Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Mellotronists

----- Original Message -----

From: zappaboggs

To: Mellotronists

Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 10:58 AM

Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Middle-age meddling...

"I guess my question is, at what point does a band forget what makes them cool?"

 

Good question...  IMO, just ask Chris Squire and mates...

 

(I type this while ducking the tomatoes flying...).. .  My favorite show in the last few years from THE era? 

 

James Gang at the Beacon, NYC 2006...  Played every song perfect...  (Minimal jamming...  which sometimes is a good thing...)

 

Tend my Hammond...

 

 

"Nothing can change the shape of things to come."

...Max Frost

 

"Any talent that we are born with eventually surfaces as a need"

...Marsha Sinetar

----- Original Message ----
From: Jack Younger <e4103s@yahoo. com>
To: Mellotronists <Mellotronists@ yahoogroups. com>
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 9:05:29 AM
Subject: [Mellotronists] Middle-age meddling...

Here's some food for the thinkin'....

I went to see the Zombies here in Boston MA, and
it was fantastic! Original members, great
performances, good energy and yes, there were some
senior moments, but a good time nonetheless. My gripe
was this; the guitarist was not original and walked
up with some PRS-type guitar and a newer stack of some
kind, with a collection of soulless patch tones and
shredded through every song. Now, this was the Little
Steven Garage series and the guitar back-line is all
AC30's, so there was no excuse for plugging into that
monstrosity.
The bigger problem was that this seemed to be OK
with the band. They were smiling and flaunting this
"young buck" through the whole set as though this
would somehow connect them with the younger
generation. I was hanging out with some younger
clients of mine (ranging from 18-24) who love the
Zombies and were disgusted. Where were the scrappy
rhythmic guitar spanks that made them great?
Granted, Rob Argent had a digital key setup, but you
try dragging around a harpsichord, marxophone, B3,
etc. to all the shows, as we all know, all too well.
And he is Rob Argent.
I guess my question is, at what point does a band
forget what makes them cool? Yes, it sucks when a
legendary band goes through the motions to make some
bread because they got screwed out of royalties in the
60's, but then, who can blame them for that? It's an
integrity thing, which is, after all, what makes a
band great in the first place. Get as old as you like
and play as long as you like. Just don't pander to a
young audience that would rather hear you be honest
and original like you always were.
That's my two cents.

Jack Younger
-Gracefully growing older and still making records the
old-fashioned way.

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