The technical abilities of Brian Jones

This also not true.

 

I never said Keith didn’t have insecurities- who doesn’t? But the Brian Jones story is littered with insecurity, to the point that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Felt he was loosing his band, so he made damn sure to mess himself up so badly that he, in fact, did lose it. Then his life.

 

Oh really? Which, then?

 

You can hear Brian Jones in Paint it Black. A classic Rolling Stones song.

 

You are being serious?

Ok...

Any of the albums that don't feature this many instruments.

sitar
tamboura
tabla
mellotron
shehnai
fiddle
piano
tack piano
guitar
harmonica
bass
double bass
drums
percussion
a gospel choir

I might have missed some things.

EDIT: Oh yeah, vocals.

...

Time for bed. Night night.

 

I'm pretty certain he plays genuine flute on "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)" (not Mellotron on the flute setting). If you reduce the volume of the centre of "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)" by 48 dB in Adobe Audition, you can hear the flute-playing quite clearly. O'course, Brian is playing some very interesting and other-worldly melodic bits on the Mellotron on this track, too.

(It's interesting to note that another multi-instrumentalist, John Paul Jones, seems to have adopted Brian's pageboy haircut: just thought I'd add this little sidebar).

 

Brian Jones-era Stones is the Rolling Stones, to me. He was no virtuoso. But he was a gifted, versatile musician.

As much as I dig the band calling itself the Stones post-Let It Bleed, to me they seemed to want to become a Southern Rock band; and no longer the English r&b/garage/psych terrors and dandies they had been. Maybe that was a wise move, though ... or more likely, they had no choice. 'Sixties' Stones could no longer exist without Brian.

 

Yes, the measure of a “stripped back” sound is clearly tallying up all the instruments used, rather than, you know, the quality of the sound of the record.

 

I didn't say Brian wasn't insecure, that would be a ridiculous statement. But it was a personal type of insecurity, not professional insecurity. He gave interviews up through June 1967 (Monterey), but I have never heard him knock the musical skills of Keith or the other Stones.

 

Brian was a great fan of both Charlie Parker and John Coltrane: his recurrent asthma may have been one of the things that got in the way of any ambition he may have had to become an accomplished jazz musician.

 

On sitar and acoustic guitar.

Bill told us that and it makes sense when you hear what he played live.

There is a real flute in there, but whether it is Brian is unknown.

 

He didn't give up doing interviews.

Here is one from September 1968.

 

Yes, it is a good way to gauge such a thing.

 

Brian also played Saxophone (at least enough to make a go of it) on You Know My Name

 

Yes, but that has nothing to do with my post.

 

Wonky technique for the win...

Dulcimer action. Click on images to go to the Youtube links.

Brian's acoustic dulcimer.


Lady Jane


Mord Und Totschlag dulcimer and banjo theme

...

Brian's 2nd Vox electric dulcimer.


Cool, Calm & Collected

...

Brian's 4th Vox electric dulcimer.


Gomper

 

Brilliant advert of the time, do you know where it was published?

 

Untrue. The Stones were MASSIVE from 1965 to 1968 already. After the poorly received TSMR, they came back at full throttle and blew everyone away with Jumpin' Jack Flash and Beggar's Banquet - and this was while Brian was there. Taylor just blended in very nicely with where the Stones were going at the time.

 

Ignorant Jones nay sayer opening his mouth, and at its most cliched. Let’s see you play slide guitar like he could.

Your god Mick Taylor has given plenty of props to Brian over the years, shame you can’t find the time to do the same.

Without Brian there wouldn’t even be any Stones for you do dismiss him and his contributions.

 

Beat Instrumental.

 

I was thinking that due to the sparse design but wondered if it was originally marketed in the US?

 

No. It's a Jennings Musical Industries project.

Brian needed one to play Lady Jane live, JMI made him atleast 4 and advertised them for sale.

Only 7 or so, including Brian's, were made.

 

Didn't one of Brian's get stolen?

 

His first electric one made by Vox right before their 1966 US tour started. A replacement was flown over asap.

 

Woah ! 37 pages in and no one has yet
mentioned that while Brian initially attempted
piano on Jimi's 'All Along The Watchtower' ,
those bits were never used. When Jimi decided
piano was not what he wanted on the track,
Brian eventually gravitated toward percussion
and that is him you hear on the released version
adding the otherworldly accents on vibraslap
and knarre that are essential to the song's
surreal aura. Brian happened to be very adept at
percussion instruments - one of the best in fact.

EDIT :
* apologies to @DTK :

My initial search for "All Along The Watchtower"
did not turn up your post. When I searched
again using only the keyword "Watchtower"
it came up and I see you mentioned Jones'
percussion on that track.