Buckethead

#71 Celery
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This is a sweet, rather slow mid-tempo paced pike. It doesn't come quickly to the point. Maybe it doesn't at all. It's just a fine flow of music that appears, comes and disappears in a fade-out. You need a bit patience for it. Slowly but surely it develops. The lead tone comes in at 5.21 and then you know you're in for something. Nice melodic, thoughtful solo. The chord scheme doesn't stay the same all the time. A worthy pike to obtain!


#72 Closed Attractions
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A relaxed pike. The opening track has some fine guitar sound in the chords that I didn't hear often. It's an eerie and harmonic sounding effect. Absolute highlight is a jewel called Mecha Slunk Roller Coaster. It's not only the beautiful combo of acoustic backing guitar picking stunningly with the electric solo over it. That solo takes some wonderful direction. The choice of notes are just perfect. The album closer isn't very different from the opening track. Perhaps this album should be seen as a motive sandwiching three other tracks, of which one is among Buckethead's best and the other two are of minor interest. Altogether, a good calm pike.


#35 Thank You Ohlinger's
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This pike has a bit of Maidenish riffing. A YT-commenter recognizes a bit of Fear of the Dark, but it's especially that technique, not exactly the same pattern. This pike has awesome guitar production. The chords sound full, open and warm and there's a nice little delay in it, well heard when he (suddenly) stops.
Apart from the sound this pike has good ideas. This is inventive, heavy Buckethead. I like the sudden changes in tempo and breaks and such, but for the most time it's not over the top. It kicks of with the nine minute title track. Then shorter pieces follow which I do find at least as interesting. Unopened Boxes has a very memorable opening lick and a bit further a lightning fast riff kicks in. Such riffs make Buckethead unique I think. The song ends with Alex Lifeson kinda voicing chords. Then Way in the Back follows. Very Maidenish opening riff but what a sound. Very cool with headphones. The stuff that starts on the 15.47 minute mark is fantastic. Manilla Envelopes is short but very neat. Alphabetical Order disrupts the album a bit for me because it contains some less nice music although there's a part with very realistic sounding tom fills. The following, Window Clip mixes cool riffs with funk and dazzling high tapping that I don't find very fitting on this album. This is followed by the perfect Shoe Lock. What a riff feast. Telling Lock is intense, not my favourite track. But this was a great heavy pike!
 
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Nice reviews, glad you liked all three. Awesome albums too. All three just go to illustrate how diverse Buckethead's music is, not just in terms of playing, but mood & atmosphere. I know it isn't you that was specifically saying this, but the Maiden comment is a little funny. This is just palm muting/dampening; loads of guitar music uses this. Therefore the connection to FotD (the track I assume) is minimal. Another thing people seem to forget is that the start of FotD doesn't have palm muting on the album; the notes are cleanly picked without dampening. They only do this live.
 
CriedWhenBrucieLeft said:
Another thing people seem to forget is that the start of FotD doesn't have palm muting on the album; the notes are cleanly picked without dampening. They only do this live.
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Live one is more famous. So I can see the comparison. (I doubt if it doesn't happen on the studio version; perhaps only Janick does it? - I haven't heard it for a while). But there's more to it than the technique. It's the way these 16th notes ascend and descend.
 
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#36 The Pit
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Lots of riffing on this pike but not that enthralling. Lots of shorter simplistic riffs, whereby the repetition is not nice. The last track The Pendulum is a big contrast and showcases Buckethead's calmest acoustic playing. Without any rhythm accompaniment. As a whole, I do not find this pike that good but I wish to point out this very memorable part between 14.44 and 15.51. This revisit was worthwhile to (re)discover that part but it won't make me buy the pike.
 
Forostar said:
Live one is more famous. So I can see the comparison. (I doubt if it doesn't happen on the studio version; perhaps only Janick does it? - I haven't heard it for a while). But there's more to it than the technique. It's the way these 16th notes ascend and descend.
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It's a run; there's palm muting. Honestly, that's literally where the comparison ends.
Forostar said:
#36 The Pit
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Lots of riffing on this pike but not that enthralling. Lots of shorter simplistic riffs, whereby the repetition is not nice. The last track The Pendulum is a big contrast and showcases Buckethead's calmest acoustic playing. Without any rhythm accompaniment. As a whole, I do not find this pike that good but I wish to point out this very memorable part between 14.44 and 15.51. This revisit was worthwhile to (re)discover that part but it won't make me buy the pike.
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:huh:

This is a great Pike! Enough of the crazy talk!
 
(At times) I explain why I find the lesser pikes less good. You do not explain what you (dis)like about the content we're playing.

#36 Hollowed Out
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Another very good riff pike with variation and a good injection of melody. I like these kind of chords. How do you call these open/harmonic sounding ones? Definitely goes on the wishlist!
 
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What is there not to like about The Pit part 1 and The Pit part 6? They're beautiful, haunting tracks.

I've already commented on tracks 1 and 6 and you like The Pendulum... but the difference between the tone, the writing, the riffs (etc) on tracks 2 to 5 of The Pit and all of Thank you Ohlinger's doesn't seem as great as you imply in your comments; you praise one (extensive review with lots of comments) and pan the other ("not that enthralling", "simplistic riffs", "repetition is not nice", "I do not find this pike that good"). I just don't understand this incredibly polarised commentary. Is there really so much difference between these two that you love one & find literally nothing of merit in the other?
 
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Yes, I hear clearly different guitar music. I know that Buckethead has many styles, but I've come to realize that within his heavy stuff there are several different approaches as well. Approaches by Buckethead I mean. When I have the time I can zoom in on the differences, but to be honest I am not sure if it's worth the effort, if you do not distinguish between the differences in the music on these albums at this point.

Either you don't hear the differences, either you don't care. Well, I do. Both. Metal is an important genre to me. The most important. It's not all the same to me.
 
Perhaps I was slightly exacerbated by your criticism of albums that I really like; I totally understand what you mean. I suppose I'm just of the view that this sequence of albums is all, although clearly different, very good. I enjoy all of it, without exception. It all feels very close in the sense that it was all written (I'm guessing) over a very short period of time; but musically, yes, I except that it isn't all the same, not even close. I was just poorly expressing my own view of "all of of these albums" being enjoyable to me, and equating this with them all being musically similar, which they are not.

You should still buy The Pit in the $2 sale though...
 
I actually prefer The Pit to The Pendulum. Great Pike, more on that later.
 
@CriedWhenBrucieLeft I must say I'm very content to do these relistenings. I'd like to go back further in time. I'll post the 1-50 pikes I already own and would you mention the ones that deserve another chance, like you already did for 50-99 (and 35-40)?
 
Sure, remind of what #1-50 Pikes you actually have (assuming that's all you liked upon first listen) & I'll steer you towards others I think you'll like, or think are worth a listen. Just do a screenshot of your files again if that's easiest, rather than typing out each one.
 
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CriedWhenBrucieLeft said:
Jesus!, are you deep into the 30's already?! Soon you & Foro will be able to trade reviews in real time.
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Actually almost into the 50s. :D

Pike 32 - Rise of the Blue Lotus: This one is very similar to the previous Pike. So much so that I wondered if I had accidentally listened to Pike 31 again. That being said, it is a more than welcome continuation. Similar long acoustic pieces. Slightly less hypnotic, but just as relaxing. Also some really great acoustic soloing.

Pike 33 - Pumpkin: The first true "noise" Buckethead album. I didn't hate this. The problem is that it overstays its welcome by about 15 minutes. There are some creepy vibes on here though. An interesting experiment at least.

Pike 34- Pikes: A continuation of the previous Pike. Just 15 minutes of this was more than enough, let alone a second album.

Pike 35 - Thank You Ohlingers: Back to the signature heavy riff driven Buckethead, after a slew of experimental and acoustic albums. This one is as good as any other, with some really great riffs and grooves. He also really shreds on some of these tunes. Also some weirder moments such as Alphabetical Order. Or at least it starts weird, before becoming an awesome groove. Great Pike.

Pike 36 - The Pit: One of the most standout Pikes so far. The multipart title suite has to be one of his masterpieces. While its broken up into 6 parts, it really does feel like one composition. Not a jam, but a composition. Seems well crafted with a really intense buildup that takes place over the course of several tracks. Love how it gets increasingly heavy and intense before coming back to the main theme. The Pendulum is a nice acoustic piece and works well as a calm down after the intensity of The Pit.

Pike 37 - Hollowed Out: Some really great melodic stuff on here. Even some of the heavier tunes are dripping with catchy melodies. Lots of shifts in mood and intensity. Also a nice acoustic piece to close out the album.

Pike 38 - It Smells Like Frogs: This has another multipart suite similar to The Pit, although it isn't quite as unified. Still an awesome piece. The standalone title track isn't much of a contrast to Gold Dragon, unlike The Pit and The Pendulum, but it's an OK tune. Not as great as The Pit, even though it follows a similar formula, but a good Pike all the same.

Pike 39 - Twisterlend - One of the heavier and more manic Pikes. Some really thrashy riffing on this with a generous helping of shred guitar. Some of his soloing on this is just insane. Check out Ghouls of the Sea for an example. This is definitely not one to miss.

Pike 40 - Coat of Charms: A nice mellower offering after the intense Twisterlend, although it has some pretty major bursts of heaviness. This one also contains a multipart suite, although if I'm remembering right this is the first of such pieces for a mostly mellower acoustic album. It's pretty dark and feels unified in the same way that The Pit does. While the melodies and chord progressions shift, the mood stays in tact for the entire piece. There are also some heavy moments, so it's not completely acoustic. In fact it actually gets really unexpectedly heavy in Part 4. This makes it one of the more dynamic Buckethead offerings and without a doubt an essential.

Pike 41 - Wishes: After Coat of Charms, which was really more of a hybrid, we get a true acoustic offering. This one has a hypnotic feel that isn't unlike Pikes 31 and 32. It still does its own thing. More relaxing maybe? Very enjoyable Pike either way.

Pike 42 - Backwards Chimney: Another hybrid album, with some mellow pieces and some heavier tunes. The mellow stuff here is a lot more involved. These last 3 albums really show Buckethead's range in this mode alone. 3 of the 5 songs are more acoustic driven. Even the heavier tunes have some extended acoustic parts. Although it's nice to have a contrast, I found some of the heavier moments underwhelming. The mellow stuff, as always, is awesome.

Pike 43: This one is all acoustic/clean guitar. Some really atmospheric/vibey songs, but also some more energetic tunes. So there's a nice variety. Once again, a very welcomed style for Buckethead.

Pike 44 - You Can't Triple Stamp a Double Stamp: This Pike is insane. It's heavy and very off the wall. Whenever Buckethead takes an extended break from heavier stuff, he always comes back to it with a vengeance. Some of his heaviest riffing yet is found on this album. A touch of dissonance, but it's used tastefully. An essential for those who enjoy Buckethead's heavier side.

Pike 45 - Coats of Claude: This one is pretty heavy too, but not as interesting. The title track is great, but the rest is kinda generic sounding to me. Similar sounding riffs and drum patterns. Check out the first tune and then skip the rest IMO.

Pike 46 - Rainy Days: Very nice mellow Pike. A little more emphasis on soloing over acoustic chords. But also some good acoustic driven melodies.

Pike 47 - Rollercoaster Track Repair: This was awesome. I only have one complaint. These two long tracks don't really have strong beginnings or endings. But everything in between is awesome. These are more jams than well crafted pieces (I notice he tends to split those up and leave the jams as one track) but this is still a really enjoyable listen. Awesome soloing and riffs. Just two great jams. It also lives up to its title. Feels like the sort of thing you'd hear on a rollercoaster. High energy, lots of shifts.

Pike 48 - Hide In the Pickling Jar: Some more "traditional" sounding bluesy tunes on here. Some really awesome grooves. Has a classic rock guitar sound to it. It is not without its heavier moments, but it's more of a Black Sabbath kind of heavy rather than a Megadeth kind of heavy. Good stuff, a bit different from his usual fare.

:yawn:
I've been using my commute to school to listen to these, but since I'm now on spring break for the next week I think I will also take a break from Buckethead. Still, I'm not getting tired of his music yet which is a very good sign. See you next week!
 
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