I was a doubter prior to seein' Ed solo shows. I thought for sure he'd have a lot more support, a backing band the entire time or nearly half the show (partly because of the arrangements on ITW). Sure I'd heard him do some openers and thought he was sufficiently skilled, but I didn't think he could hold my attention for a whole show....
How wrong I was. No he's not some mean-ass shredding finger-flying madman, but damn ... the punch to his chops (Porch) that steam-train ca-chug of his playing is potent stuff. Millworker came to mind, right, plus the little riffs sprinkled through Throw Your Arms, the mandolin work ... and banjo ... and uke! What fun! He even plays the drums! (Has he done that anywhere else besides the epic Berk2?)
Guarenteed, The End -- good fingerstyle! And to top it all off, I love the tone he gets from his tele and strat (Parting Ways, Wishlist), so pure, and his acoustics always sound just right to me.
Ed Solo spoiled me, I'm undoubtedly a bigger Ed fan now than PJ (i know i know...), but if I was 10-15 years younger that prolly wouldn't be true. Heaven forbid, but Ed will be just fine post-PJ. But remove Ed, buh-bye PJ!
all good points!...and while Dewie may find it "easy" to play all of the ITW songs....try writing one dude! that's what i'm talking about!..i'm sure you nerds watch all the footage you can find like i do...the rest of the band is in awe of what Ed does in the studio....and yes...Pearl Jam is a force to be reckoned with because they are all bad ass at what they do and i am in awe of every single one of them!....but on the solo tip? Ed's shit is the only shit i like....and that says a lot.
Lets sum it up like this:
Best overall songwriter (melody and lyrics): Ed
Best riff writer: Stone
Best guitarist: Mike
Further back and forth a wave will break on me, today...
He blew out a string on snl so he has to be doing something right. I appreciate watching his evolution as a guitar player within the band and yes he has learned to play a mean guitar.
Songwriting and guitar playin are 2 different things to me. Ed can pick up any instrument he wants to write a song. He has a knack for it. He's a well rounded guitarist, but that doesn't make him great.
Flashing back to EV Philly 2 last year, Eddie was really poetic (as usual) and humble about his guitar playing ... as I recall a kinda, aw shucks anybody can pick these things up and crank out some tunes on 'em ... which is true enough. Even encouraging those potential guitar players out there with a kinda "just do it... just go for it... " mantra.
As for the "mean" guitar ... he also told the tale of his Clapton White guitar (Martin's Clapton/Fujiwara 000-ECHF “Bellezza Bianca”) running into Clapton in the hotel and begging for the story behind it all...
"Eddie, it's just a guitar..."
"Maybe that Japanese guy will have a better tale..."
Songwriting and guitar playin are 2 different things to me. Ed can pick up any instrument he wants to write a song. He has a knack for it. He's a well rounded guitarist, but that doesn't make him great.
the greatest ever is in your avatar my man! Page is "thee" guitar god!! and nobody will ever fuck with him IMO!
Zep is the only band above PJ in my eyes!
...but i can't play guitar for shit, so Ed is fucking phenomenal as far as I'm concerned!
Dewie, I agree with everything you said except the last sentence.
Obviously, as far as Ed' vox are concerned, they're irreplaceable and nobody in the band IS replaceable, I just don't think Mike is a crazy identifiable guitarists. There's gotta be alota guitarist that were balls deep in Hendrix when Van Halen and all the brit heavy metal came about.
I actually can recognize Mike's playing and I am no musician or have any kind of ear for music. Many times I've heard solos come on my ipod and think it sounds like Mike and check the song and it is Mike playing on a Mad Season song or an "Anything In Between" track.
Good thing that you wrote in your eyes, otherwise, I would've gone mad and wonder where The Beatles are. The Beatles are responsible for popularizing music.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
I think Ed has become a very good guitarist and I really like his playing style. I think the 3 guitar line up works really well on some of the songs because all three of them have very different playing styles. RVM, Porch, Betterman, Wordlwide Suicide etc all sound better with more guitars and more layers to the sound.
Random question: As Matt and Jeff can both play guitar as well, will we get an Eagles-style acoustic tour in about 15 years? 5 greying old men sitting on stools, strumming acoustic guitars for the whole of the gig?
(sorry, 4 greying guys sitting down and a blonde Mike still bouncing around like an 18 year old!)
“Do not postpone happiness”
(Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)
led zeppelin is the only band above pearl jam? hmm not sure about that. john bonham and jimmy page are amazing at what they do, but robert plant is one of the tackiest song writers of all time.
beatles, rolling stones, beach boys, bob dylan, and neil young are all above pearl jam.
as for the original post saying ed plays a mean guitar... yes, ed is decent, but strumming g's and e's doesn't constitute "mean". he needs to leave the playing up to the big boys. you'll never see stone sing elderly woman.....
Comments
Lets sum it up like this:
Best overall songwriter (melody and lyrics): Ed
Best riff writer: Stone
Best guitarist: Mike
As for the "mean" guitar ... he also told the tale of his Clapton White guitar (Martin's Clapton/Fujiwara 000-ECHF “Bellezza Bianca”) running into Clapton in the hotel and begging for the story behind it all...
"Eddie, it's just a guitar..."
"Maybe that Japanese guy will have a better tale..."
Now THAT was a mean guitar!
You, sir, speak the truth.
I agree. He was right about everything until the end. PJ wouldn't sound the same without Ed or Mike.
the greatest ever is in your avatar my man! Page is "thee" guitar god!! and nobody will ever fuck with him IMO!
Zep is the only band above PJ in my eyes!
...but i can't play guitar for shit, so Ed is fucking phenomenal as far as I'm concerned!
I actually can recognize Mike's playing and I am no musician or have any kind of ear for music. Many times I've heard solos come on my ipod and think it sounds like Mike and check the song and it is Mike playing on a Mad Season song or an "Anything In Between" track.
Look what Hendrix did to the guitar!
Good thing that you wrote in your eyes, otherwise, I would've gone mad and wonder where The Beatles are. The Beatles are responsible for popularizing music.
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
Random question: As Matt and Jeff can both play guitar as well, will we get an Eagles-style acoustic tour in about 15 years? 5 greying old men sitting on stools, strumming acoustic guitars for the whole of the gig?
(sorry, 4 greying guys sitting down and a blonde Mike still bouncing around like an 18 year old!)
(Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)
“Put yer good money on the sunrise”
(Tim Rogers)
beatles, rolling stones, beach boys, bob dylan, and neil young are all above pearl jam.
as for the original post saying ed plays a mean guitar... yes, ed is decent, but strumming g's and e's doesn't constitute "mean". he needs to leave the playing up to the big boys. you'll never see stone sing elderly woman.....