Bluesbreaker 'Beano'Album - How influential is it and what can you learn from it ?

mburekenge

richardhomer said:

mburekenge said:

I also love 'From the Cradle' but it's a bit challenging for a beginner, no?

For my money, he was absolutely at the top of his game on that album. Things like 'Someday After a While' and 'I'm Tore Down' are superb.

A I completely agree, it's amazing. Tore down is my favourite. But it's a lot more tricky than the earlier stuff 'Someday after a while' for instance. 'Tore Down' less so.  fftc said:

mburekenge said:

Personally I think that all the way from John Mayall, through Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos (especially the live album) he is great.

Just bought Disraeli Gears recently to see what the fuss was about.

Thought it was shit.

fair enough! some classics on there for me. Some has aged less well, but we can't all like the same stuff.

JezWynd

I'd go with an early Fleetwood Mac Anthology. Green's touch and finesse is so fine, never gets boring to try and emulate.

fftc

mburekenge said:

fair enough! some classics on there for me. Some has aged less well, but we can't all like the same stuff.

I'd be interested to hear what tracks you mean so I could listen again with a focus. I think it was the last track that was the nail in the coffin for me!

mburekenge

I love Strange Brew and Sunshine of Your Love. Strange Brew first for the nicked off Albert King solo. I know it's over played but Sunshine of your love is brilliant! I love the sound. (Spanky Wilson's version is also amazing if you like funk) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIPL1NwQAY0

I love the wah on 'Tales of Brave Ulysses' and in general his tone and the sound of the record is great.

I know that he ripped off Freddy King a lot, but he's got so much more than that. He also ripped off Albert King, BB and Buddy Guy lol.

I think the genius is how he combined all those elements together and created a really lyrical style. I say that as a bigger fan of the originals than Clapton. The fact that he created so many of those original rock tones can't be overlooked.

I know the cheesy 80s stuff puts a lot of people off, me included (and lets not delve into that infamous drunken rant ) but that time developing his voice really came out on 'From The Cradle'. The footage from that tour when he's letting rip with a 335 or Les Paul are awesome.

I'm a fan, what can I say LOL

Sassafras

Hubert Sumlin.

mburekenge

Sassafras said:

Hubert Sumlin.

yeah, true

Blaendulais

fftc said:

mburekenge said:

Personally I think that all the way from John Mayall, through Cream, Blind Faith and Derek and the Dominos (especially the live album) he is great.

Just bought Disraeli Gears recently to see what the fuss was about.

Thought it was shit.

Absolute shit

fandango

Sassafras said:

Hubert Sumlin.

Have yourself a wisdom @Sassafras . I discovered Hubert Sumlin only two/three years ago, and he's become one of my all time favourite guitarists. Sublime. His playing is absolutely sublime.

usedtobe

Never heard it. Might've heard the odd track, but I honestly couldn't say. Some things just pass one by, I suppose.. I should probably check it out..

stuagu

richardhomer said:

mburekenge said:

I also love 'From the Cradle' but it's a bit challenging for a beginner, no?

For my money, he was absolutely at the top of his game on that album. Things like 'Someday After a While' and 'I'm Tore Down' are superb.

Theres a bootleg of a rehearsal for the tour called " the last rehearsal" and its on the money, superior to "from the cradle" ( which is great ... not knocking it) . Claptons best playing since bluesbreakers imo. 

Roland

ESBlonde said:

For me 'Can't buy a thrill' by Steely Dan with that reelin in the years solo by Skunk Baxter.

Wasn't that one Elliott Randall?

Danielsguitars

I've never been a big beano fan

I've picked a few things depending on your mood

Peter green is the best for me, from bluesbreakers to Fleetwood mac plus the usual older guys, Freddie king is my favorite from that sort of stuff

If you're into rock n blues I'd say learn the zep stuff and early aerosmith great rhythm work too

Early zz top is all great imo and I'd highly recommend trying to play brown sugar the way Billy does, doesn't get much better than that for me

There's too many great players and bands, shame it's not like that now

guitars4you

Granted we all have different abilities and many are far more competent than others - The point or tip I was trying to portray to such a customer was that instead of just noodling around with a few pentatonic licks and a few chords, learn some songs - If you are not in a band then jam along with, learn, copy and digest some info from this album - It might not be the best or your favouite but if you work on it for a couple of months, or so, you'll have progressed and have something to build on and learnt some specific songs - Play the chords, riffs and lead to each or many of the songs - Once more competent then move on to something else - I'm not a teacher and I'm sure I'd be a poor one if I went down that route, but it was just a case of some simple advise as if you can't play along with this, then forget playing along with something more complex

HAL9000

Highly influential in that it encouraged a generation of youngsters to pick up a guitar.

Monstronaut

HAL9000 said:

Highly influential in that it encouraged a generation of youngsters to pick up a guitar.

This. It sounds dated now and hasn't held up against the US blues artists that Clapton was copying. It all sounds very British and quaint to my ears. I'm a gibson/marshall guy and I've always thought the guitar tone was shit but I understand that this was a generation's first exposure to the blues so had a profound influence. It's unlikely to continue to inspire when so many have refined the genre since.

mburekenge

stuagu said:

richardhomer said:

mburekenge said:

I also love 'From the Cradle' but it's a bit challenging for a beginner, no?

For my money, he was absolutely at the top of his game on that album. Things like 'Someday After a While' and 'I'm Tore Down' are superb.

Theres a bootleg of a rehearsal for the tour called " the last rehearsal" and its on the money, superior to "from the cradle" ( which is great ... not knocking it) . Claptons best playing since bluesbreakers imo. 

Thanks! I'll try and grab that one for sure

bigjon

My first influential album as a guitar player was "Couldn't Stand The Weather" by Stevie Ray Vaughan, I would argue that it's a better place to start because it combines BOTH major strands of the blues-rock tradition - the Freddie King via Clapton, and the Hendrix (with some Albert King and some Curtis Mayfield thrown in)

Frizer

If you're starting out with the blues, Dylan is the best in my opinion. Easy to play, major / minor, stuff like Outlaw Blues etc.

Cols

impmann said:  Clapton's vibrato/playing is nice, but its not a great example of 'control'. By that I mean most of it was bridge pickup, similar tone, similar attack (flat out) and lots of wigging out - as a piece to learn from, I'd say its not great as its teaching all the cliches in one go.

Ah, but the reason they're cliches is because just about every blues-rock guitarist since will have (directly or indirectly) been drawing from them.

Putting it into the context of #guitars4you original post, it's a superb place for an 'improving' guitarist to spend some time learning and building up your arsenal of licks and phrases.  Granted, there are later albums with more light and shade, but as a piece with all the essentials you'll need as a rock guitarist it's without peer.

Flanging_Fred

The thing is with looking back to find a basis for your playing is that there always seems to be someone interesting to study and worth studying from before the musician you originally started from.  Clapton himself did this, looking back at the likes of Robert Johnson & Son House.  So before learning Clapton stuff, is it worth looking at these older guys?  I wonder how far back the lineage goes before you run out of documented evidence?