MissouriPicker

Busk the seawall, Buc! And do that song. That song will get the attention of people, because it’s different from what buskers typically do. I can’t recall anyone around here doing it. And I agree with Jinder—-your voice is vulnerable in the right places and strong in others. Besides, your rhythm guitar playing is strong enough to grab and hold the attention of people passing-by. You sound good on it.

I really liked that. The Stones are “The Stones.”

Here's an easy.going song by one of those sweet songwriters that only folks like us know about.

Another one of those guys who is rarely mentioned outside of folks like us. Saw him in Kansas City last fall at Knucklehead’s. I thinkk he’s scheduled again for late May, unless all this bull crap caused it to be changed to a later date. If you’re like us, he’s a legend or will soon become one. If you’re not like us, I feel sorry for you, because you’re missing-out on a lot. When we saw him, he was full of Johnny and Willie stories and a couple Guy Clark jokes, along with his own very rough-cut songs about life. He was never pretty and never tried to be. He is who he is. He’s too real for mainstream radio.

Excellent, David ! Really good songwriting and performing. A great ballad and story. I enjoyed that a lot. Not just because he’s no longer with us, but because it’s true——-This is a John Prine kind of song——simplistic (and in a good, good way), easy to understand, clever, everyday language, believable, and even if it wasn’t about a real person it easily could have been. I think you did one-hell-of-a-good-job on this song.

I was reminded today of an interview Prine did years ago. He talked about how Keith Richards and Marty Stuart we’re staying at his house for a few days and he figured that was a great opportunity to get some guitar lessons from a couple of great players. Anyway, after numerous attempts to do what Richards and Stuart were showing him, Prine still had problems with it, so they told him to just do things his way. Prine laughed and said his mistakes and ineptness on guitar became his technique. ......For me, Prine’s simpleness made his performing and songwriting far beyond most of his peers. He was who he was and that’s what made him so special. Lyrics in everyday street vernacular were as philosophical as anything Confusis ever wrote. Plus, they made sense to the guy picking-up our trash or the gal waiting tables at Waid’s (a place from back in the day).

Sweet songs, Patrick! Nice and relaxing. I’ll look for you on Thursday.

Yeah, I’ve enjoyed this lady for many years. She’s one of those Cash/Prine unpolished yet very polished singer-songwriters who is simply real.

From my understanding , which is limited, the primary differences between a mahogany J45 and a mahogany Southern Jumbo are cosmetic. Of course, there are a few variations of the SJ and literally dozens of the J45, so tonal differences can be all over the place and they all depend on who is doing the listening. If you can play several good guitars (hopefully Gibson’s), pick the one that calls your name. The one you keep going back to. Don’t get all wrapped-up in what are considered tonal/wood/bracing/ glue/etc. differences. Get the guitar that is comfortable to play and you feel can be an extension of who you are..... Anyway, that’s what I try to do.....Good luck in your hunt!

Many stores out of TP, bottled water, cereal, and other things. I’m just out of patience. We go through all this crap, then they tell that the pandemic models they used to shut-down the world were wrong. I’m just ready for it to end, so I can savor my returning freedom. Then, I’ll be looking for payback. Until then, I’ll hang-around with the old lady, play some guitar, and hide in my model train world.

You nailed it, Murf! Sad that the news networks can’t get themselves to say it. They thrive on the negative.......Anyway, us old dogs have been through the fire before.🦮

Sal, i get a lot of inspiration from this forum and you are one of the reasons. This is a real good rendition of the song. Very smooth, mellow, and easy-on-the-ears. Good stuff.

Damn, Lars! You’ve come a long ways, my friend. You are really using your voice now. You and the guitar sound real good. And hang-on to those memories. Sometimes they’re all we’ve got.

So sad to hear this news. It kind of gave me the chills when I first heard he was ill with this virus. With all the health problems he’s fought for years, I guess he was kind of a prime candidate. His writing is so damn good that it’s irritating to think how few people know of him, aside from folks like us. He is a true legend with all the talent and natural mojo and charisma that goes with it. He was a really good human and the world is a lesser place without him. I listen to “Hello in There” (as just one example) and then I want to punch these new country hick-hop a-holes in mouth......Anyway, there won’t be another Prine.

So long as it’s not Elmer’s Glue, I don’t care.

Yes! The paranoia is pathetic. The news folks keep feeding a 24/7 diet of fear to the public and many accept it with no questions. It’s almost like Halloween when people have fun with being frightened. Sadly, it’s not Halloween. .........But, I’m just staying relaxed and mellow. My wife and I make the store if needed. Skype or Facetalk with the grandkids, cook on the grill, watch some TV, play with the dog, and late night and early morning I’ll play some guitar while I watch my N scale railroad. Plus, the winery I play monthly is building a patio and bar-b-que pit for the summer. There are too many things to look-forward-to to let myself get all down and depressed with the news. Wherever and whatever your cabin in the woods is, spend as much time there as you can. This bull crap will pass.👍

If you’re intent on getting a Gibson (and that’s the right direction to go) play a few if you can. They’ve all got their own tone. They won’t be identical to your EPI AJ, but neither will another EPI AJ. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the suggested guitars in this thread. Long scale, short scale——each has its own attributes. I gave my son my 90’s Gibson AJ, then ended-up getting a short scale Koa AJ. Don’t know if it’s really an AJ. It’s not Rosewood and it’s not long scale, BUT, it is a beast. Just get yourself a Gibson dread and I suggest you’ll be real happy with it. Good luck and have fun in the hunt.

Yeah, I really like your recording too. Nice and warm mellow tone. Vocal and guitar blend together very nicely. I like this kind of stuff. Easy-on-the-ears.

I see the positive in some things. Lots of people finally realize that they don’t need celebrities. They need the working-class guy/gal. It’s great to have family time, although for a lot of parents the situation makes it very stressful. They enjoy being home, but the worry about their jobs can be overwhelming. I think people have come-together, although there are still plenty of buttholes. I believe there is a human brotherhood in which we realize we’re all in this together. However, once this is over with, things will return to the way they were. Just look at our politics. This catastrophe hasn’t changed anything. Besides the elites who control everything are not doing without and coming-together like the rest of us. They feed the hatred to the media, which they control. And they don’t stand in long lines or wonder if they’ll be able to pay the rent. They don’t risk being a victim of crime as the rest of us do. Perhaps you and I are in this together, but they are not “you and I.” .... And I’m not crying about someone who has more than me——my wife and I are in okay shape. We can ride this out, but if the bottom falls-out of our economy, the society won’t be far behind and the people who still have to work to survive are going to be in horrible shape....and they’re the ones that keep our society fueled and running. People say “we’ll come out of this stronger.” Maybe after we fully recover 25-30 years down the road. Until then, we’re going to suffer. I just don’t see a lot of good that will come out of this. Brotherly Love is a nice thing to strive for, but you know as well as I do that it’s a dream and what we’re in is reality. ..Thank God (if there is one) for technology. At least we can see and talk to our grandkids, etc. Technology is what makes it possible to still function. But, what do we do if the internet goes out? Are we truly capable of surviving if all of our logistics and communications are brought to a halt? Look how we communicate here! Practically everything we now do in our lives is in one way or another linked to the internet. .....What really scares me is how quickly this happened. In two days, they had literally total control of our lives: where we can go, what we can do. And it’s been done all the way around the world. And they didn’t need an army. This came “out of the blue” and brought the world to its knees almost immediately and it’s mortality rate is shrinking each day. Yes, it’s serious, but i just don’t see millions upon millions dying. .........Anyway, I’ve at least written a couple of songs. Can’t wait to get back to some kind of “normal.” Can’t wait to start playing my gigs again. That will mean I’m seeing all the family again. ....Meanwhile, let’s hope the internet stays-up. Most of us might be too old to re-learn how to write letters again.👍👍

First of all, Ray, I’m terribly sorry to hear about the fire in your home. I’m glad everyone is safe. I can’t begin to imagine the mental devastation that goes with this tragedy. God bless all of you. Your daughter probably feels really bad. Help her out. Praying for you and yours. You and the guitar sound very good. Really good audio and video. The lyrics are super cool. Those who have too little now have less—-awesome line. Sums-up everything. This song is a real “slice of life.” I love this kind of stuff, especially the parts about Rosie and the vet.............Indeed, life happens. I suspect that somewhere down the line and when your ready, you might get the urge to write a song about the fire. You’ll probably need to do it and your daughter will probably need to hear it. I wish you a very quick recovery from this dark time.

Truly enjoyed it, Buc. Your singing and playing are always “spot-on.” You make it look easy. I admire it all. Like you, blue is not my favorite color for an acoustic, but that bird has such a damn mellow sound to my ears! Super sweet. ..... Good stuff, Buc! Stay well and stay home!

Tom, of these 3 keys, I’d say the first one was the most natural for you. That said, it sounds like your voice is straining a bit on all of them. Maybe give it a try in a lower key?........Just my opinion. Doesn’t make me right and someone else wrong........Whatever you decide, I appreciate you putting it on here. Ain’t Hummingbirds cool?

I think my Dove is something like a 2010 or so. I forget and haven’t looked at the sticker for a while. I bought it “used” through Guitar Center. It came from a GC in Atlanta. It’s likely the loudest guitar I’ve ever owned, if big volume is important. Projects very well. I plug-in for all my gigs, but with the Dove I could almost play unplugged. I’m purely a finger picker (pretty gentle stuff) ,but if I played with a pick I could probably play unplugged at some gigs and I’d be fine. This guitar is also very articulate. Each note is really clear and rings-on and on. Whoever had it before me must have been a finger picker also, because it’s almost like fretting an electric guitar. Ideal for what I play. Very comfortable to play. Very similar to my hog Hummingbird, but resonates more (I assume because of the maple). Anyway, I’ve thought about a Doves in Flight(also maple). Was tempted around Thanksgiving, but didn’t know if I’d be gaining anything beyond the “doves in flight” inlays. Sweet guitar, but I decided to keep the beast I have......Whatever Dove you decide on, I don’t think you can go wrong.

Never heard this before, but it certainly goes along with Dylan being a prodigious writer. When I saw the length of the lyrics I figured I'll listen to a bit of it, then just read them. But, the dark atmosphere of the recording really pulled me in. Sounds like a melodeon creating that somber and meloncholy sound. To me, Dylan really nails the historical event and what went on around it. So many of the songs that followed this event were cultural offsprings of it. I'm glad I listened to it all instead of just reading the lyrics. You won't dance to this song and you almost have to have been there or at least seriously read the history of this era to really pick-up on what Dylan is singing about. He paints one-hell-of-a picture with all the metaphors and similes. .....The music of the 60s was so much more than "music," It was part of all that was happening in societies throughout the world and it spoke of what was happening....... I was a freshman in high school when Kennedy was killed. I still remember coming down the steps from the 3rd floor and someone yelled that the president's been shot. By the time I got out to my ride, the radio was reporting he had died. And revolving around all of this was the ever-growing turbulence of the 60s. His Bobness is one of a very rare breed. He just might be the proverbial "one of a kind." I can see this being like Lightfoot's Canadian Railroad Trilogy. At first glance I hesitated because of the length , but then I saw it was a true historical journey. Anyway, Dylan is Dylan. No matter what The Beatles, The Stones, etc. were doing, people like Dylan, Lightfoot, Cash, Prine, and a few others were doing their own thing. I definitely see myself listening to this song many times. Dylan is truly Dylan. Thank God!

Real nice BT! I suspect that lots of pickers who grew-up in the 50’s and 60’s can identify with much of your story. My first concert wasn’t a big event, ,but it made a big impression on me. I was 8-9 years old and my dad took me to a Johnny Cash show at a bar named The Chesnut Inn. My dad was good friends with the guy who owned it. This was 1956-57. It was still JOhnny Cash & The Tennessee Two. What got to me the most was all the women screaming for Cash. By junior high I was understanding the link between guitar pickers and girls. In high school I’d sit on the school steps after school let out and play PP&M songs. Girls that wouldn’t give me a second look or I was too shy to talk to would stop and talk with me. I got a lot of confidence from playing on the school steps. . I was mainly into folk music, so lots of Cash’s stuff, along with Donovan, Ian Tyson, the folksy stuff from The Beatles, Kingston Trio, and most anything folksy. Played in a couple folk trios in college. We made a few bucks at times,but we were in it for the ladies......Started writing short stories and poems. Eventually started adding some chords to the poems, played my songs at open mics, then started playing libraries. My songs are simple and each one is pretty much a story about some aspect of my life. I write about dogs, parents, grand parents, cousins, and anything to do with my old neighborhood. Everything I write revolves around that theme. Been in this rut for decades. ...... I’ve played in a couple church bands. Good experiences to have, but I’m primarily a solo artist. Never had a problem getting-up in front of people and making an *** out of my self. Lots more to tell, but it’s real late here and at 72, chronological order and accuracy start to roam.....lol RCT mentioned something that’s very real for all of us. Two months ago, I had a longtime friend from our songwriting group die after a short battle with cancer. Yesterday, another old friend informed us he had 4-6 weeks to live........Life sucks, then you die....The passing of years and friends weighs on one’s mind. Seems we reach a point where there are more funerals to attend than weddings and birthdays... I guess there’s a song somewhere in this.......Anyway, I’m rambling.