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Rambler Blues

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frankie:
I've always loved this tune, both for the lyrics and the way the guitar & voice relate (or not) to one another.  It's in the key of G (std tuning) and I tuned down a whole step to give my voice a break - turns out the guitar sounds kinda cool down that low, anyway.  It was a real challenge to put the vocal together on this one, both in terms of the timing and the melody.  There are quite a few places where the melody jumps up to a high G, the hardest one for me being in the "If you take my rider" verse...  Lemon was a vocal gymnast and I'm more like a vocal couch potato! 

The vocal started really coming together this afternoon when I caved in and tuned down.  All day I've been having fun trying to cozy up to the overall looseness of the tune.  It definitely seems to me like the kind of tune where expression will take you a lot further than outright accuracy.

Anyway, usual disclaimers apply...

waxwing:
Well, we're all a little closer to havin' a Ramblin' Frank Hour on our mp3 players. Sounds great Frank. I happen to really like your vocal style. But you really have such a nice looseness in the guitar. Expressiveness is really the word for it. And the Fraulini sounds really cool down there. I been keepin' my little Stella down to D some lately, playin' some of the Robert Wilkins stuff, and it's a lot easier to sing New Lovin' Blues down there, too. Actually, I been switching it between Vestapol at D and Standard at D. Keep 'em comin', you're an inspiration to us all.
All for now.
John C.

frankie:
Thanks, John!  I'm glad you like it.  I noticed something this morning - there's this cool signature lick that Lemon uses as a fill during the "Don't you house look lonesome" verse - a great one that shows up in other tunes like this one:  Deceitful Brownskin, Got the Blues, Crawlin' Baby...  I totally forgot about it!  Rats!

uncle bud:
Nice Frankie! One of my favorite Lemon tunes. I remember trying to figure it out, thinking, 'This should be easy.' Not. Asked Ari at if he played it, hoping for insight, but he didn't do it. John's right about about the looseness, which is what this tune is all about - kind of a tightrope of looseness.? :D

Edited to add: I also finally know what he's doing after the 2nd "When I left my home, I left my baby cryin'", among other things.

frankie:

--- Quote from: uncle bud on April 25, 2004, 06:20:20 PM ---I remember trying to figure it out, thinking, 'This should be easy.' Not.
--- End quote ---

All the juicy stuff seems to happen underneath Lemon's vocal, so it tends to get overpowered by it.? I guess you could say I'm essentially faking it, 'cause you can't really hear it too well.? He does use that same figure in a lot of G tunes:? Broke and Hungry, Crawlin' Baby, Deceitful Brownskin...?


--- Quote from: uncle bud on April 25, 2004, 06:20:20 PM ---John's right about about the looseness, which is what this tune is all about - kind of a tightrope of looseness.? :D
--- End quote ---

I think I sussed out the main part of the guitar stuff a while ago, but never could find the cojones to try and sing it until recently.? It's where the vocal syncs up with the guitar that's such a puzzle...? Lemon's phrasing sounds as if it's totally disconnected, but after working it out, it's clear that his sense of where the guitar and vocal lines intersect is unerring.? How he came up with something like that is just utterly beyond my comprehension!

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