Paul Brandon Gilbert (born November 6, 1966 in Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America) is a virtuoso rock & roll guitarist. He is best known for being in the bands Racer X and Mr. Big; however, he also has several solo albums, collaborations, and guest appearances on other musicians' albums to his credit.
Gilbert has been voted fourth-best on GuitarOne magazine's "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time". He has also ranked in Guitar World's "50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time" list.
Gilbert was raised mostly in the small Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He began playing music at age five; by age 15, he was touring local clubs with his band (Tau Zero), and had been featured in Guitar Player magazine (alongside fellow up-and-comer Yngwie Malmsteen). Around 1981, Gilbert first contacted Mike Varney (founder of Shrapnel Records), asking for a gig with metal mega-star Ozzy Osbourne. At the time, Varney couldn't think why Osbourne would want a 15-year-old guitarist; but after listening to Gilbert's demo tape, he changed his mind. They continued talking over the next 3 years, culminating in Gilbert's 1984 cross-country move to Los Angeles to attend the GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology). He was hired as a GIT instructor in 1985, and recorded Racer X's debut album Street Lethal soon after.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Racer X was originally composed of Paul Gilbert (lead guitar), Juan Alderete (bass guitar), Harry Gschoesser (drums), and Jeff Martin (vocals). They were heavily influenced by Judas Priest, and Gilbert's playing was reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, displaying fast-driven solos with extreme-level technique. Gschoesser was replaced by Scott Travis (who would later become Judas Priest's drummer) in 1986; and, Bruce Bouillet was added as a second guitarist, deftly complementing Gilbert's always-challenging phrases. Gilbert gained recognition as one of the world's fastest guitarists due to incredibly technical pieces like "Technical Difficulties"; "Frenzy"; "Scarified"; "Y.R.O."; and "Scit Scat Wah".
Gilbert left Racer X in 1988, but reformed it after the 1996 breakup of Mr. Big. Paul contacted the members of Racer X, and all but Bruce Bouillet agreed to return. In mid-1999 the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties which went gold in Japan. Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up; so, in late-2000, they released Superheroes, mixed by Bouillet.
To further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band perform for a live-album CD and DVD. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years, to a sold-out crowd, at the world-famous "The Whisky" (Whisky a Go Go) in Los Angeles. The resulting CD and DVD were released in 2002 under the title Snowball of Doom.
In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured Japan and Taiwan. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes. The tour's final show, in Yokohama, was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board and later released as Snowball of Doom 2. Later that year, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas to record Getting Heavier, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal. Although the album was a successful release in Japan, some fans were disappointed with the lighter tracks, which resembled a Paul Gilbert solo album more than a conventional Racer X album.
Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally Racer X. The Racer X lineup consisted of Paul Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.
When bass guitarist Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's solo band in 1988, he and Gilbert co-founded Mr. Big (with Pat Torpey on drums, and lead singer Eric Martin). The band was initially a huge success in only Japan, but achieved international stardom with the 1991 release of their second studio album, Lean Into It. This album featured the acoustic ballad "To Be With You", which received strong play on radio stations and MTV, rising to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The band broke up around 1996, and Gilbert launched his solo album career. When it quickly reformed soon after, Gilbert (already committed to his own record contract by then) was replaced by Richie Kotzen. Mr. Big disbanded again in 2002, but Gilbert reunited the original members in June 2009 for a world-wide reunion tour. They even recorded a new album, with producer Kevin Shirley. titled What If.... The album was released in Japan on Dec. 15th, 2010, in Europe on Jan. 21st, 2011 and in the U.S. in Feb. 2011. A tour to support the album kicked off at the Hollywood location of The House of Blues on April 2, 2011, followed by several dates in Japan later that month. In May and June 2011, the tour continued in China, Korea, The Philippines, and Europe.Paul Brandon Gilbert (born November 6, 1966 in Carbondale, Illinois, United States of America) is a virtuoso rock & roll guitarist. He is best known for being in the bands Racer X and Mr. Big; however, he also has several solo albums, collaborations, and guest appearances on other musicians' albums to his credit.
Gilbert has been voted fourth-best on GuitarOne magazine's "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time". He has also ranked in Guitar World's "50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time" list.
Gilbert was raised mostly in the small Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He began playing music at age five; by age 15, he was touring local clubs with his band (Tau Zero), and had been featured in Guitar Player magazine (alongside fellow up-and-comer Yngwie Malmsteen). Around 1981, Gilbert first contacted Mike Varney (founder of Shrapnel Records), asking for a gig with metal mega-star Ozzy Osbourne. At the time, Varney couldn't think why Osbourne would want a 15-year-old guitarist; but after listening to Gilbert's demo tape, he changed his mind. They continued talking over the next 3 years, culminating in Gilbert's 1984 cross-country move to Los Angeles to attend the GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology). He was hired as a GIT instructor in 1985, and recorded Racer X's debut album Street Lethal soon after.
Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Racer X was originally composed of Paul Gilbert (lead guitar), Juan Alderete (bass guitar), Harry Gschoesser (drums), and Jeff Martin (vocals). They were heavily influenced by Judas Priest, and Gilbert's playing was reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, displaying fast-driven solos with extreme-level technique. Gschoesser was replaced by Scott Travis (who would later become Judas Priest's drummer) in 1986; and, Bruce Bouillet was added as a second guitarist, deftly complementing Gilbert's always-challenging phrases. Gilbert gained recognition as one of the world's fastest guitarists due to incredibly technical pieces like "Technical Difficulties"; "Frenzy"; "Scarified"; "Y.R.O."; and "Scit Scat Wah".
Gilbert left Racer X in 1988, but reformed it after the 1996 breakup of Mr. Big. Paul contacted the members of Racer X, and all but Bruce Bouillet agreed to return. In mid-1999 the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties which went gold in Japan. Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up; so, in late-2000, they released Superheroes, mixed by Bouillet.
To further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band perform for a live-album CD and DVD. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years, to a sold-out crowd, at the world-famous "The Whisky" (Whisky a Go Go) in Los Angeles. The resulting CD and DVD were released in 2002 under the title Snowball of Doom.
In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured Japan and Taiwan. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes. The tour's final show, in Yokohama, was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board and later released as Snowball of Doom 2. Later that year, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas to record Getting Heavier, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal. Although the album was a successful release in Japan, some fans were disappointed with the lighter tracks, which resembled a Paul Gilbert solo album more than a conventional Racer X album.
Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally Racer X. The Racer X lineup consisted of Paul Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.
When bass guitarist Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's solo band in 1988, he and Gilbert co-founded Mr. Big (with Pat Torpey on drums, and lead singer Eric Martin). The band was initially a huge success in only Japan, but achieved international stardom with the 1991 release of their second studio album, Lean Into It. This album featured the acoustic ballad "To Be With You", which received strong play on radio stations and MTV, rising to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The band broke up around 1996, and Gilbert launched his solo album career. When it quickly reformed soon after, Gilbert (already committed to his own record contract by then) was replaced by Richie Kotzen. Mr. Big disbanded again in 2002, but Gilbert reunited the original members in June 2009 for a world-wide reunion tour. They even recorded a new album, with producer Kevin Shirley. titled What If.... The album was released in Japan on Dec. 15th, 2010, in Europe on Jan. 21st, 2011 and in the U.S. in Feb. 2011. A tour to support the album kicked off at the Hollywood location of The House of Blues on April 2, 2011, followed by several dates in Japan later that month. In May and June 2011, the tour continued in China, Korea, The Philippines, and Europe. wikipedia
SOLO
- King of Clubs (1998; Japan Oricon Album Chart #28)
- Flying Dog (1998; Japan Oricon Album Chart #23)
- Alligator Farm (2000; Japan Oricon Album Chart #24)
- Raw Blues Power (2002; w/ Jimi Kidd; Japan Oricon Album Chart #94)
- Burning Organ (2002; Japan Oricon Album Chart #27)
- Gilbert Hotel (2003)
- Space Ship One (2005; Japan Oricon Album Chart #53)
- Get Out of My Yard (2006; Japan Oricon Album Chart #52)
- Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar (2008; Japan Oricon Album Chart #39)
- United States (2009; w/ Freddie Nelson)
- Fuzz Universe (2010; Japan Oricon Album Chart #57)
- Vibrato (2012)
with Racer X
See: Racer X Discography
- Street Lethal (1986)
- Second Heat (1987)
- Technical Difficulties (1999)
- Superheroes (2000)
- Getting Heavier (2002)
with Mr. Big
See: Mr. Big Discography
- Mr. Big (1989)
- Lean into It (1991)
- Bump Ahead (1993)
- Hey Man (1996)
- What If... (2011)
