From: bt979@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Preston)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Subject: What's good for the goose is sometimes a heaping helping of crow.
Date: 17 Oct 1992 00:29:09 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: bt979@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Preston)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


  Well, it's plain to see that Leonard doesn't want to come clean and
admit that he likes to try to hold other people to a higher standard than
he cares to have applied to himself (as has been quite successfully shown
in the past on Allmusic). Now I don't normally post people's personal
e-mail, but in this instance Leonard wrote to tell me he thought he used
the list to send out this jewel, so as I said before, I'm sure he won't
mind letting everyone see the post that got me "fired up," as he put it.
  There were actually three notes after this one, each one a little more
pathetic attempt to apologize to me or weasel out of the "put up or shut
up" machismo that he displayed in front of the list. I let him know that
a public insult (his tape challenge) followed by a softer position via
private e-mail wasn't going to make me back down on my counter-challenge.
Here you have two parties saying "put up or shut up" -- but it's pretty
obvious only one of us is willing to actually do it. Since you can't tell
the players without a program, let's recap:

  Leonard lets us in on his great idea:

<Date:         Fri, 16 Oct 1992 07:31:10 CDT
<Sender:       Discussions on all forms of Music <ALLMUSIC@AUVM.BITNET>
<From:         "Leonard Watkins" <ISTS024@UABDPO.BITNET>
<Subject:      Blues - Put up or Shut up
<Lines: 15
<
<I have a great idea since that quote that still baffles me and i can't
<remember who posted it "if i only knew three chords i'd have the blues too'
<seem to imply that it's easy to play so if you think it is hows about a
<challenge to all you muscially beyond blues muscians, since it's so very easy
<I would like for you to send me a tape of you playing Srv, Jimi's Red House,
<Buddy Guy, Lighting Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Johnny Winter that will be
<enuff, i'll pay you for the tape, i know you can do it in a short time
<being that it is so easy. My adress is:  Leonard Watkins
<                                         6269 Renda Cir
<                                         Pinson Al. 35126
<So now it's put up or shut up....admit your wrong and can't do it or
<fill my mailbox.......What you gonna do......I'll be waiting L.W.
<
<P.S. don't get fired up and start trying to flame me or something stupid
<like that...just mail it and i'll send a reveiw to the board.

  Which prompted me to respond with my acceptance of the challenge on
the condition that Leonard be held to the same standard: that he try to
emulate Peter Gabriel (or for that matter, any of the music he thinks
to be "simple") and that we both send out tapes to a jugde of his
choosing. What could possibly be fairer than this?  Anyway, Leonard
responds via private e-mail saying:

<From: ISTS024@UABDPO.DPO.UAB.EDU (Leonard Watkins)
<To: bt979@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Jeff Preston)
<Subject:      Re: Blues - Put up or Shut up
<
<
<On Fri, 16 Oct 1992 13:46:50 GMT Jeff Preston said:
<>  I have a better idea -- why don't you make use of a sampler and a
<>drum machine to come up with one of those "tunes that anyone could whip
<>out and get airplay," and then we can compare credibility files. As a
<>matter of fact, I'll even go so far as to make a contest of it. You try
<>to record something in the vein of Peter Gabriel, and I'll take a shot
<>at whatever authentic blues master's style you'd like to hear me try.
<>I'll even let you pick the judges. Don't throw down the glove unless you
<>really want someone to pick it up, my friend.
<
<It's a deal mail me all your electronic sound makers (you know the ones
<without strings)...:-) I had a drum machine hell i never missed a beat
<i had now idea i could play the drums so well and at the same time playing
<the guitar. If i had the equipment i would gladly take you up on that
<and embarrass the hell out of you, but i don't just send me the tape so i
<can say how wrong i was...I know this may sound hateful but it's not meant
<to be.....BTW i didn't say i could do it as well as P.G. or I just said
<some fool could do it if he has the right equip and get on the charts
<probally...This doesn't mean he would be as good as P.G. it just means
<you don't need alot of talent to push buttons.....L.W.

  Now, at this point, I can see Leonard is sorry for getting this started,
but all he had to do was accept the counter-challenge, or admit how dumb
it is to issue challenges like this with the hopes that no one will take
you up on it. The point being: I've seen this guy slam music and then
half-apologize with some cynical remark pinned to the end of his posts
(see above for a classic Watkinsism). This time, he didn't even have the
'nads to do his weaseling in front of the list where he first issued his
puffy-chested challenge. Frankly, I'm tired of it. If a man says to me "put
up or shut up," and then tries to say he should not be judged on an equal
basis, I'm going to stand up and call him on it as I am right now. Count
on it.
  So Leonard, I say again that I am willing to record my best emulation
of whatever blues artist you care to name IF you want to attempt to record
something stylistically similar to Peter Gabriel, or any of a dozen other
artists which you consider "less talented" than the blues artists you
tout. I'll still allow you to pick the judge, and we'll send them our
tapes. As you said first (but maybe not best): put up or shut up.

  Jeff ("n.n.")
-- 
| Jeff Preston - owner and moderator of | "We don't  get  many requests |
| the  Allan Holdsworth discussion list |  for recent history."  -- Mr. |
| *** To subscribe, send e-mail to: *** |  Atoz, from the '69 Star Trek |
| <atavachron@morekypr.morehead-st.edu> |  episode _All Our Yesterdays_ |
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU