[Daryl Jones]

The Wellerman takes on the characteristics not only of the performers/vocalists, but also the accompaniments with it. The flute, the guitar, the various added nuances all add to the total. I cannot, dare not try and choose a favorite. Such a wonderful varied flavor depending on where the players are from. And yeah, Emo is just plain cute.😉

Of course, in these parts where there is a proliferation of Newfoundland transplants, and they have their own shanty that gets sung many times over depending on the situation/celebration and how much of the em, “liquid courage” is consumed. I’m afraid I don’t even know the name or the whole song but the main line goes “I’s a bai that builds the boats, I’s the bai that sails ’em..I’s a bai that catches the fish and takes ’em home to Lisa.”
I too can get a bit long winded when the mood and topic makes me run my gob. While I sort of apologize for my verbal diarrhea it’s just some things get me going.
Here’s to a fabulous 2024!

[Daryl Jones]

Bud, Jacki, Jung:
Music is like people in so many ways. We are all unique and diverse and our tastes reflect and perpetuate that. Old saying, “one’s man’s refuse is another man’s treasure” holds very true. Sorry, but I refuse to be politically correct and use a non-gender substitute in wording, that is just my way. Like them or not, I’ll leave that to the politicians that I cannot afford to buy.😅
When I was younger, I abhorred country music with a passion that bordered on hatred. But it was the kind that was always aired that gave me that opinion. That and the ingrained notion that all country music was the twangy, nasal, uncultured slop that mostly went to the pig paddock that many of the songs portrayed and were about. Then the 80’s came in and I found out that many many spectacular musicians spent a lot of time in Nashville walking into studios and sitting in on sessions just for the love of playing. Mark Knopffler, Timothy B Schmidt, just to name a couple. so many of the tracks that were laid down were played by some of the best musicians in the world, and many of the artists themselves were incredibly gifted players. Glen Campbell, Roy Clark, Travis Tritt…exceptional guitarists! Maybe I actually did mature a bit.
Neil Young is a talented and gifted song writer, but in reality he can’t carry a tune in a 5 gallon pail. Neither can Bob Dylan for that matter, and (God bless her talent) Joni Mitchell doesn’t have the most melodic vocal chords in the world either. Tim Rice has been called a heretic for Jesus Christ Superstar, but he’s a brilliant lyricist. Holst can be a tad abstract, but is revered as a visionary. Brahms can put myself along with a fussy infant to sleep in no time, not just by the intent of his lullabies. And I find Sousa’s (to some) stirring marches dry and boring. But that is more my fault than the work of the masters.
I have found many previously unknown to me wonders inside music that I thought I detested. Even as a schoolboy learning to play concert arrangements, I learned that the weird sentences carried more meaning that notes on paper. Inside the passages I often struggled to understand or dissect and then put back together as some part of the “musical me” I continue to find hidden miracles and subtle intricacies that I never dreamed existed. That happens almost every day when I pick up a guitar and try and learn or make mine a solo or riff now. My late Father and his sisters drilled into me at a very young age that if it wasn’t “their” definition of music, that it was totally “worthless” and should be banned or at least ignored. An opinion that none of us should harbor. Well, maybe gangster rap should go away… 😉
I leave you this quote to ponder, as I often do:
“There is no such thing as bad music, so long as it entertains one person other than the one who created it.” Lee Liberace.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 3 weeks ago by  Daryl Jones.

[Daryl Jones]

Not all technology is bad, just as not all people are bad. There will always be a dark side and a bright side. The universe requires balance always.
Some say these programs are a waste of valuable resources/funds, but I disagree. As long as we are learning and moving forward in a promising manner, that is a benefit to all of us.

[Daryl Jones]

I have to agree with Jung, that would be worth the hassle of a cough!

What I usually get from computer proximity is more of a mental thing though. Too often we get bombarded by negativity from that electronic gizmo!

Fortunately, that isn’t the case around here.

[Daryl Jones]

Every high has a low or withdrawal to it. Christmas in general can do that to a person, so much activity crammed in a few days with family and rushing around doing last minute chores and getting ready. Then it’s over and gone and life returns to the regular grind. I notice it more this year for some reason, maybe the number of livestreams had an influence…?
I’ve spent more time at the hospital of course, and that weighs on all of us. Makes the alone time even more empty I think. I try to make myself available to my brother, but he is a very stoic and private person and refuses most offers. Being business partners since the mid 70’s I’ve learned to let him do his thing, he’s very particular and old fashioned that way. Even if I could make several things easier on him, he’s still a personal “hands on” guy and will never change. C’est la vie.
But we do have this place to come to whenever we want, that’s a very good thing.
Stay groovy all.

[Daryl Jones]

Jung is once again the “go-to” guy around here. He has a mind and memory of a steel trap! The post Lisa answered was before my time in the club so I really appreciate the info Lisa provided and Jung called up. I was pretty sure that wasn’t the original bridge because of the trem, but I didn’t know it was a Dusenberg. Floating bridges are notorious for tuning instability on just about any make of guitar, and some makes are just awful that way by design. I have two guitars with floating bridges and my old Yamaha is a bit fussy, the PRS will go out of tune with excessive bombing, but it’s usually the nut hanging up that is responsible for the most part. As long as the groves in the nut are properly sized and the nut is lubed with graphite or similar dressing most guitars are much more stable. Bone nuts are often difficult that way.

[Daryl Jones]

Jung, I totally get where you are coming from on that hook. My ex sister-in-law worked in the industry for many years. Many of these music “stars” are actually fabricated by the record labels themselves based on what they see as a visual or “attractive” package. What gets offered up for sale to the public is largely electronic slight of hand and most of these “hero” figures can’t perform live on stage if their lives depended on it. They will even go so far as to fabricate a life background to garner a sympathetic edge that a gullible public will eat up like candy. We have a (now middle aged) Canadian female country superstar that fits that model to perfection. And there’s always Biebs to drive that point home.

Sad really, there’s some very talented young people out there that will never get that type of backing.

[Daryl Jones]

And then there were three. My latest addition plus my two previous Paul Reed Smiths. I thought I was stepping outside the box when I bought my first PRS, now I know I’m hooped. My first one (the sapphire blue Custom) I got three years ago. Then I got the bug for the Hollowbody late 2021 for the combination of acoustic and electric tones it produces. But I had to factory order that and the wait time of 10 months was horrible. Then I played Josh’s S2 this past spring and OMG what an amazing instrument! Similar in many playing respects (feel, neck, fit) to the other two, but still so very different tonally.
I almost went for a brand new S2 in a stunning dark cherry color, and had pretty much justified the cost of another brand new guitar, at least in my own feeble mind. Then thankfully (?) my missus contracted COVID and gifted the darn pox to me before I could pull the trigger on the red one….I had the trip to the city and the buying visit to the store all planned for two days after I tested positive.
But a different kind of color, and a far more beautiful one comes from the sound in a guitar far more than the finish. I think Josh has ESP or something, he offered the deal on his the very same day I told him I had COVID. And then there is also the kind of ‘tuxedo’ appeal of the black too. Not to mention a black guitar is just somehow gnarlier when you’re playing a hard driving rock lick. 😉

[Daryl Jones]

Can’t help but agree on that Bud. ABBA was certainly about visual appeal in many ways, but if you took the time to get deeper into the music itself there was far more going on than just two incredibly beautiful women. The girls took their vocals very seriously and were perfectionists in it. Benny was not much different in the way he approached the arrangements, he and Bjorn were very particular about the resulting numbers and how they were to be done. But the same can be said for just about all successful groups. You have to get beneath the surface and really see and hear the depth of what’s making it work. There are many super groups that had to take a whole army of support with them on tours to try and reproduce live what they accomplished so perfectly in the studio. ABBA was one of them, the Eagles, Def Leppard, ZZ Top… countless numbers of them had a hoard of live musicians to play the necessary fills, or tons of backing tracks played recorded parts or the stage version songs were too radically light/empty in comparison to the albums. And that doesn’t often make the crowds completely happy.
In 1980 I wouldn’t have walked across the street for free to see AC/DC play. I always considered Angus Young as a bit of a stage freak with his school boy getup and lame (to my thinking) imitation of Chuck Berry’s guitar hop. But I also had zero love for Kiss at the same time, for much the same reason. Now however, having played several AC/DC songs (although admittedly not well) Angus was and is a whole lot more than just a loud power chord hammer and nails player. He’s articulate with them to a fault, and he never used a ton of effects to get his uniquely measured level of distortion/overdrive. Just a simple VHF box that pushed his amps to the breaking point (and often beyond) that few if any can ever duplicate. And I always considered his late brother Malcom to be a much better player than he. But Angus’ key was not only the simplicity in his riffs and playing, but his incredible accuracy and flat out drive in the way he played. Totally fearless and in your face raw power. While many will cover their songs, there are certainly not very many that will accomplish the feat of reproducing what they did.

[Daryl Jones]

Boy, he really nailed it! What he said is just so true, sort of like those canned audience responses from the old television shows with the laughter and the sighs when everything was actually recorded on a sound stage in a studio.
There was an episode of the old “Brady Bunch” where Greg (?) was going to become a teen pop star. The record company loved him. Not because he was possibly a great upcoming talent, but because he fit “Johnny Bravo’s” “SUIT”!
Sadly, that’s what much of the recording industry has actually become.

[Daryl Jones]

Totally. But there is enough “red neck” in me to snort loudly and proclaim that our own government fails miserably when it comes to all matters financial and scientific. I have been a successful private business entrepreneur all my working life and that success meant being intelligent enough with finance to know that funds do not grow on trees. Unlike those in ivory towers that spend with reckless abandon and then expect us to foot the bill for their extravagance. And that knows no ties to any affiliation. Sooner or later the spend thrifts all run out of other people’s (ours) money.
I firmly believe that there is a need to continuously explore newer and better ways of doing things, but I refuse to be a pawn and allow it to be crammed down my throat by anyone. Especially by someone with an agenda that hurts the general populous and cripples the people they are supposed to be serving.
I wish I had the Girl’s clout and could “buy” my own politician…😂

[Daryl Jones]

Same as up here pretty much. Many non-hunters ask me how I can be a conservationist and still hunt. If there weren’t conservation efforts that we as hunters abide by and help promote, the lands and forests would be in far worse shape. And that includes the natural fauna big time!

[Daryl Jones]

I hear you Tim. The wilderness is calming and a great place to connect with your inner self. While I do have a group of friends that I often hunt with, I mostly hunt alone and will travel the bush for many miles in search of solitude and away from other hunters. I use my SxS to get to and from specific areas and then go on foot from there. It’s not uncommon for me to go 60-100 miles in my buggy and several hours of foot travel during a normal hunt day. While it’s nice to reap a reward for the efforts, it’s often enough to just be out there and find some relative peace in nature. When you actually do take an animal is when the fun stops and the work begins…

[Daryl Jones]

I hunt myself, and have also used a bow. But I haven’t had an arrow on the string for years now. It’s more of a regulatory thing where I live, hunting period has become a draw license only and that is a period of years between acceptance on applications except for white tail deer. But my significant other is of indigenous status so if we really wanted the meat that bad, we could go at any time we choose. She’s still a bit squeamish on the taking of an animal that means her no harm. Not that I disagree vehemently on that outlook, but I do enjoy having my game in the freezer. I don’t hunt birds except grouse at all anymore, haven’t for decades. Wild geese and ducks are just not something I have any desire to kill. Same with wolves, cougars or bear. Unless they are a threat to me or mine anyway. Nor do I hunt for antlers or records, that’s another discussion for another place and time.

[Daryl Jones]

I try not to be negative about artists/musicians too, but so many times the hype far exceeds the reality of the product. Taylor is one and for me Lady Gaga and Madonna are a couple others. If you have to rely on shock factor and “bling” to get your point through, then to me you are not in that upper echelon of artistry. Nor do they deserve my admiration. Call me fussy.

Mona and Lisa are truly “real” and I have huge respect for their efforts (and Rudi/Michaela too) and obviously the results speak for themselves. I am not a believer in the use of “auto-tune” nor am I at all thrilled with the advent of AI and the production of AI generated music tracks.
A motorcycle race pal of mine is a friend of Tom Scholtz (Boston’s lead guitarist and production headman) and although Tom is a bit of a hard case personality wise, he still believes in writing and producing music “the old fashioned” analog way. I can’t say I disagree with his opinion given their results either. Tom is a wizard and master of overdubs and layered tracking on their records…and they are extremely hard to play all by yourself because of it. I don’t have a looper and even if I did, I doubt I could do a solo effort on many of their songs. I can jam to some of them, but the whole deal is a different matter entirely. Def Leppard is another example of old school (modern? rick-ish) production, and many of their singles that found airplay on radio and video channels required a good deal of “learning” to play live when they toured. It’s very hard to do live what you can lay down in the studio. Also why greats like The Eagles and ZZ Top toured with a huge entourage of players (even symphonies) for fill-ins on live performances.
Before I ramble on too far, I recognize that Taylor Swift is a phenomenon and she knows how to play to a crowd successfully, at least monetarily. But if the crowd is blinded as to what makes a great musical performance (at least my definition of one) and only see’s the hype, there is zero need for me to be in attendance or support of them.