Hey, my southern family would love this stuff yall are talking about now. I will have to make sure the next time I go back to TN I take this thread with me.
See yall tonight, and keep those washboards a humming will ya.
Ah, bluegrass and folk music - my main musical passion, altho I love almost all music. I am a card carrying member of the John Hartford fan club. I'm having a ball collecting all I can find of his stuff on eBay.
Before I ever attended a ROA, I went to the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival at Mole Lake, WI. I think I went to more of them than rocks! It was a 4-day music festival, with Mr. John Hartford closing the show each night. He wrote Gentle On My Mind, which Glen Campbell sang when it skyrocketed. John Hartford also wrote the wonderful Boogie song. I may never forget the 50,000 or so fans all singing the words together and swaying to that one in the rain more times than not! That man absolutely owned every audience I ever was a part of, and I saw him perform at least 60 times that I can count!
He not only played the guitar, the fiddle, and the banjo, he danced a clog dance on an amplified piece of plywood all the while! He could make the banjo verbalize words!!!
The bluegrass festival at Mole Lake developed for my ex-husband and me, into a weeklong and sometimes 10 day campout as we made friends with so many folks as the years went by. I believe we attended 16 bluegrass festivals.
Of course I saw the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe played that show more times than I can count, and it was truly a sad day when he passed away. He was certainly gracious to all who came forward to speak to him and thrilled many a young musician's heart as he allowed all to jam with them backstage after his shows.
Vassar Clements and Benny Martin are personal favorites of mine, in fact, the last time I saw John Hartford was when he played along with Vassar and the FL Symphony orchestra about 5 years ago in Clearwater, FL.
There were so many bands that played there, that it is hard to recall them. Pure Prairie League, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sawyer Brown were especially entertaining.
I won't go into all I remember, but I have a fun Dwight Yoakum story. My buddy Laurie, is extremely well-endowed, as they say. Apparently, that is what Dwight Yoakum looks for in a lady. One of his roadies approached my friend and invited her and me to go party on the bus with Dwight. My friend declined, so I did not go, but it was really wild to hear the conversation between the roadie and my very drunk "biker babe" friend... It was the roadie's job to find girls for the musician after the show!
John Hartford was also a licensed steamboat pilot. I was fortunate enough to take a trip down the Illinois River when they were still running the Julia Belle Swain out of Peoria. My ex-husband said that was a life-changing experience for me, at age 25. Words fail me to describe my great love for that man.
I was delighted to join him up in the pilot house and sing his songs with him, some that I knew better than he did. He confessed to me that he used cue cards and was suprised that I knew all the words to his Julia Belle Swain song. I was so honored. He shared his love for the river and song with me, and I shall never forget that. I also got to see through his binoculars, and that was quite a thrill. My exhusband said that he always knew just where I was during that trip. If I wasn't within his sight, he knew I was up in the pilot house.
At the end of that 2 day trip, John introduced my family to his wife, and referred to us as "Diehard Mole Lakers." She gave quite the impressed facial expression, as you would have to really know what he meant by using those exact words, and she did. I was thrilled for him that she was his wife. They were excellent together.
It was especially remarkable that after he passed away last June, that his wife took ill and she passed away six months later, on his birthday!
I wish I could participate more in this thread, but its been busy.
Socks, your musical journey is very similar to mine, from Kingston Trio onward. Odd, I knew from childhood I wanted to be a guitar player, but it was hearing BB King's Live at the Regal when I was 12 or 13 that electrified me - I was like, that's it! I ended up going back to delta fingerstyle blues, Rev. Gary Davis, Bukka White, to contemporary Doc Watson, etc.
Linda Z, I can't believe you mentioned Eric Anderson. I loved him, I had this one album me and my brother wore out.
Igotout out, I have never really been wild about SRV like others are. I think because I have been a huge Albert King fan. SRV basically stole every lick Albert King used - he was a clone. He even tried to get his strat to sound like Albert's humbucker Flying V. SRV was also more of a blues/rock guy. His contribution was that blues was in a slump and he single handidly brought it back into the limelight. But there is something about him that appeals to middle aged white men, a primitive archtype - he touches a chord that in some ways, I find phenominal. I have never seen so many middle aged men, dress up, try to play like him, sound like him, some in my town even wear the hat, etc. It is amazing, I don't get it.
I think there are a lot better, contemporary players than SRV, such as Poppa Chubby, Chris Duarte, etc.
Ted, Patsy Cline is a genius. I still listen to her stuff today. It was you guys at H.Q. who turned me on to Bob Wills and Western Swing. Most country did not appeal to me, with the exceptions of Patsy, but I can appreciate it. I also adore Roy Orbison - another genius - what a georgeous voice.
You also need to mention the impact the Beatles had. They overthrew Elvis, popular music was never the same after them. Just as the Gershwins were perhaps the greatest composers of the first half of the twentieth century, the Beatles are arguably the greatest composers of popular music of the second half of the twentieth century. Their music is timeless. I remember wanting that Gretsch Country Gentlemen guitar that George Harrison played so badly. It was the Beatles that inspired so many kids to pick up a guitar and play.
Also, the other greatest influence I think in that era was the Motown sound - the Supremes, Four tops, etc. Brilliant song writing.
For our generation, music was the soundtrack to our lives.
Music today is too scatterred and fragmented, each band appealing to a little section of kids, whereas as us babyboomers were much more cohesive. Music just isn't that important to kids today and there are much more distractions such as computers, internet and whatever. We didn't have those so we focused on music.
Also, looking at Hope, those parents who raise their kids and care about them, the kids pretty much know what's junk and what's not. Sometimes we don't give them enough credit.
Sunesis, yep, I loved Eric Anderson. I've been trying for years to find an album of his that I once had and lost. (I NEVER got rid of any of my albums on Uncle Harry or any other day, thank goodness.) I can even remember the record store near Sunset Strip where I bought that album!! I've bought (on ebay) a couple "Best of" and "Greatest Songs" type albums that he put together in later years, but they were mixed with orchestra backgrounds and, in my opinion, he'd lost his edge by the time he put those out.
I love many of the blues performers that have been mentioned here, as well as some of the white, workshirt-wearin' blues players of the late 60s...I still have a much-played album called The Singer Songwriter Project (on Elektra, I think) that features several of them.
I also loved Tom Rush, but he sorta went the way of Eric Anderson. His early stuff was his best, in my opinion.
As folkies went, I loved Richard and Mimi Farina and Buffy Ste. Marie. I ran into her once at Pier 1 in Los Angeles, and if my memory serves me well, she was only about 4'10". Her gorgeous black hair was almost as long as she was tall! I was in awe. Her country-tinged folk stuff still blows me away.
Oh Ted, I took my l'il mom to see Flatt and Scruggs at the gym at Baldwin Wallace many, many moons ago. They were wonderful.
Floods of memories are coming to me in this thread!
There used to be a club in Cleveland near University Circle called La Cave. Used to go see Josh White, Bob Gibson, and later, Arlo Guthrie and so many more there. Nice, small folk/blues club. I still like the smaller venues. A concert in a doggoned arena or huge auditorium just isn't the same. Loved those little smoky clubs!
Hey Ted, I also went to see the Ramsey Lewis Trio at a jazz club called Leo's Casino, also near Uni Circle. I'll bet you went there too! My date and I were the only white people there, and we were both underage, but the enforcement of liquor laws was a little more lax back then (when dinosaurs roamed Euclid Ave.) so we got away with it and had a ball.
A couple years later, I was a very lucky 21-year-old when I moved to L.A. and worked for the Free Press. I had a press pass and never missed a concert I wanted to go to. My son still brags to his friends that when he was a year old, he went with me and his dad to see Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Chuck Berry and fell asleep on his little blanket right next to one of the speakers. It's amazing the child didn't lose his hearing, but I was 21 and I liked taking him places with me, and he always had a great time. Incidentally, he's much more musically talented than I am! Osmosis, maybe.
In '68 or '69 we used to go see Spirit (formerly Spirits Rebellious) at the Ashgrove in L.A. all the time, becaue we knew Randy and his dad (their drummer). Often opening for them were JB Hutto and the Hawks...they were sort of a rockin' electric blues band. Loved them both.
I haven't turned into an old fogey, and I still like to go to concerts, whether it's Crosby, Stills and Nash or The Presidents of the USA (Hope's daughter will probably point out that they're old news, but I really liked them a few years back!) .
I think Sunesis is right. The music scene isn't like it was when we were young. There are so many genres, and most kids seem so divided on what they like instead of sampling more variety like we did. Maybe (speaking just for me, and not for Sunesis) I'm just suffering from Old Fartitis and thinking that ours were the only golden years of rock 'n roll, but the music was such a part of our culture. Maybe that's still the same, but it doesn't seem to be.
Well, thanks for putting up with my rambling (like you could stop me). And keep those musical memories coming, everyone. I'm loving this!
Here a few names... Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Gordon Lightfoot (pre - Sundown album), James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, Loggins and Messina, Harry Chapin, Tom Chapin and I know you are all going to gag, but I will confess I was a huge John Denver fan when I was 14-16 yrs. old. I know, I don't like to admit it, but his early stuff (pre- 'Thank God I'm I Country Boy') was very good. Hey what a bout Charley Pride! Now there's a voice!
My brother taught me to play guitar, he was about 5 years older than me. So I learnt some Dylan, Kristoffersen, John Prine and some Skruggs too! Brother used to play 'Salty Dog'! And this was when Queen and Elton were at their height! Ya, you guessed it, I didn't fit in much at high school!
OK, I'm out of the closet now! !
Love the celtic sound now, The Corrs, Rankins, Great Big Sea, Old Blind Dogs, Kate Rusby and fiddle stuff too.
Bluegrass: ALISON KRAUSS, and Nickel Creek too! The Best!
Can't think of anymore for right now, but surely will be back later!
'til the next time...
[This message was edited by A la prochaine on December 03, 2002 at 18:50.]
So many good memories of The Way We Were and as I read many of the posts here that song comes to my mind and one line in that song that asks If We Had The Chance To Do It All Again Could We Would We and to that I would answer yes yes.I know some of you wonder how long we are going to be sharing about the good old days and move on to the next era of music which would be the seventies. To this I would ask let all who desire to recall and reflect of days and music gone by let's give all who want to share plenty of space and time to do so. Thank you for your patience.
Linda you mentioned Bob Gibson one of Americas great folk acts.Well here goes Ted with yet another story. ha! ha! I was playing at The Ormonde Club in Virginia Mn.and along with us they had booked Bob to do two shows a night.Bob comes in with his banjo in a case that was to small for his five string banjo and it.s long neck was sticking out of the case,he also played a twelve string guitar.We were asked to give him back up for his two nightly shows which we did.and had a ball doing so.He did a wonderful show of folk songs and calypso tunes some qute humorus.Fact of the matter is I stole one of those humorus tunes called Woe Is Me and did in in clubs for many a year..Bob and I got along great and he asked us if we would join up with him and do an act together,we declined.Bob at that time was unknown but he went to Chicago right after we worked with him and started playing at club called The Gate Of Horn which became a venue for all the top folk acts of those times such as Brothers Four,The Limelighters.Ian and Sylvia,Chad Mitchell Trio one of that trios members was John Denver
Also you spoke of Buffy St.Marie did she ever have a voice a vibrato that would melt your heart.Another I just loved to go see there was Odetta. I would go there often as I could cause I loved that music.The reson why I could hang out there was because I was playing at the Hyde Park Hotel in Chicago and we played a lot there months at a time, so got to catch a lot of fine acts all over the windy city including a jazz club named The Cloister Inn on Rush Street there I heard Ramesy Lewis Trio.Anita Oday,Chris Conor Gerry Mulligan Four Freshman and others to many to mention.I sure loved Chicago and of all the big cities I have been in Chicago is stiil my favorite.
Thanks you guys for letting me ramble on here just blame it on Linda z it's all her fault for getting me all fired up ha1 ha!
Kathy if this thread keeps rollin on like this you may have to start your own cafe and call it Kathy's Club!! Hey I'll come by and do a few sets and I'm sure others here would too.Hey John let's put that blues band together we talked about Sunesis would join with up with us I'll bet Maybe I should call Lepenski tonight and do you think you could talk Skip into doing it (dream on Ted dream on)
I sure am having fun posting and reading here on gs It's a good show
David Letterman used to do a funny audience bit called "Brush with Greatness"
Ted, you appear to have had quite a few. Lucky guy.
My only two brushes with greatness were:
1.) I found myself standing in line at a McDonalds right behind Jethro Tull after one of their concerts.... 1971?? I think. They were funny as hell and hardly anyone knew who they were cuz it was a Mcdonalds several miles away from the arena. Dressed in casual clothes, they were holding hands, and hugging each other and other strange things wich drew attention from some parents with their kids. I was too "dizzy" at the time to ask for an autograph.
2.) 1984 I am cleaning windows at the Hyatt here in Tampa and there sat James Brown. Ughh! Good God, ya'll!! I went up and asked for his autograph, all I had was a window ticket so he signed it. "To John & Family, God Bless, James Brown"
Any others?
John R.
[This message was edited by igotout on December 03, 2002 at 20:39.]
When I was going to to Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, I got a job as photographer for Herald Photo in Lubbock. We did all sorts of photography, but the bread an butter of the place was college frat party pictures. Every Friday and Saturday night of the world, I was shooting a frat or sorority party.
That was back in the days before DJs and every party had a local live band. One night at a particularly raucus frat party, the guys in the frat told the band to play one song over and over and over and not to play any other songs. That song was "Light My fire".
After the party, I was gathering up my equipment and the band was doing likewise and one of the band members and I got into a conversation.
I asked how he could stand playing the same tune over and over like that and he asked me how I could put up with the drunks and all that went with frat parties in the mid 60's while taking care of all my photo equpment. We had a good conversation and later went for some coffee. He and I became sorta friends as he was very likeable and we always went for coffee and food after a party that we ended up at together.
He was an Air Force brat college boy named John Deutschendorff.
I never saw him again after that year and since I paid little attention to pop music at that time, I had no idea until years later when I saw one of his albums at a store somewhere. He had left Tech and joined up with the Chad Mitchell Trio and later began recording as John Denver.
Another musician I ran into who did a lot of frat parties at Tech was David Allen Coe. He did sorta Elvis impersonations before that sort of thing became popular.
A few years later, I was hired by Chardon in Dallas to do some promotional photography. Chardon was Charley Prides company that handled other acts. I only met him once, tho and mostly dealt with his wife, Donna. I shot promo stuff for Dave (Rowland) and Sugar and Janie Fricke, a couple of country folks who never really made it big as far as I know. I've never heard of them again since 1977 or 78 or ao, but then I don't keep up with that sort of thing.
Cool, I always thought he was a good person. That came out in his music. I think that's what I liked more than the music. It was him that came through. I enjoyed his early stuff and saw him twice in concert. Spectacular musicians, with a 30 piece orchestra on stage with him. It was the very first live concert I ever attended. He also had three huge screens behind him where he had a slide show going along with everysong. When he sang Calypso, the pictures of the ocean, the ship, and Jacques-Yves Cousteau were astounding.
His life became so tragic with the break up of his marriage and a nasty divorce where he went into his log home in Colorado and chainsawed everything in two. And then the plane crash.
Considering Ted's question re: our culture in TWI or vice versa, I have had some thoughts (o.k., yeah, sometimes I think - no jokes please).
I remember the first ROA I went to - 1972 - it was the second ROA. We had a great time. I remember on campus in Columbus at OSU someone had put posters advertising it as a Christian rock festival, quite a few people showed up because of that.
But, we were young and there was Pressed Down, the Katzenjammers, Dean Ellenwood and Ken McCaw from Knox County Band - playing songs like Celebrate, Jesus is Just Alright, etc. A lot of secular songs from our culture, changing the words and playing it. We loved it. Musically, there was never another rock like it.
In some ways, I think it was calculated. I think VP had absolutely no intention of letting our culture permeate H.Q. He let this music happen that year because it was a hook to turn the kids on and keep them - what a hip ministry! It worked.
But, you'll notice, if you hung around for awhile, we started changing our look, wearing suits, dresses for the ladies, conforming to the unspoken rules of TWI culture and society.
Anyone with any musical talent was turned into a Way Prod. clone with smiles, stage gestures - even though I loved many of the musicians in Way Prod., it just always seemed so slick - it was not being marketed to youth but middle age and older people. I had so wanted to be a part of it when I first got in the Word, but realized over the years I wanted nothing to do with it.
So, I believe our culture never really affected TWI, though it was put up with for a while to win the kids, and some aspects of it (sex) were appropriated by leadership. But it was VP's vision and culture all the way.
Hasn't that always been the temptation for artists, not just in the Way, but culture at-large?
...If you just clip your wings back a little bit
...If you just clip your hair a little bit
...If you just clip your attitude back a little bit...
...you will be able to fit into this suit...and a larger demographic of normal people will like you...and you might even be able to make a living selling your commodities.
Wasn't it the "dream" gig for a committed Wayfer musician to be on staff playing for "God's people?"
I personally know plenty...name one who stayed for any amount of time that wasn't "clipped" asap into Lawrence Welk-dom.
It has taken me nearly two hours to read this thread from beginning to end!
Music is vital in my life--always has been.
I have an eclectic collection of music and listen to tons of it all day long. I don't work outside the home anymore, so 12 hours a day I listen! I can tell you where I was and what I was doing when I first heard some of my favorite music.
I played rhythm guitar and sang harmony in several garage bands in high school. The last was called 'the band'. We never went anywhere or did anything except entertain ourselves and the neighbors. We did EVERYTHING from Kingston Trio to John Denver, to Flat and Scruggs. We liked it and then life got in the way. We broke up and none of us have performed again. Fond memories tho!
hiway29-I can remember exactly what I was doing the first time I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan!
It had snowed and I was outside sweeping the circular walk around our house. My mom stuck her head out the back door and told me to come up to see this group called the Beatles. She said they were pretty good too! I did, and the rest as they say is history!
Kathy-Great pics of the Beatles, although John Lennon looks more like a Hasidic Jewish man, than a musician! (don't take offense! None intended! He just looks like a Hasidic Rabbi I knew in VA)
Sunesis- I was there at Woodstock. Hitch hiked there with my best friend from Milwaukee. I was gone nearly a month and I got the beating of my life when my father asked me if the trouble I was in was worth the trip. I said 'YES'. Was grounded for a year! Nothing but church, school, and supervised trips anywhere except school. Would I do it again! Yepper!
Bowtwi-John Hartford! I thought I was the only one who knew of his work and life! When he died, the world became far less because he isn't here. You met him and his family? I am sooooo jealous!
I liked what I heard of twi music while I was in. I don't remember the name of the group, but it was 4 or 5 young black men who sang
'Celebration' among others.
My children have my love of music. My son Matt says he can't drive a car without tunes! He learned to play bass while in prison, and they even performed for the population on occasion.
Anyone who has read my posts knows that I am probably the oldest NSync fan on the earth, except for their grandma's maybe! They are just amazing!
Because of NSync I found a group called Euge Groove. One of the members of NSync, JC Chasez, loves soft jazz. Me too! Sade etc. Good stuff!
I used to read every thread, but I just don't have the time I once did. As a result, I missed this wonderful thread until today. Oops. Here's some random thoughts I had while running over it...
I've always liked music, but never really understood how it all worked well enough to play it with any skill. I've gotten to where I can play some things by ear, and transpose tunes so they're easier to play on whatever instrument I'm abusing at the time, but if anyone held a gun to my head and said "write a song now!" I guess they'd just have to pull the trigger. Maybe someday...
As far as musical genres go, it's hard to pigeonhole my tastes. I've liked a little bit of just about every different kind of music there is, with the notable exception of jazz. Can't stand it, it just seems to be music designed to impress other musicians. ("Whoa, dude, check out those diminished 13th chords he's using!")
Talent is really what impresses me, especially when it comes to lyrics. To me, clever lyrics can rescue a musically-mediocre song as well as good music can cover up trite lyrics. I find that the albums I keep listening to over and over excel in one or the other area.
Someone mentioned a Barenaked Ladies concert, and I have to agree. They are simply the most entertaining live act I've ever seen. A winning combo of clever lyrics and catchy tunes and they always look like they're having a blast on stage. So what if they're Canadians?
Guitar-wise, I think my favorite has to be Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. There may be others more famous or more skilled, but he just plays the way I wish I could. I never got into Clapton or Springsteen that much.
Classical music is very much a pick-and-choose genre for me. Mozart is just about the only one I can always count on to be excellent across the board, although there are a few pieces by others I enjoy, Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Telemann, Mendelssohn, etc.
The nice thing about country music is that it's simple, you can sing along with it, and the albums have a high content to filler ratio, unlike nearly all of today's rock albums (one hit, twelve tracks of crap) Plus, there are no ugly women in country music--most rock-group women look like twenty miles of bad road!
While John Lennon was certainly a more profound musician than the other Beatles, Paul McCartney was the better entertainer. Screw Michael Jackson, if you want a "King of Pop", Paul's your man. Some criticize him for churning out "bubblegum", but hey, you can't argue with success.
I'm hoping someday we'll get another Billy Joel or Elton John--the piano is really underused in popular music nowadays.
Rap is sort of like R.E.M.'s first two albums--twenty-two slightly-different versions of the same song. The big difference of course is that I actually liked the R.E.M. song... Although, to be fair, there have been a few rap songs I've liked, mostly saved by the "clever lyrics" bit. If it made me laugh, I gave it another chance.
Hi Kay, you answered a question I had in your post. That being what if someone was just now coming to this thread, how long would it take to read it. I?m glad I ain?t starting out from scratch.
No offense taken, I think John Lennon looks like one myself. But I don?t guess that was his intention.
Will you please post again and tell us about being at Woodstock?
Kinda new you were cool when you posted in that Pink Floyd thread of mine, you continue to prove it to me in your posts, thanks for joining us.
Hey Zixar, same words to you, man I would hate to be have to read this puppy from the start, thanks for doing so.
You abuse instruments, hahaha, find that hard to believe.
Writing songs is something I am playing at presently. Way cool it is. But can't play an instrument of any kind.
Your choice on Dire Straits guitarist Knopfler is a great one. I also like Night Ranger and 38 Special, to name a couple.
Thanks yall for posting, everyone added makes this one heck of a kick*** thread. Gosh, I am not partial am I?
A friend of mine bought me a scarf from the Rolling Stones (02) concert in Atlanta , Ga and gave it to me as a gift... to that friend I am thankFULL...
Hey there! Thanks Hope! It's kangaroos, then! Thanks, that really is a blast from the past.
There's a whole 'nother sub-genre...novelty tunes.
"Purple People Eater"
"Hello Mother, Hello Father"
There's always been a place for those kinds of tunes and I'm glad they're back. Some of the rap things I run across strike me as really funny, too. Not the kill/die/i'm a bad mudda-fudda rap (I always feel like saying "ok, I GOT IT the first 1,000 times you said it. YOU'RE REALLY a BAD DUDE!") , but the sounds, the sing-song melodies. Snoop Dog...that' a whole laugh track right there and it's just the guy's nick.
A la, you mention Celtic. Grand stuff. We have a lot of that around the house too. My wife's Irish on both sides of her family, so we got freckles on our potatoes round here. There's an NPR show done by a Fiona Ritchie you might like if you haven't ever heard of it. It's called "Thistle and Shamrock" and they deal with it, she plays all kinds of that music on her show. She puts out sampler CD's and stuff. We got one a couple years ago, killer stuff. I gotta dig that cd out. There's a tune on it with a lead guitarist playing that's out of this world. It's a really nice blend. Another one's kind of a fireside chant kind of thing, modern sounding. It sounds like, hard to describe, I oughta shoot you the cd. Drop me your email if you'd like a copy, I'll mail it to you.
There's just so much here. Woo! I'm still stuck on Bobby Darin and Ted. I LOVE Bobby Darin. "Dream Lover", "Mack the Knife". That guy was talented, plus he hooked up with Marilyn Monroe if I remember right. Can't beat that.
I'm pondering your question, Ted. Not sure where to go with it. I'll have to give it another day or two. Just checking in.
One thing for sure - it's clear music means a lot to many of us and it's been a constant presence throughout our lives.
Something strange that's started to happen to me is in my dreams. For a couple years, I'd dream at times about being someplace where I'd be playing or trying to, and there'd always be something goofy about it. The guitar wouldn't make any noise or the strings would be like rubber bands, or I'd have no pick. I'd be late. It was always something, and I could never remember the music that would be played when I'd wake up. About a year ago or so, that changed and when I'd have those kinds of dreams, I'd just play with the other people and I'd remember what the music sounded like. Go figure. Now it's more fun to have that dream.
Well, gotta catch some z's. Ck, the thread is growing...growing...
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Is the time/space meter needle supposed to be jumping around like that? *tap-tap*...sqwrkltpzfttt@#$%^&!!!!!!.....
I couldn't think of anywhere else to post this, so...
I was with a few friends Monday night, and since I didn't have to go to work the next morning, we closed the bar and went to a party at the home of a friend of a friend.
After a while some guitars and other assorted instruments came out and some cool reggae jams started.
Soon the host looks at me and says, "Tom, we need a percussionist, and you're it".
He hands me a wooden frog, with a stick stuck through it. The frog had scales on his back for scritching, and made different sounds depending on where you hit it. He had two, so me and the woman who brought me to this party ended up "beating our frogs" into the wee hours of the morning.
Wonder what Way productions would have done with it?
Oakspear
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice...but in practice there is
Oak, Thanks for posting that smile making "beating your frog" gig. Would have loved to hear yall. Reggae music has to be one of the funniest forms of music to date.
Socks, I wonder if Paw is ready to put a limit on my post number yet?
You are right about jazz being mostly music to impress other musicians- but allow me to give a little background.
I believe jazz, in it's infancy, was still very much "folk" music in that it spoke to and spoke of "folks".
The jazz and swing of the thirties and forties, although more elegant and "uptown", was still ubiquitous because it's elements of syncopation, drive, riffs, etc still appealed to the ears and feet of the layman.
It was in the fifties that things changed. As a jazz musician mastered his instrument he found no place to exhibit his discoveries. The swing bands were very vanilla, the R&B stuff was very elementary and riff-oriented.
And so, like in many disciplines, a sort of "Mensa" club of very proficient and creative artists formed a "club" with very strict membership requirements. This was best exhibited by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Bud Powell, etc. and what it was called was be-bop.
To keep the "riff-raff" out they would take a standard show tune (How High the Moon) and play it at breakneck speed. The standard chord changes would be altered to include all sorts of wonderful, colorful deviations from the predictable slurpy corny triadic sounds most people's ears were used to.
This kind of jazz was/is very esoteric and exclusionary (to both listener and wannabe performer) because it was designed to be that way...demanding to the performer and to the listener. It takes a committment of both aficionado and artist to enjoy jazz.
Since that time improvisational jazz has remained exclusionary and esoteric. It is not for the occasional listener or the weekend warrior. It is a demanding discipline that provides a palate for those who want to keep growing technically and artistically.
Finally, I would surmise that every discipline has it's exclusionary "Mensa" clubs with strict "membership" requirements of proficiency. Policemen, firemen, mathemeticians, athletes, salespeople, etc all have circles of studs whose talents and artistry in their chosen field can only be showcased in special events designed for the best of the best, and whose greatness is only appreciated by those few "in the know".
quote:and whose greatness is only appreciated by those few "in the know".
Of "not" being "in the know". I like too many forms of music to focus my learning on just one. For me it is just the pure pleasure of it all. What tidbits acquired along the way just add flavor to the spice. If I knew nothing in depth about varied music forms in would not lesson my enjoyment of it. Just kinda simple in that respect, probably not unnoticed by folks already.
Thanks for the post, it adds to understanding, even if maybe I fall short of the mark.
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ChattyKathy
Hey, my southern family would love this stuff yall are talking about now. I will have to make sure the next time I go back to TN I take this thread with me.
See yall tonight, and keep those washboards a humming will ya.
Singing as I work,
Kathy
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Hope R.
[spoken:]
There's an old Australian stockman, lying, dying,
and he gets himself up on one elbow,
and he turns to his mates,
who are gathered 'round him and he says:
Watch me wallabys feed mate.
Watch me wallabys feed.
They're a dangerous breed mate.
So watch me wallabys feed.
Altogether now!
[CHORUS]
Tie me kangaroo down sport,
tie me kangaroo down.
Tie me kangaroo down sport,
tie me kangaroo down.
Keep me cockatoo cool, Curl,
keep me cockatoo cool.
Don't go acting the fool, Curl,
just keep me cockatoo cool.
Altogether now!
Take me koala back, Jack,
take me koala back.
He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac,
so take me koala back.
Altogether now!
Mind me platypus duck, Bill,
mind me platypus duck.
Don't let him go running amok, Bill,
mind me platypus duck.
Altogether now!
Play your digeridoo, Blue,
play your digeridoo.
Keep playing 'til I shoot thro' Blue,
play your digerydoo.
Altogether now!
Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred,
tan me hide when I'm dead.
(Spoken)So we tanned his hide when he died Clyde,
And there it is hangin' on the shed.
Altogether now!
© 1960 Castle Music Pty, Ltd.
Words and music by Rolf Harris
Hope R. color>size>face>
"Don't let the past remind us of what we are not now" - Stephen Stills
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bowtwi
Ah, bluegrass and folk music - my main musical passion, altho I love almost all music. I am a card carrying member of the John Hartford fan club. I'm having a ball collecting all I can find of his stuff on eBay.
Before I ever attended a ROA, I went to the Great Northern Bluegrass Festival at Mole Lake, WI. I think I went to more of them than rocks! It was a 4-day music festival, with Mr. John Hartford closing the show each night. He wrote Gentle On My Mind, which Glen Campbell sang when it skyrocketed. John Hartford also wrote the wonderful Boogie song. I may never forget the 50,000 or so fans all singing the words together and swaying to that one in the rain more times than not! That man absolutely owned every audience I ever was a part of, and I saw him perform at least 60 times that I can count!
He not only played the guitar, the fiddle, and the banjo, he danced a clog dance on an amplified piece of plywood all the while! He could make the banjo verbalize words!!!
The bluegrass festival at Mole Lake developed for my ex-husband and me, into a weeklong and sometimes 10 day campout as we made friends with so many folks as the years went by. I believe we attended 16 bluegrass festivals.
Of course I saw the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe played that show more times than I can count, and it was truly a sad day when he passed away. He was certainly gracious to all who came forward to speak to him and thrilled many a young musician's heart as he allowed all to jam with them backstage after his shows.
Vassar Clements and Benny Martin are personal favorites of mine, in fact, the last time I saw John Hartford was when he played along with Vassar and the FL Symphony orchestra about 5 years ago in Clearwater, FL.
There were so many bands that played there, that it is hard to recall them. Pure Prairie League, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sawyer Brown were especially entertaining.
I won't go into all I remember, but I have a fun Dwight Yoakum story. My buddy Laurie, is extremely well-endowed, as they say. Apparently, that is what Dwight Yoakum looks for in a lady. One of his roadies approached my friend and invited her and me to go party on the bus with Dwight. My friend declined, so I did not go, but it was really wild to hear the conversation between the roadie and my very drunk "biker babe" friend... It was the roadie's job to find girls for the musician after the show!
John Hartford was also a licensed steamboat pilot. I was fortunate enough to take a trip down the Illinois River when they were still running the Julia Belle Swain out of Peoria. My ex-husband said that was a life-changing experience for me, at age 25. Words fail me to describe my great love for that man.
I was delighted to join him up in the pilot house and sing his songs with him, some that I knew better than he did. He confessed to me that he used cue cards and was suprised that I knew all the words to his Julia Belle Swain song. I was so honored. He shared his love for the river and song with me, and I shall never forget that. I also got to see through his binoculars, and that was quite a thrill. My exhusband said that he always knew just where I was during that trip. If I wasn't within his sight, he knew I was up in the pilot house.
At the end of that 2 day trip, John introduced my family to his wife, and referred to us as "Diehard Mole Lakers." She gave quite the impressed facial expression, as you would have to really know what he meant by using those exact words, and she did. I was thrilled for him that she was his wife. They were excellent together.
It was especially remarkable that after he passed away last June, that his wife took ill and she passed away six months later, on his birthday!
Don't leave your records in the sun
they'll get all wavy and they just won't run
They just won't play
just won't play
just won't play
no more...
Well, I had this record that I really did like
It was the last one they had in the store.
I left it laying on the car back seat
and now it just won't play no more!
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Sunesis
I wish I could participate more in this thread, but its been busy.
Socks, your musical journey is very similar to mine, from Kingston Trio onward. Odd, I knew from childhood I wanted to be a guitar player, but it was hearing BB King's Live at the Regal when I was 12 or 13 that electrified me - I was like, that's it! I ended up going back to delta fingerstyle blues, Rev. Gary Davis, Bukka White, to contemporary Doc Watson, etc.
Linda Z, I can't believe you mentioned Eric Anderson. I loved him, I had this one album me and my brother wore out.
Igotout out, I have never really been wild about SRV like others are. I think because I have been a huge Albert King fan. SRV basically stole every lick Albert King used - he was a clone. He even tried to get his strat to sound like Albert's humbucker Flying V. SRV was also more of a blues/rock guy. His contribution was that blues was in a slump and he single handidly brought it back into the limelight. But there is something about him that appeals to middle aged white men, a primitive archtype - he touches a chord that in some ways, I find phenominal. I have never seen so many middle aged men, dress up, try to play like him, sound like him, some in my town even wear the hat, etc. It is amazing, I don't get it.
I think there are a lot better, contemporary players than SRV, such as Poppa Chubby, Chris Duarte, etc.
Ted, Patsy Cline is a genius. I still listen to her stuff today. It was you guys at H.Q. who turned me on to Bob Wills and Western Swing. Most country did not appeal to me, with the exceptions of Patsy, but I can appreciate it. I also adore Roy Orbison - another genius - what a georgeous voice.
You also need to mention the impact the Beatles had. They overthrew Elvis, popular music was never the same after them. Just as the Gershwins were perhaps the greatest composers of the first half of the twentieth century, the Beatles are arguably the greatest composers of popular music of the second half of the twentieth century. Their music is timeless. I remember wanting that Gretsch Country Gentlemen guitar that George Harrison played so badly. It was the Beatles that inspired so many kids to pick up a guitar and play.
Also, the other greatest influence I think in that era was the Motown sound - the Supremes, Four tops, etc. Brilliant song writing.
For our generation, music was the soundtrack to our lives.
Music today is too scatterred and fragmented, each band appealing to a little section of kids, whereas as us babyboomers were much more cohesive. Music just isn't that important to kids today and there are much more distractions such as computers, internet and whatever. We didn't have those so we focused on music.
Also, looking at Hope, those parents who raise their kids and care about them, the kids pretty much know what's junk and what's not. Sometimes we don't give them enough credit.
Ted, I can't believe you met Patsy!
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Linda Z
Sunesis, yep, I loved Eric Anderson. I've been trying for years to find an album of his that I once had and lost. (I NEVER got rid of any of my albums on Uncle Harry or any other day, thank goodness.) I can even remember the record store near Sunset Strip where I bought that album!! I've bought (on ebay) a couple "Best of" and "Greatest Songs" type albums that he put together in later years, but they were mixed with orchestra backgrounds and, in my opinion, he'd lost his edge by the time he put those out.
I love many of the blues performers that have been mentioned here, as well as some of the white, workshirt-wearin' blues players of the late 60s...I still have a much-played album called The Singer Songwriter Project (on Elektra, I think) that features several of them.
I also loved Tom Rush, but he sorta went the way of Eric Anderson. His early stuff was his best, in my opinion.
As folkies went, I loved Richard and Mimi Farina and Buffy Ste. Marie. I ran into her once at Pier 1 in Los Angeles, and if my memory serves me well, she was only about 4'10". Her gorgeous black hair was almost as long as she was tall! I was in awe. Her country-tinged folk stuff still blows me away.
Oh Ted, I took my l'il mom to see Flatt and Scruggs at the gym at Baldwin Wallace many, many moons ago. They were wonderful.
Floods of memories are coming to me in this thread!
There used to be a club in Cleveland near University Circle called La Cave. Used to go see Josh White, Bob Gibson, and later, Arlo Guthrie and so many more there. Nice, small folk/blues club. I still like the smaller venues. A concert in a doggoned arena or huge auditorium just isn't the same. Loved those little smoky clubs!
Hey Ted, I also went to see the Ramsey Lewis Trio at a jazz club called Leo's Casino, also near Uni Circle. I'll bet you went there too! My date and I were the only white people there, and we were both underage, but the enforcement of liquor laws was a little more lax back then (when dinosaurs roamed Euclid Ave.) so we got away with it and had a ball.
A couple years later, I was a very lucky 21-year-old when I moved to L.A. and worked for the Free Press. I had a press pass and never missed a concert I wanted to go to. My son still brags to his friends that when he was a year old, he went with me and his dad to see Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Chuck Berry and fell asleep on his little blanket right next to one of the speakers. It's amazing the child didn't lose his hearing, but I was 21 and I liked taking him places with me, and he always had a great time. Incidentally, he's much more musically talented than I am! Osmosis, maybe.
In '68 or '69 we used to go see Spirit (formerly Spirits Rebellious) at the Ashgrove in L.A. all the time, becaue we knew Randy and his dad (their drummer). Often opening for them were JB Hutto and the Hawks...they were sort of a rockin' electric blues band. Loved them both.
I haven't turned into an old fogey, and I still like to go to concerts, whether it's Crosby, Stills and Nash or The Presidents of the USA (Hope's daughter will probably point out that they're old news, but I really liked them a few years back!) .
I think Sunesis is right. The music scene isn't like it was when we were young. There are so many genres, and most kids seem so divided on what they like instead of sampling more variety like we did. Maybe (speaking just for me, and not for Sunesis) I'm just suffering from Old Fartitis and thinking that ours were the only golden years of rock 'n roll, but the music was such a part of our culture. Maybe that's still the same, but it doesn't seem to be.
Well, thanks for putting up with my rambling (like you could stop me). And keep those musical memories coming, everyone. I'm loving this!
Linda Z
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A la prochaine
I gotta work sometime! I know, I want to get back a.s.a.p., but family commitments! (damn kids)!
And too, I let hubby go on and read on GS for a change last night. I'll be back when all the kiddos are at bay!
I've a few names I'd like to mention here. And also, the posters are posting too much! I can't keep up with all the reading!!!!
So Chatty, have you beat the record yet? LONGEST THREAD ON GS?
I'm cheering for you!
'til the next time...
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A la prochaine
Here a few names... Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Gordon Lightfoot (pre - Sundown album), James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, Loggins and Messina, Harry Chapin, Tom Chapin and I know you are all going to gag, but I will confess I was a huge John Denver fan when I was 14-16 yrs. old. I know, I don't like to admit it, but his early stuff (pre- 'Thank God I'm I Country Boy') was very good. Hey what a bout Charley Pride! Now there's a voice!
My brother taught me to play guitar, he was about 5 years older than me. So I learnt some Dylan, Kristoffersen, John Prine and some Skruggs too! Brother used to play 'Salty Dog'! And this was when Queen and Elton were at their height! Ya, you guessed it, I didn't fit in much at high school!
OK, I'm out of the closet now! !
Love the celtic sound now, The Corrs, Rankins, Great Big Sea, Old Blind Dogs, Kate Rusby and fiddle stuff too.
Bluegrass: ALISON KRAUSS, and Nickel Creek too! The Best!
Can't think of anymore for right now, but surely will be back later!
'til the next time...
[This message was edited by A la prochaine on December 03, 2002 at 18:50.]
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TED Ferrell
Linda;
So many good memories of The Way We Were and as I read many of the posts here that song comes to my mind and one line in that song that asks If We Had The Chance To Do It All Again Could We Would We and to that I would answer yes yes.I know some of you wonder how long we are going to be sharing about the good old days and move on to the next era of music which would be the seventies. To this I would ask let all who desire to recall and reflect of days and music gone by let's give all who want to share plenty of space and time to do so. Thank you for your patience.
Linda you mentioned Bob Gibson one of Americas great folk acts.Well here goes Ted with yet another story. ha! ha! I was playing at The Ormonde Club in Virginia Mn.and along with us they had booked Bob to do two shows a night.Bob comes in with his banjo in a case that was to small for his five string banjo and it.s long neck was sticking out of the case,he also played a twelve string guitar.We were asked to give him back up for his two nightly shows which we did.and had a ball doing so.He did a wonderful show of folk songs and calypso tunes some qute humorus.Fact of the matter is I stole one of those humorus tunes called Woe Is Me and did in in clubs for many a year..Bob and I got along great and he asked us if we would join up with him and do an act together,we declined.Bob at that time was unknown but he went to Chicago right after we worked with him and started playing at club called The Gate Of Horn which became a venue for all the top folk acts of those times such as Brothers Four,The Limelighters.Ian and Sylvia,Chad Mitchell Trio one of that trios members was John Denver
Also you spoke of Buffy St.Marie did she ever have a voice a vibrato that would melt your heart.Another I just loved to go see there was Odetta. I would go there often as I could cause I loved that music.The reson why I could hang out there was because I was playing at the Hyde Park Hotel in Chicago and we played a lot there months at a time, so got to catch a lot of fine acts all over the windy city including a jazz club named The Cloister Inn on Rush Street there I heard Ramesy Lewis Trio.Anita Oday,Chris Conor Gerry Mulligan Four Freshman and others to many to mention.I sure loved Chicago and of all the big cities I have been in Chicago is stiil my favorite.
Thanks you guys for letting me ramble on here just blame it on Linda z it's all her fault for getting me all fired up ha1 ha!
Kathy if this thread keeps rollin on like this you may have to start your own cafe and call it Kathy's Club!! Hey I'll come by and do a few sets and I'm sure others here would too.Hey John let's put that blues band together we talked about Sunesis would join with up with us I'll bet Maybe I should call Lepenski tonight and do you think you could talk Skip into doing it (dream on Ted dream on)
I sure am having fun posting and reading here on gs It's a good show
Love You All
Ted F.
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ChattyKathy
THIS THREAD IS TOO AWESOME. Wait can something actually be too awesome. NOT.........
[This message was edited by ChattyKathy on December 03, 2002 at 21:34.]
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igotout
David Letterman used to do a funny audience bit called "Brush with Greatness"
Ted, you appear to have had quite a few. Lucky guy.
My only two brushes with greatness were:
1.) I found myself standing in line at a McDonalds right behind Jethro Tull after one of their concerts.... 1971?? I think. They were funny as hell and hardly anyone knew who they were cuz it was a Mcdonalds several miles away from the arena. Dressed in casual clothes, they were holding hands, and hugging each other and other strange things wich drew attention from some parents with their kids. I was too "dizzy" at the time to ask for an autograph.
2.) 1984 I am cleaning windows at the Hyatt here in Tampa and there sat James Brown. Ughh! Good God, ya'll!! I went up and asked for his autograph, all I had was a window ticket so he signed it. "To John & Family, God Bless, James Brown"
Any others?
John R.
[This message was edited by igotout on December 03, 2002 at 20:39.]
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Ron G.
When I was going to to Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, I got a job as photographer for Herald Photo in Lubbock. We did all sorts of photography, but the bread an butter of the place was college frat party pictures. Every Friday and Saturday night of the world, I was shooting a frat or sorority party.
That was back in the days before DJs and every party had a local live band. One night at a particularly raucus frat party, the guys in the frat told the band to play one song over and over and over and not to play any other songs. That song was "Light My fire".
After the party, I was gathering up my equipment and the band was doing likewise and one of the band members and I got into a conversation.
I asked how he could stand playing the same tune over and over like that and he asked me how I could put up with the drunks and all that went with frat parties in the mid 60's while taking care of all my photo equpment. We had a good conversation and later went for some coffee. He and I became sorta friends as he was very likeable and we always went for coffee and food after a party that we ended up at together.
He was an Air Force brat college boy named John Deutschendorff.
I never saw him again after that year and since I paid little attention to pop music at that time, I had no idea until years later when I saw one of his albums at a store somewhere. He had left Tech and joined up with the Chad Mitchell Trio and later began recording as John Denver.
Another musician I ran into who did a lot of frat parties at Tech was David Allen Coe. He did sorta Elvis impersonations before that sort of thing became popular.
A few years later, I was hired by Chardon in Dallas to do some promotional photography. Chardon was Charley Prides company that handled other acts. I only met him once, tho and mostly dealt with his wife, Donna. I shot promo stuff for Dave (Rowland) and Sugar and Janie Fricke, a couple of country folks who never really made it big as far as I know. I've never heard of them again since 1977 or 78 or ao, but then I don't keep up with that sort of thing.
Dave and Sugar around 1977
******************************
DEO VINDICE!!
Ron G.
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A la prochaine
H.J. Deutschendorff Jr.
Cool, I always thought he was a good person. That came out in his music. I think that's what I liked more than the music. It was him that came through. I enjoyed his early stuff and saw him twice in concert. Spectacular musicians, with a 30 piece orchestra on stage with him. It was the very first live concert I ever attended. He also had three huge screens behind him where he had a slide show going along with everysong. When he sang Calypso, the pictures of the ocean, the ship, and Jacques-Yves Cousteau were astounding.
His life became so tragic with the break up of his marriage and a nasty divorce where he went into his log home in Colorado and chainsawed everything in two. And then the plane crash.
How sad.
'til the next time...
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Sunesis
Considering Ted's question re: our culture in TWI or vice versa, I have had some thoughts (o.k., yeah, sometimes I think - no jokes please).
I remember the first ROA I went to - 1972 - it was the second ROA. We had a great time. I remember on campus in Columbus at OSU someone had put posters advertising it as a Christian rock festival, quite a few people showed up because of that.
But, we were young and there was Pressed Down, the Katzenjammers, Dean Ellenwood and Ken McCaw from Knox County Band - playing songs like Celebrate, Jesus is Just Alright, etc. A lot of secular songs from our culture, changing the words and playing it. We loved it. Musically, there was never another rock like it.
In some ways, I think it was calculated. I think VP had absolutely no intention of letting our culture permeate H.Q. He let this music happen that year because it was a hook to turn the kids on and keep them - what a hip ministry! It worked.
But, you'll notice, if you hung around for awhile, we started changing our look, wearing suits, dresses for the ladies, conforming to the unspoken rules of TWI culture and society.
Anyone with any musical talent was turned into a Way Prod. clone with smiles, stage gestures - even though I loved many of the musicians in Way Prod., it just always seemed so slick - it was not being marketed to youth but middle age and older people. I had so wanted to be a part of it when I first got in the Word, but realized over the years I wanted nothing to do with it.
So, I believe our culture never really affected TWI, though it was put up with for a while to win the kids, and some aspects of it (sex) were appropriated by leadership. But it was VP's vision and culture all the way.
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Yanagisawa
Amen and amen.
Hasn't that always been the temptation for artists, not just in the Way, but culture at-large?
...If you just clip your wings back a little bit
...If you just clip your hair a little bit
...If you just clip your attitude back a little bit...
...you will be able to fit into this suit...and a larger demographic of normal people will like you...and you might even be able to make a living selling your commodities.
Wasn't it the "dream" gig for a committed Wayfer musician to be on staff playing for "God's people?"
I personally know plenty...name one who stayed for any amount of time that wasn't "clipped" asap into Lawrence Welk-dom.
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Kay1952
It has taken me nearly two hours to read this thread from beginning to end!
Music is vital in my life--always has been.
I have an eclectic collection of music and listen to tons of it all day long. I don't work outside the home anymore, so 12 hours a day I listen! I can tell you where I was and what I was doing when I first heard some of my favorite music.
I played rhythm guitar and sang harmony in several garage bands in high school. The last was called 'the band'. We never went anywhere or did anything except entertain ourselves and the neighbors. We did EVERYTHING from Kingston Trio to John Denver, to Flat and Scruggs. We liked it and then life got in the way. We broke up and none of us have performed again. Fond memories tho!
hiway29-I can remember exactly what I was doing the first time I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan!
It had snowed and I was outside sweeping the circular walk around our house. My mom stuck her head out the back door and told me to come up to see this group called the Beatles. She said they were pretty good too! I did, and the rest as they say is history!
Kathy-Great pics of the Beatles, although John Lennon looks more like a Hasidic Jewish man, than a musician! (don't take offense! None intended! He just looks like a Hasidic Rabbi I knew in VA)
Sunesis- I was there at Woodstock. Hitch hiked there with my best friend from Milwaukee. I was gone nearly a month and I got the beating of my life when my father asked me if the trouble I was in was worth the trip. I said 'YES'. Was grounded for a year! Nothing but church, school, and supervised trips anywhere except school. Would I do it again! Yepper!
Bowtwi-John Hartford! I thought I was the only one who knew of his work and life! When he died, the world became far less because he isn't here. You met him and his family? I am sooooo jealous!
I liked what I heard of twi music while I was in. I don't remember the name of the group, but it was 4 or 5 young black men who sang
'Celebration' among others.
My children have my love of music. My son Matt says he can't drive a car without tunes! He learned to play bass while in prison, and they even performed for the population on occasion.
Anyone who has read my posts knows that I am probably the oldest NSync fan on the earth, except for their grandma's maybe! They are just amazing!
Because of NSync I found a group called Euge Groove. One of the members of NSync, JC Chasez, loves soft jazz. Me too! Sade etc. Good stuff!
I did a search on Kazaa for him and a song he performed with Euge Groove- 'Give in to Me' led me to search for more. Find more about this group at Good stuff! From there I heard Dave Koz, Sade, and the rest is history!
My kids range in age from 28 to 13. They have eclectic tastes in music too. Hard to soft, they listen to EVERYTHING!
Wasn't much censorship in twi when I was in. They just asked us to listen to 'positive' music.
(I never knew exactly what that meant but didn't get in trouble for my tunes!)
Great thread Kathy! Many kudos!
Kay
Kay1952
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Zixar
I used to read every thread, but I just don't have the time I once did. As a result, I missed this wonderful thread until today. Oops. Here's some random thoughts I had while running over it...
I've always liked music, but never really understood how it all worked well enough to play it with any skill. I've gotten to where I can play some things by ear, and transpose tunes so they're easier to play on whatever instrument I'm abusing at the time, but if anyone held a gun to my head and said "write a song now!" I guess they'd just have to pull the trigger. Maybe someday...
As far as musical genres go, it's hard to pigeonhole my tastes. I've liked a little bit of just about every different kind of music there is, with the notable exception of jazz. Can't stand it, it just seems to be music designed to impress other musicians. ("Whoa, dude, check out those diminished 13th chords he's using!")
Talent is really what impresses me, especially when it comes to lyrics. To me, clever lyrics can rescue a musically-mediocre song as well as good music can cover up trite lyrics. I find that the albums I keep listening to over and over excel in one or the other area.
Someone mentioned a Barenaked Ladies concert, and I have to agree. They are simply the most entertaining live act I've ever seen. A winning combo of clever lyrics and catchy tunes and they always look like they're having a blast on stage. So what if they're Canadians?
Guitar-wise, I think my favorite has to be Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. There may be others more famous or more skilled, but he just plays the way I wish I could. I never got into Clapton or Springsteen that much.
Classical music is very much a pick-and-choose genre for me. Mozart is just about the only one I can always count on to be excellent across the board, although there are a few pieces by others I enjoy, Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Telemann, Mendelssohn, etc.
The nice thing about country music is that it's simple, you can sing along with it, and the albums have a high content to filler ratio, unlike nearly all of today's rock albums (one hit, twelve tracks of crap) Plus, there are no ugly women in country music--most rock-group women look like twenty miles of bad road!
While John Lennon was certainly a more profound musician than the other Beatles, Paul McCartney was the better entertainer. Screw Michael Jackson, if you want a "King of Pop", Paul's your man. Some criticize him for churning out "bubblegum", but hey, you can't argue with success.
I'm hoping someday we'll get another Billy Joel or Elton John--the piano is really underused in popular music nowadays.
Rap is sort of like R.E.M.'s first two albums--twenty-two slightly-different versions of the same song. The big difference of course is that I actually liked the R.E.M. song... Although, to be fair, there have been a few rap songs I've liked, mostly saved by the "clever lyrics" bit. If it made me laugh, I gave it another chance.
That's all for now.
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ChattyKathy
Hi Kay, you answered a question I had in your post. That being what if someone was just now coming to this thread, how long would it take to read it. I?m glad I ain?t starting out from scratch.
No offense taken, I think John Lennon looks like one myself. But I don?t guess that was his intention.
Will you please post again and tell us about being at Woodstock?
Kinda new you were cool when you posted in that Pink Floyd thread of mine, you continue to prove it to me in your posts, thanks for joining us.
Hey Zixar, same words to you, man I would hate to be have to read this puppy from the start, thanks for doing so.
You abuse instruments, hahaha, find that hard to believe.
Writing songs is something I am playing at presently. Way cool it is. But can't play an instrument of any kind.
Your choice on Dire Straits guitarist Knopfler is a great one. I also like Night Ranger and 38 Special, to name a couple.
Thanks yall for posting, everyone added makes this one heck of a kick*** thread. Gosh, I am not partial am I?
Kathy
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TheSongRemainsTheSame
A friend of mine bought me a scarf from the Rolling Stones (02) concert in Atlanta , Ga and gave it to me as a gift... to that friend I am thankFULL...
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ChattyKathy
Hey Stevo,
Rolling along ala scarf.
Kathy
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socks
Hey there! Thanks Hope! It's kangaroos, then! Thanks, that really is a blast from the past.
There's a whole 'nother sub-genre...novelty tunes.
"Purple People Eater"
"Hello Mother, Hello Father"
There's always been a place for those kinds of tunes and I'm glad they're back. Some of the rap things I run across strike me as really funny, too. Not the kill/die/i'm a bad mudda-fudda rap (I always feel like saying "ok, I GOT IT the first 1,000 times you said it. YOU'RE REALLY a BAD DUDE!") , but the sounds, the sing-song melodies. Snoop Dog...that' a whole laugh track right there and it's just the guy's nick.
A la, you mention Celtic. Grand stuff. We have a lot of that around the house too. My wife's Irish on both sides of her family, so we got freckles on our potatoes round here. There's an NPR show done by a Fiona Ritchie you might like if you haven't ever heard of it. It's called "Thistle and Shamrock" and they deal with it, she plays all kinds of that music on her show. She puts out sampler CD's and stuff. We got one a couple years ago, killer stuff. I gotta dig that cd out. There's a tune on it with a lead guitarist playing that's out of this world. It's a really nice blend. Another one's kind of a fireside chant kind of thing, modern sounding. It sounds like, hard to describe, I oughta shoot you the cd. Drop me your email if you'd like a copy, I'll mail it to you.
There's just so much here. Woo! I'm still stuck on Bobby Darin and Ted. I LOVE Bobby Darin. "Dream Lover", "Mack the Knife". That guy was talented, plus he hooked up with Marilyn Monroe if I remember right. Can't beat that.
I'm pondering your question, Ted. Not sure where to go with it. I'll have to give it another day or two. Just checking in.
One thing for sure - it's clear music means a lot to many of us and it's been a constant presence throughout our lives.
Something strange that's started to happen to me is in my dreams. For a couple years, I'd dream at times about being someplace where I'd be playing or trying to, and there'd always be something goofy about it. The guitar wouldn't make any noise or the strings would be like rubber bands, or I'd have no pick. I'd be late. It was always something, and I could never remember the music that would be played when I'd wake up. About a year ago or so, that changed and when I'd have those kinds of dreams, I'd just play with the other people and I'd remember what the music sounded like. Go figure. Now it's more fun to have that dream.
Well, gotta catch some z's. Ck, the thread is growing...growing...
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Is the time/space meter needle supposed to be jumping around like that? *tap-tap*...sqwrkltpzfttt@#$%^&!!!!!!.....
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Oakspear
I couldn't think of anywhere else to post this, so...
I was with a few friends Monday night, and since I didn't have to go to work the next morning, we closed the bar and went to a party at the home of a friend of a friend.
After a while some guitars and other assorted instruments came out and some cool reggae jams started.
Soon the host looks at me and says, "Tom, we need a percussionist, and you're it".
He hands me a wooden frog, with a stick stuck through it. The frog had scales on his back for scritching, and made different sounds depending on where you hit it. He had two, so me and the woman who brought me to this party ended up "beating our frogs" into the wee hours of the morning.
Wonder what Way productions would have done with it?
Oakspear
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice...but in practice there is
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ChattyKathy
Oak, Thanks for posting that smile making "beating your frog" gig. Would have loved to hear yall. Reggae music has to be one of the funniest forms of music to date.
Socks, I wonder if Paw is ready to put a limit on my post number yet?
Kathy
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Yanagisawa
You are right about jazz being mostly music to impress other musicians- but allow me to give a little background.
I believe jazz, in it's infancy, was still very much "folk" music in that it spoke to and spoke of "folks".
The jazz and swing of the thirties and forties, although more elegant and "uptown", was still ubiquitous because it's elements of syncopation, drive, riffs, etc still appealed to the ears and feet of the layman.
It was in the fifties that things changed. As a jazz musician mastered his instrument he found no place to exhibit his discoveries. The swing bands were very vanilla, the R&B stuff was very elementary and riff-oriented.
And so, like in many disciplines, a sort of "Mensa" club of very proficient and creative artists formed a "club" with very strict membership requirements. This was best exhibited by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Bud Powell, etc. and what it was called was be-bop.
To keep the "riff-raff" out they would take a standard show tune (How High the Moon) and play it at breakneck speed. The standard chord changes would be altered to include all sorts of wonderful, colorful deviations from the predictable slurpy corny triadic sounds most people's ears were used to.
This kind of jazz was/is very esoteric and exclusionary (to both listener and wannabe performer) because it was designed to be that way...demanding to the performer and to the listener. It takes a committment of both aficionado and artist to enjoy jazz.
Since that time improvisational jazz has remained exclusionary and esoteric. It is not for the occasional listener or the weekend warrior. It is a demanding discipline that provides a palate for those who want to keep growing technically and artistically.
Finally, I would surmise that every discipline has it's exclusionary "Mensa" clubs with strict "membership" requirements of proficiency. Policemen, firemen, mathemeticians, athletes, salespeople, etc all have circles of studs whose talents and artistry in their chosen field can only be showcased in special events designed for the best of the best, and whose greatness is only appreciated by those few "in the know".
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ChattyKathy
Yana,
I fall into the catergory of:
Of "not" being "in the know". I like too many forms of music to focus my learning on just one. For me it is just the pure pleasure of it all. What tidbits acquired along the way just add flavor to the spice. If I knew nothing in depth about varied music forms in would not lesson my enjoyment of it. Just kinda simple in that respect, probably not unnoticed by folks already.
Thanks for the post, it adds to understanding, even if maybe I fall short of the mark.
Kathy
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