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Witness
... ["Hot Stuff"] is very interesting as well, with so-called "toasting" about Mick Jagger's vocal from midway through.
This aspect of reggae, which I think sometimes is seen as a predecessor to rap, is, however, by the Stones used in a funk song.
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Naturalust
Reggae is a predecessor to rap? That's a bit of a stretch, imo. Early Hip Hop drew from the R&B, Soul and motown stuff a bit but I never really heard any correlation with reggae music. In America it seemed to me that reggae was not particularly popular with the hip hop and rap crowd. I guess both genres were based on rhythm more than melodic structure, maybe that's what you are referring to.
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Turner68Quote
Naturalust
Reggae is a predecessor to rap? That's a bit of a stretch, imo. Early Hip Hop drew from the R&B, Soul and motown stuff a bit but I never really heard any correlation with reggae music. In America it seemed to me that reggae was not particularly popular with the hip hop and rap crowd. I guess both genres were based on rhythm more than melodic structure, maybe that's what you are referring to.
The specific technique of toasting in reggae is widely acknowledged as a precursor to rap, and dubbing a precursor to scratching and sampling.
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NaturalustQuote
Turner68Quote
Naturalust
Reggae is a predecessor to rap? That's a bit of a stretch, imo. Early Hip Hop drew from the R&B, Soul and motown stuff a bit but I never really heard any correlation with reggae music. In America it seemed to me that reggae was not particularly popular with the hip hop and rap crowd. I guess both genres were based on rhythm more than melodic structure, maybe that's what you are referring to.
The specific technique of toasting in reggae is widely acknowledged as a precursor to rap, and dubbing a precursor to scratching and sampling.
OK, I get it now. Thx. Just read a bit about DJ Kool Herc and now understand how the process made it's way to the kids in New York City. Pretty amazing story actually. I guess Mr. Herc has some serious medical issues these days, hoping the best for him.
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Turner68Quote
NaturalustQuote
Turner68Quote
Naturalust
Reggae is a predecessor to rap? That's a bit of a stretch, imo. Early Hip Hop drew from the R&B, Soul and motown stuff a bit but I never really heard any correlation with reggae music. In America it seemed to me that reggae was not particularly popular with the hip hop and rap crowd. I guess both genres were based on rhythm more than melodic structure, maybe that's what you are referring to.
The specific technique of toasting in reggae is widely acknowledged as a precursor to rap, and dubbing a precursor to scratching and sampling.
OK, I get it now. Thx. Just read a bit about DJ Kool Herc and now understand how the process made it's way to the kids in New York City. Pretty amazing story actually. I guess Mr. Herc has some serious medical issues these days, hoping the best for him.
It's fascinating to trace the various threads of music
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Naturalust
People seem content to work with what's out there these days even though the process of making new instruments today
is likely much easier than it was centuries ago.
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Doxa
Some interesting thoughts here about mid-70's Rolling Stones and especially about Billy Preston.
It seems all of us seem to have some sort of ideal how the Stones should sound like, and at times they seem to drift too from that ideal. For some people that seems to Billy Preston's influence during the mid-70's (the tours 1975 and 1976 particularly), he taking too much freedoms, or escaping from his 'side man' role. Like for some people Taylor "over-played" in 1973, or, if you like, the introduction of horn section in 1971, etc.
Anyway, I salute all those adjustments in their sound they did back then. In hindsight it is fascinating to follow their constant reinvention in their live sound from tour to tour. Even though some fans nowadays seem to think that some things (Preston, Taylor, horns) went 'too far' or something, I think totally the opposite. I see just there a living and breathing band on the creative run, never trying to repeat the old but always trying to find new ways of self-description. Actually I don't think there is any ideal of The Rolling Stones sound from 1963 to 1982 (as a live band), but just variations of the theme. They sound like a living organ. I don't think either that the band ever thought by themselves 'oh shit, now we have turned shit, we need to get back to the good'. No, I think it was more like 'yeah, that was great. But now we have to do something else'. They had so much creative energy back then, that staying loyal to some 'ideal' would have been non-thinkable and damn boring.. They need to keep moving...
So to my eyes, having Billy Preston strongly at presence, and like Ollie Brown on percussion, was an essential part of the Stones sound 1975/76 and it is for me as genuine Stones sound as it ever has been. The more Billy took room, the more peculiar and fascinating and justified that incarnation of the band was - and more I love that chapter of the book! I have never been a fan of any 'purity'... (that's why I guess I like the Stones so much)
- Doxa
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Doxa
I think it was more like 'yeah, that was great. But now we have to do something else'. They had so much creative energy back then, that staying loyal to some 'ideal' would have been non-thinkable and damn boring.. They need to keep moving...
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Turner68
You, sir, are a true Stones fan. I tip my hat to you.
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DandelionPowderman
Out of all his contributions, the only things I don't like are the synths on MR and BS + the nursery rhyme-stuff on GOOMC.
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DoxaQuote
DandelionPowderman
Out of all his contributions, the only things I don't like are the synths on MR and BS + the nursery rhyme-stuff on GOOMC.
What's the wrong with those? I always find them refreshing and unique when I happen to listen that era. Is there some sort of 'this is holy guitar territory' rule in "Midnight Rambler" that Preston shamelessly breaks with his unorthodoxical instrument? I personally like that kind of 'intervention'. The same with "Cloud" - it is an unique, updated interpretation of the old song, and I think Billy's contribution fits damn well there - it is a big part why the version is so fascinating and stands in its own foot in compared to the original.
- Doxa
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DandelionPowdermanQuote
DoxaQuote
DandelionPowderman
Out of all his contributions, the only things I don't like are the synths on MR and BS + the nursery rhyme-stuff on GOOMC.
What's the wrong with those? I always find them refreshing and unique when I happen to listen that era. Is there some sort of 'this is holy guitar territory' rule in "Midnight Rambler" that Preston shamelessly breaks with his unorthodoxical instrument? I personally like that kind of 'intervention'. The same with "Cloud" - it is an unique, updated interpretation of the old song, and I think Billy's contribution fits damn well there - it is a big part why the version is so fascinating and stands in its own foot in compared to the original.
- Doxa
Well, the synth on MR is horrendous, absolutely horrendous. It sounds like an uninspired piss-take, imo. Same with BS.
He did lots of other stuff with the synths that worked nicely, imo, like on GS.
If it clashes with the mood of the song for me, I'm not gonna like it just because it's untraditional
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DoxaQuote
DandelionPowdermanQuote
DoxaQuote
DandelionPowderman
Out of all his contributions, the only things I don't like are the synths on MR and BS + the nursery rhyme-stuff on GOOMC.
What's the wrong with those? I always find them refreshing and unique when I happen to listen that era. Is there some sort of 'this is holy guitar territory' rule in "Midnight Rambler" that Preston shamelessly breaks with his unorthodoxical instrument? I personally like that kind of 'intervention'. The same with "Cloud" - it is an unique, updated interpretation of the old song, and I think Billy's contribution fits damn well there - it is a big part why the version is so fascinating and stands in its own foot in compared to the original.
- Doxa
Well, the synth on MR is horrendous, absolutely horrendous. It sounds like an uninspired piss-take, imo. Same with BS.
He did lots of other stuff with the synths that worked nicely, imo, like on GS.
If it clashes with the mood of the song for me, I'm not gonna like it just because it's untraditional
Yeah, tastes differ... I find it fitting surprisingly well in that reading of "Rambler", and also to the decadent, even deconstructive mood the Stones generally treated their numbers (some of them being much played, war horse-like, by then) during that tour. Part of it is probably just adding some gimmicks to the obvious, but I tend to think that's the method the Stones used to fresh up their playing and keep them interested. Not just drugs...
- Doxa
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Silver Dagger
I absolutely adore Black & Blue. Every single second of it. Even the faux cod reggae of Cherry Oh Baby. Yes Sirree, even that one.
It's a one off, a fantastic quickly passing Stones' moment captured in time and oh, how it was captured. Listen to that sound, it's clean and beautiful, with a fantastic depth and richness which is perfect for the grooves being created by the band at this time.
Quite a few Stones' albums have suffered from woeful production, muddy mixes, an over-clattering of sound....confusion, lack of clarity.
But on Black & Blue the music breathes and you can perfectly hear all the instruments in the mix. I love that - every musician can be heard.
The album, of course, swings like no other Stones' record. With a title like Black & Blue you'd really expect it to, wouldn't you!
So apart from it being one of the Stones' two best recorded albums - the other for me is Let It Bleed - the music just puts a smile on your face and a rhythm in your ass.
And as funky as the album is, let's not forget that Black & Blue also contains one of Mick'n'Keith's greatest rockers in Hand Of Fate and the throwaway Stones by numbers raunch of Crazy Mama.
Black & Blue was created in the maelstrom of Keith's heroin addiction, the uncertainty of new boy Ronnie Wood and Mick's collapsing marriage to Bianca. There were also sounds starting to get wider exposure - the bold funky rock of Little Feat, the beginning of disco, the Meters who were probably the tightest band on the planet at this point.
All this fabulous music cooked up in a wonderful gumbo that just warmed the soul. Too bad they never made another album like it.
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DandelionPowdermanQuote
Silver Dagger
I absolutely adore Black & Blue. Every single second of it. Even the faux cod reggae of Cherry Oh Baby. Yes Sirree, even that one.
It's a one off, a fantastic quickly passing Stones' moment captured in time and oh, how it was captured. Listen to that sound, it's clean and beautiful, with a fantastic depth and richness which is perfect for the grooves being created by the band at this time.
Quite a few Stones' albums have suffered from woeful production, muddy mixes, an over-clattering of sound....confusion, lack of clarity.
But on Black & Blue the music breathes and you can perfectly hear all the instruments in the mix. I love that - every musician can be heard.
The album, of course, swings like no other Stones' record. With a title like Black & Blue you'd really expect it to, wouldn't you!
So apart from it being one of the Stones' two best recorded albums - the other for me is Let It Bleed - the music just puts a smile on your face and a rhythm in your ass.
And as funky as the album is, let's not forget that Black & Blue also contains one of Mick'n'Keith's greatest rockers in Hand Of Fate and the throwaway Stones by numbers raunch of Crazy Mama.
Black & Blue was created in the maelstrom of Keith's heroin addiction, the uncertainty of new boy Ronnie Wood and Mick's collapsing marriage to Bianca. There were also sounds starting to get wider exposure - the bold funky rock of Little Feat, the beginning of disco, the Meters who were probably the tightest band on the planet at this point.
All this fabulous music cooked up in a wonderful gumbo that just warmed the soul. Too bad they never made another album like it.
Lovely post!
The closest they came later on might have been ER.
Ronnie Wood brought back the swing to the Stones. It's so evident, imo. Although the more melancholic searching tunes, beautiful as they were, seemed to get rarer...
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Silver DaggerQuote
DandelionPowdermanQuote
Silver Dagger
I absolutely adore Black & Blue. Every single second of it. Even the faux cod reggae of Cherry Oh Baby. Yes Sirree, even that one.
It's a one off, a fantastic quickly passing Stones' moment captured in time and oh, how it was captured. Listen to that sound, it's clean and beautiful, with a fantastic depth and richness which is perfect for the grooves being created by the band at this time.
Quite a few Stones' albums have suffered from woeful production, muddy mixes, an over-clattering of sound....confusion, lack of clarity.
But on Black & Blue the music breathes and you can perfectly hear all the instruments in the mix. I love that - every musician can be heard.
The album, of course, swings like no other Stones' record. With a title like Black & Blue you'd really expect it to, wouldn't you!
So apart from it being one of the Stones' two best recorded albums - the other for me is Let It Bleed - the music just puts a smile on your face and a rhythm in your ass.
And as funky as the album is, let's not forget that Black & Blue also contains one of Mick'n'Keith's greatest rockers in Hand Of Fate and the throwaway Stones by numbers raunch of Crazy Mama.
Black & Blue was created in the maelstrom of Keith's heroin addiction, the uncertainty of new boy Ronnie Wood and Mick's collapsing marriage to Bianca. There were also sounds starting to get wider exposure - the bold funky rock of Little Feat, the beginning of disco, the Meters who were probably the tightest band on the planet at this point.
All this fabulous music cooked up in a wonderful gumbo that just warmed the soul. Too bad they never made another album like it.
Lovely post!
The closest they came later on might have been ER.
Ronnie Wood brought back the swing to the Stones. It's so evident, imo. Although the more melancholic searching tunes, beautiful as they were, seemed to get rarer...
The thing with Black & Blue is that it sounded so effortless. Can you imagine any other of the big league bands making an album as funky as this? Zeppelin, The Who, Wings, Clapton, Rod - never in a million years. It just showed what an amazingly versatile band the Stones were.
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Naturalust
Reggae is a predecessor to rap? That's a bit of a stretch, imo. Early Hip Hop drew from the R&B, Soul and motown stuff a bit but I never really heard any correlation with reggae music. In America it seemed to me that reggae was not particularly popular with the hip hop and rap crowd. I guess both genres were based on rhythm more than melodic structure, maybe that's what you are referring to.
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DoxaQuote
DandelionPowderman
Out of all his contributions, the only things I don't like are the synths on MR and BS + the nursery rhyme-stuff on GOOMC.
What's the wrong with those? I always find them refreshing and unique when I happen to listen that era. Is there some sort of 'this is holy guitar territory' rule in "Midnight Rambler" that Preston shamelessly breaks with his unorthodoxical instrument? I personally like that kind of 'intervention'. The same with "Cloud" - it is an unique, updated interpretation of the old song, and I think Billy's contribution fits damn well there - it is a big part why the version is so fascinating and stands in its own foot in compared to the original.
- Doxa