Quiet Riot / Hookers & Blow guitarist, Alex Grossi was asked which five albums changed his life, being his biggest influences. Below are the five albums Alex selected.
1: Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
"The first time I heard 'Welcome To The Jungle', I actually felt uncomfortable for the first time ever from hearing a piece of music. The vibe of the video, the snarl of the vocals and the sheer anger that seemed to be coming off the TV was not what I was used to... Then, a few months later, I saw "Live At The RITZ" and was completely hooked.... These guys weren't kidding and TRULY didn't give a FUCK."
2: KISS - Destroyer
"This is by far my favorite KISS record, the diversity, all the cool ear candy, the perfect balance between big anthems and "easter egg" tracks like 'Great Expectations' totally worked.... I can't even imagine how many of Bob Ezrin's Cocaine induced production ideas DIDN'T get used, now THAT would certainly make for a great KISS book."
3: Marvelous 3 - Ready, Sex, Go
"I saw Butch Walker perform at a NAMM show party that PRS guitars put on about 20 years ago. It was a really lame time in rock music, all those shitty "THE" bands (Vines, Strokes, Hives etc...) were all the rage..... and let's face it - were NOT very good. It seemed like it was the cool thing to pretend to enjoy at Coachella or whatever.... So, here it is, the peak of that thankfully short "THE" fad and Butch Walker and co. come out on stage at a club in Anaheim and absolutely fucking CRUSH. They had great songs, great presence, they were great players, and weren't afraid be rock stars and actually put on a fucking show, rather than pretend that they had somewhere better to be.....like Coachella."
4: Milli Vanilli - Girl You Know It's True
"These poor guys took the bullet for what had always been part of showbiz. I think a lot of people missed the point, and that being in a band or being a performer isn't a talent contest, you are there to entertain... and 6 million fucking people were entertained enough to buy that record, they should have gotten 2 Grammys!"
5: Quiet Riot - Metal Health
"Obviously being the guitarist for Quiet Riot for the past 18 years, I have become quite familiar with the record, and in a lot of different ways, on a few very different levels. As you know, there have been a few tragic losses that the band has suffered, and with each one, I have literally found myself having to approach the songs differently with new singers, drummers, and bass players - All who play the material the way they naturally do.
"I also always thought Carlos Cavazo was overlooked in the 80's as a very unique player, he found a way to invert chords that would give the song a signature "thing" that just playing the traditional voicing simply couldn't do, criminally underrated in my opinion. Aside from my association with the band, they literally opened the floodgates for that subgenre of metal that influenced so many."
Last year, Alex Grossi answered a few questions at Osiamo Music Gear:
1) What is the role of education in music? "I think it's really important to learn and discover things on your own through both formal lessons and personal experience and to always remember that it's "Music Theory" and NOT "Music Fact"..."
2) How do you feel about the current ‘state of the music industry'? "It's s a very exciting time to be a musician with the playing field being so leveled. Things are now to the point where you really don't need a label and $100,000 to make a real record and get it out there to the world to have a shot at building your brand and career. I always laugh when I hear guys talk about how the "Music Business isn't what it used to be" - things change and things evolve, It's up to you if you can evolve with it."
3) What opportunities do you see for musicians in the current situation? "The most consistent thing I am seeing is artists being able to work on or start projects that during a normal year or tour cycle you would never have time to focus on. I am personally really trying to create and record as much as possible and better myself as a player right now . I think this time is going to make people appreciate being able to play music for a living a lot more and not take it for granted."
Quiet Riot's updated 2022/23 tour itinerary can be found below. For more information, head here.
April
1 - Auburndale, FL - Clay County Fair
2 - Vineland, NJ - The Landis Theater
29 - Bullhead, AZ - Bullhead Run
May
1 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee Theater
7 - Dodge City, KS - United Wireless Arena
14 - Lawton, OK - Apache Casino
20 - Pompano Beach, FL - Pompano Beach Ampitheater
21 - Albertville, AL - Sand Mountain Ampitheater
22 - Grantville, PA - Hollywood Casino
26 - Morton, MN - Jackpot Junction Casino
27 - Norwalk, CT - The Wall St. Theater
28 - New Bedford, MA - The Vault
29 - Nashville, TN - Creatures Fest at Sonesta Hotel & Convention Center
June
3 - San Bernardino, CA - San Bernardino Fairgrounds
4 - Hollywood, CA - The Whisky A Go-Go
11 - Big Flats, NY - Tag's Summer Stage
18 - Lampe, MO - Black Mountain Ampitheater
24 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Summerfest
25 - Aurora, IL - Riveredge Park
July
9 - Xenia, OH - Ceaser Ford Park
15 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Headwater Park
16 - Roanoke, VA - Dr. Pepper Park
20 - Costa Mesa, CA - Pacific Amphitheater
22 - Tuscon, AZ - AVA Amphitheater
25 - Paso Robles, CA - California Mid State Fair
29 - Kansas City, MO - Ameristar Casino
30 - Beaver Dam, KY - Rock The Dam
August
20 - Crownsville, MD - Noyze Of Summer Festival
21 - Des Moines, IA - Venue TBA
25 - Niagara Falls, NY - Thursdays on 3rd Concert Series
September
9 - Hinkley, MN - Rocktember Fest
10 - St. Charles, IL - The Arcada Theater
16 - Hudson Falls, NY - The Strand Theater
18 - Warrendale, PA - Jergels
October
8 - Shelton, WA - Little Creek Casino
February
2-5 - Chris Jericho Cruise - Norwegian Pearl - Miami, FL
(Photo - Julie Bergonz)
