Fred_C Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 This is only an opinion. In 1968 I was playing rhythm in a cover band called The Sanskrit Staircase (hey, it was the 60's). We played fraternity and sorority parties. We got paid. We drank for free. We met babes. It was a great gig for a bunch of college kids! It was in the same year that I bought The Bluesbreakers LP with a brilliant young guitarist named Eric Clapton. I was impressed! To this day, I think that his solo on "Have you Heard About My Baby" to be some of his finest work. I even convinced the guys in the band to do "Key To Love" off the album. Time passed. The second Bluesbreakers album came out. Eric Clapton was gone, replaced by a guy named Peter Green. I thought to myself, "Man, if he replaced that Clapton guy, he must be phenomenal." I was very disappointed. Totally unimpressed. It is my understanding that people call him "The King of the Minor Pentatonic"- and well they should, because he seems to never break out of it. A humorous incident: A few years ago, I was brousing through the racks in a CD store. There was a teenage girl about 6 feet away also going through the music. Lo and behold, I came across the Mayall/Clapton Bluesbreakers album on CD. Lifting it out of the rack, I said out loud, "FAR OUT!" The little teenage girl laughed at me. Getting old really sucks! If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Eric Clapton was gone, replaced by a guy named Peter Green. I thought to myself, "Man, if he replaced that Clapton guy, he must be phenomenal." I was very disappointed. Totally unimpressed. "The Supernatural" did nothing for you? Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Peter Green is a highly ranked guitar player by some of the greats to include Clapton and BB. If I had to chose between Green and Clapton, I would go with Clapton. I liked him best when he was with Cream on the older tunes. I liked Santana even better. Green wrote Black Magic Woman and did a great job with it (but it's still one of my favorite Santana songs). Good thing you didn't say "Bitch'en" Fred. My band back in 66 played Ventures tunes. We were only 16 and played adult parties for $20 bucks and all we could drink... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Hey Scott, Just not my cup of tea. Regards. Fred P.S. Pls see my response to Larry for a more detailed explanation. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Peter Green is a highly ranked guitar player by some of the greats to include Clapton and BB. Hey Larry, Man, we really have lived parallel musical lives. Senior year of college, I took a course in Aesthetics. My professor was a brilliant lecturer and he made the following observation: If we define Art not in terms of the "Art Object", but rather in terms of the "Art Experience", that is to say, the cathartic/recreative experience we derive from participating in Art, then there is no such thing as "Good Art/Bad Art". There is simply Art and Non-Art. If it works for you, it's Art. If it doesn't work for you, it's Non-Art. Peter Green doesn't work for me. I will concede the point that "Black Magic Woman" is a terrific piece of music. That being said, let me ask you a rhetorical question. Would you rather hear BMW played by the great Carlos Santana or by Peter Green? Regards. Fred If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I loved "the Supernatural"; still do, in fact. I would love to have seen him live in that era. His later "comeback" stuff is pretty lame, to my ears..... Carlos Santana is the one who "doesn't work for ME", but that's another story, and I know he has rabid partisan supporters here, LOL, and great players like Clapton, McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter etc. as fans. I guess I just don't get it! But then "he doesn't work for me" in ANOTHER sense, too; i.e. he's gotta do his own thing, and has a perfect right to, free country and all...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Getting old DOES suck, especially when it screws with your memory. Clapton wasn't with The Bluesbreakers in'68. It was Mick Taylor by then. Green was between Clapton(one album in '66) and Taylor. By '68, Green was with Fleetwood Mac as a founding member. Remember, in '68, Clapton was knee-deep in Cream, touring the "Wheels of Fire" LP. Cream released THEIR first album in '67. It's easy to get confused when discussing The Bluesbreakers. So many notables came and went through that band, it was almost as if it was a SCHOOL or something, and members eventually graduated. Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor and many others went on to somewhat successful careers. In some cases, players left successful bands to JOIN The Bluesbreakers, as three members of the going strong Canned Heat did. I liked Green. Maybe not as much as Clapton or even Taylor, whom I always thought of as on par with Eric. But Green was OK. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Hey Whitefang, Thanks. That does refresh my addled old brain. However, in my own defense, I should point out that I didn't say that EC was with the Bluesbreakers in '68. If you read my post carefully, you'll see that's when I bought the album. Therefore, that's when I became aware of the band. Aside from that, all of your observations are historically accurate and correct. Well written! Regards. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 It's easy to get confused when discussing The Bluesbreakers. So many notables came and went through that band, it was almost as if it was a SCHOOL or something, and members eventually graduated. Absolutely, although the premier school in the land was The Yardbirds. I've often wondered if Mayall resented the fact that so many players left his band for greater prominence elsewhere. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 Senior year of college, I took a course in Aesthetics. My professor was a brilliant lecturer and he made the following observation: If we define Art not in terms of the "Art Object", but rather in terms of the "Art Experience", that is to say, the cathartic/recreative experience we derive from participating in Art, then there is no such thing as "Good Art/Bad Art". There is simply Art and Non-Art. If it works for you, it's Art. If it doesn't work for you, it's Non-Art. Or, as composer Herbert Brün stated: "Aesthetics is the listener liking himself in the presence of art. 'I didn't like myself while I was listening to your piece' is the beginning of a worthwhile discussion. 'Your piece is lousy' is not" Peter Green doesn't work for me. And, because it's a big world with a lot of ideas, particularly about art, I'll reveal that Santana never worked for me. Sound, note shape, phrasing, etc. I will concede the point that "Black Magic Woman" is a terrific piece of music. That being said, let me ask you a rhetorical question. Would you rather hear BMW played by the great Carlos Santana or by Peter Green? Fred Not a fan of that tune, but in my case I'll take Peter Green every time. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 ] Or, as composer Herbert Brün stated: "Aesthetics is the listener liking himself in the presence of art. 'I didn't like myself while I was listening to your piece' is the beginning of a worthwhile discussion. 'Your piece is lousy' is not" Agreed, Scott. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 I know you already know the answer Fred, I'm always going with Santana...I know there are those that don't care for him and I am more of a fan of his older material although there has been one or two lately that are pretty Smooth...Santana was not just about Carlos, it was about the overall sound he and the band created and infused into the R&R genre. I mean we had LaBamba by Ritchie, If I Had a Hammer by Trinny, El Paso by Marty and Come a Little Bit Closer by Jay, before Santana came along with a real Latin vibe kinda thing like the Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys stuff out today...when I get going on this vibe I break out my nylon string and jokingly call myself Lorenzo! no Peter Green discussion without mentioning Santana would be complete...they were both great IMHO. When Santana was inducted into the R&R hall of fame, he brought Green up on stage and they played BMW together... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaKnRUfh_5I <---here he is. Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Fred, I went back and re-read your post and you're right---I took it wrong. Problem is I was introduced to The Bluesbreakers through the Clapton tenure, and presumed everyone ELSE was, too. Makes no difference. No matter HOW or WHEN you first heard them, getting to know them is the point.Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred_C Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 Hey Whitefang, No problem, brother. Be well and play well. Regards. If you play cool, you are cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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