27.5.09

Question of the Day, 5-27-2009

How come Doug Marsch (Built to Spill) can play a 15-minute guitar solo on a live track and it doesn’t bother me, yet Eric Clapton (Built to Wear a $3000 Suit Whilst Playing the Blues) only has to hint that he is about to drop into a scale for me to think of him as a wanker?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You, my padawan learner, must confront your Classic Rock Fears and realize that, for a time, Clapton was God. Listen to Cream or Derek and the Dominoes for evidence of his mastery. Doug Martsch owes a great debt to Clapton, Neil Young, and even (ahem) Jerry Garcia. Clear your mind of all preconceptions.

Pinky Royale said...

I get what you're saying, and I dig the classic rock. I can rock a mullet as good as anyone else. I'm just saying that though Doug Marsch (along with J. Mascus) did take a lot from those classics, when I hear a Built to Spill or a Dinosaur Jr solo it sounds as though it is part of the song, like it was naturally birthed within the framework of the composition. When I hear a classic rock solo, all i hear is someone saying, "OK, there needs to be a solo here. Guitar guy, do the guitar face!" It just sounds too by-the-numbers.
And yeah, that $3000 suit thing too.