Once again: what are you listening to now? Part 2.

[MrBoat]

MrBoat
I thought I'd heard every Boston track ever laid down. Somehow I missed this one.
I enjoyed it. I bet they will have this one at the 2nd hand CD store. They had a bin of Boston.
I will add it to my list

Tom Sholz of Boston is another. A genius in his own right.

 

[Bucknekked]

Steve Vai, to great extent, was a student of Frank Zappa. It was a theme I followed after listening to the cuts Lvnthehd posted. A lot of people don't realize how great a guitar player Zappa was.

I recall when Surfing with the Alien came out. That song came on and I was blown away. I actually thought it was VanHalen. Got back to FL. and promptly bought that cd.

Some days, I just want to hear great rockin guitar like that. Not just the shredding that is all the rage these days.

I did not know about the relationship of Vai and Zappa, or even that Vai and Satriani were hooked up somehow. I do know that Vai and Satriani are probably twins separated at birth. Their talent and expressions are similar, yet they still keep their individual identity. I think the distinction between Van Halen and Satriani is probably defined in one word "commercial". Van Halen put out 3:30 second songs that were made for the airwaves. Satriani (and Vai) cut loose with whatever they thought the song needed.

In celebration of Satriani before I go spend the day doing Saturday stuff, let's have another footstomper.

JOE SATRIANI. BIG BAD MOON.

Again, I believe the minimum setting on the volume knob is all the way clockwise.

 

[lovinthehd]

Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and to a certain extent Jeff Beck, all walk a fine line with their talent.
They have a tendency to show off their talent (which is prodigous) rather than play songs which are listenable or musical. This was a good cut from Steve Vai. I enjoyed the complexity of the song. He mixed it up pretty good.

(Editors Note : no flashy guitar player was injured or defamed in the expression of this opinion)

Here's another example of Joe Satriani. When he wants to, like Steve Vai, he can play the s-h-i-t out that guitar and still be musical.

JOE SATRIANI. SURFIN WITH THE ALIEN. 1987

Why yes, you need as much volume as you can muster. 11 seems about right on my system

Did you check out Steve Vai on that Zappa plays Zappa dvd set, particularly disc 2?

 

[MrBoat]

Did you check out Steve Vai on that Zappa plays Zappa dvd set, particularly disc 2?

Zappa has sparked so many listening journeys that last hours, or even days at times.

 

[lovinthehd]

Zappa has sparked so many listening journeys that last hours, or even days at times.

He did a fair amount of listening and mixing himself. You should have seen all the tapes he used to mix/compile stuff with....had to have him sign some documents for a tour once and waited in a room at his house that was lined with tapes in shelving floor to ceiling all four walls and that was just part of what he had going....

 

[MrBoat]

He did a fair amount of listening and mixing himself. You should have seen all the tapes he used to mix/compile stuff with....had to have him sign some documents for a tour once and waited in a room at his house that was lined with tapes in shelving floor to ceiling all four walls and that was just part of what he had going....

That's pretty incredible to get to see something like that. I imagine that greatly impacts your perception on the listening end as well. I used to follow his interviews and such, never mind what the lyrics often expose. A very unique and brilliant character.

 

[lovinthehd]

That's pretty incredible to get to see something like that. I imagine that greatly impacts your perception on the listening end as well. I used to follow his interviews and such, never mind what the lyrics often expose. A very unique and brilliant character.

Was what I did for a while, logistics for big rock acts on international tour. Little actual contact with the artists (Dylan's crew used to call the musicians "musoids") but think in this case he was the sole officer of his corporation and needed him to sign a power of attorney for something that needed done the next morning. I doubt in FZ's case I'd have been invited over otherwise Got to hang out at their (Intercontinental Absurdities) studios for a bit here and there when setting up a new tour and watch rehearsals and hang with the road manager. FZ was as precise and demanding as was his reputation, saw him stop once and dress down Jean Luc Ponty for some mistake he had made, lol. I was somewhat a fan at the time of FZ and the Mothers of Invention particularly, but more from a friend in high school who was a huge fan; I've become a bigger fan in the years since....mostly at the time it was about business rather than being an avenue into an act's music.

Got to work with some of the biggest acts and was pretty fun at the time until the record companies started not wanting to pay bills for touring acts as the record sales were slipping....our company got stung a few times with unpaid bills by a few bands and we sequed into more traditional logistics work.

 

[Bucknekked]

Tonight we went out for some relaxation and spent a good chunk of time watching this band on stage.
Desert Dixie. Live music is where its at if you can get it. Nobody thinks about imaging and infrasonic subwoofer performance when the band is up there gettin' it on. These guys (and gal) were really entertaining.

Desert Dixie. Good Timin' man.

live music under the stars. its a pretty good way to spend an evening. It don't matter if we've never heard of the band before. we have now and they were pretty good

 

[speakerman39]

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

Phil

 

[speakerman39]

Phil

 

[Bucknekked]

some guys just know how to rock it. this guy is one of them that just keeps on going.

Neil Young. Rocking in the Free World.

This tune is made for cruising down the road with your stereo on full blast.

 

[lovinthehd]

Kronos Quartet - Pieces of Africa

 

[lovinthehd]

Ray Manzarek - Carl Orff's Carmina Burana

 

[j_garcia]

Another good cover (and he squeezed two different Son House songs in there).

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Speaking of coverts, does it count if the original artist is on stage? This isn't the version I wanted but buck got me thinking of it. I do love Neil young, and also the collaboration he did with PJ.

Neil young and Pearl Jam.

 

[Bucknekked]

Speaking of coverts, does it count if the original artist is on stage? This isn't the version I wanted but buck got me thinking of it. I do love Neil young, and also the collaboration he did with PJ.

I think when band plays a cover of a song, they pay a compliment to the original artist.
When a band plays a cover of a tune and invites the original artist on stage, I think it becomes an ultimate compliment.

Being the skeptic I am, I wonder how this affected PJ financially? To play a cover of an artists song, the band pays a royalty fee for the privilege in a concert setting (either through the venue's license, or directly if they obtain permission themselves). If the original artist joins you on stage, does the royalty fee get waived because the original artist is playing the song? Or, did PJ have to pay twice? Once for the royalty fee and in addition pay to have Neil Young come onstage. Such is the life of a skeptic.

I read recently where a famous band paid royalty fees for using a song. Big money. They paid the artist they thought wrote the song. That artist cashed the checks. Turns out, there is a dispute as to who actually owns the song and the supposed real song writer is sueing them for the performance fees. If he wins, the band will get the privilege of paying twice to cover the song.

I loved the PJ cover. Good energy and musicianship.

 

[j_garcia]

Eddie Vedder has worked for many years with Neil on The Bridge Benefit Concert that happens here in the Bay Area every year. PJ has played a few times, but Eddie is often at them solo (all performances are acoustic). He did an unannounced set at the one I went to a few years back. These aren't from that show, but you get the idea:

At the end of the show a bunch of the bands come up and play together for the finale. At the one I went to there were 12 bands over about something like 8hrs.

https://www.bridgeschool.org/concert/

My thread from that show:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/bridge-school-benefit-concert.82133/

 

[rojo]

I did not know about the relationship of Vai and Zappa, or even that Vai and Satriani were hooked up somehow.

If you don't already have it, the G3 Live Concert from 1996 needs to be your next purchase. Vai's performance of For the Love Of God is transcendental. Bonus: Satriani, Vai, and Johnson combine forces to cover a Zappa chart, My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama.