Day by day, I sit at work and listen to music with my headphones on... Basically, I draw all day and listen to music, while getting paid for it. Well, a few months ago, through my iTunes" I downloaded "Continuum", an album by John Mayer. To me he was just bubble gum music, to me he just made music for the teen generation. Well, I was wrong. WoW! Throughout the entire process of listening to the album, one song stuck out... "Bold As Love"... I thought to myself, "Self, this guy can write..."
Cut to a few months later, I decide to download every Jimi Hendrix album I can find... The next thing I know, I hear Jimi playing "Bold As Love"!!!!!!! As happy as I am to say hearing the original version was much better, I feel cheated! Where is the "Jimi Hendrix" of my generation?
How come the HR records can be broken, rushing yard leader is smashed, NBA scoring records are challenged but yet when it comes to music, I wonder where are the "Superstars"??? Who is the guy for my generation where in 50 years from now they say "That guy was a guitar god" or "Other the Eddie Blaze, I feel like the guitar players of that generation sucked ..." Where did they all go?
7 comments:
Great song. Agree that the original is better, but J.M. version is not half bad. Continuum is a pretty good overall effort.
I feel the same way. Overall the music industry is pretty lame now, only a handful of good song writers and no guitar gods.
Speaking of which, Eddy Arnold died this week 1 day short of his 90th. Guitar playing keeps you young I guess. He played so effortlessly. Kinda like Perry Como sang. Am I THAT old?????
I'm not so sure you're ever going to see any "New" guitar gods. Once you've had Clapton bring the blues to the average white guys, once you've had Jimi Hendrix completely re-invent how electric guitar is played, once you've heard/seen Eddie VanHalen use two hands to tap on a guitar neck and get more notes from the thing you ever thought possible, I'm not sure what else can be done.
Nothing that comes along in society today really captures our attention anymore. There are too many options (tv, movies, computers, YouTube, video games, Facebook, Guitar Hero) and too much crap in the world for anyone to step out of the mix and get our collective attention.
Here's an idea: turn off the TV, turn off the computer, read a book, learn to play an instrument, draw anything and see what it feels like to create something from nothing. Whether anyone thinks it's good/special doesn't matter. It's the exercise and sense of accomplishing something that means anything.
When those "guitar gods" established themselves, most of us spent ALL DAY listening and re-listening, and analyzing exactly what they were doing. It was a great mystery and we spent a lot of our time and emotions absorbing it and trying to figure it out. We weren't distracted with real life or other passive entertainment options. That's why this crap means so much to us!!! It's the soundtrack of our stinking lives!!!! Not just something to plug into your ears when you a stinkin' Power walk or something...
Ahhhhhh, don't get me started! I'm getting grumpy....
this comment by Blaze should be Inscribed on his Tomb Stone. Assuming he ever Dies !
What about the cello? Hello? I can play the hell out of it!!!
Blaze: DEEP, MAN; DEEP! You are so right, too.
Mr. Litt
Blaze, go get a bowl of Kashi cereal, take off your crocs, plug in the lava lamp, check your mood ring and turn on some Mother of Invention and groove baby, groove.
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