Spiderman gone wild
Posted: September 9th, 2008 | Filed under: Other Sports | 61 Comments »
Here is our second post for Michael Rosenberg Week here at your friendly neighborhood spiderblog.* As a reminder, we have dedicated this week to the release of the magnificent, “War As They Knew It: Woody, Bo, and the Rivalry That Used To Matter Before Michigan Started Losing To Appalachian State/Utah and Ohio State Kept Getting Destroyed in National Title Games” I’m not sure that’s the exact title … I don’t have the book right in front of me.
It’s a terrific book. I know that.
*I sometimes think about the person/people who wrote the song “Spiderman.” I mean, it starts out great:
Spiderman, Spiderman
Does whatever a spider can
Spins a web, any size
Catches thieves just like flies
Look out
Here comes the Spiderman.
OK, that’s good stuff. Solidly written song. You’ve got good rhymes, nice rhythm, and you’ve pretty much told the whole story, he spins webs, catches thieves like flies, that’s an outstanding set of lyrics right there.
Is he strong? Listen bud (weird whistle)
He’s got radiocative blood
Can he swing from a thread?
Take a look overhead.
Hey there.
There goes the Spiderman.
Now we’ve got like a little inner monologue thing going on. Is he strong? LIsten bud. Who? When did Bud walk in? And why does Bud have all these questions? Is he strong? Can he swing from a thread? Is Bud a spy? Or, worse, a reporter? We’re definitely beginning to stretch the limits of the song at this point, but we still get some new information — Spiderman’s got radioactive blood.
In the chill of night
At the scene of a crime
Like a streak of light
He arrives just in time
This is where the song sort of goes its own way … this isn’t even part of the regular tune. I mean, it’s good stuff, inspiring and moody, but it’s like the piano section of “Layla,” it doesn’t seem to have much to do with the rest of the song. And my theory is this is when the Spiderman songwriters hit the big E on the inspiration gas tank. I can only imagine that at this point they started timing the song over and over and saying, “How long is that? Forty seconds? Is that long enough? Add a couple of more whistles. OK, now how long? Why does thing have to be a minute long? Can’t we just stop here? Come on? How about a few more horns in the song?”
Nope, they had to keep going. And the song went dramatically downhill at this point.
Spiderman, Spiderman
Friendly neighborhood Spiderman
Wealth and fame
He’s ignored
Action is his reward
Now, seriously … what happened there? First off: Wealth and fame/he’s ignored? What kind of Yoda like construction is that? Rhyming trouble have you. Search for reward rhyme, you must. And really, is action Spiderman’s reward? But more than anything there is the incredible “Friendly neighborhood Spiderman” line. Now, seriously, where did that come from? I realize that I may possibly be overanalyzing a cartoon song … but friendly neighborhood Spiderman. What? I’m just imagining a couple of songwriters in a room with a piano, and they need five syllables to keep the song going, and they’re throwing out ideas …
Songwriter 1: How about? Spiderman. Spiderman. Bad Photographer Spiderman
Songwriter 2: No, that makes no sense. How about The Mercurial Spiderman?
Songwriter 1: Mercurial? Who uses Mercurial?
Songwriter 2: OK, fine, how about Iridescent Young Spiderman?
Songwriter 1: What are you doing over there? How about Spiderman. Spiderman. Unpredictable Spiderman.
Songwriter 2: Is he really unpredictable? I mean he like catches bad guys in webs and climbs walls. He’s not exactly overflowing with surprises.
Songwriter 1: Yeah? OK, smart guy, why don’t you pull out your thesaurus again? How about Stupid Idiot Spiderman?
Songwriter 2: Who you calling a stupid idiot? How about Write your own damn song Spiderman.
Songwriter 1: Shut up.
Songwriter 2: You shut up.
Songwriter 1: How about, Spiderman, Spiderman, Go the hell you jerk Spiderman.
Songwriter 2: Do whatever you want. Make him a friendly neighborhood Spiderman for all I care.
Songwriter 1: Fine. Friendly neighborhood Spiderman. Fine. That’s it. The song’s over.
Songwriter 2: And you can write that Hong Kong Phooey song by yourself, pal.
To him, life is a great big hang-up
Wherever there’s a bang-up
You’ll find the Spiderman!
I have absolutely no idea how I allowed this post (about Woody Hayes … really) to get entirely Spi-derailed. But we will get to our regularly scheduled Woody post later this afternoon.
And, of course, I should include this as well:
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Heheheh. Of course, “Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman” was how Spidey signed his notes to the cops in the early comics, so there’s a reason why that was in there.
You owe it to yourself to hear the Ramones’ version of this song – it’s on the sadly out-of-print Saturday Morning Cartoon’s Greatest Hits, if you can find a copy. (They also have Sublime doing “Hong Kong Phooey,” fwiw. Fanriffic!)
I think you’re just having fun with the Joe Posnanski Blog Drinking Game. This post and the last one.
I used to think like you about the piano section of “Layla” – hey, where’d that lounge music come from? And nobody else could make sense of it either – maybe Duane Allman, but unfortunately he was dead – until Scorsese came along and choreographed the brilliant montage in ‘Goodfellas’ to the plaintive strains of that piano and soaring guitar. Best use of a song in movie history?
Then Clapton came along and barfed up the acoustic version of Layla on MTV Unplugged, the rock & roll equivalent of Wilie Mays on the Mets, but we’ll pretend that never happened.
hilarious and brilliant post. I’m still laughing.
what’s wrong with Hong Kong Phooey though?
My favorite theme song was from the old Hulk cartoon in the 60’s.
“Doc Bruce Banner,
Belted by gamma rays,
Turned into the Hulk.
(Ain’t he unglamo-rays!)
Wreckin’ the town
With the power of a bull,
Ain’t no monster clown
Who is as lovable.
As ever-lovin’ Hulk! HULK!! HULK!!”
The 60’s were fun, man!
The ol’ youtube has a Ramones Spiderman video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5P8lrgBtcU
Oh come on, people: the poll!?
Dustin Pedroia has the lowest OPS+ of any non-pitcher in the poll. I mean, seriously – even if you give him a premium for position, he’s still behind players *on his own team*, no matter what Peter Gammons says.
‘Wealth and fame/He’s ignored’ might have something to do with the general concept about how Spider-Man always runs into bad luck and his powers are basically a curse to him. But you’re right, it’s not great line construction.
Hopefully we see a version of this song in (deep breath) the upcoming Spider-Man musical. Yes, you heard me correctly. There is actually a Spidey musical coming to Broadway in about a year. Directed by Julie Taymor, and the music is by (I’m dead serious here) Bono and the Edge. Words fail me.
It still tops the Batman song.
Na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na
Batman!
Mckingford:
Who would you suggest, I mean the list isn’t very pretty.
Examining one by one by order of votes they have received:
Pedroia: you have summed up his problems already.
Sizemore: Nice year, but really not that great. And the Indians stink.
Mauer and Morneau: Both very good players on a good team. Mauer has a great OBP and Morneau has a nice SLG, together they are an MVP, but apart? Just not quite enough there, plus didn’t Morneau already win an undeserved MVP??
Quentin: Well, if he wasn’t such a nimrod here’s where my vote would have went, but since he decided to break his hand just before September, will have to look elsewhere.
ARod: Sure he has the best non Little League Park numbers, but he probably has about 5 seasons in his career that will be better than this one and, of course, he still cannot hit in the clutch, so his candidacy seems doomed.
Josh Hamilton: Great show at the All Star game and great story and very good numbers. But not the best numbers on his own team, and they are put up in part in a Little League Park and the Rangers are an also ran team
Cliff Lee: Starting pitchers are not MVPs.
Kevin Youkilis: Maybe my new candidate, provided he can stay on the field the last 20 games of the season and plays well.
Jose Guillen: HaHaHaHaHa
Bradley: Best numbers, of course, but everything said about Hamilton is true here too and, as opposed to Josh, no one likes him.
Granderson: Didn’t the NL do the Give-the-MVP-to-the-Undeserving-Leadoff-Hitter last year? Once is enough for me.
Dye: One of my favorite players but I would argue that Thome is the better hitter of these two and more valuable and, of course, neither has been as valuable as Quentin.
Kinsler: Yet another player from a sub-500 team whose stats are inflated more than any team this side of Colorado by their home park.
K-Rod: Hmm, well, not the best reliever in the AL, not even 2nd, but even if he was, one inning closers should not be eligible for the MVP. Now, if he was used like Rollie Fingers, the Goose or the Quiz, that would be a different story.
J.D.Drew: Malingerers are not MVPs.
Has no one noticed that “jewelry” is misspelled “jewlery” when we first see the burglary going on? (It’s fixed in a later shot.)
Signed,
Your friendly neighborhood copy editor
Jay,
that was awesome Good catch. It is kind of like watching “Goonies”
talk about editorial mistakes
I don’t think Pedroia actually *deserves* to win the MVP (though I am his biggest fan), but a 124 OPS+ from a second baseman is pretty impressive, isn’t it?
Plus, the voters are going to see that he’s leading the majors in hits and runs, leading the AL in hitting, could actually win a Gold Glove this year (deserved or not), is 17/18 in stolen bases, got ridiculously hot at the right time (.987 OPS post-ASB, 1.060 OPS in August, 1.103 OPS in September so far) and – wait for it – is gritty, hard-nosed, a clubhouse leader, feisty, plays every day, and plays with more heart than anyone in the history of the game*, I wouldn’t be surprised if his candidacy gains some steam.
*non-Eckstein division
Craig
And does all this for the Red Sox, which gives his candidacy more widespread notice (if he were doing all you said for the Angels, would he be a candidate for MVP, personally I don’t think so)
Possibly?
Hell, it always sounded like “welcome friend” rather than “wealth and fame” to me. I’ll buy a little of that with the premise that he was the type of egghead student who could come up with web fluid and spinners but in no way be prepared to market this to the US Industrial/Military Complex.
I’ve been in these types of lyric conferences, and about 2/3rd through, you would have someone trying to sing it and doing a LOT more fancy swearing. The accents and endings can’t leave you sounding too weird or you end up with that Hulk song.
I did enjoy that the used a bit of the old cartoon Iron Man song in the recent summer filck.
Tony Stark makes you feel
He’s a cool exec with a heart of steel
the rest is not worth mentioning…
SMK: “Then Clapton came along and barfed up the acoustic version of Layla on MTV Unplugged, the rock & roll equivalent of Wilie Mays on the Mets, but we’ll pretend that never happened”
Ouch! I love the unplugged version of Layla, much, much more than the original version. Do we need a poll?
Batman remains the most memorable and versitile. The Who and the Jam do excellent cover versions.
Ugh, do we really need to have an Eric Clapton discussion? Bellbottom Blues was a better song anyway. How’s that for stirring the pot?
This MVP Poll is invalid.
There is no way you can have Jose Guillen included without having E-Ram..err…Emil Brown listed.
The songs I like the best on that Saturday Morning Album are:
Liz Phair doing the Banana Splits song
Tripping Daisy doing Sigmund the Sea Monster
The Toadies doing Groovy Ghoulies
Butthole Surfers doing Underdog
Oy Eric Clampton – the Derek Jeter of R&R. The biggest mistake Clampton ever made in his life – and Lord knows ol’ EC made a bunch – was doing an album with BB KIng. Put Eric’s lame ass right on Front Street. The man couldn’t tune BB’s guitar.
“Then Clapton came along and barfed up the acoustic version of Layla on MTV Unplugged, the rock & roll equivalent of Wilie Mays on the Mets, but we’ll pretend that never happened.” — SMK
Hallelujah!! I thought I was the only one who felt that way. Seeing/hearing that version makes my skin crawl while I throw up in my mouth.
After we went off to college, one of my HS BFFs was saddled with a roommate who was, to be polite, “challenged” in his musical tastes. (Let’s just say that if you asked him if he preferred the Pat Boone version or the Little Richard version of “Tutti Frutti”, he would have said “Little who?”) Anyway, he was a big fan of the 5th Dimension, and one of his raves about the wonderfulness of a new album of theirs was that they “even do a calypso version of ‘Sunshine of Your Love’!”
So, every time I hear the acoustic “Layla”, the first thing I think to myself is, “Aha! The calypso version.”
Antoniomo — If we really need a poll to answer that question, then we are very near the end of civilzation.
Already mentioned, Joe, but the “Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman” line actually comes directly from the comic book. As for song construction, the bridge (that’s the “scene of the crime part”) is pretty standard in pop song construction. I could name many comparables, but since I was listening to “Look Sharp” from Joe Jackson this morning, I’ll use “Is She Really Going Out with Him?” The sections that begins “But if looks could kill…” is the bridge in that song — totally different from either the verse (“Pretty women out walking with gorillas down my street”) or the chorus (“Is she really going out with him?”).
As for Layla, the reason teh piano sounds so different is that it was originally written as a separate song by Jim Gordon. Clapton heard it played and convinced Gordon to let him append it to Layla. Don’t want to get into arguments abotu sepcific songs on the album, but “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs” is in the discussion for best double album ever — just great stuff, different productiono, brilliant musicians, and great stories — for example how the sessions were basically going nowhere until Duane Allman showed up.
Great stuff!
And since it hasn’t been mentioned yet: “Spider-Pig,Spider-Pig. Does whatever a spider pig does….”
What? No Brock Middlebrook story? The only man to ever receive a pimp-slap from Primetime and he gets no ink? The only man to ever have his crib torched by ‘Left-Eye’ and he gets no ink? The only man to survive Bam’s friendship without a prison sentence and he gets no ink?
What gives, JoPo? Did you lend money (or audio equipment) to Brock?
And don’t forget that Jim gordon went crazy, murdered his mother, and buried her in his backyard and still to this day gets a royalty check sent to him each month in the looney-bin.
…or at least that’s what I heard…
OH – and I forgot, the Reverend Horton Heat does a blistering Jonny Quest. (I usually just stop it before “Stop That Pigeon” plays.)
That album really is terrific. That being said, I’m going for some pizza.
the Reverend Horton Heat does a blistering Jonny Quest
I’m partial to “Marijuana”…
I’m partial to the Reverend’s Five-O Ford or maybe Bales of Cocaine, or 400 Bucks, or Nurture My Pig, or Big Red Rocket of Love. Ok, you got me, I like them all. But the true classic is Psychobilly Freakout.
I think the Clapton thing may come down to which version you heard first. As a 28 year old, Clapton first came to my attention with the MTV Unplugged album. It’s one of the first CDs I actually bought (well one of the 8 or so I got from BMG for a penny). Anyways, I do prefer the original version, but the unplugged one is far from being terrible. And wasn’t that the point of Unplugged? To take your old songs and transform them into something we hadn’t heard from you before? I mean Nirvana’s unplugged disc was probably the greatest cd they ever made just because it was so different from the rest of their stuff, and the music still held up without the screaming and loud guitars. I think Layla holds up the same way.
I used so sing the “your friendly neighborhood spiderman” line all the time. I used to pretend to be spiderman. I used to sing the line and pretend to be spiderman, shooting invisible webs at people; I used to sing the line and shoot invisible webs at old ladies sitting in St. Mark’s Square in Venice when we would go visit my relatives. The old ladies gave me change; they thought I was begging for money. My mom made me give them back the change. I didn’t like her for it.
When I went and saw Spiderman with Toby McGuire at the theater a few years ago, I sang “your friendly neighborhood spiderman.” Out loud. With my wife next to me. I’m almost 30 years old.
“Spiderman, Spiderman, your friendly neighborhood Spiderman . . .”
Hey Mr. Web weaver, woulda, coulda, please put up the WEB SITE for Michael’s new book.
http://www.michael-rosenberg.com
Here’s a great Akili question*, a simply agonizing one if you’re a Cardinals fan:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hszvYcSI1-zHtdu4P70fUZ-QPWAAD933GE680
The article basically says that the Cardinals are not sure that Pujols needs elbow surgery this offseason, but will honor his wishes either way.
* [is it an Akili question if it CAN be determined because it is a real decision that must be made? I guess not. I guess it's just an agonizing question.]
Pujols knows best, but goshdarnit! From a fan/organizational standpt, would you sacrifice 2003-2008 Pujols for the chance for him to be “100%” healthy and productive, knowing the vicissitudinary nature of any major surgery?
With the limited info I have on the situation, I honestly cannot decide what I would do. My gut says get the surgery and get right physically.
Spiderman 3 pretty much killed off the “action and fame/he’s ignored” part. Good thing that’s non-canon. XD
Speaking of Spiderman, I can’t remember if it was Joe or Rob Neyer who posted the Spiderman vs. the Wall video, but either way, it’s worth bringing back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hMRRWzACpM
““Then Clapton came along and barfed up the acoustic version of Layla on MTV Unplugged, the rock & roll equivalent of Wilie Mays on the Mets, but we’ll pretend that never happened.†— SMK
Hallelujah!! I thought I was the only one who felt that way. Seeing/hearing that version makes my skin crawl while I throw up in my mouth.”
Let’s face it, the world would be a better place if Clapton had ODed after the Derek and the Dominoes album ( although not for him, I suppose) and let us remember him as the genius guitarist of Cream and “Layla” and not the patron saint of beer commercial blues and lame middle class white guys who desperately want to believe they still rock.
The acoustic “Layla” is an abomination and I’ve long maintained that if Conor Clapton had known how much “Tears in Heaven” was going to suck he’d have been more careful around that window. Even toddlers are capable of mercy.
GOGIGGS -
How nice of you. Good to know you’re such a music lover.
I really like acoustic Layla and if I didn’t I wouldn’t voice glib, bloodthirsty reactions by way of response. Lester Bangs on Astral Weeks or Anton Ego on Ratatouille – i’ll take them and their lessons over that garbage you just wrote.
I know you’re making some aesthetic point about Clapton-post-peak-years, but you’re recycling Eminem satiric nihilism (“Who Knew”) in the washed-up, Rolling Stone, internet mould with less art.
“Lester Bangs on Astral Weeks or Anton Ego on Ratatouille – i’ll take them and their lessons over that garbage you just wrote.”
Gosh, you’d prefer legendary critics and Oscar-winning filmmakers to late night blog commenters? There’s a bold stand. You’re right up there with Allstate on the bold-stand-taking.
“but you’re recycling Eminem satiric nihilism (â€Who Knewâ€) ”
Actually I first expressed the opinions in question in the early ’90s, long before anyone had heard of Eminem and I’ve never heard the song (?) in question. So, unless recycling consists of expressing an opinion years before someone else expresses a similar opinion, or a different opinion in a similar style, without you ever hearing it, I’m going to have to plead not guilty to recycling Eminem.
Really my only regret is that I meant to say middle-aged and not middle class.
Y’all sure did manage to pack a whole lot of references into one response, though. So, you know, congrats on that.
Here’s another vote for the Unplugged version of Layla…and a vote against the kind of musical snobbery that causes people to become unhinged like ol’ Giggsy here.
This post made me cry a little from laughing. “Friendly neighborhood Spiderman” reminds me of the Safeway supermarket I used to work at. We would go on the p.a. system every once in a while to tell customers about the great deals on mangoes “10 for $10!” or about a special on broccoli crowns. Anyway, we would always sign off, “thank you for shopping at your friendly neighborhood Safeway.”
What about the Wayne’s World version of Unplugged Layla?
“Waynesworld/
You’ll Laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll hurl/
Waynesworld/
Who’s that werid guy with the tambourine?/
Waynesworld”
Someone needs to put that up on youtube…stat…
The Spiderman song is turning up pretty much like the Cubs season. Came out like gangbusters, sucking pipe towards the end.
My fave from the Saturday Morning Cartoon Greatest Hits CD remains “Speed Racer”. If they would’ve used that cover tune for the movie this summer, I’m sure it wouldn’t have tanked.
Hong Kong Phoeey was racist and has been banned along with Speedy Gonzalez and Manilla Gorilla.
For reasons that can only be explained by age (born 1978) and geography (Kansas City native), this song will forever remind me of Andre Rison.
The unplugged version is not an abomination, but it might qualify as a disgrace. The real version is one of the greatest songs of all time–both the first half and the second half would be very good songs on their own.
While the second half doesn’t really make sense with the first half, it is a perfect way to end the album (it’s not the actual end of the album, but it’s close to the end). The emotions from those melodies capture how Eric was feeling about a certain Beatle’s wife better than all the albums’ lyrics.
And to piggy-back of JeffSol’s comment:
The story about Duane Allman showing up to the studio is one of my favorite rock and roll stories.
The Cliff Notes version: Derek and the Dominos had been recording for about a week, and the recordings were lethargic. Allman takes a cross-Atlantic flight. He comes into the studio the same day–jet-lagged, and probably high–takes out his slide guitar, and proceeds to absolutely embarass Clapton. He was playing circles around him. Everyone’s jaw drops to the floor, Eric coughs “Ahem” and gets his act together, and they proceed to have some of the greatest guitar battles ever recorded.
The acoustic “Layla” isn’t even the worst crime on that “Unplugged” album. That instead would be the “Tears in Heaven” song.
Oh yes….we know…its a sad and moving song that Clapton wrote about his son who died tragically.
And the song meant so much to Clapton personally that he initially took the money and let the song be used on the soundtrack to an instantly forgotten movie called “Rush” starring Jason Patric and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
You need a poll on the greatest guitarists of all time.
And I agree with one of the postings above — BB King would rate much higher than Clapton (though, c’mon, Clapton deserves some props. Just not for unplugged “Leyla,” apparently).
Nils Lofgren would score high, too, Joe.
Reminds me of a joke:
Q: What’s the first thing Eric Clapton did after he wrote “Tears in Heaven?”
A: He pushed his son out the window!
But seriously folks, the unplugged version of “Layla” doesn’t touch the Derek and the Dominoes version.
I like the Piano part. It’s my favorite part of the song.
If you want a copy of Saturday Morning Cartoon’s greatest hits, there are currently 72 copies (mostly used?) on Amazon right now…
Even for a Prog Rocker like me, it might be worth the chance and a few bucks on a used copy. Thanks for the tip.
Here are my favorite guitarists, in no particular order: Mark Knopfler, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jimmy Page.
Watching that Ramones video on youtube, I just love the way they sneer “look out!” after the first verse.
And the “scene of the crime” bridge makes the whole last verse of the song work.
Chris Russo: “Bad job by Joe there in a big spot!”
GoGiggs-
My regret is that I pursued the subject with a second comment.
Mark H – “Even for a Prog Rocker like me, it might be worth the chance and a few bucks on a used copy. Thanks for the tip.”
You’re welcome. And if it makes you feel any better, I’m also a huge Yes fan.
i[is gritty, hard-nosed, a clubhouse leader, feisty, plays every day, and plays with more heart than anyone in the history of the game*]i
The BBWAA just collectively swooned and sent in their – slightly moist – ballots where Pedroia wins not only the AL MVP, but also the NL MVP, both Cy Youngs, the Rolex Reliever award, 9 silver sluggers and some sort of humanitas award.
After all he’s short! And white! And he leads the league in pretty numbers! Who cares that his OPS is lower than anyone else’s and that there’s quite a few candidates who simply add more wins to their teams?
The greatest lead guitar player of all time is/was Slash. Not even close. Unfortunately, he’s often dismissed because he was associated with that crazy Axl fella. That’s my humble opinion.
Rhythm guitar player: Keith Richards. Again, not even close.
Now all-around guitar player: that’s a whole different question and hard to answer.
1. “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs” is the most enjoyable and smile-inducing (not “greatest,” not “best”) rock album ever made, if nothing else for the selection and pacing of the songs. I mean, sides 3 and 4 are enough to make you weep. While smiling, I mean. I’ve owned three versions — I bought the “Special Audiophile” LP because of all the tape hiss on my old LP version, and was rewarded with the ability to hear the hiss in even higher fidelity. The CD has mercifully reduced the hiss to a tolerable level. Yay, digital audio.
2. “Layla” is the the. Best. Song. Ever. Any genre, including plainchant and operetta. The shift to the Jim Gordon piano movement still makes my heart break after hundreds of listenings. Completely wrenching. But I still grin whenever I hear those first seven notes.
3. The best superhero-TV-show intro ever is from the old “Adventures of Superman” series, with the stirring orchestral theme and the stentorian narration — “… change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands …” I know it’s not a song, and the show wasn’t a cartoon, but that doesn’t change the facts. I can still recite the whole thing when begged at parties. Doesn’t happen often.
OK…I’ll second Slash. We tend to forget how remarkable someone is once their greatness becomes ubiquitous. I’m sure the first time the world heard “Eruption/You Really Got Me Now” it was pretty much like stepping out of black and white and into Technicolor Oz…but we treat Eddie Van Halen like a cliche now. Same for Slash…when “Appetite” dropped into the Bon Jovi/Skid Row/Whitesnake/Warrant/Motley Crue world, it changed everything…almost entirely due to Slash’s playing. And random note here…when I was 16, I saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers open for and then share the stage with Bob Dylan at was was then called Sandstone Amphitheater. One surprise was the staggering amount of chronic (not that I knew that word then…in 1986, I’m pretty sure people still called it “dope” and Dr. Dre was gangbanging with Eazy E and Ice Cube) being blazed by people my parents’ age. The other was Mike Campbell, lead guitarist in the Heartbreakers. Solid if uninspiring in the studio, he was/is breathtaking live. One of the very best players ever…and certainly the most unexpected.
Forget Layla.
Listen to the version of Badge on crossroads two.
That thing just smokes.
But I will say its funny that Clapton is often considered the greatest guitarist of all time, when he wasn’t even the best guitarist in his band.
Its akin to calling Jeff Kent the best player on the early 200 Giants.
Dwayne Allman just smokes him.
Take a peek around.
There are bootlegs of the guitar duels from the Layla sessions.
They are just unreal.