I first became aware of Buckethead's existence during college in 2007. By then my full-time Zappa obsession was finally waning and my preoccupation with varied progressive rock and jazz fusion groups dominated my listening habits. Among those included well-respected virtuoso rock guitar heroes such as Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, and Steve Vai. It was the perfect time to test the Buckethead waters as well.
Before I heard one note of his music, Buckethead's mystique alone piqued my interest. Even 12 years later there's not much more available to learn about the guy: his name is Brian, he had a white-collar suburban Orange County upbringing, he first picked up the guitar at 12 years old, he really loves his (now deceased) parents, he's incredibly shy, and that's about it. Back in 2007 Buckethead had only about 20 albums available so, while daunting, it wasn't hard to take the plunge. I immediately found much of his music, for lack of a better word, "colorful", and this trait more than any others has kept me coming back for more. I'd use the same word to describe the reason for my Zappa affinity. I suppose the nearest synonym is "diverse", but how diverse could instrumental guitar music actually be? I don't think it's quite the right word.
For the most part I find that Buckethead's guitar playing marriages a nice balance between robotic and emotional; not too far on the robotic side to be too sterile or wanky, and not too far on the emotional side to be too sappy or insincere. In fact, technical ability aside, sincerity is Buckethead's biggest advantage over his contemporaries. Clearly he's not too worried about getting laid. He is incredibly humble, and how can his music be anything but? He is also incredibly gifted, and no matter how or what he plays, be it a soulful, relaxing melody or an angry, aggressive shredfest, he's putting his heart out there on full display. Without his guitar he isn't able to communicate to any of us. He'd be lost.
In 2007 there were only about 20 albums. In 2019 there's about 300. Equipped with this knowledge, It's Alive is a nice way to begin the Pike journey. Consider it the brochure for Bucketheadland, or perhaps the map they hand out as soon as one enters the park. It's a multifarious offering of many of the styles and tones that one could expect from the man condensed in a 30-minute sampler package. Take some time to peruse and you'll know right away if Bucketheadland is the place for you! Thrills, chills, and, yes, the occasional smattering of spills, include melodic and energetic rock, warped electronic noise, bass-laden funk, all running the range of slow to fast and short to long. Quintessential and unassuming.
It's Alive's cover and name brings to mind the obvious Frankenstein allusion. Most Buckethead productions are influenced by science fiction, and with the ultra-fast, staccato riffs and sharp, metallic production, not to mention a nice array of electronic effects, it's hard to think of anything but the laboratory of a mad scientist. It's sort of this "optimistic dystopia" vibe where the music brings to mind robots and frankensteins and bubbling beakers of neon liquid and Tesla coils...but the melodic power metal riffs are oddly jubilant. We must be looking at the mad scientist's point of view then! Those guys think dystopias are great!
For me, listening to an album like It's Alive takes me right back to 2007, a time of my life where I didn't have much to worry about other than being sure to start working on that lab report the night before it was due, blasting Phish or Buckethead through my headphones long into the sad, wee hours just before daybreak. Much the same way that pulling out that old souvenir Cedar Point map might draw out immediate nostalgic thoughts in full force, the opening riff 30 seconds into "Lebrontron" is such a trademark Buckethead-style riff that the familiarity, if nothing else, should automatically get the seasoned listener's thoughts a-stirrin' about their first Buckethead experiences. Whether or not they're willing to listen to 200+ other Pikes is another matter, but hey, It's Alive is a solid start. Let's keep going, shall we?
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