Gaming World Forums
General Category => Entertainment and Media => Topic started by: Ryan on November 10, 2008, 11:06:16 pm
-
The Blues
Origins
The Blues are basically the root for all (Western) popular music today. From the blues you had it's immediate ancestors: Jazz, bluegrass, and rhythm and blues. Very little is known about the exact origin of the blues. No one knows the exact year it started, however there is a general consensus that modern blues began in the early 1910s.
African American work songs were an important precursor to the modern blues; these included the songs sung by laborers like stevedores and roustabouts, and the field hollers of slaves.[3]
There are few characteristics common to all blues, as the genre takes its shape from the peculiarities of each individual performance.[4] Some characteristics, however, have been a presence since prior to the creation of the modern blues, and are common to most styles of African American music. The earliest blues-like music was a "functional expression, rendered in a call-and-response style without accompaniment or harmony and unbounded by the formality of any particular musical structure".[5] This pre-blues music was adapted from the field shouts and hollers performed during slave times, expanded into "simple solo songs laden with emotional content".
Notable players and genres
(thanks to my boy Dada for help with these vids)
Early blues players:
Robert Johnson
Robert Johnson is basically where it all begins. Me and Dada both agree that he's probably the biggest influence on American music, ever.
You might have heard the story of the young man who went to the crossroads to give his soul to the devil in exchange for sublime blues playing skills: that's Robert Johnson. Although he made only 29 songs in total, he's the link that made everything from Rock 'n Roll to Hip Hop possible.
Leadbelly
Delta blues players:
Blind Willie McTell
Blind Boy Fuller
Blind Blake
Charley Patton
Other, equally important players (not so much Delta blues players):
Lightnin' Hopkins
John Lee Hooker
Recent blues players:
Howlin' Wolf
(One of my personal favorites :))
Muddy Waters
Otis Rush
B.B King
Albert King
British blues/Blues Rock:
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers
The Rolling Stones
(Their name was taken from Muddy Waters song 'Rollin' Stone')
Cream
This song is important for several reasons. For one, it's a cover of the first video I posted, Robert Johnson's "Crossroads." And two, it shows how the blues had evolved from the early 1910s to 1968. Eric Clapton (along with Jimi Hendrix) and his playing with Cream and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers basically paved the way for modern rock guitar.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix playing his pretty standard blues song 'Red House' at Woodstock. Now songs like these weren't his 'typical' sound (He usually played a more aggressive or psychedelic style of blues), but he is probably the best example of how blues in the 1960s totally shaped modern popular music.
Another interesting fact about this vid is he breaks his high E string pretty early on in the song!
there's loads more artists I could have listed from each era but this topic would be even longer! So yeah basically this topic has several purposes: Discuss the influence and origins of blues, discuss artists you like, and ask for recommendations!
-
If you know nothing at all, about the blues, and you don't feel like learning, please at least check out that one song by Robert Johnson. If nothing else, you should know that!
-
you should've mentioned son house, johnson's mentor.
-
where's blind lemon jefferson? blind willie johnson? the blind boys of alabama? no no something isn't right in this topic at all! not nearly enough blind folk!
-
man I love the blues but I dont really like to listen to any one particular artist too much
usually I just listen to the blues show on npr on sunday nights heh. I do own a number of albums by John Mayall because of my dad however he is kind of like his own weird offshoot of the blues that no one knows exactly what to think of because he is so darn crazy (and sometimes bad)
-
where is my steve wonder
-
where is my steve wonder
...what? He's not really blues at all dude.
-
oh I thought blind dudes...
-
I'm checking most of this stuff out.
Holy shit Leadbelly had a bunch of GREAT songs that I didn't know were his: House of the rising sun nvm Leadbelly didn't write this song but its still cool that he did it, Alberta, Where did you sleep last night. If someone has a link to some of his best albums or something please throw it up in the zoo because I can't find a solid torrent of him
I'm interested in some newer blues or heavily influenced blues stuff other than some of the White Stripes if anyone knows any.
-
led zeppelin is but theyre pretty old and chances are if you grew up with any access to rock and roll at all you've heard of them, i tried looking for some on here a few months ago or something and yeah for newer stuff it seems zeppelin and white stripes are the only thing ive encountered, which is kind of weak :(
edit: I think the yardbirds is pretty blues inspired too but theyre even earlier then zeppelin.
-
I'm checking most of this stuff out.
Holy shit Leadbelly had a bunch of GREAT songs that I didn't know were his: House of the rising sun nvm Leadbelly didn't write this song but its still cool that he did it, Alberta, Where did you sleep last night. If someone has a link to some of his best albums or something please throw it up in the zoo because I can't find a solid torrent of him
I'm interested in some newer blues or heavily influenced blues stuff other than some of the White Stripes if anyone knows any.
if you're looking for ACTUAL BLUES try like Robert Cray, Rory Gallagher, Robin Trower. as for really modern stuff try like the black crowes, john mayer, derek trucks band, gov't mule, black keys, raconteurs (sorry most of them are terrible haha)
-
woah this should be a main page article. it is very good! (however it would probably get less replies there)
-
Don't forget Bobby Rush in the modern blues category. "Raw" is an incredible album of stripped down, classic sounding blues. I am STILL kicking myself that I somehow managed to miss his show the last time he was in town.
-
woah this should be a main page article. it is very good! (however it would probably get less replies there)
haha i thought the exact same thing.
-
I'm interested in some newer blues or heavily influenced blues stuff other than some of the White Stripes if anyone knows any.
try jon spencer blues explosion or maybe deadboy & the elephantmen.
-
Wait. I'm confused. Someone mentioned Led Zeppelin and apparently The Rolling Stones and Cream are blues. I thought those were rock bands. I always pictured the blues as B.B. King and such. Please explain!
-
All three played a lot of blues! I'd probably call them 'blues rock' or something, tho.
-
They also blue grassy stuff too (zeppelin) I know the stones and cream were highly blues influenced but zeppelin had a few different influences Bluegrass, Blues, and a bit of folk too I think
-
if you're looking for ACTUAL BLUES try like Robert Cray, Rory Gallagher, Robin Trower.
definitely!
-
Blues, like Jazz, was fucking great until white people took over
-
ffffff get out of here dietcoke that's 90% bullshit! a lot of the greatest blues musicians ever are white so I'm torpedoing that one
-
ffffff get out of here dietcoke that's 90% bullshit! a lot of the greatest blues musicians ever are white so I'm torpedoing that one
bro if you think Rory Gallagher is one of the best blues musicians ever then the blues means something entirely different to you than it does to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Jaodra7AY
lol this is pretty much exactly what I mean when I say white people ruined the blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN5vqEyV7g
THIS is what I think of when I think blues
-
Leadbelly rules. The man has such a strong presence in his songs (which - did i mention this? - rules) and his voice is deep and... and awesome!!.
Wait. I'm confused. Someone mentioned Led Zeppelin and apparently The Rolling Stones and Cream are blues. I thought those were rock bands. I always pictured the blues as B.B. King and such. Please explain! +rory gallagher
Well, all three are heavily inspired by blues and even have whole lot of plain blues in their catalogue buuuuuut yeah the majority of their production are bluesrock.
bro if you think Rory Gallagher is one of the best blues musicians ever then the blues means something entirely different to you than it does to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33Jaodra7AY
lol this is pretty much exactly what I mean when I say white people ruined the blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jN5vqEyV7g
THIS is what I think of when I think blues
I understand what you mean and you are propably even correct! (gary moore "how about some BLUES" *shreds some insane nasal nintendo-arpeggios*)
I just think that it's equally gay to throw out "it was all good UNTIL the white people took over :rolleyes:",
regardless of how much pretentious blues white people have played (such......such a black thing to say...)
also hahaha can you not pick any worse song from gallagher for comparison?
-
Leadbelly rules. The man has such a strong presence in his songs (which - did i mention this? - rules) and his voice is deep and... and awesome!!.
Well, all three are heavily inspired by blues and even have whole lot of plain blues in their catalogue buuuuuut yeah the majority of their production are bluesrock.
I understand what you mean and you are propably even correct! (gary moore "how about some BLUES" *shreds some insane nasal nintendo-arpeggios*)
I just think that it's equally gay to throw out "it was all good UNTIL the white people took over :rolleyes:",
regardless of how much pretentious blues white people have played (such......such a black thing to say...)
also hahaha can you not pick any worse song from gallagher for comparison?
white people have no soul and it's impossible to play the blues without soul
-
well that's just racist
bro if you think Rory Gallagher is one of the best blues musicians ever then the blues means something entirely different to you than it does to me.
idk if you need to reread or something but I didn't actually say this at all (not least because blues rock is something different to blues altogether)
(gary moore "how about some BLUES" *shreds some insane nasal nintendo-arpeggios*)
hahaha I don't know how much of Moore's blues stuff you have heard because this is completely absent! fair enough it's all over his early rock material but he eased off it when he got lost in blues territory.
-
you did agree that he was ACTUAL BLUES tho which i think is a bit of a stretch in most cases.
-
well not really, I agreed that they should check him out. to be honest I didn't notice the ACTUAL BLUES bit! (whatever that is anyway)
-
I can't believe nobody mentioned Stevie Ray Vaughn, Memphis Slim, or T-Bone Walker. :sad:
-
white people have no soul and it's impossible to play the blues without soul
umm... ever heard of a lil somebody called john motherfreakin mayer??
:fogethuh:
-
umm... ever heard of a lil somebody called john motherfreakin mayer??
:fogethuh:
lol
-
SRV is a very talented man.
-
do we need to go over how white people blues sucks again?
seriously SRV is a perfectly acceptable thing to play at Monster Truck rallies and Nascar. I am enough of an elitist to be above thinking something so highly valued by that segment of the population is good in any way.
whoo golly dam he can sure play that geetar fast boy I'll tell you wut
-
do we need to go over how white people blues sucks again?
seriously SRV is a perfectly acceptable thing to play at Monster Truck rallies and Nascar. I am enough of an elitist to be above thinking something so highly valued by that segment of the population is good in any way.
whoo golly dam he can sure play that geetar fast boy I'll tell you wut
i don't even like srv very much but this is a dumb thing to say
-
do we need to go over how white people blues sucks again?
seriously SRV is a perfectly acceptable thing to play at Monster Truck rallies and Nascar. I am enough of an elitist to be above thinking something so highly valued by that segment of the population is good in any way.
whoo golly dam he can sure play that geetar fast boy I'll tell you wut
yeah this is a pretty dumb thing to say! SRV isn't REDNECK MUSIC or anything by any means! he was actually a pretty good blues guitarist, and while i think he's really really overrated (like in the dimebag darrell category), he's by no means like ALAN JACKSON or some shit.
-
yeah he pretty much is. have you ever watched one of his live shows?
firstly I pretty much hate electric white people blues but among that group of musicians srv is probably the most commercialized and least interesting of the entire group. secondly, he is like... the Michael Bolton or Kenny G of blues music. seriously
also I believe he regularly played concerts wearing a shirt that was fashioned in the style of a cowboy shirt except it was made out of the flag of texas. and it wasnt meant to be an ironic gesture. so yeah fuck that
-
yeah he pretty much is. have you ever watched one of his live shows?
firstly I pretty much hate electric white people blues but among that group of musicians srv is probably the most commercialized and least interesting of the entire group. secondly, he is like... the Michael Bolton or Kenny G of blues music. seriously
also I believe he regularly played concerts wearing a shirt that was fashioned in the style of a cowboy shirt except it was made out of the flag of texas. and it wasnt meant to be an ironic gesture. so yeah fuck that
holy shit you don't know what you're talking about. he was from texas and played texas blues. he wasn't commercialized at all and was actually pretty unrecognized by the mainstream until he died. he wore dumb outfits but it was the 80s so pretty much everyone did! he was also probably the greatest new blues guitarist to appear since the 60s but ok!
you..you talentless hack. go back to sipping your coke bottle elsewhere, thanks.
-