Is It Really Possible To Seperate The Man From The Work?
I’ve been playing around with something on my FaceBook page lately. What I do is, whilst having morning coffee I pick one artist or band for the day, look up tunes at YouTube as they cross my mind during the day (and, maybe try to not pick the real obvious ones) and share the links on my wall.
Just a fun little exercise.
Today was Chuck Berry day…and, it truly made me think.
You got all those cliches, you know…like; “Separate the man from the work (or art)”…”You don’t want to know your heroes” and such.
I used to listen to Chuck Berry almost religiously. I worked on getting the licks and the feel behind them. Memorized all the words to even the “obscure” ones.
I went to see him a couple of times and had a blast.
There was real joy in those records…even though the guy was getting screwed out of his writing credits and royalties…
…but, at some point I started hearing all the stories…not just the Nationally covered ones involving arrests and deviance but, a lot of local St. Lou lore that pretty much all involved Chuck Berry being a horseshit bastard.
So, I really just dropped it…listening to the music.
I never really gave up playing the licks though ’cause, as a guitarist…well…you just can’t. It’s part of the foundation, the language, the lexicon and like E.C. says, some stuff requires those licks and if you play anything else it sounds “fiddly”.
Anyway, going back through some of this stuff today was enjoyable for me. Not in the same way it was when I was 15 and rock and roll was an endless summer highway full of mystery and abandon but, still pretty cool.
And now Chuck is 85, still rockin’ the house and we all have our indiscretions but…even though I don’t know the man, I still haven’t made peace with him but, I’ve found I can enjoy the music on some level.
So, all of this to illustrate what I think really is a valid and serious question in these times, this election cycle etc. blah blah…and I’d love some input on this…
Is It Really Possible To Separate The Man From The Work?
Oh, and BTW; here is my FaceBook and here is my Twitter…join me, friend me, follow me, I’ll follow you…………
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Pribek At Zazzle
The post to blame: Most Peculiar Mama (Don't Eat Your Cat)
I have no trouble separating an artist’s work from his personal life. I always tell my students that a great musician does not necessarily make a good human being- Charlie Parker, Chuck, Ike Turner- Pat Hare, the Memphis blues guitarist who murdered his wife, and others. Many musicians are flawed humans who can still create brilliant works of art.
Hey Ron, I’m sure you have heard some of the same stuff that I have about Chuck Berry.
I suppose, for me, there are degrees…of both the flaws and the overall influence.
For instance, Ike Turner was reprehensible but brilliant although, in my mind, didn’t contribute as much to the overall artistic picture so maybe, it’s a little easier to overlook…
Chuck B was truly great fun Live… yep.