My Favorite Synth Blues CDs
ChicagoB...@aol.com
Here it is...
MY TOP TWENTY Favorite Synth-Blues CDs (in no particular order):
*********************************
1. Ace Of Diamonds (Ace Music) -- various soul blues artists. Ronnie
Lovejoy, Jesse James, Chuck Strong, Lee Fields. A great taster of modern
ghetto soul!!!!
2. Vance Kelly "What Three Old Ladies Can Do" and "Joy Riding in The Subway"
(WOlf) -- 2 great records from this soul blues guitar master!
3. Jimmy "The Preacher" Ellis "Red Hot and Blues" (Kris Records)
4. Louisiana Guitar Red's "Nobody Knows" (Video Uptown Records) --
underrated, underrated, underrated!!!!!
5. Alvon Johnson's "The Blues Grew Up" (Alvon Records) -- what a strong
release!!!!
6. Johnny Drummer's "It's So Nice" (Earwig) -- nice stuff, from this lesser
known Chicago artist. Jimmy Johnson guests on guitar.
7. Little Sonny "Sonny Side Up" (Sequel) -- It gets no better than this.
Synths and harmonica!!!!!
8. Dicky Williams' "Full Grown Man" (Ichiban)
9. Filmore Sims "Its Going To Be My TIme Afterwhile" (Video Uptown) -- this
thing smokes!!!!! Sparse, un-intonated, brittle guitar licks that sizzle
over a synth band. Great songwriting, sincere vocal delivery too. A
must!!!!!
10. Ray Schinnery's "Between You and ME" (self release) -- incredible songs,
singin' and guitar. A Must!!!!!!!
11. Jimmie Lee Robinson "Guns, Gangs and Drugs" (Amina) -- He innovated
right up until the end!!!!!
12. Chick Willis' "Blue Class Blues" (5 Star) -- This is a classic.
Songwriting in a class by it self!!!!!!!
13. Mississippi Burnin' Blues Vols. 1 and 2 --- incredible, many various
artists!!!!!!!
14. Blues Boy Willie "Don't Look Down" (Ichiban) -- His best!!!!!!
15. William Williams "Gangtra Of Blues" (Video Uptown) -- Amazing record
that will grow on you like there's no tomorrow!!!!!
16. Jimmy Lewis' "Soul Gasm" (Mardi Gras Records) -- all hail Senator Jones'
deliciously cheap and cheesey production value!!!!
17. Evejim's Collector's edition Vol.1 -- various artists... Buddy Ace, Litt
le Joe Blue, Clay Hammond, Jimmy McCracklin etc. Just buy it!!!!
18. Bobby Rush "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" -- a pretty good one.
19. David Dee's "Goin' Fishin'" (Ichiban) - not bad... obscure. Where is
this guy today??
20. Big Golden Wheeler "Turn My Life Around" (GW) -- produced and
drum-programmed by Jimmy Johnson. Grea†, totally obscure, rough around the
edges synth blues.
Now, which ones am I missing? Any additions??????
CB
NetSpace LISTSERV(R) software donated by L-Soft, Inc. http://www.lsoft.com
Ricky Stevens
Both are compilations of some of the lesser known Soul-Blues artists.
Here it is...
*********************************
drum-programmed by Jimmy Johnson. Grea?, totally obscure, rough around the
ChicagoB...@aol.com
Here I go out of my way for an hour and a half last night to figure out
exactly which are the best synth blues cds out of the hundred or so that I
have, and I have only got one response so far. What's going on?
Where are all the black Zellers? Man, do I wish there was a little more
diversity on this list.
I'd like to hear Oscar Jordan's take on synth blues, especially since he had
me "pidgeon holed" as one of those paint-by-numbers blues musicians.
Is this synth blues thing simply "Off the radar" for the people on this list?
Someone please prove to me that we don't just fancy the likes of Rod Piazza
around here.
CB
V.O.N.
(voice of the negro)
Here it is...
*********************************
ghetto soul!!!!
underrated, underrated, underrated!!!!!
release!!!!
Synths and harmonica!!!!!
must!!!!!
artists!!!!!!!
this guy today??
drum-programmed by Jimmy Johnson. Grea†, totally obscure, rough around the
kiki
I'll be dogged if'n I know what synth blues is. I know I like Jimmie Lee Robinson, Chick Willis, and Big Golden Wheeler. Never associated synth blues with em. But then again, I'm ignert of exactly what synth blues is. Mostly I just wrote to tell you I like Rod Piazza.
Thank you and goodnight
ChicagoB...@aol.com wrote: Hello Children,
Here it is...
*********************************
ghetto soul!!!!
underrated, underrated, underrated!!!!!
release!!!!
Synths and harmonica!!!!!
must!!!!!
artists!!!!!!!
this guy today??
edges synth blues.
CB >>
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
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Steve Hoffman
Calm down.
You have already made your point, many times. You are not one of those white
retro/vintage guys. You are down with the latest chitlin' circuit stuff.
We know and hereby acknowledge that when it comes to white blues cats who are
totally into whatever is currently happening within black soul-blues thing, you
are the King of Blues-L. Nobody is hipper. Everyone else on Blues-L is lamer.
We surrender.
And yes, very few other members of Blues-L are into contemporary soul-blues to
the extent you are, i.e., to the extent of all those cheesy-sounding
synth-soul-blues recordings you praise.
On the other hand, my man, if you really want to go head-to-head regarding
soul-blues and real deep soul music, I could come up with a list of many other
albums that folks would be far better advised spending their hard-earned money
on, rather than the list you've come up with, if they want to hear great soul
music and blues-soul music.
Rave on, man, rave on . . .
Steve Hoffman
p.s. What's up with that condescending "Hello children" salutation. Gimme a
break..
J.R. Lempkowski
> Hello Children...
> (voice of the negro)...
> Dear Fellow Aging White Males...
Hey CB,
WTF? Are you trying to piss everyone off with comments like these or what? I've
noticed you've become more provacative in the past few days. Did Santa bring you
a lump of coal or what? :-)
Shoot! I never would have thought of these as "synth" blues. I would have just
thought of most of these artists you listed as bluesmen and not classified them
into any specific sub-category. Now, that I finally know what the hell you are
talking about, you've got to pick up a copy of Bobby Rush's Ichiban CD called
Instant Replay/The Hits. I don't think there was a non-synthesized instrument
within 20 miles of that recording studio when that CD was recorded.
Try House Party by Thomas "Snake" Johnson also in Ichiban is one of those
synthesized CD's on speed.
Cheers,
J. R.
http://home.attbi.com/~jlemko
P.S. Those Vance Kelly CD's are good. All of his Wolf output is great stuff! In
fact, most of those Chicago Blues Sessions things on Wolf are great examples of
Chicago Blues.
J.R. Lempkowski
You may also want to check out Cicero Blake's CD called "Too Hip To Be Happy" on the
Valley Vue label. It's got some funky synthesized stuff on it. It's kind of
cheesy, but it's pretty good stuff.
Cheers,
J.R.
http://home.attbi.com/~jlemko
Donnie MorTone
>V.O.N.
>(voice of the negro)
Now I've heard it all...this is the most unreal thing
I may have ever witnessed in my 6 years here....
A white cat...claiming to be the voice???...LOLOLOL
Maybe this is what one deserves for posting late at
night...after drinkin a few brews...and being the low
percentage in the company you choose to keep...
But I forgot...how CB goes down to the ghetto here in LA
and somehow thinks that allot of that out of tune jive bs
is "the real deal" because it's a predominant "black club"...
well...wake up man...it's friggin 2003....
the blues in LA literally flat out died in the early
80's.....you should have been around then....
~Donnie~
Off to play for MYSELF....I could care less
about the color of those who appreciate what I do...
Am I upset? mad? Indifferent?
No....but at least I'm not trying to fool anyone with
just how hip I think I am....I gave that up in the early
90's...along with alllot of other unhealthy vices...
Christopher Burger
posters, such as Ricky Stevens and other sources such as David Whiteis in
LIVING BLUES, it is white folks, say in L.A. who are still lamenting the
passing of scene surrounding the likes of Little Walter-disciple George
Smith (et al.) and saying that the good old days were the '80s who are
missing that soul-blues (only some of which is synth-drenched) *is* "blues"
today, among African-Americans anyway, of a certain age, whether folks here
on this list like it or not. . Hell, even Bix Beiderbecke-loving / Malaco-
playing / Blues-bored Fred Dabney will tell you that.I personally miss Pee
Wee Crayton more than Ronnie Lovejoy, but I hear CB91's post nonetheless.
Finally, this "Synth-Blues" is a term that's been coined here but it is
hardly recognized as a "music" but there is something to this idea. It's
noticed most in "soul-blues" - and usually lamented, except occasionally by
the likes of Living Blues' Jim DeKoester - and modern Black audiences who
are the main audience of some of this stuff. It's hard to call it
a "genre", but in way, it's true and can mean simply blues or soul (in
recordings,as a rule )that embrace the synth, be it to as a "spice" for a
real band (drums, bass, etc.) or, more controversially, to take the place
of, say, the drummer or the horn section.
That understandably makes most "real musicians'" blood boil (as well as
most any blues fan on this list over, say, 45). Besides economic necessity
(or falling standards??), it is fair to say that an actual new "sound" is
to be found behind the works of soul-blues guys like O.B. Buchana, Mel
Waiters, Jimmy "The Preacher" Ellis, and even straight bluesmen like the
late harpist Big "Golden" Wheeler's CD done with Jimmy Johnson. Once you
get done either smirking or bitching about the synth-backing, it can become
apparent that the use of the synths was by design (ask Iron Mike even!)and
in fact be a desired "sound." Some of this synthy-soul-blues, to me,
anyway, falls under the "so bad it's kind of good" bag, or "I love the
voice, but Gorgon on the drums has got to go." In time, you *can* (in small
doses) learn to stop worrying and love the (synth)bomb. But you are missing
some top-notch blues and soul singers if you cannot even fathom liking what
CB91 calls "ghetto production." Add in shoe-string art budgets with
sometimes absurd but totally earnest cover shot and "liner-notes" and I am
sold.
Seriously, it reminds me of the anger of some musicians against rap and hip
hop....as well as some of Fat Possum's R.L. Burnside remix stuff. Twenty or
more years on, Hip Hop is still a sound to be reckoned with, as even DJs
and "turntablists" are respected as artists and pseudo-musicians and
performers, at the very least. Personally, I find mostly find this sad, as
I'd much rather see school budgets funding music in school again, and kids
would see that what "real" instruments (and yes, music) can do for you. A
lot of the CDs mentioned by CB91 (they make my list too) would probably be
immortal had they sprung for a real band. But at their best, you can even
find that this is a desirable sound, as ghastly as these so-called "click"
tracks sound to "old-school" types.
As a side note, it's not my job to defend others' attempts at humour, but
that "V.O.N." crack clearly was a self-deprecating reference to Pervis
Spann's old blues show on Chicago's WVON ..."The Voice of the Negro." If I
have to explain it, well, I'm betting that CB91 realizes he's "*no* Pervis
Spann, but here's a tip on some good s**t." That's clearly the spirit of
these posts and that's all it could be. The badgering of Dick Waterman was
uncalled for, but viva free-wheeling BLUES-L just the same.
Personally, I think the world needed the Golden Wheeler & Jimmy Johnson
synth album (demo-quality!) more than another Delmark-style album. Call us
crazy, I know.
I'm on the fence, in either way. If this trend grew anymore, I'd be
screaming "bloody hell." Still, my "Synth-Blues" pick of the day? Roy Lee
Johnson's "When A Guitar Plays The Blues" from 1997 on Southern Tracks
Records in Atlanta. Somebody record this guy already!
-Chris Burger
Boston
On Fri, 3 Jan 2003 17:15:36 -0800, Donnie MorTone <mor...@socal.rr.com>
wrote:
Donnie MorTone
From: "Christopher Burger" <cburg...@YAHOO.COM>
To: <BLU...@LISTS.NETSPACE.ORG>; <mor...@SOCAL.RR.COM>
Cc: "Christopher Burger" <cburg...@YAHOO.COM>
Sent: Friday, January 03, 2003 8:07 PM
Subject: Re: My Favorite Synth Blues CDs
> it is white folks, say in L.A. who are still lamenting the
> passing of scene surrounding the likes of Little Walter-disciple George
> Smith (et al.) and saying that the good old days were the '80s who are
> missing that soul-blues (only some of which is synth-drenched) *is*
"blues"
> today, among African-Americans anyway, of a certain age, whether folks
here
> on this list like it or not. . Hell, even Bix Beiderbecke-loving / Malaco-
> playing / Blues-bored Fred Dabney will tell you that.I personally miss Pee
> Wee Crayton more than Ronnie Lovejoy, but I hear CB91's post nonetheless.
man...you don't even know me...
so don't try to tell me what I'm "missing"....
You find a round about way to address my post...
but you speak around me like I am a 3rd party...
just because I'm a harp player...you seem to assume some
kind of connection to mentiniong George Smith's name...
and the good ol' days in the 80's have something to do
with him...where the hell am I...the friggin Twilight Zone???
You assume way to much Chris...
and it's a shame you hear CB's post...but can't understand
any other points of veiw....
this is why I come here....to listen and hopefully learn.
But please, next time, have the balls to say you disagree
with me...or whatever...(because I still don't have a clue
as to what your reply was about) rather than speaking at me as a 3rd
party...I found that aspect rather odd....
and the George Smith thing you thought of was way off base....
No...I'm not pissed off...should I be?
I'm just tired of this list suddenly becoming so damn whimpy!!!
~Donnie~
maxdog
It's hard to call it
> a "genre", but in way, it's true and can mean simply blues or soul (in
> recordings,as a rule )that embrace the synth, be it to as a "spice" for a
> real band (drums, bass, etc.) or, more controversially, to take the place
> of, say, the drummer or the horn section.
Johnny Rawls is pretty well respected in blues circles and occasionally he will
bring his cousin on tour with him who plays synth guitar. It's actually kind of
funny to watch the crowd look around to see where the horns, organ or even piano
sounds are coming from. The guy is surprisingly good at it and it fits well. I
asked him about it once and he lit up with a big smile and showed me all he
could do with it. Nice guy and a good musician. He's been playing with Rawls for
years but only occasionally because of bad health. But if you catch Johnny with
his cousin and Fast Eddie on drums you've got a band that can cut a groove to
the bone.
--
maxdog
Christopher Burger
Jeez, Mr. MorTone, you don't know me very well, either - on this list,
especially, and no, don't feel singled out. Having in the past gotten a bit
too sharp and personal (Oscar Jordan, ole buddy, all is forgiven, come on
back...!), I am trying (yes, trying) to dwell on ideas and not make things
personal, and I in no way meant any sleight. This is also partly the reason
why I find the ever-enthusiastic CB91's attempt to draw Dick Waterman (of
all people)into one of these related threads to be pointless and
distracting of his otherwise interesting examination of the Synth
Phenomenon in blues today.
I was responding to general tendencies, either Blues lovers of the classic
Chicago-Gone-West school (I love that stuff too) or soul die-hards (okay,
another unmentioned name or two: Steve Hoffman and Peter Schoen (?) who
lament not only synths, but probably also rue that advent of funk and Hip
Hop.....as even I sometimes do. Names end up cluttering up the points being
made in most cases.
And I'll let others (offlist, okay?) let you know that I am forever going
to the mat for all sorts of folks who are not "whimpy" (to an "AUP"-
violating fault)when it comes to speech. If you'd like to be singled out by
name, I'll be happy to do so next time. But let's talk ideas as we have
been. If you pay attention to the whole commentary I made, you will see
that I did not necessarily endorse this "Synth-Blues" trend , and I am not
making this stuff up, just trying to report. Besides, it's my current
writing style, like it or lump it.
Thank you,
Chris Burger
Boston, Mass.
Fred Dabney
> playing / Blues-bored Fred Dabney will tell you that.I personally miss Pee
> Wee Crayton more than Ronnie Lovejoy, but I hear CB91's post nonetheless.
By the late fifties, I'd come to the realization that my
taste, which had already pretty well settled on the
Bix era, black and white, was in a minority. Probably
would have been then too.
I don't have to like something to recognize that it
may indeed be a majority. I love opera, but I cannot
abide Wagner for instance, or John Adams either.
While Monteverdi or Caccini is hardly prime market
stuff.
Same with blue and all the rest of it. I like what
I like for whatever reasons these things grab one
and don't another.
But as far as that crappy sound of a non-band is
concerned, there was a release by a singer named
"Kristine" a couple of seasons back. I love her
voice, but the accompaniment was dreadful.
"Low Bid" was the term that came to me. If it
was intenional or just being cheap I don't know,
but to my ear it would have been a record I'd
have gone out and spent my own dime on if it
hadn't been so wretched.
Fred D
Sean Carney
enjoy plenty of southern soul, R&B, funk, etc.
A few out of that genre that I do own and enjoy are:
Travis Haddix "A Big Ol Good 'Un"
Willie Pooch "I'm Your Man"
The more I think about it, Johnny Watson really pioneered this sound with
"Funk Beyond The Call of Duty" being a standout in my mind.
-Sean Carney (who opposed the use of synth strings on Teeny Tucker's CD)
_________________________________________________________________
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Ricky Stevens
Oh yeah, and synths.
http://www.eckorecords.com/comingsoon.html
Ricky Stevens
Arkabutla, Mississippi
Steve Hoffman
rap/hip-hop, and listen to it quite a bit on the radio, and I own quite a few,
both 'old school' and current. I hear a huge amount of creativity and energy and
all sorts of wild ways of playing around with words and with music (yes, including
sampling and synthesized sounds etc.) in rap/hiphop. The wordplay and crazy
rhyming schemes alone make much of it riveting. And the beats -- man, those beats
can turn you inside out and back again.
And that creativity and energy is precisely what is woefully lacking in the
contemporary synth-blues or schlocky-production contemporary soul-blues or however
one wants to refer to it! So much of it sounds the same to me, and there's so
damn many songs re-treading the same lyrical ground and the musical arrangements
often sound like they've come off an assembly-line -- and there rarely are catchy
melodies or clever melodic hooks. The vocals on these recordings are often
strong, I'd grant that.
That being said, there are some contemporary soul-blues I like a lot. As Peter
Schoen has mentioned, there's been some strong, solid stuff on Evejim. Malaco
over the years has had some great stuff. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Denise
LaSalle's LPs for that label, and I'm pretty sure I have 'em all. That current
Little Milton CD is great. Artie "Blues Boy" White is one of my favorites.
But today's equivalent of a young Robert Johnson or a young Little Walter or
whoever would NOT be synth-blues artists. They would be rappers. I know it's
speculative, but I belief that firmly.
As to funk - yeah, I dig funk. You'd be surprised at the variety of music I
listen to. Modern rock. Opera. I'm a huge fan of honky-tonk style country &
western. I listen to a wide range of jazz. Soul music. Funk. Old rock and
R&B. Latin. Recently, I've even developed a teensy-weensy little taste for some
of the techno/dance stuff.
It is precisely because I appreciate and listen to so many different kinds of
music that I don't have the time, financial resources, or inclination to pay all
that much attention to all contemporary synth-blues, soul-blues stuff. When I
want blues, I've already got so much great blues to choose from. I'm not
interested in chasing down a bunch of mediocre soul-blues -- anymore than I'm
interested in chasing down a bunch of mediocre rock-blues.
Steve Hoffman
Peter Schoen wrote:
> Christopher Burger wrote:
> >I was responding to general tendencies, either Blues lovers of the classic
> >Chicago-Gone-West school (I love that stuff too) or soul die-hards (okay,
> >another unmentioned name or two: Steve Hoffman and Peter Schoen (?) who
> >lament not only synths, but probably also rue that advent of funk and Hip
> >Hop.....
>
> Hey Chris,
>
> STOP here, please ;-)
>
> I _love_ Funk, don't like rap,
> but lament no musical style. However, I don't have to love everything. As I
> said, I like several Neo Soul Divas who also include lots of Hip Hop
> influences and loops: Erykah Badu's "Mama's Gun" being one of my most played
> CDs of last year - I LOVE THAT RECORD, N'Dambi, Karen Bernod, Ledisi.
>
> Please don't put me into categories, just because I don't like one _style of
> production_ (not style of music, because Soul/Blues is not always programmed)
> currently being hyped by blues-l's resident male mega diva.
>
> I buy several Soul/Blues CDs, because I like the singers. But I have to say
> that compared to especially the Neo Soul folks, who use samples, loops, etc.,
> too, many Soul/Blues CDs sound plain ugly TO ME, the Jimmy Lewis CD being a
> "good" example.
>
> I own a few of the CDs mentioned by CB91, some of them I don't like (Jimmy
> Lewis), some are o.k., some I don't know. And I own some others which I
> consider a total waste of money.
>
> CB91 also cheated:
> - Dicky Williams & David Dee both feature a full band with horns, the only
> synth being strings! I wouldn't call this Synth Blues. I like especially the
> Dicky Williams CD very much, BTW.
>
> What I usually don't like are the many CDs where one guy does more or less
> everything: Writing all the songs, playing all the instruments, etc.
>
> Usually this stuff ends up being completely one dimensional.
>
> IMO, many of the songs on these records tend to be pure filler material, many
> of the arrangements are BORING and it is clear that the producer does NOT have
> the combined arranging and writing talents of ace songwriters and ace
> arrangers. And that's the main problem, not the synth itself.
>
> And of course there are exceptions:
> Leon Haywood being an ace arranger, every record on his Evejim label is worth
> having (Clay Hammond, Vernon Garrett, and especially Joyce Lawson). Leon never
> uses synth horns, only well done programmed drums. Which speaks for his good
> taste.
>
> I still buy new Soul/Blues CDs, but only if the right people recommend them.
> Very fine CDs are:
>
> -Eddie Leon: Let Me In Your Arms Again
> Eddie is a very fine singer and most songs are from ace songwriter Tommy Tate.
> And Eddie does them justice.
>
> -Carl Sims: M&M Man
> BTW, horns are real, and I am happy about that.
>
> -Swamp Dogg: If I Ever Kiss It, He Can Kiss It Goodbye
> This CD a really great. Honestly, there are not many synths involved, but if
> the Dicky Williams CD passes as Synth Blues, then it's o.k. to list this CD,
> too. And it's far too good to miss.
>
> >In time, you can (in small
> >doses) learn to stop worrying and love the (synth)bomb. But you are missing
> >some top-notch blues and soul singers if you cannot even fathom liking what
> >CB91 calls "ghetto production."
>
> Chris, please. Right now, there are probably more than 10.000
> Soul/Funk/Jazz/R&B/Roots CDs available, that I would LOVE to own, _without_
> having to force myself to like them. I must pay for CDs, you know. I will
> never be able to own them all, and I will never have the time to listen to
> them all.
>
> And please don't start with that "whites don't like synth" stuff. Here in
> Germany, a lot of music, be it aimed at the young or the old, is full of
> synths.
>
> I prefer real drums, real horns. Simple as that. I love that sound.
>
> I have my individual opinion. Just because many African Americans dig Synth
> Blues and many Europeans dig synth based pop music, does not mean that I have
> to run after it. I listened to it, decided that this is not for me and started
> to look for other kinds of music.
>
> I also prefer a real woman instead of a blow-up puppet, too, although I do not
> know what you or CB91 think about this kind of innovation ;-)
>
> A recurring argument seems to be: A certain African American target audience
> likes Synth Blues, Robert Johnson would use programming. --> We must all
> embrace it.
>
> Why?
>
> One of my friends loves Heavy Metal. Must I now love it, too, because others
> do? PLEASE.
>
> Anyway, this "oh look how incredibly hip I am, I dig programming" posing
> is kind of silly.
>
> >That understandably makes most "real musicians'" blood boil (as well as
> >most any blues fan on this list over, say, 45).
>
> These are stereotypes again. "Old folks like musicians, young ones love click
> tracks".
>
> This is plain wrong. I have 15 years to go before I reach that number and know
> many more rather young folks who are into organic (or whatever term you want
> to use) forms of music, who definitely prefer life musicians. Taken as a
> whole, organic forms of music have a large audience. But the audience is
> spread over many different forms of music. But the folks are there.
>
> This implied "only old farts don't like programming" ;-) kind of argument is a
> bit too simple.
>
> >Seriously, it reminds me of the anger of some musicians against rap and hip
> >hop....as well as some of Fat Possum's R.L. Burnside remix stuff.
>
> You forgot ROCK. Which seems to be hated so much especially by the people that
> are so open minded towards programming. Seriously, if a young Rock/Blues based
> artist has success, he is accused of taking attention away from more
> deserving older artists, etc., etc..
>
> If young Soul/Blues artists have success (Charles Jones, Sheba Wright?), the
> same people usually do not complain about that.
>
> Very best wishes
>
> -Peter-
c.n.
wrote:
>Hey, Chris, guess what? It may surprise you, but I like quite a lot of
>rap/hip-hop, and listen to it quite a bit on the radio, and I own quite a
few,
>both 'old school' and current. I hear a huge amount of creativity and
energy and
>all sorts of wild ways of playing around with words and with music (yes,
including
>sampling and synthesized sounds etc.) in rap/hiphop. The wordplay and
crazy
>rhyming schemes alone make much of it riveting. And the beats -- man,
those beats
>can turn you inside out and back again.
No kidding? I figured with all the political and social overtones you'd
have tossed 'em down, or at least up.
>But today's equivalent of a young Robert Johnson or a young Little Walter
or
>whoever would NOT be synth-blues artists. They would be rappers. I know
it's
>speculative, but I belief that firmly.
>
Tell us, seriously, what do you think they'd be rappin about, terraplanes
or hoes and "the man?"
>It is precisely because I appreciate and listen to so many different
kinds of
>music that I don't have the time, financial resources, or inclination to
pay all
>that much attention to all contemporary synth-blues, soul-blues stuff.
When I
>want blues, I've already got so much great blues to choose from. I'm not
>interested in chasing down a bunch of mediocre soul-blues -- anymore than
I'm
>interested in chasing down a bunch of mediocre rock-blues.
>
>Steve Hoffman
Spin-golly Steve (hey, now there's you a DJ personna, and wear the turban,
fer christ' sake).... you already knows it's "mediocre rock-blues" before
you've even chased it down and caught it. You're good, very good. You
don't by any chance know a Miss Cleo, do you?<g> chuck
fda...@nmsu.edu
> fer christ' sake).... you already knows it's "mediocre rock-blues" before
> you've even chased it down and caught it. You're good, very good. You
> don't by any chance know a Miss Cleo, do you?<g> chuck
I wouldn't know "Miss Cleo" from "Miss Piggy" but
that's beside the point.
I too have far more musicial interests than blues,
and I am old enough that I'm also more interested
in spending my remaining life on things I already
know I like, as a genre than popping off those limited
hours on stuff which I haven't liked in the past.
Sure, I can be surprised at things I've discovered
I like that I thought I wouldn't. I've changed my
mind on other things.
But my anology is that I've had enough sharp sticks
stuck in my eye to know that I' really don't need
to try this or that specific stick to know I won't
like it either.
And to me, the synth, rap and rock-blues amount to
sharp sticks poked in my ears. I may be missing
something, but I doubt it.
Fred D.
who has a sixty-sixth birthday this Wednesday.
Christopher Burger
subject. Peter and Steve, you both perhaps understandably went to the
barricades to defend yourselves in terms of funk and hip-hop, etc. but in
hindsight, I only mentioned you by name because I knew you could take it,
as someone else felt I ought to "name names."
We all know how wide-ranging you feel your tastes are, if not your budgets,
and I respect your rights to draw lines. In fact, under the gun, you both
pony up plenty of examples of "Synth-Blues" (or just soul-blues)exceptions
that you in fact like, be it some Malaco or Evejim stuff.
However, the newly-coined term "Synth-Blues" (by CB91, it seems) is part of
the confusion here, as it's not automatically a reference to soul blues.
But I agree, live bands have had so much synth competition in that genre in
recent years that it can be easy to forget that artists like Travis Haddix,
Artie "Blues Boy" White, Vernon Garrett (on Ichiban) and others almost
always use "real" bands in the studio, although a synth or two might
occasionally be added.
The radical idea (okay, half-tongue in cheek that you both kind of missed )
is that CB91 (with the usual "in character" enthusiasm) says that the use
of the synth (either as a whole band, or part of it, or just as "spice")
does not, in and of itself, make it a bad recording. You both act as if
it's beyond comprehension to embrace it as a creative instrument (and no,
Peter, feel free to like whatever you like, of course, and that's not the
point anyway.) If I grew up in the land of my forebears, perhaps I'd have
the anti-synth feeling that so obviously moves you.
So it is contended that some of the more unique recordings in blues, soul,
and soul-blues, as CB91 claims, have fully embraced the synth. You may call
it "slipshod" or "mediocre" or "assembly line," but, on the better ones,
anyway, there does seem to be a desire by the artists and producers to use
this sound by choice, no matter what folks think. Any blanket dismissal
like this (used often against the rap, funk, etc.- that either of you claim
to champion to some degree) does in fact mean you can miss some excellent
blues and soul music, and not just because of "good vocals." (For the
record, I also appreciate some rock and blues-rock (or have) and see no
contradiction on my part, anyway.
(And yes, I do think there it's possible there is a bit of a generational
and vague racial component (tastewise, I mean), no matter the protests. I
have to come clean and admit (surprise!), I'm not a 40-50 year old Black
woman (the main audience of one brand of this soul), so the synth-heavy,
Tyrone Davis-influenced Mel Waiters doesn't always wear well with me for
forty minutes, but, yeah, I've enjoyed it, at other times, synths and all.
So shoot me. I'm not out to add to Peter or anyone's shopping list, but if
anyone wants to open their minds to a few things that in the past they'd
frisbee across the room ( my own typical impulse), then the list serves its
purpose.
Personally, I find Synth to be a "niche" trend that I would prefer to see
contained, meaning, god help us if it all blues and soul went this way. By
and large, most of these albums, even I can agree, probably would have aged
better had they gone the extra mile for a band. This conceit is so deep for
nearly everyone on this list and myself that even I have a hard time going
against that grain.
But Fillmore Slim and Louisiana "Guitar" Red on Uptown Video (including the
packaging)? Pure sincerity, and truly, great blues music, not matter how
much one can wince at first upon realizing that, for example, Slim played
every instrument. And I think that oughta count...(<g>) Cadillac George
Harris, produced by "Senator" Jones? Love it . Jimmy "The Preacher" Ellis'
first Kris CD? A stone classic of synth-blues, right down to the dapper,
tinted, jerri-curled, cover shot - from '74. That Chick Willis on Susie Q?
I have to stop here. But overall, some of this stuff is, when it somehow
comes together, a refreshing change of pace from the same-old-same-old that
we always "insist" on. It's about making a corner (real or otherwise)for
the best of every genre or sub-genre. I accept that you guys don't like it.
But if we can cut rap slack (why is this appreciation so reflexive these
days, by the way? ), why not "synth-blues" I'm glad to know where you both
stand, and if we've persuaded anyone to give something they used to pass up
a second chance, so be it. (I returned a wretched "primitive" synth thing
by Charles Wilson - Little Milton's nephew- once. Even I have limits! But
today maybe I would have hung onto it, who knows?
That Golden Wheeler & Jimmy Johnson album (are CB91 and I the only ones
who've been lucky enought to grab this one?) is another one that is totally
different. A couple of others: Cicero Blake's "Just One of Those Things" on
Valley Vue. By most standards, his "Too Hip to Be Happy" (with a "real
band")on the same label some time before, is superior. But when
you "embrace the synth," you could say, "hey, Cic' you *are* onto
something."
How about Sammy Fender, the Chicago bluesman's "Transformating Love" (sic)?
The synth, in its own perverse, and sickening way *improves* this limited-
run CD on Blue Dakin.
Anyway, I don't pretend to be consistent, but, c'mon, let the Synth into
your life, fellas. It won't bite.
-C.B.
**************************************************************
P.S. Other "Synth-Blues" (from awhile back)to check out, to keep, or to use
as frisbees:
Barbera Carr- "Bone Me Like You Own Me" Ecko, '98
Johnnie Taylor "Good Love!" Malaco, '96
Carl Sims "House of Love" Paula, '95
Ernie Johnson "It's Party Time" Paula, 93
Tyrone Davis- "Tyrone Davis," HighRise Entertainment '82
Lee "Shot" Williams "Hot Shot" Ecko, '96
Gregg Smith "$$ Money Talks $$" Ultra / Ichiban '90
O.B. Buchana "It's Over!" , Blues River / Susie Q/ Sue '99
Little Milton "Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number" MCA '83
Marvin Sease, "The Housekeeper" Jive/Zomba '93
Marvin Sease, "The Bitch Git It All" Jive/ Zomba '97
Sammy Mayfield "Blues By the Bushel" OPM, '96
Peggy Scott-Adams "Help Yourself" Miss Butch / Mardi Gras '96
Mel Waiters, "Material Things" Waldoxy, '99
Bobby Rush " I Ain't Studdin' You" Urgent! '91
Jesse James "It Just Don't Feel the Same,' Gunsmoke '97
Oscar Perry "Still Blue" TSOT/ Ichiban , '93
That last one, reviewed by Jim DeKoster (a semi-closeted synth fan) wrote
in Living Blues #114: (Oscar Perry's 'Still Blue') is an "absolute gem of a
release. Even with a synth-'band,' even synth 'voice') "somehow it works.
Best realized disc of its kind that I ever heard. I never thought I'd say
that about a synthesizer-laden CD that runs a mere 39:51 but this one is a
shoe-in for this reviewer's 'Top 10' list for 1993. Get it while you can."
The guy's certifiably nuts.
ChicagoB...@aol.com
have the right sensibilities. You seem to be able to appreciate the good in
any blues sub-genre, as I do. (I love any GOOD blues-rock, soul-blues,
synth-blues, disco-blues, juke-blues, retro-blues, zydeco-blues, jazz-blues
etc.... If it's got soul, it's all good to me.)
One correction: Filmore Sim's excellent Uptown Video synth-blues CD contains
other musicians aside from Slim. I know this because I spoke to Lee Lee (the
label owner) and he told me.
Aside from that, I will check out a few of those cds that you very smartly
recommended -- you complimented my list beautifully without repeating any
that I already laid out. (That Johnny Taylor "Good Love" is amazing too.)
CB91
--------------------------------------------------
Christopher Burger
You, sir,have the right sensibilities. You seem to be able to appreciate
the good in any blues sub-genre, as I do...."
This might be considered a kiss of death, knowing how many fans you have
here. Do me no such favors, pal, but thanks for the compliment.
-C.B.