I mean how good is this song?

It's perfect from a rock perspective. Hooks, riffs and licks galore thanks to Keith and some damn fine playing at that. Lovely little interlude outro prior to Mick going nuts (and lovely piano work by Nicki) - none of that pointless nothingness rubbish that is tacked on at the end of D&D's "Layla" - but an addition that is sublime to an already great song.

No biggie just felt like getting that out cos I just heard it for the first time in a while...

The outro to Layla is among the greatest few minutes in rock n roll ever.

What? Man just sounds like trite "here tack this on in case nobody thinks we're creative" - it also bears absoulutely zero relevance to the song that precedes it. It's repetative and droll.

MM is beautifully arranged, wonderfully spaced, very well produced, great vox, great sound and again the guitaring that is focused and superbly played by Keith. It's also written by two chaps that knew what they were doing. Not like that fluff at the end of "Layla". Clapton sounds as if he and his guit are in lala land.

Maybe he shoulda called "Lala" instead....

The end of Layla always did sound like the bridge to Monkey Man. The Layla coda is weird, if you just let it wash over you, it's pretty moving. But, listened to closely, it's a mess.

I was lucky enough to have played in a band with Jim Gordon, at the end of his career. He confirmed the story, that the instrumental portion of the song, was something the drummer recorded on his own. Clapton just tacked it on to the end of his tune with massive overdubs. The original piece was supposed to be a demo for a song Jim had written with a female singer called, "Don't Let The World Get In The Way." When I knew Jim, he was fighting to get paid for his contribution. He felt a bit guilty, that the "lyricist" for the song would never be compensated or acknowledged.

Errrrrr, both songs are great.

Snowing on you, Elmo?

Not yet, but a cold, windy, nasty day. Friday was nearly perfect - about 75 and sunny. Helluva turnaround.

2 or 3 inches plus thunder and no end in sight here.....I'm not pleased.

what about Charlie's drumming on MM ...........superb !

sc uk

straycatuk - I was just about to say the same thing about the drumming. One of Charlie's finest hours! Keith's guitar without question is out of this world here. This is a perfect song.

Why diss Layla??? Another perfect song.

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moosman
I was lucky enough to have played in a band with Jim Gordon, at the end of his career. He confirmed the story, that the instrumental portion of the song, was something the drummer recorded on his own. Clapton just tacked it on to the end of his tune with massive overdubs. The original piece was supposed to be a demo for a song Jim had written with a female singer called, "Don't Let The World Get In The Way." When I knew Jim, he was fighting to get paid for his contribution. He felt a bit guilty, that the "lyricist" for the song would never be compensated or acknowledged.

This is simply not true. Gordon has been acknowledged for the piano part ever since Layla was recorded and released, and to this very day the acknowledgement pays all his bills.

Mathijs

Unfortunately, it is true. He was listed as the writer, true, but had to fight for years to get paid. I heard the money eventually came through, but not until it was too late to make a real difference in his life.

Okay kids, time to school ya.
The outro for Layla was done not by Eric Clapton but the late great Duane Allman.
(and you call yourselves music fans!)

[thepowergoats.com]

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moosman
Unfortunately, it is true. He was listed as the writer, true, but had to fight for years to get paid. I heard the money eventually came through, but not until it was too late to make a real difference in his life.

Considering where Jim is at these days, would any of this matter?

It would matter to his family.

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moosman
It would matter to his family.

...yes, I guess that's true, especially his mother.

OK, that's not a funny joke, sorry about that, but I did read that he remains wealthy today, probably because of his incarceration (lack of places to spend it).

It is sad. I had an opportunity to sit backstage at a traffic concert in the 70's and he was passing the bottle around between songs. I asked him if he was still in touch with Eric and he said "Right now this is my gig" He was very friendly, but stoned out of his mind. It didn't seem to affect his drumming.

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jamesfdouglas
Okay kids, time to school ya.
The outro for Layla was done not by Eric Clapton but the late great Duane Allman.
(and you call yourselves music fans!)

Sublime playing by the late, great one.

"No Anchovies, Please"

Monkey Man is by far the better song than that goddamned Layla and is in the Top 10 - easily - of the best songs by The Rolling Stones and certainly one of the best rock'n'roll songs ever.

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jamesfdouglas
Okay kids, time to school ya.
The outro for Layla was done not by Eric Clapton but the late great Duane Allman.
(and you call yourselves music fans!)

Actually this is not completely true. Eric also plays slide guitar on the end in tandem with Duane as well as some other lead guitar parts.

Re: Monkey Man - only on hearing a digital mono version of this did I hear how good the bass is on this.

Re: Layla - never knew until now that the end bit was Gordon's creation - I always assumed it was a Whitlock thing, because the piano is to the fore and moving it all along.

I should be hit for not mentioning CXharlie's drumming. Absolutely outstanding.

Think the only thing (if anything) that is not top notch is Mick's lyrical input. I dunno maybe it's quite intelligent and some of it passes me by.

But this song is a cracker and the guitar work laid down by Keith both in writing it and layering it later is for mine among the best work he ever recorded.

Find it unfortunate that this is a song no other group at the time would have had (or did have) the ability to write and produce with the exception of the Beatles, Who and Zeppelin, goes unnoticed by the mainstream.

Pretty impressive when you consider M&K were only in their mid 20s.

p.s - I am not dissing "Layla" either - the song is great - it's the end part that is crap and it has nothing more to do with the song than tacking on "how much is that doggie in the window". Mind you had they done that it would have been a more interesting listen coda wise.

And why do some people start sentences around here with "errrr..."? Do they have speech impediments thatbthey believe translate well to screen?

Also glad to know some of you have weather. Have it here too.

I've never liked the outro to "Layla" either. It's so mellow, it could be the theme song for a 70s TV show. The song would be better to go out on a scorching note. Anyway, the song's so overplayed, I never need to hear it again. Quite the reverse of "Monkey Man."

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cc
I've never liked the outro to "Layla" either. It's so mellow, it could be the theme song for a 70s TV show. The song would be better to go out on a scorching note. Anyway, the song's so overplayed, I never need to hear it again. Quite the reverse of "Monkey Man."

I think the outro works wonderfully in screen - see GOOD FELLAS (like "Monkey man" does as well!). Personally I find it one of nicest pieces of music ever done. Not care so much for the 'actual' song, though... everytime I listen the song I'm dying get to the outro part - there is something so beautiful and 'eternal' in that jam... always puts me into a certain reflective mood. It has the same sort of atmosphere as other great film tune has - the long jam in PAT GARRET AND BILLY THE KID that soundtracks the death of Billy. Is it "Final Theme"?

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009-03-04 10:58 by Doxa.

Anyway, back to the topic, keith's playing on "Monkey Man" is just untouchable --powerful, evocative and original.

It's a perfect example of a guitarist actually creating music rather than just playing a guitar. As a piece of guitar work, it should leave all those "lead" players scratching their heads, wondering why, with all their chops, they can't create music like that dude can...

Now, leaving the topic..

I don't think Keith or anyone else is beyond criticism. If he's putting it out there and taking money for it, he is fair game. Just to put it in perspective, though, before we trash Keith for being too old, ill, drunk, arthritic or lazy, we should take a deep breath and realize we'll probably never do anything (musical or otherwise) that's half as good as "Monkey Man." Thankfully, he gave us that one and a whole pile of other ones just as good.

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Mathijs

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moosman
I was lucky enough to have played in a band with Jim Gordon, at the end of his career. He confirmed the story, that the instrumental portion of the song, was something the drummer recorded on his own. Clapton just tacked it on to the end of his tune with massive overdubs. The original piece was supposed to be a demo for a song Jim had written with a female singer called, "Don't Let The World Get In The Way." When I knew Jim, he was fighting to get paid for his contribution. He felt a bit guilty, that the "lyricist" for the song would never be compensated or acknowledged.

This is simply not true. Gordon has been acknowledged for the piano part ever since Layla was recorded and released, and to this very day the acknowledgement pays all his bills.

Mathijs

Wrong again Mathijs he's been in prison for a long long time for killing his mother. He doesn't have any bills. the state takes care of him.

I love Monkey Man AND Layla...it doesn´t get any better...good music is good music. Why do some people have the desire to see everything as there is a BIG competition going on...?

Just my opinion.

Monkey Man is just awesome!

I don't see it as some competition, I just don't get how Layla could be held up to Monkey Man. Maybe Can't You Hear Me Knocking but not Monkey Man. Monkey Man is just an incredible song - and I think what they did on the Licks tour was stunning as well - simply brilliant.

"Why do some people have the desire to see everything as there is a BIG competition going on...?"

Don't really know what you're on abaout there. If you stick to the point of the thread it has nothing to do with 'competetion'. I was merely drawing a comparison as a side point and am a little miffed why the conversation has centred so heavily on "Layla". But people will drift in conversation as conversations do.

And Texas Fan re...

"It's a perfect example of a guitarist actually creating music rather than just playing a guitar. As a piece of guitar work, it should leave all those "lead" players scratching their heads, wondering why, with all their chops, they can't create music like that dude can..."

Spot on soldier. Put most excellently....