• Registered: 2006-06-23
  • Posts: 13

Topic: The Current Touring band is killer

As someone who's played bass for 36 years and as a consequence had to stand next to a good number of drummers supporting all manner of guitarists and vocalists good and bad, I feel I might have license to say the guys have great chemistry. I particularly like Mark and Bogie. Look, the bass player is doing things I want to "steal" and the drummer is doing things I remember from the fun good ones I have played with. Frankly, I like the live version of Bridge to Better Days featured on the website better than the one on the album. No disrespect to Pat Thrall, Carmine Rojas, Jason Bonham, and Rick Melick folks but the energy is way better and so is the vibe.

In all fairness, the album is very adventuresome in the best sense. Shows a variety and depth you really don't see and hear anymore these days. It shows people trying to pidgeion hole Joe are screwed. I am sure most of the label executives were having ulcers prior to release and thinking it was going to be death. Post release and doing so well on Billboard charts, the disingenuous weasels are probably saying "I always have had confidence in Joe. He's a truly visionary artist."

  • Registered: 2006-05-13
  • Posts: 204

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

"Frankly, I like the live version of Bridge to Better Days featured on the website better than the one on the album."

I'm just the opposite. I thought the guitar solo was much better on the album.

Blues ain't nothin' but a good woman gone bad.
  • Registered: 2006-06-23
  • Posts: 13

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

I probably am much more inclined from years of loving live 3 piece gigs to err towards his live version. It's my inherent bias which I am very up front about.  I do Like Joe's album solo much more than Pat Thrall's. At that level though, it's sure not an indictment of Pat's playing on that track. Excellent work. I also view the way you have to play a tune as a 3 piece as another planet compared to where you have a larger band. As an aside, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton commented on how much more challenging it was to play 3 piece without the additional people to cover when they got back together for their reunion.

I was probably inclined to respond with preference to the live track as well given some of the dissing of the "new kids" in his band. Different yes, lacking in competence hell no.

The album is a whole lot more like the context in which I play these days with a guitar, drums, and B3/keyboards to respond to. Joe demonstrates real guts and integrity with the acoustic guitar stuff in there as well. Lots of presumptive guitar gods fall on their face when faced with an acoustic guitar, bereft of all the effects and a wang bar to cover lack of chops, inspiration, and talent in general.

  • bogie
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  • Registered: 2006-05-09
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Re: The Current Touring band is killer

Thanks for the Kind words. Always appreciate a bassist's opinion:) We'll be pulling out some other cool stuff soon. We are all having a great time playing together and you(the Fans) have been really wonderful at the live shows. Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you.
Bogie

  • From: Charlotte
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 2,350

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

Hey Bogie, it was nice meeting you in Atlanta.  My wife and hope you guys get to the Carolinas this year as we talked about.   Hope you are enjoying your time off...

Music is good for the Soul...
  • Registered: 2006-04-30
  • Posts: 15

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

TeleFreakSteve here!
   Yes! The current tour band IS KILLER! I had the pleasure to see, hear them in chico. Mark played a really nice counterpoint to Joe and I have to admit, LIVE is SO FINE! Bogie definitely has the kind of rhythm that resonates on THE WAVELENGTH with Joe and Mark.
   I got to have my YOU AND ME album autographed by all three, as well as Joe's Vintage Guitar Calendar. Joe was very kind after a gruelling performance to come out and shake our hands, listen to anecdotes, and simply endure the grind anyone who has toured knows it to be.
   And one more item. There was not one strident note hit by anyone all night. Joe's playing was truly incredible, especially at some of the speeds he plays. Everyone has a wrong note once in awhile, but I have yet to hear these three do it. I can remember some very notable misses by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, but not to take anything away from their personal genius. Just to illustrate a point(nitpicky of me, huh?).
   True genius will always show itself....
      LOL from Selma, OR
         Steve and Janet
PS: Still has to be my favorite album of the year!

  • From: Tampa, Fl.
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 870

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

TeleFreakSteve wrote:

TeleFreakSteve here!
   And one more item. There was not one strident note hit by anyone all night. Joe's playing was truly incredible, especially at some of the speeds he plays. Everyone has a wrong note once in awhile, but I have yet to hear these three do it. I can remember some very notable misses by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, but not to take anything away from their personal genius. Just to illustrate a point(nitpicky of me, huh?).

Good point- I really cannot remember hearing Joe hit a wrong note in all the times I've seen or heard him play live- Just goes to show how amazing he really is.
Scott

"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought-- particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things." - Woody Allen

http://www.last.fm/user/skynyrd128
  • Registered: 2006-05-13
  • Posts: 204

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

"I really cannot remember hearing Joe hit a wrong note in all the times I've seen or heard him play live"

I have. He misses a harmonic on the first DVD.

Blues ain't nothin' but a good woman gone bad.

9 Reply by Dazombiewoof (edited by Dazombiewoof 2006-06-23 21:49:38)

  • Registered: 2006-06-23
  • Posts: 13

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

What's interesting about the seeming no wrong note deal is that it still sounds adventuresome and isn't sterile clinical perfection. Sort of like Mozart supposedly doing his scores in ink with no edits.

What is funny about seeing Bogie is he is a dead ringer for a guy I played with over 30 years ago.  Bogie, is your time travel secret out? I sure have aged but you haven't.

Always been my conviction that big band jazz and trios were the toughest gigs to play. Bogie and Mark seem to pull of supporting Joe and not having the song loose its core when he goes out there with a solo. Much more of an art than people realize. The artists who have a good support band realize though and prize it.

  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 221

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

The current lineup really does shine!

I'm looking forward to discovering more amazing nuances as the band continues. By the time I see them in SoCal in August, I'm sure there will be even more awe-inspiring moments of music. The anticipation is almost too much.

And, Bogie - I've already forgotten if you said beef or chicken. I got the slaw down...but, damn if I can't remember if you specified a choice on the meat.

The blues isn't about a look or a specific sound, the blues is something deep within. But the sound doesn't hurt things, you know? ~ Ben Hernandez

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  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2006-06-26
  • Posts: 46

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

Interesting that the comments about the "current touring band" are becoming more supportive.However no comments about new original material.
When they appeared in the UK last year, at one of the venues I attended I estimated 60% of the audience were seasoned players. All felt Joe was undoubtedly a great technician but were split about the band.
Opinions varied between "they'll get it together after a while" and "crap".
There is no doubt that the Czar and Kram lineup rivalled the old Cream in ability and originality but everone has to move on, unfortunatley.
The question I am interested in is what new direction is Joe going to take and when.

"The blues had a baby and they called it Rock n Roll"
(Muddy Waters)

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  • From: Heading west on 80....
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 864

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

daddy5strings wrote:

.........There is no doubt that the Czar and Kram lineup rivalled the old Cream in ability.......

That may be overstating it a bit.


I liked the old guys as well. I really like Bogie and Mark too. Different, but both good and each has their own strengths and weaknesses.

The new material is stellar. The versions of the songs added to the set list are nothing short of stunning. They are good enough that I find myself wanting more than 3 of them in the current set; but at the same time I don't want to give up any of the old ones either.

The new music definitely shows changes in Joe and seems to be evolutionary in nature. Another good reason to buy some tickets and take some folks to see the shows live.


PC

“A friend is someone that will help you move............a TRUE friend will help you move the bodies." -- anon
  • From: Charlotte
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 2,350

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

Well said Phil.  Some of us have seen Joe for a number of years and the progression of ability, talent, and music seems to be getting him to the next level.  I really like the old rhythm section but I really like the new as well but the bottom line is that we come to see Joe, not taking anything away from Bogie, Mark, Kenny or Eric.  Joe's is the headline and will always be!

Music is good for the Soul...

14 Reply by Deezer (edited by Deezer 2006-06-28 18:04:38)

  • From: Harrison, Arkansas
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 3,155

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

I was very interested to see how the new band would do. Seeing the video of Bridge To Better Days really didn't confirm anything, because that song is very straightforward. But after seeing them live, they are just as good as Eric and Kenny. Watching the stuff they did on Takin' The Hit, if you were just listening you couldn't tell the difference between new and old. But I actually think that they better the old lineup on the blues stuff. To me, it seems like they have a bit more finesse on the slow blues, and I think it works well. But then again, I didn't see the old lineup live, just judging from Live At Rockpalast. Plus, I wasn't attached to them since I didn't see them in the flesh or meet them. But still, Joe's current rhythm section is killer, that's for sure, and there has not been any dropoff. In fact, it's probably improved.

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

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  • jim m
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  • Registered: 2006-04-24
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Re: The Current Touring band is killer

pcornell wrote:
daddy5strings wrote:

.........There is no doubt that the Czar and Kram lineup rivalled the old Cream in ability.......

That may be overstating it a bit.


I liked the old guys as well. I really like Bogie and Mark too. Different, but both good and each has their own strengths and weaknesses.

The new material is stellar. The versions of the songs added to the set list are nothing short of stunning. They are good enough that I find myself wanting more than 3 of them in the current set; but at the same time I don't want to give up any of the old ones either.

The new music definitely shows changes in Joe and seems to be evolutionary in nature. Another good reason to buy some tickets and take some folks to see the shows live.


PC

EC carried Cream. Bruce and Baker were riden coatails. Well Baker any way. The older we get the better they were.

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16 Reply by The Rivercat (edited by The Rivercat 2006-06-28 20:04:03)

  • Registered: 2006-06-27
  • Posts: 5

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

There is a difference on "Takin' the Hit"  Live.  It took years for Joe, Eric and Kenny to perfect the song the way that they did.    I wish the best for Joe and the new line-up.

  • From: Harrison, Arkansas
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 3,155

Re: The Current Touring band is killer

jim m wrote:
pcornell wrote:
daddy5strings wrote:

.........There is no doubt that the Czar and Kram lineup rivalled the old Cream in ability.......

That may be overstating it a bit.


I liked the old guys as well. I really like Bogie and Mark too. Different, but both good and each has their own strengths and weaknesses.

The new material is stellar. The versions of the songs added to the set list are nothing short of stunning. They are good enough that I find myself wanting more than 3 of them in the current set; but at the same time I don't want to give up any of the old ones either.

The new music definitely shows changes in Joe and seems to be evolutionary in nature. Another good reason to buy some tickets and take some folks to see the shows live.


PC

EC carried Cream. Bruce and Baker were riden coatails. Well Baker any way. The older we get the better they were.

Not necessarily. From the boots and different things I've heard, Ginger and Jack were equally as important in that band as Eric was. I think they pushed him. And honestly, the reason why some people think he hasn't been up to his guitar-god stature he attained in Cream is because Jack and Ginger weren't there to push him. I think Jack is the finest bassist I've ever heard, and Ginger is one of the top three drummers I've ever heard. Now, in the reunion stuff, EC carried more weight, due to the fact that he's obviously in better physical shape and because he has improved his vocals since he was in Cream. But without Jack and Ginger, there is no Cream. Just my take. Plus, Jack's vocals are so powerful on those recordings.

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

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  • jim m
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Re: The Current Touring band is killer

Deezer, Cream of course are legends. You are absolutley right about they were individuals that came together for a unique sound. As a drummer wanabe I paid a lot of attention to drummers. Ginger never was a favorite of mine. I prefered Erics voice in Cream. Still it was a different time and Cream was rufff around the edges. That was what people liked. Ginger, Keith Moon, and Mitch Mitchel played lead drums. I never liked any of their styles. They were buzy players but people liked it. I prefered Buddy to Mitch. Kenny Jones to Keith. They were pocket players. The only pocket Ginger knew was on his hip. Just a taste thing. There is very little that came out in that era that I go back to and play. Except the Beatles. Ringo. nothing flashy he just kept time and hit the punches. Jim Capaldi the most underated player of the late 60"s in my opinion.

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