RE: Hiromi, Happy

["Dean, Hal " <HDEAN@wcupa.edu>]

Title: Message

Richard-

 

Happy the Man are a great touchpoint for some of the folks on this list. Good to see someone mention them.

 

If you have their first LP you'll see my name in the credits, right next to Clive Davis. That 8 point font is as close to fame as I'll ever get.

 

I saw Stanley and Frank's new project Oblivion Sun about a month ago and they were tremendous. They did "Leave that Kitten Alone,  Armone", believe it or not, but had a lot of new stuff too. A CD is in the works.

 

I'd have to add that a new and different sort of complexity shows in the work of folks like 4tet, and they're mighty interesting. I thought Tortoise were leaning toward Canterbury a few albums back. And the guys in R'head have beaucoups chops. Maybe the world is big enough for all of it.

 

 

Hal Dean

Project Manager

Facilities Design and Construction

West Chester University

610-436-2519

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Sales [mailto:richard@glasswing.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:46 PM
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: Re: Hiromi

Did any of you ever hear the prog band Happy The Man? We shared bills in the good old days (G.O.D.S) and I thought, and still think, they were some of the best and most creative of the prog genre. Especially in their first incarnation with Mike Beck on drums/creative percussion.

And yes! The anti chop movement has been devastating to music. The sanctification of The Garage has been cataclysmic. But some nights, when I''m off, I'm really grateful for it!

But recording guitar for my daughter I really saw the impact of this. She didn't want ANY string bends (I snuck in a few), any left hand tremolo (when she wasn't looking), anything that really stood out. So ALL of my parts are incredibly simple - which is what I usually like anyhow, but I mean REALLY SIMPLE. I learned to put all the soul I could muster into whole notes! While doing it I thought I would be really embarrassed - and threatened to not put my name on the CD - but the final product actually fits together well and the guitar comes off as organic and doesn't step on ANY toes (to say the least). But this is how a lot of younger (especially college age) folks want to hear music... or at least NEW music. They'll listen to the Zep's note blizzards all day long and somehow that slips under the radar. But generally, guitar chops are seen as showing off.

It's a strange new world! Our job is getting easier.

richard sales

glassWing farm and studio

vancouver island, b.c.

800.545.6846

250.752.4816

www.glassWing.com

www.richardsales.com

www.hayleysales.com

www.blueberryfieldsfarm.com

On 21-Jun-06, at 8:23 AM, Christophe wrote:

I think the whole prog-bashing trend started as sour grapes on the part of kids who just didn't have the chops to play it. As I recall, at the same time that prog was declared a dinosaur by these young turks virtuosity in general was poo-pooed just as much.

Not that there wasn't an awful lot of excess (and I spell excess E-L-P) rampant at the time!

Regards from Boston,

Chris

-------------- Original message ----------------------

From: "Tony K" <bigtony@softhome.net>

RE: HiromiI'll be seeing Emerson on Sunday evening. I'm not counting on silver

suit or knives in the B3. Apparently he does travel with a large modular

though...

I'm a prog-head and proud of it! I have all of the ELP albums up to but not

including "Love Bleah" oh, I mean "Beach"

I sometimes think it's just fashionable to trash prog, but I would rather listen

to it than most of what's coming out these days. It is interesting to note that

there is a very active and very good modern prog scene going on.

as said before. YMMV.

Tony