Willie G. Moseley

"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

Tears for Fears' "Shout": Loping and clanking, it wasn't pop, wasn't progressive rock, wasn't rock and roll. While the bass solo in the middle and the guitar solo at the end were simplistic, they were still extremely listenable and memorable. I'd never heard anything like that tune. +1 on "Elephant Talk", only I bought DISCIPLINE before the Crims were on Fridays...or at least, I didn't see 'em if they were on before the album was released. Hearing an Electric Stick will definitely turn yer head, almost every time.

RE the Rush references: I may have put this on another thread in times past, but "Countdown", on SIGNALS, the same album that has "Subdivisions", was another that stopped me stone cold, and was a big factor in me taking up music again six years after my divorce. The lyrics were banal but this was an upbeat prog-rocker, and the Space Shuttle mission control announcements were cool (I was a "child of the Mercury Program"; was in Miss Rogers' fifth grade class when Alan Shepard went into space on May 5, 1961). Rush was at that first shuttle launch, BTW.

...and these don't necessarily have to be the first time you heard the band/player/singer/whatever (in other words, not necessarily "the first cut is the deepest", if you will). Truth be told, the inspiration for this notion is an old friend of mine who admits he was, er, more into the mushrooms back in the '60s and '70s than I was. He'd never heard "Tubular Bells" but caught a "live" performance of it on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" in '74, where the musicians were sitting in a semi-circle, and would get up and walk over to different instruments at different times during the performance (anybody else remember that?). Well, he was blown away, as might have been expected. I can think of at least two songs that had a similar effect on me, admittedly later on. In '85, there was a Phil Collins concert on HBO (it later came out on video), and there was a tremendous extended work therein called "Hand in Hand" which started off with an almost African vibe---rainstorm effect, Collins singing something that sounded like an African dialect, response vocals from the Phoenix Horns, kalimba-like noodling by Chester Thompson on some instrument that was sort of like a mini-xylophone (from what I could tell)...following by a great horn arrangement kick-in and double drumming. It almost came off like a John Barry soundtrack number, and I was so entranced I was catatonic during the entire song. Bassist Leland Sklar said that the band used to open the show with "Hand in Hand" and he was pissed that it showed up later in the concert video, on accounta opening with it really started things rolling in the right manner, he said. In '94 I first heard the 28-minute version of "Rattlesnake Shake" from Fleetwood Mac's Boston Tea Party recordings. I'd heard other material from those live sessions (they were beginning to appear on cut-out type cassettes) but someone in Washington state sent me some bootlegs that included the effort which segues into the "Madge" jams and "Underway". Peter Green's Les Paul was absolutely screaming. It was about 30 degrees outside, I was in my car, and I didn't have the heater running, but I stopped after about 3 minutes of the song, stayed still 'till it was over, and I was sweating like a mofo at the end. It was (and is) the most ungodly extended jam track I've ever heard. Any other songs have such an immediate first-time effect on anyone else? I may think of others later on...

Jack Bruce Lemmy John Entwhistle Greg Lake John Wetton Interesting that someone brought up Steve Morse's THE INTRODUCTION and "Cruise Missile"---I already knew what Morse and Rod Morgenstein were capable of, considering their Dixie Dregs gig (WHAT IF is one of the best rock instrumental albums ever), but Jerry Peek's romping bass on "Cruise Missile" was staggering...not an influence, however, as I listen to bassists who sing lead vocals as personal inspirations (Although in Lemmy's case, "sing" is a relative term...eh, wot?).

One wonders to what extent such brands as GMP will ultimately become intriguing in the used/vintage market---not just the instruments themselves but associated memorabilia (brochures, etc.). I've got some Vacarro stickers and picks I picked up at a NAMM show back in the '90s, and of course that Kramer-ish spin-off---sounds like a Michael Richards TV show---didn't last long...and the same can be said for Richards' post-"Seinfeld" show, for that matter. I wonder what interest there would be on eBay... Banners, posters, catalogs, etc. of extinct guitar companies are one of the few things many guitar aficianados can afford these days.

As for getting back in the Missus' good graces, just tell her "I'll get down on my knees if you'll get down on your elbows." I knew my first marriage was gonna have problems when my soon-to-be spouse appeared in the movie at my bachelor party (a tip of the plagiarism hat to Rodney Dangerfield for that one).

The divorce rate among musicians---full or part-time---is 80-something percent. I met the first-woman-I-was-married-to (as opposed to "(ex-)wife"; I differentiate in the application of such terms) at a gig, wrote a song about her, got married and unfortunately one of numerous facets of the dissolution of my first marriage---and this was almost 30 years ago---was that I stayed too hung up on the band as an escape/outlet/obsession, like other males do with hunting, fishing and golf. On the other hand, some of Sam Kinison's rants about his exes struck home big time when I first heard 'em... The present spouse is the only wife I've ever had (coming up on our 21st anniversary), and before and since we married I had to learn to do a lot of things in moderation, and I had to prove to myself I could do such before I ever got married again. Such moderation and pragmatism includes gigs and guitar collecting. That's especially true when children come along, but how many players have enough sense to recognize such (at the time)?

STYX: James 'J.Y." Young

Yep, "Salt Lick" was under the ZZ TOP moniker and I think it also showed up on the CHROME/SMOKE/BBQ whatever that anthology was called.

Further hair-splitting (no big deal): The pre-Gibbons/Beard/Hill lineup of ZZ TOP released a single, "Salt Lick"; that 45 is probably highly collectible. As I understand it, all of those personnel changes included the ultimate (and still viable) lineup occurred in 1969. The point is, you can always win a trivia debate about the Lil Ol' Band for Texas' original threesome.

I never was into Head East; presumably that would indeed count, as they'd presumably be in the same status as Wishbone Ash, IMO. The original lineup of ZZ TOP was Gibbons, drummer Dan Mitchell, and keyboardist Lanier Greig (who played bass pedals). Billy Ethridge on bass replaced Greig, then Frank Beard replaced Mitchell, then Dusty Hill replaced Ethridge. Sources + Rev. Gibbons hisself as well as David Blayney, ZZ's former lighting director and author of SHARP-DRESSED MEN.

Kiz's Who brouhaha begs the philosophical consideration of the viability (commercially and musically) of bands that may have "legendary" names, but one or less original members. Consider the following, which were in such a category, last I heard: PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS: Paul Revere SAVOY BROWN: Kim Simmonds QUICKSILVER: Gary Duncan WHITESNAKE: David Coverdale (are they still around?) JOHN KAY & STEPPENWOLF: Name changed for legal reasons MOTORHEAD: Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister MOLLY HATCHET: No original members; somebody apparently bought the franchise SANTANA: Carlos Santana ZZ TOP: Billy F Gibbons BLACK OAK ARKANSAS: Jim Dandy Mangrum (who?) WISHBONE ASH: Andy Powell Many of the above would probably be considered to be in "journeyman" status (and that's being polite, in some situations). Actually, Wishbone Ash is still putting out some pretty good new material, IMO. I'd opine that the Raiders, Santana, and Savoy Brown have probably had the biggest turnover. Others?

"...colors of Mardi Gras," my bohunkus. The top of that guitar looks like Walt Disney threw up on it.

EUROPE '72: Grateful Dead EVENING WITH THE ALLMAN BROS. BAND, SET I LIVE DEAD, VOL. 1

Has anybody ever thought about a riff, chord progression or lick at all hours of the night (or at least, for a very extended time when you could concentrate) WITHOUT ACCESS TO AN INSTRUMENT, and the next time you got ahold of a guitar, you could play it??? I would presume that the more pro someone is, the more he/she would be capable of such, but I had a type of epiphany about how I could make myself do such (if given the opportunity) in a unique way: In 1970 I was at basic training in the military, and more times than not, pulled guard duty in the middle of the night. Sure you'd battle grogginess, so I imagined myself playing "Blister on the Moon" in E ---I was a Taste/Rory Gallagher fan, but had never tried to play any of their stuff. I thought about the chords then some of the licks, and it helped keep me awake. I also fantasized about other songs as well. When I went home on leave, an old bandmate let me try out his Vox Hurricane, and I could play "Blister on the Moon" straight-on. He remarked about how my playing had improved, and I hadn't touched a guitar in months. I was wondering if anyone else ever had a similar experience where by simply concentrating on how you thought a song went, without having access to the music or a recording or an instrument, you were ultimately able to play it right out of the chute once you got hold of a guitar. Sounds bizarre, but it worked for me, and I also wonder if such an acquired ability would be more prevalent among pro players and to a greater degree. WGM/VGM

Curious---my first flash when Kizanski posted "Hello, Police" was that he was gonna cite about three more old guys....

Ditto on the "people pay to see Clapton sing" notion, but I noticed right off that he's a lot more confident onstage at this juncture than he was in '68, as when I saw Cream back then, he barely even moved. The Albert Hall DVD shows him, as has other concert video material, to be moving around more and singing a lot more confidently. Chronological apples & oranges, but a positive type of maturity, IMO.

I bought the DVD in Nashville last week at the Opry Mills shopping center---Tower Records is next door to Gibson's bluegrass instrument workshop, where Gibson also sell instruments direct to the public for full list price (honest!---and if that takes this thread off on a tangent so be it). The DVD set was only $2 more than the CD; worth it for the visuals, I figgered. As alluded to in the When Were You Born thread, I saw Cream on 27 OCT 68 at Chastain Park in Atlanta. Hitch-hiked fom Tuscaloosa w/ my college roommate. I still have never heard that much music come from three individuals players at any concert. Cream's live material from those days still holds up, even if transplanted to CD, IMO, but I was a bit skeptical about what would be accomplished at the '05 shows---a landmark musical presentation or nostalgia-mongering. At first persual, my feeling is that it's somewhere in between. Peter Green biographer Martin Celmins has noted that any fan of Green in Fleetwood Mac shouldn't expect that kind of fire from Green now, maintaining that while he might have sounded, to quote a black musician in Chicago "like a Negro turned inside out", Green nows sounds like an older black man, and I agree. What's more, I expected---and pretty much got---the same from the new Cream concert material. The potent and competent musicianship is still there, of course, but these guys are all in their sixties, so the results---particularly the vocals and arrangements----were "safer", for lack of a better term. The ferocity that was the trademark of Cream in concert nearly 40 years ago was muted if not missing at times, but was to be expected, I should think. Sonically, this is a great effort, with the possible exception of Clapton using a Strat instead of a Gibson, but he still evokes some nice tones that fit in well. Bruce's almost-exclusive use of a short scale EB (reportedly having been owned by Felix Pappalardi) sounds fine, but Baker's drums don't seem to have the bombast that was heard in the '60s, particularly his use of double bass drums. His rolls aren't as "adventurous" either. Nevertheless, Ginger Baker is so rock-steady you could set the atomic clock by his playing. The band plays it safe elsewhere, too, such as coming back in from an extension of "NSU" to the verse instead of the chorus. They don't stretch out too long, either, for the most part...but should we have expected that? Jack Bruce had a liver transplant a while back, fer cryin' out loud, and sits on a stool at times. Don't get me wrong---I really enjoyed hearing material that only those three guys can perform in a meaningful way, but this isn't the Cream of my adolescence. It was one of the better reunions I've seen and heard, but I had the attitude not to expect what I'd heard in the late '60s...nor should anyone else expect such. WGM/VGM

To show you how some folks can leap to conclusions, I noted in a column some time ago that I sold my Airline angular guitar---which isn't that good of an instrument---for a lot more than I'd paid for it, due to its association with the White Stripes. I also noted RE that band: "No bass player? Not interested." I got some hostile mail for that comment, but I play bass myself, which said respondents may not have realized. One guy said it wasn't right for me to dismiss a band because of the instrument line-up. Well, I didn't dismiss 'em---I said I wasn't interested...and am still not interested, and have still not heard 'em. The respondents' reaction was a bit of a stretch, and made me thankful, once again, that all entertainment is optional.

I've never bought from 'em and have only been in two different stores. I was treated OK, I guess, for someone my age (54), but as someone who majored in Marketing (nowadays, I wish it had been Journalism) and who's a people-oriented writer, I pay very close attention to how a potential sale is conducted (or blown). Guitar Center is a factor in the biz, so someone must be takin' 'em seriously, but I don't have enough experience with 'em to offer a legit opinion. That being said, however, comedian Barry Crimmens once had a routine about how come people that work in music (CD/cassette/record) stores act like THEY'RE rock stars, and I hear numeorus stories about "salespersons" in mega-stores or hyper-discounters (one that used to be in Atlanta comes to mind, and I DID have some memorable negative experiences there), and about how such individuals are really just "order takers" and sometime have a 'tude to boot. I don't really look for new gear these days, but after collecting guitars for about 35 years, I've found I don't have much patience for, and won't do business with: 1. guitar retailers and/or salespeople who act like they're rock stars 2. vintage dealers and/or their underlings who act like they're rock stars 3. guitar builders that act like they're rock stars (could be a solitary luthier, could be a head of a giant corporation) 4. Journalism majors that act like they're rock stars...and they don't necessarily have to write about guitars---you can transmogrify Andy Kaufman's wrestling mantra to describe the attitude of such folks; "I went to Journalism school---I have the brains!" Then there are rock stars who act like they're rock stars, but I've encountered surprisingly few of 'em. Somebody somewhere stop me. Time to take a blood pressure pill...

I used to wear my basses chest-high, so the "belly cut" was actually a, er, "boob cut" for me. That meant reaching pretty far out there on most full-scale basses of course. I also learned quickly about a guitar-width strap w/ a bass; now my straps are a minimum of 3.5" wide. However, several physical problems have meant I've re-thought and adjusted several former portions of my technique. Not the least of the problems was a total acromionectomy of my left shoulder in late 2001, and I now let gravity and comfort dictate where my left arm resides. Accordingly, my basses usually hang where a "belly cut" is thought to be. I also prefer body-heavy basses, where the neck is in a more vertical posture. Might be heresy to mention another brand on this site, but the slightly-upward neck tilt of a Guild Pilot feels wonderful to me these days....I just wish they came w/ maple fretboards. I'll take ergonomics over sound or looks any day as requisite for any player who is performing for something other than simple pleasure. Sound can be adjusted if you're seeking something different, but you need to be comfortable first and foremost if you're going to do your gig in the most professional manner possible, regardless of whatever genre you're playing. Another uncontrolable hassle is the weather---cold rainy days (like what my area is current experiencing) cause that left shoulder to hurt like hell, but said surgery had to be done...WGM

Warren perhaps nailed it himself when, in an interview, he said "If you listen to me play for three hours and still walk away thinking 'Duane', you haven't paid attention." Well put, IMO. I think he's been the primary reason for the resurrection/survival of the ABB. I saw the original ABB in '71, two weeks before they recorded FILLMORE EAST, and comparisons between DA and WH are somewhat valid, but we've got more WH stuff to listen to... I just wonder when he sleeps...