Talk:Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

message: The page linked to Neil Clark (guitar) directs the reader to the writer Neil Clark born 1966 which makes no reference to his playing in the Commotions (or any other band). I am not sure if it is the same person or not - this needs to be clarified. PatrickHadfield 16:33, 26 Oct 2006
:They are very decidedly not the same person, I have created a human disambiguaqrion page, as well as a disambiguation on the article's themselves, to get over this problem. Patrick, I have slightly modified your comment's formatting. Philip Cross 21:11, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Neil Clark

message: Surely "registration" is Franglais?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.102.66.236 (talk) 15:16, 18 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Recording of 2004 concerts 

message: I almost shit myself right there when I saw the words 'encyclopedic guitar savvy.'
What does that mean exactly?  The words sure sound nice, but do they mean anything at all?  Are you suggesting the guy has some kind of 'encyclopedic' knowledge of the guitar?  And how does that work, exactly?  Is he a Mr. Memory figure?  A mentalist who can recall facts and figures about the guitar?  And 'savvy' - how does one have 'savvy' when playing a musical instrument?  How, indeed, does one not have 'savvy' when playing an instrument?  Are you, as I suspect, indulging in complete bollocks talk?
To have encyclopedic knowledge of it you would have to, presumably, have covered the entire history of the guitar from its Spanish four-string origins to the present day, or perhaps further back to its origins in the Middle East.  Perhaps the guy should be a lecturer rather than the rather average performer that he actually is.  He should quit the band and tour the lecture circuit.  He might have a career there.  I'd pay to watch him explain how, for example, a luthier chooses between Indian Rosewood for the fingerboard or treated maple.
Or perhaps you are suggesting the guy knows nothing about guitars, but instead has a great deal of knowledge about guitar playing?  Is that what 'encyclopedic' means?  Sorry.  His stuff is pretty simple, and frankly pretty predictable.  While I can't stand people like Steve Vai, I think it's fair to say he has an encyclopedic knowledge of chords and guitar technique.  There's nothing that would suggest the guy from the Commotions has, in any way sense or form, a special knowledge of the guitar compaired to Vai or Satriani.  His chord changes, and indeed the chords, do not strike me as being either 'savvy' or 'encyclopedic' compared to his peers.  In fact, those words seem quite absurd in this context.  What he is is a good guitar player who can put together a good pop song.  And that is where it ends.
Don't get me wrong, I like the band and the guy is a good guitarist.  But one thing I can't stand is sloppy writing.  This is an encyclopedia, not a student vanity essay about your favorite band.  And yes, I actually play guitar, and synths, and write music, so I do have a little knowledge of the subject.  I can tell you don't.
Dpolwarth (talk) 16:57, 31 March 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I've just removed that line and a load of other fancruft from this article (some of it was appalling) so it should read a little better now. 88.104.30.71 (talk) 22:00, 3 August 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  'encyclopedic guitar savvy' - what a load of bollocks!