eharp
114 posts
Oct 26, 2008
7:22 AM
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has anybody else listened to this. was it just my set up or is it painful listening to everybody?
a commendable effort on the song by adam, but the band was painfully loud and distorted.
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kudzurunner
145 posts
Oct 26, 2008
7:39 AM
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eharp:
The recording--a free giveaway--was exactly what you describe: a terrible recording. It was made 33 years ago by a bunch of high school kids on a Radio Shack cassette recorder and the external mic was sitting on a formica table, and vibrating. It's possible that you're being a little too fastidious about sound quality.
Since it's possible that not everybody knows what you're talking about, here is the link:
http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/4537329-adam-at-17-whammer-jammer
Let me repeat what I hoped I made clear in my recent MBH newsletter: This recording is no more or less than exactly what it is: the only extant recording of yours truly playing "Whammer Jammer" at age 17, nine months after first picking up a harp. The band, led by guitarist Lloyd Fricker (now a professor of psychopharmacology at Albert Einstein), was called "Smooth Toad and the Derivative Blues Band." This was our first and only gig. I hoped--and still hope--that a few folks might find the recording, bad as the sound quality is, amusing, and instructive. All of us start somewhere. Practice makes perfect.
Listen to the track and you'll see why I think so highly of Brandon Bailey's recent version of "Whammer Jammer." Put us side by side at age 17 and he blows me off the stage!
Last Edited by on Oct 26, 2008 7:50 AM
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superchucker77
90 posts
Oct 26, 2008
8:01 AM
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Thanks Mr. Gussow. Now I know what you ment when you said that I am a better player than you were at age 17.
I think that you made a very good effort back then, regardless of the quality.
You have come a long,long,lllllllooooooooooonnnnnnnngggggggg, way.
I really enjoyed hearing the recording. It lets me know were the great masters of the instrument like your self originally started. Everyone had to put in a lot of hard work to get really good.
Contrary to what some may believe, no one was born knowing how to play. Not even Jason Ricci (as hard as that is to believe :)
Brandon
Last Edited by on Oct 26, 2008 8:01 AM
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Fredrider51
14 posts
Oct 26, 2008
8:24 AM
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Hi Adam
that sound ok to me .. what makes it sound is the timing of it..it was right there.. you had it then.. that is hard to teach.. maybe the tone was not there yet .. but you have it now
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TBone69
26 posts
Oct 26, 2008
9:57 AM
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Ahhhhhhhhh Crap now I give up, my best isn't even close to your worst!! :)
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Tuckster
32 posts
Oct 26, 2008
2:50 PM
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Adam, I applaud you for giving us that vid. A big part of your popularity-IMHO- is your willingness to put it ALL out there,warts and all. It gives us hope! What I want to know is: did you think you were nailing it? or were you aware of your mistakes? Still good for 9 months of playing.
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eharp
115 posts
Oct 26, 2008
3:08 PM
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"It's possible that you're being a little too fastidious about sound quality."
c'mon, adam. i realized it was kids. i assumed it was cheap equipment. i assumed it was in a sub-standard environment. but loud and distorted is loud and distorted. that takes nothing away from the heartfelt effort, though.
it seems like you are trying to justify or defend the quality. i hope that is not because you think i am attacking the recording. if you feel that way, i apologize. i was only making forum comments and attempting to spark some conversation of your 1st(?) recording.
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Casey V.
Guest
Oct 26, 2008
4:53 PM
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Adam,
Sound quality issues aside, I believe you are being too self depricating. The timing is excellent for such an inexperienced player. There are some technical challenges which were not met (but improvised competently) and the song is unmistakably Whammer Jammer. The blow bend (@ 9 mo. experience no less) was pretty good. I found the cut somewhat depressing. I've been playing a little over a year and I know I can't play WJ as well as you did back then. As a guy busy with three small kids, a wife, a job, mortgage, minivan payments, etc. I would feel pretty good about that playing right now.
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gene
31 posts
Oct 26, 2008
5:42 PM
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How many of us could do that after only nine months?! You damn sure don't see me raising MY hand!
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eharp
116 posts
Oct 26, 2008
5:49 PM
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is there anybody, besides myself, that plays along with it but knows it aint very close? but that sure doesnt stop me the next time it comes on the radio.
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Miles Dewar
35 posts
Oct 26, 2008
9:55 PM
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All it takes is practice. I may not sound like Magic Dick when i play it, but i can keep up the speed, and as time passes it will get better. We may not be able to do all of the technical stuff but....
I think if you can force yourself to get to the point where you slightly sound like it, enough to get yourself excited about playing it, (like when you play a cool lick and you think "Dam, I am a Cool Blues man"). Then thats just half the battle.
"Getting *YOURSELF* to love when *YOU* play."
I hear so many people saying that they suck, but thats Negative talk. Even if you Truly believe this, just smile and say to yourself, "Holy Crap, Im The Shit.) Even as routine in practice, Just Say It. outloud, write it down, whatever, anything to make yourself love hearing yourself play.
I'm sure most of us start out Unconfident and we Believe we suck. This causes us, or used to cause me to shy away from playing when people are around or when someone comes in the room, we quiet down, dont play with as much passion. But we just need to remember....
That we are better now than we were before. Just that right there puts a smile on my face..... and if im playing while im smiling, I know getting what i want out of the harmonica, and when im getting what i want out of the harmonica, its not that hard to practice for a very long time, or find time to do it.
GO BEARS!!!!
---Be Positive---
Last Edited by on Oct 26, 2008 9:57 PM
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gene
35 posts
Oct 26, 2008
11:14 PM
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That's some goods words.
Except I leak a lot of air when I smile and play at the same time. :D
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Zhin
70 posts
Oct 26, 2008
11:18 PM
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Adam, you got your point across crystal clear to me.
It was a real eye/(ear?) opener for me and definately amusing too.
Though certain things about you came through clearly... your love for the higher holes/notes, your ability to do the blow bend and actually maintain a pretty good timing with it too. That really surprised me. And your "woooo!" part... man, I could still recognize that voice of yours even though you were THAT young. :)
Thank you for sharing this inspiring gem.
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