Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal je prvenstveno virtuozni gitarist, producent i skladatelj poznat po svojoj tehničkoj preciznosti i eksperimentalnom pristupu sviranju. Najširu prepoznatljivost stekao je kao gitarist Guns N’ Roses (2006.–2014.), a kroz solo karijeru i suradnje s bendovima poput Sons of Apollo i Art of Anarchy, dokazao se kao inovator u svijetu rock i metal glazbe. Njegov prepoznatljiv stil, koji uključuje unikatne gitarske tehnike poput “thimble tappinga”, spoj je progresivnog metala, klasične glazbe i nepredvidivih melodijskih zaokreta. Osim što je aktivan glazbenik, Bumblefoot je i cijenjeni producent i mentor, strastveno posvećen glazbenoj edukaciji i podršci mladim talentima. U siječnju je objavio instrumentalno- gitaristički album Bumblefoot…Returns, mi smo ga recenzirali u veljači – Počekom ožujka Ron je s nama podijelio svojih 7 presudnih albuma.
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Kiss – “Alive” (1975.)
Imao sam pet godina i bio sam kod susjeda Boba, sjedio u njegovoj sobi i slušao glazbu s gramofona. Po kući su bili razbacani albumi koje su donosila njegova starija braća i sestre – Yes, Elton John, The Beatles… Tada smo ugledali Kiss Alive! i odlučili ga pustiti. Kada sam čuo buku publike i energiju benda, doživio sam pravo prosvjetljenje – samo sam zurio u zvučnike, upijajući svaki ton. Tog trenutka moj je život dobio jasan smjer – želio sam raditi upravo to. Posudio sam akustičnu gitaru od susjeda i počeo pisati pjesme. Do šeste godine već sam imao bend, snimali smo naše pjesme na kazete, organizirali koncerte u dvorištu i na kraju posljednje pjesme bacali konfete iz domaće izrađenih čašica. Čak sam crtao i vlastite stripove koje smo koristili kao promotivne materijale. I nikad nisam stao – sve zahvaljujući tome što sam prvi put čuo Kiss Alive!
The Beatles – “Magical Mystery Tour” (1967.)
Ono što najviše volim kod The Beatlesa jest produkcija Georgea Martina – prijeteći zvuk violončela i orkestralne aranžmane koji su njihove pjesme pretvarali u neosporna remek-djela. Ovaj album ima toliko sjajnih pjesama – Your Mother Should Know, I Am the Walrus, Hello Goodbye, Penny Lane – obožavao sam ih. Stvarali su zvukove izvan onoga što su obični smrtnici dotad postigli. The Beatlesi su mi otvorili um za zvukove koji su nadilazili stvarnost, inspirirali me da budem kreativan u studiju i potaknuli me da postanem glazbeni producent. Na kraju sam završio kao profesor na fakultetu u New Yorku, gdje predajem glazbenu produkciju.
Yes – “Going For the One” (1977.)
Dok smo bili kod Boba i slušali albume njegova starijeg brata, pustili smo tada tek objavljeni Going For the One. Do danas smatram da je tih pet pjesama među najljepšima ikada snimljenima. Besprijekorno skladane, producirane, odsvirane i aranžirane. Već pri prvom slušanju imao sam osjećaj kao da sam dospio u cirkus, gdje god bih se okrenuo, nešto nevjerojatno bi se događalo. Taj osjećaj i danas imam svaki put kada ga poslušam. Ovaj album započeo je moju ljubav prema progresivnoj glazbi, što je kasnije postalo važan dio mog autorskog rada i dovelo me do bendova u kojima ću svirati u budućnosti.
Ozzy Osbourne – “Blizzard of Ozz” (1980.)
Kad sam prvi put čuo Randyja Rhoadsa, nabavio sam svoje prvi Marshallovo pojačalo i MXR distortion pedalu. Također mi je trebala gitara s vibrato ručicom, pa sam improvizirao – napravio sam plutajući most: oprugu na prednjoj strani koja je povlačila rotirajući zglob na kojem su bile pričvršćene žice i veliki vijak koji bih gurao naprijed da opusti žice – i to je radilo! Sav uzbuđen, donio sam gitaru svom učitelju na sat. Pokazao sam mu svoj izum, izveo ‘dive-bomb’ potez i bum – opruga je pukla, a cijela stvar se raspala. Ostatak sata jedva sam suzdržavao suze. Randy mi je bio golema inspiracija i zahvaljujući njemu otkrio sam klasičnu glazbu i način na koji se ona može integrirati u metal. Moja baka imala je stare 78-okretne ploče s klasičnom glazbom, slušao bih ih i učio dionice violine na gitari.
Iron Maiden – “Killers” (1981.)
Imao sam 11 godina i pregledavao vinile u lokalnoj prodavaonici ploča kad sam ugledao album Killers. Omot albuma me zaintrigirao pa sam pitao prodavača je li dobar. Predložio mi je da ga uzmem i isprobam. Kad sam ga kod kuće poslušao, nakon nevjerojatnih pola sata preklinjao sam majku da me odvede natrag u trgovinu kako bih kupio prvi Maidenov album. Od tog trenutka postao sam njihov veliki obožavatelj. Sljedećih nekoliko godina slikao sam Maidenove omote na poleđinama traper jakni i prodavao ih za 20 dolara kako bih uštedio za novu gitaru. Na kraju sam skupio dovoljno novca da kupim rabljeni Ibanez Roadstar i modificirao ga u ‘Swiss Cheese’ gitaru – bila je to moja glavna gitara sljedećih 13 godina. S njom sam obišao svijet na turnejama, snimio prve albume i pojavio se na naslovnicama gitarskih magazina… a sve je počelo od slučajnog odabira albuma Killers u trgovini ploča.
Van Halen – “Fair Warning” (1981.)
Imao sam 12 godina i već bio duboko u rocku i metalu – AC/DC, Judas Priest, Maiden, Ozzy – ali još uvijek nisam čuo Van Halen. Kao gitarist, tada sam bio pod snažnim utjecajem Angusa Younga i svirao intenzivni blues-rock. Na probi, netko tko nas je slušao pitao me znam li ‘tapati’ na gitari. Nikada nisam čuo za tu tehniku. Pokazao mi je Eruption triplete, bio sam fasciniran. Pustio mi je Fair Warning, a kada sam čuo uvod Mean Streets, bio je to trenutak otkrića… Nikada nisam čuo gitaru da proizvodi takav zvuk. Bilo je to kao ono kad sam prvi put čuo Kiss Alive! – sve se promijenilo. Tada sam shvatio da gitara može ići mnogo dalje kreativno nego što sam ikada zamišljao. Počeo sam eksperimentirati s modifikacijom gitare i raznim tehnikama, što je kasnije dovelo do moje thimble tehnike, sviranja na bezpražnjačkoj gitari i mojih prvih albuma objavljenih za Shrapnel Records…
Rush – “Moving Pictures” (1981.)
Ovo je bio najnoviji album Rusha kada sam imao 12 godina. Sjećam se da sam ga poslušao i odmah se zaljubio u zvuk. Odmah sam nabavio Permanent Waves i ostale Rushove albume. S 14 godina već sam imao bend koji je svirao po barovima. Polovica našeg repertoara bila je Rush, druga polovica Kiss, Ozzy, Aerosmith, Maiden… Svirali smo pjesme poput Beneath, Between & Behind, La Villa Strangiato, By-Tor & the Snow Dog – mnoge dublje rezove iz njihove diskografije. To je bio početak pravih svirki, pred pravom publikom…
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal is first and foremost a virtuoso guitarist, producer and composer known for his technical precision and experimental approach to playing. He gained widespread recognition as the guitarist for Guns N’ Roses (2006-2014), and through his solo career and collaborations with bands such as Sons of Apollo and Art of Anarchy, he has proven himself to be an innovator in the world of rock and metal music. His distinctive style, which includes unique guitar techniques such as “thimble tapping”, blends progressive metal, classical music and unpredictable melodic twists. As well as being an active musician, Bumblefoot is also a respected producer and mentor who is passionate about music education and supporting young talent. In January he released the instrumental guitar album Bumblefoot… Returns, which we reviewed in February (https://poprock.hr/albumi/bumblefoot-returns/ ) In early March, Ron shared his seven defining albums with us.
Kiss – Alive (1975)
I was five years old, at my neighbor Bob’s house, sitting in his room listening to the stereo. Albums were all over his house, brought home by his older siblings – Yes, Elton John, the Beatles – we saw Kiss Alive! and put it on… When I heard the crowd cheering and the energy of the band, it was an epiphany – I just stared at the speakers, absorbing it all. My life had its course plotted out at that moment – I was going to do THAT. I borrowed an acoustic guitar from a neighbor and started writing songs. By the time I was six I had a band, we made home recordings of our songs on cassette, put on shows in our backyards with homemade cups of confetti to throw in the air in the last song, I even made hand-drawn comic books as merch. And never stopped – all thanks to hearing Kiss Alive!
The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
What I love most about the Beatles was George Martin’s production, the ominous cellos and orchestral arrangements – they turned songs into undeniable masterpieces. There are so many great songs on the record – Your Mother Should Know, I Am the Walrus, Hello Goodbye, Penny Lane, I loved it. They were making sounds beyond what mere mortals had achieved. The Beatles exposed my mind to sounds that were beyond reality, and inspired me to be creative in the studio and become a music producer, and eventually a professor at a college in New York teaching music production.
Yes – Going For the One (1977)
Back at Bob’s house listening to his older brother’s records, we put on the newly-released ‘Going For the One’ album. To this day I feel those five songs are some of the most beautiful ever recorded. Immaculate writing, production, playing and arranging. From the first listen it felt like I had been taken to the circus and wherever I turned there was something amazing to experience. It still blows my mind every time I hear it. And it began my love for progressive music, which became a big part of my writing and led to future bands I’d play in.
Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
After hearing Randy Rhoads, I got my first Marshall amp and an MXR distortion pedal. I also needed to get a guitar with a vibrato bar, so I made a floating bridge, a concoction of a spring on the front pulling back on a rotating swivel with the strings attached to it, and a big screw sticking out that I’d push forward to turn the swivel forward and loosen the strings – it worked! I was all excited and brought the guitar to my teacher for my weekly lesson. I showed him my creation, did a dive-bomb and boom – the spring snapped and the thing broke. For the rest of the lesson, I was holding back tears. Randy was a huge inspiration to me, and introduced me to classical music, and how to include it in metal. My grandmother had all of these classical speed-78 records, I’d listen to them and learn the violin parts on guitar…
Iron Maiden – Killers (1981)
I was 11 years old, browsing the vinyl in a local record store, and saw the Killers album. The album art made me curious, I asked the guy at the counter if it was good, he suggested I take it home and try it. I went home and listened, and after an amazing half-hour, I begged my mom to take me back to the record store so I could get Maiden’s first album. Instant fan. Over the next years, I’d paint Iron Maiden album covers on the backs of dungaree jackets for $20 each, to save money to buy new guitar gear. I eventually saved up enough to buy a used Ibanez Roadstar guitar that I modified into the ‘Swiss Cheese guitar’ – this would be my main guitar for the next 13 years. I toured the world with that guitar, recorded my first albums with it, and was on guitar magazine covers with it… all starting from browsing the record store and picking up ‘Killers’.
Van Halen – Fair Warning (1981)
I was 12 years old, and into the current rock and metal – AC/DC, Priest, Maiden, Ozzy, but hadn’t yet heard Van Halen surprisingly. As a guitarist, I was an Angus Young-influenced high-intensity blues-rock player. At band rehearsal, someone watching asked if I knew how to ‘tap’ on the guitar. I hadn’t heard of it, he showed me the Eruption-style triplets, I was fascinated. He put on Fair Warning and when I heard the intro to Mean Streets, it was like discovering a new world… I had never heard a guitar make that kind of sound. It was just like that moment when I first heard Kiss’ Alive! as a kid – everything changed. I realized that the guitar can go farther creatively than what I had ever considered, and wanted to take that road. I started experimenting with guitar modification and different techniques, leading to my ‘thimble technique’, playing fretless, and my first albums released on Shrapnel Records…
Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)
This was the most recent Rush album to have come out when I was about 12 years old. I remember hearing Moving Pictures and just loving it. I immediately got Permanent Waves and all the other Rush albums. By age 14, I had a band that started playing bars. Half of our set was Rush, the other half was Kiss, Ozzy, Aerosmith, Maiden… We played Rush songs like Beneath, Between & Behind, La Villa Strangiato, By-Tor & the Snow Dog – a lot of deeper cuts. This was the start of playing real gigs, for real crowds…