slowhand Digest Volume 01 : Issue 288
Today's Topics:
Too Fat?
Re: Is EC running a little too fat?
Looking for MP3s
GOOD TO THE VERY LAST DROP.......
George Harrison
RIP George
Re: The Slow Digest
EC at budokan (fwd)
RIP Quiet One
All Things Must Pass (fwd)
Fw: A comment regarding EC's career
All Things Must Pass (NCC)
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--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: "Robert W. Rost"
Subject: Too Fat?
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It doesn't surprise me that a 16 year old would like pre-Blind Faith
stuff more than Reptile. The music of Cream is high energy, loud,
anti-establishment. When I was 16 I was full of energy, wanted to be
21, and liked to listen to music that my parents didn't like. I wanted
to be different. I think that it is a testament to the music that Cream
made that a 16 old of today would still listen to that music. I don't
listen to Cream much anymore. I've always really liked Derek and the
Dominos In Concert. But I don't listen to that much anymore either. It
takes a lot of energy to listen to that record. I listen when I want to
remember a simpler time. But, I have no desire to return to 16.
Today, I've changed, grown older (46 next week) and my musical tastes
have changed. Not that my taste in music is better or worse, only
different. If the same thing didn't happen to EC I'd be totally
surprised. He has to have changed, grown, and needs to explore
different musical styles. I think his true love is still the blues.
But there is so much other music out there to explore and enjoy.
Bob Rost
Clapton page: http://milkyway.mie.uc.edu/~bob/clapton.html
Mail to bob.rost@uc.edu
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: "Robert F. Green"
Subject: Re: Is EC running a little too fat?
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She's 16. She is more interested in Limp Biscuit, no?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shanahan"
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2001 1:06 PM
Subject: Is EC running a little too fat?
> In response to all of DeltaNick's thought provoking questions...........
>
> Yes.
>
> (My 16 year old daughter, who has had Clapton rammed down her throat [and
> ears] for years, refuses to listen to any EC after Blind Faith)
>
> T
>
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: "Ken Norris"
Subject: Looking for MP3s
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Hi,
I am looking for three MP3s:
Rock Me Baby, from BB's Duets
The Thrill Is Gone from Concert of the Century
Stone Free from the Hendrix tribute album
Please contact me privately if you have them or know where I can find them.
Thanks.
Ken
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: Pepper461@aol.com
Subject: GOOD TO THE VERY LAST DROP.......
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<>
This is an interesting premise, one I have heard before and which seems to
have some merit. I think the pent-up emotion of youth with its attendant
energy and need to prove oneself may be, in part, a catalyst for the surge of
creativity and "shock of the new" (to quote art critic Robert Hughes) that
characterizes so much early work of gifted people. I am not prepared to
dispute this theory wholesale ... but I will say that there are some glaring
exceptions to the rule, if it is, indeed, a *rule*. Four brief examples:
Michelangelo (age 89) The Rondanini Pietá
Beethoven: (age 56) The Late Quartets
Verdi: (age 73) Otello
Matisse (age 73) Jazz
All of the above masters created numerous works of reputation/career-making
quality and value in their final years, works which served not only as a
summation, culmination and celebration of their own careers, but which was
visionary and made the leap to future artistic expression we can only
appreciate in hindsight. And, there are many others. A comforting thought
for those of us not getting any younger.
WOLF
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: "Jesse O'Rourke"
Subject: George Harrison
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Its awfully close to home when a contemporary like Harrison passes. He's a
legend in his own right, but his passing also should make us grateful that
someone like Clapton is still around and making music. Lord knows Clapton is
as old as Harrison was and had demons that could have made his life a lot
shorter than it has been.
So let's mourn George's passing, but be grateful that Eric's still making
music- whether its the sort of music you want him to be making or not.
Rest in Peace
Jesse
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: Bryan Reid
Subject: RIP George
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Beatle George Harrison dies
November 30, 2001 Posted: 8:09 AM EST (1309 GMT)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- George Harrison, the lead guitarist in the
most influential pop group of all time, The Beatles, has died aged 58, his
spokesman confirmed to CNN.
Harrison died in Los Angeles at 1:30 p.m. (2130 GMT) on Thursday after a
battle with cancer, spokesman Geoff Baker said, but further details were not
available.
His family issued a statement saying: "He left this world as he lived in it,
conscious of God, fearless of death, and at peace, surrounded by family and
friends. He often said, 'Everything else can wait but the search for God
cannot wait, and love one another."'
"He died with one thought in mind -- love one another," friend Gavin De
Becker told The Associated Press, adding that Harrison's wife, Olivia
Harrison, and son Dhani, 24, were with him when he died.
His former band-mate Sir Paul McCartney told the Press Association: "I am
devastated and very very sad. We knew he'd been ill for a long time.
"He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of
humour. He is really just my baby brother."
Harrison was known as the quiet one of the Fab Four, which conquered the
world with 27 number one hits in the United States and Britain.. His credits
with The Beatles include the songs, "Taxman," "Here Comes the Sun" and
"Something," the latter described by Frank Sinatra as the greatest love song
of all time.
The youngest member of the world's most famous pop group will always be
remembered for his devotion to Oriental mysticism. It was he who persuaded
the other Beatles to fly to India and sit at the feet of the Maharishi
Mahesh Yogi.
After The Beatles broke up in 1970 Harrison produced a few solo albums, and
was the first of the four to top the UK singles charts as a solo artist with
"My Sweet Lord." Later he helped form the group The Travelling Wilburys.
With Harrison's death, there now remain two surviving Beatles, Paul
McCartney and Ringo Starr. John Lennon was shot to death by a deranged fan
in 1980.
In 1998, when former smoker Harrison disclosed that he had been treated for
throat cancer, he said: "It reminds you that anything can happen."
The following year, he survived an attack by an intruder at his mansion in
Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire.
He was stabbed several times and suffered a punctured lung. In July 2001, he
released a statement asking fans not to worry about reports that he was
still battling cancer.
It wasn't immediately known if there would be a public funeral for Harrison.
A private ceremony had already taken place, De Becker said.
Lennon's widow Yoko Ono paid tribute to Harrison, who she said brought magic
to the lives of those who knew him.
"George has given so much to us in his lifetime and continues to do so even
after his passing, with his music, his wit and his wisdom," she told The
Press Association.
"His life was magical and we all felt we had shared a little bit of it by
knowing him.
"Thank-you George, it was grand knowing you."
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: hilker.g@pg.com
Subject: Re: The Slow Digest
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DeltaNick posed a bunch of questions. Since the subject of his message was "The
Slow Digest", I can't help but think that he was trying to provoke us into a
conversation...
No, I don't like *everything* that Clapton does - never have and probably never
will. OTOH, I don't like *everything* that *I* do, either. ;)
Point is: I always liked *lots* of what EC has done and; therefore, I'm a fan.
My personal opinion is that Clapton is basically an honest guy trying to make
his way through life who also happens to have a tremendous talent for music.
If the music he does appeals to me, that's great; if not, so be it. (Over the
past 35+ years he certainly has put out *tons* of music that's appealed to me,
though!) Who am I to rey to tell him what music he should play or not? If I
don't like it, I simply don't listen to it...
Y'all have a good weekend!
Greg Hilker
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: David Hillman
Subject: EC at budokan (fwd)
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 01:35:15 -0500
From: "McMeekin, William D"
Cc: slowhand@planet-torque.com
Subject: EC at budokan
Well I don’t know who I saw at The Budokan Last night but it was not the
typical E.C. This Gaijine was energetic, animated, and generally happy to be
performing. I almost dropped my obento box when he ripped through one
blazing solo after another. He played acoustic guitar with such gusto and
gave 100% on each song. His electric set was great as well. River of tears
had a solo that was incredible. The acoustic solo on Change the world, did.
I saw him in Seattle last summer and this was definitely one of the best
shows I have seen since Jones beach 85. Both versions of Laya were played.
Last night I swear that he was out of the box both vocally and musically. I
am in town until Monday and it looks like I will buy a ticket from a scalper
to see another show.
P.S. I have never seen so many souvenirs’ in all of my life. They actually
had a figurine of him “Just one night pose” incased in Lucite.
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Gazza?=
Subject: RIP Quiet One
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George LOVE 4 Ever.
Gaz
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts
http://uk.my.yahoo.com
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: David Hillman
Subject: All Things Must Pass (fwd)
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 05:03:27 -0500
From: AnEnglishBoy
Subject: All Things Must Pass
I got a phone call at 1:00 am awakening me to the horrible, but
inevitable, news that George Harrison passed away, from a
fellow BeaTle fanatic
I will collect my thoughts before speaking, because this is a
devastating blow to me, however forwarned and prepared
I was.
For info on the passing, as well as the life and music of
George Harrison, check out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
A bad day, and another date on the calendar to turn dark.
"Let me in here
You know I 've been here
Let me show it to you
Let me know you
Let me show you
Let me roll it to you
All I have is yours
All you see is mine
And I'd love to hold you in my arms
I'd have you anytime."
~from "All Things Must Pass"....opening track
~written by George Harrison & Bob Dylan
~with exquisite guitar by Eric Clapton
"Isn't it a pity?
Now isn't it a shame?
How we break each other's hearts,
And cause each other pain?
How we take each others love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Now isn't it a pity?"
~from "All Things Must Pass"
~by George Harrison
"You don't realise how much I need you
Love you all the time and never leave you
So come on back to me
I'm lonely as can be
I need you
Said you had a thing or two to tell me
How was I to know you would upset me
I didn't realise
As I looked in your eyes
You told me
Ah yes, you told me
You don't want my lovin' anymore
That's when it hurt me
And feeling like this
I just can't go on anymore
Please remember how I feel about you
And I cannot really live without you
So come on back to me
I'm lonely as can be
I need you."
~from the album and film "Help" 1965
~George Harrison
~as performed by TheBeaTles (in the wind & rain)
Pete Ham, Tommy Evans (both of Badfinger) and
Johnny are all tunin' up and ready for ya George.
I will always miss you.
Lew.....aka "AnEnglishBoy"
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: "Scott Wallenberg"
Subject: Fw: A comment regarding EC's career
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Note: I am forwarding this response to Delta Nicks thread to the digest from
one of my bandmates who himself is a very incredible guitar player and
disciple of EC's playing. I will gladly forward any comments from you to
him. Scott
Subject: Re: A comment regarding EC's career
>From Rick:
In a famous scene from "Dirty Harry", Clint Eastwood spews sarcastically to
a bad guy:
"A mans got'sta know his limitations"
The flip side of this might be, "A mans should recognize and follow that at
which he excels"
Clapton doesn't seem to be able recognize either - - and/or he just doesn't
care to.
Clapton's genuis is centered in his ability to create emotion with a guitar.
One of his primary, if not THE primary, personal trademarks is the feel and
the incredible, violin-like
vibrato that permeated his playing in the early days (Mayall-Cream). I've
never heard anyone
play like that in the 25+ years I've been closely listening to and playing
guitar. The other key
component to his playing was emotion - - desperate, urgent energy displayed
through a true
desire to play.
The second component, true inner emotion and the desire to play, has been
absent from much
of his playing for many, many years. In short, it seems life has beaten
this part of Clapton, and, as a result, he plays like a tired, old man.
Sure, he does it better than most, and sure, there are moments of
punctuated, driven riffs here and there, but he has been "going through the
motions" for much of the
past 20 years or so. He even showed some of these characteristics here and
there on the Layla
sessions. Was it not Duane Allman that rescued that drugged-out,
disintegrating project ?
I was truly dismayed when I learned (only very recently at that), that it
was Duane that fired
up "Why Does Love Have to Be So Sad" as well as the trademark burning intro
riff in the song
"Layla." One of the trail-blazing trademarks of Cream was improvisation and
risk-taking. The only musical risk Clapton has taken in a long time is the
risk that even his true fans would become fed up with his bullshit.
I once worked in a fast-food type deli in a ski-resort. It was the only
show in town. One of the owners once quipped:
"Give 'em shit, they'll eat it." Maybe Clapton read his book.
Clapton has been going through the motions for so long, that he seems to
have bought into
the fact he can try 50%, and its good enough. The Emperor seems to believe
that no-one sees
the polyester in the clothes he thinks he is wearing. One of reasons is,
perhaps, that old die-hard fans (like I used to be) kept buying his half-ass
albums, and going to his drunken-sloppy concerts in hopes that
one day the Phoenix would rise again. Well my friends, it seems that the
Phoenix is nothing but
a hummingbird, darting here-to-there, keeping his fans guessing . . .
Regarding the first component mentioned, Clapton changed his vibrato and
feel not long after the Blind Faith project. Somebody stole the Mona Lisa,
and the sad part, it is the artist who painted her. His new,
"upward-bending" vibrato can be effective, and sometimes pretty cool, but it
ain't the same.
What is particularily interesting to me, is that the Blue's guitar "gods"
that Clapton seems so desperate
to gain the respect from still have their own fire, and still play their own
trademark styles.
Clapton doesn't seem to understand that truly great Blue's playing can't be
faked. It comes from within.
You can't try on somebody elses Blue's suit and be a great blues player.
Look at Buddy Guy,
Albert and BB King . . . do they change their styles and their equipment to
try to sound like each other
??? No. They recognize their own genius and stick with it. That's the
secret to success. Even though Stevie Ray Vaughn stole/borrowed a ton of
Albert King licks, he made it his own, and he stuck with it.
You don't go to a kosher deli and expect to get great Kung Pao Chicken . . .
Clapton is a great blues-rock player. He ain't a true, old-fashioned blues
player, no matter how desparately he wants to be. Yes, he plays
old-fashioned blues style better than most (better than me, for sure), but
Luciano Pavarotti could also sing Peter,Paul, and Mary songs better than
me - - but what would that prove? As a side note, I assume Luciano, unlike
Clapton, is wise enough not to go this route. Clapton needs to understand
this concept, and the fact that no matter how many authentic blues guitars
he whipped out during one of his old "From the Cradle" tours, he wasn't
Buddy Guy, he wasn't BB King, he wasn't Freddie King, and he wasn't Albert
King. No, was, and still is, Eric Clapton, and he will never, ever be great
again until he recognizes that fact. (by the way, those of you who think
his playing was great on "Riding with the King"
are listening as a member of the "EC Can Do No Wrong" fan club. Objective
listening reveals that
he was adequate, with a cool riff here and there, but nothing more. If that
was the only album he
ever appeared on, you'd never hear about him again. There are many, many
players here on the L.A. circuit alone that could have done as good, if not
a better, job. To me, only BB sounds "real" on that record.
I would also speculate that EC's been surrounded by ass-kissing "yes" men
for many years. EC apparently does not have sufficient personal conviction
in himself to figure out that he's being hosed by the
leeches and hangers-on that use him to further there own agenda. (Gee, Phil
"I always wanted to dress up in
Diana Ross's G-string" Collins, are you listening ????). How about the
latest "rap-hip-hop-artist-producer"
idiots that Clapton is hanging with. "Gee, Eric, you look simply mahvelous
in that Armani suit; your sooooooooo cool, and boy can you sing soul (NOT) .
. . " "By the way, can I produce (and musically rape) your next album ?"
"Have your agent's agent call my personal assistant's hairdresser, and we'll
do lunch sometime . . ."
Well, that's about it. Did I tell you guys that if you put a Clapton CD,
like, for example, "Reptile"
in the microwave for approximately six seconds, it makes a great psychodelic
coaster ????
(warning: don't try this at home)
Bye
--=_--SlowhandDigest--
From: Russ Dugoni
Subject: All Things Must Pass (NCC)
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George Harrison will be missed. Coming into work today I listened
to the newly remastered 'All Things Must Pass' CD. Really terrific!
Song: Isn't It A Pity
Composer: Harrison
Vocals: George Harrison
Year: 1970
Isn't it a pity
Now, isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pity
Isn't it a pity
Isn't is a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
Forgetting to give back
Now, isn't it a pity
(6 times, fade the 6th:)
What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity
What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity
----
A very nice site: http://www.allthingsmustpass.com/
http://web.mit.edu/scholvin/www/harrison/harrison.html
This is a terrific cd too:
Name: Live In Japan
Band: George Harrison
US Release: 14th July 1992
CD-Number: 7599-26964-2
I Want To Tell You
Old Brown Shoe
Taxman
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
If I Needed Someone
Something
What Is Life
Dark Horse
Piggies
Got My Mind Set On You
--
Cloud 9
Here Comes The Sun
My Sweet Lord
All Those Years Ago
Cheer Down
Devil's Radio
Isn't It A Pity
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Roll Over Beethoven
End of slowhand Digest V01 Issue #288