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Whitefang

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Posts posted by Whitefang

    Crap, Charlie Watts

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    Ack.   No sooner did I go offline yesterday, then get in my car to run to a store, I barely got to the first stop sign(5 houses down the street from mine) when the all news station I keep my vehicle's radio on made mention of this.

    Well, in typical forum fashion(not just this one, but all, in my experience)  many came in and claimed Watts to be the "best" of the rock drummers, as they did when Moon, then Bonham and then Mitchell passed.  But that's not saying I didn't think he was a very good drummer.   I do know and think he was up there with the others.  But I liked him for another reason as well.

    It would always amuse me, whenever the Stones made an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that while Jagger was going through his histrionics, and the others were boppin' and shaking to the tune they were playing, there sat Watts,  very relaxed and still,  barely moving and looking into the camera with a very deadpan, nonplussed and almost bored expression on his face.  [laugh]

    Tell the truth, there's plenty who thought perhaps the older former bassist Bill Wyman would go first, and for sure, anyone would think Keith Richards would have been gone LONG before Watts.   [wink]   And like drummer Ringo of The Beatles, Watts was the Stones member who many thought would be the coolest to hang out with.

    You certainly do deserve to Rest In Peace Charlie.

    Whitefang

    Mean Mary, is it just me,

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    As a long time Buffy admirer, yes I do hear a bit of her in Mary's voice.  And back in "the day" I thought Buffy was kinda cute, and this lady isn't too hard on the eyes either.   

    VERY good picker too!  And that "mean" part must refer to her pickin'.   [wink]

    Whitefang

    • Like 1

    Who lives forever anyway?

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I've been dealing with the passing of some loved ones over the last 22 years(Mom in '99,  my brother in '11,  wife just two 1/2 years ago, and her older sister just last May)  So in those cases it's easy to see why we mourn regardless of spiritual bent.  They were people we were close to, loved dearly and their deaths leave a hole in our existence.  And having endured those losses and their effect on me, I can understand the grief others might feel at a similar loss.  So I can then offer truly sincere condolences.   As for any of them being in a "better place" well, I have my own thoughts and beliefs in that regard,  so I'll not address them here for now.  But will digress a bit----

    I don't care for people who give what I consider lame excuses for not visiting a sick and dying loved one, or eschews their funeral.   Like;  "Funerals make me sad" (really?  Sadder than the death of the person? ).  Or;  "I wanted to remember him( or her) they way he/she was."   Notice how both excuses start with "I" or contain "me".  But the fact is, the illness and the subsequent funeral wasn't about them!   And all the people I lost that I mentioned up there are always remembered by me.  AND, wouldn't you know....   always the way they were.  And at different points in their lives.   And this is true in both the cases of my Mother and wife.   I cared for and helped care for both of them up until  they died.  At their sickest and most debilitated.   And yet when I think of them, it's always the best times with them I recall.     OK......

    Back to O topic:   As for the passing of our musical heroes or in the case of Watts, a member of a well loved or favorite band,  well in my case it's empathy for his family and friends and long time bandmates I feel.   I doubt I'll gnash any teeth over his passing,  but like the old online saying goes....   "Don't be sad that it's over, rather be happy that it happened."  (like:  be glad to have had the experience of Charlie Watts' existence).    [wink]

    Whitefang

    Favorite guitar solos

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I've never been a Ted Nugent fan on his own.   But His solo on "Journey To The Center Of Your Mind" when he was with The Amboy Dukes was, back in "the day" , a favorite solo.

    And for some of the kiddies here who are unfamiliar.......

    NOTE:  the '68 footage in this clip is from some TV show on which they "sync'd" and pantomimed the song to the studio track.  And for the record, at the time the band was only known as The Amboy Dukes.   NOT "Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes".  :rolleyes:

    And dig the outfits!  \:D/

    Whitefang

    Security cameras and such

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I just keep the porch light on when I turn in.  When I'm out during the day, there's too many nosy neighbors keeping "tabs" on every house on the block so I don't worry too much.  My house is in such need of exterior sprucing( faded siding color,  50 year old awning,  old porch swing with rusted metal frame) That it looks like someone none too prosperous lives there.  [wink]

    I don't know anything about those Ring doorbell things but that the only guy I know that had one got rid of it because it would send an alarm every time a stray cat or squirrel  got on his porch.  And something else...

    All the ads I see for those things show "footage"( not real invasions of course) of supposed burglars and other thieves approaching the front door.  Huh!   I endured only one break-in. It was 0ver 30 years ago, in a different house than I'm in now.  Happened when we were out.  The crooks busted in through the BACK DOOR!  So, unless you get TWO ring doorbell systems, for front AND the back door, your just spinning your wheels . 

    Plus, both my front and back doors are strong steel doors with sturdy  deadbolt locks.    And since most the video footage I see on the news taken by those systems  are of people stealing AMAZON packages off the porch, and since I never order anything from Amazon that can't fit in the mailbox(DVDs. CDs and books) I'm not really too nervous.  [wink]

    Whitefang

    I cannot let the passing of Tom T. Hall go without mention.

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I'm not sure how much(if any) influence Tom T. Hall had on folk music.  And likely had some influence on some country artists.  His music not in my wheelhouse, he was though, a talented performer and did deserve more mention.

    Mike Finnigan wasn't exactly a household name, but I did see him in a profile about Hendrix explaining the method of playing he used on that track.   Yep.  music did take it in the nuts this week.

    Whitefang

    Favorite guitar solos

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    There is some difficulty to this.   We all realize(I hope) that not all "solos" are played exclusively as mid-song "interludes",  which brings up the matter of an artist like JOE PERRY of Aerosmith. Some of his best "solo" work is done as "outros" of tunes like;

    WALK THIS WAY    and----

    SWEET EMOTION

    Add those to my list as well.  [wink]  Along with...

    Neil Schon's quick appearance in Santana's "Everybody's Everything".

    Whitefang

    Don Everly R.I.P.

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    Aw, man!  That sucks.  I can't believe I didn't hear about this elsewhere.

    I remember a PBS special about the brothers a couple of years ago and it was delightful to see Don still contributing insights via interview footage.  It was then too, I learned that character actor JAMES BEST was a cousin of their's.  

    I always loved Phil and Don's music, and through the early days of rock, into the "British invasion" period and through the psychedelia era, "acid rock", "Prog rock" and beyond, never stopped being a fan.    I can remember those early days when you had to go into the "Country/Western" bins of a record shop to find their recordings.  I remember an interview with Don in the late '70's when he was joking about that, and how record label producers told the brothers that Rock'n'Roll  was, "Just a FAD!"  [laugh]

    Rest In Peace Don.  You've well earned it.

    Whiteang

    • Like 1

    Favorite guitar solos

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted · Edited by Whitefang

    Lotta good ones up there.  But remember....

    This is about guitar solos, not necessarily a "favorite songs" listing.  

    JDGM:   "I Love Everybody"?   Yep.  For me that one is always in a coin toss with "Hustled Down In Texas" come solo rating.  [wink]

    I could also add;

    RANDY CALIFORNIA's solo in "Mr. Gramophone Man".  Pretty  good skills for a 17 year old.  And too, the one in "Girl In Your Eye."

    A "great" solo for me isn't always about rapid fire notes and other "pyrotechnics".   Many times(as B.B. King always proved)  It's about what it SAYS.  Not how fast it's said.  [wink]

    Whitefang

    Favorite guitar solos

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    WARNED ya!  [laugh]

    No need to let us in on ALL your favorite solos.  Just a few will do.  And maybe a few words about what you like about them(also no need to be over-academic).   Personally, I do understand the difficulty in paring down so many great solos I really like to just a few "significant" ones,   But I usually go with.....

    1. MAYBELLENE (Chuck Berry):   Dig that first half of the solo.  A lively groove on what's essentially one note bent and bounced to the ear's delight.  And proving a great solo doesn't need 500 notes a minute played at 11.

    2.SOMETHING( The Beatles):   George's solo sounds like a combo of soulful slide and finger to string picking with a haunting effect.

    3.CROSSROADS( Cream):  From the live "Wheels of fire" recording.   Many put this one on a "favorites" list.  And why not?   An excellent marriage of Blues emoting and rock sizzle.

    4. UP FROM THE SKIES(Jimi Hendrix):  From the "Axis: Bold As Love" LP.   I lean towards the second "outro" solo. A clever dance dressed in some of the best early Wha work.

    5.HUSTLED DOWN IN TEXAS(Johnny Winter) Sounds like to me, Johnny's "scatting" with his axe rather than  playing a standard solo.

    6. SULTANS OF SWING(Dire Straits): That solo by Knopfler that takes us out of there is about the best finger picking on an electric guitar in a rock tune I can think of.   Chet Atkins truly an influence on Mark.

    Whitefang

    • Like 1

    Battle of the "Stairway" solos

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

     

    I feel a bit uncomfortable with music used or viewed or in a competitive way.

    Oh, yeah.  Like back in "the day"  There would be real loud arguments that sometimes broke into actual fistfights over who were better.... The Beatles or The Stones.  :rolleyes:  And for people like me, who liked them both, it was precarious because we'd often get pressed( with the threat of violence) to make a choice.   And it's my understanding they both thought highly of each other.

    You mentioned Bach.  Well, I really don't think those old "masters" felt competitive about anything.  Some likely liked and enjoyed other composer's music  or disliked other's too but made no public bones about it.  Except maybe Beethoven [wink]  who criticized other musicians playing of his music rather than other composers(as after a time he was unable to hear any of it).   But my dislike of Hector Berlioz has nothing to do with possibly my thinking he had no talent as a composer.  I never thought that.  

    And we all know that supposed "rivalry" between Mozart and Salieri was urban legend.  But did make for a good play and movie.  [cool]

    Whitefang

    I'm floored

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    16 hours ago, slimt said:

     I dont care about there personal lives or how they evolved.    There music is okay.  But they played the death out of there tunes up here. They  Kind of wore it all out.  
     

     

    Personal lives WHERE?   Music WHERE?  [wink]

    Whitefang

    • Haha 1

    Battle of the "Stairway" solos

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I've gone through that nonsense a lot.  My saying I don't like this musician or band or singer doesn't necessarily mean I think they're not good.(except in a few cases) .  Just that what they do isn't appealing to me.   For instance;  BARBARA STREISAND.  I once said I didn't care for her.  A rabid fan of hers immediately jumped o my case----

    "How can you say she's NOT a GREAT singer when she has the BEST voice in the world?"   

    Well, I never did say I thought she couldn't sing.  She has a fantastic voice.  It's just the music she sings is not to my liking.  Or at least most of it. I did like her breakout "People".  But a lot of those saccharine  Bacharach  and Hamlisch tunes weren't for me.  And but for a few tunes I really didn't have too much use for the very talented David Bowie, and as talented as he also was, I couldn't get into Prince that much(if at all).  I could go on, but I'm sure you got the point.

    Whitefang

    I'm floored

    in The Gibson Lounge

    Posted

    I've never considered The Beatles as being "formulaic".  I seem to recall enjoying the feeling of anticipation for the next Beatles LP just to hear what they were up to NEXT.  Sure, you couldn't mistake the vocals, but musically there was a HUGE difference from RUBBER SOUL to REVOLVER to SGT. PEPPER to the White Album and on....

    Same with Dylan.  Couldn't mistake his voice from album to album,  But HIGHWAY 61 wasn't a BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME redux,  as BLONDE ON BLONDE  wasn't another 61, and the successive LPs were all departures from the previous. 

    Somehow rct didn't catch that.  

    But, as the OP was the only time I've ever heard NICKLEBACK ,  I really couldn't comment on their discography. Just by that clip alone I can only claim they aren't the BEST band I ever heard, but still, far from the WORST.

    Whitefang

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