Blog of Humility

 I am trying to get to sleep in the morass of thoughts that is my unaccomplished life. I am going to do some writing. Maybe a book. Maybe just more blogs that I used to do. Either way, I have to have some outlet so I will stop bothering people around me with random unorganized thoughts of little consequence. I started a number of blogs years ago trying to find my voice. I learned, at least, to put my thoughts down rapidly. That was on important to a perfectionist personality that agonized over every word to the expense of what I wanted to say. 

My most creative blog was the one patterned after the 18th century novel: Tristram Shandy. Creative but not necessarily clever. 

Anyway. I will be trying in the future.  

Small Faces - Tin Soldier

Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966.^[1] The band was one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s,^[2][3] recording hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday", "All or Nothing", and "Tin Soldier", as well as their concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake. They later evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic bands until 1969.^[4][5]

When Marriott left to form Humble Pie, Small Faces did not disband. The remaining three members collaborated with Ronnie Wood, Ronnie's older brother Art Wood, Rod Stewart and Kim Gardner, releasing four tracks under the name of Quiet Melon, after which Art Wood and Kim Gardner departed the situation and the remaining five members became Faces,^[6][7] except in North America, where this group's first album was credited to Small Faces. This practice has continued on all subsequent North American reissues of the album.

Following the breakup of both Faces and Humble Pie (who coincidentally broke up in 1975), the classic line-up of the band reformed (consisting of Marriott, Lane, McLagan and Jones) during the later parts of that year after a re-release of "Itchycoo Park" became a top-ten hit.^[8] Lane left shortly thereafter, and was replaced by Rick Wills (later of Foreigner fame). This line-up, (dubbed Mk-II by Marriott^[9]) recorded one album Playmates before recruiting Jimmy McCulloch. This five-piece line-up released only 78 in the Shade before breaking up.

Small Faces have been considered as one of the pioneers of the Britpop movement of the 1990s.^[10] They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. McCulloch died of an overdose on 27 September 1979.^[11] Marriott succumbed to a house fire on 20 April 1991.^[12] Lane died of multiple sclerosis on 4 June 1997.^[13] McLagan died due to a stroke on 3 December 2014.^[14] Wills, Winston and Jones all remain musically active as of 2019.

MC5 at Tartar Field, Wayne University Detroit

MC5 was an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1964. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. MC5 was listed by VH1 as one of the most important American hard rock groups of their era.^[5] Their three albums are regarded by many as classics, and their song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered.

BB King - Sweet Sixteen

Les Paul and Mary Ford

Les Paul invented the electric guitar. It was a novelty of the day. Seeing his style of playing is just entrancing. The huge cords coming out of their guitars are so out of place in their period of time.

I was looking at a number of clips of Les Paul and Mary Ford. They are an amazing team of performers. Think of  how important it was to have ambassadors of good faith bringing in the electric generation. When Bob Dylan went electric the result was far different in the acceptance because he was not kidding around.

In this clip, [if it still remains, because some clips I have shared that were not mine have been snapped off of Youtube from copyright issues] an interesting thing happens. In a dueling guitar type of performance Les Paul breaks a string. He cuts off Mary's response because she too would break a string. A lot of this is a just a rehearsed performance with Mary laughing in just the right spots when she has obviously seen all of this before, but the broken string was at least exceptional to the sketch. Then watch as Les Paul wraps the string around the top of his guitar and goes on with the next song.

He impresses as knowing every inch of his guitar in all performances but I think playing perfectly with a broken string might be a bit of an accomplishment.