Identified for many years as The Texas Twister and The Malice from Dallas, Rocky Athas continues to be kickin’ blues-rock ass on Livin’ My Finest Life, his first album since 2017. A veteran of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Athas is a Les Paul bruiser who delivers fierce riffs and potent tributes to Peter Inexperienced and Jeff Beck all through the platter.

There’s quite a lot of blues emotion on Livin’ My Finest Life, but in addition hard-rock riffs. Is there a tipping level between the 2?
It’s all in regards to the really feel. If a tune leans to the blues, I really feel it that approach; if it rocks, I stream in that route. However even when it rocks exhausting, I always remember my blues affect in my lead work and wish the melody to sing, like on “Darkish Days.”

Your guitar tone smacks the listener within the face, particularly on the title reduce.
Thanks. Which means my mission is completed. I’m miking my Lab Sequence L5, which has been my private favourite ceaselessly. I recorded the tracks utilizing a mic a few quarter-inch away from the entrance and heart of the speaker. Then, I exploit one other mic on the again of the amp, recording tracks dry – no reverb, delay, or something – to seize the punch of the speaker and amp. I’ll add reverb, delay and, no matter else throughout closing combine. You already know what they are saying: “Rubbish in, rubbish out.” I prefer it clear to make my assertion.

Appears like loads of Les Paul tones all through this file.
Selecting the Paul is a no brainer for precisely that motive; it delivers the products virtually effortlessly each time. I like all my guitars, whether or not the Strats or Teles, ES-330s or ES-335s, however I all the time come again to my Pauls as a result of for some motive they really feel like residence. You already know what I imply? For a lot of the album, you’re listening to my ’52 and I selected it as a result of it’s such a punchy guitar and has an aggressive tone that matches the songs very nicely.

What different gear did you utilize on Livin’ My Finest Life?
You additionally hear my 1959 Historic Les Paul, a ’72 Telecaster for the lead work on “Unhappy Affairs” and “Gray Mare.” The Tele was additionally my weapon of selection for rhythm work. The L5 and Twin amps are a must have within the studio, with my classic Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-10 and 1969 Vox wah. I’ve tried a great deal of new gear and can proceed to attempting it, however classic amps and pedals nonetheless simply sound higher to me.

Why did Phil Lynott of Skinny Lizzy write the 1976 tune “Rocky” in your honor?
Truthfully, Phil by no means informed me; I heard it on the radio like everybody else and was fairly stunned. I learn an interview with [Thin Lizzy guitarist] Scott Gorham the place he talked about Phil’s fascination with cowboys and Texas, and the way they deliberate to spend so much of time in Dallas. Whereas rehearsing there, they regularly got here to the Mom Blues membership, the place my band, Lightning, performed. In “Rocky,” when Phil sings, “…and all he wants is his outdated guitar,” he’s speaking about my ’58 cherryburst or ’53 Les Paul. These had been my go-to axes at the moment.

You had been buddies with Stevie Ray Vaughan. What was he like?
Steve Vaughan and I met in elementary faculty and have become excellent childhood mates, all due to the fifth-grade expertise present. I performed “Home of the Rising Solar,” “Secret Agent Man,” and “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone” on my ES-330; afterward, Steve walked up and mentioned, “I play guitar, too,” and our friendship started. Each of us had older brothers who had been about the identical age, we had been closely influenced by their selections. In junior excessive, we ate lunch collectively and talked in regards to the latest guitar gamers and how much guitars and amps they had been utilizing. Later, each time we bumped into one another, he was all the time simply the identical outdated Steve, pleasant as ever and humorous.

John Mayall’s harp sounds nice on “Lengthy Gray Mare.” Working within the Bluesbreakers, did John offer you any lasting classes to your music or profession?
I realized my greatest lesson from John after I went to California to satisfy him and file Robust. I requested him how he wished me to play, and I’ll always remember what he mentioned. John informed me he listened to my CDs from A-Z and knew what I may do. He mentioned, “Simply be your self. That’s why I employed you – I need you to be you.” That gave me the arrogance to deliver my angle to the venture; I take that with me. I’m who I’m and I don’t make apologies for it or change my type for anybody. Being authentically your self is all the time the best way to go, and I realized that from John Mayall himself.

This text initially appeared in VG’s September 2024 difficulty. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.