Best. Interview. EVER. Being a die hard Ej fan growing up, this interview answered soooo many questions about the album. This is like ancient history! Wonderful interview, Mitch! Best, -Z
If a person met Eric on the street, they'd never think he was a guitarist. He's so mellow and even keel. He just comes off like another, fairly geeky, kind of boring white person. You'd never suspect he had such a soulful, & expressive musical talent. IMO, all around, he's the greatest guitarist ever. He's super original yet he's super diverse(a huge feat in itself). He can play practically any musical genre at a master level. His style seamlessly combines Rock, Country, Blues, Jazz, Ethereal, Folk, Eastern, World music & more, yet it all comes out sounding like Eric Johnson. Plus, he has the best clean AND distorted tones ever created. Oh, did I mention he has a beautiful singing voice, he's a terrific pianist and a killer songwriter. What more could you ask for?
@@rayjeske6564 Yeah, Phil is a stellar guitarist & musician. He also has a great, Paul McCartney like voice. Not to mention, he's a devout Christian like myself. Phil & Eric are both true musician's musicians. Cbeers Ray!
Man EJ has got to be the most humble virtuoso musician in history. Like where he says he had to raise his level of playing to pull off Cliffs... well, there are several live recorded performances he did of Cliffs before it was ever recorded where the solo just SMOKES the recorded version in terms of difficulty and virtuosity. You can find some of them on youtube, I’ve transcribed several of them.
Used to see him with Kyle and Bill Mattox on drums in the old days, changed my life. Look out in the crowd at these little bars and all the guitarists in town would be there, shaking our heads and smiling at each other.
Saw Eric on the original tour...The Tucson Gardens, a small club in Tucson, AZ. It was amazing and Eric was so humble, a really cool dude....he took the time to shake my hand and chat briefly after he exited the stage.
GREAT, GREAT, GREAT interview Mitch!!! This is the kind of interview musicians want to hear. It's so great to hear about the inner workings and details of such an amazing album. Especially considering the level of musicianship on Ah Via Musicom. I feel like I know this "Desert Island" album even more intimately now. Thanks and please keep up the great work Mitch!!!
I had the privilege of seeing this tour last fall (2018) and it was quite a show. I knew Eric was good but i didn't know how good. All i can say is wow! The way he plays chords and sustains notes is a revelation and his humbleness is genuine. Seems to have no visible ego but is more talented than most musicians i have seen and heard. The album Ah Via Musicom has stood the test of time and the breakdown of the recording process is interesting to hear from all three band members. As of this show EJ is now my favorite guitar player and has been very inspiring to me on so many levels. Keep the good music coming Eric and see you on the road again soon i hope! Also, great job by Mitch Gallagher here....intelligent and informed questions, staying out of the way and letting the artists have the spotlight. Keep these types of interviews coming as well. Great stuff!
I would love a Venus tour also although this ah via Musicom tour was awesome! All the songs were crazy! Saw you in Bayshore, NY and Eric played ALL his greatest songs! I would see it again for sure! 5 encores!
Thank you Mitch!!! one of the best interviews, well, every interview feels like the best to be honest haha, but to have the whole band of such an important instrumental guitar album is quite special!!!
This is the greatest interview ive ever seen and ive known these Men along time this is fantastic to see.. this is Gold man Gold really excellent questions and job Mitch !
Incredible band. Incredible interview. I started listening to these guys when Tones came out. Eric reminds me of Jeff Beck..you never know what he's going to do next. Pure serotonin overload 😍
This will be a great tour. I'll bet they still do some Tones and Venus Isle tunes, but the whole of Ah Via Musicom will be very cool to see played live again. Bravo for doing this.
Questions. What did you have to do to remember the song. 2:30 Was everything written before you recorded the album 5:18 How complete is a song when you show the band 5:49
Back in the 70's and 80's I played (drums) in a Blues/Rock three piece, the 'Paradise Blues Band' here in Austin. Our bass/rhythm player was friends with and a high school grad with Eric. I met Eric several times but never got to jam with him. I remember attending their graduating class reunions with my friend one year and they had some funky garage band playing on stage. After much cajoling, Eric agreed to do one song with these guys -- Eric of course sounded like a million bucks, the other guys not so much. He is a genuinely humble and gentle individual, as well as a guitar genius.
I have an autographed Ah Via Musicom I got signed in Madison WI back in 1991 at a show. We went out back and chatted with the band for a few minutes and he's really cool. It's one of my favorite CDs ever. I saw this tour in 2018 in LA too and it sounded awesome.
Great to see them in Dallas Tommy was very kind to speak with me some afterwards I know they were ready to go home but the show was great. Get out and go see them !
One of the more intelligent interviews, this time including the band. No one knows what it takes to make it the music business, but this talk certainly sheds light on it.
That tele on Steve's Boogie was owned by Park Street who ended up selling it to a friend of Alan Will who is a close friend of Eric's. I got to know Alan a bit when I lived in Austin back in 93 . We both used to hang out at Dale Allen's Workhorse Guitars'. I had a 56' Strat and this guy who was a buddy of Alan's was a professor in a Houston College( can't remember his name...Jay Shroeder? ) came to my place with that tele which Michael Stevens had refinished to this beautiful eggplant purple color. He offered to trade it to me for my Strat. It was a nice guitar, but I didn't love it. It was very, very light weight and the neck was a bit small for me. Anyway, this guy seemed kind of offended that i wouldn't trade him even up. ( He worshiped Eric and was a GREAT player as well) Man, if I had known that Eric would become such a world Superstar ( remember there was no internet back then) I would have traded him for sure. That guitar is probably worth A LOT OF MONEY today. Who knew?
It's an old old 24" Zildjian A medium! It is quite phenomenal. So much in fact, that when he landed his Sabian endorsement, he took that ride to the factory to hand pick a 24" Sabian ride that sounded as close as possible to the real deal. That way he could tour without fear of it ever being lost or broken! How do I know all this? Well, because I'm now the blessed owner of the 24" Sabian ride. :0) For that very special tour, he brought the magic Zildjian ride out, so you were actually hearing the cymbal from the records! What a treat, right!?
I knew Tommy when he played with Christopher Cross and Kyle was playing with Eric. Do you still collect mustangs Tommy lol hahahaha these guys are incredible musicians. It's strange to see them being celebrities. Eric said notoriety isn't what it's trumped up to be to me after a show once. Looks like it fell on his head. You guys are brilliant. All the best from Dustin. Eric, do you know what happened to Zack
talk about a " simple" Eric rhythm. i think Desert rose is a brilliant rhythm and to me the best artist suck me in by heres a part you can play and then now pay attention caz here's one your going to have to work at. and i think all the greats like Joe sach and Gary More. and Eric do this very well. ive enjoyed being their student.
Ah Via and Tones are EJ's most favored albums, so, he might consider those 2, instead of just one....... Also, EJ seems to be the only artist in the last 15yrs who has not had his past albums Re-mastered and rereleased with "extras"...... I wonder why this is?.....could it be he's saving this for retirement?.... Sort of like Jimmy Page?
I would really like to hear more from Eric and Kyle (esp), and a lot less from Tommy. Tommy used to post to EJ's forum all the time (back in the day), until he started offering his opinions on how David Gilmour was a facsimile of Paul Kossof, and that anthropogenic climate change was a hoax. He alienated himself from a bunch of his (and by extension, Eric's) fans by sounding like a uneducated conspiracy theorist. He seems like a completely nice guy in this interview, but he also seems like a guy who cannot help but try to steal the limelight. He needs to kick back and relax; they guy two seats to the left is one of the great musicians of the last 100 years!
GDK Opinionator I can see where you would get that but really in person he is the most chill guy ever he doesn’t act like a big shot or try to take the lime light I got to meet him and Eric Johnson and he really took a back set to Eric the whole time
A show of hands please . . . Who wants to hear a drummer hog the interview while the greatest guitarist in the world sits there trying to get in a word edgewise. Terrible interview, Mitch needs to use some sense and straighten this out.
Opinions are like? Yep, you can be one. Know that these guys are Austin inner-circle classics and very loyal to one another without question. Who cares who talks more in the interview? Taylor helped Christopher Geppert through the 70's and Chris Cross stole all the credit for the 5 grammy winning works of the debut album. TT is a smart, classic, sweet guy who treats his fans with courtesy and respect regardless who they may be.
HE'S COMMING ON MY BIRTHDAY ON THE EXPERIENCE HENDRIX TOUR! WHAT A GREAT BIRTHDAY I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR SURE!
Best. Interview. EVER.
Being a die hard Ej fan growing up, this interview answered soooo many questions about the album. This is like ancient history!
Wonderful interview, Mitch!
Best,
-Z
Thank you, Zach! 😎👍
Venus Isle tour would be awesome!!
I saw him at Mississippi nights in St. Louis on that tour!! Amazing show!! Roscoe beck was on bass and i was 15 feet from eric. GOD what a show!!
@@fender68able saw the same show...his tonal peak imho. Super smoky in MN then. I smelt like a pack of Lucky's for 3 days! 😁
I second that !
Third that
If a person met Eric on the street, they'd never think he was a guitarist. He's so mellow and even keel. He just comes off like another, fairly geeky, kind of boring white person. You'd never suspect he had such a soulful, & expressive musical talent.
IMO, all around, he's the greatest guitarist ever. He's super original yet he's super diverse(a huge feat in itself). He can play practically any musical genre at a master level. His style seamlessly combines Rock, Country, Blues, Jazz, Ethereal, Folk, Eastern, World music & more, yet it all comes out sounding like Eric Johnson. Plus, he has the best clean AND distorted tones ever created.
Oh, did I mention he has a beautiful singing voice, he's a terrific pianist and a killer songwriter. What more could you ask for?
Agree
@@dannyspitzer1267 Cheers Danny!
@@t-boog2173 you too my friend!
That's almost exactly how I feel about Phil Keaggy. Who, by the way, is a great admirer of Eric's.
@@rayjeske6564 Yeah, Phil is a stellar guitarist & musician. He also has a great, Paul McCartney like voice. Not to mention, he's a devout Christian like myself. Phil & Eric are both true musician's musicians. Cbeers Ray!
This interview is a dream come true. It's great to hear them talk about the recording process on my favorite album of all time.
I saw the Ah Via Musicom show at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. It amazes me that anyone can play this album live. It was an amazing show.
Man EJ has got to be the most humble virtuoso musician in history. Like where he says he had to raise his level of playing to pull off Cliffs... well, there are several live recorded performances he did of Cliffs before it was ever recorded where the solo just SMOKES the recorded version in terms of difficulty and virtuosity. You can find some of them on youtube, I’ve transcribed several of them.
Have you still got your transcriptions lying around somewhere? I'm sure other EJ fans would be super psyched to see them.
What a great idea!!! Love hearing Tommy and Kyle along with my fave guitarist
Used to see him with Kyle and Bill Mattox on drums in the old days, changed my life. Look out in the crowd at these little bars and all the guitarists in town would be there, shaking our heads and smiling at each other.
I was in the crowd also. Bill is a great guitar player also.
Saw Eric on the original tour...The Tucson Gardens, a small club in Tucson, AZ. It was amazing and Eric was so humble, a really cool dude....he took the time to shake my hand and chat briefly after he exited the stage.
Thanks Mitch for having the intuition to capture this opportunity.
GREAT, GREAT, GREAT interview Mitch!!! This is the kind of interview musicians want to hear. It's so great to hear about the inner workings and details of such an amazing album. Especially considering the level of musicianship on Ah Via Musicom. I feel like I know this "Desert Island" album even more intimately now. Thanks and please keep up the great work Mitch!!!
Thanks for the kind words, Tarrell! 😎👍
@@sweetwater Well done!
Fantastic interview. Saw this tour back in Feb. in Atlanta at Center Stage. The greatest musical trio I have ever heard in my life.
He's coming back next month... I've never caught him live or knocked out Center Stage..two birds one stone..😁
Listen to Jeff Beck
Best interview of these guys ever...IMO
😃
Saw them in concert! It was amazing!
I had the privilege of seeing this tour last fall (2018) and it was quite a show. I knew Eric was good but i didn't know how good. All i can say is wow! The way he plays chords and sustains notes is a revelation and his humbleness is genuine. Seems to have no visible ego but is more talented than most musicians i have seen and heard. The album Ah Via Musicom has stood the test of time and the breakdown of the recording process is interesting to hear from all three band members. As of this show EJ is now my favorite guitar player and has been very inspiring to me on so many levels. Keep the good music coming Eric and see you on the road again soon i hope! Also, great job by Mitch Gallagher here....intelligent and informed questions, staying out of the way and letting the artists have the spotlight. Keep these types of interviews coming as well. Great stuff!
Awesome! Wishful thinking but man if you could ever get them to do a similar interview on Venus Isle!
I would love a Venus tour also although this ah via Musicom tour was awesome! All the songs were crazy! Saw you in Bayshore, NY and Eric played ALL his greatest songs! I would see it again for sure! 5 encores!
Thank you Mitch!!! one of the best interviews, well, every interview feels like the best to be honest haha, but to have the whole band of such an important instrumental guitar album is quite special!!!
Thank you sir! I love your music. Such innovation! What a master you are....
love to see everyone kind of "grow" into the interview as it went along. Excellent job.
I always appreciated interviews like this, where other members of a band are included, especially when it is not a formal band.
Saw the tour in Buffalo, Thanks for a great show guys.
I live in central Texas and always wish I could bump into the EJ crew .
This is the greatest interview ive ever seen and ive known these Men along time this is fantastic to see.. this is Gold man Gold really excellent questions and job Mitch !
Incredible band. Incredible interview. I started listening to these guys when Tones came out.
Eric reminds me of Jeff Beck..you never know what he's going to do next. Pure serotonin overload 😍
Fantastic, no nonsense interview. Congrats to the interviewer, well done, sir! And to one of rock's greatest artists/bands.
When I saw the show live in Capistrano we thought a jet was landing on the roof. We loved it. Maybe the best show I have ever seen.
Wow,didn't think i could listen to the whole 43 min interview in one sitting,but i did. Very interesting takes on the record.Loved it!
Thanks for checking it out, Alex!
Gold standard for this type of interview, bravo.
Saw them on this tour - great!
Venus Isle is a great album and EJ should tour next year with this album in full. Up Close is a great newer album too
This will be a great tour. I'll bet they still do some Tones and Venus Isle tunes, but the whole of Ah Via Musicom will be very cool to see played live again. Bravo for doing this.
It was, sorry to tell you the tour ended two weeks ago!
i was there
Eric seems like such a nice guy!
Questions.
What did you have to do to remember the song. 2:30
Was everything written before you recorded the album 5:18
How complete is a song when you show the band 5:49
I so enjoyed this interview. Mitch is a class act!
Thanks Sweetwater.
Back in the 70's and 80's I played (drums) in a Blues/Rock three piece, the 'Paradise Blues Band' here in Austin. Our bass/rhythm player was friends with and a high school grad with Eric. I met Eric several times but never got to jam with him. I remember attending their graduating class reunions with my friend one year and they had some funky garage band playing on stage. After much cajoling, Eric agreed to do one song with these guys -- Eric of course sounded like a million bucks, the other guys not so much. He is a genuinely humble and gentle individual, as well as a guitar genius.
I have an autographed Ah Via Musicom I got signed in Madison WI back in 1991 at a show. We went out back and chatted with the band for a few minutes and he's really cool. It's one of my favorite CDs ever. I saw this tour in 2018 in LA too and it sounded awesome.
Great interview. Superb for us fans.
😊👍
Nice one Mitch, great camera work also!Thanks Brothers!
Thanks for checking it out, Steven! 👍
EJs tone on the second solo of Desert Rose when he’s ripping loud through that Dumble is insanely good.
Thank you for this interview! It flowed brilliantly and the questions were awesome. Excellent!
Great interview. Tommy Taylor is quite animated.....
Excellent interview 🙌🏼❤
Great to see them in Dallas Tommy was very kind to speak with me some afterwards I know they were ready to go home but the show was great. Get out and go see them !
I'd love to see a live DVD out this tour! (:
Love this interview!
Thank You, I caught them in Connecticut at the Infinity Hall and they were great!
Sweetwater has the best interviews because it’s like talking to your friend down the street.
Fantastic interview!
best cliffs of dover version was the guitar player soundpage disc (from austin city limits show)
Only a third into this...an amazing interview.....a in depth musical discussion. I hunger for these kinds of things!
Great interview.
Man…this interviewer is incredible. All the time
One of the more intelligent interviews, this time including the band. No one knows what it takes to make it the music business, but this talk certainly sheds light on it.
That tele on Steve's Boogie was owned by Park Street who ended up selling it to a friend of Alan Will who is a close friend of Eric's. I got to know Alan a bit when I lived in Austin back in 93 . We both used to hang out at Dale Allen's Workhorse Guitars'. I had a 56' Strat and this guy who was a buddy of Alan's was a professor in a Houston College( can't remember his name...Jay Shroeder? ) came to my place with that tele which Michael Stevens had refinished to this beautiful eggplant purple color. He offered to trade it to me for my Strat. It was a nice guitar, but I didn't love it. It was very, very light weight and the neck was a bit small for me. Anyway, this guy seemed kind of offended that i wouldn't trade him even up. ( He worshiped Eric and was a GREAT player as well) Man, if I had known that Eric would become such a world Superstar ( remember there was no internet back then) I would have traded him for sure. That guitar is probably worth A LOT OF MONEY today. Who knew?
It’s funny how just listening to great musicians chatting about music can be inspiring!
He is one great guitarist 👍
Fantastic interview, and a fantastic video!
Thanks! Nice interview! Greatvthat you let The guys speak!
No one is better than you ERIC....
Listen to Jeff Beck bubba
IMO......EJ is the best all around guitarist alive today. I grew up listening to him so I guess I'm bias
Give Phil Keaggy a listen.
Always enjoy your interviews :)
Thanks for watching, Rod!
welcome... liked the Vox MV's review as well... I think I'm sold.... carrying my AC30 around can be a backbreaker lol
Now we just need that venus isle tour after this one...
So cool. It would be great if the could do Venus Isle one day too
Ireland loves Eric Johnson
Stuart Sullivan is a lovely chap! Worked with him in Austin =)
these are really good questions
High Landrons is my fav
eric is like i don't remember half this stuff in the studio lol
10:25 Uh ohh... had to get a shipment of half dead dry cell batteries from Jamaica to re-record and get the tone right!!!
Any idea what ride cymbal TT is playing? Saw EJ last night TT was phenomenal
It's an old old 24" Zildjian A medium! It is quite phenomenal. So much in fact, that when he landed his Sabian endorsement, he took that ride to the factory to hand pick a 24" Sabian ride that sounded as close as possible to the real deal. That way he could tour without fear of it ever being lost or broken! How do I know all this? Well, because I'm now the blessed owner of the 24" Sabian ride. :0) For that very special tour, he brought the magic Zildjian ride out, so you were actually hearing the cymbal from the records! What a treat, right!?
I knew Tommy when he played with Christopher Cross and Kyle was playing with Eric. Do you still collect mustangs Tommy lol hahahaha these guys are incredible musicians. It's strange to see them being celebrities. Eric said notoriety isn't what it's trumped up to be to me after a show once. Looks like it fell on his head. You guys are brilliant. All the best from Dustin. Eric, do you know what happened to Zack
eric
Holly shit Eric Johnson looks like Wayne Gretzky ..
Monsters...
Come on, you know that David Gilmour, James Taylor and George Benson have tried to play Cliffs of Dover alone in their basements.
talk about a " simple" Eric rhythm. i think Desert rose is a brilliant rhythm and to me the best artist suck me in by heres a part you can play and then now pay attention caz here's one your going to have to work at. and i think all the greats like Joe sach and Gary More. and Eric do this very well. ive enjoyed being their student.
Ah Via and Tones are EJ's most favored albums, so, he might consider those 2, instead of just one....... Also, EJ seems to be the only artist in the last 15yrs who has not had his past albums Re-mastered and rereleased with "extras"...... I wonder why this is?.....could it be he's saving this for retirement?.... Sort of like Jimmy Page?
perfect
I would really like to hear more from Eric and Kyle (esp), and a lot less from Tommy. Tommy used to post to EJ's forum all the time (back in the day), until he started offering his opinions on how David Gilmour was a facsimile of Paul Kossof, and that anthropogenic climate change was a hoax. He alienated himself from a bunch of his (and by extension, Eric's) fans by sounding like a uneducated conspiracy theorist. He seems like a completely nice guy in this interview, but he also seems like a guy who cannot help but try to steal the limelight. He needs to kick back and relax; they guy two seats to the left is one of the great musicians of the last 100 years!
GDK Opinionator I can see where you would get that but really in person he is the most chill guy ever he doesn’t act like a big shot or try to take the lime light I got to meet him and Eric Johnson and he really took a back set to Eric the whole time
Thank God you left Warner bros!!
Like most record companies,
They wanted to ruin your art .
A show of hands please . . . Who wants to hear a drummer hog the interview while the greatest guitarist in the world sits there trying to get in a word edgewise. Terrible interview, Mitch needs to use some sense and straighten this out.
Opinions are like? Yep, you can be one. Know that these guys are Austin inner-circle classics and very loyal to one another without question. Who cares who talks more in the interview? Taylor helped Christopher Geppert through the 70's and Chris Cross stole all the credit for the 5 grammy winning works of the debut album. TT is a smart, classic, sweet guy who treats his fans with courtesy and respect regardless who they may be.
What about “Forty Mile Town”!!? 🙂