Annual Rock Hall Nominee Shit Show thread

[Nitro Express]

I think the weirdest Ted story I heard was from Eddie Kramer the famous sound engineer. Ted stripped butt naked in the recording studio thinking his music would be more pure if he did. I’ve always maintained the loose and unscrewed types who never could keep a regular job find their way into rock and roll. The ones with the right gimmicks and talent manage to draw an audience. The real shrewd ones stay around for decades and die rich. Like I said. Crazy like a fox.

[Nitro Express]

I hate these who’s the better guitar player comparisons. I think Double Live Gonzo is one of the best live rock and roll albums ever. That’s Ted’s high point. Joan Jett is a solid rock and roller. I’ve never seen her live but she had some great songs and what’s cool about her is she made her solo career out of refusing to quit. Nobody wanted to give her a deal.

For me it’s about songs more than who’s the better guitar wanker and a person’s politics means nothing to me, because I’m looking at the art. Both Joan Jett and Ted Nugent are still around. Both can still put on a good show.

[FORD]

Life ain’t fair. Both Ted and Sammy Hagar are living the good life. They might be lovers.

With pictures like this, it's not out of the question....

[Nitro Express]

You know Sam is the female in the relationship. I’m amazed Sam can sit down and drive a car.

[Terry]

I hate these who’s the better guitar player comparisons. I think Double Live Gonzo is one of the best live rock and roll albums ever. That’s Ted’s high point. Joan Jett is a solid rock and roller. I’ve never seen her live but she had some great songs and what’s cool about her is she made her solo career out of refusing to quit. Nobody wanted to give her a deal.

For me it’s about songs more than who’s the better guitar wanker and a person’s politics means nothing to me, because I’m looking at the art. Both Joan Jett and Ted Nugent are still around. Both can still put on a good show.

Like, growing up, the first few years I started playing guitar, me and my two other buds who started playing at the same time...we were 12-13 years old...early 1980s...back then, speed and flash guitar was king, right?

Every other week it was:

Hey, you figured out THIS Eddie Van Halen lick yet?
Hey, have you heard Warren DeMartini?
Hey, have you heard George Lynch?
Hey, have you heard about Steve Vai?
Hey, did you fucking hear Yngwie Malmsteen? Man, he's, like, the best EVER!!

Back then, it was cool to show off how fast you could play, or how well you could cop some famous players licks. You know...greasy kids stuff.

Eventually, it comes down to the songs in the end. At least for me, THAT is what resonates years and years down the line. By the same token, a lot of the better known 1980s flash guitar players...I can't even listen to a lot of that stuff now, because in all too many cases the songs were half-assed and little more than a coat hanger to hang (yet another) bitchin', everything-and-the-kitchen-sink guitar solo on.

Now, there are ten bazillion axe wankers posting youtube clips of them playing someone else's stuff. It's beyond boring.

Some of my favorite stuff continues to include AC/DC, The Ramones, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones...all pretty elemental stuff in terms of technique...but it all still resonates like a motherfucker to my ears.

[Fairwrning]

Horse Hockey. Whitney Houston did more cocaine than Rick James, Stevie Nicks and the Eagles combined. She used to stop her shows in mid-song because she was hallucinating seeing "bugs" on stage. Now, that's rock 'n' roll.

I agree about the coke but thats about it..Doobies/Benatar/Priest/Motorhead/Lizzy....Thats RNR...Id vote for T Rex also

[FORD]

Like, growing up, the first few years I started playing guitar, me and my two other buds who started playing at the same time...we were 12-13 years old...early 1980s...back then, speed and flash guitar was king, right?

Every other week it was:

Hey, you figured out THIS Eddie Van Halen lick yet?
Hey, have you heard Warren DeMartini?
Hey, have you heard George Lynch?
Hey, have you heard about Steve Vai?
Hey, did you fucking hear Yngwie Malmsteen? Man, he's, like, the best EVER!!

Back then, it was cool to show off how fast you could play, or how well you could cop some famous players licks. You know...greasy kids stuff.

Eventually, it comes down to the songs in the end. At least for me, THAT is what resonates years and years down the line. By the same token, a lot of the better known 1980s flash guitar players...I can't even listen to a lot of that stuff now, because in all too many cases the songs were half-assed and little more than a coat hanger to hang (yet another) bitchin', everything-and-the-kitchen-sink guitar solo on.

Now, there are ten bazillion axe wankers posting youtube clips of them playing someone else's stuff. It's beyond boring.

Some of my favorite stuff continues to include AC/DC, The Ramones, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones...all pretty elemental stuff in terms of technique...but it all still resonates like a motherfucker to my ears.

In the long run, it comes down to whether you have a sound people will recognize and remember. You know when it's Keef, or Angus, or Iommi, or even Johnny Ramone within 2 seconds. I couldn't pick a YingYang Egosteen riff out of thin air and identify it as him, and I'd probably only instantly recognize George Lynch if Don Dokken was whining on top of it. Steve Vai?? shit I had that Public Image album with him playing on it for years before I even knew it was him... though I did know it sounded good, whoever it was (the album had no credits on it at all, probably part of the "generic" theme of the packaging)

Occasionally you get somebody who is technically brilliant AND has that unmistakable sound. Eddie certainly fits that description, as did Jimi Hendrix. I'd put Randy Rhoads in that camp too, except we tragically never got to see his full potential.

[Nitro Express]

It’s about entertainment and sure the music is an important element but it’s not the whole recipe. It’s the overall presentation and the bands and entertainers who are good at producing the whole package well and bringing it are the ones who have lot’s of success and stick around.

[Nitro Express]

In the long run, it comes down to whether you have a sound people will recognize and remember. You know when it's Keef, or Angus, or Iommi, or even Johnny Ramone within 2 seconds. I couldn't pick a YingYang Egosteen riff out of thin air and identify it as him, and I'd probably only instantly recognize George Lynch if Don Dokken was whining on top of it. Steve Vai?? shit I had that Public Image album with him playing on it for years before I even knew it was him... though I did know it sounded good, whoever it was (the album had no credits on it at all, probably part of the "generic" theme of the packaging)

Occasionally you get somebody who is technically brilliant AND has that unmistakable sound. Eddie certainly fits that description, as did Jimi Hendrix. I'd put Randy Rhoads in that camp too, except we tragically never got to see his full potential.

Interesting your example of tone masters all use simple rigs. Keef uses tweed Fender Twins and most the others use Marshall’s. AC/DC take a amp repair guy on the road with them and use a power conditioner to make sure the power going to the amps is consistent. It’s really about having the basics and having that set up well. One sound engineer told me the less you have in your signal chain the better it’s going to sound. I don’t like a lot of sound processing. I think if you have a great sounding guitar, a properly running amp (tube amps can be temperamental) and a great sounding speaker cab (very important) you have most of what equipment is going to do for you. One reason I like a separate head and cab is I change my cabs to get different tones. Red Backs in an open 2x12 sound different than 25 watt greenbacks in a sealed 4x12.

[Nitro Express]

Also only so much will go through a PA system. Players that really process their sound through a bunch of effects only a fraction of that is going to come out the PA speakers. So a basic decent tone is what you want live. People fuck with their sound too much. Usually huge gear-heads are not the best players. They are into gear more than playing.

[Terry]

In the long run, it comes down to whether you have a sound people will recognize and remember. You know when it's Keef, or Angus, or Iommi, or even Johnny Ramone within 2 seconds. I couldn't pick a YingYang Egosteen riff out of thin air and identify it as him, and I'd probably only instantly recognize George Lynch if Don Dokken was whining on top of it. Steve Vai?? shit I had that Public Image album with him playing on it for years before I even knew it was him... though I did know it sounded good, whoever it was (the album had no credits on it at all, probably part of the "generic" theme of the packaging)

Occasionally you get somebody who is technically brilliant AND has that unmistakable sound. Eddie certainly fits that description, as did Jimi Hendrix. I'd put Randy Rhoads in that camp too, except we tragically never got to see his full potential.

The thing about Eddie and Hendrix...they had technique/technical ability, but it's still their songs that resonate.

Randy Rhoads was a fine player. If I'm being frank, I really didn't much care for the tunes he was coming up with when he was in Quiet Riot, thus while I still think those first two Ozzy solo albums are fantastic no small part of that probably included what Daisley was contributing as well. But...yeah, even though Rhoads had kicked around for several years with Quiet Riot then a couple with Ozzy, it still felt like he was just getting started when he died in terms of realizing his potential. Rhoads, along with Van Halen, certainly demonstrated in the early 1980s that rock guitar didn't have to be endless blues pentatonic scales.

[Terry]

Also only so much will go through a PA system. Players that really process their sound through a bunch of effects only a fraction of that is going to come out the PA speakers. So a basic decent tone is what you want live. People fuck with their sound too much. Usually huge gear-heads are not the best players. They are into gear more than playing.

I will say that in terms of gear re: pedals/effects, I'd have to agree. I've only ever owned stomp box pedals because I never reached the point with any of the amateur bands I was playing with decades ago where I needed rack mounted gear - and in the 1980s/early 1990s that gear was a bit more than I could afford in terms of needing it - but I've always noticed at louder volumes the effects are less...effective, for lack of a better word. The nuance they bring gets lessened at louder volumes. You can sort of over-process the sound of the instrument through too much gear to the point where it comes out sounding like mush. Really, the only effect box I used that wasn't dampened at louder volumes was a delay pedal.

[FORD]

There's a reason those Quiet Riot albums still haven't been released officially. Randy sounds great, but that's the only thing good about them. DuBrow was a horrible songwriter. He made Hagar look like Shakespeare by comparison.

[FORD]

[Seshmeister]

There's a reason those Quiet Riot albums still haven't been released officially. Randy sounds great, but that's the only thing good about them. DuBrow was a horrible songwriter. He made Hagar look like Shakespeare by comparison.

It's no coincidence that their big hit was a cover and then they tried to repeat the trick with "Mama Weer All Crazee Now"

A couple of times over the years I've thought I must go back and listen to early RR stuff but you are right the songs are so meh it's hard to get too interested. Also I do think his playing took a jump between QR and Blizzard of Oz and then again between BOZ and Diary of a Madman - he was getting better and better which makes his death a real 'what if'.