Prey for Rock & Roll

The not-so-glam side of rock is on defiant display in Prey for Rock & Roll, another well-cast Gina Gershon flick (after Showgirls and Bound) poised for cult-favorite status. Serving as co producer and star, Gershon (looking hotter than ever at age 41) is note-for-note perfect as Jacki, the tattoo-clad, pushing-40 leader of Clam Dandys, an L.A.-based all-girl rock band that's never risen above low-paying club gigs despite Jacki's 20-year experience as a wannabe rock star. On the verge of a possible recording contract, the band is close-knit but troubled: ace bassist Tracy (Drea de Matteo, from The Sopranos) has a nasty boyfriend and a drug-and-alcohol problem, while lead guitarist Faith (Lori Petty) and her lover, the band's drummer Sally (Shelly Cole) cope with the unexpected arrival of Sally's ex-con brother Animal (Marc Blucas), an unlikely virgin who's attracted to Jacki. Based on a play by rocker Cheri Lovedog (who wrote and performed most of the band's '80-styled girl-punk music, with Gershon ably handling lead vocals), this down-and-dirty chick flick falls prey to forced melodrama and obligatory tragedy, but it looks, feels, and sounds remarkably authentic, and the cast is terrific. Easily recommended despite its faults, Prey is a feminist cautionary tale for anyone who chooses rock & roll not merely as a profession, but a lifestyle that can't be denied. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Review: Not a film for the uptight
Being someone who actually lives in LA, who used to frequent the rock clubs of Hollywood where this film is set (not Silverlake -- Argyle crosses Hollywood Blvd near Vine) and WeHo, who is friends with many musicians, straight, gay and in between, and who LOVES most expressions of rock, I love this film for its realism and passion. I wish there were more films that told it like it is instead of the plasticized fantasies than some reviewers seem to have expected.
Customer Review: Joan Jett without a big break
An excellent movie, well cast, with a reasonable and easy to follow storyline. It really was reminiscent of Joan Jett's early days (in Philly)(I really expected Gershon to belt out 'I Love Rock and Roll'). It tells the story of the 'wanna be' groups playing clubs and wishing for a break. (There has to be at least 50 bands that are good that don't make it for every band - good or bad - that does and this is their story. It deals with the gritty part of life trying to 'make it' as an artist. -"When are you going to grow up?" -"What do you REALLY want to be when you grow up?" -"When are you going to get a real job?" -"When are you going to pay the rent?" -"How are you going to pay the rent?" -"You spent HOW much on a d#$@ guitar?" There are touching and tragic moments as well as some good music all presented equally well. You won't finish this movie with a smile on your face - but you'll be wrung out - as if you are the one that just finished a club set... All in all, an entertaining movie (I have to admit the 'street justice' hammered out got my applause). For those playing the club scene, or related to anyone struggling to make it - this is a must see. For everyone else - see it, then go support your local bar band.

Electric guitars were made to play rock music, right? This message couldn't get any clearer with Gibson's release of a replica of the guitar associated with Angus Young of AC/DC. Usually when makers of guitars reproduce a classic, they tend to add additional features that actually take away from what was so great about the original. The Angus Young Signature SG is basically a mirror image of the classic guitar.

The list of famous individuals who have counted on the traditional quality and innovation of Gibson guitars is long. This relationship is probably due in part to the Gibson company's solicitation of professional guitarists to assist in designing innovative Gibson guitars. Who else knows more about what "serious" guitarists want than the professionals who push them to their limits? Celebrities that have been longtime fans of Gibson guitars include Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page. Aside from the outstanding pickups, Gibson guitars for electric guitar lovers are generally custom-made to order. It is probably the case that the Gibson electric guitars feature some of the most unique styles and designs. The Gibson Firebird Studio Electric, L4 CES Archtop, and the Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul electric guitars prove that there are no limits in the how Gibson is able to allow a guitarist to explore the creative limits of Gibson guitars.

Gibson Guitars: Explorations in Innovation

Reviewing the Original Gibsons

The tradition of quality associated with Gibson guitars dates as far back as the late 1800s when Orville Gibson started the company with his skill and interest in the guitar. Probably one of the keys to the success of the company then and now is its tangent for innovation. This innovation continued through economic hardship, which saw the introduction of the L-5, ES-150, electric guitar. While the company originated as a manufacturer of mandolins and guitars, it was the design of the ES-150, the company's first electric guitar that hailed them to the top of the list of guitar manufacturers. The innovation in the company originated with guitarists such as Lloyd Loar and Les Paul, whose ideas were used to create some of the company's most innovative designs.

While many guitar manufacturers find ways to cut corners to assemble guitars as fast as they can, Gibson continues its tradition of hand making each guitar it produces. The Gibson acoustic is the classic tradition of guitars. Gibson continues to make the classic acoustic guitars in natural wood. It's probably the case that if you learned how to play the guitar in elementary school, that your music teacher had an inventory of Gibson guitars. The value of these guitars has not decreased, although many musicians probably wish the price would decrease! Classic Gibson acoustic guitars such as the SJ200 and the Hummingbird are still as popular as when they were first introduced, although most people purchase them as collector's items.

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