9.2 WORKSHEET 9

As we finish Worksheet 9, we will look at power trios, which featured 2 of rock's greatest guitarists: Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, followed by a great rock musician from Ireland, Van Morrison.

POWER TRIOS

Power Trios became a part of the music scene during this time. I sometimes tell my students that power trios were 3 people playing loud! One such trio was Cream, which featured the acclaimed guitarist Eric Clapton.

Watch this interesting biography of Eric Clapton:

ERIC CLAPTON BIOGRAPHY Links to an external site.

Their first hit, (for the journal): "Sunshine Of Your Love."

JOURNAL:

91. SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE - CREAM Links to an external site.

Jimi Hendrix is generally regarded as the most influential guitarist in rock music history.  He is credited with controlling feedback. What is feedback? I'm glad you asked:

Guitar feedback happens when the sound coming from a guitar's amplifier causes the pickups and/or strings to vibrate sympathetically. The resulting signal is then returned to the amp, of course, reinforcing the original sound over and over again, until the whole buildup reaches the limits of the amp's output. Kind of a audible circular growing tornado. Here is an example of Jimi Hendrix' use of feedback:

JIMI HENDRIX USING FEEDBACK Links to an external site.

Although most of Hendrix's hits were written by him, his cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" became a Top 20 Hit, received a Grammy award, and was ranked #47 in Rolling Stone's 500 greatest songs of all time. 

That funny percussion instrument you hear at the beginning? It's called a vibraslap.  Here it is: 

VIBRASLAP Links to an external site.

Here is the song, for our journal (lyrics below)

JOURNAL:

ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER - JIMI HENDRIX Links to an external site.

"All Along The Watchtower"

One of my all time favorite artists is Van Morrison. From Ireland, his music encompasses many styles: R&B, soul, blues, folk music, gospel, Celtic,  and jazz. Just like how Ray Charles transcended styles, Van Morrison has both a rock classic ("Brown Eyed Girl"), and a jazz classic ("Moondance," a song I have played many times in various jazz lineups.). 

Here is "Brown Eyed Girl," a rock classic about the singer reminiscing about an old girl friend, for our journal (lyrics below):

JOURNAL:

92. BROWN EYED GIRL - VAN MORRISON Links to an external site.

"Brown Eyed Girl"

Hey, where did we go
Days when the rains came ?
Down in the hollow
Playing a new game,
Laughing and a-running, hey, hey,
Skipping and a-jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our, our hearts a-thumping
And you, my brown-eyed girl,
You, my brown-eyed girl.

Whatever happened
To Tuesday and so slow
Going down to the old mine with a
Transistor radio.
Standing in the sunlight laughing
Hide behind a rainbow's wall,
Slipping and a-sliding
All along the waterfall
With you, my brown-eyed girl,
You, my brown-eyed girl.

Do you remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Just like that
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
La dee dah.

So hard to find my way
Now that I'm all on my own.
I saw you just the other day,
My, how you have grown!
Cast my memory back there, Lord,
Sometime I'm overcome thinking about
Making love in the green grass
Behind the stadium
With you, my brown-eyed girl,
You, my brown-eyed girl.

Do you remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Laying in the green grass
Sha la la la la la la la la la la dee dah
Dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee dah dee
Sha la la la la la la la la la la la la
Dee dah la dee dah la dee dah la
D-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d...

Here is one of his more sublime songs, "Into The Mystic."

For the journal (lyrics on screen):

JOURNAL:

93. INTO THE MYSTIC - VAN MORRISON Links to an external site.

CARAVAN - VAN MORRISON - THE LAST WALTZ Links to an external site.

For this section of Worksheet 9, we looked at power trios, which featured 2 of rock's greatest guitarists: Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, followed by a great rock musician from Ireland, Van Morrison.