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What's in your CDP tonight? the minority report

I enjoy vinyl and digital (lately, with recent changes, vinyl actually sounds better than digital to me), BUT given what seems an overall preference for analog/vinyl on A'gon, I'm curious what the non-vinyl "1/2" is listening to. I tried to see if this was a previously posted question. Did not seem so.

This evening for me, it's Genesis (definitive edition remaster) "A Trick of the Tail".

128x128ghosthouse
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse OP
4,306 posts
 
@bdp24 - You are like some walking encyclopedia of popular music! After reading your first mention of him here , I did some quick searching this AM and listened to a few songs with the H Bombs (Madhouse & Saving Grace) on You Tube.

I can hear the rock-a-billy thing (never was a big fan) but to my ear, at least, what jumped out is a surf guitar/Dick Dale kind of sound. Regardless, I immediately liked those couple of EJ songs...more so than the stuff I heard of Gatton’s on a lengthy compilation (can’t recall title). My impression is Gatton might be the superior technical player but Johns’ got more "soul" or something (exhibit A: Love is Murder). On the other hand, I might be talking out my...but that’s the initial impression.

In the bit of reading I did, came across this: Evan’s Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEVbbgI8OaI&ab_channel=foundcom1

You know anything about Mason Ruffner? He was supposed to be the next big thing a while back. Jimmy Page produced his first LP (Gypsy Blood, I think). Could look him up I suppose but interested in your O-pinion. There’s something of the rock-a-billy/Link Wray in him as in the above.

Got "The Jungle Record" playing now. Couldn’t quite recall who EJ’s vocals reminded me of. On Day Go By it clicked.  There’s something of Eric Burdon happening there. That’s okay with me.
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bdp24
9,707 posts
 

Damn gh, you nailed Evan's sound! His Surf element is what got us the gig for the album. By the way, the original drummer in The Hillbilly Soul Surfers was Pete Curry, now bassist in Los Straightjackets. Pete's an old friend of mine from San Jose (since '62!), and he switched from drums to bass in The HSS so we could play together. He got the offer from The 'Jackets before we recorded with Evan, and now gets to tour with Nick Lowe. Rat bastard!

You're right, Danny was a very technical player, Evan a more instinctual one. The guitarist many great players (including Danny and Evan) revere is not very well known to non-musicians: Merle Travis. Merle was the model for ALL the Country and Rockabilly (and many Rock 'n' Roll) guitarists who followed him, including Scotty Moore (early Elvis), Dave Edmunds, George Harrison, and Jeff Beck (who idolizes Merle). Danny was also a very Jazz-influenced player, Evan not so much. But Danny wasn't a songwriter, or a singer. When Danny and Evan were together, Danny "just" played guitar, Evan wrote and sang the songs. Never got to see them together, damnit.

I too love that first Mason Ruffner album, it's a beaut! I have it on LP, and his Evolution album on CD. Wonder what became of him?

ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse OP
4,306 posts
 
Thanks for the further insights, bdp. If you’ve ever read "Shakey" a Neil Young bio, David Briggs favored a "first take" approach; overwork it and lose "the spook". I’m pretty sure I’ve come across the Merle Travis name before but don’t know his playing...certainly didn’t realize what an influence he was. Ciao.

http://www.jellyroll.com/2002/evanjohns.html


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bdp24
9,707 posts
 

First takes are fine, but it's nice to have played the song at least once before you're in the studio, or at least heard it! Dylan has written songs while the recording band sits around playing cards, but he has a big recording budget. On the Moontan album, the bass player and second guitarist didn't have a chance to learn the songs before recording began, so Evan and I played them alone---to get the basic rhythm tracks, and all other parts (and vocals) were overdubbed. Evan plugged his Telecaster into a Fender blackface Super Reverb, not his normal amp (a Deluxe Reverb, many player's favorite). The engineer put the amp in an isolation closet, and Evan turned it up to 10. If you've heard a Super (Stevie Ray Vaughan's choice of amp), you know how loud that is!

Speaking of Merle Travis, one song on Moontan is entitled "Shootin' The Merle", an instrumental tribute to the man. The album is half instrumental, half vocal, all Evan.

ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse OP
4,306 posts
 
Yup.  Found a review of Moontan (posted it) and noted the track you mention.  Based on your earlier comment about how big an influence, figured the Merle in the title might be Travis.  


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