Shawn Lane: Secrets & Demons REVEALED
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- Опубліковано 31 гру 2023
- The Shawn Lane documentary. The meteoric rise and fall of this amazing musical genius.
#shawnlane #behindthemusic #documentary #truestory #guitarist #musician #genius #worldsfastestguitarist #savant #psoriasis
I knew Shawn well. Better than most i would guess. Grew up in Memphis. Took lessons from Shawn . Spent many nights at his house talking about everything under the sun till all hours of the morning. He was the smartest person i have ever known. And the kindest. And the most humble. I was at NAMM the year Vigiere ( sp?) gave him the fretless guitar. Right after , he told me he was supposed to perform with Stanley Jordan that night and asked if I would take him to his hotel room so he could "get ready" , which i assumed meant play the fretless etc. We went to his hotel room .... he never touched the fretless guitar. I couldnt stand it and asked " can i noodle around on this fretless"? I had never seen or even thought about a fretless guitar. Shawn said " sure , stretch the strings out and warm it up for me" ! For 2 hours i sat and played that guitar , stunned by the sonic capabilities and confused by the technique required to make it sound right. We leave to go to some other hotel where he is playing and he got on stage with Stanley Jordan and played the guitar like he had owned it his entire life. Everyone in the room was dumbfounded. And there were many popular , very famous guitarists in that room. Shawn was a one of a kind. I feel very lucky to have known him and spent many , many hours being mesmerized by his abilities.
What a wicked story! Man, you are among a few people who have come in here who got to know the man. Every single account points to the fact that he was just an incredible human being as well as being such a natural at music that he never had to think about anything. That is crazy that he just gets the fretless, doesn't even pick it up - lets you jam out on it, and then like nothing he gets up with Jordan who is three guitarists in one body himself, and blows the roof off the joint. Like yourself, I wouldn't be able to comfortably pull up any melodies on the fretless. I'll go on step further and say I probably couldn't even pull off Mary had a little lamb on it lol. Let me just say I'm honored that you popped in here and shared your story. I'm so glad I put this video up, because the first hand experiences people like yourself have had that are shared in this comment section truly make it all worth it. I really appreciate what you shared!
whooaaa 😮😮😮
Had the opportunity to witness his show in Delhi, India. For half an hour he just smoked a cigarette or two then played a few Indian Carnatic style music and put the cigarette on his guitar's headstock. Everyone was anticipating something epic and boy he played like someone we've never seen playing. What an amazing show it was with Hellborg and Marchesini on drums. That blew everyone's mind. After the show, we had the opportunity to interact with him. He was selling his CD's and when we bargained he said something with his shrikked voice "This is called bootlegging man", you won't get it in the market. From that night on he has been my favourite guitar player and a musician. Long live Shawn Lane
@@chesangma8801oh man that must have been one hell of an experience! That's the thing - Lane had such a great sense of humor and you just pointed it out again. I could totally see him saying that. Every single time he picked up that guitar he put it all out there - it's stories like yours that make me just wish I had been able to experience his playing live. Thanks so much for sharing that!
After watching him play the piano too, and his ability to read 2-3 books in a day (and remember them to the point of being able to quote them) the guy was clearly a savant. Ordinary humans literally can't compete. Lovely to hear the he was kind and humble. You definitely were lucky to spend time with him. What a terrible loss for someone so young. There'll never be another. Truly an amazing human being. ❤😢
Delivered an upright piano to his house in the 90's without knowing who he was. After setting it up and playing the "Peanuts" theme song (did this for each delivery) he sat down and and played the same song. I could tell he was just just on another level musically and was just absorbing what he just heard and recreating it. I later learned about his alien-level guitar playing. He is certainly in the top 3 guitarist in human history
What a story! My mind was pretty blown when I read your comment. Do you remember anything else about that meeting? I'd be curious. By all accounts he was a really nice dude.
Yep - He came off as a kind and gentle soul. I discovered his album 'powers of 10" way later. awesome @@guitarmeetsscience
@tonejunkeee just amazing. Thank you for sharing that!! Judging from the video footage I've seen of him - he's always been a really cool and quite and enthusiastic guy. I'm glad somebody like yourself can come in and solidify that.
Thank you for creating this video. In the 80's I worked at AMRO music Muzitron... Tonejunkee... Maybe you did to! Shawn would stop by just to chat... Baseball etc... Once drove up in a Red Maserati with a ton of car stereo power amps in the back. Real nice guy, always wore corduroys and plaid shirts. lol
Damn that is another awesome story! I'm glad to see some folks in here who actually got to meet the man himself. That's what makes doing these so worth it. Thank you for sharing your story! 🤘🤘
A lot of people tend to talk about Shawn’s more extreme virtuosity, but the musicality of his melodic playing was absolutely astounding.
It’s true because his speed is the first obvious thing you notice, but when you break down *what* he is actually playing, it becomes all the more mind blowing. He was a master of every facet of music
I met Shawn at a NAMM show, and got the chance to jam with him (I stood on the same stage with Shawn, holding a guitar, shitting my pants) He was down to earth, and loved talking about music. He was taken from us way too soon.
Man that had to have been such a cool experience! By all accounts he was a really cool dude, and I'm glad to see some folks like yourself coming in and leaving these comments. It's great to run into people who have actually had a chance to meet him. Thanks for sharing that awesome story!
Wow dude incredible 👏 I would also have shit my pants
😆🤘
Great documentary! I interviewed Shawn for Guitar Techniques magazine back in 1994, and Guthrie Govan transcribed some of his licks for the same issue. Shawn was a musical genius and an incredible guitar player. Nice guy too. A tragedy he died so young. RIP Shawn.
I'm honored! Guthrie still does some articles for them from time to time, I picked up a more recent one or relatively more recent a few years back and ended up subscribing for a while. I'm going to have to poke around for that interview - that is really cool that you did that. He really did die too young sadly. By all accounts he was one incredible human being and a lot of fun to hang out with. Thanks for sharing that!
@@guitarmeetsscience It might be difficult to find, so here’s the interview, titled "Street Cred", from Guitar Techniques magazine, October 1994.
Shawn Lane still remains a mystery to music fans in the UK, even though he was voted best new talent in Guitar Player magazine’s 1992 poll and has drawn praise from the likes of Vernon Reid, Eric Johnson, Kirk Hammett and George Lynch... By Cliff Douse
Lane’s Tapes have been passed around guitar circles for years, but his debut Warner Brothers album Powers Of Ten has been difficult to obtain outside the States. His original tunes show a wide range of influences, ranging from heavy metal and blues to modern classical music. His soloing displays an incredible technique (he’s been described as the fastest guitarist alive), while remaining melodic and lyrical. Also a fine bassist, pianist and drummer. Shawn is currently working on a new album and has recently been involved in projects with Mark Varney and Dweezil Zappa: “Dweezil did this song that’s over an hour long, with Eric Johnson, Brian May, Albert Lee, Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. It’s probably the song with the most guest guitar players ever, and it’s coming out on the Barking Pumpkin Label”.
Lane also played piano at Paul Gilbert’s wedding: “I did the Wedding March and a piano arrangement of a Mr Big song. I tell you, I’ve played a lot of gigs. But doing the Wedding March was one of the most nervous moments I’ve ever had.”
GT: Do you see yourself as a multi-instrumentalist or a guitarist who plays a load of other instruments?
SL: “I see myself as a composer and multi-instrumentalist. I’ve been playing the guitar for a little over 20 years, which is longer than I’ve played any other instrument. So it’s probably the one I’m most proficient on. The piano would be next and then the drums. I have a whole lot of influences on the different instruments and they cross-pollinate each other. For Instance, I may be inspired to play something on the guitar by listening to a drummer like Vinnie Collaiuta or Trilok Gurtu. Or I may be inspired to play something on the drums by listening to a guitar player such as John McLaughlin.”
GT: How do you find time to keep up your proficiency on all these instruments?
SL: “Most of my guitar practicing would come from playing a lot of live gigs. Over the last 15 years, I’ve probably played a thousand gigs with various Top 40 bands and then with my own band. So I don’t really practice much guitar at home. At home, I tend to practice on the piano a lot, and when I’m recording I tend to play a lot of drums. It takes me about a month to really get my drum chops up. In the past, I’ve mostly composed on keyboards. But on the new album I’m doing most of my writing on the guitar because they’re guitar-orientated tunes.”
GT: You joined the rock band Black Oak Arkansas at the incredible age of 14. How did that come about?
SL: “I was playing in an original heavy metal band. We opened for another group that was managed by the same guy who did Black Oak Arkansas. And I heard that they were doing auditions for a guitar player. So I Just went along and somehow got the gig. That was back in ’78. One of the first shows I did was on the same bill as REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent. There were probably about 50,000 people there, which was a real big thing for a 14-year old kid! We also played at the inauguration of Bill Clinton as Governor of Arkansas.”
GT: Some would say you’re rare among flashy players in that you sound both melodic and musical.
SL: “That’s because I don’t look at the guitar in terms of licks. I try to think more about melody. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but when it does I’m very happy with the results. I suppose a lot of the flashy rock guitarists are influenced by classical music. But only up to the era of the likes of Paganini. They gel a lot of lines from that, but then they never go on to be influenced by the music of Chopin, Liszt, or later people like Ravel or Debussy. So there are influences that can be drawn from later classical music which can really open your phrasing up.”
GT: Major record labels are notorious for pulling their artists into the mainstream, yet there are a lot of exploratory ideas on Powers Of Ten.
SL: “Warner Brothers have been really great about that. Their Progressive division are really great people and have other original artists signed like Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. And they’ve been really good about giving their musicians the artistic freedom to do whatever they’re best at.”
GT: You also joined forces with fellow six-stringer Frank Gambale on Mark Varney’s ‘Centrifugal Funk’ project, although you weren’t really happy with the results?
SL: “It was kind of prefabricated. The tracks had already been laid down and then people were got in to solo without really having much contact with each other. On a couple of the songs, the solos that I played were the first take and I’d never even heard the song first.”
GT: Are you planning to maintain your present recording direction?
SL: “Well, I’m trying to do something that would appeal to a wider audience, but without alienating as much spontaneity as possible. It’s pretty hard work, but it’s a lot of fun. I usually only spend two or three days on any given song. “I’m getting a much better guitar tone on this album. I’m using Ibanez guitars at the moment. A guitar they call the Ghostrider, although there may soon be a Shawn Lane model. There’s also another guitar I’ve been using lately called the Talman, a guitar with three lipstick tube pickups. It’s really similar to the old Danelectro guitars and it’s great for bluesy stuff. I tend towards rosewood necks and I like guitars with a little bit of an arch on the top. For 20 years I used Holmes Mississippi Bluesmaster amps, but recently I met an amp engineer called James Brown, who helped design the 5150 amps for Eddie Van Halen. He analyzed what it was about the Holmes amps that I liked and managed to come up with a program. Peavey has a unit called the Pro-Fex II preamp and I run that with a Peavey PVCS400 amplifier. And with some of the custom programs they put together down at the Peavey plant in Meridian, it really is the closest thing I’ve heard to those old Holmes amps. In some ways, It’s better because it’s more dependable. Then I also use a Bob Gjika amp. He’s from Austin, Texas, and he makes really awesome tube amps. I’ve never heard anything like the sound his amplifiers get! It’s a pretty large amp, so I use that for a full-fledged tour or in the studio.”
GT: What are your current listening preferences?
SL: “Generally I’m a big fan of music, films and the arts in general. On the guitar side of things, one of the most amazing players I’ve ever heard is Ted Green. He’s probably best known for his book, Chord Chemistry, but he does this amazing chord solo jazz-style guitar. I also heard him do a 10 minute improvisation on a Telecaster through a Fender amp, and it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. He cut a record some time ago, which Is very rare and difficult to find now. There’s also Derek Bailey, who is incredible. But I’ve been listening to a lot of other stuff, like Tori Amos and Michael Nyman.”
GT: Are there any musicians who Shawn would particularly like to work with?
SL: “Yeah, there are loads of musicians I really admire. I’d really love lo work with someone like Joe Zawinul. But the problem with me is that I feel uncomfortable playing with people I admire because I just want to listen to them rather than play myself.”
GT: And do you have any advice for aspiring young guitar players?
SL: “When I started playing, there weren’t any instructional magazines and videos like there are today, so I just had to jump in and make music at a simple level and take it from there. So I believe it’s important for people to start making music at whatever level they are at. The fact that we have all of this information at our fingertips now is good, but I feel that sometimes players get so into building up their chops that they don’t find their own identity by just making music. There is valid music to be made at any technical level. I’ve heard people at the most primitive technical level make brilliant music.”
@mirroryourmusic That's a real treat! Thank you. It definitely fills in the gap too with how he actually got on board with BOA, I didn't realize that he had actually opened for them before getting the gig with them. Lots of cool inside into the gear and what he was listening to as well. I really like the end as well where he gets more into the mindset. That's actually what a lot of people miss when they study a player of his caliber. I got to hang out with Mark varney years ago, very cool and down to earth dude. He used to hit the jams in Vegas all the time I think he still does too. Thanks a lot for sharing that I really appreciate it!
@@guitarmeetsscience You're welcome. Keep up the great work man!
@mirroryourmusic Thank you so much man, very high praise coming from a great music journalist like yourself! 🙏
Shawn was a gift. A once in a lifetime musician. He is missed.
Supreme high vibrational energy from Shawn
Oh yeah! 🙏🙏
Hey little story for you , I met Matteo Mancuso last year when he played a one off show in Ireland, I showed him that video of Shawn meeting Holdsworth at the namm show , he had never seen it before and was really excited to see it as he never knew two of his heroes met . I’ll never forget the beaming smile on Matteos face .. as I write this Matteo is playing himself at those self same Namm shows. He is the guitarist for the new age .
What a great story! That's cool you got to meet Mateo, just like the Alan and Shawn there's a common thread between them - all three massively talented and all three massively humble. I was pretty excited when I came across that clip, and I can imagine he really loved it. Thanks for sharing that!!
@@guitarmeetsscience
No problem dude yes their talent is matched by their humility for sure a bit like ywingie 😜. Love your channel btw subbed.
@@johnkk7863Thank you so much - glad to have you here bud 🤘🤘
Matteo is the first young guy to come along seemingly out of nowhere who, after only hearing g him once or twice, it is painfully obvious that he has already secured a spot in the “best ever” category.
Had been a fan for years before he passed. Got to see him play live only months before he passed. In a crappy bar maybe 75 people there. He could barely walk. Got to hear him set up and sound check. Playing through a Peavey preamp and old Peavey solid state power amp and cab. The absolute best guitar sound I ever heard. Got to talk and ask him how the hell he does it. Especially with the shape he was in. He was so humble and actually a little embarrassed talking about his self or his equipment. Anyway he was amazing. Mesmerizing. Still easily the best player I got to see live and I’ve seen them all. Period.
Wow man thank you for sharing that! It's hard to believe how many people's lives he touched, and having done this video I am so glad to be able to have folks who have met him come in and leave some comments like yours. I could see how he would have been kind of embarrassed to talk about himself or the equipment, because he was such a humble guy. It's a shame though that the crowds were so small, but those 75 people were able to see this mad genius in action. Thank you so much for sharing that man I really appreciate it!
That's a pretty good biography and for the most part it's quite accurate there are a few spots that are just incorrect Gary period of 17 years I was Sean's best friend big brother guitar tech chauffeur and bodyguard. We met the first time right before he went to Black Oak Arkansas in the final gig of his local band savage. 4 years later we met again through a local friend. I was studying upright bass in college at the time good you had an incredible discography and was like come on over anytime and listen to any of the music you I want to listen to or working on for school. For many years I spent more time at his house than my own. I am one of the few people on Earth that knows the whole story. If you ever want to discuss the subject feel free to reach out to me
Watching and listening to Shawn literally will raise my heart and breathing rate by a considerable amount. As a guitar player I can manage (just barely) to understand and vicariously experience what he’s doing. A total trip! I first became aware of Shawn in the early 90’s and instantly fell in love. Already being a huge Mahavishnu fan and seeing Jonas live with Mahavishnu, when I saw they were collaborating with Jeff Sipe I quickly bought everything I could get my hands on. I was so sad when I heard he had passed.
R.I.P. Shawn Lane
Wow - thank you for that. You got to see Jonas live basically when he was just hitting the scene. That is awesome! While I was putting this together I was thinking that people who got to really enjoy him while he was alive must have had a really hard time when he passed. I didn't get to dig into Shawn's work really until just a couple years ago. I'm definitely old enough to have been able to enjoy what he did, but I never even heard of him. After seeing a couple videos I thought - where is this dude been all my life. And then I read that he had passed away in 2003, and felt the loss immediately... Thank you for sharing your story!
@@guitarmeetsscience
You’re very welcome.👍 Thanks for producing and sharing this. It’s important to keep him alive with his music and these few videos.
Just a complete natural. And he's so at ease you'd think he was sitting on a comfortable chair watching someone else play.
You nailed it! His playing could be described as sublime. There is no doubt he could channel some of the greatest composers through his fingers, but everything he did he reinterpreted with a highly imaginative and creative approach. Your analogy is spot on - he looked almost as if he was watching somebody else play as he was so comfortable with the instrument.
Few Guitarists have made me almost tear up, some of Shawns melodies and phrasing are absolutely beautifully yet heartbreaking.
Thank you for that comment - no doubt he has had that effect on a lot of people including myself. Truly on another level!
The triad fascination....
He had great skill but his music never really moved me an it never seemed as out there as Holdsworth or some of the horn players from the bebop era, an well I'm just going to say it his technical skills show a large lack of dynamics or even a less technical but powerful repeated phrase. Why do some technically gifted musicians understand the importance of strong simple repeated melodies? Why wasn't Shawn like Beethoven? Why have I never heard anything by him that was incredibly catchy? Why does his playing not really interest me ? Why do some musicians never really influence people, I mean I'd love to have his abilities especially the memory but I would be lying if I said I hadn't listened to hours of it an managed to retain none of it. Although I haven't listened to his piano playing. Never the less I don't feel like he really even scratched the surface of inspiration or particularly memorable flights of notes, no anthropology, no giant steps, no nights in Tunisia
@shinybald36 it's subjective... I can recall a lot of it, and Im not a huge fan just a fan.... In fact, I haven't listened in years, but powers of 10 had a lot of melody and enough repetition to hook my ears... Love Holdsworth a little more? Sure ... maybe lol.
He came from a different place entirely. A lot of people share your point of view when it comes to Lane. He was much more an aggressive stream of consciousness kind of player. He wrote beautiful melodies when he was taking it slow, but when he ramped up intensity everything was off the table. You won't find anything catchy, but that's not what he was about. Nevertheless I love reading people's different opinions on him whether they like him, or to the complete opposite extreme. He hits people differently and I find that fascinating. Thanks for sharing your candid comment, I do appreciate reading your point of view.
his playing is so behind 90% of most guitar players comprehension that a lot of "players" put him in a shred category and he couldn't be further from that, he was an amazing writer /composer and I would say of of the top five soloist of the 20th century thank you for the beautiful music Shawn RIP
Exactly! Thank you for your take on that, and I really wish more people would get what he did. I think some of these advanced modern players coming out would be able to get it. I'm hoping videos like this spread the word about this amazing talent that we only had around for a short time. I appreciate your comment!
You mean 'above'
That got me too haha, but it is fitting. His playing could be above behind or in front of most guitar players comprehension, so it does totally work
It’s easier for people to file him under “shred” rather than to realize that there is a whole world of his music to explore.
@rmcfee If I could upvote this comment 10 times I would
I met Shawn on a Willie's band break in the late 80s. He was sitting in a flower bed reading the Miles Davis autobiography. Talked to him a few times after that. He was the most knowledgeable musician I have ever met. Hey, he played beautifully slow too. I asked him one time what's going on in his head when he's burning, he said getting from one note to the other, and he loved to do it chromatically. Best fingers I've ever seen. Sweet and humble but he could grease anybody. Grease was the term he used. If you can find a copy of his jams when Ardent gave him the run of the place, it's well worth the effort.
Talk about some great insight! I could totally see him kicking back in a flower bed reading the a Miles Davis autobiography -also some great insight into his thought process when playing. The fact that you were able to see him during that period is pretty freaking cool! No doubt about it that guy could grease anybody, it was like that instrument was an extension of his own hands. Thanks for sharing that man I really appreciate it! If you got others feel free to leave them here, I'm loving reading the comments from people who actually were able to meet him. This is awesome!
Jeff Sipe is a good friend of mine. Jeff, Shawn, and Jonas hung out and jammed in my basement practice room a couple of times in about 1996. Shawn and I became pretty friendly, and talked about movies a lot. Man, I thought I knew a lot of movie dialogue--it seemed like Shawn knew every word of every movie ever made. He was fun to hang out with. I always looked forward to being around him and Jeff.
It was a shame about his health, because he had so much to continue giving to the world.
How cool is that! Jeff is a fantastic drummer. That's really cool you got to hang out with all three of those guys. That's the thing about this video in particular, is that a lot of people who have come in actually had the chance to get to know Shawn, Just like yourself - and there have been a couple stories about the movie dialogue. Goodness - he really was from another planet. Thank you for sharing your experience - I love comments like this!
like Allan Holdsworth, Shawn Lane is your favorite guitarist's favorite guitarist. he was truly a gift to the guitar world
Spot on assessment!! I like that - your favorite guitarists favorite guitarist. Totally true!
Thats not true at all actually . I have yet to hear a famous guitarist say Lane was a favorite .
@@2216sammy paul Gilbert is one as well as Joe satriani
One thing that was not mentioned is that Shawn was an equally amazing drummer.
Great call - I did try to do a catch-all, cuz that guy could play anything he laid his hands on. Thank you man
@@guitarmeetsscience Shawn was my friend. I was the last person with him in the hospital before he passed. There’s not a day that passes that I don’t grieve over him.
I wish you all the best. ~fasteagle
@fasteagle9959 honored. I cannot imagine how difficult that was. He was obviously one hell of an amazing human being. I am sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing that, and for heading over here and leaving some words about him. It's comments like yours that make this worth doing. Truly inspired. AlI the best brother 🙏🙏
Piano too, he wasn't just the best guitarist but probably one of the best musicians and minds in history. He had a near photographic memory too.
@Despond he was the Von neuman of music. Pure genius
I discovered Shawn Lane when I was 17 (I'm 34 today) when I started playing guitar and I still listen to Powers of Ten today. Shawn and Greg Howe are the most criminally underrated guitarrists in history.
Absolutely 100% criminally underrated! That is awesome that you got into him at such a young age. Shawn was the nicest most humble guy one would ever meet - and freakishly smart! Seeing how many lives he's touched in the comment section really made this so worth doing. Thanks so much for your comment, I appreciate it!
Shawn was a absolute beast love to listen to him play.
Agreed 100%!
This is a wonderful collection of photos and clips of Shawn. Thanks for continuing to keep him in conversation. He was an absolute master and a supremely kind human being
Thank you so much! I'm hoping Shawn can find an audience through videos like this. Already people are starting to discover him and of course those who actually got to meet him, jam with him etc have made their way in here. He is touched so many people. Gone too soon...RIP
Wow didn't know he was that good on the piano.
Right? My jaw hit the floor when I pulled up a video of him playing piano the first time.
Epilogue for Lisa must be one of the most beautiful/sad song ever written.
It is truly a masterpiece in every sense. Shawn laid his heart on on the table on that one
@@guitarmeetsscience Yes, especially the electric version. Thanks for sharing this incredible material...
@@nimaakhtarkhavari8766Thank you so much! I'm sorry this didn't come up in my notifications so I'm glad I caught it. I'm also very glad that you enjoyed it!
I was lucky enough to see Shawn perform a few times and it was just amazing. I got a pick from him and it was a blue Jazz pick that he said Eric Johnson had given him. I have also heard that he was just as good a cook/chef as he was a guitar player.
That is awesome! That pic is a collector's item. It was so cool that you gave it to you. It's funny because in one of the other comments we had a debate going on about speed etc and somehow I alluded to chefs and it's so funny that you brought this up because I had no idea that Lane was actually a great cook as well. I'm sure anything that guy put his mind to he was awesome at. Thanks so much for sharing your story!!!
i hope you still own this pick.
the true pick of destiny❤
@@NeilRaouf definitely have it. Prized possession for sure!
Icon and Temporal Analogues of Paradise are two of his albums (with Hellborg) where I can sing every note Shawn plays. So utterly musical .. I love all the albums he did with Hellborg.. even Zen House, but those two specifically are just perfect. Thank you for this .. when he died almost no one knew who he was so I’ve really enjoyed watching his legend grow over the last two decades. He deserves the recognition.
Thank you! The work you mentioned with Jonas is incredible. I've had all their albums on rotation in my car as well as a couple of their choice shows. I could listen to it over and over and every single time always pick up on something new. So much depth in their music. I definitely want to see more word get out about Shawn. He was so underrated. Thank you for your comment!
Je pense pareil, son travail avec le maître Jonas helborg est fantastique
Zen house is the most underrated guitar album of all time the improv there is utterly impossible
Shawn Lane is the guitarist you always see in clips with no credit. For YEARS I'd see clips of this man just being a total guitar alien and kicking ass. Took me FOREVER to find out who he was
Nailed it! People are finally slowly starting to come around to getting what Lane was putting out. It's about time!
his legend is growing. and rightfully so. one of the absolute best - musical, most important of all. listen to his indian bookstore performance if u havent - AMAZING.
All the Indian bookstore performance is incredible Glad you pointed that one out!
I have a cool Shawn story. I didn't know Shawn personally, but I grew up in Memphis during the 80s and 90s, and saw him at our local music store a few times (Strings'n'Things). I'm a musician and always looked up to Shawn (I'm 10 years younger than him). I did know the guys from Black Oak (my dad played in a band with some of them in the 60s before they formed BOA). So the legend goes a bit like this: It was 1988, and the Monsters of Rock festival came to Memphis (Metallica, Van Halen, Dokken, Scorpions...etc)...so the best of the best rock guitarists were all in town. At the time, the best hotel in town was called the Peabody Hotel, so all the stars were staying there. It was common for there to be live music being performed on the rooftop of the Peabody. To see an example of this, watch the Tom Cruise movie "The Firm". They filmed a scene on the Peabody's rooftop with a jazz band performing. Shout out to my guitar teacher, Buzz Mcintyre, who's playing guitar with the band in the movie. So one night during Monsters of Rock, all the guitar gods heard the most amazing guitar playing coming from the rooftop. It was Shawn Lane. The rumor is that all the famous guitarists were up there losing their minds watching Shawn perform that night. Shawn had all the talent in the world, but unfortunately for him, he didn't know how to sell himself to the public. He didn't have the "look" of a rock star. Any of the glam metal boys would have been lucky to have him join their band back in the 80s, but he didn't have the look, so no real offers were sent his way. A shame.
What a great story! Man I can only imagine how cool of an experience that was. Also the looks on those guys's face because during that time they probably had much less of an idea of Shawn then they did in the early '90s when he did that jam with Paul Gilbert and everybody. By then I think they had a pretty good idea of what he was capable of, but he still wiped the floor with everybody in his own way lol. That's cool that you studied with the Buzz! I've seen that movie a couple times but I don't think the scene ever registered. I'll have to check it out again when I can. Putting up this video I had no idea the amazing stories like yours that would come in on the comment section. Man it truly does make it all worth it. Thanks so much for sharing that - freaking awesome!
I ordered the Charvel he is playing, i was the guitar manager at Strings and things in the eighties and help set up some of his guitar clinics he did. I got to play his Roland guitar, it was pretty cool. The Firm is one of my favorite movies to, i remember when it was being filmed. Good times, and he was as nice a person as he was a musician.
@@robvoyles That's awesome! Late 80's early 90's, I was definitely a client and hung out there every weekend. Maybe we spoke at some time. Did you ever work with Steven Patrick and his brother Sean O'Donnell?
Played with a guitar player who lived near him and studied with him. One day he came by and Shawn was bored so he played all the instruments on a note perfect version of Chick Coreas , Got a Match, in an afternoon..
Oh damn! Yeah that sounds about like Lane haha. Thanks for sharing that man!
amazing 💙
Thank you kindly 🙏🙏
Shawn. An angel sent to earth. Thank you for all you gave us, big guy. xx
I found his instructional video for $8 in 1993 at a used record store in Boston..same store my roommate found the Greg Howe introspection demo tape.🤩🤯🤩 we gave up on shredding shortly after.. lol
Wow - I'm sure that would be a total collector's item now as would Greg Howes demo. You guys found some gems! Shawn would say "keep going guys" 🤘😎🤘
His piano playing was almost a melding of Art Tatum and Conlon Nancarrow. Great stuff.
That's a great comparison - I wish he had more stuff out on the piano... Totally different vibe than his guitar playing.
Yours is a beautiful tribute to Shawn; thank you for creating it and sharing it with us. 💜
Truly honored 🙏🙏 Thank you so much!
An astonishing talent. Rip. 😢
It's hard to talk about Shawn, as it shows that music business does not care for Musicians or Music. With proper treatment he would be amongst us today...and probably kicking!
I really think so. It is sad to know that he could have been helped, of course they also had something else working against him - which that they really did not understand the disease that well. I still really don't understand it but at least some steps were made to get better treatment. I think with today's treatment he definitely would have been just fine. Or at least relatively fine - psoriasis is still a nasty condition no matter how you go.
One day in the early 90's I was in Memphis on business. Stumbled into a club and it was the Powers of 10 release party. It bordered on a religious experience. I still have the t-shirt.
OMG.... You just happened upon it - which must have made it even cooler! Damn that is awesome. That t-shirt is definitely a collector's item!
@@guitarmeetsscience I was on a pay phone with my friends in New Orleans. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Wound up making the drive whenever Shawn played or had a Dimarzio pickups clinic.
@@nucleargrizzly1776I could only imagine - considering it was their first listen and hearing the absolute insanity coming out of his guitar must have been a shock to the system!
Shawn was so much more than a savant - he was a prodigious savant; one of the rarest minds on the planet. At any given time, less than 100 are alive. True savants typically have serious cognitive deficits or physical deformities that give them incredible skill in one area, but are harmed heavily in others. Shawn had very little cognitive deficits. Someone with his ability to learn, remember, move, etc. is not something the brain can do without it being genuinely different from other people.
Great summary of his life. So much can be said about him. He'll live on in memories and stories for years to come.
Thank you so much - by all accounts Lane was just such a cool down to earth person with a really good sense of humor and a lot of enthusiasm. He used to joke about having a freakish nervous system, he was just such a natural all around. It's a shame he went so soon - I would have loved to have seen him reach a wider audience, so hopefully through efforts like this we can get him there.
I hung out with him a couple times later in his life . One time he answered every single question in an episode of Jeopardy. We were not sober either . Wild guy , and playing ? Are you kidding , he was beyond belief .
That is an awesome story! I could totally see him answering every single question in jeopardy. I would not have wanted to have taken him on in a trivia challenge, let alone a guitar playoff lol. Thanks for sharing that!
Yeah he was really smart. Used to love playing trivia with him.
Simply the greatest guitarist ever! My first reaction to Shawn was 🤯🤯🤯
Right on man! The first time I heard him I couldn't quite comprehend what the hell he was doing. And then dawned on me and I was like oh damn. Dude was a beast!
Shawn was one of the very few to burn the brightest...for only a moment in time.
Beautifully put!
I randomly bought his rei lesson book at a keyboard store in the late 90’s, because it was on sale. Had no clue who he was, but was a guitar nerd and loved Petrucci and Vai, etc. I was blown away at how unique and impossible his playing was to emulate. The cd had live versions of powers of ten songs and full tab. Those versions are my favorite as they are high quality recordings. He was a nice guy and good teacher.
Very cool purchase you made! God if I knew of him back then I would have picked it up as well. He was a maniac on the guitar, and by all accounts one really nice dude
Loved watching ! Thanks for this ! I met Shawn several times . Such a cool gentle guy , amazing player . Legend
Thank you so much! It's really cool that you have the chance to meet him. By all accounts he was one hell of a great human being. Totally humble.
RIP our wondrous maestro you are so deeply missed.
I dont like it when people throw the GOAT term around when it doesnt really apply, but Shawn is the GOAT! Thanks for posting this!
Oh man right on! You don't know how much that made my day! I definitely do not use the term loosely, but man that dude was the GOAT. Thanks so much bro!
Oh pleaseeeeeeeeeeee, he was just another shredder that's what he was , a great shredder at that . That's why he was never celebrated by all the guitar magazines like certain other players.
Thank you for spreading the word on this magical musician!
🙏 Thank you! Always great to meet a fellow Lane fan!
That was great! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much - I'm really glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate your kind words!
Thank you for this! May he not be forgotten. He Deserves this
🙏🙏 Thank you! Always glad to meet a fellow Lane fan. I wish I could have met him, but at least doing a deep dive into his life story was still a treat. I'm truly glad you enjoyed it!
Good stuff. Thanks for putting this together.
Thank you! Happy New Year brother! Great to hear from you 🤘🤘
This was a fantastic video. Excellent content and excellent job!
Thank you Joseph I really appreciate that! 🙏🙏
Thank you so much for putting this video together in memoriam of our dearly missed Shawn Lane 🙏🏼🎸
🙏🙏 Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed this. This was the first one to kick off my biography series, and I thought it was only fitting to start with Shawn. I'm certainly hoping he finds a big audience on UA-cam. Long overdue and much deserved!
Such amazing talent and incredible guitar playing and thanks for sharing all this history on Shawn Lane!!
Thank you so much - Lane is legendary. Happy New Year!
an excellent expose on the great late Shawn Lane. I hope many will see this because Shawn deserves to have his genius recognized. Thanks
Thanks so much Bob I appreciate it!
So ridiculous the people commenting about how he’s just a speed player with no soul. Rules of the game, not again, the way it has to be, one note at a time, aga of the ladies are extremely soulful and beautiful pieces.
You picked out some great pieces right there! Damn right!
Shawn's use of the whammy is some of the best I've ever heard. Just amazing
@AkerfeldtMikaelOpeth agreed - he sort of had the faux slide thing going on ala Beck, But with such a unique flair that is only Shawn.
I have special place in my heart for Shawn!!!! 💔🌠🌌💓
Great video. I learned a lot and was equally entertained. Well done.
Thank you so much I really do appreciate it!
I saw him two times with Jonas Hellborg. 1996 at the age of 16, The Trio with Jeff Sipe changed my view on music and opened my mind to improvisational music. It was just insane. Then I saw him shortly before his death. Such a great artist! Thank you for the tribute!
Wow - that had to be an incredible experience. Those guys really were decades ahead of their time, and people like yourself were able to enjoy it then as people now are just starting to try to catch up. I can imagine that had a huge impact. Thanks for the kind words and I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much for telling his story! @@guitarmeetsscience
Fantastic tribute to a great artist
Thanks very much Al!! Shawn was from another planet!
Its high time someone did a video of shawn, he was truly the master of masters, yet to be surpassed. Cheers for the vid.
Thank you so much - I have such respect for him, he really deserved a much bigger following. He was so far ahead of his time that people are starting to come around now. Thank you again I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Great video.... thank you for putting it together. As a first timer to him and his playing, I could only wish to have seen him live, in person.
RIP Shawn
Thank you so much! Kind comments like yours are inspiring and encouraging. I am glad you got to discover the master - Shawn was truly one of a kind! 🙏
Amazing ❤❤❤ thank you for this video
Thank you Brandon! 🤘😎🤘🎸🎸🎸🎸
I grew up in the 80's and 90's and listened to guitar based music mostly and some pop. I didn't discover Shawn until about a decade ago and I still find stuff today I never heard. It's like how you still find different angles of 9/11 you never saw before these days. I'm still blown away by Shawn a decade after listening to him for the first time. No other guitarists (and there are a lot of great guitarists) have ever held my attention like Shawn. I can't think of any other artist where I love such a large percentage of their works as Shawn's works. I've never loved all of a band's songs, they all put out some bad works occasionally but I have to say, I'm like 80% of everything I've heard from him is just as awesome after hearing it the thousandth time as it is the first. He is king of the six string without a doubt, nobody else even comes close (including Holdsworth).
That's an awesome breakdown of the effect Lane had on you. It's cool because he hits all of us differently. I had a hard time getting into him at first, but then I came across, of all things, a version of cult of personality that he did with the Willies. After picking up my jaw listening to this low quality recording but this extraordinarily alien playing I had to dig deeper. Omg - well, I'm sure you know from that point on. It's cool putting this video up and reading the comment section because it has become obvious that he actually had such a profound effect on so many people. Thank you for sharing this, I really enjoyed reading your take on his playing as well.
It's more Lane's craftsmanship than his music that I admire. It's a pity that his career never fully developed. Most of his fame came after he died since he was from the pre-UA-cam era.
Just like Holdsworth, I really dont get his music but I can see his virtuosity.
Those that I respect worship him and that's enough
Beautifully said! I was able to get into Lane pretty quickly. Believe it or not his most accessible stuff was actually the stuff he did with The Willy's.... Since they covered all sorts of popular '80s tunes. It was then that you could really hear Lane shine, because you could hear how his guitar transformed those covers. Sadly they're all pretty much low quality, but listening through that it is pretty easy to pick up on and groove to. It took quite a while to really get what Holdsworth was doing. Thank you for that honest comment - I really like your take on it!
There will not be another Shawn Lane ❤
They're definitely will never be another Shawn 😞
Being fast doesn't make you great. Its about the notes, the rhythm and the feel.
Absolutely right🤘🤘
And Shawn had all of that as displayed in this video
Thumbs up, subscribed, and am sharing this with everyone. Thank you for your efforts. My original Powers of 10 CD is in the #1 spot in my car player. Way to go Brother!
I do believe you are Mr 8000 Justin! Thank you so much brother, sending hugs and high fives your way! 🙏🙏
Thank you for making this video. Shawn has been a massive inspiration to me over the coarse of my life. I certainly wish he was still around, but I'm glad he recorded a lot of music to delve into. I used to wake up to Aga of the Ladies every morning when I was in college. Good People In Times of Evil, what a great record.
Thank you Drew! He was one of a kind - as a human as well as a player. You picked some good ones right there - definitely should be suggested listening in any curriculum for sure!
I met Shawn at the Buckethead show at Wetlands NYC. We talked shop for a good 10 minutes before he got dragged away from me. I was just blown away that one of my all time idols was so humble and gave his time to me. A class act, and a musical genius!
That is a great story! It's interesting because there are a lot of people who had the chance to meet Shawn and their stories are all similar in the fact that he would just hang out and talk shop or whatever and was just such a great human being all around. Very humble and very down to earth. Lane was the whole package. God I wish I had the chance to meet him too. Thanks for sharing that!
Thanks for this very concise video. I had no idea. Still in awe… My God.
Thank you so much! I'm hoping to get more people familiar with Lane. What blows my mind is that so many people who knew him have come into this comment section and shared their stories. It really blows my mind and truly makes this effort all worth it.
tnks for create this! sheers from chile!
Thank you so much 🙏🙏 greetings from the US
Absolute legend!
You got that right 🤘🤘
Rest his soul!
I just looked this guy up on spotify, he is amazing.
Great video. Very informative.
Thank you so much! I really do appreciate it 🙏🙏
Heard get you back first time 2 yrs ago , love it and Shawn's playing
That is such a great song - his command of the melody was like none other.
Thank you for the video. A comment to support the channel
🙏 Thank you very kindly! 🤘🤘
Thanks for the video, I d say its thr best bio vid of him Ive watched
Thank you kindly - I really appreciate it Elvis!
29K views and only 857 likes? What is wrong with people?
Alan Holdsworth fan here that just discovered Shawn Lane today. What a wonderful surprise. I have a friend whose body is the same size and shape as his was in his last year. Also due to the impact of psoriatic arthritis and the toxic treatments on offer. Such an awful disease.
Thank you kindly! Wow see you are into the deep stuff - and it's really cool that you just discovered Lane... I think anybody who's into Holdsworth can definitely get what lane was throwing down especially since Lane got so much influence from him. It really is such a horrible disease - They might have come some way in treating it but still I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Props to Lane and others who managed to soldier through it.
@@guitarmeetsscience the carnivore diet all beef i bet might have completely cured him. If you're not familiar with it look up Jordan peterson carnivore diet. Its not keto.
Shawn Lane much like Alan Holdsworth is on a totally different level of playing! as a Guitarist those two are so inspiring even though
you know full well you will never achieve that level on the instrument! R.I.P to both masters you will always be remembered
and to some just discovered.
Well said - both of those players raised the bar more than people give them credit for. Thank you!
@@guitarmeetsscience Yes i agree and what is funny is i found out about both from pro players
like Edward Van Halen was how i found out about Alan and Billy gibbons,Steve Vai and others that were raving about
Shawn's playing. I knew if these guys were impressed i was in for a real treat!😁👍
@Thesegotoeleven1968 the ultimate testimoial right there! These guys knew what was up!
@@guitarmeetsscience it is sad to think had they not been mentioned by those players most of us may not have even
knew about them at least not until the internet came out. Like you said in this vid some latest gen players are just now discovering them! BTW, Al Dimeola and Steven Vai got me into another player his name is MATTEO MANCUSO! Have you heard him yet?
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959Mancuso is a beast. He has such a fluid approach, and can bring jazz influence into anything which I really like. Thanks for bringing him up - I think I'm going to fire up some more of his videos now.
Honestly, he is so good and fast, that its hard to comprehend what he was doing. Such a huge loss to the guitar world.
Very well said! It's amazing the outpouring of support that he's getting on here. I'm so glad to see it!
Completely beyond reach😮
I love Lane, Hellborg, and Sipe
They made one awesome trio! I just can't get enough of their live clips.
I live all Shawn’s stuff but HLS was my favourite. Great writing and stunning playing.
Sipe is such a brilliant drummer.
@rmcfee that definitely was some of his best work - especially the live cuts. They were on fire!
Oh wow, Jeff Sipe just played in my Town of Boone NC last week. Im from northwestern NC and i definitely remember smile fest in Union Grove. This is the same place where many legends of bluegrass and old time played. Lots of rock n roll too, those were more lax times for sure.
Very cool take. Smile fest really surprised me when I watched the video. Because no matter the accounts of Shawn's failing health, Even during his last concert he was absolutely amazing. Such a gentle and enthusiastic soul - real sad loss.
The best guitarist ever right there.
He was so damn fluid!
Shawn was the real life SHREDDER
He was a once in a lifetime Phenomenon♥️.. If you have any questions about him just ask.
Absolutely - he was quite a genius. Thank you very much!
@@guitarmeetsscience I've spent twenty years loving Shawn and his music. His sister Tina and I share the same birthday!
@gordiannot4688 That's awesome!! Not enough people know what Shawn contributed to music and life in general
@@guitarmeetsscience I get pretty bent out of shape when I see someone like Rick Beato never talking about Shawn.. Very frustrating. Most guitar players can play like other guitar players.. But they can't play like Shawn.
@gordiannot4688 Beato just wants the clicks. I seriously don't think he'd even attempt to make sense of what Lane did.
Amazing musician, and a great story! As much as I am ashamed to admit that I have never heard of him, it's also shameful that his talent has gone unnoticed.
Thank you Gregory - I was hoping with this video to give folks an introduction to him. He really is an unsung hero of music. So many people came in who actually knew him, and the stories all point to a guy who was an amazing human being. His talent was off the charts, but it was like he didn't know it. I appreciate your kind comment!
Great video!!!
Thank you!!
I spoke to Eric gales at the end of a show he played with mark letteri and he got almost a little emotional in his voice when he described his love for Shawn
That is a damn cool story! Got I can imagine - Shawn had such an impact on everybody around him. They have a couple jams up here too - and it is awesome to see those two playing off of one another. Thanks for sharing that story!
Thank you for such an in depth video we just shared this on the community wall and hope to send you some subs.- Crafton #TeamShawnLane
Wow - thank you kindly! That really is an honor and I'm glad you found value in the video. I've been thinking about doing the biography genre for the longest time, and always the first one who popped into my head was Shawn, hence he was my first one I did. Thank you for your excellent channel - I am a happy subscriber, and I really love the fact that people are reaching out and continuing to give him support. He was a great guy and a great player. Thank you so much again and it is great to meet you!
Shawn
...still the GOAT guitarist and always will be
Yep.... So true!
I wonder if his psoriasis was partly triggered by the nickel in guitar strings? Before my diagnosis of severe nickel allergy my hands were a pudgy swollen mess and covered in scabs and welts and cracks. That would then travel to my elbows , then my ears then my scalp. It took 20 years to develop the allergy. The more i practiced the worse it got. Once I changed to stainless steel strings my dermal health was/is much much better. Contact dermatitis is no joke. God bless the NHS for sorting me out. Stainless steel strings sound better and last longer too (once you get used to them)
That’s actually a very clever thought, but Shawn’s issue, psoriatic arthritis, was an autoimmune disease that just wasn’t well understood at the time.
His lack of medical insurance kept the already limited treatment options at a bare minimum. And the other big problem that no one really likes to discuss (but really is important to understand the man) was that he made some poor choices as his health began to deteriorate. All of the corticosteroids he took for the arthritis led to Cushings Syndrome that caused the weight gain. Then for some reason he started to smoke like a chimney. That threw an already compromised immune system into total chaos. The weight gain and cigarettes caused hypertension and increasingly worse respiratory problems…THEN he started to have some real problems with prescription pain meds. The poor guy’s body just didn’t want to do what his brain told it to do. Time passed and his health just got worse and worse. His answer to respiratory problems? Smoke more cigarettes!
Shawn was a genius. Zero question. One in ten billion. But unlike Shawn’s song title, TIME was not Shawn’s enemy. Shawn was his own worst enemy.
Great response Man! I didn't get a chance to really cover some of this in detail, and really you kind of filled in some of those gaps. More people need to read this.
Nickel allergy?
Gotta hand it to you and thank you for writing about your experience here. I never would have guessed this in a million years.
It's the only thing that actually makes sense. I've been playing electrics since '96. I've been purposely using nickel strings on nickel frets for many years. Apparently, grinding them together was poisoning my blood. At one point, a few years ago, I was going through 1-2 packs a week. I could taste it.
I was SURE it was all the construction work I was doing that was destroying my skin and giving me pain.
Nope.
For the last year, for the first time since I was a kid, I'm ashamed to say I've only played about 5 hours of electric guitar. Even less on a nylon string. I've been "too busy" with family and starting new businesses to play. I've been miserable at heart. Basically starving myself of the best thing in my life as a direct connection to God and the Universe.
Then I read your post after this excellent Shawn video and I notice that my skin is clear! I have zero psoriasis pains.
I have worked with every nasty construction material out there this past year from asbestos/ azek/solvents/fiberglass/mold. I should be a disaster, right? Nope. Just the opposite. Thanks to you, and the OP, I can now dust off my stainless refretted LP and order up some cobalts. Man, I can't believe it. Thank you so much for trying to help somebody. God is way, and I owe you one.
@@JustinSgalio I wish you and your skin and guitar playing all the best bro! I contacted several string manufacturers enquiring if they made "hypoallergenic" strings and a few got t back to me and all recommended stainless steels as the best option. Apparently it's about 1 in 10 is nickel allergic, there must be a lot of frustrated players suffering. Spread the word! I'm glad you're feeling better.
@@FloridaManMattysomeone finally said it..
Cool !
🤘😎🤘
Saw Shawn play with BOA at my favorite bar/club in Ottumwa IA mid-80's. I didn't really know about him then and my jaw was on the floor the whole time!
That had to be incredible - especially considering that back in those days not a lot of people knew about him. I could only imagine the first impression!
He's in the top 1 of all time. What a Master musician. Piano playing was incredible too. Great guy on top of everything.
That's awesome - I agree. The first time I came across those piano videos I was like wtf.... And from all accounts on here people say he was just the sweetest dude around.
How the Heck did I Miss This,Gonna Resub,So I get Notified, These are Awesome Videos,He Was a Talent,Watching him on the Piano was Cool too,We have Lost So Many Talented Musicians, I Sometimes Wonder What if alot Had Lived them Jammin With Each Other,Well I Know Only 1 on you Tube That is An Amazing Guitar Player..His Name Is GMS Amazing Guitar Player..🎸🎸You May have Heard of Him😂,Great Video and So Interesting, Love These,Keep Rockin and Best in 2024🤘🖤🎸👍🙂
REBEL!!! The algorithm is acting up again, but doesn't it always lol. Nevertheless you're here and I'm glad to see you. Thank you kindly for your kind words. I've listened to this guy so much over the past few years just to get inspiration. He was a beast! Great to hear from you - keep rocking like I know you can!!! 🤘😎🤘🎸🔥🔥🔥🎸🎸🎸
The Greatest!
Absolutely!
Great video
Thanks! 🙏🙏
Super my friend. Happy 2024. 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
Happy 2024 Leon 🤘🤘🔥🔥🔥🔥