Hear My Train A Comin'
batmon
27,574 Posts
Never seen the PBS special, so i copped the Bluray today.
It better than this?
It better than this?
Comments
Alot of the same footage, but a gang of personal shit from the sister/family archive.
They trying to work their brand. I havent watched the upgraded performances yet.
Watched.
Favorite thing I took from it was he always had his guitar in hand. Basically he was always working on his art.
They kept far away from talking about drugs. They were kind to the girl whose apt he oded in.
I dislike the documentary style (long established) that talks about a musical event, shows pic from the time, but has music from another time/event.
I think Saba is a Hendrix Scholar. Would like to hear his take.
They talked about him wanting to be a star, and how he was always "free-minded" or whatever, but he was dressin freaky in high school and then he just perfected that shit.
It seems like he had to have some sort of nirvana or met some older superfreak that influenced him to go that route. Was it a cool family member, Little Richard, next level hippie chick, self-generated, good weed, the military, etc??
I doubt trying to emulate Chuck Berry was that moment. I would think the family would have some insight to it.
They did say he worked constantly on his craft so i could see shit slowly bubbling vs some Yoda scenario.
If you take one thing you can always find someone doing it before him.
Clothes, Little Richard, Esqueirta, Liberace.
Guitar gimmicks - stage craft, T-Bone Walker, Guitar Shorty (Jimi's Brother In Law), Chuck Berry.
Feedback, reverb, vibrato, whammy bar... Buddy Guy, Albert King, Lonnie Mack.
But none of that explains it. Slowly bubbling.
On the other hand he was very much of his time. When he hit London, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck were exploring many of the same guitar ideas. Lots of people were growing their hair and wearing bright clothes.
He was just better at it than any one else.
I really enjoyed the engineering/music talk. I could hear Kramer break the album tracks down all day.
I also was wishing for all the comps to be mentioned.
They stopped at Band Of Gypsies Capital obligation, and mentioned the Dolly Dagger.
One of the highlights was Karmer playing the 3 rhythm guitar tracks separate then together.
All the rockasaurs I've ever heard talk about it point to the military as the push that shaped him and compelled him to be different as a good thing.