Have we already discussed Bonamassa's controversial comments?

Sassafras

darthed1981 said:

Just being a musician doesn't stop anyone being an intolerant grumpy old man, which is all this is.

At least he didn't say "young people these days..."

"and all the immigrants".

ourmaninthenorth

I think Robert Fripp can play a bit, and some of his soundscapes are bloody lovely. 

A most unlazy (?) guitar player if ever there was one. 

I'm not a huge fan of pedals to be honest, more to do with my own lack of imagination and incompetence than anything else, but I do see and hear their merits in other player's styles. 

I think there's a little lazy thinking going on here. All a bit too binary for me. 

 

Octafish

ourmaninthenorth said:

I think Robert Fripp can play a bit, and some of his soundscapes are bloody lovely. 

A most unlazy (?) guitar player if ever there was one. 

I'm not a huge fan of pedals to be honest, more to do with my own lack of imagination and incompetence than anything else, but I do see and hear their merits in other player's styles. 

I think there's a little lazy thinking going on here. All a bit too binary for me. 

 

Great example. Bonamassa does his thing and more power to him, but he can only ever dream of acheiving Fripp's level of creativity and muscianship.

clarkefan

He'll be slamming the cowbell in Don't Fear The Reaper next.

impmann

ourmaninthenorth said:

I think Robert Fripp can play a bit, and some of his soundscapes are bloody lovely. 

A most unlazy (?) guitar player if ever there was one. 

I'm not a huge fan of pedals to be honest, more to do with my own lack of imagination and incompetence than anything else, but I do see and hear their merits in other player's styles. 

I think there's a little lazy thinking going on here. All a bit too binary for me. 

 

Perfect.

I'm not JB's biggest fan and most of his stuff just seems to be a vehicle for him to launch into an incendiary solo full of blistering licks (that it has to be said, he's heavily borrowed) and then back to the 'boring stuff' of the song. I don't doubt his talent or his ability to play that particular style of music. However, I don't think he's a particularly great *musician* for this reason, and also that he never plays anything else!  Even the BCC stuff is part of that line...

Picking on guys who use pedals to create soundscapes is unkind. Some of these guys are incredibly talented at what they do - no, they probably couldn't duel with him using blazing amps and pentatonic wailings but that isn't their thing.

Funkfingers

Probably, the best response to JB's anti-effect stance is to demonstrate to him that some of his influences were using a shedload of pedals or studio outboard equipment to achieve their sounds.

Fripp, Edge and Summers are all noted users of effects processing. It might also be fair to say that each of them thinks beyond the boundaries of normal guitar playing. 

Even something as simple as the opening riff to Satisfaction is a fuzz tone guitar mimicking a saxophone motif. The musical content may have been created on a guitar but it would work in a big band context. 

breakstuff

Sassafras said:

darthed1981 said:

Just being a musician doesn't stop anyone being an intolerant grumpy old man, which is all this is.

At least he didn't say "young people these days..."

"and all the immigrants".

He's nicked lots of stuff off Clapton.May as  well have that line too 

poopot

“I know I’ll get shit for saying this, but it’s fucking lazy. It’s insulting to people who spent 35 years playing and learning”

So he’s spent 35 years learning?... should be better than he is then really... cockwomble of the highest order!...

Dopesick

I don't think even he believes what he is saying. I understand BCC have a new album coming out, and this is bound to get him loads of publicity. Whether it works is another story.

aord43

Whitecat said:

Right now Facebook is so full of defensive butthurt dad-rockers who think Joe is 100% right I almost can’t even. 

Can't even what?  Am I showing my age by asking?  I don't do Facebook either

Whitecat

aord43 said:

Whitecat said:

Right now Facebook is so full of defensive butthurt dad-rockers who think Joe is 100% right I almost can’t even. 

Can't even what?  Am I showing my age by asking?  I don't do Facebook either

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=I can't even

sweepy

So it’s ok to be a derivative openly plagaristic Guitarist but show originality or a little lateral thinking and you suddenley  can’t play ? I think David Torn, Adrian Belew and Reeves Gabriel’s May disagree a tad with JB on this

AlexC

I'm not defending the guy but he's in a band called Rock Candy Funk Party - which isn't 'just' pentatonic Blues based stuff. It's 1970s style jazz rock fusion. Essentially, JB and a group of guys doing Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow. So again, not highly original, but a different style at least.

ennspek

Whichever way you choose to measure it, he is better at playing guitar than I will ever be.
Nice to hear an honest opinion these days, agree with it or not.

impmann

AlexC said:

I'm not defending the guy but he's in a band called Rock Candy Funk Party - which isn't 'just' pentatonic Blues based stuff. It's 1970s style jazz rock fusion. Essentially, JB and a group of guys doing Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow. So again, not highly original, but a different style at least.

So he's in a covers band.

Woo.

Roger

I suppose I’d have to ask these 2 questions:

1.) what have contributed to music?
2.) what have you done that’s original?

before panning others he should have a think about that.

Jonathanthomas83

impmann said:

Niallseroreilly said:

I think I get what hes saying.... just plug the guitar in and play..... thats were the fun is.

Different strokes for different folks but I’m sure the guys who create soundscapes find fun in what they do too.

i detest any musician who looks down on another’s talent to make themselves look better. That’s just being a wanker. And that’s exactly what Joe’s doing here.

You, sir, win the thread.

I like Bonamassa and his music, but I’ve heard the blues for years, I would rather listen to someone doing something new and inspiring than his stuff nowadays.

randella

Whitecat said:

Right now Facebook is so full of defensive butthurt dad-rockers who think Joe is 100% right I almost can’t even. 

If you're in the market for last week's must-have boutique overdrive made with extra special unicorn transistors from the radio Roger Mayer was listening to in 1967, now's probably the time. 

They'll be selling them like fury. 

randella

As for JB, his comments will play well with the crowd who buy his records, one of which I gather he's just about to release. 

See also: Liam Gallagher, Brian May, tone, bum. 

Edited the language, hadn't realised I'd clicked my way out of OT

UnclePsychosis

Even if JB was the most creative and inventive guitarist that has ever existed, he'd still be talking shit.

There are no right or wrong ways to make art.