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From: Mike Curtis
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 21:10:59 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Neil Young

On Thu, 15 Jan 1998, Bluesonics wrote:

>I wrote:
> >Neil plays the way we all should play -- true to himself. He doesn't copy
> >anybody in particular nor does he always feel the need to navigate in
>familiar
> >waters. He plays harp which compliments his style of music. I can't
>imagine
> >any other harp accompaniment for, for example, "Old Man" -- can you?
>
>You wrote:
>
> yes.
>
>Mike:
>
>No disrespect intended, but you clearly aren't a Neil Young disciple. Yes,
>there could be other harp accompaniments to "Old Man", but there could never
>be one as perfect as Neil's since it's his song and his own unique
>performance. My original point was that while Neil plays that first position
>Dylanesque whine, it FITS. That's all.

And my point is, there is more than one fit.

There are frequently many versions of the same song. Which version we
like is all too often a simple case of the one we heard first, be that of
the author or of whoever took the authors tune and popularized it to your
particular peer group.

But that wasn't the point.

You made a statement that, taken exactly as worded, is easily proven
wrong:

> > ...I can't imagine
> >any other harp accompaniment for, for example, "Old Man" -- can you?

And I said "yes".

Now I know you meant that in your opinion it was the best, and that of
course you could play something else but you don't feel it would fit.

But imagine for a moment this scene:

Neil Young in concert. Suddenly his eyes widen, his jaw drops, and his
demeanor is ruffled, as he says, "I don't believe it - Little Walter, Big
Walter, and Sonny Boy Williamson - BOTH of 'em - are in the audience!
What - they cloned you guys, but only for tonight? Well, GREAT! Hey -
did you all bring harps? Well, then, COME ON UP and sit in - I'm playing
'Old Man', and we can all swap solos."

And you got it ALL - PERFECTLY - on your DAT!

NOW - would you care to debate which harp solo would be your favorite :-)
Do you think it just might change? Maybe??? And even if it didn't, which
solo would you edit out of the tape? Big Walters? Little Walters? SBWI?
SBWII? People have been shot for less :-)

These guys were great - all of 'em. And there are a lot of great
harmonica players today, too. Out of all of these, is it really so hard
to believe that there is no one who can do a better solo?

Not for me.


-- IronMan Mike Curtis
My CD "Doin' It All Myself" available in Tower, Blockbuster, Camelot, PX