Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 1043 Location: Boulder, CO
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:48 pm Post subject:
I'm a huge fan of Doyle II. Great writer, great singer and pretty good guitar player too....Arc Angles, solo, Smokestack and with Clapton and the last few Clapton records.....
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:36 pm Post subject: and it goes on......
Just thought I would like to say Robben's voice suits the context of his music. it wasn't until I first saw him perform live in '96 (opened with Rugged Road, I think!) that the guy totally blew me away. Those first few albums I purchased (mystic mile & handfull of blues) never left my CD player for weeks/months after. Even the friends i took to the concert who didn't rate him him too highly before, were totally blown away, by both the musicianship, tone and vocals.
I would also like to add that some music is like fine wine. If stored correctly and enjoyed at the right moment, it becomes a memorable experience, and one you would wish to repeat over and over. This is Robben's music all over!
finally, check out Jeff Buckley's Grace, or live at the Sin e for an artist with incredible vocal quality, whilst able to play the guitar simultaneously!
As many will say, it is subjective, and thank God for the diversity of this great art form.
All the best,
DD _________________ Music is the universal language; speak it with emotion, listen with a passion.
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:19 pm Post subject:
Quote:
Elvis, Bill Haley, Carl Perkins, The Beatles, The Stones and countless others (even Pat Boone!) were a cultural necessity in the fifties and early sixties, for the simple reason that the United States was a segregated, largely rascist country at that time
You're trying to tell me that you like Warren Haynes & Lowell George, but that Elvis wasn't much shot? You may feel he was a 'cultural necessity', but I think while Pat Boone & Bill Haley are possibly deserving of that title, you just have to accept that Elvis, whether you like him or not - I'm actually not really a fan - was one of the greatest popular singers of all time. The covers certainly don't have the depth of the originals, but the singing IS special.
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 886 Location: SF Bay Area
Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 4:16 pm Post subject:
maxsmith wrote:
Aeolian wrote:
I think Max's point was that very very few (of any color) folks can be a hero on both guitar and vocals... The most balanced folks I can think of would be Joe Louis Walker and Coco Montoya.
I think you get where I'm coming from...
I would probably add Robert Cray to your short list.
Max "The Hammer" Smith
Goes to show how subjective taste in the blues is. I don't care for Cray at all. (flame suit on) His guitar playing does nothing for me, and while I can deal with that vocal style in Joe Louis Walker because he backs it up with such inventive guitar work, Cray's voice leaves me cold. Come to think of it, Cray has this thin, high, warbly voice that kind of reminds me of someone... oh yeah ... Robben Except that Robben is rounder, has more body and grit, fuller and smoother low register, and nails the pitch from the beginning of the note. Plus, as Blob said, there's no rule that you have to sound like two packs and a fifth a day to sing the blues.
The boards smokin now _________________ There are no such things as wrong notes, there's only the look on your face.
My Stuff: www.stevekirbymusic.com
just have to join in here...I will ignore other mentioned names, (however for my money Hendix was a great singer 'Watchtower' being my favourite performance of anyone at anytime).....first off -
1) I would listen to Robben playing a plastic Woolworths guitar singing in the bath - he is that good in my opinion.
2) Out and out Blues/Rock guitarist/singer - Rory Gallagher, Jeff Healy (blind white man sings the blues !), Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Marriott
3) Guitarists who play outstandingly and also sing very well - Eric Johnson, James Grant, Francis Dunnery, Carl Verheyen,
4) Guitarists who play very well and also sing very well - Colin James. Boz Scaggs, and not forgetting Jeff Buckley who could sing the ass of nearly everyone ever and still play a reasonable guitar part at the same time
5) Acoustic Guitarists who can play rock and blues as well - James Taylor,
Elvis, Bill Haley, Carl Perkins, The Beatles, The Stones and countless others (even Pat Boone!) were a cultural necessity in the fifties and early sixties, for the simple reason that the United States was a segregated, largely rascist country at that time
You're trying to tell me that you like Warren Haynes & Lowell George, but that Elvis wasn't much shot? You may feel he was a 'cultural necessity', but I think while Pat Boone & Bill Haley are possibly deserving of that title, you just have to accept that Elvis, whether you like him or not - I'm actually not really a fan - was one of the greatest popular singers of all time. The covers certainly don't have the depth of the originals, but the singing IS special.
I'm not saying Elvis wasn't great and he is certainly one of the greatest popular singers of the 20th century (he went beyond that to become a cultural icon)- He can be a great artist and still be a cultural necessity for his time.
I don't consider all the white bluzers and rock 'n' rollers of the '50s and '60s to be artistic equals, obviously that's not the case between Elvis and Pat Boone - my point was that the general (white) public at that time was not going to accept the music they sang directly from the people who originated it, and, though all those artists and many others served as an invaluable bridge to lead more people to the (black) originators, most of the whites held their influences above themselves, in many cases to the point of reverence.
I've really enjoyed all the discussion through this thread - both the well-made points and the humor.
However, I have changed my mind about something I said - that Robben shouldn't sing - he's a grown man and he should do whatever he wishes.
I know there are those out there who enjoy Robben's voice (though many here used the phrase "acquired taste" to describe their feelings) and if Robben wants to sing and they want to hear it - so be it - Robben's not under any obligation to satisfy me.
I love Robben's playing and will continue to seek out his recordings (instrumental).
Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Ibaraki, Japan
Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:27 am Post subject:
Quote:
I love Robben's playing and will continue to seek out his recordings (instrumental).
Hammer
Thanks for the very enjoyable thread! There aren't too many purely instrumental Robben albums to my knowledge, apart from the ones already mentioned - Inside Story, Tom Scott etc. I would recommend checking out some of his sideman stuff. Live by Jimmy Witherspoon is a must. Also, Pop Pop by Rickie Lee Jones features some very tasteful playing. Cool Cat Blues by Georgie Fame is a real showcase for Robben as he basically produced it and has the role of primary soloist. Also don't cheat yourself by avoiding Charles Ford Band stuff. The original album is great but so are the reunion albums available on brother Patrick's Blue Rock'It label. Robben does sing, but there's plenty of blowing and Robben's brother Mark is one awesome harp player.
Never knew Robben was on RLJ album!, she is one of my favourite female artists, particularly her older an dmore recent music, I will have to check out the named album
Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:56 am Post subject: hard to explain
that might be the cultural necessity for white people to admit the "black" music is good, wealthy , inventive, groovy, makes feel happy,, and so and... without giving due to the " black community ". Just like if it was just a plain white music.
To make a long story short it's just another rip off.
When you think just 50 year's before this happened White musicians where playing whith Brown make up ...................
I mean it in the sense that given the culture of that time, the originators of blues and R&B music were not going be accepted and embraced by the white majority as easily as white imitators doing watered-down versions (Pat Boone) - even they were opposed by many at the time as bringing the culture down with black (ok - they didn't use the term "black" - they used a much uglier term) music - even referring to it as "the devil's music". A lot of those smae people's grandkids or great-grandkids are now listening to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf - though they got there via the route of their parents listening to Elvis and the Beatles and Zeppelin and hearing SRV or Clapton themselves - I don't know that we would have gotten this far in half a decade without people like Elvis and the Stones - that's what I mean by cultural neccessity.
It's sort of like, let's say, 1000 years ago a woman had come up with a great scientific theory or discovery- it would be much easier for a man to have that idea considered and accepted than a woman, given the culture of that time. Many woman authors actually used male pen names for the same reason.
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Except that Robben is rounder, has more body and grit, fuller and smoother low register, and nails the pitch from the beginning of the note. Plus, as Blob said, there's no rule that you have to sound like two packs and a fifth a day to sing the blues.
Hey. Did someone in here say something less that respectful about Elvis?
