![\"M-34-jake-e-lee\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/M-34-jake-e-lee.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nVeteran guitarist Jake E. Lee\u00a0hadn\u2019t recorded an album of original music since his acclaimed solo A Fine Pink Mist <\/i>in 1996. Like a proverbial metal Moses, the ex-Ozzy Osbourne axeman wandered in a self-imposed musical exile. \u201cI outlived my shelf life as far as being cool,\u201d says Lee, 56. \u201cThe only calls I got were from bands that loved Ozzy and wanted his guitar player.\u201d Though maintaining he was happy doing nothing, Lee has returned with the hard rock album Red Dragon Cartel<\/i>, which is also the name of his new band. He wrote the music but co-produced with Kevin Churko.<\/p>\n
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What motivated you?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
To make me excited. When we started, I told Kevin, \u201cLook, I don\u2019t need to make a comeback. If I\u2019m going to do a record, it\u2019s going to be music I feel excited about playing. It\u2019s not going to be because this is expected or this will make the most money.\u201d You try to make a record to please others and you\u2019re going to disappoint everybody.<\/p>\n
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What\u2019s your songwriting process?<\/b><\/p>\n
The advent of digital recording gave\u00a0me a whole new way of doing things where\u00a0I could sit by myself and write music. I could come up with my own drum parts, play bass, and get a software synthesizer\u00a0or keyboards. I was happy just being at home, writing music and coming up with ideas, which I did the whole\u00a0time I was gone.<\/p>\n
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Did you miss the studio?<\/b><\/p>\n
I did start to miss interaction with other musicians. But because it was all me, I didn\u2019t have to argue with anybody. Everything was great, but after a while I kind of missed bouncing ideas off of other musicians, and guys saying, \u201cHey, I\u2019ve got a perfect part to fit in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
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How\u2019d you snag Robin Zander?<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cFeeder\u201d was the first song written. The track sounded good and I\u2019m like, \u201c[Cheap Trick\u2019s] Robin Zander would kick ass on this song.\u201d [Bassist] Ron Mancuso got the song to Robin and he said, \u201cYeah, I\u2019d love to sing on it.\u201d After listening to it I got so excited and felt more alive than I had since Badlands [Lee\u2019s band from the \u201990s]. That\u2019s when I said, \u201cI\u2019m pulling my toe out of the pool and I\u2019m diving in. Yes, let\u2019s do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
What was your approach to solos?<\/b><\/p>\n
All the solos were six takes, and that was it. We did it with no preconceived notions as to what I was going do in the solo, which is a lot different from how I\u2019ve done it. There were times I\u2019d do off-the-cuff solos with Ozzy and Badlands, but not many. Ron would give me a glass of Jameson and say, \u201cOK, let\u2019s do six takes.\u201d I was happy with \u2019em.<\/p>\n
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Are you happy with the record?<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019m satisfied with it. I\u2019m never finished and I\u2019m always thinking I can do something better. At some point you just have to go, \u201cThat\u2019ll work. I quit.\u201d I don\u2019t try to sound like people. Obviously with Ozzy, I didn\u2019t want to sound like [the late] Randy Rhoads. Not that I didn\u2019t love his playing, it\u2019s just that Randy\u2019s Randy.<\/p>\n
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How\u2019s it feel to be back?<\/b><\/p>\n
Feels better than I imagined. For people to hang on for so long and hope that I would play again, I don\u2019t particularly think I deserve it. The last couple of shows we did, I look out and I make eye contact with somebody and they get all excited and it\u2019s, \u201cI love you, Jake.\u201d It\u2019s very heartwarming.<\/p>\n
\u2013Steve Rosen<\/p>\n
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