Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 886 Location: SF Bay Area
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:14 am Post subject: Slide and Sacrilege
The latest box from Amazon arrived Friday. On recommendations from folks here I ordered Sonny Landreth's South of I-10 and Derek Trucks Joyful Noise.
Ever since the demise of Duane Allman most slide players (the occasional Jeff Beck parts excepted) leave me cold. Nonstop noise with limited melodic ideas. Typified by Dave Hole. But I was looking forward to changing my mind.
Sorry Sonny, I just didn't get it. More inventive melodic ideas than usual, probably due to all the tunings, but the same kind of raucous wild sound that works for puncuation or the peak of a solo, but gets tireing after awhile. A little bit of that unmuted, all the strings ringing, thing goes a long way. A non-stop assult on the senses.
On the other hand, Derek Trucks just floored me. I can't help thinking this is what Duane would be doing if he were still here. The range of material from Indian ragas, Cuban grooves, New Orleans funk, burning fusion, to down home blues is just incredible. And all of it played like that was all they ever did. Nothing is phoned in. You are aware from the slurred notes that Derek is playing slide but it doesn't sound like a slide record. It sounds like music, and the slide is just one more tool in this young phenoms arsenal. The sensitivity and range coveys a Robben like maturity. Where this guy is going to be in 10 or 20 years is just frightening to consider. I never thought I'd put a slide player in my top 10 but I just may have to.
Bottom line, Sonny went on the shelf, Derek went in the car. _________________ There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com
Joined: 21 Jul 2003 Posts: 401 Location: College Station, TX
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:22 pm Post subject:
Hi A:
First of all, a note of encouragement for being open minded enough to check these guys out, and shell out for their music.
Second, a couple of comments in response. Landreth - I would have suggested Levee Town over South of I-10 to start with. I think it is a better produced disc and some of your issues would not have been so stark. The guitar is not so out front and shrill as in Levee Town, but this is just my opinion. Having said that, I-10 is, to me, an incredible statement for some of the reasons you do not care for it. His use of open tunings and dronings with vibrato really captures a feel. I have said it before, there are few guitarists that can evoke a sense of place better than Landreth. Once you hear him, you know from whence he comes! Congo Square and Turning Wheel are faves of mine, but the closer, Great Gulf Wind chokes me up every time - what a great tune and horn section. Part of the appeal to me of his music is also the sense of musical community he manages to muster - these are really band efforts, not just a hot guitarist in front of a good band. I think this is something you, correctly, point out as a positive reaction to the Trucks CD - the whole band grooves across all these different styles. There is a real sense of musical connection among the players on both CDs.
Speaking of Trucks - you hit the nail on the head with his diversity, and watching him play with the Allman Bros at the Beacon (on Direct TV a few months ago) was a real treat to see how he managed to blend the traditional ABB slide style with his own approach. Having said that, my long term reaction has been the polar opposite - Landreth is still in my car, but Derek is on the shelf! For whatever reason, the Landreth stuff speaks to me over time, but Joyful Noise wears a little thin.
I guess we are just like little snowflakes - no two guitarists alike.
Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 103 Location: Upper left coast
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 9:56 pm Post subject:
I was fortunate enough to hear both Sonny Landreth and Derek Trucks play live last summer, and both are excellent guitarists. Trucks was undoubtedly my favorite, partly because of the wide range of styles he played. At one point in the show, he sounded so much like Duane Allman, it gave me goosebumps.
Another slide player to check out is Roy Rogers. I bought his Pleasure & Pain CD on a recommendation, and it always make me smile to listen - great songwriting.
I think HOMEWARD BOUND is Landreth's best CD, very versatile playing (for a player with his vocabulary) and excellent songwriting and marvellous guitar sounds. One for the car. Concerning the other mentioned CDs I agree with Aeolian and for Derek Trucks also.
Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 5:11 am Post subject: slide show
Hi guys, intresting, i don't mind Sonny's overwhelming style since i love Johnny Winter on slide (My desert island album Still alive & Well , Rock'nRoll is a slide frenzy). Yes Dereck kills as much as the way he doesn't move on stage : For sure.
Then i heard about Roy Rogers before having the opportunitie to watch & listen him in Sonoma Blues Festival this summer. He floored me while jammin' with Mofo or another band , then he made me fall asleep while doing his regular gig on the main stage, a Hat and a old west preacher suit
that is cool even if a little "austère", but what about Frenzy............
But , one of my top five LP is Chicken skin music from Ry with Hawaian guys.
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 886 Location: SF Bay Area
Posted: Tue Mar 16, 2004 1:34 pm Post subject: Re: slide show
Bluelobster wrote:
Hi guys, intresting, i don't mind Sonny's overwhelming style since i love Johnny Winter on slide (My desert island album Still alive & Well , Rock'nRoll is a slide frenzy). Yes Dereck kills as much as the way he doesn't move on stage : For sure.
Then i heard about Roy Rogers before having the opportunitie to watch & listen him in Sonoma Blues Festival this summer. He floored me while jammin' with Mofo or another band , then he made me fall asleep while doing his regular gig on the main stage, a Hat and a old west preacher suit
that is cool even if a little "austère", but what about Frenzy............
But , one of my top five LP is Chicken skin music from Ry with Hawaian guys.
Odd that I didn't think of Johnny Winter. On the rare occasions that I do mess with a slide, it's his electric take on the delta that I end up channeling. I could never ever manage Duane's tone and control, not worth even trying unless you want to live it for years.
I saw Roy Rodgers with Norton Buffalo once, same hat and a preachers suit bit. Interesting but not exactly toe tapping. I always wondered what he sounded like with a band. I've seen Keb Mo get in front of a modern band and make it happen. Interstingly, a year or so ago, Roy cancelled out at the last minute on a local club. I was driving back from lunch and got one of those "you playing tonight?" calls. Club full of folks expecting Roy didn't seem to mind being assulted with distorted guitar solos and weird songs (at one point we even played "Spain"). Maybe they were expecting the Frenzy that Blob saw.
BTW, "chicken skin" is Hawaiian slang for what is commonly called "goose bumps". When I worked in the music store we would find the acoustics left in all sorts of wild tunings. Sometimes, three or four old guys would be jamming away and we'd just sit a listen. In the mid 70's it spawned a style we called "wooden music". Kind of a mix of CSN&Y with country and old fashioned Hawaiian music. Lot's of harmonies (in tune too, even though everybody had to learn everything off of "4 Way Street" ). Eventually this migrated to an electric bass, then keyboards, then a drummer, then an electric guitar and full circle, we were back to a regular band. I think the only releases that got off the islands were from a band called Kalapana. _________________ There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:51 am Post subject: Music and music, always music
Aeolian thank you for the Hawaian insight. Makes me feel like i am going to listen back to Taj Mahal and his Hawaian soulmates Band.
Bottleneck :
Have U seen Johnny Winter playing this wild song in Woodstock (mean mistreater!?!) with the young Shannon on Bass................ It makes me cry, it's so wild and it smells like there is odds signature.
You know the outtakes of the movie, they did a kind of documentary and put some gems , like The Band , J.W. and oh yes 2 unreleased tunes from cooker & grease band & more stuff and interviews from people involved.
Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 328 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 3:19 am Post subject: Re: Music and music, always music
Bluelobster wrote:
:Have U seen Johnny Winter playing this wild song in Woodstock (mean mistreater!?!) with the young Shannon on Bass................ It makes me cry, it's so wild and it smells like there is odds signature.
You know the outtakes of the movie, they did a kind of documentary and put some gems , like The Band , J.W. and oh yes 2 unreleased tunes from cooker & grease band & more stuff and interviews from people involved.
This awsome track of Johnny is called "Mean Town Blues". He plays a rare Fender guitar that was originaly a 12-string with split pickups and a "golf stick" headstock. This song gives me chicken skin every time I see it. _________________ "Don't play what's there, play what's not there" Miles Davis
Joined: 19 Feb 2004 Posts: 103 Location: Upper left coast
Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 7:10 pm Post subject:
Had the opportunity to see Roy Rogers play live Friday night with his band the Delta Rythym Kings (power trio). They sounded great - he played mostly originals interspersed with half a dozen Robert Johnson songs. Near the end of the show he play a couple John Lee Hooker tunes - cookin'. He played six different guitars, there was plenty of dancing going on and some amazing guitar playing.
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 3:46 am Post subject: Derek Trucks!
Hi,
wanted to chime in and give my 2 Euro cents worth:
I saw Derek Trucks on the ABB Live at the Beacon DVD somewhile ago. I was really impressed with his playing, cause as said, he has a very different approach to slide, yet he manages to come up with a great Duane vibe.
The only thing that seemed to get on my nerves after a while was whenever he played some licks (mainly when the dynamics of the band increased), he used to strum with his whole hand all the strings before playing the lick. Sort of like a little eruption before each new lick. This is great sometimes, but not all the time. It seemed to muddy his sound a bit as well.
But again, he is very very good and I really love his playing.
Sonny Landreth is a great player and I really like his playing on the John Hiatt live at the Budokan. But not much slide there. I thought the slide solo on Lipstick Sunset (I think it was on that number) was a bit lacking though.
Cheers!
Electron _________________ Oops, there goes the neighbourhood!
Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Posts: 234 Location: Hartlepool, U.K.
Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2004 3:51 am Post subject:
That last post brought a Ry smile to my lips _________________ "Creativeness often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were only thought up a little more than a century ago?" - Bernice Fitz-Gibbon 1894-1982
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). Eventually this migrated to an electric bass, then keyboards, then a drummer, then an electric guitar and full circle, we were back to a regular band. I think the only releases that got off the islands were from a band called Kalapana.
Aeolian thank you for the Hawaian insight. Makes me feel like i am going to listen back to Taj Mahal and his Hawaian soulmates Band.
