Pribek

I’ve received a few emails from people who are curious about my recent decline in posts, correspondence etc. I am still without internet at the Winnebago. The deal is this; I am located at a campground that is a small privately owned place. The internet signal that I use is the wireless signal from the office and their wireless router is down. They have told me that it is temporary but, they have been out of town for a few days. In the meantime, I have been popping down the street to a friend’s office once a day to check emails and sometimes doing a blog post. Sometimes my time is limited and I don’t have all of my normal resources etc. I don’t normally plan these posts, I just rant or ramble as the mood strikes so; putting it on a schedule is foreign. But, I’m still here, still kicking.

I was sorting through some stuff this morning and found a batch of old demos. In doing so, I ran across a couple of curiosities that I thought I would put up here.

I will get to that but first, I feel that I must hip you to…..

The Demo Philosophy and All-Purpose Disclaimer

When I demo something it is always for the sole purpose of demonstrating a musical idea to somebody. I am, in no way, trying to execute a recording for any type of release or product. All demo music ideas are in an embryonic stage and subject to change and/or development. Therefore, I do not spend time on editing or clever mixing pursuits. I could spend hours cleaning and polishing then, end up changing the thing drastically and all of that would be time wasted. So, in short, these demos are recorded poorly and mistakes are left in.

The first thing is a little solo slide acoustic piece. I recorded this late one night and, if memory is correct, I wrote it the day before. I had just purchased a new brass slide that turned my finger green so, I called this song “Greenfinger”. It’s a fingerpicked solo thing in D tuning. The guitar that I had close by was a cheapo Alvarez and it wasn’t well suited for holding the tuning. I remember I had to do it in one take because, I tried doing a punch-in on an earlier version and it didn’t work well with me playing and recording at the same time. So, there are a couple of flubs and lots of string clacking but, I listened to it this morning and didn’t mind all of that. Click here for “Greenfinger”.

This second one is a sort of a Robin Trower type riff. It’s not a complete piece of music. I originally intended to write words and all of that but, it’s one of those things that I would never be able to do a credible vocal on. So, I’m putting it up here in case anybody wants to take a crack at writing a lyric and the best deal would be to find someone who could sing on this sort of thing too (doesn’t have to be the same person). The demo is me on guitar, bass and tapping away on a cheap drum machine. Here is a link for the “RT type thing”.

Nothing serious here, feel free to listen and/or download. If you want to take a shot at writing on the second one, feel free to slice and dice.

I’m digging Wolfgang’s Vault. Free concert streams, you just have to sign up. Right now I’m listening to a Johnny Winter show from 1974.

Johnny Winter – vocals, guitar
Rick Derringer – guitar, vocals
Randy Jo Hobbs – bass, vocals
Richard Hughes – drums

Blues-rock guitarist Johnny Winter was coming off five solid years of hit albums and sold out tours when he did this show in San Diego for the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio concert series. Winter was promoting Saints & Sinners, and still carving his own legacy in rock when, at around the same time of this recording, his younger brother and former band member Edgar, hit platinum with the LP They Only Come Out At Night, and his own band, the Edgar Winter Group. Although it never got in the way of their personal relationship, the two brothers were suddenly competing with each other, and to boot, using a lot of the same material and band members. Rick Derringer, who was also trying to establish his own career with All American Boy, was serving duty as guitarist and producer for both.

# 1. Good Love
# 2. Bad Luck Situation
# 3. Stone County
# 4. Silver Train
# 5. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
# 6. Johnny B. Goode
# 7. Boney Maronie
#8. Be Careful With A Fool

You know, Johnny reached a point where he didn’t want to play the rock and roll stuff anymore. I saw him a couple of summers ago and he’s doing a completely different kind of thing then when I saw him many years earlier. I love what he’s doing now but, I also liked to hear his rocked up stuff. It seems like he used to do more of the slide boogie thing too and the “Silver Train” from this show is one of the best examples of it you are likely to hear.

And, oh yeah, Rick Derringer.

There has been a lot of slide guitar talk around here in recent days.

Some of you, who don’t play guitar, may be scratching your heads.

What’s the fascination?

One thing is this; slide playing lends itself to individuality. There is no “proper” way to do it.

This little video is interesting to me because, it is a longer version of the little snippet that appears on the Little Feat compilation record, “Hoy Hoy!”, that has Lowell George espousing the practical benefits of the Sears Craftsman 11/16 socket, for use as a slide.

In the clip, Lowell gives an overview of slide playing, does a brief version of “China White” with the guys adding nice harmonies and shucks and jives with a couple of German interviewers. It’s fun.

I said blow away, blow away
This cruel reality
And keep me from its storm
Suspicion has crept in, and ruined my life
I’m messed up, and hassled, and worn

Well its pure indignation
Just another sensation
And I’d like to knock on that door
But the boy he keeps on callin’ for more

Yes and my sweet China White
She ain’t here tonight
And love has robbed me blind

So cast away, cast away
From this ball full of pain
For it sinks beneath the waves

Yes and my sweet China White
She ain’t here tonight
Oh and love has robbed me blind

Some sweet Maureen has robbed me blind