Hey Badeye ... you buried in snow, too? Missed your blues fix on Friday ... hope you don't mind me putting in this tune from Matt Anderson, "Canadian Winter Blues"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HEuYIrl1AU
Be warm, buddy ...
3,002 2015-03-22 09:54:41
Re: Gold in the River (4 replies, posted in Poems)
Great stuff, DE ...
That's pretty much where my friend has got to, and it didn't take him long. He told me, "I'm not going to permit them to ruin one more minute of my life."
Atta boy!
3,003 2015-03-21 22:24:14
Re: Middle of the Lake (8 replies, posted in Poems)
Appreciate the kind words, folks ... thanks.
3,004 2015-03-21 22:22:35
Re: Alaska picks (23 replies, posted in Acoustic)
Absolutely brilliant!!!
Thanks for posting, Chevo ... enjoyed this thoroughly.
Amy ... you now have me asking myself, "Why wouldn't I go in to an aesthetics parlour, and get some gel nails put on?" It's not like I'm going try and be some Tibetan monk looking for a place in the Guiness Book, but if I can have enough fingernails on to play my classical guitar properly, why not? Why on earth not?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ...
3,005 2015-03-21 22:10:54
Re: Your Weather (281 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Everywhere I've driven this week, there have been payloaders and dump trucks at work, moving huge mounds of snow and dumping it off of wharves, into ravines ... wherever they can stow it. Most small towns in Nova Scotia now have one-lane streets, if they're even open. February set new snowfall records for the Province, and we've already exceeded the previous records for March with a week-and-a-half to go. Compounding the problem is that we've had virtually no melting days in between the storms, so it's just kept piling up. I'm a 57-year resident of this Province, and can honestly say I've never seen anything comparable to this here.
That said, if we can find an economical way to move all of this to California, there's easily enough snow here in Atlantic Canada to completely end your water concerns. We need Mr. Scott to get that transporter back on line!
3,006 2015-03-21 21:59:11
Topic: DID IT and DONE IT (4 replies, posted in Poems)
A very dear friend of mine was recently let go due to "re-structuring", after a solid and productive career with a large company. I'm furious at how he's been treated, even though he's got his chin up and has already moved on to better things. I wrote this for him out of admiration:
DID IT and DONE IT
Just keepin' on, movin' straight ahead,
Gotta be the man, gotta be the one,
Gotta keep drivin' till the setting of the sun,
The rat in the rat-race, is a rat unless he's won.
CHORUS: So have I measured up? Are your expectations met?
Is my effort up to snuff? Have I finally done enough?
Well, I did it and I've done it, and I've done stopped tryin'.
You no longer own me, and I'm all done cryin'.
There's the ladder, lad … climb it if you can,
Straight to the top, it's our predetermined plan,
The company it needs you, you owe the world your best,
You'll drop dead one day, that's when you can rest.
CHORUS: So have I measured up? Are your expectations met?
Is my effort up to snuff? Have I finally done enough?
Well, I did it and I've done it, and I've done stopped tryin'.
You no longer own me, and I'm all done cryin'.
He's been with us a while, his career has us all amazed,
He's worked like a mad man, climbed like he's crazed,
But with all his paid vacation, and his benefits have grown,
We really can't afford him now, pass the boss the phone.
CHORUS: So have I measured up? Are your expectations met?
Is my effort up to snuff? Have I finally done enough?
Well, I did it and I've done it, and I've done stopped tryin'.
You no longer own me, and I'm all done cryin'.
Well, that was quite a call, that was quite a shock,
They said I was their golden boy, then dropped me like a rock.
I bought into their dreams, and made their hopes my own,
But they can stew in their own juice, I'm done chasing their bone.
CHORUS: So have I measured up? Are your expectations met?
Is my effort up to snuff? Have I finally done enough?
Well, I did it and I've done it, and I've done stopped tryin'.
You no longer own me, and I'm all done cryin'.
3,007 2015-03-21 13:18:13
Re: Michael Brown (1 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Thanks for posting, Uncle Joe ...
I wasn't aware that this famous keyboardist for "The Left Banke" had passed away. Kind of young too, at 65. R.I.P.
3,008 2015-03-21 13:13:00
Re: A student of mine (13 replies, posted in Bands and artists)
That's awesome, Russell ...
For most people, learning anything typically hinges on a key piece of info or a viewpoint, that connects us to the "big picture". As a good teacher, you quickly found that "key" for John, and the door of understanding unlocked. I coached soccer for 9 years (16-18 yr old boys) and fine-tuning a player's skills was as much about reading his individual preferred learning style, as it was about soccer itself.
Nicely done, man ... the world's a better place with more music!
3,009 2015-03-21 09:56:30
Re: Prog Rock Wednesdays (580 replies, posted in Bands and artists)
Yes "Machine Messiah" Lyons, France, 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbrO7rO2_rw
The lads are looking a bit long in the tooth, but that's true of a lot of us ... they can still bring it, that's the main thing. Singer Benoit David replaced long-time front-man Jon Anderson in 2008, and is from Montreal here in the "great white north". The keyboardist is Oliver Wakeman, son of Rick who was with them for years. Looks like he's picked up his Dad's chops on the keys. As a big Steve Howe fan, I just love his style, and the tones he gets out of his Gibson ES-175. Now that Epiphone has a version of it (complete with Classic '57 pickups) this is at the top of my G.A.S. list.
"Machine Messiah" opens their 1980 album "Drama", and is a return to some of the more epic composition format Yes employed in the 70's, the last one being "Going for the One" (1977). Their 1978 album "Tormato" has no tracks longer than 8-minutes, and they made a shift in focus that seemed to bewilder everyone .... including themselves. All of this stuff led to internal strife and personnel changes, as often happens.
3,010 2015-03-21 09:34:28
Re: A student of mine (13 replies, posted in Bands and artists)
Hi Russell ...
It must be very satisfying for you as a teacher, to have a student make such progress. He's obviously being taught the right things, and is also motivated to put in the effort and time to learn what you're showing him. That's great work by both of you, all the way around.
3,011 2015-03-20 09:36:51
Re: The Watchmen (10 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
They may look like toy drums, but guys like Ringo, Buddy Rich, etc. could accomplish a lot with just a little, as I'm sure you did. Lot easier to lug them from gig to gig, too!
3,012 2015-03-20 09:30:36
Re: Alaska picks (23 replies, posted in Acoustic)
Hi Zurf ...
Are these the Alaska Picks you were mentioning?
I'm intrigued, because I also like to play classical guitar, but have never been able to get my right hand fingernails long enough without them cracking, chipping, hangnails, etc. My wife suggested that I go to nail salon and have artificials put on ... that isn't going to happen! (LOL) Please let us know how you make out with these, because they look like a perfect solution for a lot of us, I'm sure.
3,013 2015-03-20 09:24:56
Re: Tremolo Blues (11 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
Well, Russell ... you certainly know enough about guitar mods, that it probably didn't fail because of your doings. I think BGD has got it right, that the problem is at the other end. My friend's Fender Jazzmaster gave him the same troubles (factory installed trem) until he put a locking nut on it. I like BGD's locking tuner idea better, but my buddy's tuning problems stopped when he put the locking nut on.
3,014 2015-03-19 20:53:40
Re: Tremolo Blues (11 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
Great news indeed!
My Les Paul has regular Grovers on it, and I see that StewMac sells the set of the Grover lockers for $75 (gold 3x3's):
http://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Par … currency=D
Funny thing ... All-Parts sells the exact same set for $150!
3,015 2015-03-19 20:41:02
Re: Digitech Trio (60 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
Cool device, Russell ... we all know from experience that you'll get great use out of it. When I saw the term "Band Creator" on it, I was immediately reminded of this pedal board joke that went around awhile back:
3,016 2015-03-19 13:35:20
Re: Strumming Patterns (8 replies, posted in Acoustic)
Zurf's tip about following the bass & drum to lead the strum pattern is excellent. Here's a great example of a tune with a fun strum pattern, and the bass & drums are setting the pace. The song is "Afternoons & Coffeespoons" by the Crash Test Dummies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZnT_s-n__g
Fun song to play & sing!
3,017 2015-03-19 13:28:05
Re: The Watchmen (10 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Very cool pic, SB Bill ...
I wonder what anyone in those days would have thought, if someone like Neil Peart or Carl Palmer showed up with the humongous drum kits they're using today.
3,018 2015-03-18 15:52:46
Re: Tremolo Blues (11 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
Thanks, BGD ...
Locking tuners is probably the way to go. My guitar has regular Grovers on it right now, and they make their Rotomatic Lockers, as do Gotoh, Schaller, and Planet Waves. You really like the Sperzels compared to the others?
3,019 2015-03-18 11:51:02
Re: Prog Rock Wednesdays (580 replies, posted in Bands and artists)
Magenta "Speechless" Cardiff, 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoUFBWmd0x4
Sitting here in disgust with our horrible weather, so decided to do a mid-week upload to the Prog Rock selections.
After a 2-minute pipe organ opening (Opus III) by keyboardist Rob Reed, this is the first track of this concert from November 2007 at "The Point" in Cardiff Bay, Wales. A lot of us old "prog heads" miss some of the classical-styled prog from the 70's, so when neo-prog bands like Magenta (formed in 1999) continue the tradition, we love it. It's also great when some of them are featuring talented female vocalists like Christina Booth here, or Tracy Hitchings (Landmarq) as another example.
I hope you enjoy this beautifully atmospheric music!
3,020 2015-03-18 11:28:38
Re: Your Weather (281 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Another dumping of snow last night, and it's still coming down. here's the view out our living room window, as of 8:15 this morning:
3,021 2015-03-17 23:02:28
Re: Tremolo Blues (11 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
That was also fine (no tell-tale pinging) and the Stetsbar design is such that the whole bridge moves, so it wasn't on that end either. If / when I reinstall it, I'll likely put a locking nut on it also ... should help.
3,022 2015-03-17 22:58:27
Re: The Falcon has landed. (15 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Congrats, JJJ ... and happy NGD! So what's brighter, the guitar or your grin?
3,023 2015-03-17 20:15:25
Re: CHORDIESTOCK III - 3/13/15 - 3/15/15 - save the date! (204 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Great shots, Topdown & Zurf ... thanks for posting. Looks like a goatee convention!
3,024 2015-03-17 20:05:29
Re: Tremolo Blues (11 replies, posted in Guitars and accessories)
I considered that BGD, but since it now stays in tune without the trem (same tuners) I don't think that's the problem. One thing I didn't adjust was the tension on the Stetsbar's two main springs. They may have softened with use (it's about 1 1/2 yrs on now). That adjustment would have made it stiffer to use, but it likely would have stayed in tune better.
Great suggestion ... thank-you for mentioning it!
3,025 2015-03-17 09:54:42
Re: Your Weather (281 replies, posted in Chordie's Chat Corner)
Okay, okay, okay ...
You guys in the warmer climates are driving me nuts! All this talk about sitting on the deck, trees budding, BBQs ... I'm green to the gills with envy.