Guitar Rock and Roll!

I was driving home from Planet Irwin the other day,  with XM's X-country on and listening to a live show . The band was nobody important, but they did a very bluesy cover of Devil With a Blue Dress On. It was different, but pretty cool. However, nothing tops the gym dance floor at 10:30 when you know the dance will end in a half an hour, it's hotter than hell, and they hit that amazing riff. This video kind of catches that rhythm. It ain't Mitch Ryder or Little Richard, but hell, it's the way rock and roll is supposed to be.

Got me thinking about life. I stayed away from Electric Guitars as an instrument for a long time. Can't tell you why -- guess I figured I wasn't going to be in a band again, so...anyway, I bought one and realized that the need to hit a really blistering riff never completely goes away. I remember an interview with Keith Richard where he said it was really all about the riff. I suddenly realized that I know why the significant other -- I never got into the whole tongue thing! -- and Mrs. AXE aren't wild about the Stones. They are a man's band. Testosterone, drive and aggression channeled through a couple of Strats, a dancing target and the best Rhythm Section in Blues, Jazz and Rock. Which, given that Charlie and Bill were originally Jazz musicians, sort of makes sense.

Which is why Patty Scaialaafalalalala-Springsteen is such a mistake. The whole Springsteen catalogue would be a lot better without that meeting. The whole arena thing is a mistake; energy substitutes for passion. When shows at Madison Square Garden seem like intimate settings, there is something wrong with the whole mess. This Youtube cut from 1976 is the way it was when he was never able to think about just phoning it in. I think he's incapable of actually doing that, but at least now he can think about it.

Now, the Stones are the world's greatest cover band; the E Street Band is a shadow of itself (Nils annnnnd Little Steven, whooooo!Patty smiled at me...) Dylan is metamorphisizing into some weird Hank Williams-John Lee Hooker-Merle Haggard thing and only a few of the old guys are still doing interesting stuff. Like these guys. 

Comments

[Comandante Agi]

Yes, the riff. I love playing my Strat through my 30 watt Fender amp - only problem is that it's too powerful. I can only put the volume up to 2 or else the lovely neighbors in my HOA will complain.

I dig the Stones, but was never into Springsteen. He too boring, too typical American - whatever that is. Perhaps we should compile a list of greatest riffs of all time.

[mr.fun]

Route 9 baby. the boss knows Jersey, for whatever that is worth, good or bad.