While Tom Morello's work with Rage Against the Machine (and to a lesser extent Audioslave and Street Sweeper Social Club) has established him as one of rock music's preeminent guitarists, his solo material has mostly found him pushing in a folksy direction under the name the Nightwatchman. This will soon change, however, since Morello is reportedly planning to make a rock record of his own.
Speaking with Billboard, Morello said, "I want to make the craziest guitar record that anyone's ever heard. The idea is that this is the Hendrix of now."
He added that he already has "a big batch of songs written" and described the project as "my first solo big rock record."
The material was apparently partly inspired by Bruce Springsteen, with whom Morello has sung "The Ghost of Tom Joad." When he performed that tune onstage with the Boss in 2008, it was the first time he had combined electric guitar playing with his work as a singer.
"Until then I'd kept my folk singing career and my electric guitar shredding career completely separate," he said. "It was on that stage that I realized there might be a way to combine all the things I do as a songwriter and a guitar player, and this record is going to be that."
Speaking of Springsteen, Morello is currently touring in the southern hemisphere as a member of the E Street Band, having contributed to most of the songs on the Boss's High Hopes, which comes out this month. The outing wraps up on March 2, and Morello will begin recording his rock album after that.
Speaking with Billboard, Morello said, "I want to make the craziest guitar record that anyone's ever heard. The idea is that this is the Hendrix of now."
He added that he already has "a big batch of songs written" and described the project as "my first solo big rock record."
The material was apparently partly inspired by Bruce Springsteen, with whom Morello has sung "The Ghost of Tom Joad." When he performed that tune onstage with the Boss in 2008, it was the first time he had combined electric guitar playing with his work as a singer.
"Until then I'd kept my folk singing career and my electric guitar shredding career completely separate," he said. "It was on that stage that I realized there might be a way to combine all the things I do as a songwriter and a guitar player, and this record is going to be that."
Speaking of Springsteen, Morello is currently touring in the southern hemisphere as a member of the E Street Band, having contributed to most of the songs on the Boss's High Hopes, which comes out this month. The outing wraps up on March 2, and Morello will begin recording his rock album after that.
