Comes A Time....

There comes a time in every one's life where they have to stop blaming others for their unhappiness.

Sure, pop psychology says it's OK to blame your parents for your upbringing, or to blame the bullies who picked on you, or the ice cream man who touched your secret no no place. But seriously...at some point, one must own up to their own life.

If you had a bad childhood...I'm sorry to hear it. So did I. So did most of the people I know. Few of them are total and complete emotional wrecks. Why? Because they took ownership of their own life.

Life is hard. There are NO guarantees except eventual death. (Now doesn't that sound just cheery!)
But...it's what YOU make of YOUR life that counts. To sit back and whine and complain and mope and bitch about how life and everyone in it has done you wrong is just counterproductive.

If for some reason or other you are incapable of coming to grips with life on your own, get a therapist. Or a dog. Or both. If the therapist ain't working, try another one. If the dog pisses on the carpet, learn to clean and learn to house train the dog. Don't complain about it.

Sure, venting is fine. We all need to from time to time. But when some one's entire life is centered on complaining, what kind of life is that?

As part of my faith, I believe in "Love thy neighbor". I honestly and sincerely try to get on with everyone. I can be abrasive, loud, immature, and obnoxious. That's my nature. I'm OK with it. Most folks can tell that I do genuinely care about my fellow humans (and most other creatures).  Some don't get me, and guess what...I'm OK with that too. That doesn't make them any less of a person to me. Just means we don't click.

In this day and age, people complain far too much. If I was one to complain, trust me...I could out-complain all of you! My life has been shattered in more ways than I care to think about. For starters, I have a bad ticker, no job, a criminal record that makes it difficult to find work, and a questionable future at this point. And that's just the obvious stuff! If I were to dwell on those aspects of my life, I'd be downright suicidal. But I don't.

I know the problems I have and I actively look for ways to fix them. A lot of them take time to fix. Lots of time. So far, that's one thing I've been blessed with. Time. If you woke up this morning, you've been blessed with time. Use it wisely.

If all you have in your life is misery and complaints, you may want to take a long, hard look in the mirror. You just might be the cause of your own problems. How so? Because you haven't taken ownership of your own life.

Want to be happy? Then fucking be happy! If you surround yourself with people and things that make you unhappy, get rid of them! If you don't, then you're choosing to be unhappy. That's fine too...just don't complain about it. You made the choice. Guess what...you can always change your mind.

Quit looking for the quick fix. It doesn't exist. Stop believing that someone else can fix your problems. They can't. Only YOU can. Most of all, stop complaining. If you have a problem, fix it. More importantly, take stock of all of the good and positive things in your life. Trust me, someone out there cares about you. You might not know it or possibly you're too self-absorbed to realize it...but someone does care. Someone would miss you if you weren't around.

Your past is just that...your past. It doesn't decide your present or your future. You do. Don't hold on to your past problems like an anchor. If you do, they'll hold you down like one. Let go and move on.

Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Easier said than done...but it is do-able. To hold on to anger, hatred, sorrow, misery, etc., is to give up on living your life. If someone has done something bad to you and you allow that action to control your life, you have given that person total control of your life. You have, in essence, become a slave. Most folks I know don't like the idea of being a slave. Do you?

Why am I writing this? Because I know many people who have become enslaved by their past. It ties them down, and rots away their soul. It makes them bitter and vitriolic...and the excuse is always the same. "I had such a bad life!" By remaining angry, bitter, sad, and/or miserable, you're only setting the course for a miserable existence. No one wants that.

Let it go. Take ownership of your life. Take control of your destiny. Fate doesn't control it. You do.

Dive Bar or Shithole?

I am once again in search of a proper dive bar. This is becoming a lot harder than it should be. One would think that with our economy as crappy as it is, dive bars would be doing great business. If they are, no one knows about it! Which could be the secret to their success.

Allow me to take a minute and give my definition of a dive bar. It's not the same as a shit hole. A dive bar was probably once a nice place. Years and years of drinking has gone on in there. Time has taken it's toll. The regulars are old. The place is dimly lit. The booze is cheap. There should be a long, dark (preferably) oak bar with, if possible, a hand-carved (oak) back bar. The bar stools should be well worn. There should be booths. Leather or Naugahyde. A patterned tin ceiling is a nice touch but not a must. Same with cool floor tiling.

 The bartender should be old and cranky...not necessarily mean but perhaps nursing some lingering ailment...like lumbago. Nothing life threatening! The barkeep should probably be wary of a new customer the first few times they come in. A gruff "Whaddya have?" should be his/her siren song. He/she should have vast knowledge of drinks like Manhattans, Rob Roys, Zombies, Harvey Wallbangers, etc...but be more accustomed to shots & beers and/or plain ol' highballs.

Music...if any...should fit the aging clientele and the former grace of the establishment. Sinatra, Dean Martin, The Ink Spots, Dinah Washington. If nothing that classy, maybe some old school country...Hank Sr., Merle Haggard, JohnnyFuckingCash! Rock & roll music..if any at all, should be of a period no later than, say, The Shirelles. The music should be kept low enough that patrons don't have to shout. Not that they're saying much....aside from discussing the weather or the ball game.

Neon should be lit and buzzing...but kept to a minimum. A Schmidt's beer sign maybe. Perhaps the Prince of Pilsner himself hoisting a glass in your direction. It shouldn't be cute or kitschy. Just more reminders that time has passed by.

There should be plenty of ashtrays. A real dive bar should be a bit smokey. If you don't like that...don't go there. A dive bar should be reminiscent of years gone by...not the latest fad.

A true dive bar should look the same day after day, year after year, drink after drink...shadows of customers drinking to celebrate or to forget or to sometimes try to remember.

A shit hole is completely different. I'm not saying that one is better than the other...just that shit holes are more common.

A shit hole was probably never particularly nice. It's probably always just been a bar. Nothing fancy. Shots and beers. Maybe the odd 7&7, Long Island Iced Tea, or vodka cranberry...but mostly shots & beers.

The decor can be anything from plain to garish. Paneling with Christmas lights (all year) comes to mind. There should be a steady flow of customers. Not necessarily packed in like sardines but busy enough to keep the place in business.

A shit hole is often louder than it needs to be. Often, a jukebox...lately those irritating internet things...playing music that should probably be outlawed. Loud, brash, repetitive noise. Anything to keep `em drinking and under the illusion of having a good time. A shit hole will probably have karaoke at least once a week. Maybe a band on the weekend...playing more loud, brash, repetitive cover songs that the locals have been clamoring for for decades.

A shit hole will have regulars of all ages...but tends to draw in the young, novice drinker. It's the place the novice has heard about...the place will have a legacy attached to it. "Why, that's where so & so met his 4th wife..." or "If ya can't get laid there ya might as well quit trying...".

Each has it's place in our society. I often hang out at shit holes. Most of us do. But...I'm at a point in life where I need the occasional solace of a good dive bar. Maybe something with an Irish name. O'Herlihy's or something like it. A place where a man (or woman) can drink in peace. A place where one can reflect on life over a cold libation. A place where, if only for a few hours, one can disappear in time.

Clearing up the Great Gretsch/Rockabilly Sham!

I've had a long-standing friendly argument with a couple of friends about guitars. This has gone on for 20+ years. We're all pickers, and we're all usually lumped under the rockabilly category too. They both love Gretsch guitars. I can take them or leave them. Rockabilly fans have asked me many times why I don't play a Gretsch, which is often associated with rockabilly music.

 

First, I point out that what I play ain't exactly rockabilly. Sure, there's a definite rockabilly influence...but there's also blues, jazz, surf, garage, punk, country, Tex-Mex, and even some Gypsy & African influences in my music. A Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it. Don't get me wrong, Gretsches have their place and their own, unique sound. But...for a picker who is coming from the afore-mentioned influences, a Gretsch just ain't gonna cut it.

 

The new Gretsches, mostly reissues, are well-made guitars. MUCH better made than the original ones, which tended to be very hit or miss. Back in the day, one could pick up a nice "vintage" Gretsch for a couple hundred dollars. We didn't call them "vintage" back then. We called them "used" or "second hand" or just "old". "Vintage" is a marketing term. It's used to sell old stuff at ridiculously high prices.

 

I've bought and sold a slew of Gretsches. I never came across one yet that I wanted to keep. I'd buy them cheap and turn around and sell them as high as I could. 25 years ago, that meant buying for $200-300 and selling for $1500 or so. (I really should've saved some of that money!)

 

I normally play a Telecaster. It can do anything! Whether I'm playing with my band, playing hired gun backing up someone else, or doing a recording session, my Teles get the job done like no other. To me, they're tools. It's been said that a Telecaster can sound like anything but nothing sounds like a Telecaster. Aside from them, I have a couple of oooold Gibson hollow bodies that I love. They, too, have an amazing array of sounds.

 

So then where did this "one must play a Gretsch to play rockabilly" myth come from? Most likely, it came from the popularity of Brian Setzer and The Stray Cats. Setzer will most likely tell you himself that he modeled his entire look off of Eddie Cochran (who happened to play a Gretsch). The Stray Cats helped bring about a rockabilly revival in the US for a brief time. Whenever a fad hits, corporations smell money.

 

By the late 80s, you'd start to see more well-known guitarists playing old Gretsches. I'll never deny that they do look cool. They're just limited (for what I do, anyway). Billy Zoom from the punk band X played a Gretsch. I remember seeing big hair metal guys play them. Hell, The Traveling Wilburys played them! But...that doesn't mean that they're the ultimate rockabilly tone machine.

 

In the early 90s, Jimmy Heath (aka The Reverend Horton Heat) came along, playing a Gretsch. Why? His main guitar, an old Gibson 175, could no longer taking the beating he was giving it night after night. Old Gretsches were still affordable (but not for long), so he got some of them. I played his guitar...and like most old Gretsches, I hated the neck. Nice sound...crappy feeling guitar though.

 

So what about the original 1950s rockabilly guitarists? What did THEY play? Well, you're in luck...because I'm about to tell ya!

 

Scotty Moore could probably be considered the daddio of rockabilly guitar. He was Elvis' guitar play and it's safe to say that this is in the neighborhood of rockabilly ground zero. What did he play? Big ol' Gibson hollowbodies. I've never seen him play a Gretsch. He pretty much epitomized rockabilly twang.

Carl Perkins embodied rockabilly. I've backed enough of the original guys and so many of them play

"Blue Suede Shoes" that if I never play it again, I'll be A-OK with it. What did he play? A Gretsch? Nope. Back in the 50s, he always played Gibsons. Later he would play Microfrets, Teles, Strats, Peavys, anything he could get an endorsement deal for. The guitar didn't matter. The picker did.

 

Cliff Gallup was the picker with Gene Vincent's Blue Caps. "Be Bop A Lula" and so many other great rockabilly songs all came out of Cliff and his...GRETSCH! Ha! I bet you thought that I was gonna tell ya  no one played one! I fooled you! Some guys did. Just not as many as you'd be led to believe.

Eddie Cochran. "Summertime Blues", "C'mon Everybody", etc...all played on his Gretsch...but...he

modified his with a big ol' Gibson P90 pickup in the neck position. Rumours have it that the original pickup quit working (shoddy workmanship? LOL) and he couldn't get a replacement. Personally, I find that hard to believe. Eddie was a star. If he really wanted one, he could've got one. No, I think he added the P90 because it sounded better.

 

A young man named James Burton caught lots of ears with his amazing playing. He played with Dale Hawkins and was hand-picked to play with young Ricky Nelson. His instrument of choice? A Gretsch? Nope. Another Telecaster player! (the best pickers always opt for a Tele! lol) He's still playing them today!

Paul Burlison was technically the guitarist for the Rock & Roll Trio, but in the studio, chances are it

was session king Grady Martin who actually played most of the licks. The Trio's discography is the essential must-know song list for rockabilly bands. But what guitars did these cats play? Paul Burlison was always a Tele player. Martin favored (rare as hen's teeth) Bigsby guitars. I've seen pictures of him with a Les Paul too...but as you can see by this photo, it's a Bigsby.

 

 

Roland Janes was kinda the go-to session guitarist at Sun Records for the rockabilly cats. He played/recorded with the likes of Billy Lee Riley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hayden Thompson, and Lord know how many others. As this photo from the "Little Green Men" session shows, he played a Strat, not a Gretsch.

How about the twangmaster himself, Duane Eddy? He's been seen playing many Gretsches...mostly

his namesake model. But...his original twang (the REAL twang) came from a Guild. Not a Gretsch.

 

Link Wray...the God of all things loud & distorted...was not a Gretsch player. Supros, Danelectros, Gibsons, yes. Gretsches, no. Even in his later years, he never played a Gretsch. The last guitar I saw him play was a Squire Stratocaster.

Lastly, Buddy Holly. We can debate another time whether or not he was truly "rockabilly"...but his

songs are popular among the rockabilly crowd. Did he play a Gretsch? Nope. Fender Stratocaster.

 

 

 

Don't be fooled by urban myths propagated by the corporate world trying to sell you a $2000 guitar. If you want to play rockabilly, pretty much any old 2 pickup guitar and a tube amp will give you the sound. Here's a few tips I've picked up from the original cats:

Use both pickups. If you have dedicated volume/tone knobs for each pickup, you can dial in your twang that way. You don't need an expensive echoplex. A used $50 delay pedal will work just fine to get your slapback. NOTE: The original guys had that in the studio. The only ones to have it LIVE in the 50s were Perkins, Moore, Roy Orbison & Elvis (although he had no need for it). They got it from custom built amps...made by Ray Butts. Scotty Moore still has his. Graceland probably has Elvis'. Perkins sold his years ago to a collector. Lord only knows what happened to Orbison's.

 

Rockabilly guitar is usually best played with a light touch. If you want to be truly authentic, go for a wound G string. Bashing doesn't really work well with rockabilly guitar licks. Unless you're Link Wray.

 

As for the vast myriad of lesser-unknown 50s rockabilly pickers...chances are they were playing cheap guitars. Kays, Harmonies, Stellas. Maybe the ones who'd been playing semi-professionally had Teles, Les Pauls or Strats. Gretsches were more popular with some of the country guys but by no means all. Lots of the country guys played Mosrites. Joe Maphis & Larry Collins come to mind.

 

I hope this clears up some of the sham that rockabilly revisionists have tried to convince the world of. Rockabilly was never super popular until The Stray Cats. Main reason being...it wasn't called rockabilly. Sam Phillips, the man who pretty much started it all, hated the word. He'd tell ya, "It's just rock and rollllllll maaannnn!" And he was right. And I'm pretty sure Sam never played a Gretsch either.