A passage from Doogie Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency:

Well, he's one of those people who can only think when he's talking. When he has ideas, he has to talk them out to whoever will listen. Or, if the people themselves are not available, which is increasingly the case, their answering machines will do just as well. He just phones them up and talks at them. He has one secretary whose sole job is to collect tapes from people he might have phoned, transcribe them, sort them and give him the edited text the next day in a blue folder.

I swear I work with two or three of these types. It's my own fault for being such a blasted good listener.

Review - Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band






Yes, strap on your funk goggles my friends, I'm doing an unsolicited quick track by track review of the first Bootsy Collins solo album, released in 1976.

1. Stretchin' Out (In a Rubber Band)
A good intro to Mr. Collins' particularly atypical approach to basslines, this was a live classic. Casper is introduced, and the band keeps a nice locked groove.

2. Psychoticbumpschool
Probably my favorite track of the album, this one starts out with some great guitar rhythm licks from Catfish. The first part of the song has a lot of complex turns, and then (after some cheesy introductions) it settles on a groove with a single note, envelope filtered bass line. Live performances amp up this groove quite a bit, but I somewhat enjoy the simplicity of the groove that sits on top of the bass. The Horny Horns here have a great part that carries through to the end of the song.

3. Another Point of View
Highlight of this song is a razor sharp guitar riff. Crisp, taut, and doubled perfectly by the Space Bass.

4. I'd Rather Be With You
One of his most famous songs, with a slow melodic groove. Note the melodica used for the high background melody.

5. Love Vibes
Cheesy as all get out, Mr. Collins puts a female vocalist doing a decent if uninspired lead on a hippie-love soul song. Skippable.

6. Physical Love
Awful lyrics (but, well, they've been awful up to here anyway...lyrical content is not what brings you to P-Funk family albums), but a pretty solid groove.

7. Vanish in Our Sleep
A perfect ending to the album, a slow groove of simple drums, bass, and an interwoven blend of effected guitar melody and rich Rhodes piano. There are some effects employed on this song that remind me of effects used for transitions on Radiohead's OK Computer album. Nothing new under the sun, eh?

So I guess I need to post lest this blog go completely stale.

Talking with my younger brother yesterday, I recalled a guitar of his that ended up getting stolen, a cheap Telecaster copy, in which I had installed a set of pickups designed by Bill Lawrence (the L-280TN and L-290TL, I believe), and I rather liked that guitar. Humfree with tons of chirpy high-end and clarity. Bill Lawrence is a wizard of pickupology.

And also, he's not the worst guitarist in the world, either.

[Sits around, looks at watch, and waits for EZ Wajcman to comment on the thread accusing me of libel...]

Yes, only recovering guitar gear nerds such as I will follow that...