"Autumn Of Life" é o primeiro single do meu novo álbum que será lançado em 2024.

Autumn Of Life

In the early 90's I learned an arpeggio exercise from Paul Gilbert, using two notes per string, and since then I never wanted to hear about sweep arpeggios. Because to me they sound much more interesting that way. And I use them all the time, much more for melodic construction than for displaying speed.

That's how I created this 30-second vignette, with an arpeggio sequence that sounds more like keyboards than guitar. Since it is very reminiscent of the 70's progressive sound. I liked the result so much that I ended up using the exact same progression in another song, NECESSARY RIDE, but a little slower.

As I didn't want to leave the vignette out of the album, I decided that NECESSARY RIDE would be the opening track and the vignette would be the ending. That's why I added SLIGHT RETURN to the name.

Never Heard Before

Necessary Ride (Slight Return)

A friend of mine heard it for the first time and said: "That's quite Satriani, huh!"

I replied: “I can't deny it and I don't want to”. On the other hand, it was not meant as a tribute, as were other tracks on the album.

But I was really impacted by those surf songs by Joe Satrianiin the late 80s. Like "Crushing Day", "One Big Rush", "Back to Shalla-bal". Anyway, every record of his to a certain point always had one or two memorable surf songs.

But it's the “Summer Song” itself, I think the most famous of all, which inspired that melody with harmonics that I play in the first part.

Anyway, it's impossible to create a hard rock instrumental surf song without remembering Joe Satriani.

But there are a lot more subtle influences in this song, things that few people will notice, but they're there. For example: the inspiration for the initial riff was “I Will Follow”, by U2, believe it or not. On the other hand, the second section is pure Pretenders. Only I packaged it in a way that sounds different. Nothing is created, you know...

Every time I listen to this song, I recognize a different influence, like the pentatonic phrases a la Eric Johnson or those harmonies in the chorus that recall Steve Morse's early solo works.

It was the second track I composed for the album and it was the first on which I wore my white Ibanez RG. That was between December 2019 and January 2020. 

It's probably the hardest track to play live from my first album. Because, although it uses some repetitive melodic patterns, it has some very long phrases with lots of notes. I think I created a problem for myself.

The title refers to the last summer we lived within normality, the last summer before the pandemic. It's a song that vibrates positively, I don't know when we'll live a summer like that again, in that spirit. Hope very soon.

The Last Summer (As We Know It)

Well, from the title you already know it's a tribute. After all, I've loved Pink Floyd from my earliest years.

I think if God wanted to come down to Earth and play guitar, he would use David Gilmour to do that. In fact, maybe he uses it, we just don't know. 

So I wanted to do something with that famous chord progression of “Breathe” and also that classic three-note “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”. 

That's how I created a big problem for myself.

It took me almost two months to sort out this song. It was, without a doubt, the most difficult of the entire album, although it has a very simple and repetitive structure. 

Creating a melody for her was my biggest challenge.

On the first few attempts, it sounded like a hideous fake. It's very easy to fall into clichés when you try to emulate David Gilmour and sound falsely emotional. That was all I didn't need.

So I tried in every way, but I couldn't solve the blessed melody.

Until I decided to double the tempo of the first section and everything changed. The song took on a more jazzy vibe, sounding more The Doors and less Pink Floyd. 

It reminded me of the saxophone solos that eventually appeared on Pink Floyd records: “Money”, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, “Us And Them”. That was the insight that saved me.

When it comes to saxophone, my reference is John Coltrane. Which, in turn, led me to Allan Holdsworth. Holdsworth played guitar as if he were a tenor sax, very inspired by Coltrane.

So I solved Floydiana's melody by trying to behave like I was a saxophonist. Using lower notes, attacking the strings less aggressively than usual, as I wanted minimal picking noise. Letting the notes breathe. Very economical and almost melancholy.

Until the solo comes, which is when I go back to my “normal style”, let's say.

The solo is played over the same progression as the main melody. Normally I don't do that. I create a different section for the solo, as Alex Lifeson always does, "the song within the song".

But in this case I chose to keep the same progression and played a long solo, with some Jeff Beck doses. And I think I nailed it well.

Floydiana

KINGS OF SUNSET STRIP is my tribute to Eddie Van Halen, my great guitar hero who left us in October 2020.

Van Halen is one of my favorite bands of all time and gave birth to the californian hard rock scene in the 80s right there on Sunset Strip Boulevard in Los Angeles.

This song was finished a few days before his death and the last thing I wanted was for it to be a posthumous tribute. But, unfortunately, that's what we have.

The opening is clearly inspired by “Hear About It Later”, but ends up in an orchestra of guitars, something like Brian May, one of Eddie's best friends.

I thought of a scene as all the other guitarists bowed to the King's entrance. So I was imagining those guys, Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, all repeating that majestic melody: “parapararaaaaa, paraparaaaa...". That's why I did all those guitars harmonized.

So the GOAT would walk into a big hall with his red Frankenstrat and take over, like, “Thanks, guys. Now it's up to me!”.

The energy is always up, like Van Halen was. A friend heard the song for the first time and said, "Wow, this deserves a video clip of a convertible car driving down a really nice road." Without a doubt, it is an image that lives up to the intention of the song.

On the solo, which is very simple and short, I tried to get away from the cliché of trying to imitate Eddie, with tappings and all those trademarks of his. In fact, I was inspired by one of his best disciples, Warren De Martini, as Ratt was one of the coolest bands to emerge under the influence of Van Halen.

So Eddie was the greatest rock guitarist and, as I said, my greatest hero in music. KINGS OF SUNSET STRIP is a simple tribute that I couldn't miss. His death last year was a shock to me, as was Neil Peart's death months before. It was like I lost two older brothers I never knew. In less than a year two music geniuses are gone, as are my two favorite bands.

Kings Of Sunset Strip (To Eddie)

I finished writing the harmony for this song, coincidentally, the day Neil Peart died. In the same way it happened with the tribute to Eddie Van Halen, it wasn't supposed to be a posthumous tribute either. But it happened.

Rush and Van Halen are my two favorite bands of all time, above all others. So, of course there would be no lack of a tribute to them on my first album. But I really didn't expect this. But 2020 was ultimately devastating.

Well, the initial idea for THE PROFESSOR revolved around “Tom Sawyer”, although I created that first part with a Strato sound a la Eric Johnson or Hendrix. 

The initial melody with volume swells is like “Xanadu”. By the way, Alex Lifeson's famous riff appears at the end of the song too, if you pay attention.

The construction of this song I see as a journey through Rush history, including all the personal difficulties that Neil Peart faced. It has that enigmatic beginning that we don't know very well where it's going to end, then it goes into a majestic melody, grandiose as Rush was. 

Then there is an interval, inspired by that “keyboard phase” of the 80s, whose melody announces changes and ends in the solo session, which recalls the times of 2112.

The solo itself was a kind of personal milestone for me, as it is one of my favorites on the entire album and it was pretty quick to record. And I remember when I heard it after the recording, I was amazed by the result and I thought: “Oops, this is a real solo!”.

Then the song goes back to its origins and then comes the section final, with the repetitive riff of “Xanadu” alternating with different phrases, some more aggressive and fast and others more melodic. 

That sounds like dialogue or more like an appeal, from a fan, in this case me, who doesn't want to accept that Rush has come to an end. But the story runs its course and in the end we're all fine, reminiscing about the band's glory days. This is the message.

My wife calls THE PROFESSOR “the happy ending song”. She says that she always listens to the music and imagines a movie ending with a sunset and people driving away on a road, just before the movie credits come on.

The Professor (To Neil)

There are things that only Porto Alegre can do, like, for example, diverging whether the Guaíba is a lake or a river. Which is a fruitless discussion, as it doesn't make any difference. Guaíba became my escape valve during the pandemic. That's where I go biking every week and recharge myself with good energies.

Last fall I was riding there during a late afternoon when I composed the entire harmony of LAKE OR RIVER in my head and humming while riding my bike. In fact, I do this often.

Eric Johnson is one of my favorite guitarists. That upbeat vibe in his songs was perfect for what I was looking for. I was especially inspired by “When The Sun Meets The Sky” which is a beautiful song, from that album “Venus Isle”.

But how to emulate a guy like Eric Johnson and those wonderful tones? Well, I tried. I used my Preta (a black Yamaha Pacifica 712 from the early 90s), which is the closest I have to a Fender Stratocaster in terms of sound. Clean, crystal clear timbres with chorus were easier to obtain.

But how to get that distorted violin tone that only Eric has? 

I got mine with a recording trick. I doubled all the melodies and phrases using one guitar with reverb and the other dry. In other words, I played everything twice, it wasn't just copying and pasting. I even added a little delay between them, which “fatten” the sound even more. 
And so I got to the “Eric Johnson sound”. It took a lot of work, but the result paid off.

All the phrasing and use of the pentatonic scales were inspired by Eric, although I didn't play anything like that sensational alternate picking he does. Anyway, my style fits easily, as Eric Johnson's sound is very fluid. And on many occasions he plays the pentatonic phrases picking once every 2 or 3 notes. Which is also how I do it.

As I always like to surprise, I wouldn't make all the music emulating the Eric Johnson sound. So in the solo section I double the tempo and the song goes into a 60s surf music vibe, like The Ventures, let’s say.

By the way, what a coincidence: The Ventures is one of Eric Johnson's favorite bands and one of his main influences. Maybe that's why my idea came together so easily. But I swear I only realized that now.

Well the solo itself, it has nothing of Eric Johnson or Ventures. I play in my own way, more aggressive, with whammy bar drops, artificial harmonics and long legato passages. It's like a way of saying: “Hey, I want to remember and honor Eric Johnson, but don't think I intend to imitate him”.

Lake or River?

Lake Or River

This song expresses a feeling of freedom. 

The “necessary ride” was how I decided to call my bike rides during the pandemic. I do this two to three times a week, when I break the isolation “prison” routine. Cycling along the edge (we call it “Orla”) of Guaíba lake, feeling the wind in your face and appreciating the beauty of the waters, is a ride that is more than necessary. It's refreshing.

Musically speaking, the galloping riff that dominates this song is influenced by Led Zeppelin, but I later realized that it reminds me a lot of “Barracuda” by Heart. I was also inspired by Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell". And that arpeggio section looks like 80s fusion and prog keyboards. 

But there are some unexpected things too. By the way, I recommend listening to my songs with headphones. Every time you listen you notice a different detail, as there are several layers of guitars.

For example, in the solo section, if you pay attention, there is a basic guitar practically “samba rock” in the background. Something like Jorge Ben, very Brazilian, but very fast-paced.

Although the solo itself has a lot of notes, that little guitar in the back was what challenged me the most. Because I don't know how to play with that funk feel, I had to learn to play the part, even using thinner picks, something I'm not very used to.

For those who are listening, "Necessary Ride", although it is inspired by my bike rides by Orla, perhaps more remember the intensity of a roller coaster, especially when you enter the long section of the ground. 

It's like a descent on the roller coaster: you take a deep breath, throw yourself and enjoy the adrenaline.

So when I finished recording that, I remembered Eddie Van Halen's famous line about rolling down the stairs and landing on my feet at the end. I think I got it.

Necessary Ride

This is one of my favorite tracks on the album and it was also one of the funniest to create and record, because everything fell into place so easily. I wanted to create something using Mixolydian and Lydian modes, which are my favorites. So from those modes came the first part of the song's name.

And I also did a lot of experiments on it. 

For example: the rhythm guitar has that kind of tubular sound, due to the flanger effect. It also has a clean guitar, with some jazz chords in the background of that funk metal riff. It's like if Nuno Bettencourt and Allan Holdsworth have an unlikely meeting.

And speaking of Holdsworth, another experiment I did was using his favorite scale for the first time. So I stuffed a long flurry of notes using the Whole Tone scale through it all. And, to my surprise, it fit.

Oh, there's also a false delay that appears in two sentences before the chorus. Steve Vai used it a lot in the days of Alcatrazz and David Lee Roth. I remember it was one of the first echo tricks I learned when I was a kid and I bought my first delay pedal. Only, in the case of “Lydian Queen”, I didn't use delay. That was created right in the recording software, folding a dry guitar melody and adding a delay in the doubled guitar manually.

Anyway, it was pure fun. But the coolest part is the chorus and it ended up influencing the name of the song: I borrowed the chorus from “Dancing Queen” by Abba.

What? That's right, “Dancing Queen”. When you hear the melody on my LYDIAN QUEEN try singing the chorus:

See that girl
Watch that scene
Digging the Dancing Queen

I bet it will fit perfectly.

Lydian Queen

This is perhaps the simplest song on the entire album, but I have a special fondness for it for a number of reasons:

It was the first song I wrote and recorded for the NEVER HEARD BEFORE album, in October 2019 .
It was also the first song I recorded since ESCAPE in 1998, more than two decades later.
It was the first song I created, arranged, recorded, mixed and produced on my own, without knowing anything about music production.
It was the song that marked my return to the guitar, 17 years after I abandoned it completely.
Finally, and most important: it was the music that gave me courage and made me decide that I would record an album, my first album.

That's why 17 YEARS LATER is so important to me.

I wrote it thinking of an old song called “Tangled In The Web”, which is by Lynch Mob, a hard rock band from the 90s that I listen to a lot.

The main melody was inspired by a riff that Eddie Van Halen created in “Runaround”, which is also from the same period. 

The solo is pure Satchi. I had been practicing a lot before starting the recordings, so I had my chops up to date. And I was crazy with the desire to shred. The result was very interesting and seems more complicated than it really is, due to the notes I chose. 

I think it was the only track where I didn't use my Ibanez guitar to solo, it was all with the Pacifica 912J sunburst.

I finished this song and continued producing the others. So, when I was already in the mixing stage, several months after I recorded it, I listened and didn't like the result compared to the most recent ones, in terms of recording quality. 

The newer songs had more energy and sounded better. So I decided to re-record the bass and all the clean guitars. Because the lead guitar, oddly enough, had turned out really good. To this day I don't know how I got my hand right on that record. It must have been beginner's luck.

In this brief rework I also made a change that, for my happiness, transformed the vibe, the energy of the song. After I had fixed the original recordings, I still found the song a bit “thin”, as the rest of the compositions were full of orchestrations and “walls” of guitars.

So I tried adding that clean guitar a la Andy Summers behind the main melody. 

The music has completely changed. What was an almost melancholy song has become something grand, majestic. Those extra chords changed the main melody's key, literally.

In the end it was like I got my own “Bittersweet Symphony”.

17 Years Later

ISOLATION is about those first few weeks of social distancing, when it felt like fun to be locked up in the house 24/7. Remember when people are sharing recipes and lists on Facebook? So it is.

The opening has an a la ZZ Top riff, with that tone I call “steamy”. Billy Gibbons is the master of that kind of tone where the amp seems to be “melting”, because it sounds so hot.

This song was born out of a chord progression I had worked on over a year before and hadn't come to a conclusion. If you look it up on my Instagram, you'll find it in some 2018 video. That's when I bought my Blackstar amplifier.

Today this progression is played over a typical Alex Van Halen groove, with a few more layers of different harmonized guitars. So maybe it's hard to see, but it's there.

And there's that positive melody, up with a sort of Celtic vibe, because of the Mixolydian mode I used. I think ISOLATION is the most pop rock thing on the entire album.

Still, it has its prog moments, like a passage like “La Villa Strangiato” that appears twice. 

In the solo section I go into a progression typically The Police, with those extended chords that I use a lot. The solo is relaxed and melodic, it doesn't have big frills until it gets into a long phrase with lots of notes at the end.

ISOLATION is one of the more economical tracks on the album and is counterpoint to the following track BLOODY PONY, which is also about the period of isolation, but with a completely different energy.

Isolation

Marcelo Morem is an “office guitarist”. In other words, he plays instrumental rock for passion and pays his bills through another professional activity. Born in Brazil on 17/01/1973, he is from the state of Rio Grande do Sul and started playing in the early 90s.

At first he was influenced by his childhood heroes, such as David Gilmour, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Lifeson and, especially, Eddie Van Halen. Later he discovered the virtuosos Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, George Lynch, Eric Johnson and, his greatest reference, Allan Holdsworth.

He never played professionally and abandoned the guitar in 2002 to pursue a career in marketing and sales. He returned to play in 2014 and released his first instrumental rock album, "Never Heard Before", in May 2021.

Marcelo makes music for you to hum and tap your foot. Each song is a journey through the 70s and 80s, reminding you of great rock and guitar classics. However, with a unique voice, since Morem was never a guitarist to copy others note for note. He always did everything his way, mixing all his influences to create his own musical personality.

Marcelo Morem

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