Your March 2009 comment of the month (click here).
Continue reading »
Apr 022009
Mr. Moderator
Apr 022009
In honor of my having watched The Last Waltz for what may have been the 100th time after happening upon it during a flip of channels this evening, I felt like revisiting this breakthrough analysis, if I do say so myself. Among the thousands of things I love about The Last Waltz is Scorcese’s keen eye for rock porn interplay. Does any other rock film allow for as many voyeuristic views of hot musician-on-musician action?
This post initially appeared 6/18/07.
Surely you know the game Rock, Paper, Scissors. You probably know it better than I do. Scissors cut paper, paper covers rock, rock smashes scissors. Using the following clip from The Last Waltz, I’ll ask you to play a similar game I like to call Licks, Faces, Feel. In this game, feel exposes faces, faces amplify licks, and licks always feel good.*
I’m going to ask you to watch the following performance of “Further On Up the Road”, featuring a guitar dual between Eric Clapton and Robbie Robertson of The Band, and I’m going to ask you to analyze this video clip, at first, at least three ways:
- With the sound OFF and your eyes fixed on the screen
- With the sound ON and your eyes fixed on the screen
- With the sound ON and your eyes closed
To keep a fresh perspective, I suggest getting up and walking around for a few minutes between each initial round of analysis.
While analyzing the video with the sound OFF and your eyes fixed on the screen, note the points at which one guitarist outshines the other in terms of his use of rock soloing faces.
While analyzing the video with the sound ON and your eyes fixed on the screen, note the points when one guitarist’s licks clearly outshine those of his opponent.
While analyzing the video with the sound ON and your eyes closed, make note of the points at which one guitarist’s feel is hitting on all cylinders.
Finally, watch the video again with the sound on. Spread your notes in front of you and assess the points at which one guitarist’s move is countered, either simultaneously or in the following solo, by another move. For instance, see if there are points at which one guitarist’s licks are countered by the other man’s faces (advantage faces). Or, perhaps, you will see a segment in which one man’s faces are exposed as cheap ploys by the other man’s feel. Or, of course, one man’s fine sense of feel will be negated by the other man’s impeccable licks. There may be times in the performance when the artists reach a draw.
Keep score and report your scores to the Hall!
*Please note that Clapton and Robertson are controlled for both Look and Gear.
NEW! Mr. Moderator weighs in with his official scoring of the dual. Continue reading »
Apr 022009
Some of you are big brothers or big sisters. Some of you (maybe even some of you big brothers and sisters) grew up with big brothers or sisters. Some of you grew up without a big brother or sister and/or had parents who were not in any way hip to good music. Maybe Percy Faith Orchestra was about as rockin’ as anything your folks played in the house. This must have been a tough situation, to be on your own, a musical orphan entering middle school with no one to guide you in the ways of musical cool.
Here’s a chance to relive your musical needs from that delicate period. Here’s a chance to share experiences as a musical mentor to a young boy or girl in need of guidance. Perhaps you still need help today. We can offer assistance, we can match the childhood musical orphan in you with a helpful Rock ‘n Roll Big Brother or Big Sister!
Apr 012009
Listen to what the man says.
Apr 012009
Schlitt with fan at the Playboy Mansion, March 2002.
Rock Town Hall recently caught up with former Head East lead vocalist and founder, John Schlitt, moments before ducking into a rehearsal with his re-formed, brief-lived, post-Head East band, Johnny, to prepare for a short tour later in April that will take the band to Hudson, WI; Fort Yates, ND; Peoria, IL; and Sioux Falls, SD. “I’m really sorry I don’t have much time,” said Schlitt, while graciously accepting our unexpected request for an interview, “We’ve got a lot of work to do!”
Continue reading »
Apr 012009
A couple of years ago, as we were launching the Rock Town Hall blog that you are presently reading, a Founding Father of this long-running discussion group, one who launched our original Yahoo Groups list with me, was caught in the grips of resistance to the changing tides. He fought valiantly to keep the old list alive, posting his patently hilarious and sometimes offensive rants, ones that increasingly tended to center around insults at me and my co-conspirators in our great leap forward. It was a difficult time for us all.
One post from this time has stuck with me since we flew by the 2-year mark in the launch of this blog. Our passionate Townsman was discussing his newfound love for the Dixie Chicks. He wanted to talk about them, and he wanted to talk about them through the original RTH forum. He threw down the following challenge, in a passage that I’ve kept printed out and in my wallet for the last 2+ years:
Continue reading »
Mar 312009
In the spirit of this morning’s All-Star Jam, here’s yet another rock ‘n roll tv ad. Mad props to Townsman Diskojoe for pointing out this old ad, which I don’t recall seeing in its time!
Do you have a favorite tv ad for a rock record, whether a single- or multi-artist collection?
