How a shiny guitar sounds.
Here’s a quick test of the new Gold Tone resonator. It’s a Knopfler tune interpreted lazily and not executed especially well. But I was in a hurry to hear this thing recorded straight into Mr. Interface. Right now the guitar is set up neither here nor there — half way between slide and fingering. Someday, i might have to make a decision about that.
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Sounds really really nice.
Not for nothing is it called a resonator. Ver’ naaaas (Borat).
Yeah, there was so much drone in this test I think it turned into a bagpipe tune.
What a wonderful choice to use as a test. I love me some Mark Knopfler. I’m particularly fond of “Golden Heart”. Good job, Fred.
Don’t get me started on the wonder of Knopfler. Did you see him at Chastain? He was so good the audience was polite and respectful — at Chastain!. And what a band. I hope you’ve heard Kill to Get Crimson. Beautiful stuff on there.
I didn’t see him, and I regret that. I think I’ve got all of his solo stuff, and it’s all magic to me. He’s got that not quite perfect voice (apparently something I prize - I miss Warren and I know you do, too) but his guitar absolutely haunts me. All I want to do is close my eyes and get lost in it.
Yeah, his voice is one of the things I love about him, weirdly. It’s idiosyncratic, and I’d guess early on his career he didn’t trust it much since he was often closer to talking than singing a la Dylan. But, wow, ultimately he mastered the instrument in his throat, too (one of the hardest, I’d say.) Its perfect for the songs he writes. As for the guitar, what I love about his style is that it’s so expressive. He really turns his back on guitar god flashiness in favor of the best performance for the song. And the songs are such great character studies and stories. I wasn’t surprised to read he spent a little time as an English teacher.
I find that I can’t listen to much Zevon these days. Some, but not much. Puts me in a funk.
Ellen and I listened to “Kill to Get Crimson” and “Shangri-La” when we were working on Saturday. At some point well into the second CD she asked if we were still listening to the original CD. They are alike in pace and mood, and I hadn’t realized it until then.
As I drove all over town today (Decatur to Austell to Hartsfield to Decatur) I listened to “Golden Heart”. No one coaxes sound out of a guitar like he does. At some point in my Atlanta interstate trifecta (20, 285, 75/85 and lived to tell) I had the epiphany wherein it all came down to one word. We can talk all day about how smart he is or how gifted, sublime or unique his music is. Bottom line? It’s _sexy_. The guitar, the voice, the words, the music. It’s all very sexy.
Sigh.
I’d never thought of it that way, but I sure wouldn’t argue with it.
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