Interview with Guitar Extraordinaire Alex Mesi
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Alex! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: Is playing guitar a spiritual experience for you?
Alex Masi: Sometimes it can be, depending on the music, the situation, how I feel etc.,…it doesn't happen that often though, unfortunately...most of the times, especially doing studio sessions, it's just work but there are those magic moments while recording my own stuff or while on stage during a good show when it can get kinda transcendental.
CV: Do you consider guitar; the notes, the sounds, the chords and melodies, etc., as a second language?
AM: Not really, because languages are made of words which are symbols that refer to things other than themselves, music doesn't refer to anything but itself, good music doesn't describe the world, great music is its own world.
CV: Do you see the current guitar player realm being saturated today with over the top performances and a heavy reliance on speed and technical showmanship as opposed to what guitar playing used to be; melody, style, substance and feel? Has the emotion been taken out of playing guitar in your opinion?
AM: I'm not obsessed with guitar as I used to be when I was a kid so I listen to all kinds of instruments playing all kinds of music, but yes, there obviously is a tendency in placing a lot of emphasis on technique, speed, etc., with little regard to composition and taste. The technical thing has always been around but it was there mostly to serve the composition or improvisation not to try to appear as the fastest gun in town...social media has play a great role in all that by giving people a platform in order to try to impress people and get "views" and "likes"...mostly it's people covering other people's music.
CV: Tell us about the new project you are currently working on? Give us a little description of what listeners can except from your new music.
AM: I have a solo album that I've been working on for a few months, lots of influences, moods and vibrations...lots of guitars but also keys and grooves…I play everything on it. Then there's an album I'm about to start with the drummer John Macaluso (Yngwie, TNT, Lynch, etc.) that's going to be the continuation from where we left off on our last album together, "Late Nights at Desert Rimrock".
CV: Are you ever concerned about past accomplishments and measuring up to fan expectations, especially when writing new material? How about measuring up to your own expectations?
AM: I mainly aim at pleasing myself musically, hopefully other people will like what I do but to me music writing and performing is the ultimate test in honesty. If I record something I don't fully like just because it might appeal to more people then I feel I failed...I'd rather sell 10 copies of music I truly feel than a million copies of something that doesn't reflect my taste.
Alex Masi: Sometimes it can be, depending on the music, the situation, how I feel etc.,…it doesn't happen that often though, unfortunately...most of the times, especially doing studio sessions, it's just work but there are those magic moments while recording my own stuff or while on stage during a good show when it can get kinda transcendental.
CV: Do you consider guitar; the notes, the sounds, the chords and melodies, etc., as a second language?
AM: Not really, because languages are made of words which are symbols that refer to things other than themselves, music doesn't refer to anything but itself, good music doesn't describe the world, great music is its own world.
CV: Do you see the current guitar player realm being saturated today with over the top performances and a heavy reliance on speed and technical showmanship as opposed to what guitar playing used to be; melody, style, substance and feel? Has the emotion been taken out of playing guitar in your opinion?
AM: I'm not obsessed with guitar as I used to be when I was a kid so I listen to all kinds of instruments playing all kinds of music, but yes, there obviously is a tendency in placing a lot of emphasis on technique, speed, etc., with little regard to composition and taste. The technical thing has always been around but it was there mostly to serve the composition or improvisation not to try to appear as the fastest gun in town...social media has play a great role in all that by giving people a platform in order to try to impress people and get "views" and "likes"...mostly it's people covering other people's music.
CV: Tell us about the new project you are currently working on? Give us a little description of what listeners can except from your new music.
AM: I have a solo album that I've been working on for a few months, lots of influences, moods and vibrations...lots of guitars but also keys and grooves…I play everything on it. Then there's an album I'm about to start with the drummer John Macaluso (Yngwie, TNT, Lynch, etc.) that's going to be the continuation from where we left off on our last album together, "Late Nights at Desert Rimrock".
CV: Are you ever concerned about past accomplishments and measuring up to fan expectations, especially when writing new material? How about measuring up to your own expectations?
AM: I mainly aim at pleasing myself musically, hopefully other people will like what I do but to me music writing and performing is the ultimate test in honesty. If I record something I don't fully like just because it might appeal to more people then I feel I failed...I'd rather sell 10 copies of music I truly feel than a million copies of something that doesn't reflect my taste.
CV: Hindsight is 20/20 they say, often giving us perspective and clarity.
Looking back now, would there be anything you would have done differently over
your career? Or is it a matter of leaving well enough alone...”if it
ain’t broke, don’t fix it?”
AM: I would have done a lot of things differently from a business standpoint, stuff like trusting managers, agents and various associates who turned out to be less than trustworthy but I also learned a lot from those situations...musically I don't have many regrets if any at all, it's a path, I walked it and still do. I keep learning and growing, that's how it'll be until the end.
CV: What do you see as the biggest difference in Rock/Heavy Metal music from back when you first started to now? How has the genre evolved from your point of view?
AM: I grew up in the 70s and the type of rock I was into was from bands like Yes, Genesis, ELP, Zeppelin, Floyd, Purple, Grand Funk, Todd Rundgren, Zappa etc...Metal came later, after punk...the people I liked in the 80s were, as during the 70s, the most musically articulate ones starting from Van Halen, early Iron Maiden, Rainbow and Sabbath with Dio, etc...back then labels were investing in bands’ careers as opposed to now where if you don't sell a zillion downloads immediately you're out...plus, from a musical standpoint, things seemed to have dried up due to the extreme division in categories so that a band must stick to one style only whereas in the old days you one could explore different styles, vibes, etc.
AM: I would have done a lot of things differently from a business standpoint, stuff like trusting managers, agents and various associates who turned out to be less than trustworthy but I also learned a lot from those situations...musically I don't have many regrets if any at all, it's a path, I walked it and still do. I keep learning and growing, that's how it'll be until the end.
CV: What do you see as the biggest difference in Rock/Heavy Metal music from back when you first started to now? How has the genre evolved from your point of view?
AM: I grew up in the 70s and the type of rock I was into was from bands like Yes, Genesis, ELP, Zeppelin, Floyd, Purple, Grand Funk, Todd Rundgren, Zappa etc...Metal came later, after punk...the people I liked in the 80s were, as during the 70s, the most musically articulate ones starting from Van Halen, early Iron Maiden, Rainbow and Sabbath with Dio, etc...back then labels were investing in bands’ careers as opposed to now where if you don't sell a zillion downloads immediately you're out...plus, from a musical standpoint, things seemed to have dried up due to the extreme division in categories so that a band must stick to one style only whereas in the old days you one could explore different styles, vibes, etc.
CV: As a musician and as an artist, what have you learned from the
events of 2020? Are those lessons learned different for you as an individual or
are they one in the same in your opinion?
AM: COVID and all things related to it haven't affected me that much artistically, maybe I haven't been so inspired to write new music as I might have been before but I tend to insulate myself anyway when it comes to creating. One good thing during this wild past year and a half has been finding out I have some really cool close friends while also removing some toxic people from my path.
AM: COVID and all things related to it haven't affected me that much artistically, maybe I haven't been so inspired to write new music as I might have been before but I tend to insulate myself anyway when it comes to creating. One good thing during this wild past year and a half has been finding out I have some really cool close friends while also removing some toxic people from my path.
CV: What more can fans expect to see coming from you in the second
half of 2021?
AM: New music and possibly videos…I'm not sure I'll be able to tour at all this year but next year should be good, some isolated gigs here and there during '21 are possible though.
CV: Thank you again Alex for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
AM: Thank you for your interest and the questions, take care!
Check out Alex at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realalexmasi
AM: New music and possibly videos…I'm not sure I'll be able to tour at all this year but next year should be good, some isolated gigs here and there during '21 are possible though.
CV: Thank you again Alex for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
AM: Thank you for your interest and the questions, take care!
Check out Alex at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realalexmasi
Like The Cosmick View on Facebook at:
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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