A guitarist that serves as one of the inspirations for getting me to pick up the instrument years ago is still going strong, literally and figuratively.  (Just Google image search for him and you’ll see prime examples of the literal part…)

Phil Collen joined Def Leppard in 1983 after the departure of Pete Willis and has recorded and toured for every album since 1983′s Pyromania.  Something about his method of playing has always fascinated me and while I don’t practice as much as I used to, when I do jam I usually start out with a mix of Def Leppard tunes and try to follow along with his leads and even some of the intricate rhythms he does.  My fingers aren’t nearly as fast as his but I try to keep up.  Even more so, I try to model my sound after his live rig.  Plus I’ve always wanted one of his Jackson PC-1s.

Musicradar.com got an interview with him recently while he was in Nashville (yes, the country music capital of the world) shopping around some songwriting ideas to some music labels.  He talks about how he has become a country music fan now, the collaborations with Taylor Swift and Tim McGraw, what about his playing he wants to improve on, his sound and a variety of other topics including a new Lep album/tour and his side project(s) while Def Lep is on hiatus.

For those that don’t wish to read until the end of the article, Def Leppard plans on releasing a new album in 2011 followed by a supporting tour.  Recording hasn’t begun yet but according to Phil, songs are being written by each of the band members.

Andy McKee (andymckee.com)

I’ve played guitar for the last 15 years or so and I’ve never once owned an acoustic guitar.  I’ve been an electric guitar/rock/power-chord-your-face-off style player the entire time.  It’s not too often I get wowed by someone on an acoustic guitar that’s not my son Braeden, he constantly wows me when he plays.

I give kudos to Preston and Steve on WMMR for turning me on to Andy McKee.  He’s been releasing albums steadily for the last several years but this was the first I’d heard of him.  On February 24 this year he was on the P&S show in Philly and they had him perform his original song “Drifting” and his arrangement of Toto’s “Africa”.  Yes, it’s the “Africa” song from the 80s you are thinking of and you’d be right to assume his arrangement of it is just awesome.

He’s instrumental acoustic guitar but not in the sense you might think.  He plays in the most non-traditional style I’ve seen.  It’s like finger picking on steroids with percussion, if you can imagine such a thing.

From his website, www.andymckee.com, his album releases began in 2004 with Dreamcatcher followed by 2005′s Art of Motion, 2008′s The Thing That Came From Somewhere, with Don Ross, 2008′s Gates of Gnomeria, 2009′s Common Ground and his latest release from March of 2010, Joyland.  All are available on iTunes and even if you were not to buy an entire album, grab one or two songs just at random and you’ll be impressed.  I was.

It’s all acoustic and all awesome.