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AllenLowe

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Posts posted by AllenLowe

  6. The guitar corner

    in Musician's Forum

    Posted

    my favorite guitar these days is a weird Guyatone with a harmony neck and a Lollar P90 on the neck pickup - because the strength of the P90 is only about 6k it has a true '50s sound, kinda round and rich but none of that high-gain ceramic stuff (which is fine as I've cancelled most of my stadium concert dates). the guitar itself is something of a mixed thing, action is good but not great, but it's light as a feather and good for my ageing hands. Playing it through a Silvertone 1484 or a 5D3 replica (the 5D3 was Fender's pre-5E3 circuit). Taking this baby to NYC next week to record with Matt Shipp, so I gotta practice -

  11. Upcoming Dave Douglas CD... A Single Sky

    in New Releases

    Posted · Edited by AllenLowe

    funny, as I was thinking about posting, as I never really liked him much, but was hesitant as I met him once and did not like the guy (very full of himself, a bit of an "artiste") and was worried as I was uncertain whether I was confusing my personal feelings with my critical judgment - but then I read Chuck's comment, which gave me courage - as I have always been completely unmoved by Douglas' music and playing -

  15. Beatles Remasters coming! 09/09/09

    in Re-issues

    Posted · Edited by AllenLowe

    there's really nothing in the performance or text of Revolution that indicates any intent at irony; it's just a bad (middle class revolutionary) song.

    and I never said the Beatles were not an important (and vital) component of the 1960s - only that Copland's edict was hopelessly muddled.

  17. Piano Men

    in Artists

    Posted

    it's a lot of fun dealing with Matt because he so so damned smart and always unafraid to speak his mind. He's doing the intro to my blues set, and I've been interviewing him a bit.

  21. Beatles Remasters coming! 09/09/09

    in Re-issues

    Posted · Edited by AllenLowe

    I've always found the song Revolution to be one of the dumbest things in the Beatles' whole ouevre; too many millionaires in that group, and the lyrics are so shallow/bourgeoise as to not even merit being taken seriously - "if you're talkin' 'bout destruction...count me out" stands as the ultimate in idiotic liberal piety - not because the sentiment is bad but because it's such a 3rd grade view of the whole concept - and an easy out, to boot (same thing with the "pictures of Chairman Mao" reference). The fact that it could be used for a corporate commercial shows how "dangerous" Lennon was, particularly under the pseudo-revolutionary sway of Yoyo. I used to watch Lennon on tv shows in that era, trying to talk his way into a neo-Marxist world view and it was pathetic - a brillliant and first rate auto didact basically turned himself into a 2nd-rate intellectual.

    and as for Copland's "If you want to know about the Sixties, play the music of The Beatles," more sociological short hand that has nothing to do with much of anything. Also, the kind of thing he and Leonard Bernstein were saying to show they understood "the kids." Do the Beatles tell us about Vietnam and Cambodia? Watergate? The true explosion of certain kinds of social consciousness? Paris 1968? The assassinations of JFK and MLK? Abbie Hoffman? The Weather Underground? Robert Kennedy? Ornette Coleman? The blues revivial? Fidel Castro? The Bay of Pigs? The Cuban Missile Crisis? The Test Ban treaty? The Tet Offensive? Lyndon Johnson? The London Mod Scene?

    Bullshit; Copland was "there," maybe but he wasn't really THERE, if he says that. This is all, pardon my annoyance, very shallow political commentary. Very much in line with Adorno's conclusions, as cited by Larry kart on another thread here.

  22. Piano Men

    in Artists

    Posted · Edited by AllenLowe

    yes, Matt Shipp is one of the greatest pianists I have ever heard - and I'm not just saying this because I'll be recording with him in 2 weeks-

    and let's not forget Jaki Byard -

    and I will add one of the best and largely unrecorded pianists I ever knew - the late and lamented Andy Shapiro.

  23. Beatles Remasters coming! 09/09/09

    in Re-issues

    Posted · Edited by AllenLowe

    I've always found the song Revolution to be one of the dumbest things in the Beatles' whole ouevre; too many millionaires in that group, and the lyrics are so shallow/bourgeoise as to not even merit being taken seriously - "if you're talkin' 'bout destruction...count me out" stands as the ultimate in idiotic liberal piety - not because the sentiment is bad but because it's such a 3rd grade view of the whole concept - and an easy out, to boot (same thing with the "pictures of Chairman Mao" reference). The fact that it could be used for a corporate commercial shows how "dangerous" Lennon was, particularly under the pseudo-revolutionary sway of Yoyo. I used to watch Lennon on talk shows in that era try to talk his way into a neo-Marxist world view and it was pathetic - a brillliant and first rate auto didact basically turned himself into a 2nd-rate intellectual.

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