Fairly sure Cheap Trick would have never existed w/o Big Star's first album. Edit: And now, I can't get a license To drive in my car But I don't really need it If I'm a big star
Dickey wrote songs and he was also a singer. Duane was only a guitar player. Dickey wins if I gotta chose. He really stepped up after Duane died and took front seat in the band. Learned to play a mean slide guitar too.
Did you ever listen to a song you've heard ten zillion times, and suddenly find yourself struck dumb with awe thinking "What an amazing song?" This is that song, for me tonight:
Yeah I was thinking solely of guitar playing. If we're thinking overall, it's a lot harder actually for me. Duane only wrote one song ("Little Martha," a lovely but arguably relatively minor moment in the band's ouevre), and Dickey wrote some of their best stuff, both before and after Duane's tenure. But Duane was the leader of the band and in many ways his aesthetic and his passion set the agenda for them, and it's even arguable that without playing side by side with, learning from, and being challenged by Duane, Dickey wouldn't have become what he was...and for my money the very best stuff the band did was during Duane's lifetime, although I like a lot of stuff post-Duane. So on the overall question I actually would call it a tie...I think your position is very much a defensible one, though, and most people would probably give Dickey added points if they were counting everything, in fact.
Incredible Stringband The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter The Heads Everybody Knows We Got Nowhere The Fall (Various)
Not to brag, but I saw Brian Wilson live last night in this venue: Pretty amazing. One of the highlights was Blondie Chaplin's mini-set, in which he sang lead on: Feel Flows Wild Honey Sail on Sailor Al Jardine's voice sounded quite youthful and great considering that it's 2018. One of his leads was on "California Saga" from Holland. When the band broke into "God Only Knows" and then later "Heroes and Villains" - well, let's just say my ears were tickled and my soul enriched. On the drive home, my friend and I cooled down and grooved to the gritty, gin-soaked vocals of brother Dennis: Pacific Ocean Blue
The Heads various Constantine Day of Light this is very engaging, one from the Comus branch of the tree of psych more than anything else I can quite identify, although there have been ISB connections suggested on the 'nets. I cannot tell if I like this yet but it is very engaging and at times a feast for the ears.
John Prine Tree of Forgiveness In about 5 songs...so far, almost unbelievably good. More consistently good, so far than Fair and Square. "Summer's End" is one of his best songs. How does he do it? Why doesn't he do it more? Fantastic stuff.
Finished the album. Only 33 minutes. Ten songs. Every one of them is good. "Summer's End" is the new classic.
I have a book, Jazz In the 70's, Diverging Streams, that makes mention of The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter and how the success of that album affected moneys for some jazz artists, McGregor's Big Band for one, who were working very hard to make their way up with the Polydor label. Due to top 10 and top 40 success in the UK and the states by the Incredible String Band that year of 1968, the funding sadly dried up, and some scheduled jazz releases were canceled, according to the book.
Interesting album. Freak folk broadly in the Comus/ISB line...some wonderful, lush sounds and melodies. But it is pure kitsch...I can't take it seriously.
My local record store gave me a free ticket to their upcoming show with my purchase of thrcCRB ravens Reels. I already have my ticket, but my concert buddy did not. Now he does.
Finishing Big Star, Radio City. This is a good rock 'n' roll record filled with good rock 'n' roll. Yeah, yeah--I'm probably putting to fine a point on it, but I don't like to speak in generalities. I love "Industrial Disease" on so many levels. "Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong."
