Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Recording Week 25
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • As It Was preset
  • Don't Give Up
  • Ron Wood's drum secret
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
NEW YORK: Todd Rundgren posed at a studio mixing desk in New York in 1974 (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
Artists “Sometimes it’s best not to meet your idols”: Todd Rundgren’s Top 5 favourite album productions
Ray Cooper
Artists Percussionist Ray Cooper tells the story of his ‘lost’ live collaboration with Elton John
Graham Bonnet
Artists “Some of the guys never wanted to do that song. ‘This is crap!’”: The ’70s hit that reinvented a legendary band
Neil Peart performing with Rush in 2012
Artists “To those I inspired to start drumming, I apologise to your parents!”: A rare interview with Rush legend Neil Peart
Zach Myers of Shinedown plays a hunter green PRS NF53 live onstage at Download Festival 2025.
Artists Zach Myers on Shinedown’s secret weapon, the limits of shred guitar, and getting schooled by BB King
Hal Blaine
Drummers Read our classic interview with Wrecking Crew legend Hal Blaine
Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost plays his custom 7-string V live onstage with red and white stagelights behind him.
Artists Greg Mackintosh on the secrets behind the Paradise Lost sound and why he is still trying to learn Trouble’s tone tricks
REO Speedwagon in 1981
Artists "I saw The Beatles and it all made sense”: The singer who scored two No.1 hits with the band that had once fired him
John McLaughlin
Artists “I don’t have many guitar players’ albums on my iPhone, but Jeff is there”: John McLaughlin on the magic of Jeff Beck
Dusty Hill and Billy Gibbons tear it up as ZZ Top play the Aragon Ballroom at Chicago in 1980, with Gibbons playing his legendary Les Paul Standard, Pearly Gates
Artists “"There is something magic in that instrument”: Billy Gibbons on why Pearly Gates is one of the greatest Les Pauls ever
NEW YORK - JULY 11: Mark Ronson performs at the High Line Ballroom on July 11, 2007 in New York City. (Photo by Donna Ward/Getty Images)
Artists Mark Ronson on having to come to terms with the fact that he would never be a great guitar player
Dickey Betts [left] and Warren Haynes trade licks onstage with the Allman Brothers Band at the 1993 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Haynes's Strat would soon be stolen in New York.
Artists How Warren Haynes turned to Les Pauls after his favourite Strat was stolen
Phil Collins sitting at drums
Artists "Peter Gabriel said, as soon as he saw me sit down on a drum stool, he knew that I was the drummer"
Steve Porcaro
Artists Steve Porcaro on the rise, fall and resurgence of Toto, working with Michael Jackson and his new solo album
Alcatrazz in 1983
Artists “Yngwie would walk in front of me going widdle-widdle-widdle. It was very rude”: A great singer's fights with Malmsteen
  1. Artists

Paul Gilbert: my top 5 not-so-guilty pleasures of all time

News
By Paul Gilbert published 16 December 2012

"Do not underestimate Merrill Osmond in 1971"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Paul Gilbert: my top 5 not-so-guilty pleasures of all time

Paul Gilbert: my top 5 not-so-guilty pleasures of all time

"I still remember the first few records that I bought. Some were at the urging of my uncle, who played guitar and insisted that I listen to Jimi Hendrix, the MC5 and Iggy and the Stooges. Others were at the urging of the television set, which convinced me that the Osmond Brothers were the most exciting band possible.

"There was the radio, which turned me on to Led Zeppelin (even better than The Osmonds) and all of those great '70s 'AM Gold' hits. There was also my parents' collection of Beatles, Stones, Animals, Who and classical albums… and blues! My dad would always play Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and BB King around the house, with plenty of live Leon Russell and J. Geils as well. And finally, when I started joining bands, there were the musicians, invariably older than me, who turned me on to bands like Rush, ELP and Utopia.

“When I moved to LA, I discovered some great used record stores. I would buy a huge pile of vinyl for the price of dinner at Sizzler and then come home and make cassette compilations of my favorite new discoveries. Nowadays, my wife exposes me to all kinds of interesting music – Bulgarian Voice and Melody Gardot among them.

“And so, without further ago, here are my Top 5 Not-So Guilty Pleasures, i.e., un-guitar records. Let’s start with the obvious!”

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Georgie Fame - The Seventh Son (1969)

Georgie Fame - The Seventh Son (1969)

“This is one of those albums where every song is great. I can listen to it over and over – and I do. I discovered the title track on YouTube, in a video from 1969 where a troupe of hippie dancing girls are doing some wild moves to match the 7/8 groove of the song.

“On top of that, Georgie is wearing some kind of striped Moroccan bathrobe, in bare feet, twirling a mysterious object in the air and, of course, singing and dancing along.

“It’s a great video, and it inspired me to hunt down the complete album. It’s really one of the best records of 1969, with all kinds of different styles and instruments mixed together, and Georgie Fame inventing Austin Powers in front of your eyes. Did I mention the tunes? The style caught my attention, but the music really held it.”

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
The Osmonds - Phase III (1971)

The Osmonds - Phase III (1971)

“Sure, everybody knows about Crazy Horses, an awesome record from the early ‘70s when boy bands played heavy metal on real instruments. I wore that record out when I was five, but I needed more Osmond Brother rock, so I headed to the dime store (which also sold electric guitars for $35 – too expensive for me at the time) and bought a copy of Phase III.

“There was instant gratification in opening track, Down By The Lazy River, because it was the theme song to the Saturday morning Osmonds cartoon. But there were other rockers like My Drum (which I covered on my Burning Organ album) and greasy funk like Business.

“This was before Donny overshadowed the brothers and when Merrill was still doing most of the lead singing. Do not underestimate Merrill Osmond in 1971.”

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Frank Sinatra and Count Basie - It Might As Well Be Swing (1964)

Frank Sinatra and Count Basie - It Might As Well Be Swing (1964)

“I was 19, when John, now Juan, Alderete turned me on to this album, while we were recording the first Racer X album. This was the most metal time of my life. I was listening to Accept, Loudness, Yngwie and Queensryche, and although I had heard the famous names Frank Sinatra and Count Basie before, I just assumed that this was old people’s music and something I would never dig.

“That illusion died in about three seconds upon hearing – believe it or not – the version of Hello Dolly on this record. I know it seems impossible, but Frank and the Count somehow made the song almost completely un-cheesy, or perhaps they swung it so hard that the cheese became a non-issue.

“Then there are the songs that are un-cheesy to begin with – and swung equally as hard. My favorite is I Believe In You – the chords, the swing, the lyrics, the voice, the horns and that Basie piano ending are like some kind of big band steamroller. How about the last chord? I had to sit down and figure that thing out. It’s a dominant chord with a b5 in the middle and a 9th on top.

“Lots of people talk about the Live At The Sands record, but this is the one for me.”

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Utopia - Oblivion (1984)

Utopia - Oblivion (1984)

“I’m usually unsuccessful when I try to get people to listen to Todd Rundgren, but that won’t stop me from trying. I think everyone should love him! I could recommend his solo albums – Hermit Of Mink Hollow, The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect, Something/Anything? and Nearly Human are all favorites of mine. But I also love Todd’s experiment in band democracy, which is, of course, Utopia.

“Kasim Sulton is the McCartney to Todd’s Lennon, and together they write and sing some stunning pop music. Oops! Wrong Planet was the first album that got me hooked, but in the end, I think I spent more time listening to Oblivion. It features the song Cry Baby, which I’ve read was inspired by Def Leppard’s Photograph. It might take a minute to get used to the ‘80s production, which was ahead of its time… at the time. But just listen to those harmonies!”

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Enuff Z'Nuff - Strength (1991)

Enuff Z'Nuff - Strength (1991)

“Imagine if John Lennon were alive and well and had been writing an album's worth of songs every year since 1989. It’s easy if you try. Seriously, this record, the one before it, and all the Enuff Z'Nuff albums after it, have some of my favorite pop songs of all time.

“The problem is that many of them are produced as heavy metal records. The big fuzzy guitars and bombastic snare drum do their best to cover up the chord changes and melodies, but if you listen carefully, there is beauty underneath all the chaos.

“The trick is to play these songs on an acoustic guitar or piano. Hollywood Ya, Baby Loves You and Blue Island are some of my favorites. Donnie Vie and the band finally started to figure out what kind of production best suits their songs, so the more recent Enuff Z’Nuff albums are a bit more listenable from the outset.

“But the songs on Strength are so good that I have to choose it for this list. If you’re anywhere near a computer (and I assume you are since you're reading this), get on YouTube right now and search for two Enuff Z’Nuff songs, How Are You and Freak. Donnie is pure emotion, his voice is so great, and you have all the right chords underneath. His music runs through my head daily.”

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
Paul Gilbert
Read more
Ray Cooper
Percussionist Ray Cooper tells the story of his ‘lost’ live collaboration with Elton John
 
 
NEW YORK: Todd Rundgren posed at a studio mixing desk in New York in 1974 (Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns)
“Sometimes it’s best not to meet your idols”: Todd Rundgren’s Top 5 favourite album productions
 
 
Graham Bonnet
“Some of the guys never wanted to do that song. ‘This is crap!’”: The ’70s hit that reinvented a legendary band
 
 
Neil Peart performing with Rush in 2012
“To those I inspired to start drumming, I apologise to your parents!”: A rare interview with Rush legend Neil Peart
 
 
Zach Myers of Shinedown plays a hunter green PRS NF53 live onstage at Download Festival 2025.
Zach Myers on Shinedown’s secret weapon, the limits of shred guitar, and getting schooled by BB King
 
 
Hal Blaine
Read our classic interview with Wrecking Crew legend Hal Blaine
 
 
Latest in Artists
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 27: D'Angelo performs at The Apollo Theater on February 27, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Shahar Azran/Getty Images)
Neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo has died, aged 51
 
 
DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Andrew Watt of Earthlings performs live on stage during Ohana Music Festival at Doheny State Beach on September 26, 2025 in Dana Point, California. (Photo by Jim Bennett/Getty Images)
It took an intervention from Paul McCartney for Mick Jagger to offer Andrew Watt a job with the Rolling Stones
 
 
Amy Allen
Sabrina Carpenter songwriter Amy Allen on the challenges faced by women in the music industry
 
 
Rush in 1986
“I never realised how difficult it was for Alex”: When Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson had to battle to get heard
 
 
Kid Harpoon
"Miley is all about positivity. She’s just not a ‘feeling sorry for herself’ kind of person": Kid Harpoon on Miley Cyrus' Flowers
 
 
2013 Inductees Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee of Rush perform onstage at the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
“I realised how hard it was to play these songs”: Alex Lifeson makes a surprise admission
 
 
Latest in News
Harley Benton CLF-50E Parlor Metallic: the compact-bodied acoustic has been launched with a range of metallic finishes.
Harley Benton’s new acoustic is a compact parlour with a solid top and metallic colour finish – and it is just $250
 
 
Behringer
"The rebirth of phase distortion": Behringer releases its Casio CZ-1 clone, the CZ-1 Mini
 
 
Fender's American Professional Classic series photographed against the side of a chrome tour bus [L-R]: Jaguar in faded Sherwood Green Metallic, HSS Stratocaster in Faded Lake Placid Blue, Stratocaster in Faded Firemist Gold, Telecaster in Faded Butterscotch Blonde, Precision Bass in Faded 3-Color Sunburst.
Fender gives its US lineup a retro-modern makeover with the American Professional Classic range
 
 
akai mpk
Akai unveils MPK Mini IV with pitch and mod wheels, new keybed and full-size MIDI output
 
 
Freddie Mercury in 1975
“Oh, we're Number One again! It almost got boring after a while”: Brian May and Roger Taylor on Queen’s masterpiece
 
 
missy
The story of Missy Elliott's Get Ur Freak On, the bhangra-sampling hit that almost didn’t happen
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...