Review Fix Exclusive: Paul Gilbert Talks ‘I Can Destroy’

Review Fix chats with Guitarist Paul Gilbert, who discusses his new album, “ I Can Destroy.” His 17th solo album, The Mr. Big guitarist discusses the inspiration behind the album and his goals for the future. One of the hardest working musicians in the industry today, Gilbert has no shortage of energy and passion.

Review Fix: What was the creative process like for this album?
 
Paul Gilbert: If you have to be stuck riding in a van every day for a few weeks, Italy is a pretty good place to do it. That’s where I wrote a lot of the lyrics for album. I listened to lots of old B.B. King and Johnny Hodges (Duke Ellington’s sax player) to get myself in the right mood, and just let the lyrics spill out. When I got home, I started putting the words to music. I also got inspiration from jamming with Tony Spinner and Freddie Nelson. They both played guitar and sang on the record. I tended to write more melodically since I knew we could do both three part guitar harmonies and three part vocal harmonies.
 
Review Fix: How is it different from you other work?
 
Gilbert: Every album that I’ve done is the best thing that I’ve ever done. This one is better. I found that the melodies are sticking in my head more on this album than my other ones. It’s also one of the most “live” recordings that I’ve ever done in the studio. With today’s technology, it’s tempting to edit and overdub to make everything “perfect.” And I’m happy that this record gets the message across with honest live performances, and a bare minimum of overdubs.
 
Review Fix: How was “Everybody Use Your Goddamn Turn Signal” written? Is there a story behind it?
 
Gilbert: I lived (and drove) in Los Angeles for around twenty years. I actually think that L.A. drivers are pretty good, but it’s just something that you have to do so much. The city isn’t built for walking. So after spending so much time in the car, I found myself getting a little impatient. I recently moved to a neighborhood in Portland, Oregon where I can walk to just about everything. I think that when you write a song called, “Everybody Use Your Goddamn Turn Signal,” it’s time to spend less time in a motor vehicle.
 
Review Fix: How did it feel to work with Kevin Shirley again?
 
Gilbert: I had a great time making the Mr. Big album “What If…” with Kevin. And I was honored that he was interested in working with me as a solo artist. I knew that we would be recording very live with minimal overdubs or fixes, so I made sure to put together a band that could sound like a complete “production” in a single performance. It was great to have Tony Spinner and Freddie Nelson helping me out on guitars and vocals. Kevin Chown was perfect on bass. And Thomas Lang was astounding on drums. With this band, I could bring in very rough sketches of songs, and in a couple of takes, they would sound like finished productions.
 
Review Fix: Thomas Lang is no joke on the drums. What do you think he adds to your sound?
 
Gilbert: It’s not easy to find a drummer who has both technical mastery, and also a love of a straight-forward groove. Thomas is great at both and everything in between. He plays for the groove of the song, but if I need some fireworks, which I often do, he’s always got something killer ready to go.
 
Review Fix: How do you want this one to be remembered?
 
Gilbert: It would be great to remember this album as the one that finally won me a Grammy, and had nine number one singles. But I’ll be fine if the music moves people, if the melodies stay with people, and if I have fun touring with the new songs. Also, the CD cover turned out good, so that can be something for people to remember visually.
 
Review Fix: After 17 albums, what else do you want to accomplish in music?
 
Gilbert: 17 more… at least. And lots of live playing. I’m starting to feel much more confidence as an improviser, and I’d love to be taken seriously in that realm. I appreciate my reputation as a shredder, but it would be great to expand outside of that.
 
Review Fix: What’s next?
 
Gilbert: I have a guitar camp called The Great Guitar Escape coming up in Cambria, California at the end of July. After that, I’ve got shows with my solo band in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. I’ve got a few shows with Mr. Big as well. I also have a Rock Online Guitar School that I put an enormous amount of work into. The company is called Artistworks. They have a great system where I can really listen to the students, and make video lessons for them. I’ve made over 4000 videos so far.