Alvin Lee Message & Discussion Board
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Hey:: all of you Alvin fans out there !While we wait for Alvins new release in June, Bonamassa has a new one out in May. Maybe it will hold me over one more month.
Hey Paul, did your Alvin stuff ever arrive?
Robin :: No at this point It keeps rejecting my card on this order only !all is not lost I shall resubmit again,fore I am burning for the 75 dvd!!!You know I saw Alvin in the 70s a couple of times in Indy But can hardly recall a moment,other than the the location,I suppose I can only be to blame , since at the time my priorities were not in order ,and do you suppose they are today. Tonite , My priorities are rockin to storyville ,Great band !! Miss you Stevie.
Hi Paul, saw Joe the other night. This guy is at the top of his game right now. Stunning concert and time to chat afterwards.
Hi, Tony and Paul! :-) I'd be interested in a bit more of a critique of Bonamassa's style(s) from either or both of you...what specific qualities you admire in his playing, or whatever. I've seen/heard a couple of his concerts on PBS, and I'm still not "getting it". Like Robin, I wouldn't feel I missed anything if I never heard him again, though I can tell that he's good, as in technically proficient. I'm just not truly connecting with him. Maybe it's just the "different strokes" factor, but I find myself wondering a little how old the shows are that I saw, and if I'm missing something now?! Not meant as a slam...just curious.
I, too, would appreciate some guidance as to what to look for in Joe B's music. I think Laurie called it correctly when she said the most likely reason I have not connected with Joe is simply that he is not Alvin. 
Ha, is that what I wrote, Robin? I thought I said we *both* weren't connecting with Joe B. 'cos we didn't find him sexy like Alvin. I was thinking it, anyway. ;-) Which could be part of it for me, but certainly not all...I can admire people's playing whether they're sexy to me or not, as I'm sure is also true for you. Something just isn't grabbing me about Bonamassa so far, which, when someone else finds him "stunning", makes my curious analytic side kick in. I want to understand why others are blown away. Perhaps I should try one of his CDs. Any recommendations, guys?
Hi Laurie. My memory may be faulty here but I have the impression you were referring to the fact that Alvin is such a uniquely dynamic and magnetic artist, and his appeal (for us) is so monumental, that few other artists can measure up. Of course, I could be way off, but that is how I remember it.
The only other musician I thought was sexy was Jim Morrison. But, recently I checked him out on YouTube and found myself wondering what I ever saw in him. For my tastes now, I find him too girly.
But Alvin... I am still amazed by my reaction to him. I thought I was too old for this nonsense. 
The music I usually listen to -- classical and opera -- has zero sex appeal. 
Sorry, I am not a fan.
Joe does absolutey nothing for me.
Yes I have his Royal Albert Hall DVD.
yes he has talent, there is a good example of his talent when he was 12 years old on youtube.
Peace,
DLM
Now Jim Morrison was an inovator, although he did go off on a few tangents.
When he discovered food it was The End My Friend.
Yes, that's about the gist of it where you and I are concerned on the topic of Alvin, Robin-- not way off at all. Though I have to disagree that classical music has no sex appeal...do you listen to the Romantics at all? Or Ludwig v. B. at his fieriest and most dramatic? Bach & Mozart were brilliant, but more stylized and cerebral. As for opera, some of the later stuff like Puccini has its moments. How about pop opera like "Phantom"? It's so melodramatic it can easily become overwrought or seem a bit silly if not done right, but the performances in the 25th anniversary Royal Albert Hall version released last October are absolutely spectacular, and quite passionate, I think.
The only other musician I thought was sexy was Jim Morrison. But, recently I checked him out on YouTube and found myself wondering what I ever saw in him. For my tastes now, I find him too girly.
But Alvin... I am still amazed by my reaction to him. I thought I was too old for this nonsense.
The music I usually listen to -- classical and opera -- has zero sex appeal.
Like any musician, Joe Bonamasa's music is subject to the taste of the listener - still, he is a huge talent. I haven't always liked his recordings, but both of the live shows I caught in the last three years were awesome. He is much better live than in the studio, and much better now than when he was a 12-year-old prodigy. He is just coming into his own as a musician - more diversity in style and delivery, (call it musical maturity, if you will) - in my not-so-humble (okay, maybe not humble at all) opinion.
My advice - see him live. If you like what your hear get a recent live recording. If you like that, you might want to get some of his studio work. The cat can play, but he's not for everybody. Nobody is.
But no, ladies, he is probably NOT going to get you all hot and bothered (I was going to say horny, but thought better of it). It's not really his thing, and he's not Alvin.
Hey Don, it is perfectly OK with me if you tell it like it is. I cannot think of a better word to describe the feelings Alvin inspires in me when he sings "Help Me" or "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl".
You notice I didn't think better of it enough not to mention it . . . so theoretically, I get to be a gentleman like mama raised me and still make the point explictly.
I'm not sure why it doesn't seem to keep me from getting slapped . . .
Don, are you implying that I should have considered myself insulted but failed to notice? 
It would be disingenuous for me to cyberslap you for using a word that perfectly described the situation as it applied to me. Of course, I speak only for myself. 
Toni: Happy to hear you enjoyed the show. yes JB is riding high, I don't know how he maintains the pace.With two bands and think he has produced six cds in two years along with two dvds.he plays here May 5th,I plan to attend .his live show is so powerful,with a deep rich sound.with strong band alongside.
Nah, I never imply anything - that probably my problem!
Hi Laurie : you are right about different strokes many people often say to me ,what are you listening to ,all that loud guitar.In Joe I see and feel a real passion for the music, song,and his guitar. He is a very good singer and his band is tight, especially Tal Bergman/drummer.His influences are broad and covers other artist works often and well.joe,s not the cutest cat nor does he have a sexy swagger on stage. But the man can play guitar. the most recant dvd is live at the beacon theater,cds would be dust bowl and dont explain w/ Beth Hart. As someone said for the real deal see him live
Well my problem is that I either don't see something that is right in front of my face, or I imagine I see something that is not there.
Robin, Laurie, JB's a very talented player, but lacks the charisma and self-effacing good humor that an artist like Alvin has. When you can't put your finger on it, that's usually what it is. It can't be learned or taught, either you have it, or you don't.
The proverbial hornet's nest! As has been said, no-one ticks everyone's boxes. Joe is regarded as one of the hardest working guitarists out there. Not only does he insist on regular tours with his own band, but is involved with so-called supergroup Black Country Communion. (Not particularly my scene.) His recording with Beth Hart is another example of his desire to encompass additional musical genres.
By the way, no, I'm not his manager!! Still the best "LIVE" show I've seen for a long time...
Agreed. I thought JB was one of the best live shows in recent memory.
Alvin's got more charisma, for sure, but it's also the structure and content of the music itself, I think. That's what I can't quite figure out how to put. What I've heard so far from Joe B. hasn't been stylistically memorable to me. Nothing stuck in my head afterwards. I didn't experience the unique and distinctive personality of melody, rhythm, and note selection that I do with players I like and love. Perhaps his music isn't idiosyncratic enough for my taste. Hey, I'm a big Jack White fan, if that says anything. (And he's got a new album coming out in a couple of weeks, *Blunderbuss*, btw.) Now, it may be if I listen further to Joe B., I will find that his style becomes more apparent and grows on me. We'll see.
Hmmm... I never thought of Jim Morrison as girly, but come to think of it, maybe I know what you mean. I loved the Doors' songs, but JM's stud routine onstage had a kind of coy narcissistic preciousness to it that just wasn't my cuppa. Uh-oh, pay no mind to this, Patricia!! ;-)
.........
The only other musician I thought was sexy was Jim Morrison. But, recently I checked him out on YouTube and found myself wondering what I ever saw in him. For my tastes now, I find him too girly.
........
Yeah, you said it. Alvin makes love to his guitar! Now, I sure don't mind a guy strutting his stuff, which is in the natural order of things, after all, but actual or apparent narcissism is a big turn-off for me. I think maybe JM was overcompensating and majorly self-medicating for shyness, but what do I know. Obviously he was a huge hippie sex symbol, but I never personally felt that way about him, other than to appreciate the sexiness and other qualities in his singing. His constant level of boozing, tripping, and stoning, etc., also seemed incredibly self-involved, even for an addict, and such a reckless one, at that. My prior teasing reference to his ex, Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, the sci fi author and fellow Witch priestess, was meant with affection and respect, and I don't really expect her to read my criticisms of her adored Jim here. I can't really understand her still worshipping the ground he walked on after all these years, if it were me, in view of his very serious shortcomings. And yet, yeah, I do understand it, for her. When you love somebody, you love somebody. In any case, Patricia's quite a lady, has a wonderful mind, and I feel for her tragedy. She's worth ten of Jim, anyway!!
Exactly. When I was younger, I was mesmorized by Jim's style and his face and his voice, but when I look at him now.... no. I still enjoy listening to him sing. His voice is as seductive as ever.
Alvin Lee is pure masculine perfection. Yes, he can be tantalizingly flirtatious and he knows the power he has over women, but he doesn't make love to himself on stage.[/quote]
There's a dreamy, sultry old German torch song from the '30s, "Liebe ist ein Geheimnis", or "Love is a Mystery"... "wonderful and unfathomable". Sigh. Perhaps I am still up for one more go-round, at that. ;-)
When you love somebody, you love somebody.
So true. There is no accounting for it, and no reasoning with it.
I just listened to a couple of different versions of the song on Youtube. It does awaken the old yearnings and longings.
Alvin Lee awakens feelings that are too hot to handle -- or, at the very least, too hot to mention.
The majority of my comments about Alvin here on this board refer to his manly charms but I do appreciate that he is much more than a major hottie. In addition to all the exciting and original aspects of his music, I love the beauty and soulfulness of so many of his lovely songs.
I hope the new CD will have some pretty love songs.
Try listening to SLOE GIN or DUST BOWL, as a starter! O.K. so he always wears a suit. But not EVEN Alvin looks sexy to me. Must be a guy thing...
Paul - what are you trying to buy? I may have extra copies.
OK, Tony. Will try those. :-) And yeah, must be a guy thing, except that in my experience, guys who aren't gay would rather be shot than openly admit they can tell when another guy is sexy. Which they obviously CAN, or certain prison and oldtime sailor behavior of normally hetero men would be/have been different, heh. Whereas most straight women I know, myself included, do feel comfortable acknowledging another woman's sexiness. It doesn't mean we want to jump their bones. We can merely appreciate it aesthetically. Hmm. Must be a gal thing. ;-) But hey, teasing aside, Tony, I'll grant maybe you really *can't* tell Alvin is sexy. But I'll bet you think some of his music is! Right, Dale? ;-)
Thanks, Paul! Will check out the CD with Beth Hart. :-)
Hi Laurie, well OK maybe Alvin was - and still is - a good-looking guy :) but I ain't never been inside with any oldtime sailor types! But I have witnessed many signs of female "catiness" when they think a more sexy woman appears in the room. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder - or in the arms of the holder...
Still think JB is a breath of fresh air. He even pinches Alvin's idea of playing famous rock riffs during the encores, as most of his followers are old gits!!
Toni: I've been trying to purchase the new release of the dvd TYA live in 1975 through amazon.And for some reason it is not taking my cards on this order only.I've made other purchases on the same accounts ,but this one doesn't want to take.I will try again sometime,but it seems to slip my mind lately.Thank you for the offer,I don't have much of TYA or Alvin on dvd. When someone posted Silly Woman Blues and Ain't got no Whiskey I ripped them to my hard drive, made cds and played them over and over for a week.I only wish Whiskey was of better quality.Sorry it took so long to respond to this post, sometimes I don't go back on the board. thanks Toni!
Whose versions did you hear of "Liebe ist ein Geheimnis", Robin? Just curious.
I just listened to a couple of different versions of the song on Youtube. It does awaken the old yearnings and longings.
Alvin Lee awakens feelings that are too hot to handle -- or, at the very least, too hot to mention.
Catty women are pathetic and a real pain. My own women friends tend not to be inclined to such hissy-fit behavior, praise Bast. Meeeow!! quote=Tony McKiernan] ....... But I have witnessed many signs of female "catiness" when they think a more sexy woman appears in the room. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder - or in the arms of the holder...
......... [/quote]
My girlfriend once told me that although women liked me none of them were happy to see me walk into the room when men were around. I still treasure that compliment. Those days are long gone. :)
It is definitely ugly and nasty the way some woman treat beautiful and sexy women. The worst I have witnessed is older, unattractive women being vicious to pretty, younger women.
I delight in the beauty of all women and do not feel an ounce of envy. I think it is because I had my share of male admiration back in the day. But, I do feel compassion for those unfortunate women who have never experienced the sweet thrill of male attention. I try not to judge the catty women too harshly because they know only too well that they are the undesired.
OMG --- do I sound catty or what?
I also caught myself in a big lie --- I am hella jealous of any woman who ever attracted Alvin's eye and especially his heart.
Just keeping it real.
;-)
I also caught myself in a big lie --- I am hella jealous of any woman who ever attracted Alvin's eye and especially his heart.
Just keeping it real.
P.S. Still wondering about the below, Robin, if you happen to recall...
I just listened to a couple of different versions of the song on Youtube. It does awaken the old yearnings and longings.
Alvin Lee awakens feelings that are too hot to handle -- or, at the very least, too hot to mention.
Hi Laurie. I didn't forget. Truthfully I am too lazy to get out of bed to turn on my computer
so I can copy and paste the URL' s from YouTube into a message for you. I parked myself in my bed with a pile of books and my Kindle and my IPhone and I am not budging til tomorrow.
I do recall that they were at the top of the list on YouTube and they were black and white. One was a tango version and the other was by a blonde in the Marlena Deitrich style.
I will get on this tomorrow.
Edit: I am reading the funniest book ever. Tears of laughter have been running down my face all night --- "Right Ho, Jeeves"
P.G. Wodehouse!! I LOVE P.G. Wodehouse! No wonder you're laughing till you cry! I almost made a reference to him here the other day when Don was referring to his surname, Blankenship, coming from the older English "Blenkinsop"-- a name straight out of the world of Pelham Grenville, or "Plum", himself! As for the "Liebe" song, the version by the non-Marlene Dietrich blonde might be Lalle Anderson. Also sultry, but with a better singing voice. ;-)
so I can copy and paste the URL' s from YouTube into a message for you. I parked myself in my bed with a pile of books and my Kindle and my IPhone and I am not budging til tomorrow.
I do recall that they were at the top of the list on YouTube and they were black and white. One was a tango version and the other was by a blonde in the Marlena Deitrich style.
I will get on this tomorrow.
Edit: I am reading the funniest book ever. Tears of laughter have been running down my face all night --- "Right Ho, Jeeves"
Yes, that's her...or she! ;-) I miswrote Lale Anderson with a double-l, as it can be spelled that way and is pronounced "LA-leh", but that's who I have doing the song on a CD of music from old Berlin night-life. "Marlene Dietrich" is the correct spelling, though her first name is indeed pronounced "Mar-LAY-neh". I don't do much with Youtube so far, but I'll dig out the CD. Also will put you in touch with my music soon off board...sorry for the delay.
below are the two I listened to. If you can recommend something you like better, please send me the link.
The tango version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDm6XgGnPMk
The Marlena type version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2hHZ-965EI