Where does it come from? When I was a child I was exposed only to classical music: Wagner mainly due to family connections, but plenty of Mozart and other things, and I listened and thought I appreciated, until one day under the covers I heard the Sex Pistols, the Damned and the Ramones on a radio I had built myself (John Peel of course): 1976 and me with 13 tender years. I just loved the early Punk groups but then I discovered country blues with John Hurt, Skip James and early Chicago: Little Walter and so on at 17- all through a guitar player who worked through the Stephan Grossman books between fixes. I had a massive hardcore reggae phase - U-Roy and the Dub masters in general - King Tubby and Scientist. I was an obsessive Velvet Underground fan for a while, loved Black Flag and Skate Punk, Nick Cave and the Fall, worshipped amateur ramshackle groups like the Raincoats, the Slits and the Cravats.
But I just can't stop listening to Monroe at his wildest, Hartford, and old Fiddle players - I have to admit that I don't really like many mandolin players, despite my decision to practically abandon the guitar to learn how to play the thing, but there's something about the real old time music that just grabs me. I could listen to Monroe exclusively for days and days. If I learnt the piano, I wouldn't try to play like Art Tatum, Errol Garner, or Bill Evans, much as I like them, but would go for boogie woogie or barrelhouse. What is it about few chords, wild energy and free expression of bad emotions that does it for me? Ali Farka touré does the same thing, but so do Flipper and Big Daddy Kane. In the end, I wonder if chords and harmony are just a distraction. Melody, rhythm and texture are what I love. Ok, that's off my chest! Needed to say that. I love music. Best Robin -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to taterbugma...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to taterbugmando+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en.
