Ques About J, please?

[slyfoxy]

Hi. I’m a newbie and just recently (but fervently!) got into J and Dino Jr.
So forgive this ques if it’s uninformed, but….I read that J was the Drummer and Lou was the guitarist originally. But when did J learn the guitar? thanks!

[RSTguitars]

You’re somewhat correct… J and Lou had a band named "Deep Wound" before Dino, and J played drums. He’s been playing both drums and guitar since he was a kid.

J is an amazing drummer. He plays on most of the later Dinosaur albums.

Pick up a book called "Our Band Could Be Your Life" if you get a chance. It has a great chapter on Dinosaur that tells the whole story. Also, it has chapters on other great bands… Minutemen, Husker Du, Fugazi, Black Flag, etc.

[FlyingCloud]

I remember reading an interview where J said that the only instrument he learned properly from a teacher were the drums, and that he never had guitar lessons. and when he started with playing guitar it sounded all winpy to him, until he started to play the guitar like playing drums, and to enhance the volume

there are many guitarists he mentioned to be an influence on his way of playing guitar, like Ron Asheton from the Stooges, among many others.

[lars_gefle]

J is a very underrated drummer. listen to Without A Sound for example, the drumming is briliant and tasteful.

[slyfoxy]

thanks!

[ammaringnyc]

listen to anything J has ever played on drums and it is nasty.

[rambleon]

Quote:

listen to anything J has ever played on drums and it is nasty.

nasty = good ?

[duane]

mmmmph….not so sure about J’s prowess on the drums. I’d say he’s servicable at best but, you gotta respact the versitility. Which brings me to a question- Does anyone out there think some of J’s licks sound like Duane Allman? He’s a dead ringer to me.

[ammaringnyc]

Serviceable, not sure? Have you ever listened to any Dino or Fog records its either J himself or he taught someone else to play it and the drums rock.

[duane]

 Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing him- the guys a musical genius in my humble opinion. As a matter of fact, he’s probably one of the better, and underrated,  guitarists to come around in the last few decades (see Rory Gallagher).
 What I mean is that with respect to his obviously superior guitar skills it’s not even close- and again, you gotta respect the versatility. I dig anyone who, in theory, could generate an entire album…by themselves!

[Annastefka]

"duane " wrote:

some of J’s licks sound like Duane Allman? He’s a dead ringer to me.

I had a whole Duane Allman summer, which was interesting because I was listening to bits of recording coming out from the Dinosaur shows at the same time.
Some of the J’s guitar work from this summer was so good it was at moments other worldly…
so over the top good. I don’t think that J’s style is the same as Duane’s but I think that J tends to favor some of the same sweet,high,joyful combination of notes that Duane did and that’s where one hears the similarities. If one studies up on any of Rudolf Steiner’s music theory (good stuff) then you see how musicians tend to favor tones that resonate for them (duhhhhh) but it’s deeper than just saying that. There is a communication of sound going on musicians are "saying" something to us on a tonal level. Oh, if you are interested check out this great set from Steiner: The Inner Nature of Music and the Experience of Tone: Selected Lectures from the Work of Rudolf Steiner
You don’t have to be a musician to understand it, but you will need to read and re-read in order to get the "Eureka" My school was blessed to have a set of Montessori Bells and I worked with the children everyday on tone recognition. The Montessori bells are connected into the Steiner (Waldorf) theory. If anyone has children you can buy a set of Montessori bells for about $1,000 bucks and that is why we don’t have a set in our house.

[SG]

J plays in an Allman Bros cover band called The Growers by the way not much mentioned about that project recently though

I agree with what Stefka said,J does`nt sound that much like Duane stylistically but does have some elements.

[duane]

A cylon! SWEEEEET!!! Anyways, J & D are technically similar, but definately not the same. Aesthetically- I say absolutely. They both have that desperate, driving sound I’m after. The biggest difference, to me, is that J’s sound ,at times, approaches that liquid smooth consistency only to retreat to the tortured, punk roots he knows best – and I love it. Goosebumps man, goosebumps….. Whereas Duane tends to stay in form, guided by his knack for modifying the same licks over and over. Think Blue Sky and Stormy Monday solos- baisically the same licks recycled.
I got flamed pretty good by stanner, whom I still disagree with (more rangy? c’mon), for that comparison in an old thread I tried to get going again (who influenced j). But, that’s why I like forums so much: Good healthy debate.
Also, ammaringnyc, I’ll eat my words because I spoke too soon. J kicks freaking arse on drums! I guess I just really didn’t pay much attention until I purchased YLAOM and Bug a few weeks back (yeah I know, pretty embarrasing). I love his eclectic style!

[duane]

Oh yeah, Stefka, you know your stuff girl. Impressive. Most impressive.

[ammaringnyc]

"duane " wrote:

 Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m not dissing him- the guys a musical genius in my humble opinion. As a matter of fact, he’s probably one of the better, and underrated,  guitarists to come around in the last few decades (see Rory Gallagher).
 What I mean is that with respect to his obviously superior guitar skills it’s not even close- and again, you gotta respect the versatility. I dig anyone who, in theory, could generate an entire album…by themselves!

See I think he is a better drummer than guitar player.

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