Posted on 11/14/2004 5:49:54 PM PST by ConYoungBlack
Clapton is OK, his Cream stuff was OK. SRV, Hendrix, Buddy Guy, etc. etc. Those are virtuoso's of the guitar. Clapton is very sterile in his playing. He is over rated.
And don't get me wrong, I like Clapton and love his Cream stuff, but he isn't the virtuoso that many clam. Hardly innovative at all, just a run of the mill blues player. He became a commodity in the sixties because he was a white American man playing delta blues and hard blues rock. So what? he hasn't done a thing since Cream and Derek and the Dominoes.
Sue me
lol.....you can say that again.
Ovation ultra 6 and a 12 strings and old Alvarez are my toys. I'm kinda stuck with Leo Kottke, Adrian Legg, Stephen Stills and Richard Gilewitz's style of music .... Albeit far from their ability I like to try.
Stay safe !
He seems to be a big fan of SRV. I would say that Vaughan was technically quite proficient, and occasionally very melodic. But he stood on the shoulders of giants (Clapton, Hendrix,...).
And he should never ever have even considered doing a cover of "Little Wing".
Yeah, SRV couldn't hold a candle to Clapton (barf). Clapton is sterile and stiff. He is clean, yes, and very tight as a mucisian, but he is above average in talent and hardly a God. Remind me again of the innovations (riffs, changes, progressions) that SRV aped from Clapton please?
And SRV's cover of little wing was just horrid I must say. (Laughing at you) Even though Noel Redding once said that SRV held the standard for doing that cover song.
I am actually more of a Jimi man, but my love for his style extends to SRV.
ou obviously think that Clapton is worthy of mass knee pads. I can simply see through his playing (and yes it is that thin). There is no soul therein, and that is what seperates SRV from Clapton. I brought SR into this, because obviously Clapton's claim to fame was being a rare white blues player in the sixties. My entree of SRV into the conversation is to imply that if you want to look at real blues player that happens to be white and actually had mojo, you would look to SRV for that standard.
As far as electric hard blues goes. It's kind of hardto look past Hendrix.
And believe it or not, play this instrument for half of my living (at least on the weekends). So yes, I did have to go practice as posting here does not pay.
Enjoy the rest of your evening listening to "Layla" and "tears in heaven".
CYB
As for Hendrix, he was less interested in playing cleanly, but he was melodic as well. At his best, he was the best. "The Wind Cries Mary" ... perfect. His cover of "All Along the Watchtower" ... perfect. "Red House" ... The list is long. We agree on Hendrix.
"Layla"? Never cared for it. "Tears in Heaven"? Interesting song, but too sentimental.
And we disagree on SRV's cover of "Little Wing". To have imagined such a tune and to have recorded it, as Hendrix did, was a tremendous thing. To play it over again (more cleanly, with extra embellishments), as SRV did? Ugh. Hendrix' cover of "All Along the Watchtower" was an astonishing rendering of Dylan's lackluster recording. SRV's "Little Wing" was kind of like showing off.
Still bitter over the ODB death thread?
Let it go.
Eric Clapton has played many styles of music. He played a lot of great blues with John Mayall/Bluesbreakers.
After that he played blues tinged pop with Cream, the Yardbirds and all his other groups and solo endeavors. Each album would have one or two blues songs. I do believe he put out a straight blues album a few years back. But the bulk of Clapton's career has been pop with a leavening of blues.
Take Robert Cray in contrast. He is a blues player who also plays "soul" music reminiscent of the gritty R&B of the 50s-70s
Freepers have a low opinion of rap/hip hop. So do I. Rappers help degenerate the culture of Black America and their perniciousness has seeped into white America.
ODB was lower than most rappers thus was even more of a destructive influence. No big deal to me that he's dead and gone.
Elmore James is a big favorite of mine... That opening lick in "Dust My Broom" never gets old. Plus, he must have a record for having covers made of his tunes.
I kinda pictured you for the Sousaphone type. ;-)
I always thought he was British. Im a guitar player myself, but I always leaned in the Grateful Dead, Hot Tuna and Little Feat direction. Check out Jorma on some of his live stuff, and I always loved Jerrys blugrass influence. On the opposite side of the spectrum, check out Eric Johnson. Now, thats clean playing! But when it comes down to it, I would have to say my favorite guitar player is Steve Howe from Yes. Check out his playing on the Tormato album and the riffs on Siberian Khatru. Yes is also one of the greatest live acts around, and this is coming from someone who has seen Jerry and the Dead close to a hundred times. To each his own, I suppose..
Absolutely. Saw 'em twice this year - Steve Howe was brilliant in the second show (Concord, CA).
Seek out and purchase "An Evening of Yes Music". It is an Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe live album recorded in 89. Some of the best Yes playing ever. BTW, was Wakeman with them this tour?
I couldn't carry that tune. Beside the brass section blows !.............:o)
Stay safe !
I'm surprised it took this long for someone to point out the fact that EC is British and not some "white American."
I think there are a lot of overrated musicians who-for one reason or another-garner undeserved critical acclaim from the music industry and popular culture.
For me, doing covers of old Muddy Waters tunes and hanging out with B.B. King doesn't necessarily merit inclusion among inductees into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.
I feel exactly the same way about a host of other widely regarded rock icons, e.g. Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Van Halen, The Beach Boys, etc., whose popularity I can't even begin to fathom.
Then again, I listen to the Irish Rovers, so what the hell do I know?
I like Van Halen, but agree on your others listed. I like one-time VH singer Sammy Hagar as well, in fact I like his solo stuff a lot better than when he was with VH.
Sammy's a big-time Republican, too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.