It Might Get Loud (again)

[Witmer]

So I finally got to watch the second half of It Might Get Loud. Wow, did I enjoy this film! Also arguing for what a good film it is would be the amount of discussion it's prompted here. I have a few other thoughts, none terribly deep, but thought I'd share anyway.

 

1. I came away with greater respect for the two guys I knew less about beforehand - Jimmy P. & Jack White, just by learning more about them. That was cool.

 

2. The Edge developed his style partly in reaction against the "rock-god" approach JP made popular. Jack White developed his style partly in reaction to the technology-first approach The Edge made popular. So in a sense, Paige created both his successors.

 

3. It was awesome to see them play together. I thought Paige's low-end riff made "I Will Follow" (a U2 tune, and not one of my favorites) cooler than I'd ever heard it. And the way they did "In My Time of Dying" - three very different approaches, but it was like watching alchemy, seeing them work together instead of clashing. Possibly the highlight of the film. I got the feeling that neither Paige or Edge could quite figure out what to play on Jack White's song, which amused me.

 

4. It crystallized for me that, while I like U2 because I think many of their songs are freaking awesome, I like The Edge because I feel like I can relate to him. The way he described his struggles with writing music, questioning whether he was even a guitar player - that's me. What the Edge said Punk music did for him - focusing on saying something with music, no matter what your ability actually is - The Edge did for me. I learned from him that it's okay to spend hours and hours off by yourself, twiddling and fiddling and sorting through a mountain of crap to find a good idea - even when other people step into a jam session and pull genius stuff out the air.

 

5. Along the same lines: I respect Jack White's determination to struggle, to produce honest music. But my own limitations are more than enough struggle for me, thanks. I don't need my freaking guitar fighting with me too.

 

6. I was interested enough in Jack White that I went and read a couple of articles about him. In his work with the White Stripes, he uses octave pedals to generate multiple sounds, broadening things and kind of making up for having only one guitar.... the same reason The Edge started his use of stereo delay effects. Hmmm... Seems to show that even in our differences there are similarities.

 

Anyway, sorry for the novel-length post. Feel free to comment, but play nice!

[NeoConMan]

Good assessment H9.

 

Seeing Page, with a goofy teenager grin, doing Air Guitar along with Link Wray's Rumble was priceless.

 

Think about that for a minute - millions of people have done the Air Guitar to Page's music and it comes full circle...

[pippy]

+1

 

What Neo said.

[Witmer]

Thanks guys. And you're right, Neo - I couldn't help matching Jimmy's grin when he was air-guitar-ing to that old vinyl. Something awesomely child-like to see in a "god" like that. The same kind of expression Edge and White had when Paige ripped into "Whole lotta' Love", but on HIS face.