Let’s get it on, shall we? As always, your gut answers to the following questions are what matter.
Is there a studio musician whose playing you so admire that you’d take a chance on buying an unknown album mainly based on his or her involvement?
What’s your favorite Paul McCartney album track (ie, not a single/Greatest Hits number) as a solo artist/Wings leader?
Which senior artist most needs to crank out one more great album for the benefit of rock and, more broadly, humankind?
Let’s say the government could provide a grant and both a team of therapists as well as a restraining order on Don Was to help coax said masterpiece out of this artist.
What instrument do you most wish you could hear more often in today’s rock ‘n roll music?
Who’s the Roger Corman-style, B-movie producer of rock ‘n roll?
What ’50s founding father (or mother) of rock ‘n roll do you feel has been most frequently forgotten or dismissed in recent years?
In these days of home recording and independently produced albums, who’s your favorite current studio musician?
Finally, Townsman Alexmagic suggested the following question for today’s Dugout Chatter:
On one of those blog music aggregator sites recently, I saw a bunch tracks by the ill-fated New Monkees and it reminded me that, at about the same time, there were also television shows for a “New Munsters” and “New Gidget” that were only slightly less disastrous than the New Monkees show/band. It got me thinking about which musical “brands” would be most/least successful if re-launched today as “The New [Insert Band Name
Here].”
I look forward to your responses!
Jeff Porcaro
Band on the Run
David Bowie
70’s soft electric Paul Simon in central park piano
Kramer of Bongwater
Lonnie Donnegan
Pharrel
New Order
1. Jon Brion
2. So many to choose from. Let’s say “Mrs. Vanderbilt.”
3. Is Andy Partridge senior enough?
4. Roxichord!
5. Rick Rubin, in some ways.
6. The Everly Brothers
7. I’m going to say Mike Mogis, who produces and plays on albums by Rilo Kiley and others.
8. For some reason, the idea of “The New Smiths” really cracks me up.
I cannot accept “Band on the Run”, Kilroy. That is a major hit for the man. Otherwise, great answers!
Oats, I do not think Partridge is quite yet senior enough to qualify for this government grant I have in mind. Otherwise, great answers!
Sorry, didn’t understand the question.
LET ME ROLL IT off the same album.
How about Neil Young?
Great substitutions by both Shawnkilroy and Oats. Thanks!
1. I’d take a shot on an obscure album that I knew James Jamerson played on.
2. I’ll second ‘Let Me Roll It’!
3. Stevie Wonder.
4. Clavinet.
5. The Dust Brothers, or whatever those guys call themselves.
6. Little Richard.
7. Mark Ribot.
8. I can imagine/dread The New Ramones.
1. Bill Frisell is not exactly a studio musician, but I always like hearing him when he shows up on a rock/pop album.
2. I have successfully avoided McC’s solo albums up to now, and that’s unlikely to change.
3. I’ll say Keith Richards. Whether it’s a Stones album or a solo album, I don’t care; I think he’s got another good one in him. There’s also the Who. Endless Wire was not it.
4. Slide guitar.
5. Richard Gottehrer.
6. The second tier Sun rockabillies, like Warren Smith, Billy Lee Riley, Sonny Burgess, etc. They were there at the creation, but never got the credit.
7. Smokey Hormel.
8. The Even Newer Christy Mintrels.
Hal Blaine or Roger Hawkins
“Let Me Roll It”
John Melloncamp
Clavinet
Bob Rock
Buddy Holly
Is Steve Gadd still playing?
“Jackson 5 TNG”
hey bigsteve,
is charlie feathers on your list of 2nd tier rockabillies?
hey everybody,
you know why i think we all like LET ME ROLL IT so much?
it’s solo paul tryin to sound like solo john.
(successfully, i might add)
Is there a studio musician whose playing you so admire that you’d take a chance on buying an unknown album mainly based on his or her involvement?
No. Isn’t that how Toto happened? We must be vigilant.
What’s your favorite Paul McCartney album track (ie, not a single/Greatest Hits number) as a solo artist/Wings leader?
Was Junior’s Farm a hit? That’s far and above my favorite Paul song outside the Beatles.
Which senior artist most needs to crank out one more great album for the benefit of rock and, more broadly, humankind?
None of them. They should all shut up and let the kids play now.
Let’s say the government could provide a grant and both a team of therapists as well as a restraining order on Don Was to help coax said masterpiece out of this artist.
Don Was owes me thirteen ninety-eight for A Bigger Bang. Let him work with Kenny G or someone I don’t care about. I know! Let him produce the next Led Zeppelin album!
What instrument do you most wish you could hear more often in today’s rock ‘n roll music?
The best one. The electric guitar. Duh.
Who’s the Roger Corman-style, B-movie producer of rock ‘n roll?
Tim Kerr. That dude knows the score.
What ’50s founding father (or mother) of rock ‘n roll do you feel has been most frequently forgotten or dismissed in recent years?
Buddy Holly.
In these days of home recording and independently produced albums, who’s your favorite current studio musician?
I don’t really have any. I like how the bands I like seem to play together. Is Greg Cartwright out to save rock n roll or what?
On one of those blog music aggregator sites recently, I saw a bunch tracks by the ill-fated New Monkees and it reminded me that, at about the same time, there were also television shows for a “New Munsters” and “New Gidget” that were only slightly less disastrous than the New Monkees show/band. It got me thinking about which musical “brands” would be most/least successful if re-launched today as “The New [Insert Band Name
Here].”
I still think The New Yardbirds was a bad idea. The New Journey could be pretty awful, too.
I’ve bought a number of albums because Jason Falkner plays on them.
Back Seat Of My Car
Jerry Lee Lewis — I could hear him delivering a good old-fashioned, whisky-soaked album of honky-tonk music.
Maracas!
Steve Steckler
I think Jimmy Clanton was headed for Greatness and was derailed by the whole star-making machine — and hasn’t recovered yet. I need to post a killer track of his in my next Thrifty Music comp.
I don’t know any “current” studio musicians.
The New New Barbarians
2K, “Junior’s Farm” was a single included on Greatest Hits albums. Great song, but ineligible. Otherwise, great answers!
1. Chickenfrank. Heh heh.
2. Like I give a shit about McCartney album tracks. I’m wondering if he’s one of the artists people like better because he’s crazy.
3. The Stones, but who am I kidding?
4. Electric guitar
6. Fats Domino
I second Fritz on Falkner, it worked for Brendan Benson, for instance.
What It Is off of Run Devil Run
I don’t expect it out of the Who without the Ox or I’d say that. I wonder if Ray Davies could crank out a great one?
Electric bass guitar. Seriously though, I’d like to hear the bottom end filled by something weird like a bass sax or tuba more often kind of like what recordings did in the 1920s.
Shel Talmy? His records sound cruddy, but ome of his bands went on to become great producers of their own sound.
Willie Dixon
Does Nels Cline count, since people actually invite him into their bands?
The New Velvet Underground…as they were meant to sound!
Would Blondie now be called Whitey?
Should there be plans for a psuedo-Rockpile album called a New Lowe?
Are the Pussycat Dolls really the New Hooters?
Now The Old Rascals might work for me.
Mockcarr, I don’t know if you’ve heard Ray Davies’ recent album Working Man’s Cafe, but it’s really good. Maybe not great, but certainly much, much better that any recent work by his contemporaries that I can think of.
Charlie Feathers rules. I left him out of my original suggestion, because he didn’t record as much for Sun as the others I mentioned. But he wrote I Forgot To Remember To Forget, so yes he was defintely one of the originators. Maybe his appearance on the Kill Bill soundtracks gives him a slightly higher profile.
Nobody is coming to mind, but combining this and the how last Dugout Chatter asked about band members who could but haven’t gone solo, whenever Ed O’Brien from Radiohead decides it’s his turn to try a solo project, I’ll at least be interested to hear what it sounds like.
Now this one I could go on too long about. I think this may be a we reach moment with hrrundi, but “Back Seat of My Car” is my favorite post-Beatles McCartney song, too. To add a different one in the mix that probably only I like, I’ll say “Bogie Music” off McCartney II.
Since surprisingly few people in the Hall are familiar with Plastic Ono Band, I’m curious about how many people have gone through Ram. Or maybe someday a general Post-Beatles McCartney RTH Listening Party is in order.
I’m all for the one more great Bowie album idea, but only if he can still sing in his less-deep register. I want another “Black Country Rock” out of Bowie.
Hmm, I don’t want to just repeat roxichord…and if the fuzz bass was used more, it might hurt its appeal. Has anyone used a theramin since Fishbone?
I’ll have to think more about my own question, but I do wonder how in the world somebody managed to screw up launching a “new” Josie & the Pussycats. Shouldn’t that have been a no-brainer successful marketing endeavor, appealing to the young and creepy old alike?
alex, i always thought “Black Country Rock” would make an awsome GnR cover. Original lineup of course.
Well, if Junior’s Farm doesn’t count, then I probably don’t know any of his songs outside his hits. What about 1984? I know that song. I guess since it’s the only one I can think of, then it’s my “favorite.”
What’s your favorite Paul McCartney album track (ie, not a single/Greatest Hits number) as a solo artist/Wings leader?
Nineteen hundred and eighty five
Which senior artist most needs to crank out one more great album for the benefit of rock and, more broadly, humankind?
Brian Wilson
What instrument do you most wish you could hear more often in today’s rock ‘n roll music?
Sitar / theramin
In these days of home recording and independently produced albums, who’s your favorite current studio musician?
Hmm… Chad Vangaalen? MARK PRINDLE?!?!
2K, “1985”, or maybe it’s spelled out, as I see hissing fauna has done, counts. That would have been my other choice. Thanks for following up on this.
Good stuff, Townspeeps. Keep ’em coming!
I’ve done it many times with Chris Spedding and Herbie Flowers.
Anything off of McGear by his brother Mike McGear which has Paul all over it.
Lou Reed
tamborine
Joe Meek
Ike Turner
Casey O
1. Pre-Yardbirds Jimmy Page. He was quite a creative guitarist.
2. “Getting Closer” (from Back to the Egg”). Pretty amazing how slim the pickin’s are given the talent and the number of albums, eh?
3. aww…shit, boss, I don’t want an old rocker to make a great album. I want a young rocker to revitalize rock. but if i HAVE to choose, I’ll choose Dylan.
4. CLEAN but crunchy guitar. The kind where you can hear every string, but it still goes “clang”!!!
5. Bob Ezrin, I guess.
6. Duane Eddy or Link Wray. And nobody talks about Bill Haley anymore, but that song is quite an achievement.
7. I don’t know which recordings are done at home and which ones are done in a professional studio, or which musicians on them are “studio musicians”.
8. Come on, let’s not be shy or beat around the bush. what if they tried to form a New Beatles? ha! that would take some Stones. hey…wait a minute….
The New Sex Pistols. It is a matter of time before Maclaren has a reality show doing just that.
yeah, i thought about the new sex pistols, pete!…
only if there’s a tv show!
1. Does Brian Eno count?
2. Too Many People
3. Joni Mitchell
4. Pedal Steel
5. Spot (SST Records)
6. Eddie Cochran
7. ?
8. The New Roches would go over big, I think.
Dr. John asked:
Kind of, sure!
1. Jon Brion
2. Venus & Mars
3. Leonard Phillips, Stan Lee and the rest of the Dickies.
4. Standup Bass
5. Mick Jones…kidding. How about that old Bongwater dude Kramer?
6. Gene Vincent
7. Jon Brion
Least: The New Journey
Least: The New Jefferson Starship
Least: The New Doors
I can only think of “least”s…retreading old ideas is all too common these days…look at all the awful Hollywood remakes.
Without reading anyone’s previous answers, here’s my contribution. Sorry for jumping in late on this.
Not really. I’ve been a completist with a bunch of artists over the years, but they’re usually either singer/songwriters (i.e. Elvis Costello) or bands (i.e. The Fall or The Go-Betweens, just to use a few examples), studio musicians, as much as I like them.
Actually come to think about it, I’d like to own everything the Attractions ever played on. I’ve got a lot of it in my Graham Parker and Squeeze collections, but there are certain albums by say, Suzanne Vega, that I don’t have but I’d be curious to hear because they’re on it. Then again, I know my enjoyment of them might be hampered by Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake’s production.
Is “Junk” considered a hit?
Pass. I’m blanking on this one right now.
The melodica! I was disappointed that Joe Jackson didn’t use it on Volume Four, his album from 2003 that was the first one with the band that played on the 1st 3 albums in 23 years. The last band I’ve heard who uses it effectively is Clinic and most effectively on their 1st 2 albums. I want more melodia! Maybe the new Gang of Four album will give me my fix!
Billy Childish (ever seen some of the covers of those Thee Headcoatees records? awesome; then again he might be the Russ Meyer or rock and roll)
Eddie Cochran; his influence on rock and roll and particularly punk is immeasurable
If it’s solo studio wizards like Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, Prince, etc. then my answer is Jay Reatard. If it’s session musician, then maybe Graham Maby.
1. Referring to headphones as “cans.”
2. Twice, but only because the first one wouldn’t play.
3. As if!
4. “Sweet Home Alabama”
5. N/A
6. It gives me a headache just looking at the cover, but the last song on side one makes up for the rest.
7. Envelope filter.
8. I have to admit, I would just pretend I had, and hope no one asked.
9. Wally Cox.
OK. Today’s lingering chatter question of my own: what’s up with Thurston Moore? I have always been just one arm’s length away from being anything more than luke warm about Sonic Youth. Some admittedly great songs still don’t make them a band I like. That’s odd, to me, and unusual in my experience. So I just took out of the library today that Trees Outside the Academy album. Some of it sounds good, some really interesting rhythm guitar in there. But the whole package is a tastefully elaborate, calculatedly self-deprecating, quasi-candid shrine to Mr. Moore himself, and his own obtuse hipness. Fans, hatas, thoughts?