NOISE

Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Al Pitrelli is to rock 'n' roll what Las Vegan Mike Morgan was to major-league pitching: the ultimate journeyman. Which of the following acts has Pitrelli not performed or recorded with over the years?

1. Paul Abdul

2. Asia

3. Blue Oyster Cult

4. Michael Bolton

5. Alice Cooper

6. Taylor Dayne

7. Gloria Estefan

8. Exposé

9. Kenny G

10. Mannheim Steamroller

11. Megadeth

12. Ozzy Osbourne

13. Savatage

14. Toto

15. Y&T

Answer: Pitrelli has not performed or recorded with Nos. 1, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14.

Kelly Clarkson

Good: Two top-selling albums

Bad: Starred in From Justin to Kelly

Ruben Studdard

Good: Went from 455 pounds to ... never mind

Bad: Alleges manager owes him $250,000+

Fantasia Barrino

Good: First artist to debut at No. 1 with first single

Bad: "Baby Mama"

Carrie Underwood

Good: So wholesome it hurts

Bad: See above

You're a regular at Boulder Station's free Thursday "Boulder Blues" series. What keeps you coming back so often?

It's been really great the last couple years being able to come out on Thursdays. I like the fact that Las Vegas still has a place for that kind of rootsy music. Debbie Davies, Tab Benoit, the Mighty Flyers ... all these great blues acts. And they're free. ... I wish I had a place [in Los Angeles] where touring acts would come in and it didn't cost me to get in.

What was it like touring with the late blues legend and Las Vegas resident Albert Collins so early in your life?

There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about that guy. He was a brilliant player and a wonderful human being. And musically, I would not be here if it wasn't for him setting me on a path and getting me going. I see young guys coming up now and they don't have Albert Collins, except in video. ... I met Lowell Fulson through Albert Collins. I met Albert King through Albert Collins. I sat and drank with Freddie King through Albert Collins. John Lee Hooker met me when I was 22 years old through Albert Collins. I think back and realize I truly got influenced straight from the source. Albert lived out (in Las Vegas) and was buried there, and I go visit him every once in a while. I stop by and say hi to the old man.

You also performed for years with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. How did that experience prepare you for this phase of your career?

In my time with John Mayall, I learned so many things, some things that you didn't know you learned until later when they come into play. John gave me a wonderful musical education, plus I learned how to deal with being a leader, which is not always easy. It's rough to hold onto your faith in yourself and try and make things work under your own name. You get the accolades, but you've got to take the hits too. And John really prepared me for that.

The Divorce

The second album from the Divorce fits in perfectly with the new wave-influenced trend in indie rock, mixing guitar-oriented exuberance with a little dance-oriented '80s rhythm, and turning up the distortion. Some of the songs are a little sloppy, but it's hard to listen to "Yes!" or "Deny! Deny! Deny!" without wanting to sing along.

Cross Canadian Ragweed


Garage (3 stars)

These Oklahomans ride the country charts, but the bar-bred quartet is more likely to appeal to Southern rockers than today's pop-country radio listeners. Garage, the follow-up to last year's Top 10 breakthrough, Soul Gravy, features slick hooks ("Fightin' For," "Final Curtain"), rootsy covers (Todd Snider's "Late Last Night," Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love) and even a tribute to slain ex-Pantera and Damageplan guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott. Hardly groundbreaking, but in this case that's not so bad.