It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:44 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 37 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:36 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:56 am
Posts: 2766
Location: metro Chicago USA
Personal thought #1 reading the posts; lighten up. Really. Take a deep breath. Lighten up.

Personal thought #2. "Blues" has become mega-formulaic, much like hyper-produced Stetson & sequin pop calling itself "country."

Personal thought #3; There is a long, long spiritual distance from Robert Johnson and Son House and Leadbelly singing and writing Blues "from their individual 1930s racial profile"...

...to modern "Blues-playing-persons" with expensive electric guitars and expensive amps and all sorts of electronic tone-modifying gee-gaws, into several million dollars worth of studio equipment and pressing disks by the hundred thousand. Or playing in the comfy the security of their suburban bedrooms on lesser but still excellent gear.

Sorry if any offense is taken.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:56 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:41 pm
Posts: 1257
peterp, I have to tell you... I like everything that's played with intelligence, conviction, and skill. I like blues, country, hip-hop, jazz (even the "smoov" variety), big band, classical, a capella pop, disco house, R&B, funk... everything. Like The Duke said, "There are only two kinds of music: good, and bad."

I dig NRBQ playing Johnny Cash's "Get Rhythm," the Pimps of Joytime's "Street Sound," I like Steely Dan and AC/DC, Buck Owens and Oscar Peterson, the Monkees and Left Banke, I love James Levine's recording of Brahm's 3rd with the Chicago and Court and Spark. I dig everything that's played right.

As for profiling, I'm a middle-aged white guy. So, in the grand ethnic tradition, "We can say it, but you can't." :D

But I really have to argue this point with you: IMO, blues doesn't require intellectual energy, to create or absorb, and while jazz grows out of it, it bears no more resemblance to jazz than manure bears to roses. Getting into blues isn't "moving up" in one's taste.

I have to agree with JSJH. Have you seen the movie "Ghost World," featuring the band called Blues Hammer? Priceless.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 1:32 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 12
Location: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
SlapChop wrote:
Comeback??!? What, from total obscurity to moderate obscurity? The Blues has never had mainstream success, and it never will. Here's why:

1. Lack of innovation. It's just too formalized to allow for new stuff to happen. 12-bar, 16-bar, shuffle, snare train, blah blah blah. As soon as you innovate in any way, everybody says it's not The Blues anymore.

2. Sausage fest. Girls hate it. Which is, as puffed-chest males like to say, "nuff said."

3. Old-timey. Young people hate it. Can't relate. Okay, so you woke up dis moanin;.... big deal.

4. Too much guitar soloing. If Stevie Ray Vaughn is "The Blues" (and this seems to be the music that so many MAWG's cry this lament over), then I'm Muddy Waters. All that gun-slinging appeals to no-one but guitar players. Really popular music has no guitar solos; even George Harrison couldn't get more than four bars off before the vocals came back.

There you go. With rare exceptions (12-year old "prodigies," the occasional girl who follows baseball), nobody likes the blues but middle-aged white guys who own Stratocasters. People want to dance, to sing along, to feel a chill, to fall in love. They don't want to hear some dude wank all over the same boring changes and make passionate faces while he does it. The blues is like reggae: fun once every couple years or so, but, man, isn't that the same band they had up there last week? No? Just playing the same songs, is that it? Let's go someplace else.

And I'm not talking smack just to be harsh or raise Cain in the forum, I'm expressing my actual opinion. I love the blues, but I don't ever want to hear "Sweet Home Chicago" again as long as I live.


I agree with most of your analysis. Those people who really understand and are blues afficianado's don't see SRV as "the blues". They know that there are differant types of blues, crossovers to jazz, and offshoots such as West Coast Swing. I also agree blues will never be in the main stream of music however there are some innovative blues players that have branched out into other genre's and brought those influences into the blues to make it interesting. Duke Robillard is one notable example of that IMO.

_________________
Every journey begins with the first step so don't trip..


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:07 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:27 pm
Posts: 2000
Location: MN
This thread brings me to think about the movie The Commitments. Great R & B movie...............The movie is set in Ireland and the story revolves around young Irish musicians putting together a R & B Band. One scene has them on a city bus reciting "I'm black and I'm proud".....very funny. Point is, the blues is in everything and everywhere, jazz, rock, country - Ireland, Scotland, Eastern Europe US and on, and on, and on. If you like music, you like the blues. It is a part of every 20th century song that we listen to.


I am a northern German / Norwegian living in Minnesota but in my heart I am Derek Trucks, Eric Clapton, Jonny Lang, Robert Johnson, Howlin Wolf, Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend, BB King, Mike Campbell, Johnny Winter, Lightning Hopkins, Miles Davis, Joe Walsh, Steve Cropper, etc., etc., etc.

Don't let anyone fool you...........The Blues is alive and well!!!!!

:D

_________________
I Can't Explain


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:57 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25353
Location: Witness Protection Program
Not sure whose bringin' it, but Satch is promoting it. 8)

http://www.myspace.com/satchsnewbluerevue

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:58 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:33 pm
Posts: 280
Location: Sacramento, CA
Hey Fenderheads-

So much passion in this thread....That's the blues- Passion, Soul, Conviction, Desire... All of us in this forum could write a tune or two about these things.

Blues is evolving because the human condition is evolving-But even with all the changes...since the days of Robert Johnson...we still suffer and the Blues is one outlet-

As for who is going to carry the blues further down that dusty road....who knows.

The Freeze

_________________
There's Always Room For MELLOW !!!!

2000 MIM Stratocaster, Midnight Wine W/Texas Specials
2000 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
1969 Fender Vibro Champ


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:04 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:32 pm
Posts: 1384
Location: uɐʇsıʞɔnuɐɔ 'puɐlʇɐlɟ
:D OK, that's a good one ! :lol:
Need to qualify it a bit, really depends what you were into before you found the blues!, Say a hard core partridge family aficionado.
( I say that with big grin, I used to like the Monkees (there I said it) and they were not even a real band, then I moved on up to the big argument of whether The Ruttles or Spinal Tap ruled.)

Only fair since I asked you what you like, my music collection is around 700 CD's and is now growing in DVD audio & blu-rays covers most genres (except rap&hiphop, that just gives me a headache)

Have to see if I can find that movie here, sounds interesting!


SlapChop wrote:
bears no more resemblance to jazz than manure bears to roses. Getting into blues isn't "moving up" in one's taste.

I have to agree with JSJH. Have you seen the movie "Ghost World," featuring the band called Blues Hammer? Priceless.

_________________
Keep on Truckin, Going full speed ahead down the highway to hades.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:17 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Sun Nov 18, 2007 3:12 pm
Posts: 140
Hey who knows, maybe someday one of us young guys on here will be the next blues king. We can all dream right! :D


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:08 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:31 pm
Posts: 2122
Location: Southern California Mountains
tomk62 wrote:
SlapChop wrote:
nobody likes the blues but middle-aged white guys who own Stratocasters.


Ouch! :?

Spot on analysis though ...

Actually you couldn't be more wrong. Go to a blues concert and look around. All Ages and all walks of life love the blues. You described both Gigantours I've been to, but not a BB King show. I love Megadeth but Metal doesn't exactly reach a broad audience like blues, Rock, or country.

BTW Trolling is seriously out of fasion, it's so 20th century. :roll:

_________________
"Persistence Is The Father Of Invention"
-Crazy Old Man In Training
Image


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:31 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:13 pm
Posts: 19026
Location: Illinois, USA
i think i read all of the posts but i'll probably read them again because they were each on point and interesting . thanks bros.

_________________
you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:32 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 600
Location: Central New Jersey
Great discussion guys - and for all of you blues believers, we need you to get over to Blues Republic to help spread the music ...

_________________
http://www.bluesrepublic.org/

2008 Fender American Stratocaster
2008 Fender Deluxe Telecaster
Fender Power Jazz Bass Special 1987 (MIJ)
Egnater Renegade Head
Egnater Tourmaster 2x12 cab


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:58 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:41 pm
Posts: 1257
FirstMeasure wrote:
BTW Trolling is seriously out of fasion, it's so 20th century. :roll:


I told you in the first post that I'm not trolling. I'm expressing what I expected to be an unpopular opinion, but that's not the same thing. You think anybody who disagrees with you must be trolling?

C'mon, get real. The Blues - in any of its forms, but especially not this hydra-headed beast that forms "Societies" and holds "Fests" and "Open Mic Jams" all across the nation - is not a mainstream favorite. Forget who you saw at Blooze-N-BBQ '07. Just scan The Billboard Book of Top 40 hits and see what people enjoyed most from the middle 50s to the present day. Let's say "Midnight Rider" and "Crossroads" and "All Along The Watchtower" are all blues. That would mean about three out of a bazillion records.

My point (minus the exaggeration that is obviously for comic effect) is this: the blues has never enjoyed mainstream hit status. It has been kept "alive" (if you want to call a semi-embalmed body on extreme life support with tubes hanging from every vein "alive") by a clutch of middle aged guitar players. It has not been suppressed or supplanted in the public's heart by a bunch of talentless hacks (the stock lamentation of everybody who feels their favorite music isn't sufficiently represented on the radio). It was just never that popular.

Yes, you hear echoes of it in most pop forms. There's also a little vanilla in almost every cookie recipe, but nobody drinks it straight.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:10 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:33 pm
Posts: 280
Location: Sacramento, CA
Hey Gang-

SlapChop- I respect your opinion. I may not agree with everything you have stated ... but that's my own opinion.

It's the tone- Remember that sarcasm does not communicate well through typing and because of that the joke or wit is lost but the sting of your comments come through loud and clear-

Let us just remember that we need to communicate better- All of Us

BTW- I am a middle aged white Dude who listens and plays the blues and have done so since I was in my teens.

Keep It Real

The Freeze

_________________
There's Always Room For MELLOW !!!!

2000 MIM Stratocaster, Midnight Wine W/Texas Specials
2000 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
1969 Fender Vibro Champ


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:50 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:56 am
Posts: 2766
Location: metro Chicago USA
Mah cable went out fo' six hours,
Mah iPod fell in the bidet,
Mah Benz needs a $500 oil change,
Mah woman wants a new Viking range.

Mah daughter she didn't make pom-poms
Mah son he need a $2000 trumpet fo' high school band
Mah two pedegreed dawgs need ther shots
I gotta put tires on the minivan

Ah fogot to pick up the cleaning
I gots to mow da lawn
Mah choesterol's 240
And mah woman she charged a 7-carat tennis bracelet

The lawn sprinkler system, he leakin'
I needin' a Custom Shop Strat
Mah home theater needin' new speakers
Mah accountant he wantin' to chat


'Got dem 21st century American suburban blues oh, yeah
Nobody knows duh trubbo ah seed
Yaw be handin' me dat bottle o' Chivas, now Ryan
Hand me dat remote control.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:53 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:33 am
Posts: 12
Location: Somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
JSJH wrote:
Mah cable went out fo' six hours,
Mah iPod fell in the bidet,
Mah Benz needs a $500 oil change,
Mah woman wants a new Viking range.

Mah daughter she didn't make pom-poms
Mah son he need a $2000 trumpet fo' high school band
Mah two pedegreed dawgs need ther shots
I gotta put tires on the minivan

Ah fogot to pick up the cleaning
I gots to mow da lawn
Mah choesterol's 240
And mah woman she charged a 7-carat tennis bracelet

The lawn sprinkler system, he leakin'
I needin' a Custom Shop Strat
Mah home theater needin' new speakers
Mah accountant he wantin' to chat

'Got dem 21st century American suburban blues oh, yeah
Nobody knows duh trubbo ah seed
Yaw be handin' me dat bottle o' Chivas, now Ryan
Hand me dat remote control.

Brought a tear to my eye! :lol:

_________________
Every journey begins with the first step so don't trip..


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 37 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: