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| From | Kerry Kompost <kerry_kompost@yahoo.com> |
| Subject | Re: Satch vs. Ramones/Cash, Johnny |
| Date | Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:26:31 -0800 (PST) |
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Rob Splitsville wrote:
>>Joe Satriani played more complex parts than Johnny
Ramone and Steve Jones, so I guess he's a 'better
player' than them. But really, who's BETTER?<<
Johnny Ramone is better at writing nice, catchy (read:
simplistic) oft-Beatle inspired 3-chord romps that a
child could bang their head to; Satch is better at
writing complex, jazz-inspired music that takes an
appreciable skill level to acheive.
The true test is "can YOU play it?" We can all play
Ramones songs -- does that make them better? I'm
pretty sure only a few here could emulate Satch enough
to pull off one of his covers -- does that make HIM
better?
I think the answer is: oranges and mushrooms.
For me, musical depth and layering and craft and
technique trump simplicity, at least 99% of the time.
Sometimes, you just need some head-banging Ramones
music; other times, you need your jaw dropped. One can
live with both.
I've been tossing this shit around in my mind lately,
after seeing a documentary on Johnny Cash. As I was
watching, I was pretty much compelled to eye Cash
INTENTLY, listening with wide-open ears and mind. The
man was so COMPELLING and had such a great PRESENCE. I
was enthralled.
And yet, the musician in me kept saying "Gawd, take
away the voice, lyrics and attitude of Johnny Cash and
all you're left with is the country music equivalent
of three-chord blues. Tired, tried-and-true, folky,
simplistic, nursery-rhyme music. The kind of music
that a child could play. Yawner!
And, yet, Cash -- with his voice and attitude and
sheer presence -- transforms the mundane into the
sublime. Songs my ear would gloss over as cliched are
transformed into something transcending mere music.
And, although I personally found the actual music
incredibly boring, I could not deny that Johnny Cash
somehow made them incredibly interesting.
It got me wondering, what exactly ARE songs?
The beauty of all this is that there's plenty of room
for both complex musical musings (ie. classical, prog,
jazz, fusion) and simplistic folk music that tells a
good tale (country, rap, powerpop).
The best, most inspiring artists are, in my opinion,
able to fuse the complex with the simplistic (XTC,
anyone? Todd?) and in the process create something I
find both musically AND emotionally satisfying.
These days, something about pure music -- NO VOCALS!
-- is driving me. Something about the way, say, Jeff
Beck is able to SAY something powerful, without words,
only via melody, that I find incredibly compelling.
I'm chasing that tail these days, wondering where
it'll lead.
But that's another orange in a crate full of
mushrooms.
kErrY
www.myspace.com/kompost
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