Willie G. Moseley

That's different from the poster I have---as noted earlier, Leavelle had an ES-335. Gibson must've squawked (wouldn't be surprising), and Ruby had a Strat. What's more, at one Dallas show, Leavelle was there, signing posters, and his signature is on mine. One of the most brilliant marketing moves I've ever seen at a guitar show. Another one from their assortment was the "Axis Trio" of Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo playing guitar, bass and drums.

That reminds me of the those "Killer Vintage" t-shirts and posters that the dealer outta St. Louis has marketed with superimposed instruments; they're hilarious. His most popular one is the famous Lee Harvey Oswald being shot by Jack Ruby picture---from left, James Leavelle (light suit, cowboy hat) has an ES-335, Oswald appears to be crooning into a microphone, and Ruby's moving in with a left-hand sunburst Strat. My personal favorite, tho, is "No, you can't sit in!" It's the famous photo where the Saigon police chief shot the Viet Cong collaborator in the head. In the modded photo, the police chief is bashing the collaborator in the head with a Gibson Explorer, and the collaborator's playing a harmonica....morbid, but hysterical. Shoulda been in the NATIONAL LAMPOON, back when it was funny.

Heads up, Kiz---LIVE SIDES ONLY, as BCR noted too late. This early in the day, mebbe you need to splash some coffee on yer face and swallow some after shave---that'll getcha goin'.

This one might require a bit of a thinking cap as well as some possible research...and I can't suss out everything exactamundo myself, for that matter: There've been threads here and elsewhere about ultimate album sides, which usually refer, of course, to works that were released on record or cassette, with two (minimum) sides. Side Two of ABBEY ROAD is one that gets cited often, and rightly so, and sometimes live sides will be cited as well---Side One of the J.Geils' Band's FULL HOUSE is an example (and again, rightly so, FWMOW). But whaddabout a list of ultimate live sides only? Some albums may be half studio/half live, and cassettes might have an extra song on one side or the other compared to the LP. Such a list would pretty much exclude great live albums that were released on CD like the Allmans' AN EVENING WITH THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND volumes, etc. (unless they were also released on cassette, in which case most folks probably wouldn't know, as they'd be more oriented towards compact discs). What's more, some of the "side" recordings may not have the nice fidelity of digital recordings (unless they've been re-mastered; I've got CDs of remastered and non-re-mastered stuff that was originally on LP) so the emphasis would need to be on great music more so than a so-called state-of-the-art recording...and that's the way it should be. The bottom line is that such sides have held up over the decades. Submitted for your approval are the following recordings, with as much detail as I could uncover: HAPPY TRAILS (Quicksilver Messenger Service), Side One: A multi-faceted cover of "Who Do You Love" that is a lot more complex than some followers of Frisco acid rock may have originally realized, but the drum segment accompanied by tribal grunting from the audience is intriguing in a primal way. FLOWERS OF EVIL (Mountain), Side Two: Solo guitar with violin-like riffs and power chords in an inimitable tone from Leslie West, segueing into "Roll Over Beethoven", then an extended version of "Dreams of Milk and Honey" that interpolates licks from the newer studio stuff on Side One. Final track = "Mississippi Queen"; total length = 27 minutes, and the original LP came with a notice that since that side was so long you had to turn up the volume on your stereo. FULL HOUSE (J. Geils Band), Side One: previously discussed ON YOUR FEET OR ON YOUR KNEES (Blue Oyster Cult), Side Three: "Last Days of May", "Cities on Flame" & "ME-262". All five band members played guitar at one point on the last track (no drums). Actually, Side One of the same album ("The Subhuman", "Harvester of Eyes", "Hot Rails to Hell") is close, and Side Two of SOME ENCHANTED EVENING might have actually been cited here (that album was certainly better-produced than OYFOOYK) except a gawd-awful cover of "Kick Out the Jams". A STEP FURTHER (Savoy Brown), Side Two: "Savoy Brown Boogie", interpolating other songs (even "Hernando's Hideaway'). Kim Simmond's tone has never sounded better, adn Chris Youlden averred why he's one of the greatest white blues singers ever. NEAR THE BEGINNING (Vanilla Fudge), Side Two: As was the case w/ the Mountain and Savoy Brown albums cited, Side One has studio tracks, but Side Two has a stereotypical late '60s/early '70s "everybody gets a solo" side-long effort, and it's worth the price of admission for Tim Bogert's ground-breaking bass solo alone. YESSONGS (Yes), Side Six (I think): This album pretty much blew away any and all previous studio versions of songs it had on it, which is why the last side, consisting of "Yours Is No Disgrace" and "Starship Trooper" gets cited; they're so potent there's no comparison to the original versions. The side containing Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman solo pieces+ "Roundabout" is close, but Side Six gets the nod on accounta it's the entire band all the way through. As noted here previously, possibly the best progressive rock album ever. NO SLEEP TIL HAMMERSMITH (Motorhead), Side Two: As noted here previously, possibly the best metal album ever. And ya get to hear Lemmy pronounce the second "B" in the word "bomber". Others?

"Thela Hun Ginjeet" is an anagram too. A definitive example of Belew w/ Talking Heads is heard on THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS, a double live album. There's a squawling, bending guitar riff that intros "House in Motion", and you just know it's Belew, simple as that. But he confirmed such in an interview. IMO one of the reasons King Crimson Mark III garnered immediate attention, particularly from players, was the intro to "Elephant Talk" being done on an Electric Stick. 'Fess up: Didn't that riff just about stop you in your tracks first time you heard it? I'd heard some other recordings of the instrument (including ones by inventor Emmett Chapman himself) but Tony Levin's application was definitely a different tangent, musically---most of the other Stick tunes were melodic, quasi-New Age fare, and Levin's aggressive manipulation was a polar opposite. Anyone who can play one of those things has my immediate respect.

JEEZUS!!! RE the GUITAR WORLD cover, is it just me or does EVH look like he's got collagen/bee-sting lips??? And I was thinking about a Jocelyn Wildenstein comparison as well, but the above pictures confirmed my fears (and I'm LMAO). It'd be interesting to see if SPY magazine could do something along this line in a "Separated at Birth?" installment.

TANGENTS/SIDEBARS: The Stray Cats on "Fridays", touted as their first national appearance unless you count them with Dave Edmunds in a rep-MTV video (IIRC) cover of "The Race Is On". Seeing a 2 1/2 piece band with gravity-defying quiffs was another "Whut the hayull izzat" moment. The Plasmatics on "Tomorrow" with Tom Snyder, ca. 1981. "Singer" Wendy O. Williams, dressed as schoolgirl IIRC, leaned over, hiked her mini-skirt from behind and wiggled her bohunkus, causing the camera to abruptly cut away from the burlesque move, and somebody in the audience tried to steal Richie Stotts' Flying V right off of him when he went charging into the seats.

+1 on Paul Simon's multiple appearances, including dueting w/ George Harrison, and singing "The Boxer" to open the first SNL after 9/11.

Oh-tay, the Gilda Radner impersonation of Patti Smith recollections from the Hall of Fame thread (+1 on wondering what the hell Smith ever did to merit inclusion) inspires a new thread. I nominate the following (in no particular order): Joe Cocker & John Belushi duet of "Feelin' Alright" Devo: "Satisfaction" (Gawd only knows how many people, in late '78, saw that quintet that looked rejects from a nuclear waste disposal site and said "Whut the hayull izzat?") Elvis Costello: Meltdown on "Less Than Zero" (I think) switching to "Radio Radio". Re-hashed in person on one of the anniversary shows...but who remembered the original? Fran Tarkenton singing "Feelings" The best part of the Blues Brothers initial appearance was Ackroyd and Belushi's "choreography". I always thought the Blues Bros. was self-indulgence by that twosome, but at least they got some ace backing musicians...and Duck Dunn sez he thought Ackroyd and Belushi were sincere in what they were trying to do. Belushi horning in on Frank Zappa's band...on more than one show as I recall. Funny, a lot (if not all) of these happened in the same decade, and I bet such recollections are somewhat generation-based. May add more later if I think of more, but will also note that one of the worst appearances was Faith No More.

As far as Grand Funk's "ticket", I wasn't much of a fan when the band was in their prime. The only album of theirs I had was the first live album, which came close to rivaling KICK OUT THE JAMS as the most brutal live album ever recorded (this was about a decade before NO SLEEP 'TIL HAMMERSMITH, however). GFR was a platinum-selling band for a number of years, and had a large fan base. GFR sold out Shea Stadium faster than the Beatles, and a documentary indicates that the stands were actually in danger of collapsing due to the fans' stomping. GFR opened for Led Zeppelin, and blew the Englishsters offstage much to Peter Grant's consternation. It would be interesting to compare GFR to REM regarding album sales (# of each release sold) and # of hit singles (and chart positions and longevity of each). This is not to say REM is less-deserving of such corpulent, hype-laden, dubious enshrinement, but Halls of Fame ought to be egalitarian, and criteria should include results, so GFR's accomplishments would merit such inclusion. However, the band was never a critics' favorite, and ignoring them nowadays just illuminates yet again the bottom-line snobbery that is still typical of rock journalism. I wonder how many critics are frustrated musicians themselves....

The controversy over inductees happens every year, and it's always interesting to monitor. I stand by my annual opinion that the annual exclusion of the Ventures and Grand Funk Railroad is heresy. One doesn't have to necessarily be a fan of inductees, but if their accomplishments---particularly popularity/sales---are ignored in favor of so-called "historic artistic influence" considerations by the elitists that select the inductees, the validity of such an establishment is severely diluted. I'll probably post this same text, word for word, next year around this time.

Who?

Hawkwind. SPACE RITUAL still slays, about a third of a century after its release. One terrible-quality live album to avoid is BRING ME THE HEAD OF YURI GAGARIN, even if the album has one of the coolest titles ever.

Many of us have a disproportionate amount of live albums in our respective collections, simply because we're players. And it seems like some bands always come off better on record doing live stuff rather than studio, or at the very least, the live stuff was what we preferred to listen to (and may still be the case). Submitted for your approval as more enjoyable on live albums are the following: Mountain Blue Oyster Cult MC5 Cream ('60s, that is) Jefferson Airplane Tangerine Dream Fleetwood Mac (Boston Tea Party material) Maybe even Rush, Dire Straits, and Yes (YESSONGS is the definitive British progressive rock album of all time)

Speaking of boxed sets, I recall that when STAR TIME came out in May of 1991, VH-1 was showing a video of historic JB concert footage synchronized with "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", and every time the stop came at the end of the verse and (Jimmy Nolen?) the guitarist did that chinka-chinka riff (Em7?), when the horns kicked in immediately thereafter, the kick-in was coordinated with a split/knee-drop onscreen. If you taped it and used a freeze frame, it was unbelievable to view the height to which Brown would get airborne before hitting the floor in a split. Unbelievably powerful and a second-generation type of encausticity. One hasn't heard many James Brown jokes since he died, but some of the ones that lampooned his raucous lifestyle when he was still around are still humorous, including things like the title of his next single is "Papa's Got A Brand New Arrest Warrant" or Rick Dees' commercial for "The James Brown Automobile Security System" ("It's not horn...it's not a siren...listen to it in action: 'EEEYOW! EEEYOW! EEEYOW!'"). One of the best (supposedly true) anecdotes involving Brown was (white) soul singer Mitch Ryder's lament about 10-15 years ago to a journalist that fairly early in his career, he'd torn up both of his knees doing splits, and he didn't understand why, on accounta James Brown, who was then in his late fifties, was still doin' 'em. Mitch was informed by the journalist that James wore knee pads, and Ryder's supposed one-word response was "Oh."

James Brown had many self-styled monikers: "The Godfather of Soul", "The Ruler of Rhythm & Blues", "The Founder of Funk", and "The Hardest-Working Man in Show Business", and he lived up to all of 'em. To have witnessed a JB show in the '60s was to have been in the presence of an unleashed monster with hyper-tight band arrangements. The knee-drops, the cape antics on "Please, Please, Please"...still mind-boggling and encaustic. Moreover, Jimmy Nolen's scratchy, chugging rhythm guitar is requisite listening in the lexicon of electric six-string musical history. Trenton, NJ guitarist Paul Plumeri once keenly observed "Jimmy Nolen was an influence, and none of us knew who he was." If anything, the "Founder of Funk" designation is spot-on. That emphasis on the first beat was new in its time, and was later appropriated by who know how many others. One of my favorite examples is "There Was A Time" on the 1967 live at the Apollo album. It'll make you sweat just listening to it. And that's the song on which Brown had the audacity to name a dance after himself... While he was at times the butt of Letterman jokes, James Brown was an American original, period. Nobody else even came close, or ever will. Good Gawd!

I wasn't much of a Sly fan, but a lot of their stuff has held up over the years (thanks in no small part to L. Graham). Obviously, "I Want to Take You Higher" mixed w/ "Hey Music Lover" was a highlight of the Woodstock movie, and one things I thought was a hoot was the choreography that Graham and the guitar player were doing. As I recall, Larry looked to be playing a Candy Apple Red Jazz Bass, and the guitarist has Gibson electric acoustic w/ f-holes and a Florentine cutaway...hell, I've still got the VHS so I'll probably look it later on tonight. Exciting stuff, aurally and visually.

+1 for the most part, Currypowder. I consider collectibles to be "fun investments", a contradictory term of sorts, and I sold off some instruments when I needed to instead of cashing in an insurance policy. Also, leaving out "she" wouldn't necessarily have been sexist, as I do not know any female guitar collectors...but I don't know any male Barbie Doll collectors either.

Rick Nielsen's comments about there being a difference between "collecting" and "hoarding" are as valid today as when he made 'em in VINTAGE GUITAR in 1992....and it still pisses off doctors and lawyers who are collectors. Since I'm a bass player more than a guitarist, I've considered just about any guitar I've bought to be expendable if needed, thus I suppose I would have considered 'em to be investments as the bottom line. The guitars I'd want to hold onto more than any are the ones that were custom-made to my specifications. Most likely, I let all of my standard production/pawn shop prize guitars go before I'd let the last standard production bass go...and I have no custom-made basses, just about a half-dozen custom-made guitars, which I consider heirlooms if I can retain them. The only times I've sold some bona fide vintage collectibles is because I had to, for financial stress reasons that weren't of my own making. It wasn't so much that it broke my heart to let 'em go...and I got more than I paid for each and every one...it was that the circumstances that forced me to have to take such action left me angered and alienated about corporate ethics, and this has happened to peers as well...and my personal values tell me that if certain executives aren't accountable for their actions in this life, they'll be held accountable in the next life. "PAUSE": Damn, I sound like a socialist! At any rate, if my financial situation had been stable I'd probably have retained a lot more than I own now. I don't see the bottom dropping out of the vintage guitar market just yet, but some of the prices on some items are ridiculous. If anything, the (so-called) mania associated with the market can be as alienating as anything else. Even though most of my instruments have been investments and I've sold off some for a considerable profit, I didn't enjoy having to do such. If you opt to turn anything, just make sure you won't regret it later (too much).

It behooves contemplation about how many (formerly) notable bands, members of which are now in their 50s or even early 60s, will ultimately handle their respective swan songs. I think I've noted this before hereon, but IMO, every generation wants to hear the music with which it came of age for the rest of its existence...and I'm 56 myself. Some bands may have opportunities to go out in (possibly-hyped-up) style---rumor had it that the Pink Floyd would reunite one last time as a tribute to Syd Barrett but I thunk I heard that Gilmour had kiboshed that notion (and isn't it curious that a non-original member of the Floyd ultimately became the focal point/spokesperson...even if by default). Some may go out with a (possibly-hyped-up) bang. Kiss, those bastard scions of P.T. Barnum, would probably do one last blow-out at MSG, and would set a Guinness record for indoor fireworks detonation in the process. And their minions would fall for it, in spite of being hoodwinked during the so-called "Farewell Tour" at the beginning of the century. Some aggregations just may stop out of tiring out and/or possible indifference (legitimate or not)---anybody heard anything about Yes lately? Some have gone on tout w/ alternate front persons (Queen w/ Paul Rodgers) but for what length of time will such be valid? The point is, all too often we want to hear the bands' classic songs instead of what they've been offering in more recent times anyway, and we can always listen to recordings. As is also the case with some professional sports participants, some bands (try to) stay in the public eye too long anyway (TANGENT: What's more, most so-called "comebacks" in entertainment and sports usually aren't). Who wants to predict how certain combos will finally fold up things (and a death of a prominent member should be taken into consideration)?

+1 on cheap guitars...for beginners. The ones I first plunked on, while US-made (and are now time-warp machines for aging Boomes) were highly inferior to what a neophyte can start out on these days, and as has always been the case, if the newbie doesn't go any further than that first guitar, no big $ lost. Silvertone/Danelectros and Kay plank-like solidbodies conjure up some nostalgia, but as an inherent instrument (made to be played), a Chinese-made Squier Strat is vastly superior. And Robin guitars are "better", even though their quality has always been excellent. Formerly imported (but decent mfrs.---Chushin, ESP and Tokai), they're now made in Texas and are, IMO, the best value in smaller-manufactured, handcrafted instruments on the planet.

I'm married to a government accountant who is, at the present time, the breadwinner, and we both have $ accountability within our home and communicate about such. When I demonstrated that anything I bought could probably sold for more $ than I paid (unlike most other hobbies/fun projects) she was impressed, and now doesn't question the long cartons she occasionally sees being packed or unpacked in my home office. Bottom line, it's about love and trust. The fact that your wife earns more than you can, and perhaps should, figure into it as well, although the present status hasn't always been the case over the duration of our marriage. You need to learn to adjust. That being said, there was a time (as I've noted on this board before) when my interest (more in playing music rather than collecting) turned into an obsession/outlet/escape in the mid-'70s, and it was instrumental (pun intended) in the failure of my first marriage...but I would emphasize there wasn't any financial irresponsibility by me involved (and there never has been over the decades). One would suppose to what extent a male is "into" his guitar-buying/collecting interest would be a portion of how "involved" a wife is concerning the financial facet, as well as other facets.

In their time, Cream's efforts weren't considered "so much wankery" because they were pushing the limits of what a rock band could do, and in some respects they took music to a realm that had never been explored (and some might opine it's never been visited since). I think the musical interplay of Cream was unparalleled in the history of rock. I saw 'em live on 27 OCT 68 at Chastain Park in Atlanta, and to this day I've still never heard that much music come outta three individuals. Ginger Baker was described by Jeff Berlin as having "perfect disco timing" and he meant it as a compliment. Baker might have been a human metronome to some, but I always thought his runs were appropriate...and don't forget that was the era of the obligatory drum solo as well. Ca. 1967 to 1973 was, IMO, the most innovative five or six years in the history of popular music, and for the first couple of years, at least, Cream was a big part of it. If I was younger and listened to Cream (and other bands) from a purely historical standpoint, I might have a different opinion, but I own CDs everything they ever put out. I didn't particularly care for the mix at the '05 RAH show, but I didn't expect the fire and fury of live material I'd heard in the late '60s. "N.S.U." on LIVE CREAM absolutely slays, even now.

While this is another example of playability and sound vs. cosmetics, I've never liked pearl finishes in any color on any guitar body, by any manufacturer, because my perception has been (1) the instrument body could look like it's made from something like molded plastic, and (2) there seems to be a subliminal sissy vibe to a pearl finish. I'll take metalflake anytime.

"Captain Jack"-Billy Joel "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"-Billy Joel "Funeral for a Friend"-Elton John "Miami 2017 (live version on SONGS IN THE ATTIC)-Billy Joel "The River"-Bruce Springsteen "Black Sabbath"-Black Sabbath