Six-string-wizard Paul Gilbert reveals his latest music video for Keep Your Feet Firm and Even, on the day he releases his brand-new album WROC, on Music Theories Recordings / Artone. You can order and stream the album HERE

WROC is his highly ambitious new conceptual album. WROC, which stands for “Washington’s Rules of Civility,” could very well be the guitar superstar’s most outlandish offering to date. Using George Washington’s Rules of Civility as a conceptual homing beacon, Gilbert has dared himself to think outside the box and use an etiquette guide dating back to the late 1500s as his main source of inspiration.

Keep Your Feet Firm and Even is inspired by Washington’s Rules: 10 and 19: “When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them” and “Let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave.”

Talking about the song, Gilbert says; “Decades ago, when I first came across the Washington Rules of Civility on my bookshelf, I read the introduction and thought, “I am a civil person. I bet I can follow all these rules easily!” As I read further, I realized that some of the rules might be more challenging than I had anticipated. As I am typing this now, I am in fact “putting one foot on the other and crossing them while I sit.” (breaking a Washington rule.)”

This follows the previous singles taken from the album; Go Not Thither,  If You Soak Bread In The Sauce, Show Not Yourself Glad (At The Misfortune of Another) and Conscience is the Most Certain Judge.

For Gilbert, there was a palpable excitement in resurrecting these 16th Century guidelines for the hyper advanced social order of today’s world. “I’ve never in my life had such a good time writing songs,” he admits. “I would look through the rules, sing them out loud and see which ones worked. Sometimes I’d have to flip something around or grab another rule for a bridge, but a lot of these songs are word for word.”

He goes on to say, “WROC is my first vocal album since 2016. The lyrics were inspired by the etiquette book, “George Washington’s Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior.” I truly enjoyed turning Washington’s Rules of Civility (WROC) into ROCK songs! I hope my vocal and guitar melodies will stir your heart and improve your table manners. Spit Not in the Fire!”

Paul Gilbert knows a thing or two about which rules to follow — and when to break them. In Mr. Big, he was responsible for pioneering pop rock anthems. In Racer X, he pushed the electric guitar to its furthest limits, in a more metallic direction, and as a solo artist, he’s traversed both instrumental and vocal-led sonic landscapes that have crossed over from blues, classical and jazz to straight-up rock.

Other than the lead vocals, the album was recorded live in four days at The Hallowed Halls in Portland with Nick D’Virgilio on drums, Doug Rappoport on guitar and Timmer Blakely on bass. Given how Gilbert has managed to not only exist but thrive in all kinds of musical situations for the best part of four decades, it shouldn’t be surprising how many different styles and sounds are intelligently encased within its 13 breathtaking tracks.

“Maybe I just get bored easily, both rhythmically and harmonically,” he ponders. “With that first song, I took my initial vocal melody and later added some spooky chords, shapes I’d learned from Burt Bacharach songs, as well as Todd Rundgren and The Beatles. It completely changed the emotion and experience, even though the melody was the same. There are AC/DC-style riffs and another that came from The Pusher by Steppenwolf, twisted into 7/8 and other time signatures. The trick was to make it flow. The masters of that are Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. Sprinkle in some Burt Bacharach and Todd Rundgren and you’ve got WROC.”