Eighties hair-rockers Great White might be split into two camps right now, but the version called Jack Russell's Great White not only has the original singer (as the name suggests), but also Tucson-bred guitarist Robby Lochner, the subject of a cover feature a year ago. Jack Russell's Great White plays the Rialto this week, which means Lochner's coming home. So it felt like a good time to dig into his record collection and uncover the albums that changed his life...
With The Jack on Saturday, December 30 at 8 p.m., at The Rialto, 318 E. Congress St., Tucson; 520-740-1000; $20-$23, All ages.
Deep Purple
Machine Head
This record was the first full-length I ever owned. Up to this point I was listening to 45's only. Everything about this record was amazing to me. The songwriting, singing, guitar playing and all around musicality was incredible. I was a Richie Blackmore fan before I even picked up guitar. Of course, when I did start playing guitar, learning Blackmore's licks was a must.
Van Halen
Van Halen
When I heard this record, I knew this was the future of guitar. There was a complete shift in the world of music when this record hit full stride. Van Halen became the biggest band on the planet and in order to have success in that era, I had to learn what Eddie was doing. I jumped right in and started learning to play "Eruption." There was no YouTube, no tabs, no videos on how to play like Eddie, just a record player and my ear, and my brother Charlie's ear. Eddie was the biggest influence on my playing.
UFO
Strangers in the Night
Michael Schenker was a huge influence on my early playing. When I was a teenager, my band played several songs off of every UFO record up to the record when Michael left the band. This live record gave me the sense of how to change things up and still remain true to the song. Michael's feel and sense of melody was a major influence on my playing as well as on legions of guitar players of the time.
System of a Down
Toxicity
This record opened my mind to a new way of experiencing music. The singing, songwriting, lyrics and production are so unique, it just pulled me in. I listened to this CD over and over, just soaking it in before I ever even decided to play along.
TNT
Tell No Tales
When I first heard this record, I was stunned by how tight music could be played. This is long before digital editing and auto-tune were available. The band never got as big as I thought they deserved to be. The guitar playing and singing were on a different level than everyone else at that time. The ridiculous skill level mixed with well-crafted songs and top-shelf production is what hooked me.
