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morocco |
Hi. I think in the early days of the Stones, there was a time when Brian Jones was clean and sober, and practicing guitar day and night with Keith Richards in their squalid apartment together.
I can see them facing each other, each with an acoustic, playing chords and weaving riffs around each other.
Do you think there was a time when Jones was a better guitarist than Keith Richards? I bet it was Brian that taught Keith a lot of those old blues songs. When was Brian at his best? What has Keith said about Brian's musicianship? |
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Pepe |
1866-1967 |
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Pepe |
Sorry 1966-1967 |
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GhostofBrianJones |
The first dates were funny! I agree maybe 1965-1967. |
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MikeyC613 |
He hit his peak during Jumpin Jack Flash at the Rock and Roll circus. That cat Elmo could mime on a dime. |
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dkmonroe |
His peak as a musician in general was probably Aftermath, when he was prodigiously picking up any and every instrument and making them an integral part of whatever arrangement he was involved with.
If you believe the legend (first recorded, AFAIK, by Tony Scaduto) that Mick and Keith were stopped in their tracks by Brian playing "Dust My Broom" with Blues Incorporated, then Brian might have been a better guitarist than Keith at that point, roughly 1962-63. However, the recorded evidence of the Stones shows Brian always firmly planted in the rhythm guitar position (and often a very elementary rythm guitar at that), never taking the lead unless he's playing slide, and his slide playing (despite all the raves for "I Wanna Be Your Man") while competent and authentic, is not exactly virtuoso by any standard. I really think that if Brian really was ever "better than Keith" as a guitarist, the lead playing would have been a bit more evenly distributed between the two, but the lead playing is overwhelmingly Keith.
Brian's real virtuoso instument was the blues harp. His playing on "Look What You Done" is one of the most impressive performances by any musician on any Stones record, and Brian's harp playing afforded him a place front and center with Mick in live performance. He played brilliant harp all the way up to Beggar's Banquet, but his peak at that instrument was probably 1964. |
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gimmekeef |
Just play "Aftermath" loudly...its his album.....The foundation album of the big four to come shortly after he left.... |
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fireontheplatter |
quote: gimmekeef wrote:
Just play "Aftermath" loudly...its his album.....The foundation album of the big four to come shortly after he left....
i have 'aftermath' i'll cue it up tonight before i go to bed.
what the fuck do i know really...i was like 1 or 2 years old at the time. to me brian was the shit. |
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gimmekeef |
quote: fireontheplatter wrote:
i have 'aftermath' i'll cue it up tonight before i go to bed.
what the fuck do i know really...i was like 1 or 2 years old at the time. to me brian was the shit.
I was 14....Bought the album in Florida when on a trip from Canada...for me its one of the most underrated albums of alltime...I hope you get even half the pleasure from listening that I have... |
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fireontheplatter |
quote: gimmekeef wrote:
I was 14....Bought the album in Florida when on a trip from Canada...for me its one of the most underrated albums of alltime...I hope you get even half the pleasure from listening that I have...
stupid gil is a bit of a harsh song....
but it is a good cd. |
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deuce |
Before he died |
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gimmekeef |
The swagger strut intense beat and bullshit that is Stupid Girl is what made The Stones....... |
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fireontheplatter |
quote: gimmekeef wrote:
The swagger strut intense beat and bullshit that is Stupid Girl is what made The Stones.......
maybe so, but still, it is a pretty low blow towards the ladies.
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gimmekeef |
quote: fireontheplatter wrote:
maybe so, but still, it is a pretty low blow towards the ladies.
Only one I believe.....but they'd never do a song like that now......Instead we get Streets of Love..... |
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Riffhard |
The Brian era Stones' is one that I love to delve into on occassion. For my money his best work was the stuff he laid down between 1965-67. What made his era so special was the fact that he was a multi instrumentalist. Ruby Tuesday,Dandelion,Paint It Black,Under My Thumb,Lady Jane,and 10,000 Light Years Fron Home are just some of the tunes that would have never come off as well with out Brian's ability on various instruments. Not to mention some of his great early guitar work on other tunes like Play With Fire,Get Off My Cloud,Time Is On My Side,and,of course,his slide work on tunes like No Expectations.
Brian's contributions cannot be overestimated,but neither can his weeknesses which were ultimatly his downfall. Too bad. For if Brian had a stronger constitution and was not so full of self pity who knows what may have been. I miss the Stones using the unique instruments that Brian introduced to their sound. Those sounds have never really been reintroduced to the overall sound of the band with the minor exception on tunes like Continental Drift and a few on othe albums. Most noticably on Steel Wheels and Voodoo Lounge.
Riffy |
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lotsajizz |
his peak guitar playing was '63--'64, especially his slide work....when he moved on to other instruments he seemed to let his guitar craft go by the wayside.... |
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fireontheplatter |
quote: gimmekeef wrote:
Only one I believe.....but they'd never do a song like that now......Instead we get Streets of Love.....
good one
sol is a bit like wtf....????
but, from time to time i really enjoy it. |
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Riffhard |
quote: lotsajizz wrote:
his peak guitar playing was '63--'64, especially his slide work....when he moved on to other instruments he seemed to let his guitar craft go by the wayside....
See there jizzy. When the suject is relegated to the Stones we tend to agree much more than we disagree. I fully agree with you about Brian letting his guitar collect dust after he picked up the recorder,sitar, tamboura,dulcimer,accordion,trumpet,trombone,etc...
His slide work was indeed incredible. To this day he stands as the best slide player the Stones have ever had in the band. That says someting. Because Woody,for all his faults,is a great slide player.
However,I am still glad that Brian did experiment with all those other instruments. If not for his abilities to pick up just about anything and master it we would never have gotten so many great eclectic songs from the early Stones.
Riffy |
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Zack |
quote: gimmekeef wrote:
Just play "Aftermath" loudly...its his album.....The foundation album of the big four to come shortly after he left....
That's a stretch.
The first line of Spanish Tony's book was something like "In 1965, Brian was king."
That says something. |
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Philip |
I should say, Brian didn't play trumpet/trombone, when they appear on those early records(between the buttons/satanic majesties) it's played by session musicians.
The only instrument he mastered was the harmonica!
Mastering an instrument means having total control over it, this is something he simply didn't do apart from harmonica, but he certainly got some good shit out of anything he touched.
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Zack |
His mellotron playing on We Love You was unlike anything else I've ever heard on that instrument. |
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dkmonroe |
quote: Zack wrote:
That's a stretch.
The first line of Spanish Tony's book was something like "In 1965, Brian was king."
That says something.
I think it says, "In the late 60's, Brian was king." And I don't really believe it for a second.
I think the Tonys, both Spanish and Scaduto, had a vested interest in pumping up Brian's image. It made their books more melodramatic.
Brian was king until Andrew showed up. |
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dkmonroe |
quote: fireontheplatter wrote:
maybe so, but still, it is a pretty low blow towards the ladies.
It was a low blow against a particular lady. It wasn't meant to be a general condemnation of all ladies.
[Edited by dkmonroe] |
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VoodooChileInWOnderl |
quote: Pepe wrote:
1866-1967
No mames Pepe... ahora sí que te viste pasado
Gusto de verte de este lado del sol |
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GhostofBrianJones |
Riffy is right as usual. Brian gave the Stones their signature sound in the
Sixties and he was always fantastic on any song he played on. He did let
the guitar go by the way side when he began to play other instruments on
the songs. He and Keith created magic in the early days too.
I used to try and picture Brian trying to play the Tuba. |
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Brian Jones Girl |
quote: GhostofBrianJones wrote:
I used to try and picture Brian trying to play the Tuba.
He probably did play tuba since he played the saxophone... |
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Brian Jones Girl |
I don't really think he had any "peak" as a musician.
He was talented all of the time! |
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Philip |
quote: Brian Jones Girl wrote:
He probably did play tuba since he played the saxophone...
They are completely different instruments. If someone can play sax does not mean they have the ability with tuba, trumpet etc, they are a lot harder to play. |
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fireontheplatter |
quote: dkmonroe wrote:
It was a low blow against a particular lady. It wasn't meant to be a general condemnation of all ladies.
[Edited by dkmonroe]
you're right i guess....after all, girl is singular.
everybody say ow
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GhostofBrianJones |
I am going to have to check out that song Stupid Girl. It can't be any different
toward the ladies then Under My Thumb which I happen to love the music
to anyway. |