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Why do I do it?

18 Aug Why do I do it?

One note I feel I have to add, and right now I feel it could finally be the right time, is “why I do it”. I have been asked that a few times, plus I now feel I developed my own philosophy for it.
I have been called an “Angus Clone” many times. A poser, Angus’ lost brother, etc.
Naturally, none of these is true. Or not my objective. My main intent seems to have always eluded some people’s understanding. To me, it’s simply like studying history. There, now you know it. If you don’t study history – in a interesting way – you will never know where humanity is at, nor where we may be headed. You don’t know. Instead, I wanted to be always educated on certain things. That’s why I study them as in depth as I can. AC/DC represent – for me – one of the cleanest forms of rock and roll. It’s not heavy metal and hardly hard rock to me. It has ventured probably in the latter, but that is a side of AC/DC I was never really into (the darker sounding side, … ). I am all for the shining, sunnier, lighter side of rock and roll. I do NOT like depressive music. Metal and all its derivatives give me the creeps.
My belief – finally I can express it clearly – is that by studying the style of a great rock artist to the bone you learn a lot. You start from there, then you go elsewhere if you want. I’ve read people telling me that I had to develop my own style. They never really understood that I was and I am developing my own style as I progress and study these few bands I am into (it may be that you would like to know what exactly is my style then: this video I think represents what I feel like playing when I just jam by myself). But I am a perfectionist, and I hear immediately the “hand” of a guitar player when I listen to them. I hear their vibrato and know exactly where they are at. I hear their phrasing and still figure out what they are thinking while playing, if they’re thinking of anything at all.
All of this was possible to me because of my approach to playing the guitar.
If you don’t study, study hard, you may sound like yourself – yes you may – but you may as well sound bad. The guitar, as a musical, stringed instrument, is a bitch. Now excuse my mouth πŸ™‚
All of the great guitar players have had their hero or their influences and if you listen to them play and/or speak, they’ll tell you.
In this internet existence of mine, you will hear my guitar mentors as I try to learn their style and I will gladly listen to yours.

Enough for now, I think I made my point.

Thanks for the chance you gave me by reading this

Fil πŸ™‚

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Fil "SoloDallas" Olivieri
sd@solodallas.com

We Are Rock 'N Roll People.

23 Comments
  • avatar
    dave realm
    Posted at 04:36h, 14 April

    Hey Fil
    I really love your website, there is just so much information and great music and amazingly it’s all for free.
    Guitar tone is subjective of course, but I love how you have put so much work and effort into studying ACDC’s tone through the late 70’s to early 80’s period. There tone is quite amazing when you think about it, it has all the elements of rock yet it is quite clean but still delivering heaps of punch. It cuts through the band and sits really well in the mix. I am still amazed that Angus and Malcolm
    just basically, apart from the clean boost and slight compression of the SVDS on Angus guitar just smashed that sound out with hands, guitar and amp. That’s a rare thing to see in todays bands. I saw a band play last night, twin guitar attack, nicer guitars Strat’s and Les Paul’s but their guitar tone was way to overdriven and saturated, they lacked that clarity and mid range punch that a cleaner sounding tone gives you particularly when the front of the amp is driven harder. They didn’t cut through the mix and tendered to sit closer to the kick and bass guitar. I couldn’t define each guitar clearly, unlike in ACDC when you hear both guitars quite distinctly. Keep up the good work I love reading your articles and the articles of your subscribers. It makes you a better musician, it we don’t learn from the past we may continue to make mistakes in the future.

  • avatar
    jakesg61
    Posted at 12:59h, 29 November

    You know, this is was kinda of not supprising but it was, becuase I feel I have the exact same opinion and thinking as you Fil, but the strange thing was, when ever I speak of why I love ac/dc or how I try to learn tha style of playing, I almost use the same words to put my point across, and having just read this, it feels like im listening to myself but only from someone else, and I think this is becuase what I have learnt from you and the people here, very strnage hehe I cant believe I almost use those very words.

  • avatar
    Chabum1970
    Posted at 05:34h, 06 September

    Hi Fil, why don’t you create in the bar menu a tool for us to put our guitar announce to sell or to search for a guitar?

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 05:44h, 06 September

      I may do that in the future. However, you must realize that in the case of a bad sale among members here, I’d feel responsible for it, since this site is the one who put members in touch. So, I feel I have to be EXTREMELY careful. Right now, I’d rather let you guys do this in the comments – and I’ll be watching at all times. See bud, these are high fraud times on the net. Many are scammers. Need to be careful. I’d really feel awful if some of you got screwed. πŸ™‚ But nevertheless, a lot more “tools” will be made available to the forming community here to be in touch with each other. I’m just experimenting with ideas and thinking… πŸ˜‰

      • avatar
        Chabum1970
        Posted at 08:07h, 06 September

        I hope so, in the meantime I hope to sell mine to add and buy my favorite ’61 reissue. What a lovely SG!

  • avatar
    OldSchoolRocker666
    Posted at 11:51h, 04 September

    Ok you don’t like Metal, but is it restricted to every single band doing metal, or can some Metal bands be decent, or is it simply just not ”sounding good” in your ears?

    There are ofcourse alot of bands within metal, loads of styles, some play more melodic and tries to play with feeling, but some does play ‘dirty’ as we could call it.

    How about the Swedish band called ”Bullet”? They played as a foreband for AC/DC at one point if i recall πŸ™‚

    Or the Australian band named Airbourne, how about them?

    Metal isn’t blues but not everyone sings about depressive things πŸ™‚

    But yeah it’s personal interrests , some people do not like Metal and that’s ok πŸ™‚

    I think i recall reading that Angus Young said in one interview ,”Ye He(Van Halen) is ok, but for me it sounds like he’s rehearsing, alot of them do, For me it sounds like they are rehearsing, practicing scales as they could at home” or something when asked about what he thought about the Metal scene, and if he thought someone were decent.

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 04:35h, 06 September

      I just don’t like depressive music. When metal is not depressing, I may well like it

  • avatar
    Chabum1970
    Posted at 03:47h, 03 September

    I agree with you when you write about the history, the mean of rock’n’roll is in the 60’s years. Personally I love the High Voltage tone, the first with Bon Scott vocal. I love “There’s gonna be some rockin'”, that riff, played well, recall the 60’s air…. Live wire… and the tone, thas Gibson/Marshall, those pickups…
    that’s the way i wanna rock’n’roll.

  • avatar
    redlinechavez
    Posted at 02:22h, 31 August

    Hey Solo, guess what?
    I just wrote a paper for school about the genius of AC/DC. It was much too small to fit all of the components that make AC/DC awesome, but I did what I could.

  • avatar
    Chabum1970
    Posted at 14:16h, 29 August

    Bellissimo sito, completo, chiaro, per gli amanti degli AC/DC ma non solo, della Gibson in accoppiata con Marshall e del suon puro e semplice del rock’n’roll. Grazie per il lavoro che svolgi, personalmente leggerΓ² ogni minimo aggiornamento del sito

  • avatar
    spitfiregrant
    Posted at 11:50h, 23 August

    Hey Fil! Where have you been?!!! They shut down your youtube account!!!

    Great article.

    You have probably been busy because I haven’t heard from you at all. Nonetheless, I have some stuff to show you!!

    Throw me an e-mail!

  • avatar
    billyyoung
    Posted at 00:09h, 23 August

    im a beginner (actually i dont even know how to change chords hahahaha) i wanna play good one day and i promised to my self that i will really try hard… i wanna be like ANGUS!!!
    thank you Fil for all of your lessons, updates etc. waiting more for you and thank god you are BACK!!!

  • avatar
    Manuel Marin
    Posted at 15:27h, 21 August

    Hello, I’m very glad to see that you finally built your own website. My daughter (she’s14) and I follow your videos in youtube and now we met this great surprise. So, congratulations and we are looking forward to learning from you.
    Best wishes from Spain.

  • avatar
    rpatzelt
    Posted at 07:17h, 20 August

    It’s very interesting to see how music touch people and why they like something and dislike other.

    I found myself attracted by rhythm, for so long. It’s something linked with your internal system, your own rhythm of life, something so deep that it can be guessed but not discovered yet.

    My history as a music fan is a little bit strange. I was born in Romania and on that days you couldn’t know what’s outside. Anyway, from my mother’s womb to college I was surrounded by music. Then I discovered early rhythms of black music, early rap sound and I was hooked. That rhythm told me something. Later on I found that “all that jazz” and blues and rock’n’roll were based on the same old roots. I wonder why those roots also work for me. Maybe is something in our blood.

    So, my dear “older twin brother”, if I can say so – you know that I was born in the same day as you, 2 years later πŸ™‚ maybe the stars configuration on that day made me digg so much AC/DC today.

    When I first heard an AC/DC tune I was strucked by a hammer – What, what was that, who’s playing this, I want more and so on…

    Those rhythms are so true and natural and runs through my own structure like there where scripted before. It’s like studying history, as you said.

  • avatar
    ben
    Posted at 04:10h, 20 August

    Fil, long time fan especially back in the youtube days. I honestly am proud to say that AC/DC has touched me in a way it has you. I feel truly blessed to have seen them live also! Really cannot say enough for how you too have been an inspiration for me, and my playing. I can only hope your are here for a long time to come.
    Much love,
    Ben

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 04:20h, 20 August

      Freaking touching me with your words at 10:18 am in an Italian morning (thank God, still cool, not to hot today). IF they don’t strike me down suing me – they may – I’ll be here forever, or for as long as there is nice people like you willing to follow these experiments of mine. Love back at you Ben, Fil πŸ™‚

  • avatar
    deni91
    Posted at 04:04h, 19 August

    Fil!
    I just can’t find the tutorials. Where are they?

  • avatar
    Michael91
    Posted at 16:37h, 18 August

    Thats the most honest and touching articel I ever read! I’m with your opinion. thank you

  • avatar
    depuis1899
    Posted at 15:48h, 18 August

    fil, that went directly to my heart,
    nice writing, allou say is true…
    everything
    night fil πŸ˜‰

  • avatar
    Angusrocks
    Posted at 14:39h, 18 August

    Thank you for your point. It`s my point as well !! I hate metal and i`m not interesting in “Pop Rock”.
    I love ACDC because of their sound and their way to play that ol`Rock`n Roll. ACDC is a band who make “straight to the point” music. They don`t fiddle around, they come to the point and that`s what i like very much.

  • avatar
    KyleSG
    Posted at 13:55h, 18 August

    Great article Fil! Thats the main reason I love AC/DC more than anything and all classic rock in general. No other music has as much feel and passion. I just seen Aerosmith last night here in toronto and there still rocking the building so age is never an issue the only issue is the day you loose the passion πŸ™‚ Keep up the fantastic work!

  • avatar
    ttam
    Posted at 11:17h, 18 August

    I agree with you. And honestly it can be seen.. Your playing has a lot of feeling in it and is being noticed, I think, by a lot of people. It’s a great to watch that passion coming out of guitar player, and not only. It’s great to see passion in general.

    • avatar
      SoloDallas
      Posted at 12:24h, 18 August

      I agree with you about passion: it just works, among human beings. I’m leaning towards defining it as genuine passion delivered throughout training. The passion has to remain there, and it has to be genuine every time but by means of training, the exact moment it will be delivered can be controlled. Training without passion – artistically – is completely meaningless to me. This is exactly why I like AC/DC and I also like some of Free (the band) work. Thank you πŸ™‚

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