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I was talking with a friend after we watched Rattle and Hum and he was commenting on the scene where BB says he doesn't play chords and Edge says he can handle it. My friend took that to mean that Edge was the better guitar player.
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I remember listening to an older "Greatest Hits" albumn that they had at the library at the Greek Air Force Base. There was this awesome rendition of "I could have danced all night".
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I think "chops" is the wrong word. B.B. is not the best technical guitarist. He can't play that fast and can't do a lot of the weird technical stuff that other famous guitarists can. What he has is soul. He feels the music, and when he plays he makes you feel it, too.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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You're right, he's not as good at things that are based on manual dexterity as some other greats. But I think Chops was ruined as a guitar-related word when it started meaning fast and weird techniques.
And he may not finger tap a lot or play with effects pedals a lot like some guitarists, but he can wring more feeling and meaning out of a single note than almost anybody.
Now, there are guitarists who have the soul and better techique than B.B. But not many, and certainly not Edge. (I know you weren't saying that, this is aimed at my college friend.)
i keep trying to emphasize this to my youngest brother. he rushes through songs when faster most certainly does not equal better.
Posts: 3936 | Registered: Jul 2000
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Yeah, B.B. knows exactly how long to hold a note to get every last, gut-wrenching bit of soul out of it. I think I'm starting to go back into a blues phase with my listening tastes. Twink sent me that Big Sugar CD for Christmas, and I've been thinking about digging out my Muddy Waters and B.B. King tapes as well.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Buddy Guy kind of sounds like Tom Jones (not that there's anything wrong with that...). I like it.
But no one gives me as much gut pain as BB King. I lurv BB King. I lurv him like an alcoholic lurvs likker.
He did "The Thrill is Gone" with a more contemporary singer whose last name escapes me...Tracy something...you know, she sings that "Fast Car" song...dangit. Anyway, I have it on my hard drive somewhere. It's very good.
I want to buy the Blues Anthology, I keep hearing snippets of it (narrated by Mos' Def) on NPR, and I think I *need* it.
Thanks a lot for reminding me, twinky. Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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*adds "Big Sugar" to the list of music to purchase*
And thank you, Dag, Tracy *Chapman*, yes. For some reason I kept wanting to say Tracy *Morgan* even though I know Tracy *Morgan* is a GUY and a comedian. Sheesh.
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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The album you want by Big Sugar is probably "Hit & Run." It's their "greatest hits" compilation and also contains a second CD of live stuff.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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I ended up buying a B.B. King album at the store, though, so no more music until next paycheck (self-imposed limit, usually works).
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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Faster doesn't mean better, necessarily, but something to keep in mind is that if you can play a peice of music at a variety of paces, you're more likely to be able to get more out of each individual peice when you learn how to put the fast and teh slow together. Like, stairway to heaven is an excellent peice of music in part because of the way the pacing changes.
When I played the clarinet, one thing i learned was to play each peice of music both fast and slow, so that I could learn to put the heart-wrench of a slow peice into fast music, and learn how to turn slow heart-wrenching music into a foot stomping good time.
Being able to do both is one of the talents of a great guitarist.
Posts: 4112 | Registered: May 2001
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I had tickets to see BB. Concert was cancelled because the place didn't meet the fire code. Fire code??!!! This is the blues, man! You don't worry about the darn fire code!
Stupid fire chief.
(although, after seeing various clubs burn down and hundreds of people dying, I have to say it's probably better that they cancelled.)
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