I had been “anti-Stevie Ray Vaughan” for many years.
- Thread starter Mark Wein
- Start date
reverend1
Kick Henry Jackassowski
+ SUnglasses indoors and this hat:
But, what will harmonica players wear?
Lerxst
spaghetti and blankets
+ SUnglasses indoors and this hat:
A thousand times yes
baimun
Funkasaurus Rex
Mark... get this.. we were at an open mic last night and a guy walked up to my drummer and started asking what kind of music we played. When we turned and answered, he said "I have THIS"
He started playing the little tiny harmonica necklace..... I just turned around and looked the other way, refusing to acknowledge him any longer.
Spencer (my drummer) laughed at me like ??? ... I said "The reason that harmonica has a string on it, is so he can pull it back out of his ass."
He started playing the little tiny harmonica necklace..... I just turned around and looked the other way, refusing to acknowledge him any longer.
Spencer (my drummer) laughed at me like ??? ... I said "The reason that harmonica has a string on it, is so he can pull it back out of his ass."
I liked SRV when I first heard him. Innovative and unique as he had a heavy attack. On his final studio album - In Step - prior to his death, I consider that recording to be the pinnacle of his career and playing. What I also liked about SRV was finding out who his influences are. You can really hear alot of Albert King in his playing on many of the slow blues tunes - just classic AK style phrasing. Even the not so well known Lonnie Mack you can hear alot of SRV using his style of phrasing.
We are all guilty of stealing and borrowing our influences. How it ties and relates to each of our playing defines who we are at that point in time of the space contuinuum
The truth of it is that all of those blues influences were real and genuine. He was introduced to the music at a young age and it captured him in a way that made him want to play music.
He then did something (I don't know what) to elevate his music above what other blues players were doing in the same era. I feel that it's safe to say that because he really did bring a lot of attention back to those that were his influences.
Think about this too: Mick Jagger brought him to the attention of David Bowie. Mick saw him play at some showcase event, if I am remembering correctly.
So, why is that a big deal? What influenced Mick back in the day? American Blues.
He and his cohorts took those influences in an ever expanding musical direction.
Stevie was doing what he did over 20 years earlier, but it was exciting enough to be noticeable.
Here comes the "Who knows?"
Who knows where Stevie would have gone had he not gotten on that helicopter?
He was capable of stepping outside his comfort zone. With more time to do so, and with more focus and a clear head, we could have seen some pretty cool things.
He did do a good amount of session work.
Consider that without his demise, we may have not seen as many knock-offs come to the forefront. Sure they'd still exist, but they may not have been artificially elevated as such by their record companies. Stevie's death created a void in the machine that the higher ups (if something is making money, you don't want to not have it anymore) felt needed to be filled. So, filler was created or perhaps encouraged is a better word.
Not to take anything away from the likes of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Johnny Lang, et al. They are certainly talented and I enjoy what they do, but maybe their careers would have been different had they not had to try and fill that hole.
I've always been a fan and always will be.
Ignored Member
Neutered male
This was funny and deserves props.
I'm mostly a fingerpicker and I love the clean position 2/4 strat sound. I steer clear of it, though, to avoid being seen as a Mark Knopfler wannabe.
I don't worry about being seen as a Chet Atkins wannabe. I'm not good enough for anybody to think that and would take it as a compliment anyway.
reverend1
Kick Henry Jackassowski
This was funny and deserves props.
I'm mostly a fingerpicker and I love the clean position 2/4 strat sound. I steer clear of it, though, to avoid being seen as a Mark Knopfler wannabe.
I don't worry about being seen as a Chet Atkins wannabe. I'm not good enough for anybody to think that and would take it as a compliment anyway.
No-one but another guitar player would think you were a Mark Knopfler wannabe. If someone thought my playing even remotely resembled Mark Knopfler's, it would be the best compliment I have ever gotten.
Gary Blanchard
beloved, local musician
Dogsinplastic
avuncular to no one
I've been a fan since my dad introduced me to his music around the time I started playing. I was too busy at the time trying to learn classic rock staples (Stairway...) and then I tried to do the shred thing since it was focus of my peers, but it never took. My desire was low and the practie needed to accomplish that type of playing seemed to take away the process of making and playing "music".
Anyway, I'm enjoying the audio right now. He and the band sound great. As to the clothes, it was the '80s albeit the latter part of the decade AND he was in Italy so the local fashion was factoring in to some extent if I had to guess. This should have been within a year or so of his sobriety.
The one thing I have to say for those that "hate" or got sick of hearing him so much...and all of the imitators...seeing him live was amazing. Not listening to the live albums, but being there was a thrill. This concert is actually damned good and you're really only missing standing there when it was happening. I know someone else here saw him and wasn't impressed, but bad nights happen and not everyone likes every style or every take on a style. Not that you all aren't already completely aware of that fact.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the audio right now. He and the band sound great. As to the clothes, it was the '80s albeit the latter part of the decade AND he was in Italy so the local fashion was factoring in to some extent if I had to guess. This should have been within a year or so of his sobriety.
The one thing I have to say for those that "hate" or got sick of hearing him so much...and all of the imitators...seeing him live was amazing. Not listening to the live albums, but being there was a thrill. This concert is actually damned good and you're really only missing standing there when it was happening. I know someone else here saw him and wasn't impressed, but bad nights happen and not everyone likes every style or every take on a style. Not that you all aren't already completely aware of that fact.
Dogsinplastic
avuncular to no one
Funniest scene in any movie EVAR!!! Except maybe some stuff from Blazing Saddles and History of the World.
Modern Saint
Starve your Fear, Feed your Dream!
Agree completely. On the album "In Step", he really started to come into his own and really started to develop his own identity.
Agree on KWS but oppose on Lang. Granted I haven't heard alot of Lang's later stuff and really only familiar with his early works, I feel that he was unique. What to me set Lang apart from many of the others is his voice. His guitar playing was always second really to his voice which captured my ear.
But that is the way I see it.
The odd one to me is Robert Cray. He has a beautiful tone but his phrasing....I don't get it ???
Agreed. Johnny Lang had a lot of his own influences at an early age. They just happened to take him along a similar path to Texas Blues, but yeah some of his albums aren't like that at all. I remember being disappointed by one because it wasn't what I was expecting. Then, I listened to it again and it was great. I just need to reset my expectation of what it was.
I never thought of Robert Cray as an SRV wannabe. More of a contemporary with a slightly different set of influences. In my memory, he was out doing his thing at the same time rather than jumping on a bandwagon. Not arguing the point.. just saying. Maybe I missed something.
baimun
Funkasaurus Rex
I've seen Jonny Lang live and my wife and I got to meet him after one of his shows in South Bend. Super nice guy. He definitely has the Lousiana blues and gospel influence where Stevie had so much of the Texas thing going on. They both have the "white guy blues" but are distinctly different.
Rev... one of my faves as well.
Rev... one of my faves as well.