Matured Guitarist

It occured to me, that without realising it how much I’ve actually matured as a guitarist. This isn’t blowing my own trumpet this is just a realisation how much I’ve changed as a player. I can’t pin point key moments or key changes, but I looked at my playing today and realised a few key things.

1. I no longer need to hit every note on the fret board for a solo – less can be more
2. I no longer have every drive/gain channel on 10 (some can go to 11 you know)
3. I’m prepared to work to get the right guitar sounds for the right parts of a song.
4. I gain little/no pleasure from playing along to CD’s for practice

As I said I can’t recall when each of these changes happened but it’s clear sign to me how much my playing has changed without realising it.

If you play the guitar – or an instrument for that matter it’s worth sitting down every now and then and looking at what you do now and where you have come from to get there. Tonight I’m going to take a temporary step backwards just to keep myself sharp and pickup some different guitars, turn it all to 10 and hit as many fast parts as possible.

Michael Jackson – My Take.

Michael Jackson

As I’m sure the world knows and anyone who is reading this has probably read 1000 times already Michael Jackson is dead. The UK got the news 25/06/09 at around 11:00pm BST. There are thousands of crazed fans doing all sorts of crazy tributes and I didn’t really want to write about this, but as everyone is talking about it and putting blind spin on it I thought I’d document my thoughts on it.

First of all I’ve never been a big Michael Jackson fan, not a hater, just not a fan. I think he’s wrote some stunning songs, but I never liked the presentation of them and never really got the “great entertainer” side of it, but that’s just me. I’m sad that musical world has lost such a clearly talented musician and performer no question, however Michael Jackson has not done anything of any musical value in many years, he’s bled his well earned fortune dry with his bizarre behaviour and stunts so his loss now to me does not effect the musical world he was once so coverted in, as he had not done anything nor seemed capable of doing anything, his only ability was dig himself a further web of lies and disaster around him. I find it hard to pity a man or morn his loss in his current state for such an obvious liar. A man who was born black in colour, and magically turned white – then had the balls to sing a song about race/colour not being an issue “doesn’t matter if your black or white”. A man who’s face changed from a handsome young man to what can only be described as a primate/alien looking state and yet he claims “I’ve had no plastic surgery”, the only thing Micheal didn’t need enhancing was his balls, as they must have been massive to come out with such bold statements in the face of such contradictory facts.

His later years he appeared to be broke – and just leaching of as many rich people willing to make deals with him as possible, to the point of making a come back concert of 50 dates in the UK to try to pay his bills and become solvent again – I said to people I know, these dates will never happen and they never will now, I just didn’t quite expect the circumstances.

My personal belief based on no fact or evidence, is that he’s somehow killed himself. He’s gone from rags to riches to ruins to beyond ruins taking all credibility with him (I’ve not mentioned the child abuse claims in this post beyond this line as there is too much to cover), he’s looked at himself in the mirror and thought “I’m done – no matter what I do, I’m done” and some how ended it, pills/drink/whatever. No-one from the hospital has said a reason, only statements from family and friends saying he was found not breathing.

The irony is that now he’s dead his record sales will go through the roof again and potentially pay off his debts,

A sad loss that was lost long before he died, but in someway I’m glad he didn’t slide further down the gutter in peoples eyes before he died, at least he has a solid chance of being remembered more so for his early musical ability than his later debt/lies/whatever.

40 Years Of Radio 1 – shameful musicians

Radio 1's 40 year album

Last week I listened to the album you can see to the left. It’s a covers album of current bands covering a classic songs from each of the 40 years Radio 1 has been broadcasting. It’s a good album with some really interesting artists and song choices.  A few tracks stood out for me as really good covers either just played well, or presenting a different slant on a track I know well. This to me is exactly how a cover should be. On the other hand a few tracks stood out for just how bad some of our current money earning professional musicians really are. I listened to track 2 of CD 1, “All Along the Watch Tower” a classic Jimi Hendrix track. On this Album it’s covered by The Fratellis, who make it pretty obvious they can’t play the guitar, now I don’t mean “can’t play the guitar as good as Jimi” I actaully mean can’t play a decent guitar part beyond 3 chord strumming. My first gripe is why they chose to cover a guitar genius’s song when it’s clear they can’t play, me second gripe is – these are paid musicians and their level of musical ability with their instruments is shockingly bad.  I also single out track 19 CD 2, “The Power Of Love” by Huey Lewis, this is actually a good cover it in itself, in that I enjoyed listening to it, however again the basic ability of the guitarist in the band The Pigeon Detectives who where covering it was boarder line beginner. I know being a instrumental genius isn’t everything, stage presence, charisma, song writing are all part of this, but I’m not looking for geniuses, nor even to be impressed just something I don’t think “wow, that’s terrible playing” It saddens me to think  that these guys are getting paid to be professional musicians, yet at the same time I admire them for actaully doing it and making a good living out of it, maybe even with a little bit of ennvy.

Now that I’ve called out the bad, I feel a few good ones are worth mentioning just to balance it out.

• CD 1 Track 7. You’re So Vain – The Feeling
• CD 1 Track 10. Let’s Stick Together – KT Tunstall
• CD 1 Track 15. Under Pressure – Keane
• CD 1 Track 20. Don’t Get Me Wrong – Lily Allen
• CD 2 Track 2. Fast Car – Mutya Buena (shocking as I can’t stand her)
• CD 2 Track 4. Englishman In New York – Razorlight
• CD 2 Track 5. Crazy For You – Groove Armada (stunningly different)
• CD 2 Track 6. It Must Be Love – Paolo Nutini

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