Re: [Harp-L] Junior Wells : Live at Theresa's

["Planet Harmonica" <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Buddy was how I got into blues. On a good night, Buddy could (and hopefully still can) blow you away. On a bad night, he's a sad excuse for a musician, drowning the music in party tricks and jive. 

Junior was the same. And yet, the live from Montreux that dates back from then (74, I think) is one of my all-time favourite live blues records. Plus Junior's Delmark studio albums are near flawless and the closer to that date (On Tap) is one of the most underrated blues records ever.

I don't know Live from Around the World, but I do know the Buddy and Junior Live at Legends which is indeed horribly marred by this "attitude" thing. 

But I remain hopeful. We'll see !

Ben FELTEN
http://harmonica.typepad.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Rick Dempster 
  To: Bill Hines ; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 5:28 AM
  Subject: RE: [Harp-L] Junior Wells : Live at Theresa's


  I saw him in '72 with Buddy Guy, and I hardly remember any harp playing,
  just the jive. Buddy was terrific, so good I went back the second night
  only to find the two of them just as bad as each other. Sadly, I'm told,
  this has become standard form for Buddy as well. You can't blame these
  guys though; the audience laps it up. Perhaps this belongs with the
  'entertainment' thread!
  RD

  >>> "Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx> 31/08/2006 4:43 >>>
  I love Junior Wells, but many of his later recordings (particularly
  live
  shows) I can't enjoy because by then he was so dramatic about things
  he
  wasn't really playing/singing rather than carrying on with all this
  fake
  show-business drama stuff to drag the songs out, know what I mean?
  Listen to them. He just wouldn't sing the damn song, he was dragging
  things way out, long "dramatic" pauses and dialogs and extra stuff
  that
  just wasn't working for me. Just way too overdramatic. "Live Around
  the
  World" is like this I think. Not that everything has to be an exact
  cover of the record, but this was way outta control. Just my opinion.
  The older stuff is excellent, and far better harp playing.

  Maybe since this is at Theresa's it'll be better, or maybe he wasn't
  in
  that stage by then. I'll probably get it anyway, ha. Look forward to
  your review though Ben!

  Bill

  -----Original Message-----
  From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On
  Behalf Of Planet Harmonica
  Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2006 2:34 PM
  To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
  Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Junior Wells : Live at Theresa's

  Hi all !

  Just wanted to let you know that I emailed Delmark and they replied
  promptly. Release is aimed for mid-october !

  Ben FELTEN
  http://harmonica.typepad.com 

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