Good Lick Fingering
August 30, 2006 11:35 AM Subscribe
Weirdest Instructional Music Video Ever. He is the chicken-picking, pop-locking, nunchuking avant-garde guitarist that is part giant robot and part Michael Myers. In his 15-year recording career, he has released over forty albums with the likes of Bootsy Collins, Bill Laswell, Iggy Pop, and Viggo Mortensen. His work under a pseudonym inspired William Gibson. He toured with Guns 'n' Roses and was offered a job by Ozzy but refused to perform without the bucket. His best conventional work may have been with Praxis, but his solo work is not to be ignored. His real name is Brian, but you can call him Buckethead. For your consideration 1 2 3 4.
I'd never heard of Buckethead. He's really really good, wow.
posted by o2b at 11:59 AM on August 30, 2006
posted by o2b at 11:59 AM on August 30, 2006
ha. i read somewhere that chinese democracy was delayed for a bit while they built a chicken coop in the recording studio for him.
posted by lester at 12:05 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by lester at 12:05 PM on August 30, 2006
I saw him with Primus at, I think, OzzFest '98. He never moved his feet during the set-just stood there swaying and fingering. I went home and had a nightmare where he was swaying outside my bedroom window.
posted by Kwine at 12:09 PM on August 30, 2006 [1 favorite]
posted by Kwine at 12:09 PM on August 30, 2006 [1 favorite]
I first became aware of him because of this Hieronymus Bosch inspired music video. He's pretty amazing, and amazingly odd. Thanks for the post.
posted by maryh at 12:21 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by maryh at 12:21 PM on August 30, 2006
He has another tour starting in September.
I've seen him twice solo (once just him, and the next time in a trio), as well as at the first Bonnaroo as part of Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.
posted by stifford at 12:22 PM on August 30, 2006
I've seen him twice solo (once just him, and the next time in a trio), as well as at the first Bonnaroo as part of Col. Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.
posted by stifford at 12:22 PM on August 30, 2006
He'll show up randomly at Primus/Les Claypool shows. The man's got some incredible chops, and obviously the bucket isn't keeping him from making a living - he's put out something like an album a year or the past ten years, plus touring with Guns & Roses. I highly recommend the first Praxis album and Monsters and Robots.
posted by lekvar at 12:25 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by lekvar at 12:25 PM on August 30, 2006
Well, I'll be damned. So that's the guy I saw at 1 in the morning on PBS. I almost posted in AskMe to find out who he was. Thanks, Pastabagel!
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:34 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:34 PM on August 30, 2006
I had only heard of him, and even then it was incorrectly linking him to Nine Inch Nails. A few weeks ago I saw the #2 video, and my jaw hit the floor. Funny how youtube turns out to be a great way to discover new music.
Unfortunately, it seems a lot of the Praxis stuff and his older solo albums, like Colma and the Death Cube K stuff, are out of print.
posted by Pastabagel at 12:47 PM on August 30, 2006
Unfortunately, it seems a lot of the Praxis stuff and his older solo albums, like Colma and the Death Cube K stuff, are out of print.
posted by Pastabagel at 12:47 PM on August 30, 2006
Anyone who read Guitar Player in the 90s is familiar with Buckethead's column. Scratch him and you just find another metal kid, sadly.
posted by unSane at 12:47 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by unSane at 12:47 PM on August 30, 2006
Yay! I loved Praxis, and always wondered what else Buckethead did. Nice post.
posted by freebird at 12:47 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by freebird at 12:47 PM on August 30, 2006
Excellent post. I had heard the name, but never actually heard any of his music. That video that maryh links to is absolutely awesome. Scary, but awesome.
posted by swordfishtrombones at 1:40 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by swordfishtrombones at 1:40 PM on August 30, 2006
Buckethead really puts the fun back into gratuitous guitar wankery. That Bosch video is awesome...
posted by hototogisu at 1:56 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by hototogisu at 1:56 PM on August 30, 2006
Interesting post. Thanks, Pastabagel.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:00 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:00 PM on August 30, 2006
Video #2 is acoustic, for those who don't like electric guitar. It's also very, very dark. Like, they should turn a light on.
posted by smackfu at 3:09 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by smackfu at 3:09 PM on August 30, 2006
Les Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
one of many, many side projects.
posted by trinarian at 3:36 PM on August 30, 2006
one of many, many side projects.
posted by trinarian at 3:36 PM on August 30, 2006
Been meaning to see this guy for years-- thanks for the post.
posted by ibmcginty at 4:41 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by ibmcginty at 4:41 PM on August 30, 2006
I think Buckethead should team up for an all-star session, sharing the stage for a blisteringly anonymous performance with everybody's favorite giant-eyeball-heads the Residents, and those shakuhachi playing monks who wear baskets.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:35 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:35 PM on August 30, 2006
They can never hold that concert for the same reason you should never meet yourself if you go back in time - spontaneous apocalypse.
I kind oflike the idea of anonymity in performers. Too much of music today is focused on how the performer looks - think of all those 80's guitarists with long hair and absurd clothing. Now, the hair is short, but you have to have pierccings and a tattoo-covered torso.
But by wearing a mask, he strips away all the pose from the performance. Watching that Guns n Roses clip, it becomes apparent that the guy with the bucket on his head is the least absurd-looking person on stage.
posted by Pastabagel at 5:50 PM on August 30, 2006 [1 favorite]
I kind oflike the idea of anonymity in performers. Too much of music today is focused on how the performer looks - think of all those 80's guitarists with long hair and absurd clothing. Now, the hair is short, but you have to have pierccings and a tattoo-covered torso.
But by wearing a mask, he strips away all the pose from the performance. Watching that Guns n Roses clip, it becomes apparent that the guy with the bucket on his head is the least absurd-looking person on stage.
posted by Pastabagel at 5:50 PM on August 30, 2006 [1 favorite]
>i>Anyone who read Guitar Player in the 90s is familiar with Buckethead's column. Scratch him and you just find another metal kid, sadly.
Really? I find his obvious love for ODB sort of touching, even if it's sort of silly at the same time.
posted by illovich at 7:20 PM on August 30, 2006
Really? I find his obvious love for ODB sort of touching, even if it's sort of silly at the same time.
posted by illovich at 7:20 PM on August 30, 2006
Nice post! He's going to be in my town Oct 11 and I plan on being there.
posted by djeo at 9:51 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by djeo at 9:51 PM on August 30, 2006
While there is no questioning Buckethead's manual dexterity, I find his playing tedious and unmusical. :>
posted by metaplectic at 10:48 PM on August 30, 2006
posted by metaplectic at 10:48 PM on August 30, 2006
Buckethead is a fun show to catch, if he ever comes through your town.
Well geez, I hope it's better than that #1 video. I mean, if I want to see maladjusted white boys in funny hats stare at thier feet while trying to recreate Eddie Van in their heads, I'll just hang out at my local Guitar Center.
posted by lumpenprole at 10:57 PM on August 30, 2006
Well geez, I hope it's better than that #1 video. I mean, if I want to see maladjusted white boys in funny hats stare at thier feet while trying to recreate Eddie Van in their heads, I'll just hang out at my local Guitar Center.
posted by lumpenprole at 10:57 PM on August 30, 2006
Well geez, I hope it's better than that #1 video. I mean, if I want to see maladjusted white boys in funny hats stare at thier feet while trying to recreate Eddie Van in their heads, I'll just hang out at my local Guitar Center.
If they also do knunchuck routines while playing, and zombie -head puppet shows to WuTang songs, I may need to start hanging out at Guitar Centers more.
But maybe he's not your thing. Tix are usually pretty reasonably priced though (about $15, when I've seen him)
Although these days, Eddie Van Halen may actually look scarier.
posted by stifford at 7:47 AM on August 31, 2006
If they also do knunchuck routines while playing, and zombie -head puppet shows to WuTang songs, I may need to start hanging out at Guitar Centers more.
But maybe he's not your thing. Tix are usually pretty reasonably priced though (about $15, when I've seen him)
Although these days, Eddie Van Halen may actually look scarier.
posted by stifford at 7:47 AM on August 31, 2006
Not to to start an arugment here, but I think guys like Buckethead, Satriani, and Vai, and others are much better guitarists than Eddie Van Halen. They can all play his material, I doubt he can play theirs.
That said, he certainly writes more popular tunes, in a pop but that doesn't speak to his guitar playing ability or his ability to write music that explores and expands the range of the instrument.
Also, I think Buckethead's music, like Whitewash for example, are very memorable, and don't have the gratuitous wankery that people like Malmsteen throw into their music.
posted by Pastabagel at 8:15 AM on August 31, 2006
That said, he certainly writes more popular tunes, in a pop but that doesn't speak to his guitar playing ability or his ability to write music that explores and expands the range of the instrument.
Also, I think Buckethead's music, like Whitewash for example, are very memorable, and don't have the gratuitous wankery that people like Malmsteen throw into their music.
posted by Pastabagel at 8:15 AM on August 31, 2006
i'll never forget the first time i saw the infomercial for the rejuvenique facial toning system...the portrayals of reclining women wearing expressionless white masks creeped me out (i was most certainly stoned at the time), and yet i was intrigued by it and decided that i wanted one really badly, and i wanted to wear it all the time, but without the cord attached, of course...i thought of buying one (so this is how those infomercials hook people), but my partner wouldn't let me pay the $200 or so for the full facial system just to get that particular mask...
...and then one day i saw buckethead, and not only did he have the mask, but a chicken bucket as well, and i thought it was brilliant, though i was a little upset that he stole my idea...
...the thing is, as attracted as i was by the look, i never really checked into this guy, so thanks for the post...fascinating...
posted by troybob at 12:50 PM on August 31, 2006
...and then one day i saw buckethead, and not only did he have the mask, but a chicken bucket as well, and i thought it was brilliant, though i was a little upset that he stole my idea...
...the thing is, as attracted as i was by the look, i never really checked into this guy, so thanks for the post...fascinating...
posted by troybob at 12:50 PM on August 31, 2006
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posted by stifford at 11:58 AM on August 30, 2006