Re: info on Billy Jack Wills?
On Tue, 27 Apr 1999, Ph. Barnard wrote: I've been hearing some enthusiastic comments about a Western Swing CD re-release: Billy Jack Wills / "Crazy, Man, Crazy" / on Joaquin Records?? Although it's possible I've heard this guy on a compilation, the name of *this* Wills isn't ringing a bell for me. Anyone know about this? A California act, and apparently this recording is a radio transcription from the early 50s. Then Don added: ...Not only did they play with a lot of energy and excitement, but they were also pretty musically sophisticated, and they put out some complex swing stuff that came close to be-bop. I just found the "Billy Jack Wills and his Western Swing Band" CD in the used bin recently and upon listening couldn't believe how much jazz and especially bebop influenced this band. Nothing like what I expected at all from my limited Western Swing exposure (read, mostly his brother Bob). In fact, take away the steel guitar and you have very little "western" in some of the songs at all. Interesting stuff to say the least. Diz and Bird strike again in the most unlikely of places... Gregg === Gregg Makepeace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Tweedy @ Salon
Matt Benz wrote: What's his beef? He did the Mermaid Ave music in a roosty vein (never have I heard a band try so hard to sound like the Basement Tapes, BTW), The first time I heard "Guess I Planted," I thought Bragg had hired The Band to back him up. The keyboards are reminiscent of the swirling Garth Hudson variety and the lead guitar is in the Robbie Robertson doing Hubert Sumlin style. Couldn't just be a coincidence, could it? ;-) I haven't had a chance to check out Bragg's ACL appearance yet for comparison. Gregg ======= Gregg Makepeace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
re: Richard Thompson
But with the exception of Rumour and Sigh I don't think his records hold up as well as his songs. ANd I blame the production more than anything. I would still agree with Terry, if he had done anything that I liked in the last 5 years . . . but INdustry and a bunch of live bootlegs with Danny Thompson has left me a little wanting. What Jim said. I'm a longtime RT fan and most of the Mitchell Froom productions of the past twelve years or so leave me cold. But live, Thompson's songs truly come alive. Seeing him play "Vincent Black Lightning 1952" all by himself disproves those ugly rumors that he's really got three hands. And makes me want to sell my guitar in frustration... A new RT album with full band called "Mock Tudor" will be released later this year. Froom only guests on keyboards. It's produced by Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, the two guys are that did the latest Beck and Elliott Smith albums. Not sure what to make of that, actually. And being a Thompson and Fairport Convention fan, those green Ryko jewel cases really do suck. But they always replaced them for me for free. It's been awhile since I tried it, though. Gregg === Gregg Makepeace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Coltrane book?
I'll second Nisenson's "Ascension" for the Coltrane bio. I've got a couple Trane bios and some are horrible. One of my favorite jazz books is David Rosenthal's "Hard Bop" which covers that particular brand of jazz from the 1955-65 era. Not bebop, but the music played by the likes of Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, Joe Henderson, Miles, Trane, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, etc. in those days. Great writing on great music. Another good jazz book is John Litweiler's bio "Ornette Coleman: A Harmelodic Life." But be careful, not all jazz fans are Ornette Coleman fans (but should be) ;-) Gregg === Gregg Makepeace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Richard Thompson
Jerry Curry put down his old Nektar albums long enough to post: In my opinion, Richard Thompson is one of the most important and influential artists of the late 70's/80's. His swansong albums with Linda: _I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight_ and _Shoot Out the Lights_ are two definite desert island recordings for me. NP: Freedy Johnston - This Perfect World Once again, Jerry Curry proves that him and I were separated at birth. It makes sense that Lance wouldn't like the Airplane or Fairport since early Fairport was just basically modeled after the Airplane and and other West Coast Rockers of the era. Folks like Thompson, Denny and especially Ashley "Tiger" Hutchings just eventually steered it away from the American singer-songwriter influences towards the trad British folk ballad route for parts of "Unhalfbricking" and all of "Liege and Lief." And don't forget the incredible violin of Dave Swarbrick, which paved the way for Jean Luc Ponty, which cleared the way for the Dave Mathews Band, which I believe is some sort of bland jam-rock... ;-) Actually, catch Thompson live sometime. Incredible on both acoustic and electric. Makes me want to sell my guitars because there's no way I could ever come close to making them sound so wonderful. And there's no awful producer schlubbing up the great songs (read: Mitchell Froom). Junior's take on "From Galway to Graceland" is right on; and don't forget "1952 Vincent Black Lightning." You'd swear there were three different guitarists playing it until you see him do it live. Gregg n.p. - Dan Fogelberg - Twin Sons of Different Mothers ;-) === Gregg Makepeace Unigraphics Solutions, Inc. Documentation Coordination phone: (714)952-6279 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Triumvirat
jamie dyer wrote: There was also a band called Triumvirat that did a concept album about Spartacus. It had a line that was so dumb, but still clicks thru my timy mind at times...: "In the gladiator school, things were perfect, things were cool..." then Brad Bechtel wrote: I remember Triumvirat. They were sort of Sweden's answer to Focus. I saw them open for Fleetwood Mac (the middle period Bob Welch version, not the Stevie Nicks behemoth) and was unimpressed. Well, to a 14-year old budding prog rock fan with an 8-track player, Triumvirat was a pretty cool discovery back then. Much more obscure and cool sounding than the ELP and Yes and the popular groups. Plus, the fact that they were German added to the mystique. A few years later another similar sounding German band called "Lake" released their first album. But by then that high-pitched synthesizer/strummed acoustic guitar/ martial drumming sound had been co-opted by some popular band called Styx. Triumvirat's logo was a white lab rat trapped inside a clear light bulb or some such nonesense. Perfect bait for 14-year old's buying 8-tracks based on what the cover looked like. I remember having "Illusions on a Double Dimple" as well as their masterwork "Spartacus" (still have that one on vinyl I believe). Plus, Triumvirat's grasp of the English language was at least on a par with ABBA, which led to the fun lyrics like the one Jamie quoted above. Hey, my old favorite Elton John had just put out "Rock of the Westies" much to my distaste, and I was desparately looking for something new to call my own. A year later I found an old used copy of "The Band" at my first girlfriend's house (she won it at a party and never even opened it up). My tastes were forever changed at that moment (out with the ELO's "Do Ya," in with "Baby Don't You Do It"). signed, Budding Writer for "That '70s Show" === Gregg Makepeace Unigraphics Solutions, Inc. Documentation Coordination phone: (714)952-6279 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Hello Seattle (fluff)
It looks like I'll be in sunny Seattle next month on business for a couple of days. I'll be looking for something twangy to do the nights of Feb. 22-23, so if Mr. Yates and company could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Gregg === Gregg Makepeace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
