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Post by master of reality on Dec 19, 2006 8:04:23 GMT -5
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Post by bcfreak on Dec 19, 2006 8:13:03 GMT -5
No, Blue Cheer should keep Duck, and if it wasn't for Leigh Stephens, Blue Cheer wouldn't be what it is today. This is where you are wrong buddy If it wasn't for Randy Holden, there would be no Blue Cheer!!!!!!!!!! I sense a shit-storm a brewing on this one ;D The only thing I hear of Holden with Blue Cheer, is the 3 song he recorded with them on New! Improved! album. So I'm not that convinced that without Randy Holden there would be no Blue Cheer. Unless you have recordings of Blue Cheer concerts with Randy Holden in it to prove it. So share them with us if you do. As FBL said in another thread STOP HORDING THEM!!!
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Post by ericalbronda on Dec 19, 2006 11:24:09 GMT -5
When BC was six people it was obvious where the strong points were---par example---after carrying that huge Hammond B3 and Leslie's up and down stairs to gigs-- and finding out that Vale ( Hamanaka) would often not even turn on the organ---an obvious im imbalance of musicians was apparent-- it would have not mattered anyway since the rest were way louder . Jerry Whiting was a genius but nuts, when he jelled in playing the Harmonica he was great at improv but could not play the same thing twice---when we met him, he was staying at Joynt Venture which was a head shop in the Mission District owned by Gut, we watched a crab crawl accross his forhead. Jerrie Peterson was the Blues , he taught Dickie how to play music and was in a few bands with him before BC, pretty common knowledge that Jerrie was the one who suggested working up Summertime Blues. The strength and rock and roll came from Dickie , Paul, Leigh. As the rhythum, Paul directed the music tempo because he could and often switched tempo at will for dynamics and mood, this frustrated Dickie and Leigh no end---but paul Refused to bend sometimes and if they would not follow his lead well he would purposely through s... in the game and mess up the rhythum until others fell in line. That was Paul's Power besides his looks and natural ability. Paul along with Dickie , Leigh and Weaver, Merry Prankster and now ladyfriend to Yoder, went to Monterey POP festival. So after seeing the Jimmey Hendrix Experience when Paul returned he decided he wanted a trio, that was it pure and simple---also major influence of the Cream. So He and Dickie and Leigh banded together with like mind and formed BC, the Trio. As I recall Dickie and his brother had a heart to heart and Jerri went his way. The physics of a trio in music is difficult to pull off as the Rhythum, top and bottom are the exclusive responsibility of each one of the trio---more difficult it is when one of the trio is playing in uncharted territory (Leigh). Towards the end of the First tour the work load put on Paul was astounding as he coud not reley on Leigh to help him much as far as holding down the rhythum---this in a trio became an extreme imbalance which Paul decided not to tolerate and because Leigh was drifting farther away from Pauls Power if you will. Like it or not when you are heavily compromised, chemically, as Dickie and Paul were Leigh became a scapegoat for them, he would also let his displeasure be known in their face ( difficult to pretend nothing is wrong when Paul needed to leave his drums and throw up behind the curtains, if he made it that far.) , coupled with the the musical imbalance at the time.Also way out of balance was a huge money draw from Dicki and Paul but little from Leigh---intolerable at best----Truth is ,it was a mutual decision that Leigh left. After that time musicians were hired to make Paul's and Dickie's job easier with the major influence being Paul's decision as to who. Later the decisions were made for the same reasons by the record company Myself or Jerry Russell. It was not until Dickie teamed up with Tony Rainier and Michael Fleck did Dickie return to make the important musical decisions. He just could not , period until then. I was present when Legally it was decided that Dickie would forever own the name Blue Cheer as it applies to music---Paul opted for the Van, Leigh and I were gone for the same reasons to England. Perhaps the apex of popularity of Blue Cheer and the one that broke through---Dickie Leigh Paul but music is a moment in time and the fourty plus years that Blue Cheer has been around only Dickie has remained consistently------Dickie Peterson, put him on stage with his bass and a microphone and he is the best he is without a doubt.
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Post by 56buzz on Dec 19, 2006 12:59:29 GMT -5
high props again Eric for another outstanding interesting and informative post... I don't know if you've ever commented on the current lineup and live set the guys are doing now...care to offer an opinion? I mean everyone loses a step or two as the years go by, if you've seen the latest tour did you see anything you could contrast and compare...
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Post by babylon on Dec 19, 2006 13:57:07 GMT -5
great post Eric, intense times, amazing we got the first two recordings - considering the volatile mix that these three became, but then again, it is probably because of that intensity that we did! Sounds as if it was the 'recreational' habits that really caused the demise of the original BC more than anything. Nice to be able to hear it from the source and not all the revisionist history being tossed around.
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Post by Dew Dude on Dec 19, 2006 14:05:01 GMT -5
The demise of the band was caused by Randy Hammon refusing to be a team player. Blue My Mind indeed....
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Post by bcfreak on Dec 19, 2006 17:31:07 GMT -5
Yeah 56 buzz, Duck was pretty impressive. A new dimension he adds to the classic Blue Cheer tunes are his slow blues breaks like he does to fill in the quiet parts of Parchment Farm. In other songs like Doctor Please he uses controlled feedback very well, mixes it with a Clapton like tone from Cream days and shreds it to "fine". I gotta listen to the Bye Bye Osaka Hello Tokyo disk again to compare. He is playing great now. Better than earlier live recordings. What do you think?' Duck plays a lot better live than on the earlier live recordings.
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Post by 56buzz on Dec 19, 2006 17:49:47 GMT -5
bcfreak Duck is way better now than that recording...he's dropped the chorus-phase-echo effects and all the heavy metal yiddla-diddla Now its pretty much just alot of cool blues based psychedelia... I think the band is as good now, as any point in it's career
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Post by bcfreak on Dec 19, 2006 18:02:00 GMT -5
I ment to say, he a lot better now than in the earlier live recordings. His sound kind of reminds me of Leigh Stephen, but more refind.
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Post by babylon on Dec 19, 2006 20:36:20 GMT -5
"Duck is way better now than that recording...he's dropped the chorus-phase-echo effects and all the heavy metal yiddla-diddla Now its pretty much just alot of cool blues based psychedelia... I think the band is as good now, as any point in it's career "
I could not have said it better myself, Buzz ;D
Great to see Duck get some respect around here - enough of this Randy Holden crap.
Duck is much more focused, he has the rare ability to be free without getting lost in the ozone like dear old Randy.
On the second leg of this last BC tour, Duck took it to another level. In my opinon, he is the perfect axe man for carrying on the BC legacy.
If you listen to 'Blue Steel Dues' and 'Down and dirty' on the 'Live in Japan' CD it's totally 'cool blues based psychedelics'.
These are great examples of newer BC tunes that carry on the tradition.
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Post by mr maltese on Dec 19, 2006 22:35:39 GMT -5
I saw this article already but I don't remember if I posted this before or not but in any case these are some articles on the 2006 tour...enjoy www.bluecheer.us/2006tour.htm and Eric greatly appreciate all the info once again Maltese
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Post by Festooned Piglips on Dec 19, 2006 22:41:09 GMT -5
Great to see Duck get some respect around here - enough of this Randy Holden crap. Blasphemy!!!!! Duck couldn't carry Randy's G string!!
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Post by bcfreak on Dec 19, 2006 22:47:40 GMT -5
Great to see Duck get some respect around here - enough of this Randy Holden crap. Blasphemy!!!!! Duck couldn't carry Randy's G string!! Live recordings I repeat do you have live recodings Mr or Ms Festooned Pig Lips, with Holdn Duck is caring on where Leigh and Randy left off, thank you. ;D
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Post by mr maltese on Dec 19, 2006 22:53:26 GMT -5
I found this brief article (below) on the net saying that The Who were at 126 decibals but when they made guinness book of world records it wasn't until 1976 - Eric said they measured BC anywhere from 118 – 121 db in an empty hall and that was in 1968 so you see BC had already set the standard for high powered volume way before and BC were like that every night that they played I’m sure,…Eric, were you at the San Jose Civic Ctr. in 1968? And I believe it was The Who that were the headliner band that BC played with on that show….that’s one of the few BC concerts that was recorded from that period…did BC crush The Who at that show not only in shear volume but in intensity as well?
Source: The Guinness World Record Book LOUDEST BAND A typical rock concert ranges from between 110 to a staggering 125 decibels. The loudest on record is The Who, at 126. Man-O-War claims to have reached 129.5 in 1994 and says Guinness refused to list it because they didn't want to encourage people to try and break it -- (a quick check of the Guinness website confirms they have no listing for loudest rock concert). However they do in one of my earlier guinness book of records they list The Who concert in Canada at 126 decs. BORING unrock 'n' roll note:- ear damage starts at 80 decibels!! Yawn Yawn!
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Post by Festooned Piglips on Dec 19, 2006 23:00:45 GMT -5
Blasphemy!!!!! Duck couldn't carry Randy's G string!! Live recordings I repeat do you have live recodings Mr or Ms Festooned Pig Lips, with Holdn Duck is caring on where Leigh and Randy left off, thank you. ;D What, Duck is influencing other bands and then claiming their now his bands because of his influence? WOW
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