In anticipation of their 7th studio album, Staind invited fans to contribute their own guitar solos to Staind's new single, "Not Again".
After reviewing many great solo submissions, a grand prize winner was chosen by Staind themselves and unveiled exclusively on UG – the same day the multi-platinum band’s hugely anticipated new album, "Staind," arrives in stores and at all digital retailers.
The band selected Kevin Curry's guitar solo as the grand prize winner. His guitar solo for "Not Again" is featured as a bonus track on the album at iTunes, in addition to numerous other prizes.
The Grand Prize Winner will:
Get his solo on the iTunes deluxe version of Staind's new album
Receive a Mike Mushok signature model PRS baritone guitar
Receive a $1,000 gift certificate to Guitar Center
Receive an autographed copy of the new Staind album
Receive a 1-month Tab Pro subscription to Ultimate Guitar
Check out Kevin Curry's guitar solo below.
"Not Again" is the first single from Staind's seventh album, which is scheduled for release on September 13 via Atlantic Records (one day earlier internationally through Roadrunner). Produced by Johnny K – known for his work with 3 Doors Down, Disturbed, and Sevendust, not to mention his Grammy Award-nominated collaboration with Staind, 2008's "The Illusion Of Progress" — and mixed by the legendary Chris Lord-Alge, the CD stands as Staind's most intense and powerful work to date.
Staind - Not Again (feat. Kevin Curry) by staindmusic
I like the original solo better, but with the submitted one I do really like how he had some older, classic rock styled licks going on. You don't here that much anymore.
Seems a little weak, guess they were serious about not being better than Mike.. Congrats to Kevin I guess, although I feel bad for those who actually put in some time to their entries and fulfilled the 'killer guitar solo' aspect of the contest.
Seems a little weak, guess they were serious about not being better than Mike.. Congrats to Kevin I guess, although I feel bad for those who actually put in some time to their entries and fulfilled the 'killer guitar solo' aspect of the contest.
I don't know what everyone's complaining about. It was a great solo that was phrased very well and done against the typically shred fest that most people probably would've put on top of this song. The only change I would've made would be to take it out when Aaron was singing - it's too busy there.
Otherwise good bluesy solo, great tone, and I like it.
I think it's not the best of the submitted solos, but I understand why they chose him because most solos where kinda the same, this solo sounds different from the others.
I thought overall it was a well-written, but fairly boring solo. When the real solo extends through the outro chorus, it gets buried. I like how the winner's note choice made it stand out away from the chorus a little bit more.
Fuck I should have entered, that solo wasn't bad, but I could have done better! Damn!
Did you listen to any of the top 20 entries, let alone the top 100? They were basically all better solos.. Hell, I finished 15th after the voting and even after I attempt to be humble I think my solo walked all over the winners.. Basically everyones did.. As I said previously, a lot of us put some heavy work into this and for the winner to come from as far back as he did (116th place!?!) it feels like a bit of a waste of time.. Guess I'll reserve my contest playing for 'Play a solo for Dream Theatre' or something.
The beginning is out of place, also theres too much dead space in there while he plays with the echo effect (my opinion obviously), I see people saying they couldn't do better... I'm not one of those people. I KNOW I could do better than this, had I known about it I would've entered. But yeah they're not going to pick a better guitarist than the one they've got, so I guess they had to pick someone like this to make their musician sound better.
Yup! Feener has ridiculous playing and compositional talent. This guy just ripped the same minor pentatonic scale the whole time. But, as everyone else has mentioned, Staind probably didn't want to pick one that was obviously superior to Mushok's.
I thought the submitted solo was very expressive and a good choice. I didn't listen to all the submissions, and I'm sure there were others that were better but it comes down to solos are subjective as far as being ranked. I do kind of feel for those people who were ranked higher by users on the site and their solos didn't get used.
Yup! Feener has ridiculous playing and compositional talent. This guy just ripped the same minor pentatonic scale the whole time. But, as everyone else has mentioned, Staind probably didn't want to pick one that was obviously superior to Mushok's.
I agree, Feener had a wonderful solo and it suited the song without being pretentious and wanky.
I am, however, glad to see that the winner wasn't just part of a popularity contest, as that would have been kinda annoying for those of us without YouTube Channels and billions of facebook friends
(So what, I'm a loser and have no friends, that makes me cool to the emo kids at least Right guys? Right?)
Personally, I also disagree with the choice. I agree that Kevin is a good player, so is Feener, so is Mat Graham, so is Toomas Vanem. but as amazing as those players are, I would equally disagree with that choice. Hell, I disagree with Mikes solo. *shrug* That's why I wrote my solo the way I wrote it, that's why everyone wrote theirs the way they did. I subimtted a "levels check" so it wasn't that I pounded out the hours writing the thing cuz honesly, I didn't expect to win and honestly, if I had, I really just wanted the guitar and gear...lol. If I had it to do over again I'd submit a better version of the same solo...same structure...more polish and the outcome would have been the same. I listened to a helluva lot of the solos and to be honest, not to step on toes here, but I wondered what some of the entrants were listening to cuz it didn't seem like they were listening to the song...just ripping all over it...etc. It also inspires me to wonder who actually picked the solo, Staind, their producer, Mike, the label? Who knows...doesn't matter. It's obviously not a democracy. It's a contest and those who come in first don't always win. Again, nice solo...congrats Kevin...enjoy (my) guitar (laughs)...that's the music biz for ya!
I thought about trying this out, but I didn't really care enough to give it a go.
I thought the winning submission was a little better than the original, though, even if it wasn't that great.
In the original, the solo kind of just fizzles out -- it's not that cool, in the first place, but it doesn't have an ending, and then the last chorus is kind of just like a copy-and-paste of the other choruses. At least this guy made the last chorus sound different by extending his solo, even though he could have ended it at the chorus and still sounded better than the original.
I listened to a couple of the submissions mentioned here and there -- couldn't find Justin White's, though. But I didn't think Chris Feener's was any better than the winner.
I didn't really hear any that stood out, although this isn't the best song for a solo contest, anyway, and that could have had something to do with it.
But even if I had entered and won, I wouldn't have been that proud of it, although I'm sure I'd have to brag at least a little.
All in all, guitar wankery ≠ cool solo.
I'm sure they could have picked a better winner, but they definitely could have picked a worse one, too.
Jesus, the ****ing guitarist light bulb joke stereotype really is true.
How many guitarists does it take to screw in a light bulb? 1. And 99 others to say they could have done it better. Holy shit.
this comment is such a win! i've been trying to avoid this habit myself. so many guitarists see music as like a competitive sport, (guitar hero may be to blame for that...) but its really an art.
The dude who won, infact won..so, his is the best solo...since the band picked it and it's their ****in song...guess that about wraps that up hey???
Nope. Sure doesn't. Nice try though. This is a public forum for guitarists, some of whom obviously think that other entries were better, thus the many comments above.
All the others didn't fit the band at all, this did it really good I think.
You can't rip off a MAB solo and stick it in a nu metal song...
Why does it have to fit the band? It's a guest solo.. The guest guitarist isn't a part of the band and, in turn will not play in the exact style of the band.. Jeff Loomis on Periphery's Racecar.. EVERYONE knows that it's Jeff Loomis. Nobody in Periphery could begin to play his solo.. By your logic, Jeff Loomis shouldn't have been allowed to play on that song..
As for your MAB comment, you very well can if it works.. There are a million different examples of this very thing that came out of this contest. Just because somebody plays fast doesn't mean it should just not be considered because the guitarist in the band can't keep up.. If it flows it flows, if it works it works. Every entry was somebody's interpretation of how the solo should've gone. Staind asked for some 'killer guitar solos' and for players with chops to 'show off their chops'. This is precisely what they got even if they made their decision on the opposite end of the spectrum.
This version was definitely in my top 5, but Chris Feener's solo was unmatched. His flow was perfect, build up was perfect, it was shred-tastic but also had melody. But whatev's, it wasn't my decision, Feener should have run away with it in my mind.
Ehhhhh, this was a kind of a joke, my solo ( i dont wanna sound like a biased little girl) was better than this guys, his has simple with no feel, bland, mik's was better sadly. the solo had no manliness, no testicular power!! i finished 27th in the voting check it, and see what i mean feeners was awesome. very few solo actually fit the music, not skill wise mot tonal wise. the band did a poor job choosing but what can i do, except complain like a normal person. anyone in the top 31 (minus the violin guy) could have one it. those are my two cents
this was a kind of a joke, my solo ( i dont wanna sound like a biased little girl) was better than this guys his was simple with no feel, bland, mike's was better sadly. the solo had no manliness, no testicular power!! *
i finished 27th in the voting check it, and see what i mean. feeners was awesome. very few solo actually fit the music, not skill wise mot tonal wise. the band did a poor job choosing but what can i do, except complain like a normal person. anyone in the top 31 (minus the violin guy) could have one it. those are my two cents
Jesus, the ****ing guitarist light bulb joke stereotype really is true.
How many guitarists does it take to screw in a light bulb? 1. And 99 others to say they could have done it better. Holy shit.
this comment is such a win! i've been trying to avoid this habit myself. so many guitarists see music as like a competitive sport, (guitar hero may be to blame for that...) but its really an art.
yeah it's a shame...so why didn't all you winner-guys, that could have done sooooo much better, compete then?
I liked the 'winner' solo, I also like the actual songs solo. I didn't hear any other contestants, but I like the way he plays through the last chorus and the combination of skill and melody. Which I also like in the 'normal' solo...
I think it would have been a little better sounding if the mixer amped up the solo to match the intensity of the vocals. who ever Kevin is he sounded like he belongs and has played a real smooth blend
Slik said that...
The guitar solo that Mike does on the new LP is so much better then this guy's ( Kevin Curry) solo is. Mike's is so much more in your face and not too melodic like solos tend to be. I thought Mike's was very unique and fell right along with the intensity of the song itself.
Kevin Curry's solo is pretty damn good! It's not bad to admit that something is good when it actually is. Yeah , everyone could have done it better (including myself)! LOL!!! - Come on guys, grow up!!
