Black Sabbath is one of the most influential bands for young, aspiring rock musicians for two simple reasons: their riffs are heavy and easy to play. Like Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,� but unlike Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,� Sabbath’s “Iron Man,� “N.I.B.,� and “Paranoid� take moments to learn, but provide the gateway drug to a lifetime of rock guitar playing. Or drumming. Or bass playing.

I’ll let others debate whether that’s a good thing.

I had a reawakening to the charm of these riffs after hearing “Fairies Wear Boots� on satellite radio a few months ago. It wasn’t difficult convincing my bandmates in Pink Mountain that it would be the perfect cover song (we only play one) for our West Coast tour last year. “Fairies Wear Boots� has it all—a driving rhythm, awkward tempo and feel changes, and impenetrable lyrics. more

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Walls within walls

You know the routine. When life is crazy, a lyric or phrase will suddenly pop into your head. Today, it’s the voice of George Jetson shouting “Jane! Stop this crazy thing!�

I’m in the thick of the remodel.

Of course, I’m thankful that things are moving so quickly. However, my studio’s timetable is intertwined with the long to-do list for the rest of the house, so I no longer have the luxury of pondering over any decisions that need to be made. If the electrical is being done in two days, that’s for the entire project and I better get my list of needs to the contractor or there will be delays.

For example, now that all the windows are in and the plumbing and electrical is nearly finished, our thoughts have turned to the insulation and drywall. Not a problem for the rest of the new structure. “It’s just a box,� my contractor, Tom, likes to say. The studio, however, is not just a box. more