques, instrument control and many more.  There are three hours of lessons on these DVDs.

Purists will note that the Jam With Cream DVD does not actually feature a Cream-era Clapton on the cover.  Fashionistas will note the, rather spiffy, plaid waistcoat.

Lick Library have tons more stuff.  Check out Lick Library and you’ll likely find something there for you.  You can buy online and they have over 20,000 other guitar tuition products.

Actually, now, it’s over 20,003.

If you’re a rocker of a certain age, there’s a good chance you spent a chunk of your formative years listening to early Ozzy albums desperately trying to figure out what the hell Randy Rhoads was playing.  You whippersnappers may have done similar with the albums of the latter-day Ozzy with Zakk Wylde.

Lick Library have just announced, not only a Randy Rhoads, but also a Zakk Wylde version of their Learn To Play – The Solos DVDs.

As well as the DVD tutorials, these releases include a CD of professionally recorded guitar jam backing tracks at three different speeds – slow, medium and full tempo. Three speeds of solo also feature.  Expert tuition breaks down the solos into easy to learn sections.

Learn to Play Zakk Wylde, The Solos (RRP £23.99) is taught by professional guitar tutor Andy James.  Solos taught on this DVD come from Miracle Man, Devils Daughter, Breaking all the Rules, No More Tears and Mama I’m Coming Home.  This professionally produced, multi camera shot, guitar lesson breaks each solo down into clearly explained bite sized chunks, and is full of tips and techniques to help you get your playing up to speed. Watch and listen to demonstrations of pinched harmonics, alternate and hybrid picking and that heavy vibrato so indicative of a true Zakk Wylde style of playing.

Learn to Play Randy Rhoads, The Solos (RRP £23.99) is presented by Danny Dill former pupil of Joe Satriani and writer of many of the songs featured in “The Osbourne’s” TV show. Danny invites you to pick a track and grab a guitar as he takes you through note for note demonstrations of five characteristic Randy Rhoads solos at three different tempos. The DVD format gives you plenty of time to understand what Danny is showing you, and the chapter keys allow you to repeat each section as many times as you need to nail that guitar riff or lick. Solos included come from the tracks Goodbye to Romance, Crazy Train, Over the Mountain, Flying Again and Mr. Crowley, all of which have become metal standards and showcase Randy Rhoads full talent as a guitarist.

The Learn to Play Solos format includes a crapload of other famous guitarists.  Go check at the Lick Library.