Review of MVP: In the Style of Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP)

Overall Rating: 1.5 / 5

Foreword:
RHCP is a band that is near and dear to my heart in some ways. John Fusciante’s tone on the album, By the Way, is what inspired me to move away from an Ibanez 520QS and to build the Green Strat.

They are also one of those bands that I like to listen to, but have not really gotten down to dissecting the instruments in the songs. When the video came up on netflix, I picked it up, assuming that it would be the same fairly decent quality of the ITSO: Nirvana video. Wow was I wrong.

Enough about me, lets get to review:

First off I was disappointed to see that sections are not separated by song, album or, chronological order. They go through Riff #’s. So you had better be up on your RHCP catalog to know that Riff #16A is actually the bridge to suck my kiss.

Accuracy: 2 / 5

The solo for Californiation explanation was great until he stopped half way through moved on to riff 22. There was no descending Amin run that really brings that solo home.

The intro for under the bridge was not even close. Compared to John Fusincante’s article in guitar world in 2002? Although it was passable for a cover band.

Educational Experience: 0.2 / 5

The advantage of some guitar vids, is that you can get into the process and method of how that song was writing, equipment tone, inspiration, etc. Even though this is not the orginal artist talking. I would expect at least a key or chord names…and it failed.

There is not even one chord name mentioned, not one. When looking at the tab you are strictly playing by numbers. The host doesn’t mention note names, chords, keys, nothing to really advance you as a player. You just learn riffs, by number.

Overall the video feels like it was half done, with the wrong cast, and a metal head (late 80- early 90’s subspecies) that did not have any interest in this beside a paycheck.

But lets address the target demographic for this video:
Its good for a coverband in a dark small bar that has to learn some RHCP for the ladies even though their first love is Dokken or Night Ranger.

Review: Guitar Method: In the style of Nirvana

Review MVP Guitar Method: In the Style of Nirvana

Nirvana is one of those great bands that did something that influenced the face of rock music. They left there mark in the minds of hundreds of budding musicians, where making good music can be accessible to everyone with a message.

Kurt Cobian was not a great master of technique by any means, but the guitar riffs and song composition that he left are very honest. The guitar riffs may seem very basic in view of metal at the time, but I feel they are some of the creative and effective riffs written.

Now that you know how I stand on the band, let’s get into the review.

Instructor Information:
Curt Mitchel comes across as a total hair metalhead with Floyd-rose equipped super strat’s and admits to being in a commercial party metal band at the time of nirvana’s activity. He admits that it is because of them that the hair-metal of the 80’s died.

In the dvd menu and jam track is the same song that was written by him over a looped drumbeat that sounds like it is straight out the the song “scentless appriatnce” and honestly it sucks. He took all the different techniques that were used by Kurt and strings them all together.

Overall it feels like you will be playing more correct sounding Nirvana that Kurt & Co. were pulling off on the records.

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner - Intermediate

Prerequisites: Power Chords, TAB, At least some pentatonic scale experience.

Video Content:
You are introduced, through each riff to work through all of the guitar parts for Nevermind and In Utero. Since this is not a sanctioned video, they are referred to by number and not by song. If you don’t know the albums that well, listen to them all the way through before you attempt this video, otherwise you will have no idea where the different pieces fit.

Playing the riffs has given a better appreciation for the creative use of the chords and riffs that Kurt wrote. It is very easy to pick-up on these and learn the material.

Video Production Quality Overall: 7.5 / 10
I give the video a pretty high mark here. I imagine that the majority of us will probably be sitting in front of a computer when working through the lesson. The tab for everything can be found on the DVD in pdf form.

One of the menu items is a mode that goes riff-by-riff displaying the tab along with the music.

In closing, I think that every guitarist has something that we can learn from this band. Either way you can hear their influence on rock and roll. Without them we might still have whitesnake and Yngwie Malstreem on the radio.