RE: BÖC: Sometimes more Amazing then

[Ted Jackson jr. s2h2]

> From:          Joseph Brooks <Joseph.Brooks at GCCCD.NET>
>
> I've got to disagree.. They used to jam plenty when I first started seeing
> them in the early 70's. Give "On Your Feet or On Your Knees" a listen and
> tell me that ain't jamming with at least some improvisation. I suppose to

The guitar solos are ad-libbed, but the songs themselves are pretty
much structured...


> discuss this we need to define the meaning of "jam".... In the world of
> bands, so-called "jam bands" like Phish and others, jamming seems to mean a
> completely free flowing, unstructured, unorchestrated, unplanned interlude..
> Ok, the Dead started that, IMO (Little Feat and Allmans.. sure...) But, it
> didn't always mean that.. Used to just mean a long instrumental,
> orchestrated or not. I always thought of BOC's instrumental segments, back
> in the day, as jams, perhaps orchestrated within the context of the song
> being played but with some improv. thrown in. But back then, they were known
> for their long jams... it was definitely part of their "style". I'm talking
> about oh, 1972 thru 1978, when BOC (in my opinion) were at the height of
> their powers.

That's when I saw them the most, but again, I'd disagree on your
interp. of jamming.  The songs always had very definite points of
departure and rejoining, as opposed to say Allmans or Govt Mule where
the song can be pretty much as long as anyone in the band wants to
take it...

>
> Of course, we must keep in mind that the genre of music has a bearing as
> well,. Allman Bros. style of music lends itself to freestyle jamming much
> more readily than BOC's metal approach.
>
> And even today, I can't believe that Buck re-creates each solo note for note
> each time..
>
Oh I never said that!  Buck always improvs. the solos, or at least
big parts of them.  He might play the first part of the solo like the
record, c.f. CoF, but after just a couple of measures, he's winging
it.  What I'm trying to get at, is that the <arrangements> are pretty
static.  BD has always imrpovised his solos, it's just that I think
he's better at it nowadays.  Back then, he could be pretty
inconsistant, wheras now, just about everything he plays is
brilliant...

theo

>