Such a romanticised time. The plugged version of Layla is everything. It takes me to different places. Unplugged feels meh. I hated all the MTV unplugged nonsense though. When Nirvana recorded theirs, I was interested in it only for the spectacle. I find it hard to explain.
I have to admit that I'm with you. I love the plugged version. Eric was in a different place at that time and there was an urgency to it, which isn't there in the unplugged version. It's as if the song has gone from vibrant hues to pastels! (I have nothing against pastels, but they're calming not exciting.)
I hadn't read that yet myself -- great post about George and "What Is Life" from his All Things Must Pass album. I'm glad you shared that. I love that song and so interesting to hear how it was made with Phil Spector and so many world-class musicians (some mentioned in my post, but not all).
Great piece, Ellen! I never knew these dirty details from behind the scenes! What an amazing video, and good on Pattie for opening her heart.....granted, I know she was pushing a book, but still! As I was writing this (I'm sitting in an Austin hotel lobby), a lone singer with guitar (in the bar area) was singing "Blackbird." Paul, of course, but still cool to hear a Beatle tune while immersed in a Beatle-related article!
Synchronicity -- or just the Beatles still popular after six decades -- and a great song to hear in a bar!
I get the sense that Pattie is/was loads of fun. Someone you would definitely want to hang out with. Also someone who inspired all those songs but got none of the proceeds. Her divorce settlements were unbelievably small, as Philip Norman points out in his piece. It's terrible she had to sell her mementos, rather than donating the collection to a museum. In the hands of private collectors now, I'm guessing, which would be a real travesty.
In no particular order: George was long my "favorite" Beatle, and when "All Things Must Pass" came out I felt validated in that. I recently tried to come up with a definition for a rock masterpiece, and couldn't come up with even 20 songs that met it. Layla was one of those. Sad to have to say it but I don't think Clapton has done anything interesting musically since he cleaned himself up. Connection? Who knows? Great column.
I think others are with you on Clapton. I wonder if it's getting clean or getting happy, or maybe both. A lot of great songs come out of pain or frustration, as Layla did, whereas a lot of songs from happy people are downright boring.
Hmmm, rock masterpieces, may need to write a post about that. I would put "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" among my top 20. If it gives me shivers at the opening chords every single time...
As I have little musical training, my criteria are entirely non-technical. I want the song or piece to tell a compelling story that takes me as the listener on an emotional journey -- as I expect with any fiction or piece of art. I want it to grab and keep my attention every time I hear it. I want a proper ending that leaves me feeling transformed in a profound way, even inspires me to want to go on and create my own masterpiece. And I personally have to like it, which means something can be a technical masterpiece but it may not qualify for my list. Not the best criteria for a judging competition, I have to admit.
A complicated but fascinating story. It's rare that a non-performer inspires the amount of music Pattie inspired.
Yes, I can't think of anyone else myself. And it's far more complicated and fascinating than I made it, but couldn't do it justice in this short post.
Such a romanticised time. The plugged version of Layla is everything. It takes me to different places. Unplugged feels meh. I hated all the MTV unplugged nonsense though. When Nirvana recorded theirs, I was interested in it only for the spectacle. I find it hard to explain.
I have to admit that I'm with you. I love the plugged version. Eric was in a different place at that time and there was an urgency to it, which isn't there in the unplugged version. It's as if the song has gone from vibrant hues to pastels! (I have nothing against pastels, but they're calming not exciting.)
Also, George Harrison wrote beautiful songs both with and without the Beatles.
Hi Jo.......If you'll pardon my intrusion, your great comment sounds like it's screaming to check out this one I'm really proud of: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/beatle-royale-dont-bother-me-and?utm_source=publication-search
I hope you enjoy!--Brad
I hadn't read that yet myself -- great post about George and "What Is Life" from his All Things Must Pass album. I'm glad you shared that. I love that song and so interesting to hear how it was made with Phil Spector and so many world-class musicians (some mentioned in my post, but not all).
Great piece, Ellen! I never knew these dirty details from behind the scenes! What an amazing video, and good on Pattie for opening her heart.....granted, I know she was pushing a book, but still! As I was writing this (I'm sitting in an Austin hotel lobby), a lone singer with guitar (in the bar area) was singing "Blackbird." Paul, of course, but still cool to hear a Beatle tune while immersed in a Beatle-related article!
Synchronicity -- or just the Beatles still popular after six decades -- and a great song to hear in a bar!
I get the sense that Pattie is/was loads of fun. Someone you would definitely want to hang out with. Also someone who inspired all those songs but got none of the proceeds. Her divorce settlements were unbelievably small, as Philip Norman points out in his piece. It's terrible she had to sell her mementos, rather than donating the collection to a museum. In the hands of private collectors now, I'm guessing, which would be a real travesty.
In no particular order: George was long my "favorite" Beatle, and when "All Things Must Pass" came out I felt validated in that. I recently tried to come up with a definition for a rock masterpiece, and couldn't come up with even 20 songs that met it. Layla was one of those. Sad to have to say it but I don't think Clapton has done anything interesting musically since he cleaned himself up. Connection? Who knows? Great column.
I think others are with you on Clapton. I wonder if it's getting clean or getting happy, or maybe both. A lot of great songs come out of pain or frustration, as Layla did, whereas a lot of songs from happy people are downright boring.
Hmmm, rock masterpieces, may need to write a post about that. I would put "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" among my top 20. If it gives me shivers at the opening chords every single time...
Would be happy to have a conversation about defining "Masterpiece"!
Would love to hear your definition and criteria.
As I have little musical training, my criteria are entirely non-technical. I want the song or piece to tell a compelling story that takes me as the listener on an emotional journey -- as I expect with any fiction or piece of art. I want it to grab and keep my attention every time I hear it. I want a proper ending that leaves me feeling transformed in a profound way, even inspires me to want to go on and create my own masterpiece. And I personally have to like it, which means something can be a technical masterpiece but it may not qualify for my list. Not the best criteria for a judging competition, I have to admit.