Annoying instrumentation

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 7 Mar 2015 3:16 pm

Charlie, the reverb on Live To Tell is totally appropriate--it's a ballad. But they used that on uptempo tunes, too. I can live with Tears For Fears, as I think it worked well, but some of those records have a permanent stink on them. I would love to hear the entire 80s remastered.

Jim Park · Post by **Jim Park** » 7 Mar 2015 6:50 pm

I can't believe nobody has mentioned the hammer in Working Man Blues

Darrell Birtcher · Post by **Darrell Birtcher** » 8 Mar 2015 12:23 am

I love that hammer! Always have.

It's timing is perfect too. I love the way it accents the rhythm and sets the tone for the song. I love the little tonal variations in it that occur throughout the song. I think it's inclusion is brilliant and doesn't detract from the song. Far from it. It's an important component to the song, especially with Merle's love of all things railroad.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Mar 2015 7:11 am

Yeah, I always thought the hammer fit well in the song "Working Man Blues".

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 8 Mar 2015 8:00 am

I think I remember what you mean, Mike. As I said, they were pushing reverb across the board.
Yeah, remastering, but everybody'd forget what they were doing and why.

frank rogers · Post by **frank rogers** » 8 Mar 2015 6:55 pm

Another out of tune keybord solo....drove me nuts as a kid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Julr7EAPt8

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 8 Mar 2015 7:29 pm

Frank, "Navy Blue" takes me right back to the summer of '64! I don't think I've heard the song since, but I was ready for the out of tune keyboard and I knew the modulation was coming too... some things we never forget, try as we may! That song and that singer sounds a lot like Lesley Gore, who had #1 hits in that same style the previous two years.

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 9 Mar 2015 5:17 am

There was no such thing as out-of-tuneness in those days.
There was no reason to assume that studio pianos were more well-tuned than home pianos.

It was the energy of the sessions in real time that made everything work.

Meanwhile, it was in cocktail music that the annoyance revolution was building--Esquivel--
and of courseCocktails for Two--Spike Jones

Leon Grizzard · Post by **Leon Grizzard** » 10 Mar 2015 10:29 am

Bill Sinclair wrote:

How about the wimpy recorder solo on "Wild Thing"?

The ocarina's big moment in rock 'n roll history, and you dis it by calling it a wimpy recorder.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 12 Mar 2015 9:33 am

Charlie McDonald wrote: Meanwhile, it was in cocktail music that the annoyance revolution was building--Esquivel--
and of courseCocktails for Two--Spike Jones

esquivel was a genius! there was more innovation going on in his recordings than any of the other elevator music guys. the new fangled stereo.... alvino rey on steel.... two orchestras recording at the same time in two completely different locations.

the space age batchelorpad pad music craze....esquivel was the king!!

Rich Upright · Post by **Rich Upright** » 12 Jul 2015 9:35 am

The horn solo on Dan Fogelberg's "Leader Of The Band" always aggravated me...annoying, grating, & totally out of place.

The breathy,fuzzy tuba-like thing on the last verse of Paul Simon's "The Boxer" totally destroyed an other wise beautiful song.

WAY too much reverb on Skip Ewing's vocals on "I Don't Have Far To Fall".

That stupid 3rd verse on the live version of "Friends In Low Places" just makes an already crappy song even longer.

Merle's live horn section...not needed or appropriate for country.

And, my biggest peeve? Why does Emmylou Harris' guitar player, Frank Reckard, always hafta have that annoying PHASE SHIFTER on every single solo? I cringe when I hear that.