In a recent Dugout Chatter, we asked for thoughts on Ron Wood’s most memorable musical moment. Townswoman Sally C suggested an obscure Quiet Melon number, “Engine 4444”, and she followed up her suggestion with these notes and a track for us to enjoy.
Quiet Melon, “Engine 4444”
The Flying Lizards forever…
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I’d like to see if I could build off Oats’ All Things Must Slide piece from the other day, which pondered the roots and significance of George Harrison’s signature slide guitar style. It was discussed in the thread that Harrison’s contribution to what we call a “Beatles-esque” sound wasn’t even used until Harrison’s solo career. Some made mention of what songs in Harrison’s work with the Beatles may have pointed toward this sound. I got to thinking, What exactly was Harrison’s most significant, most representative, signature contribution to the Beatles sound, and for that matter, what do I most consider the single, signature musical contribution of each John, Paul, and Ringo? In other words, if George Martin called the boys together for a pot-luck dinner, what would be the one musical dish that each Beatle would bring?
Before you answer, it’s very important that you read on!
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For me, lover of repetition and cool bass parts, the list begins with “Poptones” and “Marquee Moon”. I don’t know about these songs never ending, but I bet I could listen to their main grooves for a good 16 hours. The heroic bass playing of Paul McCartney on “It’s All Too Much” could keep going as well. For whatever reason – repetitive groove, lyrics, what have you – what songs do you sometimes wish would never end?
More Jah Love.
Here’s the latest Beatles-minutia quandary occupying my brain.
When bands want to be George Harrison-esque they’re almost certainly gonna do it via some non-bluesy slide guitar. Examples include Todd Rundgren’s “I Saw the Light”, The Move or ELO’s “Do Ya”, and Jellyfish’s “New Mistake.” Hell, Harrison himself did the job for Badfinger on “Day After Day” (A bit of rock-nerd trivia I only learned today).
But Harrison hardly, if ever, played slide guitar this way when he was in The Beatles. (The main figure in “Something” might be the only instance.) It seems he truly developed this inimitable style in his solo career. It helped that the slide guitar is one of the primary hooks of “My Sweet Lord”. My theory is that “My Sweet Lord” was such a big hit – the first monster smash by a newly ex-Beatle, right? – it was inevitable that the bottleneck stylings would get under the skin of many a pop nerd.
So, this is my question: Does anyone else find it odd that one of the most recognizably Harrison-esque instrumental touches is something he mastered in his post-Beatles career? Should we not therefore give his solo career some extra props?
Townswoman Crystal sent in the following get-well note to Etta James.
I would like to send my personal get well wishes to one of my favorite singers, Etta James. She is currently being hospitalized for complications from stomach surgery. I first saw her on a tribute at the Kennedy Center, where she gyrated and practically scared the pants off the old, stuck-up senators. It was pure love after that.
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At her own space, Townswoman Citizen Mom delivers the goods on the recent Madison Square Garden concert by White Stripes with Porter Wagoner opening. Read all about it here, but first chew on the following excerpt, rock nerd hatas:
The prevailing wisdom on Meg White seems to be that she’s there only to be a foil for Jack, with people sneeringly wondering whether he writes the drum parts for her (as if that matters, actually), as if she’s little more than a performing doll, the little plastic ballerina who twirls only when you open the lid of the jewel box. Bullshit. This woman is far more sure of herself than her doe-eyed persona suggests, with far more skill as performer than her detractors allow. The importance of her presence to the expression of Jack’s furious genius is infinitely greater than any of us probably suspect.
Earlier on Rock Town Hall…
KingEd reviews Icky Thump and The Wagonmaster.
