Some of the most wonderful music I've ever heard, something I've been coming back to for over a decade now and will never get tired of. Absolutely lovely.
I've been trying to learn his songs lately, after years of knowing I wasn't good enough technically. He has the knack of making amazingly tricky parts sound easy... the strength and steadiness of the thumb counting off the subtle bounce of the bass notes, the lilt and lightness of the treble strings dancing little figures around the top. Total magic, but never heavy or dense. He leaves air in the middle, and then that gentle, wry, dryly funny voice comes through in that space.
Some of the lyrics are pretty startling too, coming with such a casual delivery-- "she might cut you, might shoot you, stab you too, aint no telling what she might do", or, "throw my dress up to my knees, i give my total all to who I please" are two favorites.
At some point I'll post some Joseph Spence, a Bahamian guitarist whose fingerpicking style is like a rowdier, bouncier, more syncopated version of John Hurt's. The comparison is pretty nifty.
Yeah. He has always suprised with his songs! He's the real OG! Check out Yazoo's 1929 sessions- if you don't already have them. I have to comment about today's postings now...I can't keep up!
6 comments:
OH......goosebumps. Pure Beauty. Each measure of his picking style are like steps to the heavens....
"It's soup in a clam."
Thank you!
-k
I've been trying to learn his songs lately, after years of knowing I wasn't good enough technically. He has the knack of making amazingly tricky parts sound easy... the strength and steadiness of the thumb counting off the subtle bounce of the bass notes, the lilt and lightness of the treble strings dancing little figures around the top. Total magic, but never heavy or dense. He leaves air in the middle, and then that gentle, wry, dryly funny voice comes through in that space.
Some of the lyrics are pretty startling too, coming with such a casual delivery-- "she might cut you, might shoot you, stab you too, aint no telling what she might do", or, "throw my dress up to my knees, i give my total all to who I please" are two favorites.
At some point I'll post some Joseph Spence, a Bahamian guitarist whose fingerpicking style is like a rowdier, bouncier, more syncopated version of John Hurt's. The comparison is pretty nifty.
i don't like most music, but this is aiight.
That's right, you're famous for your anti-music stance. :)
Yeah. He has always suprised with his songs! He's the real OG! Check out Yazoo's 1929 sessions- if you don't already have them.
I have to comment about today's postings now...I can't keep up!
I'll have to find the 1929 version. Thanks for the tip!
I'm trying to slow down the postings to one a day, so it ought to be a little less overwhelming.
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