Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

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sloopjohnc
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby sloopjohnc » 21 Nov 2014, 20:37

Nick wrote:
you could have someone's eye out wi that wrote:Did The Foo Fighters manage to put out at least one half-decent track, all this aside?


Monkeywrench is quite good. One song, which they did about twenty years ago.

Yet people seem to get wildly excited about them, don't they? It puzzles me.


They remind me of a contemporary Grand Funk Railroad. Sells millions of records but nobody knows to who.
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk!

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Quaco
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Quaco » 21 Nov 2014, 21:11

Nolamike wrote:Here's a great read on the show/album; admittedly, I like most things Hyden writes.

Grohl’s recent work has been about subtly reenforcing the barriers between us (Grohl and his old-world rock-star peers) and them (the less-heralded pretenders of the scaled-down, post-glory-days music business). In Sound City, Grohl posited a backdoor critique of ProTools by extolling the virtues of ancient record equipment that’s too costly for 99.9 percent of musicians. For Sonic Highways, he had the budget and access to make an album in some of the world’s best studios while shooting the shit with otherwise inaccessible luminaries, from President Obama on down. Sonic Highways may sound like a journeyman rock record, but as the TV show makes plain, Grohl carries himself as the opposite of a journeyman, with a life only a person of his means could even dream of living. Only the shiniest houses will do.


Image

I mean, the thing is, wouldn't anybody do the same? Rock stars like to hang out with other rock stars and film themselves doing it. It's just that he's this grinning "everyman" that makes him more annoying than usual.
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Fonz
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Fonz » 21 Nov 2014, 21:26

I get to read plenty of interviews with, or about Grohl, just because he is ubiquitous. He is pretty open about the fact that he has a charmed life; recording and playing with a wide range of personal heroes etc
You miserable bunch of cunts who would begrudge him, or anyone for that matter, those experiences; what would you do? Pass up the chance to play with McCartney, JPJ, Killing Joke, QOTSA, as well as having a load of success with your own band with original material!
The Sonic Highways show has some good stuff on it.
No one is forcing you to watch or listen to this stuff!
Fuck! He's cheerful about it, at least.
Heyyyy!

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naughty boy
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby naughty boy » 21 Nov 2014, 21:38

Fonz wrote:No one is forcing you to watch or listen to this stuff!


:idea:
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.

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clive gash
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby clive gash » 21 Nov 2014, 21:46

Fonz wrote:Fuck! He's cheerful about it, at least.


That's all I need to guarantee musical excellence, I'm in!
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

Diamond Dog wrote:...it quite clearly hit the target with you and your nonce...

...a multitude of innuendo and hearsay...

...I'm producing facts here...

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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Bent Fabric » 21 Nov 2014, 22:16

clive gash wrote:
Fonz wrote:Fuck! He's cheerful about it, at least.


That's all I need to guarantee musical excellence, I'm in!


He's clearly one of the gods, and I'm getting increasingly annoyed that Coan and all you other fascist Scrooges won't let me add him to the BCB130.

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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Bent Fabric » 21 Nov 2014, 22:22

I'm taking down your names.

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bobzilla77
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby bobzilla77 » 21 Nov 2014, 22:29

Grohl is being kept out of the BCB 130?

I think this should be investigated. Clearly he is as relevant to rock and roll and discussion thereof as anyone still making music.
Jimbo wrote:I guess I am over Graham Nash's politics. Hopelessly naive by the standards I've molded for myself these days.

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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby clive gash » 21 Nov 2014, 22:50

It's Jimmy Ruffin I feel sorry for.

Imagine a legacy sans a Grohl-crashing.
It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

Diamond Dog wrote:...it quite clearly hit the target with you and your nonce...

...a multitude of innuendo and hearsay...

...I'm producing facts here...

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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Bent Fabric » 21 Nov 2014, 22:56

Ruffin got gypped.

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ChrisB
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby ChrisB » 22 Nov 2014, 00:04

At least he had the decency not to get involved with the new Geldof project

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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby naughty boy » 22 Nov 2014, 00:09

I'm sure they're on the phone as we speak...
Matt 'interesting' Wilson wrote:So I went from looking at the "I'm a Man" riff, to showing how the rave up was popular for awhile.

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Count Machuki
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Postby Count Machuki » 22 Nov 2014, 01:55

Whoa heeeeey, Fonzie's right

There's just a Grohl lot of hatin' going on!

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bobzilla77
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Re:

Postby bobzilla77 » 22 Nov 2014, 02:55

Count Machuki wrote:Whoa heeeeey, Fonzie's right

There's just a Grohl lot of hatin' going on!



Are you saying that maybe the protest movement has "jumped the shark"?
Jimbo wrote:I guess I am over Graham Nash's politics. Hopelessly naive by the standards I've molded for myself these days.

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Re:

Postby Bent Fabric » 22 Nov 2014, 02:59

Count Machuki wrote:Whoa heeeeey, Fonzie's right

There's just a Grohl lot of hatin' going on!


Sit near it, NERD!

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Nolamike
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Nolamike » 22 Nov 2014, 04:50

I'll say I'm not as anti-Grohl as some... he's a helluva drummer, seems like a generally nice dude, and his heart's in the right place, I think. But his willingness (insistence?) on playing with anyone and everyone who may be cited as having some influence is a bit, er, over-the-top.

I mean... this? What the hell?

Image
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Bent Fabric » 22 Nov 2014, 07:21

Nolamike wrote:I mean... this? What the hell?

Image


See - I think a certain kind of person (someone like me, for example) could look at that photo and just more or less see red (or -at the very least - react like you did). I look at that thing and just think "What an absolute, grade A fucking SCHMUCK! What does he think he's DOING there? Is he photobombing these people? Is he just strumming away in order to add some essential musical magic that wouldn't otherwise exist? ". I mean, it looks identical to the sort of thing that you'd paint or photoshop if you were asked to parody the ubiquitous image of some grinning, lobotomized, long-haired dope "sitting in" with some improbable act of your own random choosing. Look! There's Marie Laveau's Voodoo Shop! He certainly doesn't gyp you on the shorthand.

Now, maybe that's just me.

I gather that some other person could look at it and say "Look! He's SMILING!" or "You know - that man deserves serious credit for being better than Nickelback! He once wrote a couple songs that weren't the worst things on the radio today. He got behind the drums once and hit 'em real hard!"

The spectrum of human reaction is enormous, and I reluctantly acknowledge that people with far more sensitive ears than my own can determine just what it is that somehow qualitatively differentiates the Foo Fighters from Good Charlotte or Taking Back Sunday or Maroon 5 or Fallout Boy.

I mean:



This just sounds like a shitty song to me, and knowing that he was once in a van and attended a hardcore show doesn't remotely elevate it above Goo Goo Dolls or Matchbox 20 or...whatever I'm meant to prefer it to. Would YOU want to be seen with that song?

I accept that this thread is in ever-increasing danger of being neutered by a growing chorus of half-hearted "Oh, come on - he's not THAT bad" murmuring, and it may very well be that type of defense that sums the man up far better than I ever could.

Fine. The poster child for nearly digestible competence.

I mean, THAT'S the guy you want eulogizing music?

I'm very happy for him that he's working his way through this bucket list with such determination and persistence - shit, who knows what any of us could accomplish with that type of drive.

I've heard it all - "You tellin' me YOU wouldn't jump at the chance to ruin Beatles songs on television?"

Sure. I suppose I DO like the Beatles! Maybe we'd ALL like to do that.

But...why stop THERE?

http://musicwayaustin.com/2014/11/21/foo-fighters-epic-austin-city-limits-show-%E2%97%84-r3cap/

...and Jimmie Vaughan came later to play “Tuff Enuff”, 6 guitars getting slashed on stage for a legendary moment.


Yep. 6 guitars playing that evergreen classic "Tuff Enuff" by the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Here it is for your listening pleasure. Let's rock!



Man, obviously the original is hard to beat, but...if I'd only heard those guys blowing Trane on a 6 guitar pileup. I can only imagine the transcendant interplay. FINALLY!

If we're lucky, he might even get Blueshammer back together before the week is over.

A FAR more cynical soul than myself might suggest that the man doesn't know shit from Shinola, but...then I see

Seriously, they should show this shit in schools.


in my Facebook newsfeed and realize that the human experience should allow for a wider spectrum of perception than I might have initially thought.

I mean, FUCK - not only was I wrong about Grohl, but...I'VE BEEN SPELLING "TUFF" WRONG ALL THESE YEARS!!!!

The series will end soon. We'll somehow go back to watching something else and attempting to fill the void with religion, drugs, gambling or family.

The eight cities Grohl visits and spotlights will presumably benefit in some way, and maybe kids will learn about the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

But...you know, it's a big fucking country and...the number of key places he wasn't able to visit are far greater in number.

For every Rick Springfield or Trombone Shorty or Jimmie Vaughan, there's a THOUSAND other old rockers who have spent the last year or so vainly sitting by the phone. What about THEM?

I mean, let's take a look at this guy:

Image

Now, obviously, you recognize Polish-American power pop pioneer Greg Kihn. Of the Greg Kihn Band. Who brought us such albums as Next of Kihn, Rockihnroll, Kihntinued, Kihnspiracy, Kihntagious, Citizen Kihn and Unkihntrollable (Greg Kihn Live).

You don't think he wanted/needed his jam session? You think he likes sitting there watching Rick Springfield "rock out" with Grohl on live television? You don't think HE didn't need the exposure just as badly if not worse?

I mean - we were talking recently about people who were "in the shit". The "I fought in the war for your sort!" sort. Kihn's story checks out. Check the record, Jack. He did shit. He was on fucking Berserkley (a pioneering independent label that preceded punk by quite some time) in 1973! That is some fucking foundation laying shit, and...only a small part of the rich history of Bay Area Music. When Kihn dies, who will tell HIS story?

And it's not just Kihn who gets erased by the omission of a Bay Area themed episode. What about the Summer of Love? What about the thrash scene? What about Huey Lewis? Starship? You don't think it would have been cool to have Grohl interview Eddie Money and then write a song about the time Money ran out of blow?

Image

Who's gonna go to Detroit (HUGE music city!) and interview Kid Rock, Sponge and Rockwell?

Shit. If ANYTHING, I'm coming around to the idea that there might not be ENOUGH Grohl to go around.

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zoomboogity
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby zoomboogity » 22 Nov 2014, 16:24

Never mind all that - since when did Dylan start playing the tuba?
Image

"Quite."

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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Bent Fabric » 22 Nov 2014, 18:00

Image

"Listen, mate - I put in me Grohling application AGES ago! Wot's the holdup?"

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Nolamike
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Re: Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways

Postby Nolamike » 22 Nov 2014, 23:18

zoomboogity wrote:Never mind all that - since when did Dylan start playing the tuba?


:lol:

That's Ben Jaffe. He's a good guy, and his parents were hugely important in saving a ton of the first and second generations of New Orleans jazz players from obscurity and poverty. But yeah, he looks like a goober.
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