From: jojw@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (John J. Wood)
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Subject: Re: Innovation (was: The Beatles Live)
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:19:58 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

Richard Shapiro replies to Randall Rhea...
>   creativity or musical skill.  Now, 1962 was before some of the
>   great rock/blues innovators like Clapton, Beck, and Page came on the
>   scene
>
>Innovators? Jeff Beck, certainly: he was *the* major rock guitar
>innovator before Hendrix.

I'm glad you mentioned "rock" in the sentence, Richard.  Without that
word, I'd then put Les Paul in Beck's place, as not only did he
revolutionize the electric guitar, but how to play it in terms of
tone and sensibility.  Some of his work on those early 50s tracks
are understated, but truly amazing at that time.  Of course, we're
talking rock here...:-)

>But Eric Clapton?? He was one of the better
>British copiers of the Chicago blues style, but he has never been any
>kind of innovator in any sense of the word.

When it comes to white blues guitar players, Clapton belongs in the
highest echelon, with very few white individual in his class when it comes
to sheer blues playing, IMHO.

>In fact, George Harrison, whom you rightly deride for his playing at
>this period, turned out to be more innovative than either Clapton or
>Page. And, all in all, a more tasteful and interesting guitarist -
>precisely because he left the blues formulas, which he never did very
>well, behind.

Well said.  George's style is a perfect example of how you don't
need to play a million-notes-per-minute to achieve a purposeful
guitar solo.  Taste is another factor, as many of the notes George
plays has a unique ability to match its backdrop.

>Aside from Jeff Beck and later (post-1964) work by George Harrison,
>some other innovative rock guitarists of the 60s might include Robert
>Fripp, Jorma Kaukonnen (sp?), Jim McGuinn, Hendrix, maybe Lou Reed.

First, that's Jorma Kaukonen.:-)  From the late 60s/early 70s era of
influencial players, I'd also include Clarence White (who along with
Gram Parsons helped steer The Byrds and rock & roll back in a
country direction), Carlos Santana (whose playing remains as vibrant
today), Duane Allman, Jerry Garcia (because of spacy improvisation), 
John McLaughlin (BITCHES BREW, let alone his incredible body of 
work), Frank Zappa, and Mike Bloomfield.

Admittedly, I'm leaning towards soloists here, but I'd include McGuinn
for his *sound* rather then virtuosic abilities:  that big, fat
Rickenbacher sound that really sums up an important facet of
folk/rock.

Finally, Richard, there is one very important player you omitted:
Chuck Berry.  His two-chord progressions have been a vital part
of rock & roll since the days of Maybelline & Johnny B. Goode.
*Anyone* who plays a simple rock chord progression owes a debt to
Chuck Berry. 

>But certainly not formula blues players like Eric Clapton or
>blues-rock session hacks like Jimmy Page. Whatever else they were/are,
>they were never innovators.

The one thing I'd argue about Clapton is that, along with Mike Bloomfield,
he helped make blues music accessible to a mainstream (and white) 
audience via John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and The Dominoes.
So...maybe Clapton wasn't an innovator, but what he did for blues
artists like Muddy Waters and Buddy Guy is arguably influencial in
establishing the blues as an important medium for later blues/rock 
players.

More OBeatlesC:  Clapton played the solo in "While My Guitar Gently
	Weeps".;-) 
 
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 | John J. Wood                              jojw@uhura.cc.rochester.edu  |
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 |			PLEASE GET WELL, JERRY!!!   			  |
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 | "Roll over Beethoven, dig these rhythm & blues..."          		  |
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