****Might be the person I admire most in any number of musical endeavors: THE ARRANGER. So often they are the ones that bring the magic.****
So true, I recently made the comment that this might be a good subject to explore on this thread. When this subject comes up, the first recording that comes to mind is always Miles' "Sketches Of Spain" and to a somewhat lesser degree "The Birth Of The Cool"; both , recordings which, at the end of the day, are arranger Gil Evans' records, eventhough Miles gets the attention. Could Miles have been replaced by someone else? Arguably, yes. Could Gil Evans have been? No way!
BTW, I listened to "Black Light Syndrome" in its entirety; the first couple of cuts twice. Thanks for the recommendation. Tough record to comment on. I think it's a great record. A great record by the standards of a particular musical sensibility. Rock and roll sensitivity all the way; with a bit of "glam" thrown in (and more than a bit of Flamenco in one spot). Steve Stevens is a very impressive guitar player. The recording is really about him and his amazing virtuosic guitar playing; and, it is also, over the top. Only because of the hype, I am less impressed with Bozzio and wonder what the band could do with someone like Dave Weckl. Stevens has a very wide tonal palette with his use of distortion and effects; but, for instance, his use of the Whammy bar is way over the top and sounds tasteless more than anything to me. A more contained and disciplined range would be more musically effective imo. On the other hand, a "take no prisoners", "let it all hang out" attitude is part of the R&R ethos; hence the quandary. I realize this may seem like a contradiction of my comments re the first Bozzio and co. clip, but still....For me, when I want those particular buttons pushed I would prefer something like these; which strike me as having a little more grit and a little less "look at me!" glam:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YHqXhwtsLxk
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oN0qYUeV0KQ
Btw, I really like and admire your inquisitiveness and open-mindedness. Regards.
So true, I recently made the comment that this might be a good subject to explore on this thread. When this subject comes up, the first recording that comes to mind is always Miles' "Sketches Of Spain" and to a somewhat lesser degree "The Birth Of The Cool"; both , recordings which, at the end of the day, are arranger Gil Evans' records, eventhough Miles gets the attention. Could Miles have been replaced by someone else? Arguably, yes. Could Gil Evans have been? No way!
BTW, I listened to "Black Light Syndrome" in its entirety; the first couple of cuts twice. Thanks for the recommendation. Tough record to comment on. I think it's a great record. A great record by the standards of a particular musical sensibility. Rock and roll sensitivity all the way; with a bit of "glam" thrown in (and more than a bit of Flamenco in one spot). Steve Stevens is a very impressive guitar player. The recording is really about him and his amazing virtuosic guitar playing; and, it is also, over the top. Only because of the hype, I am less impressed with Bozzio and wonder what the band could do with someone like Dave Weckl. Stevens has a very wide tonal palette with his use of distortion and effects; but, for instance, his use of the Whammy bar is way over the top and sounds tasteless more than anything to me. A more contained and disciplined range would be more musically effective imo. On the other hand, a "take no prisoners", "let it all hang out" attitude is part of the R&R ethos; hence the quandary. I realize this may seem like a contradiction of my comments re the first Bozzio and co. clip, but still....For me, when I want those particular buttons pushed I would prefer something like these; which strike me as having a little more grit and a little less "look at me!" glam:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YHqXhwtsLxk
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oN0qYUeV0KQ
Btw, I really like and admire your inquisitiveness and open-mindedness. Regards.