Dave Grohl talks about the beauty of minimalism in music, but have you seen and heard the shit he's been doing in recent years? its far from minimalist, stripped down music.
Hey all you young douchebags, Dave Grohl was actually in another band before Foo Fighters, you should look into it.
All Star jam at the White House? in a suit and tie? This isn't rock n roll
Celebrity Jam with Paul McCartney at a benefit concert?
Riding Led Zeppelins coat tails at yet another all star jam?
Another celebrity gig, the Kennedy Center Honors from 2012. You can't host an all star concert without Dave Grohl having to be involved.
And once again the Kennedy Center Honors from 2008.
Nirvana forever changed the landscape of rock music. They rallied against what was the socially acceptable musical norms of the time. It was a breath of fresh air when music had become boring, predictable, commercial, stale, and way too overproduced and image-oriented.
Dave Grohl has become the very thing that Nirvana was against. He has become the U2 of this generation. Formulaic, adult comtemporary, garbage with absolutely no artistic merit or relevance, and much like U2 eager to seek the spotlight of any all star jam, or benefit concert that might happen along.
Ever since The Color and the Shape, the Foo Fighters have been making the exact same album over and over again.
Dave Grohl exists only to attend grammy ceremonies, walk red carpets, host cable television shows, perform at benefit concerts, play in all star jams, form superbands and release highly commercialized and formulaic music. He's not a rocker, he's not a musician. He's just a professional celebrity these days.
If Kurt Cobain was alive to see Dave Grohl play with The Muppets he'd a died of shame.
One of the biggest things that get on my nerves with guitar players is when a guitarist is performing in public and they can't take their eyes off the damn guitar.
Watch the Video
Do you think The Beatles ever would've conquered the world if Paul McCartney was staring at his bass trying to make sure he didn't fuck up instead of smiling so big that every teenage girl in the America wanted to fuck his brains out?
If you said yes stop reading right now and go pawn your guitar then use the money to buy new guitar strings so you can hang yourself.
Don't look at your guitar when you play! If you can't play without keeping your eyes fixated on the neck of your guitar then you need to keep practicing. Who do you think is going to have the better performing career?
Someone Who Plays Guitar Like This?
Or Someone Who Plays Guitar Like This?
Turn the lights off when you play, it'll help you get used to not looking at your guitar. And in the extremely unlikely event that your lame ass band that plays the Yorgurtini to a crowd of zero, ever made it big, you're going to be playing in big arenas and when there will be little or no lighting at times.
I'm suggesting to you that its not so much what you're playing as much as how you're playing it, look at your audience. The majority of the music listening public isn't interested in the finer points of guitar playing. Shit the majority of people don't even play guitar. Your audience wants to be entertained.
I'm not sure if this is a lot or not, but as far as I can remember this is it. I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting.
AC/DC AEROSMITH ALICE IN CHAINS [twice] ALICE COOPER ALLMAN BROTHERS ANTHRAX [four times] AUDIOSLAVE BAD ENGLISH BB KING BILLY IDOL BIOHAZZARD BUDDY GUY BUFFALO TOM CHARLIE DANIELS CHICAGO CORROSION OF CONFORMITY CROSBY STILLS AND NASH [twice] DAMN YANKEES DANZIG DAVID BOWIE DIO DOKKEN DREAD ZEPPELIN DR. JOHN EAGLES EXODUS FAITH NO MORE FASTER PUSSYCAT FIGHT FIREHOUSE GLEN FREY GRATEFUL DEAD GREAT WHITE GUNS N ROSES HELLOWEEN HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS [twice] ICE CUBE INFECTIOUS GROOVES IRON MAIDEN [three times I believe] JACKYL JANES ADDICTION [twice] THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN JOE SATRIANI JOE WALSH JOURNEY JUDAS PRIEST KANSAS KENNY ROGERS KING DIAMOND KISS KMFDM LA GUNS LITA FORD MANHEIM STEAMROLLER MAROON 5 MARILYN MANSON MEATLOAF MEGADETH [at least twice] METALLICA [three times] MINISTRY MOTLEY CRUE [twice] MR. BIG MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL CULT NINE INCH NAILS [three times] NIRVANA OVERKILL OZZY OSBOURNE [three times] PANTERA PAUL MCCARTNEY PEARL JAM PETER PAUL AND MARY PINK FLOYD PORNO FOR PYROS QUEENSRYCHE [twice] RAMONES RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS REO SPEEDWAGON ROGER WATERS [three times] SANTANA SEPULTURA SKID ROW SLAYER [twice] STEPPENWOLF SPINAL TAP SOUL ASSYLUM SOUNDGARDEN [three times] STEVE MILLER BAND STEELHEART STYX JAMES TAYLOR TESLA TESTAMENT THE CULT THREE DOG NIGHT TOM PETTY TRIXTER TYPE O NEGATIVE VAN HALEN VIXEN WARRANT WHITE ZOMBIE WHITESNAKE YNGWIE MALMSTEEN
Lucky Day: In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be *the actual* El Guapo!
*El Guapo was played by Alfonso Arau an acclaimed Mexican actor and award winning director.
*Steve Martin is a pretty bad ass banjo player.
*Chevy Chase, before becoming famous on SNL was a drummer who played with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen who would later go on to form Steely Dan.
*Funny how most comedians are musically inclined, or they're just frustrated musicians. Thats a topic for another time though.
* There is a great book by Susan Jeffers called, "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyways." Read it, then go out and conquer your own personal El Guapo. But don't forget to summon the invisible swordsman first.
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in And stops my mind from wandering Where it will go
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door And kept my mind from wandering Where it will go
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right Where I belong I'm right Where I belong. See the people standing there who disagree and never win And wonder why they don't get in my door
I'm painting my room in the colourful way And when my mind is wandering There I will go
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right Where I belong I'm right Where I belong. Silly people run around they worry me And never ask me why they don't get past my door
I'm taking the time for a number of things That weren't important yesterday And I still go
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in And stops my mind from wandering Where it will go
Today I was pleasantly reminded of the difference between "hearing" and "listening." I've been listening to the Beatles since I was a kid. As I grew older and I just grew to assume that this was probably just some song Paul McCartney wrote while he was high as f*ck trying to fix his house. Also I don't pay much attention to lyrics. I've never tended to see lyrics as very important...as long as they sound melodic, I see vocals as just another instrument.
Today as I was driving across town on my way home from my psychiatrists appointment, I was listening to The Beatles, and for the first time I actually "understood" the song, rather than just hearing it. The genius of The Beatles, just never ceases to amaze me.
I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in And stops my mind from wandering Where it will go
I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door And kept my mind from wandering Where it will go
Sure this song is about fixing a hole and a door in a house. It's also probably just a stupid little tune that you write after smoking enormous quantities of weed, but I see something else too.
The rain and the cracks, are outisde forces, negative forces that stifle creativity, and prevent living in a state of higher awareness. Eastern philosphy, Karma Yoga, the true self, vs the ego, pure consciousness...The Beatles were just starting to get into eastern philosophy around this time. Read The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle, it's an easy read, a good reference to what I'm talking about and personally I think it should be required reading for every human being. Anyways, the rain and other ego-driven thoughts, and negative forces keep from being in the now, the present moment.
The mind/ego is always focused on the past or the future. Past and present only exist in the mind. The present moment is all we have, all that exists. It has been said that it has taken every molecule and atom in the universe since the begining of time to get you to this very present moment. When you fail to accept what is by reliving and holding on to the past or worrying about the future, both of which exist only in your mind, you are literally fighting the entire universe itself.
When you accept what is, and stop fighting life, then the universe starts to conspire with you. The people you need show up in your life just when you need them to, you start noticing coincidences happening more often, and all sorts of other cool shit like that. But you gotta be open to the creative flow of the universe, that means being in the present moment.
Like with playing guitar or trying to write a song. When I try to create something, I can't. Inspiration, is allusive. When you look for it you'll never find it. It's only when I stop trying and drop my notions about what I think should be happening, that I find inspiration. Like today, I was trying to think about something to blog about tonight and I was puzzled the entire day. I was making myself irritated that I couldn't think of anything. But ultimately I just sat down and decided to clear my mind and just start writing whatever came into my head. And I'm quite surprised by how much I've been able to write so far.
Ok, back to the song...
When he fixes the hole and the cracks that stop the rain, then his mind is free to wander. To create, to be free spiritually, free to smoke weed, drop acid, or to actually fix the friggin hole. It's about being in the moment, free to let your mind wander "where it will go." No limitations.
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong I'm right Where I belong I'm right Where I belong.
Thats an awesome line. The play on words there is badass too. This part is about self acceptance. It doesn't matter where I'm at or what I'm doing, what matters is that I'm here, right now, alive and conscious. That's a very powerful line.
See the people standing there who disagree and never win And wonder why they don't get in my door
Silly people run around they worry me And never ask me why they don't get past my door
This is about negativity. Nobody wants to be around negative people. Everybody knows that one person who is such a bummer that the minute they walk into a room, they instantly bum everyone out.
It can also be about the fact he is a famous rockstar and people are probably always trying to get inside his home, and that isn't cool.
Negative energy weakens people. Matter is energy - Einstein. The people we're with,the things we surround ourselves with, the foods we eat, the thoughts we think all have energy. Negative energy will literally physically weaken you. Example, Watch the muscle test.
I'm painting my room in the colourful way And when my mind is wandering There I will go
I'm taking the time for a number of things That weren't important yesterday And I still go
When he fixes the hole and the cracks, accepts himself as he is and keeps negative people away, he is free to be creative and do the things that really are important to him. Things he never realized before.
Also when you smoke a ton of weed and drop acid, you really want to be doing it in a color room.
Ok so there you have it. An extremely in depth and self indulgent (and probably wrong) break down analysis of a cool Beatles song.
So in conclusion let me explain...
Fixing a Hole: A song about, DIY home repairs, eastern philosphy, living in the present moment, self acceptance, ridding yourself of negativity, and making sure that before you experiment with power hallucinogenic, psychedelic, mind expanding drugs, that you have a colorful room in which to do so.
But you don't have to take my word for it.
It might help to know that I took a Beatles history class at Arizona State University. It counted as upper division and humanities credit too.
I've also been to Abbey Road, and the building that used to be Apple Records where The Beatles played their last public performance for the Let it Be movie.
Maybe I'm just getting old, but in my opinion the state of rock guitar in modern music these days is in pretty sorry ass shape. Just because you have a distortion pedal and a de-tuned guitar doesn't make you some badass on the guitar.
And I don't care how damn fast you can play either.
Just because this douchebag is the world's fastest talker doesn't mean that he's actually saying anything INTERESTING.
Just because someone can type 100 wpm doesn't mean that they can write a best selling novel.
BOY YOU SAID IT CONDESCENDING WONKA!
I'm sure there are plenty of people who will tell me how wrong I am, and how friggin awesome people like Yngwie Malmsteen are. Well I met that dude on his tourbus. I saw him yell at his wife while he watched tv with no shirt on while his gut hung over his leather pants. Believe me, there was nothing awesome about that dude. (That's a true story.)
I would be suprised if any kids these days could actually play "Stairway to Heaven." It's an awesome song. Complex, chord changes, melodies, different guitar styles throughout the song, a rising sound and a classic solo.
People always joke that the song is too basic, or overplayed, or anyone playing it immediately comes off as too pretentious
I'm calling Shenanigans on that line of thought.
It's so overplayed supposedly, but I can't remember the last time I heard anyone play it.
Too basic? Think real hard guitar players. When was the last time you heard anyone play that song and it sounded even halfway descent.
The song has developed that ridiculous reputation over the decades because its usually one of the first songs most rock guitarists try to learn to play. And after Waynes World it just became part of the universal consciousness to hate on the song. Then every guitar shop had to have that same "No Stairway" sign to show how cool they were too. I contend that this is largely the doing of your local guitar store know it alls who just got tired hearing newbies play it over and over again at the stores while trying out their gear. Once it got that rep as a song that only newbies learn, then it no longer became cool to play. No self respecting guitarist could be caught dead playing it, especially after the Wayne's World movie. How can you have any street cred as a band or as a guitarist if you're playing Stairway? After all thats a beginners song! Thats like a concert piano player doing Chopsticks.
But actually it's not like that at all. That's what I'm trying to f*cking tell you.
The reason most beginners (at least when I was first learning, I'm not too sure about kids these days) try to learn Stairway is not because it's easy or basic, but because it's a complicated song, it's got fingerpicking, some complex chords that you don't hear in most other rock songs, a bad ass solo that covers almost the entire fretboard and a hard driving section at the end. And also because it's an awesome song, and it sounds cool as hell.
Begining rock guitarists don't want to start out learning the basic shit. We want to hit the gates running and start playing the cool sh*t right away. Hell, the first song I attempted to learn on the guitar was "Dee" by Rhandy Rhoades! I could barely play a C chord and I'm trying to play Dee, and I can't even read tab.
That's why Stairway to Heaven has been unfairly hated on by the so called "guitar elite," who can't bear let themselves have anything in common with the uncultured beginners of the world, and have tarnished the reputation of one of the most perfectly crafted rock songs ever, just to make themselves feel better at other people's expense.
And yeah I'm sure there are plenty of people who can make just as strong of an argument against everything I've said. If you want to do that then go ahead, and congratulations, you've just proved yourself superior to someone who's mentally ill and was just recently released from a mental hospital.
you're chance to have your questions about anything answered by someone who is mentally guitarded
*All three of You who actually submitted questions*
1. Who is the greatest and most overrated guitarists of all time?- Steve, Oklahoma.
Greatest
Jimmy Page
I always catch sh*t for this one. The reason I don't pick Hendrix is because Jimmy Page has the larger and more diverse body of work. When you hear Zeppelin you hear rock, blues, folk, country, acoustic, mandolin. The double-neck guitar, the violin bow...classic.
"Battle of Evermore" was made up on the spot by Robert [Plant] and myself. I just picked up John Paul Jones's mandolin, never having played a mandolin before, and just wrote up the chords and the whole thing in one sitting. - Jimmy Page, [courtesy of wikipedia]
The Battle of Evermore? The first time Jimmy Page ever touched a mandolin, he wrote that damn song. Who else can write a song about Lord of the Rings and not get laughed at? That gets my vote.
Overrated
This was a tough one. I could easily put another dozen names here
Joe Perry: sure he has some classic instantly recognizeable riffs, but nothing he has ever done has made me say "wow" or "how did he do that?" He's more famous for fighting with Steven Tyler than for being a guitarist.
2. Why is David Hasselhoff the German Elvis? - Andy, Arizona
The answer that I'm going to give you is this. In 1989, David Hasselhoff pulled a Manchurian Candidate on Germany. Hasselhoff performed his song "Looking for Freedom," live at the Berlin Wall on New Years Eve 1989. East Germany days were numbered and everyone knew it. Capitalizing on the Germans push for unification on the brink of a new year, his freedom song, made a imprint on the German collective unconscious, that has made him synonymous with everything good about Germany ever since.
So when Germans cheer for David Hasselhoff, they cheer for themselves.
3. Why are there no more "Guitar Gods" in modern rock today? - Andy, Arizona
Blues Clues: Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Keith Richards, Pete Townsend, Tony Iommi all had Blues as their foundation to build upon. Back then even other forms of popular music such as, jazz, country, motown, kind of counterbalanced each other, in a way are all kind of related and drew from each other. In my opinion today's rock music is competing with rap, hip-hop and dance mix/electronic stuff. As popular music has distanced itself from the blues, the guitar god is slowly becoming extinct.
Drugs: Prescription Drugs seem to be the drug of choice among todays youth. I don't know about you, but if I'm on vicodin, percocet, xanax, atavan, and valium, the last thing I'm capable of doing is playing guitar, much less writing music, much less thinking of writing music, much less, thinking at all. Not to advocate drugs, but a drug like Cocaine, and some psychedelics light up certain areas of your brain and don't kill all thought the way some of the prescription drugs do today.
4. B.B. King's guitar is named "Lucile." Have you ever named one of your guitars? - Jessica (my wife) - Arizona
I have never owned a guitar descent enough to merit naming it. If I'm ever able to afford a descent guitar, I might consider it. What would I name it? I don't know, I've never had any sons, so maybe "junior." Seriously, I think the guitars name would depend alot on how I got the guitar or what was going on in my life at the time I acquired it.
5. What is the best guitar? - Jessica (still my wife) - Arizona
That one. And David Gilmour owns it. Fender Stratocaster
serial # 0001.
6. Sex, Drugs or Rock N Roll? If you could only have one, which would it be - Jessica (yes we're still married) - Arizona
I've gone the majority of my life without sex. As far as drugs go, other than whats prescribed by my shrink, I'm drug free. Rock N Roll has been there for me when no one else has. It has given me moments of joy that no drug on earth could. I choose Rock.
7. Have you resorted to making up questions just to make this interesting now?
Yes.
8. Does anybody actually read this?
If anyone does read this, I'm certainly not aware of it.
9. What's the coolest place you've ever been to?
Amsterdam.
10. Whats the stupidest thing you've done to promote your blog?
Write my website on all my dollar bills. Provided, I have money to spend.
11. Who was Secretary of State during the infamousTeapot Dome Scandal?
Albert B. Fall.
12. What do you think about when you play?
I don't know, that I should've stayed in school?
13. Most Bizzare thing you've ever eaten?
I'm not that adventurous. Menudo? Frog Legs? Rattlesnake Meat? Dog Biscuits?
14. Will you be doing this feature on your blog again?
The first time I ever heard of Johnny Cash was in 1982...It was during a hostage situation on live television.
In May 1982, Joseph Billie Gwin took a live Phoenix newscast hostage at gunpoint. He made the anchorman Bill Close read his f*cked up crazy ass manifesto before surrenduring to police. Among the highlights of this lunatic manifesto:
Phoenix would be invaded by ants
Five cities would be destroyed by nuclear bombs then rebuilt by homosexual men [I may not have that exactly right but thats close enough]
Johnny Cash was called upon to warn the Queen of England of an impending nuclear attack by Argentina.
I was 8 years old when that happened. I remember seeing the newscaster in the middle of reading this guys letter for a couple minutes of this until I was banned from the living room. Years later all I remember is the following sentence which may or may not have even been read: Johnny Cash is coming to kill my family.
To be honest with you, I really don't know any more about Johnny Cash now then I did back then. Except I'm fairly certain, he never killed that guys family. Other than that movie they made about him, thats about it. I'm not even a fan of country music either, but I am a fan of Johnny Cash. He was a good singer, and he was one of that first group of white guys in the 50's to steal rock and roll from black people.
I'm not going to pretend to write some epic biography here. Go to a library if you want that. I'm sure there are plenty of people that can give you volumes upon volumes of Johnny Cash history, I'm not one of those people.
Here Are Some Other Cool Things About Johnny Cash
1. Hurt: Even if you're not a Johnny Cash fan this is so moving, powerful and deep that after you watch this you will hug your wife, then record an album of country duets to be sold only at truck stops. But if you watch the video again, then everything will return to normal.
2. Johnny Cash: Half Man, Half Muppet: Even though Johnny Cash was one of the original rockers, and had that whole dressed in black, drug taking, bad guy thing going on, he wasn't above hanging out on the muppet show, and for someone as immature as I am, that says a lot.
3. Sesame Street: For a musician to play Folsom Prison AND Sesame Street, you pretty much got all your bases covered there.
4. He's Been Everywhere! It's true! Hello, he even wrote a song about it.
Now I don't know much about this song except that the dude playing it in the movie is called Chris Thomas King and it sounds bad ass the way he plays it. He is a good guitar player.
Ok so here's my video of the week for your educational value or entertainment, or if you just want something to make fun of.
"The thing about Robert Johnson was that he only existed on his records. He was pure legend."
- Martin Scorsese,
“Robert Johnson, to whom we all owed our existence, in some way.” - Robert Plant
“At first the music almost repelled me, it was so intense, and this man made no attempt to sugarcoat what he was trying to say, or play. It was hard-core, more than anything I had ever heard. After a few listenings I realized that, on some level, I had found the master, and that following this man's example would be my life's work.” - Eric Clapton
Robert Johnson is the most important blues musician who ever lived. I have never found anything more deeply soulful. His music remains the most powerful cry that I think you can find in the human voice." - Eric Clapton
I'm writing this for anyone who thinks Rock and Roll started in the 1960's with the British Invasion. Now lemme tell you something about the British Invasion. The British Invasion was nothing more than a bunch of middle-class, suburban English schoolboy posers, who thought they were "bluesmen" just because they owned a Muddy Waters record. Now I don't necessarily believe that. I was just playing devils advocate, but I do believe this: If it wasn't for Robert Johnson, music today would look very different.
His legacy these days is engulfed in myth and legend. Little is known about this mysterious bluesman, whose work went on to inspire everyone from Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards to Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and U2.
In 1990, Spin Magazine ranked him 1st on their 35 Guitar Gods listing.
In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 5th on their 100 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time listing.
In 2010, Guitar.com ranked him 9th on Gibson.com's 50 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time.
In 1986, he was inducted as an early influence into the inaugural opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
He was the original rock star. He spend most of his life on the road. He loved whiskey and women. He died under mysterious circumstances at age 27. Moreover, his music influenced artists such as Muddy Waters, who in turn
advanced the birth of rock'n'roll. However, most notably, in what would be the first of many accusations of Rock Music's love affair with Satan and the occult, Robert Johnson is rumored to have acquired his extraordinary guitar talents by signing a deal with the devil.
As a guitar player, he did things nobody else was doing, such as playing his own accompanying bass line with the bottom strings of the guitar. It's now one of foundations of guitar playing but at the time its something that only would've been heard on a piano. At times it sounds like 2 or 3 guitars playing at once. When Keith Richards first heard a recording of Robert Johnson, he was surprised to learn that he was actually hearing one gutiar and not two.
"When I first heard [him], I was hearing two guitars, and it took me a long time
to realize he was actually doing it all by himself." - Keith Richards
His style was dark, yet thoughtful and artistic. It was standard practice during the time for blues musicians to write lyrics by simply joining certain standard interchangeable, "floating lyrics," but Johnson's lyrics were, original, somber, well-crafted and filled with haunting metaphors and vivid personifications. He sang of women, drinking, traveling and the devil. His lyrics often reflect the hard times that many experienced during the
Depression, and the itinerant lifestyle that many people, including Johnson himself, took up in order to survive.
In "Hellhound on My Trail," he complains of being hounded by demonic forces:
I got to keep movin', I got to keep movin'
Blues falling down like hail…
And the day keeps reminding me
Therer's a Hellhound on my trail
The concluding verse of "Me and Devil" expresses the fear that he will be doomed to wander as an evil spirit after his death:
You can bury my body down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit can catch a Greyhound bus and ride
Johnson was unique in his expressiveness as a blues singer. His rendition of "Preachin' Blues" seems to convey a sense of crisis.
The blues fell mama's child, tore me all upside down
Travel on, poor Bob, just cain't turn you 'round
The blu-u-u-u-ues is a low-down shakin' chill
You ain't never had 'em, I hope you never will
Then you have "Terraplane Blues," which I think perfectly showcases his talents as a musician and lyricist.
Terraplane Blues
And I feel so lonesome you hear me when I moan When I feel so lonesome you hear me when I moan Who been drivin my terraplane for you since I've been gone I'd said I flashed your lights mama your horn won't even blow I even flash my lights mama this horn won't even blow Got a short in this connection hoo-well, babe, its way down below I'm on hist your hood momma I'm bound to check your oil I'm on hist your hood momma mmmm I'm bound to check your oil I got a woman that I'm lovin way down in Arkansas Now you know the coils ain't even buzzin little generator won't get the spark Motors in a bad condition you gotta have these batteries charged But I'm cryin please please don't do me wrong Who been drivin my terraplane now for you-hoo since I've been gone Mr Highwayman please don't block the road Puh hee hee ple-hease don't block the road Casue she's restrin (?) a cold one hindred and I'm booked I gotta go Mmm mmm mmmm mmmm mmm You ooo oooo oooo you hear me weep and moan Who been drivin my terraplane for you since I've been gone I'm on get deep down in this connection keep on tanglin with your wires I'm on get deep down in this connection hoo-well keep on tanglin with your wires And when I mash down your little starter
The Devil Legend (Compliments of Wikipedia)
The crossroads at hwy 61 and hwy 49 in Clarksdale, MS is believed to be the legendary crossroads where Robert Johnson made his pact with the devil, and is definitely generally agreed upon spot where people go to pay their respects but some people citing Johnson's own lyrics, say the real crossroads is in Rosedale.
...Robert Johnson was branded with a burning desire to become a
great blues musician. He was "instructed" to take his guitar to a crossroad near
Dockery Plantation at midnight. There he was met by a large black man (the
Devil) who took the guitar and tuned it. The "Devil" played a few songs and then
returned the guitar to Johnson, giving him mastery of the instrument. This was,
in effect, a deal with the Devil mirroring the legend of Faust. In exchange for
his soul, Robert Johnson was able to create the blues for which he became
famous.
The legend of the crossroads was well known in Robert Johnson's time. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his death at age 27 seemed to confirm the devil hypothesis for some.
Yeah You look like you have THE BLUES alright, pfft!
Today's So Called "Blues"
Drinking, womanizing, Satan. A musician who lived and died on the road and wanted only to play guitar and have a good time. It doesn't get much more rock than that. These days, its hard for me to watch some millionaire with a sh*t eating grin, a crushed velvet tuxedo and a guitar that costs more than most people's cars play to 20,000 adoring fans, while singing how they have "The Blues?"pffffffft!!!
So did Robert Johnson really sell his soul to the devil? His contemporaries would recall how a novice little little to no talent literally became a master of the guitar OVERNIGHT. He was described by others as, able to learn a song and play it perfectly note for note after only just one hearing. They would say that the only way he could've got that good, that fast was because he sold his soul to the devil.
The truth as I see it is this. "Overnight" was really anywhere from 6 months to some say 2 years. During this time he was constantly learning from other guitar players, finding people willing to teach him. He had a natural ear for music and the ability to learn much more quickly than others, and a burning desire to play. That was what made Robert Johnson into a guitar player.
Robert Johnson died age 27, that "Bermuda Triangle" for musicians. The stories surrounding his mysterious death vary and range from him being shot, to being poisoned by a jealous husband. The exact location of his grave is unknown. Other than finding people who were alive at the time, relatively little historically accurate information is available on Robert Johnson. There are only one or two legitimately accepted photographs of him and his entire musical legacy consists of 29 songs recorded in Texas about a year before his death. The recordings are raw, and there is some debate as to whether the recordings were purposely or accidentally sped up when put to record and we're not actually hearing the songs the way Johnson originally performed them.
The mysteries surrounding his life, his recordings, and his death have made Robert Johnson into more of a folk legend than a historical figure.
Just the fact that a guitarist all these decades later can still be blown away by these ancient, raw recordings makes me wonder what it must've been like to have been able to hear him play live back in the day. I listen to the recordings and I'm amazed, and emotionally touched, even though listening to recordings this primative is kind of like looking at the back of a tapestry.
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If Kurt Cobain was alive to see Dave Grohl play with The Muppets he'd a died of shame. -DaveGrohl-Animool.jpg)
