MACLAINE

James Taylor demonstrating how to play Fire and Rain.

I love James Taylor’s music, and I have no problem saying so. I saw him live several years ago, and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. He was doing a stripped down thing, accompanied occasionally by a pianist and what he called his “drum machine”. On the surface, it’s easy to dismiss his music as light, smoothed over fluff, but that does it a disservice. Between songs, he would often explain the context in which they were written, revealing his incredible sense of humor, which is often quite dark. He makes no secret of his struggles with drugs and depression, and while in recent years he seems to be much happier, I sometimes get the sense he remains haunted by some of his personal demons.

I stumbled on these videos the other day, and I’m really glad I did. I think Taylor rarely gets the credit he deserves for his guitar playing, which is deceptively sophisticated and unique. Watching his left hand, I’m quite surprised at the way he fingers the chords. They’re all fairly basic, but he fingers them almost entirely backwards from the way they are traditionally taught. I think it allows him some more mobility to play the walking bass lines and suspensions that are a part of his trademark sound, although it could just be that’s how he learned to play them and developed his style around that. Either way, it’s a rare insight into a beautiful song, straight from the man who wrote it.

Also of note are the rather intimidating finger nails on his right hand. I know many guitar players who primarily play finger style and have hefty nails, but I still find it jarring when I see someone with huge talons. In an earlier video in this same series, he actually explains his nail maintenance procedure. He reinforces them with layers of fiber glass tape and glue, and even has a little kit he carries around with him expressly for this purpose. He talks about going into a nail salon and getting fake ones put on at one point. I would love to have seen the looks on the faces of the people working there as this tall, lanky, folksy gentleman walked in asking for some help with his nails.

Yours Is No Disgrace by Yes

I’ve been revisiting some old favorites lately. I listened to a lot of Yes during my college years. An unhealthy amount, perhaps. I was mostly into their real classic period, i.e. The Yes Album through Tales from Topographic Oceans (which has a debatable “classic” status among the faithful, it seems, but it might be my favorite Yes album).

While Yes is easy to vilify as the poster children for the excesses of ’70s rock in general and progressive rock in particular, I think it masks the fact that their music is often quite simple at the core level, it’s just wrapped up in virtuosic musicianship. For example, the main riff idea for this song* is just three chords: E major, A major, and D major. Watching Steve Howe’s hands as he plays them, they are the most straightforward, primary forms of these chords, the kind that every guitar player learns in their first lesson. Of course, the band develops it far beyond this simple idea, but it’s that easy entry point that later progressive bands like Dream Theater lack. Dream Theater fans might say that a more challenging listening experience is the point, but I prefer a more balanced approach.

This performance comes from the band’s 1972 tour in support of Close to the Edge. The entire band is on fire here, in particular Howe’s guitar playing. He plays the parts on the record almost note for note, but there is so much more intensity in them, I find it much more engaging. The country-tinged intro is a great touch, as well, and showcases a side of his playing that I often forget about. It’s interesting to watch his right hand as he not only uses a pick but has this kind of claw finger technique that he mixes in effortlessly. Unfortunately, his guitar solo about two-thirds of the way through the song is of dubious quality, in my opinion, but he pulls it out towards the end. 

This performance also showcases Alan White on drums. White joined the band for this tour to replace the departed Bill Bruford, who had left to play with those other prog-rock stalwarts King Crimson. White’s drumming is harder hitting and lacks the loose, jazzy feel of Bruford’s. After spending a few years playing in the Plastic Ono Band, I can’t imagine how jarring the transition must have been for him. Though he didn’t play on the original recording of this song, he does a great job giving it his own spin.

* I know it’s a bit laughable to think of a song like this as having a single primary riff, but it’s the part between 1:49 and 2:16.

Life Begins At The Hop byXTC

XTC is a band whose output I am woefully unfamiliar with. They’re like the Rush of power pop, with a modest yet fiercely devoted (and mostly male) fan base. Of the songs of theirs I do know, however, this is my favorite. It takes the already antiquated idea of a sock hop and reflects it through the oddball, angular lens of late ’70s punk and new wave. 

The guitar riff that plays through the entire song is my favorite part. It’s a twisted and upside down version of so many classic Motown bass riffs, as if someone tried to describe what a Four Tops record sounded like to the unfamiliar guitar player and he gave it his best shot.

Here’s a great video of a young, groovy Terry Gilliam explaining how he made one of his classic animated segments for Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Just watching him describe his process makes me laugh. The amount of painstaking effort each of his animated segments must have taken boggles my mind. Also of note, I used to think his particular way of speaking was a result of years of living in England, but watching this, it seems as if that’s how he’s always talked.

Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk on the Moon 

I just learned about Arthur Russell today thanks to this post on Boing Boing.  In general, I tend to run from the combination of words “avant-garde music,” but I really enjoy the things I’ve heard from him so far, and I look forward to learning more.

(Source: youtube.com)

Rock Steady by Aretha Franklin, Soul Train 1971

Today the world lost Don Cornelius after he took his own life.  It’s a sad way to go for someone whose life was built on the joys of music and dancing.  Here’s a great video of how he’ll be remembered.