Buckethead

This article is about the Avant-Garde composer and musician. For the DJ/producing team Bucketheads, see Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales.

Buckethead
Born	1969
Genre(s)	Avantgarde
Notable guitars	Customized Les Paul and Flying V models
Years active	1991–Present
Official site	Bucketheadland (official website)

Buckethead (born Brian Carroll) is an American guitarist and composer. With his signature white plastic mask and KFC bucket, Buckethead has created a mysterious persona. He is a prolific composer, having released 21 solo albums and performed on 33 more. The best-known bands in which he has played are Praxis, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, and Guns N' Roses. His music spans a wide variety of genres including thrash metal, funk, and electronica.

Although a capable multi-instrumentalist (playing bass guitar, banjo and piano), Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar, characterized by diverse playing styles spanning thrash guitar, fingerpicking, and slap guitar. Guitar One voted him number 8 on a list of the "Top 10 Guitar Shredders of All Time".^[1]

Although Buckethead now works primarily as a solo artist touring the country with a trio, he has had a wide variety of high profile collaborations with such artists as Les Claypool, Tony Williams, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, System of a Down's Serj Tankian, Guns N' Roses and with Bill Laswell on Praxis.

Identity

Buckethead's real name is Brian Caroll. A picture of him unmasked can be found here, ^[2] and a more realistic biography can be found here. ^[3]

Buckethead's official biography^[4] claims that he was raised by chickens in a coop (appropriately, several song titles, especially on early releases, refer to chicken, such as the song "Chicken" or the album titles "KFC Skin Piles" and "Enter the Chicken") however an MTV interview revealed that his real name is Brian Carroll.

According to a 1989 local music magazine he cites Michael Jackson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Louis Jordan, Shawn Lane, Joe Satriani and Jennifer Batten as his main influences. He has claimed Randy Rhoads as an influence as well.^{[citation needed]} He has claimed to be influenced by the book "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" by Nicolas Slonimsky.^{[citation needed]}

Career

In 1988 a teenage Buckethead entered a song called "Brazos" into a Guitar Player Magazine contest; it was a runner up. This is what was said about him:

An astonishingly skilled guitarist and bassist, he demonstrates post-Paul Gilbert speed and accuracy filtered through very kinky harmonic sensibilites. His psychotronic, demonic edge is very, very far removed from the clichés of classical metal and rock. A real talent to watch, he's still a teenager. Also known as "Buckethead".

This is also how Guitar Player Magazine editor Jas Obrecht came to know of Buckethead. Impressed with his demo recording he got in contact with Buckethead and they soon became friends. In 1991 Buckethead moved into Obrecht's basement (this is also where footage for the "Young Buckethead" DVD was filmed).

After a few self-released albums, Bucketheadland was released on John Zorn's Avant record label in 1992. Though available only as a pricey Japanese import, the record received positive reviews and earned some attention. At about this time, Buckethead fell into the orbit of prolific bassist/producer Bill Laswell (himself an occasional Zorn collaborator); as either a performer, producer or composer, Laswell was involved in many of the albums listed in the discography below, and Buckethead made many more appearances on albums by Laswell's collaborators.

One such Laswell project was Death Cube K (an anagram of "Buckethead" he created to circumvent legal complications with Sony Records, with which he was signed to in 1994 to release Giant Robot.). William Gibson later borrowed "Death Cube K" as the name of a bar in Idoru; quoting Gibson in an interview for Addicted To Noise:

Death Cube K is actually the title of an album. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of the group but Bill Laswell who I don't really know but out of the kindness of his heart occasionally sends me big hunks of his output, groups that come out on his label. And Death Cube K was the title of some vicious ambient group that he had produced. And when I saw it, I thought: a Franz Kafka theme bar in Tokyo.

According to Anthony Kiedis' autobiography, Scar Tissue, Buckethead once auditioned to play guitar for the Red Hot Chili Peppers shortly after John Frusciante left the band.

Buckethead achieved a greater public profile as a member of Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004; unfortunately, the band was rarely active in this era. Guns N' Roses response to Buckethead's departure was;

During his tenure with the band, Buckethead has been inconsistent and erratic in both his behavior and his commitment, despite being under contract, creating uncertainty and confusion and making it virtually impossible to move forward with recording, rehearsals, and live plans with confidence. His transient lifestyle has made it near impossible for even his closest friends to have nearly any form of communications with him whatsoever.

Since that time, his cult following in the underground music communities has steadily increased. He frequently performs at festivals and in clubs nationwide, and often tours as the feature performer. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

In an interview with Revolver, Ozzy Osbourne stated that he had offered to have Buckethead play guitar in his band at Ozzfest. Ozzy quickly changed his mind after meeting with him when Buckethead refused to go on stage without his disguise:

I tried out that Buckethead guy. I met with him and asked him to work with me but only if he got rid of the fucking bucket. So I came back a bit later and he's wearing this green fucking Martian's-hat thing! I said, 'Look, just be yourself'. He told me his name was Brian, so I said that's what I'd call him. He says, 'No one calls me Brian except my mother'. So I said, 'Pretend I'm your mum then!'. I haven't even got out of the room and I'm already playing fucking mind games with the guy. What happens if one day he's gone and there's a note saying, 'I've been beamed up'? Don't get me wrong, he's a great player. He plays like a motherfucker!

In 2005, Buckethead released an album as Buckethead & Friends called Enter The Chicken. Released by Serj Tankian's label Serjical Strike, the album features Tankian, Maximum Bob, Death By Stereo singer Efrem Shulz, and others. The album is marked by its leaning towards more traditional song structure, while still featuring Buckethead's guitar skills.

In 2005 Buckethead finally released his first DVD "Secret Recipe", originally sold only on tour; the only places for other fans (those who either didn't go to a show or live abroad) to get hold of the DVD were auction sites such as eBay. Bootleg copies were also sold on eBay for a short period of time. Eventually Travis Dickerson held a raffle for copies of the DVD on his website. Those who wanted to "win" a copy had to enter their name and email address. When entries were closed he picked 200 names at random from those who entered and they were allowed to buy a copy of the DVD from his website. In March 2006 the DVD was finally made widely available.

Released in 2006, Guitar Hero 2 features Buckethead's song "Jordan" as a bonus track.

In late 2006 Buckethead released a two volume DVD entitled "Young Buckethead" featuring rare footage from 1990 and 1991. The DVD also contains three complete Deli Creeps shows, a soundcheck, backstage footage and solo footage of just Buckethead. All the artwork was drawn by Buckethead himself.

Discography

Buckethead

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Giant Robot (Demo Tape)	1991	Self Released
	Bucketheadland Blueprints	1991	Toystore
	Bucketheadland	1992	Avant
	Giant Robot	1994	Sony
	Day Of The Robot	April 30, 1996	Subharmonic
	Colma	March 24, 1998	CyberOctave
	Monsters and Robots	April 20, 1999	Higher Octave
	KFC Skin Piles	2001	Battle Breaks Hip Hop
	Somewhere Over The Slaughter House	June 5, 2001	Stray
	Funnel Weaver	February 15, 2002	ION
	Bermuda Triangle	July 23, 2002	Catalyst
	Electric Tears	October 8, 2002	Meta
	Bucketheadland 2	October 14, 2003	ION
	Island of Lost Minds	March 19, 2004	Bucketheadland Parks
	Population Override	March 30, 2004	ION
	The Cuckoo Clocks of Hell	April 20, 2004	Disembodied Records
	Enter the Chicken	October 25, 2005	Serjical Strike
	Kaleidoscalp	November 22, 2005	Tzadik
	Inbred Mountain	December 2, 2005	TDRSmusic
	The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock	February 17, 2006	Bucketheadland
	Crime Slunk Scene	September 15, 2006	Bucketheadland

Buckethead & Travis Dickerson

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Chicken Noodles	September, 2006	TDRS Music

Cobra Strike

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	13th Scroll	August 24, 1999	ION
	Y Y+B X+Y <hold> 	October 3, 2000	ION

Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	The Big Eyeball in the Sky	September 21, 2004	Prawnsong

Cornbugs

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Spot the Psycho	1999
	Cemetery Pinch	February, 2001
	How Now Brown Cow	February, 2001
	Brain Circus	February 13, 2004	TDRS Music
	Donkey Town	November 29, 2004	TDRS Music

Death Cube K

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Dreamatorium	May 10,1994	Strata
	Disembodied	July 22, 1997	ION
	Tunnel	November 10, 1999	TDRSmusic

The Deli Creeps

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Demo Tape	1991	Self Released
	Demo Tape	1996	Self Released
	Dawn of the Deli Creeps	November 1, 2005	TDRSmusic

El Stew

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	No Hesitation	May 4, 1999	OM Records
	The Rehearsal	April 3, 2003	Catalyst Entertainment

Giant Robot

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Giant Robot	1996	NTT

Gorgone

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Gorgone	August, 2005	TDRSmusic

Guns N' Roses

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Chinese Democracy	(Currently unreleased)	Geffen Records

Pieces

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	I Need 5 Minutes Alone	February 17, 1997	Avant

Praxis

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)	September 8, 1992	Axiom / Island
	Sacrifist	January 18, 1994	Subharmonic
	Metatron	August 12, 1994	Subharmonic
	Transmutation Live	October 7, 1997	Douglas
	Live in Poland	1997	Jazz a Go-Go
	Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness)	(Currently unreleased)	Sanctuary Records

With Viggo Mortensen

Album cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Pandemoniumfromamerica	2003	TDRS Music
	Intelligence Failure	September 27, 2005	TDRS Music

Thanatopsis

Album Cover	Title	Release Date	Label
	Thanatopsis	2001	TDRS Music
	Axiology	July 10, 2003	TDRS Music
	Anatomize	February 17, 2006	TDRS Music

Guest Appearances

Multiple appearances with artists:

Anton Fier

• (1993) - Dreamspeed
• (2003) - Blindlight 1992-1994

Axiom Funk

• (1995) - Funkcronomicon
• (1995) - If 6 was 9 (Single)

Bernie Worrell

• (1993) - Pieces of Woo: The Other Side
• (1997) - Free Agent: A Spaced Odyssey

Company 91

• (1991) - Company 91 Volume 1
• (1991) - Company 91 Volume 2
• (1991) - Company 91 Volume 3

Icehouse

• (1993) - Big Wheel
• (1993) - Full Circle

Mike Patton with Buckethead and DJ Flare forming Moonraker

• (2000) - Live @ The Knitting Factory (bootleg only)

Phonopsychograph Disk

• (1998) - Ancient Termites
• (1999) - Live @ Slim's/Turbulence Chest
• (1999) - Unreleased (Cassette Only)

Refrigerator

• (1997) - Refrigerator
• (1997) - Somehow

Viggo Mortensen

• (1999) - One Less Thing to Worry About
• (1999) - One Man's Meat
• (1999) - The Other Parade
• (2004) - Pandemoniumfromamerica
• (2004) - Please Tomorrow
• (2004) - This That and the Other
• (2005) - Intelligence Failure

Single appearance with artist(s):

• (1991) - Henry Kaiser - Hope You Like Our New Direction
• (1992) - Will Ackerman - The Opening of Doors
• (1993) - Divination - Ambient Dub Volume 1
• (1993) - MCM and the Monster - Collective Emotional Problems
• (1993) - Psyber Pop - What? So What?
• (1994) - Axiom Ambient - Lost in the Translation
• (1994) - Jon Hassell and Blue Screen - Dressing for Pleasure
• (1994) - Hakim Bey - T.A.Z. (Temporary Autonomous Zone)
• (1995) - Buckshot LeFonque - No Pain No Gain (Single with Remixes)
• (1995) - Julian Schnabel - Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud
• (1996) - Myth - Dreams of the World
• (1997) - Arcana - Arc of the Testimony
• (1997) - Valis II - Everything Must Go
• (1998) - Bastard Noise - Split W/Spastic Colon
• (1998) - DJ Q-Bert - Wave Twisters
• (1999) - Banyan - Anytime at All
• (1999) - Ben Wa - Devil Dub
• (2000) - Double E - Audio Men
• (2000) - Shin Terail - Unison
• (2000) - Tony Furtado Band - Tony Furtado Band
• (2001) - Bill Laswell - Points of Order
• (2001) - Gonervill - Gonervill
• (2001) - The Freak Brothers - The Freak Brothers
• (2002) - Fishbone's Family Nexperienc - The Botliest Psychosis...
• (2003) - Freekbass - The Air is Fresher Underground
• (2003) - Gemini - Product of Pain
• (2004) - Meridem - A Pleasant Fiction
• (2004) - Shine - Heaven and Hell
• (2005) - Bassnectar - Mesmerizing The Ultra

Appearances with various artists:

• (1993) - Last Action Hero (Soundtrack)
• (1993) - Last Action Hero (Score)
• (1995) - Johnny Mnemonic (Soundtrack)
• (1995) - Mortal Kombat (Soundtrack)
• (1995) - Mortal Kombat (Score)
• (1996) - Alien Ambient Galaxy
• (1996) - Stealing Beauty (Soundtrack)
• (1997) - Beverly Hills Ninja (Soundtrack)
• (1997) - Guitar Zone
• (1997) - Mortal Kombat 2: Annihilation (Soundtrack)
• (1997) - Guitars on Mars
• (1998) - Night and Day
• (1998) - Guitarisma 2
• (1998) - Great Jewish Music: A Tribute to Marc Bolan
• (1998) - New Yorker Out Loud: Volume 2
• (1999) - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Soundtrack)
• (1999) - Crash Course in Music
• (1999) - Horizons
• (1999) - Music for the New Millennium
• (2001) - Innerhythmic Sound System
• (2001) - Ghosts of Mars (Soundtrack)
• (2001) - Dragon Ball Z: "The History of Trunks" (Soundtrack)
• (2001) - Bomb Anniversary Collection
• (2002) - Guitars for Freedom
• (2002) - The Meta Collection
• (2002) - Scratch: The Film (Score)
• (2002) - Urban Revolutions
• (2005) - Blue Suenos
• (2005) - Masters of Horror (Soundtrack)
• (2005) - Saw 2 (Soundtrack)

Videography

• Axiom Funk - If 6 Was 9
• Bootsy Collins - Funk Express Card
• Bryan Mantia - Brain's Lessons
• Buckethead - The Ballad of Buckethead
• Buckethead - Binge Clips Vol. 1 - 7
• Buckethead - Killer Grabbag of Shards Vol. 1 (CD-Rom featuring footage of live shows)
• Buckethead - Spokes For The Wheel of Torment
• Buckethead - We Are One
• DJ Q-Bert - Inner Space Dental Commander
• DJ Q-Bert - Wave Twisters
• Freekbass - Always Here
• Praxis - Animal Behaviour
• Praxis - Inferno / Heat Seeker / Exploded Heart
• Primus - Videoplasty
• Snoop Dogg - Undacova Funk
• Thanatopsis - Pyrrhic Victory

References

External links

• Bucketheadland – Official website
• Young Buckethead - Official website to the "Young Buckethead" DVD
• Buckethead Dot T K - Fan site message board.
• Binge and Grab - Fan site
• Travis Dickerson Recording Studio website
• Ozzy Osbourne Interview
• Buckethead live concert recordings at Archive.org
• Buckethead youtube group Bucketheadland youtube group

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