BolivarBaLues

Hmmm......

 

Sounds like either an ad by the Knoxville City Chamber of Commerce or from that record label.....

Yeah, that's funny. I have no affiliation with anyone you mentioned, and I am receiving no perks whatsoever. My only bias and/or motivation is that a) I'm from Knoxville and Jeff is a friend of mine and c) I wanted to turn some people on to some good music. Believe it or not, some people are genuinely enthusiastic about music and want to share it with others, no strings attached. I don't know why I wasted so much time on this post when people like you just want to be pricks about it.

My hometown, Knoxville, Tennessee, I think is one of the best-kept secrets in music. We have a thriving and vibrant rock scene, and it's been that way for much longer than I can remember, which dates back to my first club gig in 1985 at age 15. We've had our share of successes, such as power pop rockers Superdrag, former Supperdragger & V-Roy Mic Harrison, alt. country heroes The V-Roys, former V-Roy Scott Miller and his band The Commonwealth, metal dudes Ten Years and country rocker Robinella. For a city with a metro population of around 600,000, there's much more here than you would expect, including a plethora of live music venues, ranging from small clubs to 5,000-seat theatres (if you're counting popular music, we've also got a 25,000 or seat arena that's an acoustical nightmare, as well as a couple of other options for large, successful touring artists). You can find original music of all sorts here on any given night of the week. If you're ever here, be sure to pay my favorite watering hole, The Corner Lounge, a visit; have a few Guiness' on tap and check out some great live music.

The proliferation of great music in this area is no recent development; in fact, music has been an important part of this region for since Irish settlers first brought over their native songs and instruments in the 1700s. East Tennessee is one of those places where everyone seems to play an instrument, and especially in the mountain regions, bluegrass jams are about as far away as the next front porch. But one interesting bit about our history is the fact that before Nashville was crowned the country music capital of the world in the 60s, Knoxville was the epicenter of country music. Country music, in fact, practically got its start about 115 miles northeast of Knoxville in Bristol, TN (where a new museum, called "The Birthplace of Country Music Cultural Heritage Center," is in the works). It was in Bristol in 1927 where talent scout/producer Ralph Peer recorded the Carter Family for what would eventually be a series of 78s released on the Victor label. Jimmie Rodgers ("The Singing Brakeman") was also recorded during this same infamous sessions, known as "The Bristol Barn Session." These sessions are widely credited with being the very beginnings of country music.

Radio station WNOX went on the air in 1921 (it's one of the ten oldest radio stations in the United States) and played a crucial role in the early development of country music. The station's powerful signal broadcast the burgeoning genre all across the southeast, bringing local and regional talents such as Roy Acuff (who, along with Chicago songwriter Fred Rose, formed the publishing company Acuff-Rose), Chet Atkins, Don Gibson, The Louvin Brothers, Archie Campbell and many others to the attention of millions of listeners. Though the station today operates in the talk radio format, radio station WDVX is carrying on the tradition, bringing live music ranging from rock to blues to folk and real country (emphasis on "real," meaning that it has nothing to do with today's "country," which is basically commercial pop music with only a slight hint of country twang) every day of the week at noon on the show "Blue Plate Special," which can be heard over the Internet using the link I provided.

I've gotten a little long-winded with my exposition, though its purpose is to illustrate the rich history of this area in order for you to understand the importance of the real point of this post, which is the recent discovery of some rare recordings made in 1929 and 1930 in Knoxville. My friend Jeff Bills (ex-V-Roys drummer) owns Lynn Point Records, a local "label" of sorts (for lack of a better term; Jeff insists that it's not a label, per se) that specializes in local music, much of which is available for free download through his website. He has recently acquired these recordings (known as "The St. James Sessions"), which were made at the WNOX studios at St. James Hotel in Knoxville by the Brunswick record label. For years these recordings have been very hard to find, existing mostly in private collections, but now they're available for free download. These recordings offer a glimpse into the sort of music indigenous to East Tennessee during the early development of country music, though other genres are featured, including blues, folk and jazz. These recordings also hearken back to a time in which music was made solely for the love of making music, and complications such as record sales, promotion and image were not even imagined.

I think that it's wonderful that Jeff is making this music available. I've known him since the mid-to-late 80s when we were both active on the local college music scene, and like everything he's been involved with musically, it's driven by his deep love for music and his desire to share his musical passions with anyone that's willing to lend an ear. I decided to post what's turned into a rather lengthy diatribe on ViaChicago not only because I know there are lots of open-minded music lovers here, but also because of the direct link between the music indigenous to rural Appalachia and the brand of music Uncle Tupelo and early Wilco were known for. I think this is something that many of you will enjoy, and I encourage you to check out Jeff's website, where you will find articles and other various sources of information regarding these recordings. And while you're there, be sure to grab some of the free rock downloads. Try some Stewart Pack and The Royal Treatment; his music will be of particular interest to lovers of power pop. And though their albums are not available for free download, you can find a few free songs from the bands The High Score and The Westside Daredevils, which I also think will appeal to Wilco fans. Don't let the fact that these guy aren't on well-known labels discourage you; this is top-notch stuff that I consider on par with anything else in my rock collection. They're both great examples of "the Knoxville sound," which is guitar-heavy and hook-laden rock with equal measures of lyrical wit.

Disc one. I think the superior version of "Outtasite Site" gives the edge to an otherwise even draw.

One of the many wonderful things about music is the way the listener individualizes the song. I've heard Tweedy comment on the role the listener plays in the process of making music, in that the cycle is not completed until the listener takes in the song and finds meaning in it for themselves. I've always imagined a "cherry ghost" as being a friendly ghost. Yeah, that's goofy as hell, but my head's stuck with that interpretation.

Here's a lyric question: is the lyric in "Hummingbird" "loudest Manhattans," as I've seen on the web? I've always heard "lattice Manhattan," which makes even less sense to me than a "cherry ghost."

I own a recent Les Paul Standard (honeyburst) with a '60s neck profile. Gibson has issued so many versions of the Les Paul that it's easy to get confused. A true '58, '59, or '60 reissue is going to be over $3,000 even used on eBay. Custom Shop reissues from people like Tom Murphy will command closer to $5,000 or more. Don't be confused by standard models where sellers describe them as being built to "1959 specs!" Bollocks! The new Les Pauls sound great and the craftsmanship is the best it's been in decades, but no one will comfuse them for a true '59 model. Next time you're on eBay do a search for 'Gibson Les Paul 59.' You'll be surprised at the dollar amounts.

 

Les Paul Customs have always had wide, low frets. They were so low in the early days that they were nicknamed "the fretless wonder." They had frets of course, but they were that low.

 

Les Paul Standards generally had narrower frets with higher profiles. Over the years, many Standards have appeared on the secondary market (read: used) with replacement frets. Just like people changing tires, they rarely go smaller. Bigger tires! Bigger frets! During the Norlin days of Gibson, coming across a Deluxe, Standard, or Custom could mean finding unusual features. Low-profile, wide frets sometimes popped up on Deluxes and Standards. If you're interested in learning more about inconsistencies (or happy accidents in some folks' opinion) in Gibson's manufacturing, I'd encourage you to Google George Gruhn and read some of his articles on the subject.

 

The debate between "wide and flat" versus "high and narrow" is really part of the fun of being a guitar player. The right answer is that variety is good. For example, why debate single-coils versus humbuckers? So many folks are quick to say how much meatier their tone is with a humbucker, but who would be willing to put their tone head-to-head with the roar Hendrix got from his Stratocaster (single coils)?

 

If you're lucky enough to own more than one guitar, I'd encourage you to have a mix of fret profiles. It will add to your palate of tones.

 

Don

Excellent information! Thank you!

Fables

Murmur

Chronic Town (not really an album, but...)

Thread lockers.

I think these are the same people that as kids loved to declare "game's locked" during neighborhood whiffle ball games.

I know of the guy that wrote that article. Jesse Fox Mayshark is from my town and used to write for a local alternative weekly. He also participates regularly on a local message board. So reguarly that I wonder how he has any time to do his job or live a life outside of that stupid board.

Anyway, my point is that I wouldn't take anything this guy has to say about music seriously. He's a good writer, but he's not a musician and admittely doesn't know shit about music. He has the musical taste of a 12-year-old girl. I'm serious. He regularly posts in a thread that lists what you've been listening to during the week, and he's into some stupid ass teenage shit. He was also affiliated with No Depression in some capacity and last year posted a top 20 (or some equivalent) all-time "alt. country" album list. Guess what? Not one Wilco record in the bunch. I've been 'round and 'round with him on that board about Wilco, and he has a real problem with them that I just don't understand. In fact, he once said that Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" was a much more credible music (or some such shit) than anything Wilco's ever done. His reasoning was that it was more credible in terms of modern culture. Yeah, if you're a 12-year-old girl. He tends to value music based on what effect it has on culture. How about on the merits of its own musicality? Who gives a flip about its "cultural impact?"

Just because you can write doesn't qualify you to write about music. He even admitted on that local message board that this was a "rush piece." In his own words:

started out as just a jayhawks piece, morphed into something a little broader. written in a hurry. ok, i'll stop making excuses.

So yeah, I don't pay anything he has to say about music any mind.

I agree with much of what Mr. Adams has to say in those posts (if this is indeed him, which it seems to be). Artists are typically very sensitive people, and it's obvious that he takes the criticism to heart. And I think he is unfairly criticized, and I tend to be suspect of the reason behind some of the hating. It seems that it has to be something deeper within the hater, something beyond the music that sets them off, which is just plain stupid.

But here we have a talented, creative and prolific artist who seems to care what people think of his records, who wants his records to be out there and for people to like them, and we crucify him. I guess some prefer musicians who are jaded and could give two shits what anyone thinks about him/her. Let them count the days until the new Supernova record comes out; they deserve music like that.

The guy's taking some real risks putting out as much music as he has lately, what with the stylistic shifts and such. Like he says in the post, he's writing about himself and making himself vunerable in the process, which is going to inevitably incur much criticism, and some just plain unwarranted hatred. It's too bad that he bothers to take the criticism to heart so much; I'd hate for the results of all this to be a guy with a lot to offer us musically holing up and just saying "fuck it" because he can't deal with all of the negativity. Levon Helm left Dylan's '66 tour and took a job in a New Orleans kitchen because he couldn't stand being booed night after night. As a musician, I understand the desire to want people to like your music. To me, it's an honor to know that you've created something that others enjoy and are able to escape, if just for the moment, the pressures and let-downs of life and let your music be a catarthis for their soul. And that is what I sense that Adams wants. More power to him; I think the world needs more musicians that care.

Well, first off, I wouldn't order any guitar from Musician's Friend. Check around, there are so many stores that not only give you much better support, but also much better prices. I can recommend The Music Zoo in New York. That is where I just got my Gretsch Silver Jet and they were great. Here is a link:

 

The Music Zoo

 

On the subject of newer Les Pauls, I have a Jimmy Page Signature that has the greatest neck of any guitar I have ever played, it was molded from Jimmy's '59. It is not the newest one that cost like $7k, but the one from the late 90's. Also, the '59 Reissues are amazing players, but also very expensive. I don't know how much you are looking to spend.

Oh, I'm not looking for a new one right now, but I'm just curious in general about the necks of the newer Pauls. I wouldn't buy any of the newer Pauls I've played because of the skinny little frets. I'm sure there are exceptions amonst the numerous models, but you can't really tell unless you can get your hands on them.

I don't know if this picture adequately illustrates what I'm talking about, but see how the frets on my Paul are wide and low? The newer Pauls I've played have frets that aren't as wide and are crowned, rather than flat. I guess different people like different frets, but I can't see why anyone would want skinny little frets on a Les Paul.

Forgive me for being so slow, but HST refers to....?

 

I agree that it does sound somewhat like "Love and Theft Pt. II," but that's not a bad thing. I don't think at this point that anyone's expecting Dylan to do anything groundbreaking, but his recent run of albums (dating back to Time Out Of Mind) may be his most consistent stretch since the 60s. And that's quite a feat. This promises to be a very good record.

is some of the best of what I call the 3AM albums.That vibe where it's the wee hours of the morning,you're alone & totally pissed up ala the HST persona....

That's a very good descriptor of this record. That's what I meant when said that A.M. has a recognizable mood, with ebbs and flows. To me, the best records manage to do this; they're more than just a collection of songs. Great records achieve as a whole something greater than the sum of its parts.

I'd love to see a thread dedicated to favorite "3 A.M." records. I know that I have a few.

Thanks for the tunes! I'm beginning to have high hopes for this new record.

Could you please post the date and location of the songs you put in that .zip file? Not all of the tunes have that info in the ID3 tags.

I'm with you. I got into Wilco shortly after this record was released. In terms of Wilco's output since, it's not their best record, but in terms of everything else at the time, it's a very good record. Not a "great" record, but a very good one. There's a definite mood to this record, with ebbs and flows, so it's very effective on that level. Maybe it's easy to downplay how good it really is because we now have the benefit of hearing what a great songwriter Tweedy would later become, but songs like "Dash 7" and "Blue-Eyed Soul" would have to rate as classic Wilco moments. And of course "Box Full of Letters" and "I Must Be High" are some of the best 3 minute pop/rock songs you'll ever hear.

I think it was the line "can you let the snare crack" in "Blue-Eyed Soul" that hooked me the first time I heard this record. One of Tweedy's finest moments, IMO.

Only four votes shy of overturning the veto. Let's here: the majority of the house, the majority of the senate and 60% of Americans (according to a poll on the news last night) in favor of passing this bill, yet it's rejected because King George says so? His whole presidency has been one big power grab in terms of executive powers. I just hope that someone with a little sense will step in next time and try to reel in some of these changes, but I fear that we'll be still smarting from the Bush adminstration's doings several terms down the road.

What these neo-cons are calling "democracy" looks more like a theocratic dictatorship, or an oligarchy at the least, from where I stand.

Coltrane's Classic Quartet could swing like no others in 6/8. You can hear their influence in rock on things like the verse of the Allman's "Whipping Post." It seems like 3/4 is more common in rock and country, and 6/8 is more common in jazz, though there certainly are exceptions.

I saw him in Atlanta on the Tunnel of Love tour. Great show, but my only dissapointment was the fact that he did an acoustic version of "Born To Run."

For fans of early Bruce (or anyone that loves good live rock), pick up the 30th Anniversary Born To Run set. It's worth it alone for the DVD of the 1975 Hammersmith Odeon performance. Words fail to describe the level of intensity at this show, but this stuff is just flat out transcendant. The "making of" Born To Run DVD is a real treat also, worth alone for the isolated Boom Carter drum track on the bridge of "Born To Run."

The audio of the Hammersmith show is also available on CD. But spring for the whole set; you won't be dissapointed. You can get it for only $17.95 at yourmusic.com. The catch is that you have to join the club, which requires a monthly purchase of one CD. But given that all of their discs go for $5.99 each (with free shipping), this is an incredible deal. Box sets are priced based on the number of discs, at $5.99 each. They've got lots of great Coltrane and Miles Davis boxes. I picked up Trane's Heavyweight Champion (which appears to no longer be available here, but they still have the The Complete 1961 Village Vanguard Recordings for a mere $23.96) and the Complete Impulse! Studio Recordings boxes for less than I would pay for either one of them elsewhere. I've been a member for almost two years now and it's been a big boon to my collection.

I liked Syd Barrett's stone-faced and half-hearted attempt at miming the words to "Apples and Oranges" on American Banstand. Also, The Band's take on "Georgia On My Mind" on SNL was pretty remarkable. One of my favorite Richard Manuel moments.

Anyone own a recent model Les Paul? I've played several, and the neck to me just doesn't feel right. I have a '76 Deluxe, and the neck is just sweet. I like the wide, low frets, and these newer models that I've played all have smaller, higher frets. I just got a Musician's Friend catalog in the mail today, and there's just so many Les Paul models these days that I wouldn't know where to start if I wanted a new one. Does anyone know if any of the newer models more closely resemble the 70s-style necks?

Probably a gimme for your Chicagoans, but what is the building on the cover of YHF?

Can we talk about something different now??

 

LouieB

You can talk about anything you want to, pal. You're welcome to start your own thread anytime that you'd like.

No love for The Guess Who

"Jim Morrison is a drunken buffoon posing as a poet. Give me the Guess Who. They have the courage to BE drunken buffoons, which MAKES them poetic." - "Lester Bangs" in Almost Famous.

"Genius" is a term that I suspect is grossly overused, especially when it comes to musicians. But after purchasing and listening to The Pet Sounds Sessions box set, I was convinced that Brian Wilson is deserving of that label. Hearing Wilson conduct the band during the tracking sessions is a glimpse into the mind of a genius and visionary.

I was just reading the user reviews on Harmony Central and found one user's comment that I thought appropriate:

My biggest complaint, however, was the volume. As someone who plays in the house rather than on the stage, I found that the amp was too loud to be really useful. I frequently ran it with just one output tube, which helped quite a bit. Even with one output tube pulled out however, the Pro Jr. was louder than my friend's vintage Vibrolux. So depending on your playing situation, this might be a 10, or it might be a 6.

I think that a Vibrolux is about 40 watts (tube, of course). I've played through one and it has a weird gain structure that's hard to get used to. You seem to hit maximum volume somewhere around 3 or 4, and everything past that just adds to the overdrive. Reinforcing the point that you need to play the amp and let your ears decide.