Tom Morello

Tom Morello，前知名樂隊Rage Against The Machine吉他手，現(xiàn)Audioslave吉他手。
Tom Morello于1964年5月30日在紐約市的哈萊姆區(qū)出生。他出生后不久，他的家人搬到利伯蒂維爾，伊利諾伊州——一個以白人為主的社區(qū)。在此地上中學(xué)期間，他積極參加藝術(shù)表演并出演過學(xué)校的話劇。
編輯本段
音樂生涯
 
　　1980年，TOM擁有了他的第一把吉他并組了一支名叫Electric Sheep的樂隊。他的隊友之一便是Adam Jones（TOOL樂隊的吉他手）。在那時，TOM喜好的音樂是重金屬。 1982年, TOM高中畢業(yè)并考入哈佛大學(xué), 就讀于社科學(xué)院。在大學(xué)期間，他越來越多地專注于吉他的練習(xí)，甚至是每天必練。
　　1986年，TOM取得政治學(xué)學(xué)士學(xué)位，為了更好地發(fā)展自己的音樂事業(yè)，他搬往洛杉磯。
　　1988年，TOM組建了一支名叫LOCK UP的樂隊，簽約到格芬唱片并在發(fā)表了一張叫做Something Bitchin' This Way Comes的唱片后解散。他立即開始尋找隊友，計劃組織一支新樂隊。不久他接觸到之前已經(jīng)參選過LOCK UP的鼓手Brad Wilk。隨后TOM又在一個場子里遇見了說唱歌手Zack de la Rocha，最終Zack和他彈貝斯的朋友Tim Commerford都加入了樂隊。
　　1991年，Rage Against The Machine正式成立。隨后他們制作了一張有十二首歌的小樣，并因此吸引了眾多唱片公司的眼球，簽約到Epic唱片。
　　1992年，RATM發(fā)行第一張專輯，即同名專輯《Rage Against The Machine》。
　　1996年，RATM發(fā)行第二張專輯，即《Evil Empire》。
　　1999年，RATM發(fā)行第三張專輯，即《Battle Of Los Angeles》。
　　2000年，RATM發(fā)行第四張專輯，即《Renegades》。同年，ZAKK由于與樂隊在音樂理念上的差異而離隊。
　　2001-？ZAKK走后TOM一心重組樂隊，后來RATM余下的三位成員與前SOUNDGARDEN樂隊主唱Chris Cornell 組成了名叫Audioslave的新樂隊并憑借樂隊同名專輯取得了成功。
 
　　在業(yè)余時間，TOM用藝名The Nightwatchman發(fā)表了一些民謠風(fēng)格的音樂。不同于AUDIOSLAVE的音樂風(fēng)格，他個人的民謠音樂含有很強的政治元素，他定期在洛杉磯的酒吧里演出這些非常個人化的音樂。
　　TOM最為人所知的是他對吉他音色的控制及創(chuàng)造能力，他善于利用各種踏板及效果器。他最出名的音色是打碟一般的“刮刮”聲。另外，TOM在表演時總是帶著一頂棒球帽。
Biography
by Greg Prato
Few rock guitarists in the 1990s were as groundbreaking as Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, who incorporated a myriad of different styles into his own playing. Born in New York City on May 30, 1964, Morello was raised by his mother (who, decades later, would help create the anti-censorship organization Parents for Rock & Rap) in Libertyville, IL. As a teenager, Morello became infatuated with both rock music and politics, as he was almost entirely self-taught on guitar (in fact, he learned the most about the instrument while practicing up to eight hours a day during a stint at Harvard University, where Morello majored in political science). Upon graduation, Morello relocated to the Los Angeles area, where he decided to try and make a career out of music (making ends meet by working for a spell as a California senator's secretary). By the late '80s, Morello was a member of L.A. rockers Lock Up, who inked a deal with Geffen and issued a lone album, 1989's Something Bitchin' This Way Comes. When the album sank without a trace upon release, the group broke up.
But Morello already had plans for his next project, which would be more thought-provoking and politically minded (taking a cue from such respected artists as the Clash and Public Enemy) and harder-edged musically. Joined by vocalist/rapper Zack de la Rocha, bassist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk, Rage Against the Machine was born in 1991. Over the course of a four-album career -- 1992's self-titled release (an album which many point to as the trailblazer for the heavy metal/rap style, inspiring countless other bands in its wake), 1996's Evil Empire, 1999's The Battle of Los Angeles, and 2000's all-covers Renegades -- Rage Against the Machine became one of rock's leading (and most confrontational) bands. But rumors of friction between de la Rocha and the rest of the members continued to persist (stemming from the fact that the frontman wanted to issue a solo album), and shortly before the release of the fourth album, de la Rocha left the band. Undeterred, Morello and the rest of the Rage members enlisted the services of former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, forming the group Civilian, which would later be redubbed Audioslave.
In addition to his work with Rage and Audioslave, Morello has lent his playing (and in some cases, production) talents to recordings by a variety of other artists, including Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the Crystal Method, Perry Farrell, Primus, Puff Daddy/Jimmy Page, and Run-D.M.C., as well as collaborating with enigmatic Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley on a cover version of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" for the soundtrack of the 1998 film The Faculty. Morello also performs solo material sporadically under his political folk alter ego, the Nightwatchman.