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How many pages will this thread be before someone (seriously) suggests Arc, Dead Man and Journey Through the Past? The only one I've heard that I think should be avoided is Landing on Water.

I don't know about now, but that still went on when I was in my teens and 20s. Granted, I'm 35 and that was WAY before Ipods, so who knows what kids do now. Maybe Guitar Hero or Rock band is today's equivalent.

I think that's only theoretically true. All the other stuff you wrote is basically a more elequent version of what I was trying to say.

That is what I meant. Perhaps it's not fair to compare the '60s or '70s to the present. My point is, in those earler eras there were numerous songwriters who were (correctly) regarded as songwriters on the highest level within a short time of them coming on the scene. It certainly didn't take decades. I haven't seen that happening for the last decade or more. I don't know what all the factors are that are contributing to that, but the record industry is only partially to blame. If I were assigning blame, I'd probably place more blame on MTV and VH1 than any of the major labels. It seem

Those folks were also "contemporary" songwriters before the quality of songwriting supposedly took a dive, so I would argue that those examples are void. Surely there are some songwriters who have emerged in the last 10 years who are roughly on the level of someone like Springsteen, but are they as common as they were in previous decades? Anyone on this site could name dozens of legendary songwriters from the '60s or '70s, but how many songwriters from the past decade can we honestly say will be held up as shining examples 20, 30 or 40 years from now?

That's probably true. I blame this on the fact that the major players in the record business are no longer willing to give musicians the opportunity to develop their talent/skills/fan base over the course of their first few albums, as used to be the norm/common sense.

I have no experience with that Gibson amp, but the Epiphone Valve Junior is a good 5 watt tube amp for under $150.

I don't remember exactly what Nels said, but he was on the "Watt From Pedro Show" a few months ago (Mike Watt's online radio show) talking about his guitars. He and Watt spent a lot of time talking about gear. I seem to recall him telling Watt he couldn't stand the stock version of the new Jazzmasters, but he had some new ones that he really liked, which were modified by someone (in Chicago, I think) to make them feel and play similar to his old one. I think it's highly unlikely that his '59 has been repainted.

I learned to play Yesterday on guitar last night. That would not have happened had I not changed the station to watch American Idol during The Biggest Loser's commercial break.

One of the guys from Dig Shovel Dig (from Asheville, NC) fits that description perfectly. Is that the same guy?

Frank Zappa Willie Nelson Les Paul Nels Cline Marc Ribot Jimmy Herring Buddy Guy Jeff Beck Bill Frisell Alex Lifeson Derek Trucks Ron Wood Robert Fripp Steve Howe Pete Townshend Zoot Horn Rollo Richard Thompson John McLaughlin Jimi Hendrix Jeremy Wilms

Yesterday

How could anyone believe there are no rock n' roll standards?

Here's a website with all sorts of amazing guitar straps. http://www.sparklecraft.com/gs_main.htm

I'm saving a couple music books for my vacation next week: Song Man (I read this author's Guitar Man recently, which I enjoyed. Song Man is the follow up.) White Bicycles: Making Music in the '60s This one was so enjoyable I read it twice: Life in Double Time: Confessions of an American Drummer (sorry for the tiny image...this book may no longer be in print, but is pretty easy to find used for super cheap).

I would travel for this if Marc Ribot is in the band.

So did Wilco.

I rewatched last night with the intention of detecting some jazz. The part that struck me as most jazz-like was Pat's Wurlitzer playing in Hate it Here. No telling what the original comment was referring to, though.

I agree, for instance... Some doofus on You Tube commented on an Otis Redding video saying how it's a shame that nobody realizes Otis died in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly, Big Bopper, etc. The best male singer in pop music history deserves better.

I think I have a VHS tape with him playing on a late night show. He had a hit or two when I was in my 11th grade guitar shredder phase. That's too bad. 41 is way too young.

Totally, but I'm more of a Justine Shapiro fan.

Duane Allman used his big toe to stop/start and back up his record player when he heard something he wanted to learn. I still don't buy that the average guitarist can out play Bloomfield. Name some average guitarists from the present. Maybe we disagree with the meaning of average.

I couldn't disagree more.

I have a cassette comp of theirs. Some of the stuff is very good, some is so-so. It's too horn dominated for my taste, especially considering Bloomfield was the guitarist.