I’m not sure we’ll get too far before there’s a last man standing, but you’ve surprised me in the past. By “aboriginal” touches I’m referring to overdubs or musical themes that are direct references to a country’s “native” culture. The “native” culture does not necessarily need to be in any way connected to the culture of the artist. I’ll start with a probably sincere-yet-silly example, a rock song centered around Native American-style chanting: Redbone, “Come and Get Your Love”
Go!
I take it that most of you watch tv now and then and have seen this ad. Beyond obligatory “Who Sell Out!” beefs, what are your thoughts on it? For as many things that bug me about the ad, there are probably just as many things I find impressive. Here’s our chance to share our mixed feelings.
I got an album I’ve been meaning to grab for awhile a few weeks ago by a band called Left Lane Cruiser, from Fort Wayne, Indiana. I don’t usually look at All Music Guide until well after I’ve bought something because I invariably notice how many stars they give it first, and I don’t like that. For the most part, it seems like everything I get maxes out at three stars anyway, but I don’t like to read those kind of reviews that sort of rate things and then wonder if I’m missing some point. I’d rather decide I love something, and then read the reviews that prove to me that reviewers are missing the point, not me! Anyway, I had enjoyed my purchase (they recorded this at Suma, in Painesville, OH, not too far from here) and decided to see if it got all the way to three stars. It actually did much better, so I read the review. The review was going along well until I read this sentence:
Lo-fi is a totally inadequate term to describe their sound, a sizzling mix of Beck’s pusillanimous drums, claps, percussion, and hoots and hollers and Freddie J’s blistering guitar and husky vocals.
OK. I have to look up pusillanimous. It must mean pure awesomeosity or supreme bam-a-lam or something good, right? Wrong! At least for a drummer in a two-man band I think it’s wrong. The first definition is:
1. lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
The second is even worse. I don’t think I like pusillanimous drums. In fact, I bet that’s why I think so much music is sucky. The drums are too pusillanimous. So I’ll ask youse guys. Is this pusillanimous drumming? Does Jo-Ann Greene need a new dictionary? Was Frank Zappa right when he said, “Most rock journalism is people who can’t write, interviewing people who can’t talk, for people who can’t read?”
Left Lane Cruiser, “Mr. Johnson”
Townsman 2000 Man, have you seen this guy?
I’m sure you all know about Fleetwood Mac‘s roots as a blues band, led by the ax-work of the talented, troubled Peter Green. I’ve got a box set of early Fleetwood Mac that is loaded with da blooz, and from what I can tell, it’s actually well done. Bluestoneologists like HVB will sure have a better read on early Mac’s value, but the band could jam. My box set even includes two albums worth of them jamming with Chicago blues greats, but not being the world’s greatest appreciator of Chicago blues, I’ve chosed this long jam for our JAMuary celebration instead. It’s got one of those funny blues song titles that always appeal to me.
Fleetwood Mac, “Rattlesnake Shake”
I hope you dig this, and I hope this jam opens up some discussion on what constitutes a kicking blues jam, what the Brits brought to the blues that may have actually been helpful to keeping the spirit alive, and so forth.
The wisdom here in The Hall continues to amaze. In the early days I was intimidated but realized over time that although there are many here much more knowledgeable than I, it was the collective wisdom that was so daunting and impressive.
It is in that spirit that I want to launch a new regular feature that is not only for the people but by the people.
The concept is simple. This is a place to seek specific wisdom from the collective intelligence. These are not to be philosophical queries but rather to seek advice and wisdom on specific rock questions. I see it most used as a place to seek listening and purchasing recommendations.
I will start with a very simple request, one which may spark lengthy conversation, or not, but will hopefully illicit some sage advice.
The initial goal of this thread is to offer the opportunity for folks to ask similar questions and receive similar advice. The topic shouldn’t necessarily focus just on my topic.
Soooo. Here’s the question I would like to ask The Orockle.
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Back in my younger days, it took me a long time to warm up to more traditional acoustic jazz, even after being hooked on Bitches Brew-era fusion. My problems centered around the ride cymbal-centered drumming common in pre-1969 jazz and the stiff formality of sequential soloing broken by arranged ensemble pieces. Of course these were pinhead impressions based on my very limited exposure to the wide variety of jazz available, but that’s how I saw things.
Pharoah Sanders, “The Creator Has a Master Plan”
Pharoah Sanders’ Karma changed all that. This large ensemble jam based on thematic material from Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, provided the gateway to stronger, more dangerous forms of jazz. It acclimated me to traditional jazz approaches to drumming and its acoustic instrumentation cured me of my adolescent aversion to non-electric jazz. Although featuring some loose arrangement details, such as the flute carrying the basic theme through long sections of Pharoah’s soloing, the epic magnitude of the piece, and the floating nature of the soloist versus the accompaniment, makes it a fine JAMuary candidate. Don’t miss the double double-basses; Lonnie Liston-Smith’s piano; and the thick broth of french horn, flute, and various drummers/percussionists. Finally, Leon Thomas’ vocal is the jazz vocal for folks that don’t like jazz vocals: a jammin’ bit of late-’60s ingenuousness sitting comfortably in the ensemble, extending and, in some sense, rectifying Coltrane’s singing on A Love Supreme.
The album consisted of two pieces, “The Creator Has a Master Plan” and “Colors.” The former, included here, originally spanned a side and a half with a transitional fade to get from side A to side B. When first purchased on CD, I was very disappointed to find that MCA had skipped the expense of revisiting the master tape to restore the continuous take. Fortunately, they corrected this transgression on this subsequent improved quality release.
