The Steel Guitar Forum

I don't see how playing heart-felt music from your soul can be considered controversial. All of the players mentioned have done just that. We all strive to express ourselves through our music. How can we chastise other players for successfully attaining that goal?

What a boring world this would be if everyone played the same kind of music.

Lastly, about Julian Tharpe, I feel that third-hand innuendo about a dead man is totally inappropriate. Whether he should be in the HOF is the board's decision, not ours. He was a brilliant steel guitarist. Let's just leave it at that.

Thanks BoB.--The passion one feels about his music for me comes from your musical surroundings ,sometimes it even makes your hair stand.Cajun music does this to me because of my child hood and adult exposer to it.--But when i first heard Earnest Tubb on black and white T.v. and he sang WALKING THE FLOOR,it went to my heart.--As a half ass musician i see talent and
real heart felt love go into any music.Most musicians and there music are a product of there enviroment.How can i knock it,,mine is from my enviroment. Just the thoughts of a humble cajun.

b0b wrote:I don't see how playing heart-felt music from your soul can be considered controversial. All of the players mentioned have done just that. We all strive to express ourselves through our music. How can we chastise other players for successfully attaining that goal?

As I said, I don't think the musicians are trying to be controversial, they're just playing music. Garcia wasn't controversial, he was just doing the best he could do. What was controversial was when a few of his fans made statements about him being one of the best players of all time. Randolph wasn't trying to be controversial, he was just playing the way he wanted to. What was controversial was some of his fans saying he was the best player in the world. As players, they're just doing their thing. They're not initiating any controversy, the fans are doing that.

Of course, there have been some musicians that have tried to start a controversy, like Jerry Lee Lewis, when he had someone pour gasoline on his piano and set it afire while he was playing. Or, like the old rock group "The Who", that busted up their guitars and amps at the end of a concert. That's starting controversy!

To me, a musician starting a controversy is completely different than having some fans start a controversy. When fans start a controversy, it's they who are controversial.

Of course, you don't have to agree with that opinion.[/u]

I don't see how playing heart-felt music from your soul can be considered controversial.

As a musician, nor do I. But - alas - it is. To me, music is supposed to elicit an emotional response. Negative emotions can be - in some situations - just as valid as positive ones. I suppose many don't agree with this, but that's my view and I'm stickin' to it. Cut the possibility of controversy out, might as well cut the soul out. Just my opinion, of course.

I agree with Donny that there's a distinction between controversy coming from the musicians vs. coming from listeners. But not being able to read minds, I'm not always clear when musicians are trying to be controversial. I think it's clear that The Fugs were trying to be controversial. Not so obvious with JLL or The Who. To me, that was just musical theatre of a certain sort.