Don't 'get' BB King

Its all in the fingers, or is it?

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Molly
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Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Molly »

There are a few mega-name guitarists I just don't get. Jeff Beck is one. Must've bought fourteen or more albums but it's just too disjointed or something for me. Can't get into his playing.

Another is BB King though I do like a lot of players who cite him as a major influence.

If you were going to recommend some quintessential BB King, what would it be?

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Mini Forklift »

I'd start with 'Live at the Regal' ~ if you still can't get into him from there then you're probably never going to 'get' him haha.

I'm with you on Jeff Beck, just sounds too disjointed for me. Probably the wrong word but it's hard to describe him ~ I have tried but never been able to get into his music or playing.

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by MattH »

Live at the Regal is absolutely the best place to start.
All the gear... absolutely no idea...

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Capt. Black »

Do what you did with Jeff Beck and just buy all the albums. That way you'll figure out for sure if you're gonna get him or not.

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Delayman »

I just watched Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's on youtube. He's a guitarist I've known about but not listened too. WHat he does is amazing. Especially his pitch with slide etc. Worth watching. Not sure I would sit down a listen to albums, but I don't listen to guitar music anyway.
They keep telling me tone is in the fingers, but I have yet to see a "look at my fingers" thread.
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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Bg »

I love both BB and Jeff Beck, though I can't stand Stevie Ray Vaughan - I think his tone stinks. I get why people like him, but meh he does nothing for me - horses for courses.

Live at the regal is awesome, but if you don't like him theres no need to force yourself to listen to him because you feel you ought to, thats just daft.

The thing with BB was that, at the time, he was groundbreaking. Not just with his guitar playing but with being a coloured musician. Like all the old blues guys, they deserve respect for what they did at the time.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Lawrence »

Delayman wrote:I just watched Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's on youtube. He's a guitarist I've known about but not listened too. WHat he does is amazing. Especially his pitch with slide etc. Worth watching. Not sure I would sit down a listen to albums, but I don't listen to guitar music anyway.
I do hope you listened to a "good" version...and though good speakers. The tones , not just guitar but bass & drums ...and keys for that matter are great.
Youtube needs to sort out its audio!

Fantastic performance.
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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by olegmcnoleg »

For Jeff Beck's best work (and Roger Waters too for that matter) I don't think you can go past the album "Amused to death". This really showcases what he could do in a band context. Plus I can think of no better example of rock excess meets is biting political satire, and I love that genre ;-)

Plus Nadia!

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Molly »

Bg wrote:I love both BB and Jeff Beck, though I can't stand Stevie Ray Vaughan - I think his tone stinks. I get why people like him, but meh he does nothing for me - horses for courses.

Live at the regal is awesome, but if you don't like him theres no need to force yourself to listen to him because you feel you ought to, thats just daft.

The thing with BB was that, at the time, he was groundbreaking. Not just with his guitar playing but with being a coloured musician. Like all the old blues guys, they deserve respect for what they did at the time.
Social context is often overlooked. :thumbup: Will track down Live at the Regal.

And it's not so much that I want to like him. I'd just like to be able to appreciate what others seem to see in him.

Watched a couple of Crossroads live DVDs recently which feature other big, blues names. Heard some playing that I really thought just sucked. Some horrible stuff. Then I stopped jamming along...

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by olegmcnoleg »

Nadia: album version is better for listening... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpqlwRvGeDA

My friend once commented that JB has notes on his Stratocaster that simply are not there on everyone else's.

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Thewilltopowerrock »

I can't get into Jeff Beck either, nor Eric Johnson. They're just boring to me, an impression which I think is heightened rather than diminished as their technical skill increases. SRV is cool in small doses, those doses being the moments when he isn't playing cliched elevator blues.

This reminds me of The Fry Chronicles where Fry is recounting his uni theatre group confessing to major literary works they'd never read or didn't like. We should turn this into a confessions thread for guitarists (sorry to hijack, Molly).

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Bg »

olegmcnoleg wrote:For Jeff Beck's best work (and Roger Waters too for that matter) I don't think you can go past the album "Amused to death". This really showcases what he could do in a band context. Plus I can think of no better example of rock excess meets is biting political satire, and I love that genre ;-)

Plus Nadia!
I love all of Rog's solo stuff, and yeah jeff played some great stuff on amused, and also clapton on the album in a dream 'pros and cons of hitchhiking'. Sheer class. Pink Floyd without Rog was little more than a showcase for Dave Gilmour, and his missus, rather abysmal lyric writing, the rest of the band thankfully lift it above the dirge that is Gilmours solo efforts - the latest made me want to sob.

Maybe a bit harsh, there are some good bits on the division bell. But his solo stuff, sets my teeth on edge.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Bg »

Ha, as for Eric Johnson - he has this rep for being so into his tone. TBH the tone on the one song I've listened too more than once, cliffs of dover, is really really shit.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by jeremyb »

To be honest, most solo performance guitarists are terrible, theres little bits of genius from time to time, but most of it is recycled boredom to me...
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Re: Don't 'get' BB King

Post by Bg »

jeremyb wrote:To be honest, most solo performance guitarists are terrible, theres little bits of genius from time to time, but most of it is recycled boredom to me...
yep, my idea of torture is a solo guitar instrumental album. Blasphemer!
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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