Posts by Dr. John

Quote from Fabrizio

One thing that I think is often overlooked when talking about Paul is what an incredible singer he is/was. He's such an iconic figure that people seem to hardly listen to what he actually did. I personally don't know many singer with a range going from Helter Skelter which would give any hard rock singer a run for his money, over song like I will or Here, There and Everywhere, to his cover of Long Tall Sally or Martha my Dear. The sheer power, flexibility and versatility of his voice is simply incredible. He really makes a beautiful sound.

Agree. He is incredibly versatile and very convincing in all of his modes.

And in response to your reply above, yes Paul has many other great bits. The bass on Rain, the acoustic guitar in Blackbird, the melody for the piccolo trumpet on Penny Lane...

Quote from FeelItComing

Am I the only person who thinks it's vaguely possible to rank Phil's studio albums from best to worst int the order they were released?

I kinda agree with this. As others have mentioned, Face Value is very strong musically, with very wide-ranging material. I like HIMBG almost as much, although I don't find it quite as interesting musically. NJR has some great peaks - Take Me Home is perhaps my favourite of his solo songs - but there are some hokey/maudlin/trite elements starting to show more. I don't really like Both Sides, not because it is more down in mood, but because I find the lyrics really cringeworthy. And it just goes further downhill for me from there.

I'm not a drummer, but I am still envious. You should give a sample of how it sounds.

Just picking up on a couple of previous points.

Admittedly the jam section of IKWIL only contains snippets of other songs, which doesn't quite work for my definition of a medley (at least give me a full verse or chorus or major instrumental section). That said, I do find the snippets of the old songs interesting - DWTML (around 5:02), Stagnation (around 5:41), Visions of Angels (around 5:48), Blood on the Rooftops(around 6:29) on the Seconds Out version. The inclusion of the DLMBM is definitely there around 7:19. I'm sure there are other bits in the jam that I haven't yet connected to their origins. The 2007 tour version reprised the BotR bit and then the Stagnation bit when the jam kicks in after the tambourine routine. I don't particularly like the WCD version with snippets of Follow You, Follow Me, etc.

With regards to resurrecting Supper's Ready in 2007, given that they lowered the keys of various songs for the 2007 tour and Phil seemed to handle them, then they could have done the same for at least a portion of Supper's Ready. If Phil could sing a lower version of Mama, which is a grueling workout for his higher range, then the end of Supper's Ready should also have been possible a few steps down.

Quote from FeelItComing

A couple of favourite moments which spring to mind from Beatles songs:

The guitar solo in Taxman which I think is by McCartney although it's a Harrison song

Particularly love Paul's guitar solo in Taxman - great bit.

Lyrically the song doesn't engage me. Musically I find it quite enjoyable, if not hitting the peaks of the rest of the album.

Although I wish Peter hadn't done so much vocal repair work on Archive 1, I do like his new vocal on this track.

Ry Cooder was great, for anyone planning to catch this tour. As usual, he has some excellent musicians backing him (including his son on drums). The stuff from his new album fits well with the old chestnuts he brings out.

Ry Cooder, tonight at Massey Hall in Toronto.

Quote from Tsnider

I’ve never really liked The Musical Box. I don’t think it’s very interesting until the final “she’s a lady” section. And even then, I prefer when Collins did it during the Old Medley on The Way We Walk.

I have never been a big fan of the earlier part of the song, particularly the verses. I do like it when the instrumental kicks in, particularly on Genesis Live. The end is also my favourite section. Although I recognize that Peter's rendering is more accurate in terms of the character of the old man, musically I find his shaky vocal less satisfying. I prefer the power of the Seconds Out version. TWWW version isn't bad, but Phil isn't nailing the A#s anymore.

The Beatles have been and will likely continue to be my favourite band ever. Although I love most of their biggest hits, I too love the more obscure gems.

One person who tends to get an unfair shake as a musician is Ringo. People will cite John saying that Ringo isn't even the best drummer of The Beatles. I'm pretty sure he was saying that in jest as all of them have spoke about how much better the band became when Ringo joined them. Ringo's drumming was never about flash and technical prowess. He very much drummed to serve the song. If you are a doubter about how important is drumming is to the feel and ultimately to the success of the song, listen to Long Tall Sally (particularly the end), Ticket to Ride, Rain, She Said She Said, A Day In the Life, the last verse of Dear Prudence (Paul drums the main song, but the last verse has to be Ringo in terms of technique), Come Together. These songs would not be as great without what he brings to each. Many other far more technically proficient drummers sing his praises because they recognize what he is doing as a musician.

The Who's Live At Leeds is one that I own multiple versions of: vinyl, the original CD, the expanded CD, the deluxe edition, the collector's edition with Live At Hull, and the complete unedited bootleg. The first two were what I purchased as they were available. The expanded CD had more tracks and better sound. The deluxe edition had the full set, but somewhat less good sound. The collector's edition had Live At Hull. The unedited bootleg had, well, no edits.

Actually the comments have been pretty uniformly positive. There is hope for YouTube.

I like how you followed up my Spencer Davis Group pick with another Spencer Davis Group song, covered brilliantly by Terry Kath et al.

Quote from raelway siding

Maybe I'm a bit slow, but it honestly took me 20 odd years to understand the story properly - that at the end of the song the protagonist is supposed to be viewing himself disappearing, becoming everything he is running away from. Like in an endless loop. I think it's quite clever, certainly one of their best fantasy lyrics. Was interested to read that Tony was inspired by a Michael Moorcock novel - and it certainly feels very Moorcockian.

Still have no idea why it's called One for the Vine though! Anybody?

Yes, it the whole idea of becoming that which you rebelled against and the time loop issue. Perhaps it was never done in a song before, but it still didn't feel fresh to me.

I vaguely remember that people have explanations for the title. The vine in the song seems to represent him drinking wine and reflecting (talking with the vine), but I am not sure how this then translates to the wording of the title.

One for the Vine is a song that many seem to view as one of Tony's better compositions. I just can't get into it. The lyric/story for me is kind of obvious and does nothing for me. Musically it just seems to wander aimless, particularly the melody of the verses. There are a couple of bits I like, particularly the outro. But a lot the rest of it feels stitched together rather than flowing organically.

Just saw Paul Simon last night in Toronto. If you are a fan, this is his last tour and it was very enjoyable. He has a crack band, including Bakithi Kumalo on bass, a brass section, and strings. He covers a 50-year span of songs, from Sounds of Silence to his latest record. You can expect all of his solo hits, the best of Graceland, and also a few unexpected surprises - for me, Rene and Georgette Magritte with a lovely string and wind arrangement and a nice reworking of Bridge Over Troubled Water. Simon was in great voice, especially for 77, hitting higher notes cleanly and sounding strong throughout. He also had some funny banter and stories.

It's pleasant, it's catchy, and it does nothing for me. Phil's ad libs on the live versions can get annoying. I also find the main riff a obvious steal from Sly and the Family Stone's Hot Fun In the Summertime, which is an infinitely better song.