Shawn Lane was a supernatural multi-dimensional being who briefly visited this universe... and for that short time he was the greatest guitarist in the galaxy.
I'm lucky to say that Shawn was a friend of mine and I have been watching him playing since the 80's, I was at his house when he was making his debut album Powers of Ten, he had a studio set up in his attic. Shawn was a true kind person and the only true genius I have ever known, his knowledge of music was off the charts and what people forget or don't know he was just as good on the piano as the guitar. Rest in peace my friend you have left us to soon.
Is it true that Shawn was actually left handed? That's even more amazing to think about, he played as if he were right handed. He was also so good on piano as well, he was just too good for this world. Thank God he left us with some of his brilliance to enjoy.
For those unfamiliar with Shawn Lane, take a night, and dive down the TH-cam hole that evidences his genius. NOT just a shredder, he could play all genres. A musician's musician and a truly gifted human.
@@Guitargate Mike, your musical IQ is high enough to better understand what’s going on with Shawn Lane than I am able. Your descriptions of what you were seeing and hearing were learned and go beyond the normal reactions to Lane’s speed to center around his phrasing and unexpected shifts of musical direction. For a bit of difference, check out Lane in “Aga of the Ladies” as he plays in front of an Indian crowd in 2003 with Hellborg and some Indian percussionists. It’s on the Shawn Lane TH-cam channel. If you stay for the whole song you’ll hear a master story teller take you for a musical ride. I would be very interested in your analysis. Love your work and thanks for the quality.
I’m from Memphis and knew Shawn. What I want you to know is that he was as kind and humble as he was talented. We were not hang out friends, but I worked at a music store and he was a regular customer, and when I saw him out in public he always made it a point to say hello and talk about guitars.
my favorite thing in the world is seeing guitarist's reactions to Shawn's playing for the first time. He was otherworldly, and inspires in a way I've never seen before. In my personal opinion, he was probably one of the greatest musical minds to ever walk this earth. (also, if ever you have a chance to play his signature Vigier guitar, DO IT. I managed to buy one earlier this year after fawning over them for half a decade, and I've never played anything like it. The action is microscopic, and combined with the 24.75 scale length, it is entirely effortless to play, just as he intended! So good that I'm seriously considering selling every other guitar I own, because I'll never need another guitar again.)
Apparently, when he was on tour he would often visit the local library and read 3-4 books. A day! He was a savant. No normal human can compete. He's gone back to his dad. Rip.
True story there.. I bought him some books when we were on tour in 1996... Next day he held up on of the books saying: pick a page number... So we did and he started reciting what was on that page without opening the book... When he gave us the book to check we were completely stunned that he was spot on... This guy's internal hard drive was at least 4 terabyte of SSD storage while other human beings still had to do with a single floppy disk...
@@FURDOG1961 Certainly a phenomenal memory for what he cared about or was interested in... Getting him on stage at showtime, that's a different story... 😉
Shawn was the greatest guitar player to ever walk this earth. I'm so tickled how blown away you are. I'm glad you finally found him. He will blow your mind over and over and over again. As shown in this video. I've listened and tried to emulate Shawn for 30 years.
If you want to have your mind blown even more pay attention to how he uses accents in his ultra fast runs. that is one thing I have never seen from anyone else. I saw him play live four times and every time was an amazing experience. He was truly like no one else.
Fun fact: Buckethead invented his “knubbing” technique by trying to replicate Shawn lanes insane chromatic licks. Shawn himself said he did a great job at it even though it’s a completely different technique
I believe the specific song was Kaiser Nancarrow, which I guess buckethead got a bootlegged copy or whatever and didn't know it was just added effects or whatever shawn lane said. I forget the video where he talks about it, but it was pretty cool.
Always makes me happy when folks discover Shawn. Came and went like a comet. Almost as accomplished on piano as guitar by the way. Could play pretty much anything.
Sad but true. Same with Jason Becker, dunno which is more tragic.... Least Jason can still write music and have other guitarist physically play it for him.
I think Guthrie Govan got his start transcribing Lane and Buckethead's multi finger tapping technique was to copy those lines of five where Lane slides his pinky. Shawn is the final BOSS. R.I.P. LEGEND
I recall the first time I saw Shawn Lane. He seemed light years ahead of most, playing mind boggling phrases at the speed of light. His obvious grasp of deep musical concepts that just poured out of him like a river. A virtuoso who left us far too early.
It is something to watch, when someone plays the guitar like I breathe...... Just naturally and with no effort. Just flows.....GOD I AM JEALOUS!!!! so good.....
There is no one faster than Lane. No Guthrie. No Metallhead. No-one. But the guy also knew how to play a melody. And the frightening thing is, that he might have been an even better keyboard player. An absolute monster of a musician. Died too soon. I remember vividly the loss I felt knowing I'd never be able to hear more of him. Shawn Lane was a guitar god to the guys we worship as guitar heroes. I still don't believe how some of the things he did on Centrifugal Funk are physically possible.
Shawn is certainly slightly faster as an alternate picker, but Guthrie does some stuff with legato and tapping that likely can't get any faster as played by human hands (Fives, Sevens, etc.).
@@MrStupidsignup shawn lane did with his left hand what buckethead taps :/ look up shawn lanes dimished technique and you will see it in action and hear the resemblence to buckethead, bucketheads stupid good but shawn lane could incorporate the fast stuff with such feeling even paul gilbert says hes a monster haha
Still remember NAMM show of 1991. On that stage there were gods like Timmons, Satriani, Vai, Skolnick, Beach... the song was Down, Down, Down and each of them had a little space for solo. The moment Shawn steps in......all gods eyes were on him!!
I went to school with him. I got to jam with him a couple of times. He was like that guitar, piano and at 14 he played drums in studio for a band 1st take on their originals. He was great.
Check out his performance of get you back on the REH video series. The final solo section may be the greatest segment of guitar playing. Also his playing on MVP Centrifugal Funk is just alien, other dimensional stuff.
Shawn is known amongst the technical players as the most Mythical creature of guitar, the scariest guitarist in our lifetime and the most talented guitarist to walk the face of the earth
He had the licks down by 14 years old. He rarely practiced guitar after that. He primarily played piano after that. Checkout the videos of him play piano. He was as accomplished at piano as we was at guitar. All while in his 20's. Not a normal human being.
Michael you have just experienced the Shawn Lane effect... I met Shawn here in Memphis in 1985 and became friends with him and sat in his house or at his gigs with jaw on the floor.. your ear is so good you are going to realize that he always does lots of different intervals, lije one run will often be 4notes,5 notes, 4notes ,3 notes ,8 notes then 5 notes and that's just a slab... I've got litterally 10-12 hours of random gigs,sessions, clips,in his house ect.... hit me on Facebook messenger and I'll get you some super high quality material that will become part of your musical DNA..
That came as easily to Shawn as it was AS easy, as it was for him to breathe. EXTREMELY talented, that guitar was an absolute extension of him and part of him. When he doesn't even have to look 98% of the time and just play, and you can FEEL what he's playing, it doesn't get any more real and raw as this! I could listen to him all night! ✌️
Great video as usual, and so cool to see Shawn Lane getting some love! I've been coming back to this track since I started listening to him in '04 and after all these years I'm still blown away every time. RIP to one of the best to ever do it.
What I enjoy most about Michael’s videos is that he’s just as knocked-out as we are when we see these amazing performances. It’s about the joy. Michael, if you ever come to Austin, the drinks are on me!
"I don't ever know where to start"...That was my reaction as well when I first heard Shawn. That and picking my jaw off the floor. lol One of the greatest if not the greatest guitarist ever. Setting the bar far higher than most will ever reach.
Yes Shawn Lane!! One of a kind player, great heart. He can shred like no else, literally, but it’s his phrasing that does it for me. He’s on my Mount Rushmore. Great vid 👍
He did some instructional videos in the 80's. He exposes all of his techniques. It's just terrifying. Find those vids. he was super clean cut and much healthier back then. he played for Black Oak Arkansas at 15. That's Shawn Lane.
@@zombiereagan4813 yep. I bought the VHS tapes back in the day, and realised what a hopeless a proposition it was for me to play Shawn's stuff. And he just showed us the basics of what he could do. Watching him unfold his full arsenal live is a transcendent experience. Tri 7-5 and Black Market live at MIT for those who need convincing.
Also shawn lane, jeff sipe, and jonas album temporal analogs of paradise check that album out its incredible!! I layed in darkness and ate some acid and played that album probably the most insane psychedelic experience ive ever had with music. I felt the universe flowing through me with their playing traveling through the cosmos of the mind feeling every emotion. It was a great therapeutic experience that i will forever charish it made me feel the magic of life
Shawn Lane, a monster player, that sounds about right. For me the enlightening moment was hearing his Powers of Ten live album the first time. Unique musician in some of the things he did and the way he did it.
@Michael Palmisano I love how at 2 minutes you going "I get what you're saying" but those of us that really know are just chuckling to ourselves and saying JUST WAIT 😁😁
Speaking of Shawn Lane, I know you've already done Buckethead but Shawn was a HUGE inspiration to him as I'm sure you can tell with his monster yet beautiful shredding. I forget which song it was but in this particular song ,theres a section where Shawn lane edited in notes to make it sound like this impossible song that no human could play and Bucket didnt know that at the time so he thought Shawn was doing it all by himself so he came up with the 2 handed 4 finger tapping thing hes so good at and came very damn close to replicating the combined powers of SHAWN LANE AND A COMPUTER,INSANE! I think he talks about it in some Guitar clinic video i saw years ago on youtube. Love your shit keep up the good work!
Shawn Lane RIP to the most gifted guitarist I’ve ever heard… his first couple of records “powers of ten and tri-tone fascination” have some of the most beautiful compositions written.. yet so technical… simply the greatest of the guitar virtuosos in the last 30 years
Shawn was a genius whose purity and clarity of expression was boundless. People here have already said it, but a quick youtube dive reveals that pretty quickly. One thing to mention that I didn't see in the comments was that Shawn played almost exclusively in an indian fusion context for the last few years of his life. There's a DVD out there called "Paris" filmed in 2001 where he and Hellborg play with V. Umashankar and V. Selvaganesh. Some of his playing on that DVD is the most transcendent playing from anyone on any instrument, ever...imho :)
Thanks. I'll check that out. He was a savant with a passion for the guitar that went back to his early childhood. Be a long time 'till we see his like again. 😪
Was a friend in the 80s when he was with The Willys. Can't count how many times we saw him/them. He'd usually come sit with us btwn sets. Then I moved... Awesome guy.
I saw him play several times back in the day. To say he would leave you with your jaw on the floor is an understatement. Such a great musician and a cool guy
Shawn Lane deserves all the praise he gets, thanks for talking about him. I discovered him in 2009, he was just not a great guitar player but a monster pianist too. Check out his work with Jonas Hellborg, they spent a few years playing Indian fusion music with V. Selvaganesh, absolutely incredible playing that transcended all forms of music. Really sad to hear he suffered during his final years, I can’t even begin to imagine how far he would have pushed the boundaries of music if he was still alive. My personal favorite live performances of his would be Tri 7/5 at the Musicians Institute and Aga Of The Ladies with J. Hellborg and V. Selvaganesh.
Epilogue For Lisa,a tribute to his sister,is one of the most emotionally loaded instrumental ballads I have ever heard. Give it a listen if you get a chance.
Wow, you were almost constantly at a loss for words! Understandable, that was some absolutely amazing jam, made all the more cool by the laid back cigarette smoking attitude he projects, like napping through a plane crash. Jesus. Love your channel, keep ‘em coming.
Michael, your comments on this guy is playing just make me smile. He is so clearly a master of the fretboard and I love how you commented at 1644 about his missing the tonic and then selling it anyway. Wonderful. Great break down on the man’s playing.
Back when I was in high school, TH-cam was just getting started and it was a real struggle to find Shawn Lane videos. I must have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours digging through the internet to analyze and practice his playing. But man, you nailed my obsession with him in just 20 minutes! Props to you, my friend!
That flat 7 lick you were analyzing is a lick leading into the theme of the tune. The theme of Personae (that's the name of the song) is roughly in the key of C harmonic minor, with a few adjustments. He composed this song around the time he first hooked up with Jonas Hellborg, and it has a strong indian and pakistani influence. If you've never watched the clinic Shawn did in 1995 at AIM, I highly recommend it.
I have been listening to Shawn Lane since February of 1992. I know this because, this was the night I got to see Allan Holdsworth play (another genius) and I bought a Mike Varney CD that Allan was selling, and Shawn Lane was in it as well. I could not get over what I was hearing, and I was hooked since day one, literally... The man is a genius with his fluid speed, phrasing and his compositions. He died way too young...he will always be missed.
I've probably watched hundreds of hours of live Shawn Lane performances, but one of my favorite videos of him on youtube are his REH/Power Licks instructional tapes where he is teaching these insane mindboggling outside sounding licks, and assuming whoever is watching is going to be able to learn let alone comprehend what he is doing haha. If you go down a rabbit hole, what you saw here is only scratching the surface, his younger self before the medication for his illness took over his body to near completion like it's seen in this video, was absolutely something else, even some of the stuff that surfaced from when he was 16 and 17 years of age was complete insanity and that was just as EVH was breaking through the scene and Yngwie was getting started, crazy stuff.
Shawn Lane wasn’t a guitarist; he was a musician. He transcended any particular instrument, being equally adept on keyboards. But yeah, he could definitely play guitar. Check out “West Side Boogie,” from the album, “Powers of Ten.”
Michael, I must Quote Stevie Ray Vaughan here , “ I don’t think when I play , thinking about what I’m trying to play just gets in my way, I just let it flow out “ . Loved this video, and how you try to break down his run . I truly hope you master it now and it doesn’t drive you too insane 😉. Thanks buddy for posting this one for us all , Hopefully you had a Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year . C-ya 👍👍
Jeff Sipe is a longtime friend of mine. I got to know Shawn through Jeff when they had Hellborg, Lane, and Sipe going. Shawn was a super nice cat, funny as hell, and knew even more obscure movie than me (and I know a LOT). His playing speaks for itself.
He mastered econo picking and 3-4 notes per string before anyone else. Equaled in speed perhaps, but never surpassed, and those lovely melodies/improvisational skills.
Long time Shawn lane fan here, I remember hearing about him (as I was a teenager) in the late 80’s when The Willy’s were blazing around memphis, Tn. That was my initial introduction to Shawn, then powers of ten came out (mind=blown) and so forth.. A close friend of mine knew Shawn, and he always said Shawn had an encyclopedic knowledge of several diverse subjects- from literature, music history, movie/ film trivia.. a true genius and polymath… And given all that talent, he was one of the most gentle, kind spirited person you could’ve ever met, sharing his knowledge and always so humble. I can hear vast influences from Holdsworth to Eric Johnson, but Shawn truly had a unique voice on the guitar. He is truly missed but his legacy lives on through his music !
Mind blown. How can a dude be this masterful at his craft and still relatively unknown? No matter how great you are, there’s always someone out there who can literally play circles around you.
@@biscobisco1882 Hardly. Lane has no chance against EVH, Jimmy Page, Blackmore, etc all of whims were far more accomplished riff-masters and songwriters. Why do you think SRV is so well known? Sure, he was a smokin guitar player but HE HAD SONGS, and could sing the shit out of them. Lane was a virtuoso with no dings, kinda like a guy named Malmsteen, who also happens to be known pretty much only to guitar geeks.
Anthony Stauffer (Sp?) also has a great channel called “Texas Blues Alley” which is dedicated (seemingly) mostly to Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Texas blues style of playing. I highly recommend the channel on TH-cam.
I remember the very first time I heard and saw Shawn Lane on you tube! I literally could not believe what I was hearing and seeing. He will always be my most favorite player of all time!
Whoever recommended this video did it wrong. You should listen to his actual records, start with Esperanto, The Way it has to be, Not Again and Get your back. Some of the most beautiful guitar pieces ever made.
Yes, Jeff Beck, but also Allan Holdsworth and Mike Stern, but then the lick at around 5:11 - 5:16 is a Coltrane sax lick, he's pulling from Coltrane and Miles all day, just faster than they'd ever play.
To me, this is the guy. I am in awe of Shawn Lane's playing. His speed is just one of so many facets of his playing. Dissecting his ideas is a masterclass. For those unfamiliar, check out his solos on "Hey T Bone" and "Black Market" (from Powers of Ten Live). The way he played "out" is complete genius. He must of had an amazing ear. I'm a die hard fan, and I'm glad you get to discover some of his genius!
Michael, I have re-subscribed on my new TH-cam account. Chemist by day, guitar player by night. Have you ever done a video featuring of Guthrie Govan? He is on this level for sure. Dude can play anything. Anyway, thanks for showing this dude. I had not heard him before!
An alien on earth .... He's riding in the same afterlife alien space ship with Allan Holdsworth ..I love his playing and my heart hurt when reading many years ago about all the struggles he had with his health. We are blessed for the time he was with us and the monster influence he had on me & so many other musicians.
Shawn Lane has moved me more than most other great players. He was truly a unique and gifted player. I highly recommend you listen to his album The Power of Ten. Thanks for covering this!
Everyone misses his version of all song the watchtower it’s insane the one with the picture of him standing there his rhythm stuff is so cool worth checking out
Shawn Lane was a supernatural multi-dimensional being who briefly visited this universe... and for that short time he was the greatest guitarist in the galaxy.
Yeah, that's for sure
there you said it all!!
And a monster keyboards player too ;-)
I like your way of resume this singularity of shawn lane......
Well said. What an incredible player to have met.
I'm lucky to say that Shawn was a friend of mine and I have been watching him playing since the 80's, I was at his house when he was making his debut album Powers of Ten, he had a studio set up in his attic. Shawn was a true kind person and the only true genius I have ever known,
his knowledge of music was off the charts and what people forget or don't know he was just as good on the piano as the guitar. Rest in peace my friend you have left us to soon.
Powers of Ten-exactly! Perfect title.
Damn!
I am a Memphian as well, Do we know one another? Walter Moore
Is it true that Shawn was actually left handed? That's even more amazing to think about, he played as if he were right handed. He was also so good on piano as well, he was just too good for this world. Thank God he left us with some of his brilliance to enjoy.
Nice
For those unfamiliar with Shawn Lane, take a night, and dive down the TH-cam hole that evidences his genius. NOT just a shredder, he could play all genres. A musician's musician and a truly gifted human.
Yeah. I’ve been doing that. Truly a tremendous musician.
@@Guitargate Mike, your musical IQ is high enough to better understand what’s going on with Shawn Lane than I am able. Your descriptions of what you were seeing and hearing were learned and go beyond the normal reactions to Lane’s speed to center around his phrasing and unexpected shifts of musical direction. For a bit of difference, check out Lane in “Aga of the Ladies” as he plays in front of an Indian crowd in 2003 with Hellborg and some Indian percussionists. It’s on the Shawn Lane TH-cam channel. If you stay for the whole song you’ll hear a master story teller take you for a musical ride. I would be very interested in your analysis. Love your work and thanks for the quality.
He has a great version of a song from Once Upon A Time In The West and it’s amazing
Well said.
Hell yeah dude
I’m from Memphis and knew Shawn. What I want you to know is that he was as kind and humble as he was talented. We were not hang out friends, but I worked at a music store and he was a regular customer, and when I saw him out in public he always made it a point to say hello and talk about guitars.
Yarbrough's or S&T? I'm guessing Yarbrough's?
my favorite thing in the world is seeing guitarist's reactions to Shawn's playing for the first time. He was otherworldly, and inspires in a way I've never seen before. In my personal opinion, he was probably one of the greatest musical minds to ever walk this earth.
(also, if ever you have a chance to play his signature Vigier guitar, DO IT. I managed to buy one earlier this year after fawning over them for half a decade, and I've never played anything like it. The action is microscopic, and combined with the 24.75 scale length, it is entirely effortless to play, just as he intended! So good that I'm seriously considering selling every other guitar I own, because I'll never need another guitar again.)
"that's some seriously hot shit right there" about one little second of his playing is probably the best way to sum up shawn lane. RIP.
Apparently, when he was on tour he would often visit the local library and read 3-4 books. A day! He was a savant. No normal human can compete.
He's gone back to his dad. Rip.
True story there.. I bought him some books when we were on tour in 1996... Next day he held up on of the books saying: pick a page number... So we did and he started reciting what was on that page without opening the book... When he gave us the book to check we were completely stunned that he was spot on... This guy's internal hard drive was at least 4 terabyte of SSD storage while other human beings still had to do with a single floppy disk...
@@FURDOG1961 Certainly a phenomenal memory for what he cared about or was interested in... Getting him on stage at showtime, that's a different story... 😉
Shawn lane was a literal will goodhunting then.
@@AndreSpeek I am more of a little sticky note pad kind of guy!
Shawn was the greatest guitar player to ever walk this earth. I'm so tickled how blown away you are. I'm glad you finally found him. He will blow your mind over and over and over again. As shown in this video. I've listened and tried to emulate Shawn for 30 years.
If you want to have your mind blown even more pay attention to how he uses accents in his ultra fast runs. that is one thing I have never seen from anyone else. I saw him play live four times and every time was an amazing experience. He was truly like no one else.
Fun fact: Buckethead invented his “knubbing” technique by trying to replicate Shawn lanes insane chromatic licks. Shawn himself said he did a great job at it even though it’s a completely different technique
I believe the specific song was Kaiser Nancarrow, which I guess buckethead got a bootlegged copy or whatever and didn't know it was just added effects or whatever shawn lane said. I forget the video where he talks about it, but it was pretty cool.
Yeah, you got it wrong. @ardeof got it right. Buckethead thought he played it though so that says something about how insane Shawn was.
Shawn Lane… Best guitar player ever lived ❤🎸🎸!
Wait, that's Shawn MF Lane?! No wonder the poor player left us before his time. :(
Cat had lot left in him before he passed. RIP
Shawn Lane was the greatest guitar player on the planet. RIP
Always makes me happy when folks discover Shawn. Came and went like a comet. Almost as accomplished on piano as guitar by the way. Could play pretty much anything.
Shawn Lane was truly a monster guitarist who suffered from one of the cruellest illnesses a musician could have.
Sad but true. Same with Jason Becker, dunno which is more tragic.... Least Jason can still write music and have other guitarist physically play it for him.
I think Guthrie Govan got his start transcribing Lane and Buckethead's multi finger tapping technique was to copy those lines of five where Lane slides his pinky. Shawn is the final BOSS. R.I.P. LEGEND
Shawn was an amazing player who never got enough recognition, but certainly had the respect of his peers!
I recall the first time I saw Shawn Lane. He seemed light years ahead of most, playing mind boggling phrases at the speed of light. His obvious grasp of deep musical concepts that just poured out of him like a river. A virtuoso who left us far too early.
I gotta say I wish I could see the whole band because the drummer is killing it also.
Yes! Jeff is a monster for sure
Plenty of Hellborg Lane Sipe on YT to whet that whistle....happy hunting.
It is something to watch, when someone plays the guitar like I breathe......
Just naturally and with no effort. Just flows.....GOD I AM JEALOUS!!!! so good.....
There is no one faster than Lane. No Guthrie. No Metallhead. No-one. But the guy also knew how to play a melody. And the frightening thing is, that he might have been an even better keyboard player. An absolute monster of a musician. Died too soon. I remember vividly the loss I felt knowing I'd never be able to hear more of him. Shawn Lane was a guitar god to the guys we worship as guitar heroes. I still don't believe how some of the things he did on Centrifugal Funk are physically possible.
Shawn is certainly slightly faster as an alternate picker, but Guthrie does some stuff with legato and tapping that likely can't get any faster as played by human hands (Fives, Sevens, etc.).
No metalhead. What about BUCKEThead??
@@MrStupidsignup shawn lane did with his left hand what buckethead taps :/ look up shawn lanes dimished technique and you will see it in action and hear the resemblence to buckethead, bucketheads stupid good but shawn lane could incorporate the fast stuff with such feeling even paul gilbert says hes a monster haha
@@MrStupidsignup Buckethead and Shawn were friends. Buckethead himself proclaims Shawn the greatest ever. 🙂
"the most terrifying guy"@@justing9902
Still remember NAMM show of 1991. On that stage there were gods like Timmons, Satriani, Vai, Skolnick, Beach... the song was Down, Down, Down and each of them had a little space for solo. The moment Shawn steps in......all gods eyes were on him!!
RIP one of the cleanest and most melodic shredders ever…
Grew up in Memphis watching guys like Shawn and Eric Gales. The talent pool of that city was and is truly incredible.
He was a big inspiration and influence to Buckethead as well
Yeah, and Michael apparently already forgot about how much he marveled at Buckethead’s pinkie use from the Soothsayer video 😂
I went to school with him. I got to jam with him a couple of times. He was like that guitar, piano and at 14 he played drums in studio for a band 1st take on their originals. He was great.
Check out his performance of get you back on the REH video series. The final solo section may be the greatest segment of guitar playing. Also his playing on MVP Centrifugal Funk is just alien, other dimensional stuff.
About time you reacted to this guy.. He’s my favourite ever… He’s legit the best.
Shawn is known amongst the technical players as the most
Mythical creature of guitar, the scariest guitarist in our lifetime and the most talented guitarist to walk the face of the earth
He had the licks down by 14 years old. He rarely practiced guitar after that. He primarily played piano after that. Checkout the videos of him play piano. He was as accomplished at piano as we was at guitar. All while in his 20's. Not a normal human being.
Never been any other like him in our time, maybe in Mozarts time
He played piano before guitar
Michael you have just experienced the Shawn Lane effect... I met Shawn here in Memphis in 1985 and became friends with him and sat in his house or at his gigs with jaw on the floor.. your ear is so good you are going to realize that he always does lots of different intervals, lije one run will often be 4notes,5 notes, 4notes ,3 notes ,8 notes then 5 notes and that's just a slab... I've got litterally 10-12 hours of random gigs,sessions, clips,in his house ect.... hit me on Facebook messenger and I'll get you some super high quality material that will become part of your musical DNA..
Supercool David
I studied with Zakk-
but he’s still from this planet 🤷🏼♀️
Shawn was from another universe. 🙂
you must be great
I also have lots of a Shawn Lane bootlegs. Whats your Facebook? I'd love to hear what you got!
That came as easily to Shawn as it was AS easy, as it was for him to breathe. EXTREMELY talented, that guitar was an absolute extension of him and part of him. When he doesn't even have to look 98% of the time and just play, and you can FEEL what he's playing, it doesn't get any more real and raw as this! I could listen to him all night! ✌️
Shawn Lane is a total legend .
Shawn Lane along with Allan Holdsworth and maybe one or two others exist on a profoundly different level of harmony and melody.
Oh and that 3NPS pattern you are trying to decipher is based on a 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5-7-6 pattern
Lane holdsworth and coltrane are light years beyond dude
Matteo Mancuso italian prodigy.
Matteo mancuso can be deservedly called lane's successor.
Shawn Lane is a freakin monster player!! His Power of Ten Live album has more “WTF is he doing”moments than any other album period!
Great video as usual, and so cool to see Shawn Lane getting some love! I've been coming back to this track since I started listening to him in '04 and after all these years I'm still blown away every time. RIP to one of the best to ever do it.
So happy to see more people getting to know Shawn! Been a fan of his since 2007, always keep coming back
What I enjoy most about Michael’s videos is that he’s just as knocked-out as we are when we see these amazing performances. It’s about the joy. Michael, if you ever come to Austin, the drinks are on me!
"I don't ever know where to start"...That was my reaction as well when I first heard Shawn. That and picking my jaw off the floor. lol One of the greatest if not the greatest guitarist ever. Setting the bar far higher than most will ever reach.
One of the greatest ever. And his compositions are not about speed or technique at all as some people suggest.
Shawn Lane easily one of the greatest guitarists who ever walked the earth.
Yes Shawn Lane!! One of a kind player, great heart. He can shred like no else, literally, but it’s his phrasing that does it for me. He’s on my Mount Rushmore. Great vid 👍
He did some instructional videos in the 80's. He exposes all of his techniques. It's just terrifying. Find those vids. he was super clean cut and much healthier back then. he played for Black Oak Arkansas at 15. That's Shawn Lane.
Power Solos and Power Licks are at least two of the instructional videos.
@@zombiereagan4813 yep. I bought the VHS tapes back in the day, and realised what a hopeless a proposition it was for me to play Shawn's stuff. And he just showed us the basics of what he could do. Watching him unfold his full arsenal live is a transcendent experience. Tri 7-5 and Black Market live at MIT for those who need convincing.
I still need an instructional video for his instructional videos
I feel like this is the most confused I've ever seen Michael. And if he's confused, I'm completely lost. Impressive!
Also shawn lane, jeff sipe, and jonas album temporal analogs of paradise check that album out its incredible!! I layed in darkness and ate some acid and played that album probably the most insane psychedelic experience ive ever had with music. I felt the universe flowing through me with their playing traveling through the cosmos of the mind feeling every emotion. It was a great therapeutic experience that i will forever charish it made me feel the magic of life
Saw him in late 70's when he was 15 playing with Black Oak Arkansas. He was great but had no idea how talented he was. Sad how his story ended.
Shawn Lane, a monster player, that sounds about right. For me the enlightening moment was hearing his Powers of Ten live album the first time. Unique musician in some of the things he did and the way he did it.
When he leans back and closes his eyes when he plays he's gone. Whatever happens after that is not music, it's a phenomenon.
@Michael Palmisano I love how at 2 minutes you going "I get what you're saying" but those of us that really know are just chuckling to ourselves and saying JUST WAIT 😁😁
Was fun seeing you react to this one. I’m a long time fan of Shawn and he’s influenced me since I was very young.
Unbelievable guitar player!!
Speaking of Shawn Lane, I know you've already done Buckethead but Shawn was a HUGE inspiration to him as I'm sure you can tell with his monster yet beautiful shredding. I forget which song it was but in this particular song ,theres a section where Shawn lane edited in notes to make it sound like this impossible song that no human could play and Bucket didnt know that at the time so he thought Shawn was doing it all by himself so he came up with the 2 handed 4 finger tapping thing hes so good at and came very damn close to replicating the combined powers of SHAWN LANE AND A COMPUTER,INSANE! I think he talks about it in some Guitar clinic video i saw years ago on youtube.
Love your shit keep up the good work!
Shawn Lane RIP to the most gifted guitarist I’ve ever heard… his first couple of records “powers of ten and tri-tone fascination” have some of the most beautiful compositions written.. yet so technical… simply the greatest of the guitar virtuosos in the last 30 years
Shawn was a genius whose purity and clarity of expression was boundless. People here have already said it, but a quick youtube dive reveals that pretty quickly. One thing to mention that I didn't see in the comments was that Shawn played almost exclusively in an indian fusion context for the last few years of his life. There's a DVD out there called "Paris" filmed in 2001 where he and Hellborg play with V. Umashankar and V. Selvaganesh. Some of his playing on that DVD is the most transcendent playing from anyone on any instrument, ever...imho :)
Thanks. I'll check that out.
He was a savant with a passion for the guitar that went back to his early childhood. Be a long time 'till we see his like again. 😪
Started listening to Lane in 2007 along with Greg Koch and Danny Gatton. 3 of the best masterclass pickers to ever live
Josh you have excellent taste
also BusterT Jones
Danny was a big hero of mine. Along with Roy Buchanan , his colleague. So sad for both men, tragic
Was a friend in the 80s when he was with The Willys. Can't count how many times we saw him/them. He'd usually come sit with us btwn sets.
Then I moved... Awesome guy.
I saw him play several times back in the day. To say he would leave you with your jaw on the floor is an understatement. Such a great musician and a cool guy
Shawn Lane deserves all the praise he gets, thanks for talking about him. I discovered him in 2009, he was just not a great guitar player but a monster pianist too. Check out his work with Jonas Hellborg, they spent a few years playing Indian fusion music with V. Selvaganesh, absolutely incredible playing that transcended all forms of music.
Really sad to hear he suffered during his final years, I can’t even begin to imagine how far he would have pushed the boundaries of music if he was still alive.
My personal favorite live performances of his would be Tri 7/5 at the Musicians Institute and Aga Of The Ladies with J. Hellborg and V. Selvaganesh.
th-cam.com/video/-mTH8VT3H64/w-d-xo.html
Video of him shredding on the piano. Unbelievable playing
Epilogue For Lisa,a tribute to his sister,is one of the most emotionally loaded instrumental ballads I have ever heard. Give it a listen if you get a chance.
Wow, you were almost constantly at a loss for words! Understandable, that was some absolutely amazing jam, made all the more cool by the laid back cigarette smoking attitude he projects, like napping through a plane crash. Jesus.
Love your channel, keep ‘em coming.
He was also a kick-ass keyboard player.
Hellborg is a monster on the bass, gets lost in the mix here. But three absolute monsters going at it.
Michael, your comments on this guy is playing just make me smile. He is so clearly a master of the fretboard and I love how you commented at 1644 about his missing the tonic and then selling it anyway. Wonderful. Great break down on the man’s playing.
Back when I was in high school, TH-cam was just getting started and it was a real struggle to find Shawn Lane videos. I must have spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours digging through the internet to analyze and practice his playing. But man, you nailed my obsession with him in just 20 minutes! Props to you, my friend!
That flat 7 lick you were analyzing is a lick leading into the theme of the tune. The theme of Personae (that's the name of the song) is roughly in the key of C harmonic minor, with a few adjustments. He composed this song around the time he first hooked up with Jonas Hellborg, and it has a strong indian and pakistani influence. If you've never watched the clinic Shawn did in 1995 at AIM, I highly recommend it.
He is the GOAT. The guitar was just a conduit. Lucky to see him play live a few times. There are better videos of him.
At six minutes in you say “giant lick bag” ….. I couldn’t concentrate for a few minutes after that but I’m good now. 😂😂🤘🏻
Truth.
That guy is so good, you can't replicate it.
I have been listening to Shawn Lane since February of 1992. I know this because, this was the night I got to see Allan Holdsworth play (another genius) and I bought a Mike Varney CD that Allan was selling, and Shawn Lane was in it as well. I could not get over what I was hearing, and I was hooked since day one, literally... The man is a genius with his fluid speed, phrasing and his compositions. He died way too young...he will always be missed.
I've probably watched hundreds of hours of live Shawn Lane performances, but one of my favorite videos of him on youtube are his REH/Power Licks instructional tapes where he is teaching these insane mindboggling outside sounding licks, and assuming whoever is watching is going to be able to learn let alone comprehend what he is doing haha. If you go down a rabbit hole, what you saw here is only scratching the surface, his younger self before the medication for his illness took over his body to near completion like it's seen in this video, was absolutely something else, even some of the stuff that surfaced from when he was 16 and 17 years of age was complete insanity and that was just as EVH was breaking through the scene and Yngwie was getting started, crazy stuff.
Shawn Lane wasn’t a guitarist; he was a musician. He transcended any particular instrument, being equally adept on keyboards. But yeah, he could definitely play guitar. Check out “West Side Boogie,” from the album, “Powers of Ten.”
I need to hear this now.
I believe he taught music at U of Vienna from time to time.
Michael, I must Quote Stevie Ray Vaughan here , “ I don’t think when I play , thinking about what I’m trying to play just gets in my way, I just let it flow out “ . Loved this video, and how you try to break down his run . I truly hope you master it now and it doesn’t drive you too insane 😉. Thanks buddy for posting this one for us all , Hopefully you had a Merry Christmas, and have a Happy New Year . C-ya 👍👍
Jeff Sipe is a longtime friend of mine. I got to know Shawn through Jeff when they had Hellborg, Lane, and Sipe going. Shawn was a super nice cat, funny as hell, and knew even more obscure movie than me (and I know a LOT). His playing speaks for itself.
He mastered econo picking and 3-4 notes per string before anyone else.
Equaled in speed perhaps, but never surpassed, and those lovely melodies/improvisational skills.
Long time Shawn lane fan here, I remember hearing about him (as I was a teenager) in the late 80’s when The Willy’s were blazing around memphis, Tn. That was my initial introduction to Shawn, then powers of ten came out (mind=blown) and so forth.. A close friend of mine knew Shawn, and he always said Shawn had an encyclopedic knowledge of several diverse subjects- from literature, music history, movie/ film trivia.. a true genius and polymath… And given all that talent, he was one of the most gentle, kind spirited person you could’ve ever met, sharing his knowledge and always so humble. I can hear vast influences from Holdsworth to Eric Johnson, but Shawn truly had a unique voice on the guitar. He is truly missed but his legacy lives on through his music !
Mind blown. How can a dude be this masterful at his craft and still relatively unknown? No matter how great you are, there’s always someone out there who can literally play circles around you.
Because he couldn't write a song, that's why.
@@scottwaszak698 He wrote many songs, most of which are fantastic... Get You Back, Epilogue for Lisa, Hardcase, The Way it Has to Be, etc.
@@eon5417 Only "guitar geeks" would know or care about them, hence his esoteric standing.
@@scottwaszak698 Okay, so anyone who isnt Bad Bunny or Ariana Grande is shit right? Because no one has any 'standing' relative to them.
@@biscobisco1882 Hardly. Lane has no chance against EVH, Jimmy Page, Blackmore, etc all of whims were far more accomplished riff-masters and songwriters. Why do you think SRV is so well known? Sure, he was a smokin guitar player but HE HAD SONGS, and could sing the shit out of them. Lane was a virtuoso with no dings, kinda like a guy named Malmsteen, who also happens to be known pretty much only to guitar geeks.
Ohhhh man lol. So you discovered Shawn. I grew up in Memphis and went to see him play every weekend
Seeing him playing live and up close is a different experience. Left me speechless.
Anthony Stauffer (Sp?) also has a great channel called “Texas Blues Alley” which is dedicated (seemingly) mostly to Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Texas blues style of playing.
I highly recommend the channel on TH-cam.
Shawn is widely consider one of the greatest guitarists ever.
Yeah I don't just think he's a one in a generation kind, he's like a once in a millennium kind of talent
I remember the very first time I heard and saw Shawn Lane on you tube! I literally could not believe what I was hearing and seeing. He will always be my most favorite player of all time!
Whoever recommended this video did it wrong. You should listen to his actual records, start with Esperanto, The Way it has to be, Not Again and Get your back. Some of the most beautiful guitar pieces ever made.
YES!!!
im from memphis. i saw shawn in strings and things back in 92....93! 12 year old me will never forget it.
Yes, Jeff Beck, but also Allan Holdsworth and Mike Stern, but then the lick at around 5:11 - 5:16 is a Coltrane sax lick, he's pulling from Coltrane and Miles all day, just faster than they'd ever play.
I still remember when he passed. Saddest day for the guitar world and the history of music in general.
Michael check out "Epilogue for Lisa" by Shawn Lane. Its a perfect example of restrained beauty.
Shawn shredded with Soul.
one of the greatest musicians to ever live
Amen
Its an absolute shame this guy has passed! his playing is MAGICAL !!! INCREDIABLE !!!!
Man’s grooving with all he’s got there pretty sweet
To me, this is the guy. I am in awe of Shawn Lane's playing. His speed is just one of so many facets of his playing. Dissecting his ideas is a masterclass. For those unfamiliar, check out his solos on "Hey T Bone" and "Black Market" (from Powers of Ten Live). The way he played "out" is complete genius. He must of had an amazing ear. I'm a die hard fan, and I'm glad you get to discover some of his genius!
Got to hang with Shawn after a Sipe Hellborg gig, such an insightful sweetheart rip
"All Along The Watchtower" Shawn Lane
Michael, I have re-subscribed on my new TH-cam account. Chemist by day, guitar player by night. Have you ever done a video featuring of Guthrie Govan? He is on this level for sure. Dude can play anything. Anyway, thanks for showing this dude. I had not heard him before!
Power of ten is just great...Lane is one of must imprortant guitar players ever.
An alien on earth .... He's riding in the same afterlife alien space ship with Allan Holdsworth ..I love his playing and my heart hurt when reading many years ago about all the struggles he had with his health. We are blessed for the time he was with us and the monster influence he had on me & so many other musicians.
Grest job Michael I was with you on all the jaw dropping...
Shawn Lane has moved me more than most other great players. He was truly a unique and gifted player. I highly recommend you listen to his album The Power of Ten. Thanks for covering this!
Everyone misses his version of all song the watchtower it’s insane the one with the picture of him standing there his rhythm stuff is so cool worth checking out
Another guitarist taken too soon was Danny Gatton.