Trower & Bruce

[rockinrayduke]

My band plays "Still Got the Blues" and it bores the shit out of me. Repetious GM guitar wanking. Our guitarist loves it. Imagine that.

I did like "City Of Gold" even though it was a "Crossroads" ripoff.

[nofi]

i agree that beck is pretty dull these days. his playing has become more of a tone generator than music. i think the 'legend' he is still milking is long gone.

[uwe]

Beck is Beck - always was. I think he has a tone wholly of his own (no one, absolutely no one plays like Beck and I don't mean his technical chops, but his choice of notes and the sounds he elicits from a guitar, he's become a much sparser guitarist than he used to be) and shied away from megastardom as a rock guitarist, instead becoming this secluded "musicians' musician". He never got to feel comfortable with a vocal-less frontman role ("I might not be the singer here, but I call the shots!")! such as Blackmore or Page and didn't start singing to become a Rory Gallagher or Alvin Lee either. But he couldn't work with singers either as he has amply proven over time. So he turned to instrumental music in the no man's land between Blues, Rock, Jazz and ambient/industrial sounds. Plus he's never given a shite what the general audience thinks.

I find some of his stuff barely accessible, but there are still brilliant moments even today. And playing Amazing Grace with a choir as an instrumental might sound like an incredibly cheesy idea, but when he does it, I find it beautiful  :

 

[rockinrayduke]

His "Day In The Life" is really nice.

[uwe]

Yup, that is nice.

[Barklessdog]

Becks playing has become an "orgasmic sensual experience" . His technique now is the totatality of the guitar, from Playing with volume knobs to vibrato bar all at once. When he is on, he is amazing, if he is having an off night he sounds stiff & awkward.


Wonder what he looks like without the wig?

I bet he goes where ever he wants without being recognized (without the wig).

[uwe]

Is he another Joe Lynn Turner/Paul Stanley/Gene Simmons? I didn't know. John, you sure have a way of hiroshimizing my trusted and most treasured perceptions.   He probably just doesn't want to be mistaken for Joe Satriani then.

Well, don't just sit there. Rug and roll over or something.

[PhilT]

It's a syrup? The one thing I thought he had going for him was he still looked like a 70s rock star. So he is the poor man's Satriani after all.

If there were an orgasms going on when I saw him they were very subdued. Like a G-flat spot. 

[Highlander]

Rugs... Maybe he went down to the Chelsea Rug Store, to get his prescription filled...? (ok, not my best, and not his work, but...)

(a truly brilliant musician...)

Saw Gary Moore at the Marquee a few times... with Ian Paice and Neil Murray one time, Tommy Aldridge and Andy Pyle another time - some of it has crept out on recordings over the years... that was fun... not a great fan, always considered him to be more of a "technician" than someone who "plays notes..."

[Dave W]

Becks playing has become an "orgasmic sensual experience" . His technique now is the totatality of the guitar, from Playing with volume knobs to vibrato bar all at once. When he is on, he is amazing, if he is having an off night he sounds stiff & awkward.

That just doesn't sound appealing at all to me. Makes me queasy.

I'll go listen to Albert Lee. Then I'll feel better.

[rahock]

Beck has always been an innovator with electronics and the SOB can play. I've seen him when he was hot and when he's hot, he's about as good as it gets, bar none. I've seen him cold, and as mentioned, he comes off stiff and out of synch, but he still won't stink the place up.
The Truth Band is still one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. At the time Rod Stewart and Ron Wood were completely unheard of, and Nicky Hopkins wasn't much of a name yet either. Absoluete Mindblower of a show. Beck did a stereo wah wah bit on Ain't Superstitious that will live forever in my mind. Their live performance was so incredible , compared to the mediocre live shows of rock gods like Led Zeplin........if only they could have stuck it out for a few more years and albums they would have really been a hunk of history .
I know a few people who have known and / or worked with him and they said the same thing that Dave said, Beck is Beck and always was. He's gonna do what he does.
Rick

[Grog]

I've had the BLT/Truce cd for about a week, I have to admit that the reveiws I read on it are right on. The Truce album is kinda hard to listen to. It might grow on me but I doubt it. BLT is much better, but not as good as Bridge of Sighs in my opinion.

[Chaser001]

Just based on my own personal experience, it seems that the people who criticize me for liking Jack Bruce so much tend to be those who like genres that favor bass wankery. 

[Pilgrim]

Just based on my own personal experience, it seems that the people who criticize me for liking Jack Bruce so much tend to be those who like genres that favor bass wankery. 

Then they wouldn't be Duck Dunn or Bob Babbitt fans, either.