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Location: Chicago | Perhaps a bit sentimental, but.... what was THE guitar piece that changed your life, turned your head around? The tune that went straight to the heart and demanded of you TOTAL devotion to the guitar? (From 1968- 1978 that sound quite likely involved an Ovation!)
For me, it was this mellow tune ("Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzj4hx0IZyo
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Location: Caribou, ME | Any variation or interpretation of Guitar Boogie, be it presented by my older brother on my fathers early 50s J200, a family friend on his '58 Esquire, or any recorded version such as the guitar riff from Charlie Ryan's Hot Rod Lincoln. |
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Location: Flahdaw | It's embarrassing to admit, but it was probably Kenny Loggin's "Danny's Song". Had a girlfriend MANY moons ago that liked it, so I just had to learn it. Taught me to be the picker that I am today. I followed that up with songs like Dust In The Wind, which further solidified the picking aspect of my playing.
Once I learned that I could finger pick AND sing fairly decently, I pretty much concentrated on songs along those lines. (It helped that it was the 70's and lots of popular artists were doing it)
Edited by BobG 2013-09-21 7:56 AM
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Location: Utah | If forced to name one single acoustic song it would be "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor. That was the first 45 I bought at the local record store. Honestly though there was no single piece. I liked all the Ovation artists from before I knew what an Ovation was. We watched Glen Campbell on tv and I had no idea he wasn't playing a regular guitar. Cat Stevens. Jim Croce. Kenny Loggins. Neil Diamond (some). Heart. |
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| Definitely was The Bobby Fuller Four, and "I Fought the Law" -middle 60's, whatever, that guitar sound did it for me-I was hooked on guitars then, no running away..... |
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Location: Chicago | Ditto on "Fire and Rain"... no pun intend, but that was an acoustic gem... REALLY turned my head around! A few summers earlier, I remember being blown away by the first minute of Alvin Lee and Ten Years After at Woodstock "I'm Goin' Home." Brother went home too early!
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Anything that Glen Campbell played. |
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Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | Derek and the Dominos (Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, Duane Allman); the entire album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs".
"Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" really showed me what can be done with a guitar and inspired me to pick that thing up and play it. If you're not familiar with the album, watch for a cheap version on Ebay, spend the ten bucks or so, put it in the CD player and get your hair blown back by some of the finest guitar work on the planet!
Edited by Brian T 2013-09-22 1:44 PM
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Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | There are probably several things like 2112 from Rush, Anything Randy did on Blizzard of Ozz but one that always sticks out in my mind is the Album "Progressions of Power" from Triumph.
Specifically, Rik Emmett's acoustic piece "Finger Talkin'", and the solo on "Nature's Child"
Here's that acoustic piece... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ1ciYapqp4
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Location: Yokohama, Japan | First seven chords of Ritchie Blackmore's (Deep Purple) 'Smoke on the Water' caught my fancy. The first two minutes of Mediterranean Sundance hooked me. The rest of Friday Night in San Francisco turned my world upside down. Long before Clapton was "Unplugged" Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola, and John McLaughlin made an acoustic statement that would demand the guitarists attention for generations. To me, it was glorious music that demonstrated the majesty of the guitar; and yes, there is Al Di Meola right in the middle with his Ovation! |
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Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | Mississippi Queen! Leslie West made me want to play guitar even more than I already did.
After that Mood for a Day and Roundabout, both made bells ring in my head! I must have seen the Yessongs Concert film about 20 times at the midnight movies!
Statesboro Blues, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed and Whipping Post from Live at Filmore East, that whole album was a guitar players dream.
And Cities on Flame by BOC, and Green Manalishi, and Green Grass and High Tides, and Dazed and Confused, and... |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I started playing a lot of sing'along guitar. Raindrops, Sitt'n on the Dock, etc.. but what really did it for me was a guy in high-school who taught me this really cool Hank Williams riff... I incorporated into "This Land is Your Land" and even took 2nd place in a talent show with it. That was the bug that bit me. I recently found him on Facebook. Not sure he really understood the depth of his influence on me but he still plays. |
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Location: Always beautiful canyon country of Utah | Back then it was all about sing alongs. That's why I started playing. Peter Paul & Mary etc. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Lots of memories stirred up here. Except for Damon. His songs were during my 20+ year hiatus from guitar that ended in 2005, when I discovered the OFC.
I started on guitar playing "Diary" by Bread. I was annoyed by a friend in choir who was a good guitar and bass player and singer, but always improvised. He played the intro his way and I went home and tuned my little brother's starter guitar and learned it so I could correct him the next time he played it. I think I might have learned "Aubrey" next, and then a bunch of the other ones mentioned above, plus I wore out my reel to reel and my roommates' patience learning Stairway to Heaven note for note, except for the solo.
I got my first Ovation in 77, largely because groups like Bread, Cat Stevens, Jim Croce played them. Glen's show was over a bit before my interest in guitar started. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Hmmmmmm, I'd been playing for many years when a friend made me buy and listen to Jeff Beck; Blow By Blow. That's when I knew i could be a singer and an entertainer....but never a real guitar player in my own eyes.
But never let something like a lack of skill and drive stop you.
I don't. |
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Location: Fort Worth, TX | "When Shrimps Learn To Whistle" by Leo Kottke. Plus every other song on the album it was on! |
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| DaveKell - 2013-09-24 12:06 PM
"When Shrimps Learn To Whistle" by Leo Kottke. Plus every other song on the album it was on!
You've got good taste in music Sir! |
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Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Takes me back to my first guitar audition (school choir "Good Morning Starshine", fall of 1969). I'm afraid I bombed: WAY too many chords. Besides, I had little idea of projecting a strong rhythm guitar part. But the failure lit a fire under me: I got fierce about learning to do it right, goddamit! |
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Location: Northwest Arkansas | I could not believe how many chord changes there were in "Blackbird" by the Beatles. Shuffles and 3-chord blues were lost on me until I learned THAT song. Then the world went back to normal, except I was guitar player. I play everything from Leo Kottke to AC/DC to Flatt and Scruggs. I'd have been a lot better if I had stuck with one style, but I'm too ADHD. I can't finish a song if I'm the only person in the room. Thank you "White Album".
Edited by AdamasW597 2013-09-24 10:31 AM
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Location: On the beach in Southwest Florida | wildwood flower |
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Location: Jet City | Mark in Boise - 2013-09-23 8:37 AM Lots of memories stirred up here. Except for Damon... I figured I'd be the odd-ball on this one. |
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Location: Chicago | Nothing strange there, Damon. Randy is a ***. Always loved, by the way, how he doubled his parts on "Blizzard".... a thing of beauty. And Rick E. was huge at one time. Very influential. He's been rather quiet lately.... |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | Damon, there's nothing wrong with being the youngest guy in the room, unless you're trying to get the senior citizen discount. |
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Location: Charlotte, NC | I bet I'm younger than Damon (25)...
It was the Beach Boys, Elvis, The Animals and The Beatles that got me hooked on music/guitar when I was really little... my parents would listen to the oldies station and one year I got a portable tape recorder for Christmas. I remember that ride up to my aunts house later that day, sitting in the back of my moms minivan with the tape recorder right next to the radio speaker recording the songs I liked so I could listen to them later. Classic.
What REALLY blew my mind and got me even more interested in the guitar was listening to Master of Puppets at a sleep over at a friends house one summer. We were up late hanging out in his parents camper behind their house listening to CD's we "borrowed" from my friends older brother. I remember my friend started to fast forward the CD through the first MoP solo and I freaked out. Kirk Hammett blew my mind, I must have been 12 or 13 years old.
Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson was the next song to make my jaw drop (from a guitarist perspective) |
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Location: Jet City | I'm just about twice your age.
The Metallica influence came soon after that first inspiration for me. I had my guitar for about 6 months before "Kill 'em All" started proliferating the school ground on cassette tape. I spent countless hours trying to figure out all the riffs.
Growing up in the Bay Area at the time kinda put you right in the middle of all that. I actually had the chance to jam with Cliff & Lars once... THAT was big fun. I couldn't have been more than 16 or 17. My good buddy Ross joined up with Cliff's former band Trauma. Cliff and Lars stopped by the practice space one night, and it ended up being an eve of booze fueled jamming, including me rocking through Seek and Destroy with 'em. Never had the chance to meet Kirk, but had the chance to study with his teacher and didn't have the $ to do it. Had I known who Joe was... or should I say who he was going to be... I would have found some way for sure. |
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First guitar piece that turned your head around?
