Everything the PG editors saw at Summer NAMM on Thursday.
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Thereās no disputing the influence B.B. King has had on the history of electric guitar music. Weāre talking about his sound, his best records, his guitars, his showmanship, and his collabs, from an all-star jam at the 2010 Crossroads festival to, yes, even his 1988 U2 collab, āWhen Love Comes to Town.ā
Thereās no disputing the influence B.B. King has had on the history of electric guitar music.
With Lucille in handāas well as other guitarsāhe carved out his sound by developing a signature one-of-a-kind vibrato and pick attack. His note choice, phrasing, and feel have basically become the fundamental vocabulary of electric blues. Even more than any other of his blues peers, his playing shaped blues and rock guitar. And thatās not to mention his singing.
So, on this episode of 100 Guitarists, weāre celebrating the King. Weāre talking about his sound, his best records, his guitars, his showmanship, and his collabs, from an all-star jam at the 2010 Crossroads festival to, yes, even his 1988 U2 collab, āWhen Love Comes to Town.ā
In our current listening segment, weāre talking about Brian John McBreartyās recent meditation-jazz release Remembering Repeating and Julian Lageās latest, Apple Music Nashville Sessions.
This episode is sponsored by Gibson.
Nile Rodgers brings the rhythm at Bonnaroo 2018.
How the rhythm-playing hitmaker behind Chicāand our columnistālearned to love pop music, and why maybe you should, too.
When Nile Rodgers speaks, we should listen. His seminal work with his own band, Chic, as well as Sister Sledge, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Madonna, David Bowie, and Daft Punk, has made him a legend. He also filmed an entertaining Rig Rundown with PG just last year.
I recently listened to his 2017 South by Southwest address, where he told a story about a formative moment in his life. Nile was complaining to his guitar teacher, Ted Dunbar, about having to sing the Archiesā āSugar, Sugarāat an upcoming cover band gig. Dunbar replied, āLet me tell you something. Any song that sells and gets to the Top 40 ... is a great composition.ā Rodgers was skeptical. Then Dunbar added, āEspecially āSugar, Sugar.ā That has been No. 1 for four or five weeks.ā Next, Dunbar said something that changed Rodgerās life. āāSugar, Sugarā was successful,ā he said, ābecause it speaks to the souls of a million strangers.ā Rodgers noted: āTwo weeks later, I wrote a song called āEverybody Dance.āā Released in 1977, it was a Top 40 single on Chic's first album.
In a BBC This Cultural Life interview, Rodgers said that Dunbar ādescribed an artist to me. I wasnāt an artist until he defined that. I wanted to speak to the souls of a million strangers, but I thought what I wanted to do was speak to some real cool people hanging out in jazz clubs.ā
āEverybody Danceā and āSugar, Sugarāboth have hypnotizingly simple lyrics you inevitably replay in your head. Humans like chants, cheers, slogans, and catchy choruses. Rodgers' success came, at least in part, from opening himself up to simplicity that appeals to the masses instead of the complexity that appeals to jazzers. Thatās the irony. Jazz, which ostensibly is all about freedom, is often restrictive. Like the old joke goes, jazzers play millions of chords for four people. Pop, rock, and country artists play four chords for millions of people.
Rodgers said, āThat's what my teacher taught me, that anti-snobbery. Be open. Love all the music you are around, or at least try and appreciate what that artist is trying to say. Try and have, what we call in the music business, big ears.ā
My friends and I have all, at times, been music snobs. I went through a blues binge in my youth where I was prejudiced against shredders. This was not uncommon at the time. After Nirvana hit with Nevermind in 1991, suddenly musicians were openly mocked for playing complex, difficult parts. It was almost like if you cared enough to really learn to play guitar, you were uncool. That was a big relief for me, as I could play neither complex nor difficult parts at the time.
āTaylor Swift is the Beatles of my daughterās generation.ā
Later, when I moved to Nashville, I was all about clean Telecasters and thought ill of music with lots of dirt or effects. Younger me would have plenty of condescending quips about my current love of overdriven humbuckers and delay. Most of my snobbery was driven by my deep insecurities, but part of it was tribalism. The heart wants what it wants; when you find your musical tribe, most of the young zealots trade all others for their one true religion. It might be the only way to get good at something.
On the other hand, my friends and I listen to a variety of music, but the common factor is it usually involves good guitar playing. We love what we love because it speaks to our souls. But most guitar players are drawn to those who are doing what we wish we could do. My uncle Fred used to say, āThereās nothing wrong with being a snob. It just means that you have good taste.ā
Between club dates, sessions, and the occasional TV gig, I play with tons of people. I have no say in the set list, so āSugar, Sugarā moments are unavoidable. I used to feel deep shame playing those types of songs, like it reflects poorly on my personal taste or abilities. In short, I was prejudiced until I saw all of the true pros who could find something beautiful, challenging in the seemingly mundane. Itās like the old actorās adage: There are no small parts, just small players.
According to Forbes, Taylor Swift was āThe Biggest Artist in the World in 2023.ā That being the case, her songs inevitably come up on cover gigs. When this happens, some musicians might groan, like it makes them cool to hate on pop culture. But thatās probably because they don't really know her work. Taylor Swift is my 8-year-old daughterās Alexa go-to, so I know Taylorās catalog really well. Turns out, itās amazing, full of truly catchy, engaging, touching songs. Taylor Swift is the Beatles of my daughterās generation. Snobs will think that statement is heresy, but snobs often donāt know what they are talking about, and they never have as much fun as the people who are dancing violently to āShake It Off,ā or singing with eyes closed to āAll Too Well.āRoger Waters is set to release a Super Deluxe Boxset of The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux on March 14, 2025. The Boxset includes a live album from his sold-out London Palladium shows, gold vinyl, CD, Blu-ray, and a track-by-track video interview.
The Super Deluxe Boxset includes:
- The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux on gold vinyl (2LP), CD, Blu-ray: Dolby Atmos Mix, 96/24 Audio.
- The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux Live on gold vinyl, CD, Blu-Ray, 96/24 Audio
- Roger Waters Track by Track video interview on Blu-ray
- Four 4 x 10-inch Vinyl from the original Redux album cut at 45 RPM for: Money, Time, Speak To Me/Breathe and Us & Them, each with an artwork etched B-side.
- A 40 page Commemorative Book of Photographs from The Making of the Album, Rehearsals, and Roger Waters Redux Live at The London Palladium.
- Initial Boxset orders from the official store include a signed print by Roger Waters
Waters Quote:
āAll that is gone, all thatās to come? Looking back or looking forward, Dark Side of the Moon offers you choice. The choice is yours. Darkness or the Lightā.
Track listing:
The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux studio album and Roger Waters Live album:
āSpeak to Meā
āBreatheā
āOn the Runā
āTimeā
āGreat Gig in the Skyā
āMoneyā
āUs and Themā
āAny Colour You Likeā
āBrain Damageā
āEclipseā
The Dark Side Of The Moon Super Deluxe box set Redux credits include: Roger Waters: Vocals / Gus Seyffert: Bass, Synth, Backing Vocals / Joey Waronker: Drums, Percussion / Jonathan Wilson: Guitars, Synth / Johnny Shepherd: Organ, Vocals / Via Mardot: Theremin, Vocals / Azniv Korkejian: Vocals, Percussion / Jon Carin: Keyboards, Lap Steel, Synths, Organ, Vocals / Robert Walter: Piano, Harpsichord, Synths / Strings: Gabe Noel: String Arrangements: Gabe Noel
Recorded live at The London Palladium // Produced by Gus Seyffert and Roger Waters // Mixed by Sean Sullivan, Darrell Thorpe, Roger Waters and Gus Seyffert // Mastered by Dave Cooley, Elysian Masters // Art Direction and Design: Sean Evans // Photography: Kate Izor.
For more information, please visit rogerwaters.tmstor.es.