I don't know why but I've never really been sold on Jad Fair and Half Japanese. And from everything I've heard, there's nothing exceptional about his guitar player, while Elliot was quite a master of his instrument and alternate tunings. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
Jad's guitar playing to me is honestly quite boring, there's nothing really noteworthy about it. Elliott's playing is quite noteworthy even though most of it's either strumming or fingerpicking or both. But, there's the air of fragility about the way he uses both of these methods. Almost classical style guitar with modern style progressions is something that I love to hear. Those lines get stuck in your head for days on end. It's so simple yet it evokes a lot more. Compare him to Nick Drake all you like - it's quite an understandable comparison - but I can say from experience that Smith's songs are a lot easier to play, with the right tuning and positions. One of my favourites.
Jad's guitar playing to me is honestly quite boring, there's nothing really noteworthy about it.
I could accept criticism of Jad Fair for being somebody who is actually shit at the guitar, somebody who lacks even the most basic training, and somebody whose playing is just tuneless noise which may not even really qualify as music at all. I'd disagree on all points (well, apart from the second one, obviously), but at least those criticisms would make sense. Saying that "there's nothing really noteworthy" about his playing just sounds like the sort of thing a person who has never actually taken the time to listen to his playing might say (it's cool, you can admit it). He literally, in the early days at least, played an out of tune guitar with no pretense that he could even make basic chord shapes. He plugged his guitar into an amp and just made rhythmic noise (and sometimes it wasn't even particularly rhythmic). But no, I'm sure there's nothing noteworthy about that whatsoever.
Anyway, I voted for Fair precisely because what he did was so noteworthy, and because his playing was, y'know, interesting. Unlike Elliott Smith's. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Anyway, I voted for Fair precisely because what he did was so noteworthy, and because his playing was, y'know, interesting. Unlike Elliott Smith's.
Yeah, because I'm sure Fair was the first untrained guitar player to do that. You're basically saying what makes Fair interesting is that he didn't know how to play guitar, and not that you like his playing. Sorry, but that's dumb. I'm a huge fan of outsider art, but if you're basing your vote on Fair being the first person to pick up a guitar and not know how to play it, that makes no sense. Just say "I like how this unskilled guitar player managed to create a sound I enjoy". It'd make much more sense. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
Yeah, because I'm sure Fair was the first untrained guitar player to do that. You're basically saying what makes Fair interesting is that he didn't know how to play guitar, and not that you like his playing. Sorry, but that's dumb. I'm a huge fan of outsider art, but if you're basing your vote on Fair being the first person to pick up a guitar and not know how to play it, that makes no sense. Just say "I like how this unskilled guitar player managed to create a sound I enjoy". It'd make much more sense.
Well I thought that went without saying, but just to clarify - yes, the primary reason I'm voting for Fair here is because I prefer his playing to Smith's. It's more interesting to me. It's more fun. It captures the joyful abandon of a child discovering that if he claps his hands together it makes a noise. I like the noise he makes a lot. My apologies for not making that clear. I was just pointing out that what Half Japanese did certainly was noteworthy. _________________ 2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.
Well I thought that went without saying, but just to clarify - yes, the primary reason I'm voting for Fair here is because I prefer his playing to Smith's. It's more interesting to me. It's more fun. It captures the joyful abandon of a child discovering that if he claps his hands together it makes a noise. I like the noise he makes a lot. My apologies for not making that clear. I was just pointing out that what Half Japanese did certainly was noteworthy.
I just like being a pain in the ass. I know you like Fair for the same reasons we both like Johnston. _________________ http://jonnyleather.com
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