Members Stackabones Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 What has influenced you in the past ... or since the last FIT? * The main reason I play a Telecaster (actually a telecopy) is Steve Cropper. My telecopy is a Peavey, which he endorses. I love his economy with notes, his feel, his phrasing, his writing, his ability to work with others. He played in two of the greatest bands of all time, Booker T & the MGs and The Blues Brothers, as well as countless, timeless Stax tracks -- everyone has heard the famous shout out in Soul Man, "Play it, Steve!" He co-wrote Sitting on the Dock of the Bay with Otis Redding. I've only seen him once in concert when Booker T & the MGs (with Jim Keltner on drums) was Neil Young's touring band. This take isn't the classic studio version, but it is great.[YOUTUBE]ar-Z_l907DY[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Steve Cropper is one of my guitar idols. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted April 10, 2009 Moderators Share Posted April 10, 2009 Love the Crop man! And I love Jimmy Webb. He was the Burt Bacharat of the open plain. The key changes, the suspended melodies that go on and on searching for resolution. And even his less than stellar lyrics. He's no Ira Gershwin or Hal David. But he knew to be succinct. Let the music tell the part of the story words never could. Horrible video that destroys any images the song might conjure up. So close your eyes and dig the melody and the chords driving the tune into places I would never have a clue how to find... Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin'I still see her dark eyes glowin'She was 21 when I left Galveston Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea waves crashingWhile I watch the cannons flashingI clean my gun and dream of Galveston I still see her standing by the waterStanding there lookin' out to seaAnd is she waiting there for me?On the beach where we used to run Galveston, oh Galveston, I am so afraid of dyingBefore I dry the tears she's cryingBefore I watch your sea birds flying in the sunAt Galveston, at Galveston [YOUTUBE]oIUPCfIihQ4[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kennychaffin Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 I love Jimmy Webb and loved reading his autobiography/musicwriting book Tunesmith: http://www.amazon.com/TuneSmith-Inside-Songwriting-Jimmy-Webb/dp/0786884886 Galveston is good but my favorite is By the Time I get To Phoenix -- almost a perfect song. So I guess that's my Friday influence. But I've spent most of the day on another forum (Piano World) in a discussion of alternative Notation and Keyboards which involves a lot of music theory so I guess that's my real Friday Influence. Oh and I'm reading "This is Your Brain on Music" by Daniel J. Levitin - Highly recommended. http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0452288525/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239396669&sr=1-1 I appreciate the reminder of Jimmy Webb though! Thank You! Enjoy the weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 I wanted to play some blues guitar this month and the biggest influence on my blues playing is Freddie King. I am not alone in this indebtedness; Freddie King is the pivot point between the bass riff oriented blues of Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters and the rock and soul blues pyrotechnics of Eric Clapton, Steve Cropper, Jimmy Page, Mike Bloomfield and (along with Jimi Hendrix) Stevie Ray Vaughan. [YOUTUBE]DA929SH05h8[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TravvyBear Posted April 10, 2009 Members Share Posted April 10, 2009 Thom Yorke, and My Bloody Valentine have been influencing me a lot lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 The greatness of this song just floors me. Second time I've posted it. This time, it's a different singer. Jerome Kern & Fred and Ginger -- unbeatable in any age! i8qnhUtOs7k _________________ And here's the best version I can find of this song. Knocks me out. ZiIdSv7HdcQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 Took a little break from practicing bass to check in. Knocks me out too. I need to practice more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted April 11, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 The Sultan of Suave! I just ordered the CD compilation box set The Astaire Story from Interlibrary Loan. I hope I get it soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 Lee Knight: "And I love Jimmy Webb. He was the Burt Bacharat of the open plain. The key changes, the suspended melodies that go on and on searching for resolution. And even his less than stellar lyrics. He's no Ira Gershwin or Hal David. But he knew to be succinct. Let the music tell the part of the story words never could." That's a really insightful critique of Webb's songs. I'd never thought of it before, but Webb really was the master of the unspoken lyric and the unresolved melody. There are important lessons for songwriters in your critique. (1). Leave some things unspoken. (2). Let the music tell part of the story.(3). And make the melody memorable, concise and yet, unresolved.(4). Make the listener long for something unsaid and unheard, beyond the song and yet within it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dparr Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 Jimmy Webb, wow!!! [YOUTUBE]LhZA8GuZ1SI[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Microwave Walrus Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 The past week I've been listening to The Cardigans, Ricky Martin, and Justin Timberlake. With of course a little Bob Dylan and John Mayer thrown in for the chilldown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TravvyBear Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 The past week I've been listening to The Cardigans, Ricky Martin, and Justin Timberlake. With of course a little Bob Dylan and John Mayer thrown in for the chilldown. I love The Cardigans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fast1 Posted April 11, 2009 Members Share Posted April 11, 2009 steve cropper and jimmmy webb!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 13, 2009 Members Share Posted April 13, 2009 I think I said Andrew Bird last time (or time before) but I just keep getting farther into this guy. He's truly amazing. I don't like to use half-baked, laughable words like deep... but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 13, 2009 Members Share Posted April 13, 2009 re: I Won't Dance... I love that song... and the Astaire/Rogers bit for it in the movie (was it "Carefree?" -- the plots all get muddled together in my head... I mean, plot... Astaire meets Rogers, Rogers hates Astaire, laughs ensue, they dance together, hating each other all the time and then, sure enough... she melts... and no one melted like Ginger). Another great song from the era, "Let's Face the Music and Dance." I had to do some searching to find the original instead of the clumsy 'tribute' video montages some well-meaning folks have created (that sadly clutter up YouTube). Here's the real thing: 5fILVY6ywsw One buys the next... here's the full vid of "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" done by Astaire: FD7sqGJ3NBg (There's about 4 or 5 minutes of movie added on after the dance bit which adds little; it's pretty skippable, better you should rent the movie.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NeverTheMachine Posted April 13, 2009 Members Share Posted April 13, 2009 Bowie, and specifically the Ziggy Stardust era has been influencing me a lot lately. I guess it's because I do this annual Ziggy Stardust album in its entirety gig with some local musicians. I don't think I'd ever be able to write like him, so it's probably why I'm in a rut right now. Everything about that guy is just pure genius. If I can write a song like "Moonage Daydream" I can die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted April 13, 2009 Members Share Posted April 13, 2009 Bowie, and specifically the Ziggy Stardust era has been influencing me a lot lately. I guess it's because I do this annual Ziggy Stardust album in its entirety gig with some local musicians. I don't think I'd ever be able to write like him, so it's probably why I'm in a rut right now. Everything about that guy is just pure genius. If I can write a song like "Moonage Daydream" I can die. I, too, love Bowie. From the moment I dropped the needle on "Andy Warhol" (don't ask me why I started on side 2) when I brought "Hunky Dory" home from the public library when it first came out (the junior librarian was a hipster), I was hooked. I went out and bought the earlier "Man Who Sold the World" and it was solid from there on out... He's had his ups and downs, but he's one of the few big star acts from back in the 70s who keeps moving forward and producing credible new work that doesn't simply trade on the past. (Or maybe it does... maybe it's just that Bowie's past covers so much ground that he could work it forever without getting too stale.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted April 13, 2009 Members Share Posted April 13, 2009 B2BI love that song... and the Astaire/Rogers bit for it in the movie (was it "Carefree?" -- the plots all get muddled together in my head... I mean, plot... Astaire meets Rogers, Rogers hates Astaire, laughs ensue, they dance together, hating each other all the time and then, sure enough... she melts... and no one melted like Ginger).Another great song from the era, "Let's Face the Music and Dance." I had to do some searching to find the original instead of the clumsy 'tribute' video montages some well-meaning folks have created (that sadly clutter up YouTube). Here's the real thing: The stageplay/movie was "Roberta". A real flop But it had two gems in it. "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and VNEq9D3-ibY I love Irving Berlin too. Those golden age songwriters to me, each had their own distinguishable trait. Berlin had the universal touch and he was optimistic. Cole Porter was all about carnal passion elevating it almost to a plane of mystical beauty. Mercer, "One for My Baby and One More for the Road", was harder to pin down. He could be a down-home southerner and yet, he could also be the most sophisticated lyricist of them all. He could go from 'Accentuate the Positive" or "Zip a Dee Doo Dah" to "Laura" and "Too Marvelous for Words". Kern's best music, to me at least, has a kind of Grecian ode perfection. It's very rich. "All the Things You Are", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "The Way You Look Tonight", "look for the Silver Lining", "I've Told Every Little Star", "Lovely to Look At" and of course, 2DSrJXQV9Og Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted April 13, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 13, 2009 I love watching Jane Monheit sing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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