"I'm the One" Swing analyzed.....how good was Ed's swing?....

[cragginshred]

The fact that he could play that riff, while running and jumping around the stage, at least when I saw him in 78, is an amazing thing.

As Chapelle would say C.... is a hell uva drug Seriously tho, they had played that set for at least a couple of years before that tour in the clubs.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

I don't understand all the hype or what is so difficult about that riff, especially the swing of it.

I absolutely LOVE EVH. That said, I feel his generation and disciples of that era are amazed by some things that they shouldn’t be.

It reminds me of something else from that era, martial arts. So many older guys I know think some friend of theirs with a black belt has magical powers. While my generation has seen UFC destroy those myths. Similar with Eddie and the level of musicianship I can listen to on a daily on Apple Music.

That said, he is a King among men and pioneered/brought to greater public some amazing stuff. Like “swing” to rock/metal heads. I’m sure actual swing band people must laugh (or cry) about it, but they never combined it all and added amazing tone/great songs/etc.

 

[Floyd Eye]

I absolutely LOVE EVH. That said, I feel his generation and disciples of that era are amazed by some things that they shouldn’t be.

It reminds me of something else from that era, martial arts. So many older guys I know think some friend of theirs with a black belt has magical powers. While my generation has seen UFC destroy those myths. Similar with Eddie and the level of musicianship I can listen to on a daily on Apple Music.

That said, he is a King among men and pioneered/brought to greater public some amazing stuff. Like “swing” to rock/metal heads. I’m sure actual swing band people must laugh (or cry) about it, but they never combined it all and added amazing tone/great songs/etc.

Spoken like a guy who never had to fight Bruce Lee.

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Spoken like a guy who never had to fight Bruce Lee.

I’d say Bruce was one of the first to demystify the martial arts. The opposite.

 

[PDC]

Some people are just oblivious of the swing. We used to play Rage, Killing in the Name, and it just always sounded like dogshit. I'm trying to lean into the swing, and it seemed like the drummer and my other guitar player just didn't get it. Soooo frustrating.

This ^^^

Back in the day, I played briefly in a band with a drummer who had literally ZERO swing - despite having a music degree. Trying to explain it to him or demonstrate it for him was like trying to describe color to someone who had color-blindness. Everything sounded like a marching band.

 

[ZEEGLER]

Everything sounded like a marching band.

Yup, that's it. Robotic. Fucking awful.

 

[PDC]

That band I am thinking of was a really decent bar band - booked for 3-4 nighters 50 weeks a year. The bass player had the best singing voice I had ever heard and he had verified 'perfect pitch' - dude could hear a song once on the radio and have it committed memory. Savant. Drummer had a 4-year degree in Music but just could not comprehend 'swing.' We used to play 'Wicked Sensation' and that Lynch Mob stuff is all about the swing. It sounded like a wind up toy drummer 'BANG BANG BANG BANG' It was gawd awful. Later on I landed in a band with a drummer who had zero formal music training but had mountains of 'you cant teach that' natural rhythm. He and the bass player had played together since high school. Night and day. It was literally so much FUN to play with a super groovy drummer and a bass player who was locked in with him. Jeezus I miss those playing out days.

 

[Motorboat McCooter]

Contrary to popular believe Ed's swing was not a product of years and years playing with his brother. Rather, it was after seeing a drunk Ape Friendly playing off of a straight(pun) Paul Stanley did he get his light bulb moment and he was drunk ever since then. The drinker you are the swinger you get.

This was about the same time he aped(pun) his tapping technique.