| Author |
Topic: Conan O'Brien - Jam Session from Hell |
Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 12:13 pm |
|
Who was the poor Lap Steel Player that got roped into playing on Conan O'Brians final show with Will Farrell. Talk about bad taste, this was not a classy way to end his final show. Conan has always bragged about his band being gthe best on Late Night T.V.
Why didn\t he use the time to showcase his band comprised of great Musicians.
This IMHO was like a Jam Session from Hell ! |
|
|
|
Rick Ulrich
From:
Gilbert, Arizona
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 12:25 pm
|
|
| Billy, to me that reflects his taste in about everything, including comedy. Guess I am just too old to appreciate the current crop of nighttime show hosts. I still watch my DVD's of Johnny and enjoy them much more. |
|
|
|
Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 12:34 pm
|
|
Musicians were Ben Harper on lap steel, the lead guitarist from ZZ Top, and Beck.
I don't think any of them would be considered anything less than great musicians. |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 1:01 pm
|
|
...evidently you missed the point. conan is a very clever, oddball comedian. he actually has something creative to offer..unlike leno. this little jam was his final offering telling nbc, leno, and their lousy business tactics to shove it!
letterman and conan require a slightly more intelligent audience than some of the other talk show hosts. |
|
|
|
Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 1:18 pm
|
|
You should have heard the band on Jim Bakkers PTL club. Let's pray for all of them that God will send a miracle.  |
|
|
|
Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 1:22 pm
|
|
I'm not sure about the intelligence part. You need to share their sense of humor. I never really liked Conan and used to like Letterman before he got sooo cynical and repetitive. I watched Conan when he first started and found it boring. My 16 year old daughter loved it, though.
I don't think intelligence determines if you find a self pleasuring bear or rubbing your nipples funny (I don't). Conan never adjusted to the earlier time slot. Paid the price. |
|
|
|
Steve Alcott
From:
New York, New York, USA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 1:52 pm
|
|
| The steel player was Ben Harper, along with Billy Gibbons, Beck, Jimmy Vivino, and the regular band. the song performed was a dripping-with-irony version of "Freebird", which really can't be performed seriously any more. Will Ferrell's character refers back to a SNL sketch about cowbell: http://www.livevideo.com/video/4B1CD4B7032349C49C3D031426D06E7C/snl-cowbell.aspx. I guess you get it or you don't-I thought it was hilarious. |
|
|
|
Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 1:56 pm
|
|
| Yeah, I loved the jam. If Conan had put that kind of show on every night, he'd still be on the air. |
|
|
|
Billy Tonnesen
From:
R.I.P., Buena Park, California
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 3:30 pm
|
|
| Oops, I guess I stuck my foot in my mouth. Sorry Guys ! |
|
|
|
Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 4:32 pm
|
|
Guess I'm just an old fogey, Conan is just too silly for me. Think he would be great on a capt,kangaroo type show, The kindergarden crew would LOVE him. I have been watching the Tonight show over 50 years,since the Steve Allen and Jack Parr days,I could take Jay allright but the show really ended when Mr. Carson left. [just my opinion.] YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.
_________________
Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
|
|
|
Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 4:43 pm
|
|
| Bill McCloskey wrote: |
Musicians were Ben Harper on lap steel, the lead guitarist from ZZ Top, and Beck.
I don't think any of them would be considered anything less than great musicians. |
Which one was Beck? |
|
|
|
Joe Gretz
From:
Washington, DC, USA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 5:00 pm Beck
|
|
Beck was the guy playing the Silvertone.
I liked it too!
I've been a member of "Team CoCo" since college.
Joe
_________________
Dattebayo!!! |
|
|
|
Sonny Priddy
From:
Elizabethtown, Kentucky, USA, R.I.P.
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 5:02 pm Late Show
|
|
| I Still think Jack Parr was The Best. SONNY. |
|
|
|
Kevin Mincke
From:
Farmington, MN (Twin Cities-South Metro) USA
|
|
|
|
Rick Ulrich
From:
Gilbert, Arizona
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 5:34 pm
|
|
| Guess I am just too unsophisticated to understand all the nuances of the Conan show. His humor seemed like the stuff I let go after Jr. High school. |
|
|
|
Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 5:49 pm
|
|
| Billy Tonnesen wrote: |
| Oops, I guess I stuck my foot in my mouth. Sorry Guys ! |
Billy,
You don't have anything to apologize for. You thought it sounded like hell and you didn't like it. Some did, some didn't. If everybody agreed on these things, there would not be any conflict of Conan vs. Leno, etc....
There's another side to all this. We all say how much we liked Parr, Carson, etc.... one reason is because until about 20 years ago, we only got a few channels and TV ended around 1:00AM, so we didin't have much choice but to watch these guys or go to bed. Now, like Walmart, Walgreens, etc..... TV is a 24/7 event with 100's of channels going.
My dad called Leno "Ole Big Head" |
|
|
|
Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 6:21 pm
|
|
| The jam sucked, but I think it was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. Conan for my money, is the funniest and most original of all the late night hosts since Steve Allen. |
|
|
|
Rick Ulrich
From:
Gilbert, Arizona
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 6:53 pm
|
|
| I don't think anyone was saying anything negative about the musicians ability during the jam session. I believe the comments were more about what they were asked to play. Some of you understood the skit and some of us didn't. I have watched the Tonight show from time to time since its inception. No doubt, due to my age, I preferred the Johnny Carson, Skitch Henderson, Tommy Newsome era. i like Jay Leno, but his comedy isn't all that great. When Jay left the Tonight Show, I switched to Letterman. Letterman was still much the same, some of his stuff was good and some, not so funny. As someone said, it has more to do with personal likes and dislikes. As a younger person, I hated slapstick comedy as I couldn't see what was funny about it. But other people I knew who were very intelligent, thoughtul people thought slapstick was the best stuff. People are just different. |
|
|
|
Calvin Walley
From:
colorado city colorado, USA
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 8:21 pm
|
|
bama Charlie said
Conan is just too silly for me
i'm with you bother thank goodness he is gone
_________________
proud parent of a sailor
Mullen SD-10 /nashville 400
gotta love a Mullen!!!
Guitars that i have owned in order are :
Mullen SD-10,Simmons SD-10,Mullen SD-10,Zum stage one,Carter starter,
Sho-Bud Mavrick |
|
|
|
Ken Lang
From:
Simi Valley, Ca
|
Posted 24 Jan 2010 8:45 pm
|
|
A couple of years ago when I spent 5 weeks in the hospital, I chanced on the Conan show. I said, "Who the heck is this idiot?" I watched it out of curiousity. Then I became a fan, couldn't wait to watch. After I was released I never watched him again. Must of been the drugs.
_________________
heavily medicated for your safety |
|
|
|
Craig Stock
From:
Westfield, NJ USA
|
Posted 25 Jan 2010 5:10 am
|
|
I like Conan on occation, have seen the show live twice when he was back in New York. I hired LaBamba(trombone), Mark Pender(trumpet), and Mike Merritt (bass) last year to do a beneit show I was involved in and they ripped up the place. They are all top notch players.
LaBamba wrote and arranged a recent CD for Southside Jonny and his big band called Grapefruit Moon, which is fantastic, but really didn't go anywhere.
From my sources, it looks like they will resurface on Fox shortly.
_________________
Regards, Craig
I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet.
Today is tomorrow's Good ol' days |
|
|
|
Bob Simons
From:
Kansas City, Mo, USA
|
Posted 25 Jan 2010 6:07 am
|
|
I see from this thread that Forumite taste in comedy is much like Forumite tatse in music. Too bad for you guys that Grandpa Jones never had a late night talk show!
_________________
Zumsteel U12 8-5, MSA M3 U12 9-7, MSA SS 10-string, 1930 National Resonophonic, Telonics Combo, Webb 614e, Fender Steel King, Mesa Boogie T-Verb. |
|
|
|
Barry Blackwood
|
Posted 25 Jan 2010 7:20 am
|
|
| Quote: |
| I see from this thread that Forumite taste in comedy is much like Forumite tatse in music. |
Remember, Bob, you are a Forumite too.
It all ended with Carson for me. Since then, the rest can compete with the infomercials all night long - I'll be watching 'em through my eyelids.  |
|
|
|
Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
Posted 25 Jan 2010 7:44 am
|
|
I really liked that parody of Freebird as the music itself was actually pretty decent. Ben Harper is a virtuoso on the lapsteel but he probably wouldn't be appreciated by those who only like swing, Hawaiian, or old timey music on it. Also, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top is one of my favorite guitarists for his tasteful leads and slidework!
It was cool that Conan chose this to end his show as that's the tune a lot of bar bands end their set with. I can't count the times near the end of the night and you're getting ready to end your last set and some drunk yells "Hey, play Freebird".......
As far as Conan, I'll be glad to see Jay Leno back in the Tonight slot. I only watched Conan sometimes because I hate David Letterman so much.....JH in Va.
_________________
Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!! |
|
|
|
Ben Jones
From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
|
Posted 25 Jan 2010 9:21 am
|
|
If I am not mistaken , I beleive the joke was that a group of stellar musicians would be purposely playing a horrible version of the most cliched song in rock history.
I think the irony (humor?) is supposed to be Conan doing a student guitar solo with one of the best rock guitarits ever,Billy Gibbons, laying back.
Its like they said, "okay we wanna do a really bad ironic version of freebird .Billy, your too good to ever be ironicaly bad even if you tried...just kinda sit out and fake a few notes here and there. Beck just be yourself."
dont feel bad if you thought it sucked . I thnk it was supposed to no? |
|
|
|
