I'm glad to see some guys ride for BB. I take to heart the restrained aspect of his artistry. It took me a long, long time to really get Bobby Bland. Just a clarification. I don't need BB to be hard or funky or anything else for that matter. I like all kinds. What I need is to feel some of his endless catalog which (outside of Live at the Regal) unfortunately I cannot.
BB's the man. Go see him in concert and see how an old man can still put his thing down.
as someone who did a show with him last month and watched as much of his over 2 hour set can attest, dude is THAT DUDE live. His use of bends & vibratto with soley his fingers is a sight to see. he's just got great tone without the comforts of perfect conditions (he carries zero backline with him).
I would be curious to hear some of his old good stuff cuz I've never heard anything remotely interesting by the guy, always seemed way overrated to me too. What do I know though, I like delta blues and haven't heard much blues from the 70's onward that I dug at all. To each their own...
I would be curious to hear some of his old good stuff cuz I've never heard anything remotely interesting by the guy
Exactly what have you heard?
'Cause those old Kent/Crown/United albums are in every used record store from Maine to Mexico, as are the ABC elpees (I'd recommend a best-of first, however). You could have picked up a classic B.B. album and didn't like it, for all we know.
Unexpectedly good: that weird version of "Big Boss Man" he did in the eighties...to the "Billie Jean" bass riff!!! I wouldn't recommend this to newcomers - if you buy this and are scratching your head, don't come crying to me - but if you're familiar with his better works, you might wanna hear this for shits & giggles. Coulda been a scandal, but it worked out fine.
I'm not a B.B. fan but I'd sure as hell rather hear people say HIS name when asked about the Blues instead of Eric Clapton!!!!!
While I will agree that pretty much everything Clapton has put out since about 1970 has been stank, Clapton is the real deal when it comes to blues. Not as a writer, or singer, but as a guitarist, I'll put him up there with any player whose career started after 1960. If you have never heard it, you need to check out the LP he did with John Mayall in '65, he is playing some real shit on that record.
I'm not a B.B. fan but I'd sure as hell rather hear people say HIS name when asked about the Blues instead of Eric Clapton!!!!!
While I will agree that pretty much everything Clapton has put out since about 1970 has been stank, Clapton is the real deal when it comes to blues. Not as a writer, or singer, but as a guitarist, I'll put him up there with any player whose career started after 1960. If you have never heard it, you need to check out the LP he did with John Mayall in '65, he is playing some real shit on that record.
I agree that he had decent chops in the early days but 1) He was just copying the real thang and 2) The fact that he gets "Best Blues Artists" Awards in the 2000's when there are REAL bluesmen still around that can't even get a gig makes me vomit.
I'm not a B.B. fan but I'd sure as hell rather hear people say HIS name when asked about the Blues instead of Eric Clapton!!!!!
While I will agree that pretty much everything Clapton has put out since about 1970 has been stank, Clapton is the real deal when it comes to blues. Not as a writer, or singer, but as a guitarist, I'll put him up there with any player whose career started after 1960.
He's put out stank records for 37 years but at least he can play good guitar.
That's like saying "she's ugly but she sure can cook."
Got to have the whole package, IMO. Just cause somebody is a good singer or instrumentalist doesn't mean that they are capable of making a good record. It all begins with the SONG, and then you take it from there.
For me, personally, Clapton isn't even a worthwhile ROCKER, let alone a good bluesman.
I agree that he had decent chops in the early days but 1) He was just copying the real thang and 2) The fact that he gets "Best Blues Artists" Awards in the 2000's when there are REAL bluesmen still around that can't even get a gig makes me vomit.
I'll agree with #2 wholeheartedly, but honestly, can you name any electric blues artist of the same era (post-1960 or so) who isn't/wasn't copying the work of the artists of the 40's and 50's? Other than maybe some of the really idiosyncratic guys playing jukes in the Delta pretty much every player I can think of owes their styles to some combination of the 3 Kings, Muddy, Hooker, Wolf and the other masters.
He's put out stank records for 37 years but at least he can play good guitar.
That's like saying "she's ugly but she sure can cook."
Got to have the whole package, IMO. Just cause somebody is a good singer or instrumentalist doesn't mean that they are capable of making a good record. It all begins with the SONG, and then you take it from there.
For me, personally, Clapton isn't even a worthwhile ROCKER, let alone a good bluesman.
I'm not even a huge Clapton fan, so I'm not trying to really advocate for him here, but I didnt say he was a great bluesman (however you may define that). He's a great blues guitar player, and about the un-rockingest British guitarist of the 60's.
If you have never heard it, you need to check out the LP he did with John Mayall in '65, he is playing some real shitOtis Rush licks note-for-note[/b] on that record.
I agree that he had decent chops in the early days but 1) He was just copying the real thang and 2) The fact that he gets "Best Blues Artists" Awards in the 2000's when there are REAL bluesmen still around that can't even get a gig makes me vomit.
I'll agree with #2 wholeheartedly, but honestly, can you name any electric blues artist of the same era (post-1960 or so) who isn't/wasn't copying the work of the artists of the 40's and 50's?
Well you are getting beat up here pretty good, so sorry for piling on.
Here are some guys from the same era:
Jeff Beck Truth. (White British Guy just to show I'm not racist or nationalist.)
Jimi Hendrix (Around 1967 people used to argue who was better Hendrix or Clapton.)
Albert Collins Albert King (A handful of 50s singles before hitting it in the 60s.) Albert Collins Buddy Guy Otis Rush Luther Johnson Shuggie Otis Mike Bloomfield Wayne Bennett (Bobby Blands guitarist in the 60s - 90s) Duanne Alman
All of the above were strongly influenced by BB but all found original styles. Bloomfield said this about Clapton specifically and the British guitarist in general; He will listen to a BB King lp and find the one great lick on there and learn it while I have to learn every lick on the record.
Jeff Beck Truth. (White British Guy just to show I'm not racist or nationalist.)
Jimi Hendrix (Around 1967 people used to argue who was better Hendrix or Clapton.)
Albert Collins Albert King (A handful of 50s singles before hitting it in the 60s.) Albert Collins Buddy Guy Otis Rush Luther Johnson Shuggie Otis Mike Bloomfield Wayne Bennett (Bobby Blands guitarist in the 60s - 90s) Duanne Alman
All of the above were strongly influenced by BB but all found original styles. Bloomfield said this about Clapton specifically and the British guitarist in general; He will listen to a BB King lp and find the one great lick on there and learn it while I have to learn every lick on the record.
I'm happy to debate this stuff in fun, because I happen to really like electric blues, so I'm glad we can have a reasonable convo about this. So to retort:
Albert King was a contemporary of Muddy, BB, Wolf and the rest, so he doesn't count in this discussion.
Collins I'll give you but he you can hear a lot of T-Bone Walker and Lightning Hopkins in him. He was also a good 10 years older than Clapton.
Guy, Rush, Bennett also are all older, and were performing way before the era I'm talking about.
Duane Allman sticks out for being such a great slide player, but I wouldn't say he was a better or more original player than his contemporaries.
I love Bloomfield, he definitely didn't get the props he deserved, and I think he was better at a wider range of styles than most 60's players, but more original? He's also a lot like Clapton in that he wasn't a great singer or writer either.
Beck and Hendrix are definitely originals, absolutely no debating them in my book.
Clapton is tuerd among tuerds. dude is laughable...like, serioulsy, i'm laughing here on my couch as i think about him. so, what...like there is a good cream song? wow. i bet even bright eyes has made a decent song; i wouldn't know, because I haven't heard it, but even a blind terd finds a kernel of corn.
not the biggest blues head, but howlin' wolf and the olllld leadbelly sides are my faves, ad i'll take them over anything that BB has done. but, i repect his legacy and career, and chains and things has one of my favorite braekz evar in it. and, its a great song. some of that early 70s stuff is mad decent, come to think of it; i used to throw those records on at my old record store gig on the regular.
Jeff Beck Truth. (White British Guy just to show I'm not racist or nationalist.)
Jimi Hendrix (Around 1967 people used to argue who was better Hendrix or Clapton.)
Albert Collins Albert King (A handful of 50s singles before hitting it in the 60s.) Albert Collins Buddy Guy Otis Rush Luther Johnson Shuggie Otis Mike Bloomfield Wayne Bennett (Bobby Blands guitarist in the 60s - 90s) Duanne Alman
All of the above were strongly influenced by BB but all found original styles. Bloomfield said this about Clapton specifically and the British guitarist in general; He will listen to a BB King lp and find the one great lick on there and learn it while I have to learn every lick on the record.
I'm happy to debate this stuff in fun, because I happen to really like electric blues, so I'm glad we can have a reasonable convo about this. So to retort:
Albert King was a contemporary of Muddy, BB, Wolf and the rest, so he doesn't count in this discussion.
Albert's first side was '53, but he made very few recordings before about '63. By contrast Muddy made his Stowell Plantation recordings in the early 40s I think. And started recording in Chicago about '49. Wolf and BB about the same. Since you were asking about other 60s era players I say Albert stays.
Collins I'll give you but he you can hear a lot of T-Bone Walker and Lightning Hopkins in him. He was also a good 10 years older than Clapton.
Guy, Rush, Bennett also are all older, and were performing way before the era I'm talking about.
Again, they may be a little older than Eric but they started their recording carrers in the 60s, the time you were talking about.
Allman sticks out for being such a great slide player, but I wouldn't say he was a better or more original player than his contemporaries.
You don't think Allman is better than Clapton? Have you ever listened to Layla? Besides he's at least 10 years younger, so it's a balancing act. If DA was not original why does every southernrockcountry guitarist imitate him?
I love Bloomfield, he definitely didn't get the props he deserved, and I think he was better at a wider range of styles than most 60's players, but more original? He's also a lot like Clapton in that he wasn't a great singer or writer either.
OK
Beck and Hendrix are definitely originals, absolutely no debating them in my book.
Clapton when he is not playing "the blues" can be great - see Cream, Blind Faith, and some of his 70's solo work ... but his "blues" is a combination of studied copying and sterilization that makes for the worst kind of music possible.
I might like a Clapton song or 2, but I wouldn't brag about it.
Actually I was excited recently to get Wheels Of Fire and Disrali Gears again. They were favorites of mine in the early 70s. I hate them now. The singing, is terrible, the playing obnoxious, the tunes stupid. But I understand that I "just don't get" a lot of rock music. I also recently relistened to that st solo record and was disapointed with that too.
One of Claptons secrets in the post Cream years is to lean on other guitar players, Duanne Allman, Robert Cray, who ever is actually playing on those unplugged recordings.
I wish I had my copy of the track "Five Long Years" on Kent at hand, so I could rip, divshare and facemelt the lot of you. Shit is raw.
Ha that's funny I was organizing my 45s yesterday. Came upon a stack of blues stuff. Decided to give the BB RPM and Kent sides a ride. Just in case I might have missed something. Total terdocity. Very average IMO.
Comments
as someone who did a show with him last month and watched as much of his over 2 hour set can attest, dude is THAT DUDE live. His use of bends & vibratto with soley his fingers is a sight to see. he's just got great tone without the comforts of perfect conditions (he carries zero backline with him).
Exactly what have you heard?
'Cause those old Kent/Crown/United albums are in every used record store from Maine to Mexico, as are the ABC elpees (I'd recommend a best-of first, however). You could have picked up a classic B.B. album and didn't like it, for all we know.
Holy shit, major
While I will agree that pretty much everything Clapton has put out since about 1970 has been stank, Clapton is the real deal when it comes to blues. Not as a writer, or singer, but as a guitarist, I'll put him up there with any player whose career started after 1960. If you have never heard it, you need to check out the LP he did with John Mayall in '65, he is playing some real shit on that record.
I agree that he had decent chops in the early days but 1) He was just copying the real thang and 2) The fact that he gets "Best Blues Artists" Awards in the 2000's when there are REAL bluesmen still around that can't even get a gig makes me vomit.
He's put out stank records for 37 years but at least he can play good guitar.
That's like saying "she's ugly but she sure can cook."
Got to have the whole package, IMO. Just cause somebody is a good singer or instrumentalist doesn't mean that they are capable of making a good record. It all begins with the SONG, and then you take it from there.
For me, personally, Clapton isn't even a worthwhile ROCKER, let alone a good bluesman.
I'll agree with #2 wholeheartedly, but honestly, can you name any electric blues artist of the same era (post-1960 or so) who isn't/wasn't copying the work of the artists of the 40's and 50's? Other than maybe some of the really idiosyncratic guys playing jukes in the Delta pretty much every player I can think of owes their styles to some combination of the 3 Kings, Muddy, Hooker, Wolf and the other masters.
I'm not even a huge Clapton fan, so I'm not trying to really advocate for him here, but I didnt say he was a great bluesman (however you may define that). He's a great blues guitar player, and about the un-rockingest British guitarist of the 60's.
Well you are getting beat up here pretty good, so sorry for piling on.
Here are some guys from the same era:
Jeff Beck Truth. (White British Guy just to show I'm not racist or nationalist.)
Jimi Hendrix (Around 1967 people used to argue who was better Hendrix or Clapton.)
Albert Collins
Albert King (A handful of 50s singles before hitting it in the 60s.)
Albert Collins
Buddy Guy
Otis Rush
Luther Johnson
Shuggie Otis
Mike Bloomfield
Wayne Bennett (Bobby Blands guitarist in the 60s - 90s)
Duanne Alman
All of the above were strongly influenced by BB but all found original styles. Bloomfield said this about Clapton specifically and the British guitarist in general; He will listen to a BB King lp and find the one great lick on there and learn it while I have to learn every lick on the record.
I'm happy to debate this stuff in fun, because I happen to really like electric blues, so I'm glad we can have a reasonable convo about this. So to retort:
Albert King was a contemporary of Muddy, BB, Wolf and the rest, so he doesn't count in this discussion.
Collins I'll give you but he you can hear a lot of T-Bone Walker and Lightning Hopkins in him. He was also a good 10 years older than Clapton.
Guy, Rush, Bennett also are all older, and were performing way before the era I'm talking about.
Duane Allman sticks out for being such a great slide player, but I wouldn't say he was a better or more original player than his contemporaries.
I love Bloomfield, he definitely didn't get the props he deserved, and I think he was better at a wider range of styles than most 60's players, but more original? He's also a lot like Clapton in that he wasn't a great singer or writer either.
Beck and Hendrix are definitely originals, absolutely no debating them in my book.
not the biggest blues head, but howlin' wolf and the olllld leadbelly sides are my faves, ad i'll take them over anything that BB has done. but, i repect his legacy and career, and chains and things has one of my favorite braekz evar in it. and, its a great song. some of that early 70s stuff is mad decent, come to think of it; i used to throw those records on at my old record store gig on the regular.
Albert's first side was '53, but he made very few recordings before about '63. By contrast Muddy made his Stowell Plantation recordings in the early 40s I think. And started recording in Chicago about '49. Wolf and BB about the same. Since you were asking about other 60s era players I say Albert stays.
Again, they may be a little older than Eric but they started their recording carrers in the 60s, the time you were talking about.
You don't think Allman is better than Clapton? Have you ever listened to Layla? Besides he's at least 10 years younger, so it's a balancing act. If DA was not original why does every southernrockcountry guitarist imitate him?
OK
Which proves my point: CLAPTON SUCKS.
can be great - see Cream, Blind Faith, and some
of his 70's solo work ... but his "blues" is a combination
of studied copying and sterilization that makes for the worst
kind of music possible.
Bell Bottom Blues
Old Love (Unplugged version)
Oh and BTW:
Actually I was excited recently to get Wheels Of Fire and Disrali Gears again. They were favorites of mine in the early 70s. I hate them now. The singing, is terrible, the playing obnoxious, the tunes stupid. But I understand that I "just don't get" a lot of rock music. I also recently relistened to that st solo record and was disapointed with that too.
One of Claptons secrets in the post Cream years is to lean on other guitar players, Duanne Allman, Robert Cray, who ever is actually playing on those unplugged recordings.
Ha that's funny I was organizing my 45s yesterday. Came upon a stack of blues stuff. Decided to give the BB RPM and Kent sides a ride. Just in case I might have missed something. Total terdocity. Very average IMO.
You should just say "I don't really like the Blues"
We would understand.
You should speak for yourself. I think most hear have agreed with me on this one. Thanks for posting the clip. I found it to be