In the past week I have been listening and playing around with Ya Yas a lot.

What struck me most was how ballsy (in a musical sense) Taylor's guitar was at the time. You could easily recognize the Bluesbreaker's Taylor, the tone, all his blues inspirations, the Kings, Rush etc. And you also had some great bluesy inspired yet more "rock" new licks (like what he plays on the A chord during the chorus of Stray cat, his rhythmic counterpart on Rambler etc.)

All this is still there up until the recording of Exile, I'd say.

From then onward his playing started to incorporate more and more elements that do not belong to a strict blues or rock and roll tradition.

What happened?

I tried to find some interview that could give some explanation, but the "blues" is always cited as the main fount of inspiration.

I would say he must have been listening to Alvin Lee a lot, but that's just a guess.

Do the Taylorites here any idea?

C

I am not a Taylorite but my guess in trying to answer your question is that Taylor, like lot of young musicians, wanted to evolve. After all those years playing the blues and R&R, he probably wanted to try something different and new to him.
Rockandroll,
Mops

Interesting matter for Taylorologists but a bit above my head, I'm afraid. What I would like to say is that I never understood why Goat's Head Soup and especially It's Only Rock n Roll don't seem to get the credit they deserve, being the last two records that Mick Taylor played on (and did some more than just performing, according to some). For me the huge drop in quality from Black And Blue onwards in the immediate years after Taylor left, only served to accentuate the fact that those albums belong to the big four as it were (the big six), more so than in any other period.

In addition to the blues format MT explored jazz just listen to Bare Wires with John Mayall. My guess is that with the stones he had the opportunity to play country,blues, rock and reggae because of the stones exploring that music. Is love of progressive rock and jazz lead him to leave the stones and join on with Jack Bruce. MT proved he could play many forms of music and support other artists with all his collaboration studio work which was most of his work after the stones - only two albums plus his mini tours with his band in the late 80's 90's etc

Out of curiosity, what makes songs like Slave, Worried About You, Hand Of Fate, Memory Motel and Melody a drop in quality compared to the IORR-tracks?

All recorded during the BAB-sessions.

Regarding Taylor, he might have been gradually more inspired by jazz and 70s prog?

Interesting question, liddas.

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OpenG
In addition to the blues format MT explored jazz just listen to Bare Wires with John Mayall. My guess is that with the stones he had the opportunity to play country,blues, rock and reggae because of the stones exploring that music. Is love of progressive rock and jazz lead him to leave the stones and join on with Jack Bruce. MT proved he could play many forms of music and support other artists with all his collaboration studio work which was most of his work after the stones - only two albums plus his mini tours with his band in the late 80's 90's etc

I see Bare Wires more influenced by cream and hendrix rather than Jazz.

True that jazz is cited a lot as an influence, but exactly what kind of jazz?

And starting from when?

For sure I don't hear influences of 'classic' jazz guitarists as Wes Montgomery or Grant Green. Also for sure, I don't hear references to Miles Davis' first electric bands.

C

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DandelionPowderman

Regarding Taylor, he might have been gradually more inspired by jazz and 70s prog?

Jazz, see above. Prog rock? Not my cup of tea, so I do not know much of it. Do you mean Jethro Tull of Yes?

C

PS B&B is one hell of record!!!

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-06-10 19:18 by SomeGuy.

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DandelionPowderman
Out of curiosity, what makes songs like Slave, Worried About You, Hand Of Fate, Memory Motel and Melody a drop in quality compared to the IORR-tracks?

All recorded during the BAB-sessions.

Slave and Worried About You weren't included on Black And Blue, but on the brilliant Tattoo You. Hand Of Fate and Memory Motel are indeed the stronger songs off Black And Blue. Melody I don't like, but that's just my opinion of course.
My point is that the two albums I mentioned with Taylor on them are underrated.

Listen to Tublar Bells

[www.youtube.com]


Tubular Bells live @ BBC (1973) - MT did this when he was still with stones

More than a mistery he is.
If one looks at his extra-Stones activities in the early 70's, he finds Herbie Man & Billy Preston, Jack Bruce & Carla Bley and Ron Wood just to name a few Did he leave the Stones to play jazz? No jazz at all in his first solo album. I'm afraid that Mick Taylor had no idea of his next direction in composing and playing.It took him five years since his album to get a major spot (Bob Dylan) and then he 'disappeared' again. When he came back, he was back to blues and, in a way, back to his roots (including some tours with John Mayall before joining Bob Dylan).
I can't say what would have been of the RS if he had not moved away, but I think we all can say what he'd be if he had not left: a rock star with a lot of spare time to play the music he likes more (like Charlie Watts did, for years). Bye, Luca

He'd been listening to some Santana

It would have been great if Taylor had headed into Jazz, which he didn't.
Since Taylor is not a born songwriter, but is great at noodling , even with a limited amount of harmonic knowledge but with a lot of musical talent, it's a wasted opportunity to me. If only.

Based on how his playing evolved with the Stones, and culminating in his first solo album, it seems to me he wanted to incorporate more harmonically complex elements of fusion, like what Jeff Beck was doing with his monumental “Wired” and “Blow by Blow” albums.

Much as I love him — and I think he’d admit the same — Taylor never had the chops that Beck did. No shame in that. Very few of the other blues-rock icons of that era did, either. Not Page, not Clapton.

But what he was able to do with little more than the major and minor pentatonic scales — he got somewhat “modal” on the solo album (that’s the Aeolian or natural minor scale on “Spanish” — speaks to what a great touch he had as a player, as well as a great pair of ears.

He should have found someone creative to collaborate with on a steady basis, and stopped wondering all the time what it was that he wanted to do. He reminds me a little bit of Jimmy Page, who also got a bit lost without his "mate" Plantey.

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SomeGuy
He should have found someone creative to collaborate with on a steady basis, and stopped wondering all the time what it was that he wanted to do. He reminds me a little bit of Jimmy Page, who also got a bit lost without his "mate" Plantey.

He sings better than Page, which isn’t saying much as Page can’t sing at all. And he was never a prolific songwriter. That’s going to severely limit your options as an artist.

I always thought he could’ve picked up a ton of work as a session artist (and he did on few occasions, like Joan Jett ... and Talk is Cheap!), but what he really loved was playing live. Hence the stints with Dylan and Alvin Lee and his own club band.

A lot of unrealized potential there, but that’s life.

He still has his, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

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OpenG
Listen to Tublar Bells

[www.youtube.com]


Tubular Bells live @ BBC (1973) - MT did this when he was still with stones

With or without Taylor Tublar bells is just awful.

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SomeGuy
Interesting matter for Taylorologists but a bit above my head, I'm afraid. What I would like to say is that I never understood why Goat's Head Soup and especially It's Only Rock n Roll don't seem to get the credit they deserve, being the last two records that Mick Taylor played on (and did some more than just performing, according to some). For me the huge drop in quality from Black And Blue onwards in the immediate years after Taylor left, only served to accentuate the fact that those albums belong to the big four as it were (the big six), more so than in any other period.

IORR for me is the weakest album of the 70's. Poor songwriting, drug burnout and self conscious parodies of what they had been. BAB at least is sonically fantastic, especially compared to the muddy and weak sound of IORR. I love Taylor's playing but I think the relationship had run its course, shown by his over playing twiddly diddly lead parts over live cuts from this era.

If he hadn't left when he did I don't think there's any way we would be looking forward to a new tour in a few days time.

Maybe he wouldn't have fitted in these days, I agree. But imagine if they had hired an equally good guitarist as his successor!

Mick was asked by Rolling Stone magazine a few years ago to compile a list of his favorite guitarists... here is that list:

Jimi Hendrix
Jeff Beck
Frank Zappa
John McLaughlin
Larry Coryell
Earl Hooker
Albert King
Larry Carlton
Rory Gallagher
Eric Clapton
Paul Kossoff
Muddy Waters
Elmore James
Duane Allman
Hubert Sumlin
Ry Cooder
Freddie King
Carlos Santana
Lowell George
Pete Townshend
Prince Rogers Nelson (aka Prince)
Scotty Moore
Saul Hudson (aka Slash)
George Harrison
Robert Johnson
Robby Krieger
Kenny Wayne Shepherd

No Keith on Taylor's list...

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liddas

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DandelionPowderman

Regarding Taylor, he might have been gradually more inspired by jazz and 70s prog?

Jazz, see above. Prog rock? Not my cup of tea, so I do not know much of it. Do you mean Jethro Tull of Yes?

C

PS B&B is one hell of record!!!

As with most self-taught guitarists you'll only get bits and pieces. No exception with Taylor. The "jazz" is small fragments within a solo.

The overall result leans more towards fusion, though. I'm Free, TWFNO, CYHMK (especially on the 50 & Counting-tour) etc.

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vertigojoe
[... I love Taylor's playing but I think the relationship had run its course, shown by his over playing twiddly diddly lead parts over live cuts from this era.

My thoughts precisely

And I think it's the lack of any focussed musical direction of his own that prevented such a wonderful player from having a more memorable career after the Stones.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019-06-11 12:12 by Spud.

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boogaloojef
Mick was asked by Rolling Stone magazine a few years ago to compile a list of his favorite guitarists... here is that list:

Jimi Hendrix
Jeff Beck
Frank Zappa
John McLaughlin
Larry Coryell
Earl Hooker
Albert King
Larry Carlton
Rory Gallagher
Eric Clapton
Paul Kossoff
Muddy Waters
Elmore James
Duane Allman
Hubert Sumlin
Ry Cooder
Freddie King
Carlos Santana
Lowell George
Pete Townshend
Prince Rogers Nelson (aka Prince)
Scotty Moore
Saul Hudson (aka Slash)
George Harrison
Robert Johnson
Robby Krieger
Kenny Wayne Shepherd

What a magical list! You read the names of 27 guitarists and then – presto – Keith Richards is conjured up center stage in your brain.

Drugs

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Swayed1967

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boogaloojef
Mick was asked by Rolling Stone magazine a few years ago to compile a list of his favorite guitarists... here is that list:

Jimi Hendrix
Jeff Beck
Frank Zappa
John McLaughlin
Larry Coryell
Earl Hooker
Albert King
Larry Carlton
Rory Gallagher
Eric Clapton
Paul Kossoff
Muddy Waters
Elmore James
Duane Allman
Hubert Sumlin
Ry Cooder
Freddie King
Carlos Santana
Lowell George
Pete Townshend
Prince Rogers Nelson (aka Prince)
Scotty Moore
Saul Hudson (aka Slash)
George Harrison
Robert Johnson
Robby Krieger
Kenny Wayne Shepherd

What a magical list! You read the names of 27 guitarists and then – presto – Keith Richards is conjured up center stage in your brain.

I have seen that list before. His top 5 is pretty much my taste, although I would have put Allan Holdsworth in the top 5 instead of Zappa, and the man himself on 5

sorry but Taylor dates me....and I don't know that I like that. Sentimental...for sure...but......

Taylor is amongst the best. These are only numbers.

I rate Taylor incredibly highly and I’ll remember how blown-away I was by his soloing upon hearing Ya-Ya’s. However, there’s just something about his style that doesn’t quite appeal. I suppose the more straightforward stylings of a Cream-era Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page are more pleasurable to my ears. By the time we get to 1973 European tour, I would even suggest that Taylor is overdoing it a little.

I’d take Eric’s playing on Crossroads over anything by Taylor.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-06-11 15:47 by Big Al.