Topic: Re: Get Away Blues

[CF]

I would like to try to smooth the waters a bit if I could & maybe apologize to Carl for being what I would now admit was a little unnecessarily harsh, especially since your quality of guitar playing in the country & pre-war blues idiom is really quite rare in today's world & I think deserves a level of respect. I will be honest: The quality of your voice, the volume of your videos, the range of the instruments & memorabilia displayed in them was actually a bit of a sore point with me & I admit was one of the factors I recently quitted the company of Weenie as well as a certain paranoia I was feeling about baring a part of myself on the world wide web. As a working bluesman I think maybe I was feeling a little compromised in being an avid poster & enthusiast . . . probably bi-polar too . . . of course I am also a university educated person & the other side of my persona is deeply scholarly, I am currently studying 18th century English Lit.? why? Because I am a full-fledged nerd that way I guess . . . & i'm also a blues nerd, nothing I can do about it. I don't need to say all this but would like to be diplomatic & honest.

I stick by my criticisms tho' Carl but at this point I offer them in a more friendly & respectable manner. We all deserve to be respectably treated & I apologize if indeed I wasn't being enough of a gentleman.

I will offer criticism that comes from the bluesman side tho', & this criticism is always tempered by the profound respect & allegiance I feel for & with our blues men & women pioneers .  .  . & so I will offer a certain kind of criticism for the hobbyist & perhaps another for the proffesional . . . many here seem to be very opinionated about the way country blues is portrayed & appreciated in the western world where certain players are held in high 'popular' esteem whereas those of us with an actual sense of the history of the music have a different opinion. Blah blah, excuse me.

The 'expensive guitars' comment I qualified earlier . . . the integrity of this music should not be compromised, I voiced perhaps a personal prejudice. I play in bluegrass circles & I complain to those cats about their expensive Martins & Collings too, but ONLY when their gear trumps the expression of the music . . . who doesn't like playing or owning a beautiful guitar, it is like a fine woman by your side . . . hmm, maybe not that great, ha ha.

As a musician my enemies are not to be found in the country blues world, my enemies names are Britney & 50 Cent & Lohan. I want a sticker for my guitar that says 'This Machine Kills American Idol.'

I think John's idea for Performance Corner is inspired, great idea. I think probably i may have been guilty in the past of not posting correctly on the Back Porch . . . of course I tended to post songs that I had just or recently learned . . . & always by ear, so 'do they sound Ok?' I may have been asking. & i am greatly touched by the kind words. I didn't expect them & don't even think I deserve them.

You have a legion of fans on Weenie & youtube & elsewhere Carl, who cares what a crank like me says. Besides, i'm just some Eastern Canadian  . . . . what the hell do i know about the Blues?
 

[GhostRider]

Hi:

I agree with some of what Waxy says. When I (infrequently) post on the Back Porch, it is very important for me to get comments, criticism if necessary. Pile it on if you want, that's why I post there, that to me is the point of the Back Porch.

But keep it balanced and for sure keep it on the music. Any criticism of the instrument, or value of the instrument used to play the music or, for heaven's sake, the backdrop used in a video, is irrelevant. It's the music (and only the music) that counts. BTW, I like the video performances, as one's stage persona is important in presenting this music to the audience, who mostly know very little about it.

I'll hopefully post again in the Back Porch and when I do I want all and everyone to post their reactions, positive and constructive. But please, don't make me have to play a cheap guitar in order to post.

I'm not sure that I agree that "polished" performances should not be on the Back Porch. I have never seen any performance (except some by John Miller) that couldn't use some tweaking (or wrenching in my case) to make them better. In my humble opinion, the Back Porch should be a place where people post tunes for help with them (as Waxy suggests) and to solicit comments and suggestions for improvement (as well as praise for aspects that are appealing).

I'm sure the Great Minds   of the Steering Committee will come up with a appropriate policy. May Wisdom guide their deliberations.

My $0.02 (Canadian)

Alex

[Slack]

I'm sure the Great Minds  Wink of the Steering Committee will come up with a appropriate policy. May Wisdom guide their deliberations.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I cannot see where we need any new policy.  I agree Alex that "Polished" performances should not be excluded on the BP - even polished performances need more polish to maintain the shine. And as has been expressed, the BP is for soliciting feedback... and feedback from registered users because only registered users can see the files for download.  If you don't want feedback (positive or negative)  don't post in the BP. 

Folks, let's also remember that this is a difficult medium with which to communicate - we don't get the benefit of seeing someone's face, body language, or voice inflections.  As a result, posts may sound harsher than intended. Always gives folks the benefit of the doubt, especially when reacting to a first post.  If folks are insincere, you can usually tell pretty easy by the 3rd exchange.

Weenies Unite! 

[Richard]

I say girls, things in this thread have been really popping 

I have read and assimulated as much as I can in one hit and will, as ever, offer my own unique take on it.

First, Carl don't be silly and carry on posting.

By the very nature of it there will always be players more competent (better even!) than others and we should all feel free to post a number without being slated or anything near it.

Personally, I view the BP as a place to receive constructive comments and not always to be certain of obtaining more wonderous acolades to print out and hang on the loo door, that's probably a bathroom door to some of you. So, I rather feel one has to accept what said, it's not always pleasant but that's the life of the diy CB player and you have to beg the question why did you post in the first place if you did not want some comments, favourable or otherwise 

Again, and this is my personal view, that the back porch is for actual mp3 postings and not for links to other sites where, how can I put this... errr ... the dressings of the recording set might enhance the perceived performance.... Links for those can be elsewhere, but don't ask me where!

Ummm, tha's it for now