Buckethead –The SPECIAL Pikes

Good evening everybody, with Buckethead’s pike album series soon reaching a total of 277 albums, it’s time to take a look back at some of the Special Pikes.
And by special, we mean, Pike albums and songs that we know have sentimental value to Buckethead.
These of course don’t include the likes of Lebrontron, Griffins Spike, Thank You Ohlingers, MJ23 and others, where Buckethead is showing admiration or appreciation, rather than sadness or sorrow. So, let’s begin.

(Pike 3 – 3 Foot Clearance – Rammelzee Hero of the Abyss)
In late 2010 Buckethead released the free downloadable track ‘Rammelzee-Hero of the Abyss’ in memory of his late friend, Rammelzee, who had recently passed away. Rammelzee appeared in Praxis’s Animal Behaviour video, was on Praxis’ ‘Profanation’ album and performed several live shows with Buckethead. Several months later the song was included on Pike number 3, 3 Foot Clearance.

And for those wondering about Pike number 3’s song ‘The Ballad of Jerry Mono’, Jerry Mono was a character from Buckethead’s favourite show ‘Giant Robot’

(Pike 244 – Out Orbit – ‘To Infinity and Beyond (Dedicated to Craig Sager) – January 11th 2017
On January 11th 2017, Buckethead released Pike 244 ‘Out Orbit’ which included the song ‘To Infinity and Beyond - dedicated to Craig Sager’. As we know Buckethead is a huge basketball fan, and Craig Sager was a sports reporter for the NBA, who had passed away.

(Pike 245 – Space Viking ‘To Bernie Worrell, the greatest music maker of all time) – January 14th 2017
3 days later, Buckethead released Pike 245 ‘Space Viking’. The album and title song is dedicated to fellow Praxis member, Bernie Worrell, who passed away 6 months previously on June 24th 2016. On the album, Buckethead describes his late friend as “the greatest music maker of all time”. Thank you, Bernie Worrell.

(Pike 13 – Untitled) – May 13th 2013
On his 44th birthday, May 13th, 2013, Buckethead released the untitled, pike number 13. The cover of the album showed a teenage Brian Carroll embracing his father, Tom, who at the time was in ill health. The photo marks the first time since 1989 that Buckethead had self-released an unmasked image of himself. Making the photo and the physical copy of the CD, rare.

(Pike 43 – Untitled) January 21, 2014
6 months later on November 4th 2013, Buckethead’s mom, Nancy York Carroll passed away.
Whilst Buckethead released several Pike albums throughout the rest of 2013, which he had more than likely been stock piling. Pike number 43 released 2 months after his mom’s passing, was released with no name, no track titles and no album image, and is particularly somber and reflective. The album was no doubt recorded around the time of his mom’s passing, making it one of Buckethead’s most sentimental releases.

(Pike 65 – Hold me Forever) – June 25th 2014
On June 25th 2014, 6 months after the passing of his mom, Buckethead released Pike number 65 ‘Hold me Forever-In Memory of his Mom Nancy York Carroll.
As mentioned numerous times before ‘Hold me Forever’ is one of the greatest compositions Buckethead has ever done and one of the greatest guitar pieces ever recorded. A masterful tribute. NYC 4 Ever

(Pike 78 – Untitled) – September 23rd 2014
Less than a year after his mom’s passing, buckethead’s father Tom Carroll passed away at the age of 84 on September 3rd 2014.
3 weeks later Buckethead released Pike number 78, with no name, no track titles and no album image, just like the release of Pike 43 after his Moms passing. Making Pikes 43 and 78, so far, the only Pikes in the series to do this.

(Pike 150 – Heaven is Your Home) – June 21st 2015
That following year, on Father’s Day June 21st 2015, almost a year to the day after the release of ‘Hold me Forever’. Buckethead released Pike number 150 ‘Heaven is your home, for his Father, Thomas Manley Carroll. A beautiful, somber tribute.

(Pike 219 – Rain Drops on Christmas) – December 24th 2015
On Christmas Eve 2015, Buckethead released the free download, Pike 219 ‘Rain Drops on Christmas’. With the title song noting ‘This song is dedicated to those that have lost loved ones’. A song where no doubt Buckethead parents were in his thoughts.

(Missing my Parents / FBOTL)  
Although it’s not a pike release, 3 years later on Christmas day 2018, Buckethead once again released a free download ‘Missing my Parents’, another fitting tribute to his late parents Tom and Nancy Carroll. The art work for the song uses the same background image as Pike number 73 ‘Final Bend of the Labyrinth’. A great pike album released in August 2014, 2 weeks before the passing of Tom Carroll.