Easy Monday!

[blargfromouterspace]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THEME TUNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello all and a big thanks to Chris for a great week of reports and for nominating me to be the lunch reporter for this week.

I’ll start by introducing myself – My name is Jamie, I’m 28 years old I’m studying Electrical Engineering. In fact, I had my last exam for the year on Friday and am now on my summer holidays! It’s been a long, hard year! I live in Melbourne, Australia. For those of you unfamiliar with Australian geography, Melbourne is in the south east of Australia at the innermost part of a large bay. It’s the second largest city in Australia, behind Sydney. It has an incredibly vibrant and varied music scene and is the music capital of Australia. On any given night you can go out and see some fantastic musicians playing jazz, blues, country, Latin, soul, metal whatever music you wish. The surrounding countryside produces some of Australia’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (I enjoy wine immensely!) as well as a lot of great fruit and vegetable crops. Has anyone ever visited Melbourne (or indeed anywhere in Australia) or does anyone else live here?



I play a lot of different styles of music. I started out playing heavy metal, like most kids do, when I was 14. Nowadays my tastes are somewhat different with a lean to what has been branded as roots music – blues, country, soul, jazz etc though I still thoroughly enjoy rocking out to some metal, alas I must do that by myself through headphones these days as nobody I hang out with likes it! I play in a soul band doing covers of some fairly obscure but great ‘northern soul’ and jump blues songs in a band with some very talented musicians. I also play in a Country duo that will become a trio once the pedal steeler gets back from his European jaunt. I’m really happy to finally be playing country music with other people, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but have never met anyone else interested.

To the report! My lunch today is going to be a chicken Waldorf salad roll - an invention I claim as my own. You get some left over bbq chicken, cut it up into little bits with a stick of celery, some apple and a few walnuts. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon, add some chopped fresh mint and bind it all together with some good mayonnaise. Generously fill a nice, fresh crusty roll with it and enjoy. Leave the grapes out as they’re too watery to go in some bread. I’ll wash it down with a cup of tea. Deee-licious.

G&L Topic
Seeing as this is my first day as LR I'll ask a first based question - Do you remember the first time you played a G&L – where was it and was it love at first touch?

I remember the first time I played one vividly. It was a red Japanese built ASAT Special. I’d wanted a tele type guitar for a long, long time and found a G&L in a shop in the middle of nowhere. It felt and sounded fantastic! I had to have it but had no money to my name. I immediately asked for a credit application slip, filled it out and had to wait a couple of days to see if I had been approved. As 19 year old with only a part time job I was refused. It would be 8 long years before I’d own one! I didn’t even see another G&L at all in those 8 years until I received the one I purchased on ebay. An American made Classic S in Old School Tobacco Sunburst. Upon opening the case and picking it up it immediately felt right. It is such a handsome guitar that it deserved a name. He is called Juan Carlos Montoya (I think I’d watched ‘The Princess Bride’ earlier that week).




Non-G&L Topic
Modern music. I seem to only listen to older music. I had a bunch of people over last week I was asked if we’d be listening to anything that was made prior to 1985! I made no apologies – I’ve been to enough parties to know that the music at mine was better . Is there anything out there that you really enjoy and believe will become ‘classic’ material?

I look forward to reading your responses. I hope you haven't been too bored by my first lunch report!

[ChrisPcritter]

The first G&L I played was a Leo Fender signature S 500 that belonged to a guy at BJ's southside music in San Antonio Texas. Loved the guitar but it wasn't for sale.. It was a vintage cherry sunburst type color if I remember right (15 years later). I'd still like to get one.. Yes, definately love at first site.

Nickleback comes to mind for music... Not exactly my taste but good... 3 doors down also and P O D

I've always wanted to go to Australia but haven't made it yet...

[sirmyghin]

Summer, you crazy upside downers!

My first G&L was a 2 tone burst asat classic, I didn't even plug it in, it was alas love at first feel and sparked me to get the special I own today. My meticulous tastes drive me a bit from the heavy radii and narrow nut of the standard ASATs, so custom is the way to go.

I don't listen to much you will have heard of prior to 1985, aside from the metal, Dream Theatre being an all important one (although I don't really consider them metal, more just prog rock like Rush). A few modern acts I do enjoy however are Iron and Wine (Alt/Folk) and Flogging Molly (Punk/Celt). I can't really abide the pop/pop rock stuff, and there are few things I hate more than nickleback and the identical bands they have spawned. How many bands can play 1 song anyway. I really don't think the modern industry is sustainable as classic material, it is too generic.

[sickbutnottired]

Ahhh Spring time, on the bottom of the world. I feel a lot of what you are saying. I like to say that I play folk music. It really isn't technically folk music, but I feel like it's modern folk. Lot's of blues, Lot's western swing, lots of cool and simple stuff.

Lunch today is left over prime from the weekend, and some salad.

First time I played a G&L -
First G&L, I can't remember if i posted the whole story before or not. But my first real guitar was an F-100, that I still own, and am going to be doing a pretty major restore to this winter (summer for the other side of the world.) It was not love at first touch for me. I played it in the local music store, and it played great. But I wanted a cool guitar like all my hero's had--a Les Paul. So I didn't buy it. And kept saving my money.

My Dad bailed me out, he was like, if you want to play, you need to get decent equipment, sooner rather than later. So he bought it for me. I played it extensively and fell in love. I love the early G&L very thin neck. I think I got it in about 1989, maybe 1990.

The reality is, I was like 13 or 14, and really couldn't play. I just had some stuff memorized, so the image wasn't what I had it mind.

Current Music
I am a believer that there is always quality music both in and out of the mainstream. But it does seem like right now, it is pretty scarce in the mainstream. I buy a lot of Indie albums. If i take in a show, and a band has an album for sale I usually buy it. One I really like is out of Portland OR, Keegan Smith and Family, 'Special Delivery'. It's pop and dancy (just made that up) but not totally crappy and inane.

Then I listen to older musicians new music. I loved Bob Dylan's record a couple years ago "modern times". and thought the allison krauss/robert plant collaboration "raising sand" was great.

Then there are the middle age guys, like myself, that are cool. Examples Robert Earl Keen, jr; Derek Trucks; Susan Tedeschi.

Finally, your 25 year number goes back to music from my childhood. Some I still like, some not so much. Will any of this stuff become classic and ace the test of time? I think so, but we will see.

Some that might.

Tim mentioned Nirvana, and I have to agree.
Another band that I still like, and hear on the radio, is Guns and Roses. Maybe Dwight Yoakam? I just feel like the songs are not quite THAT good, and they are not transformational.

Fun question!

[guitar_ed]

Howdy to the folks Down Under. I have have never been, but one day my credit card made the trip. I was quite jealous, to be truthful.

The first time I played a G&L? My guitar teacher had a Classic S. I picked it up & went "wow." Until that point, I had not been a Fender fan. I now own about 15 G&Ls, though still no Fender brand guitars.

Later,

edg

[yowhatsshakin]

The first G&L I ever played:
Cannot get enough of this story. A decade ago, Seattle had a small independently owned music store called 'The Zobrist'. The first time I visited, with my wife in tow, there was this beautiful Orange ASAT Classic hanging on the wall. You have to know that being Dutch, orange has a special meaning having something to do with our national soccer team and royalty. So certainly, this color is an eye catcher. That guitar played absolutely great but I couldn't make a decision right there and then to purchase it. About a month later, when I wanted to buy it, it was gone. But the store manager, Ron Stoehr, pointed out a nice Legacy Special he did have. Still a 3-bolt and great sounding too. The only electric I had was a '82 Gibson LP Standard and I wanted to augment my collection of 1 with both a Strat as well as a Tele model anyway. The order was not too important. So the Legacy came home. A couple of months later I put in a custom order for an ASAT Classic. Not in Orange though, but Butterscotch Blonde which I liked even better as a color.

Is there anything out there that you really enjoy and believe will become ‘classic’ material?
I think that song-writers like Ray Lamontagne and John Mayer have written some pretty cool stuff. Some songs by Creed (like 'Arms Wide Open') and Train ('Drops of Jupiter') come to mind as songs that still stand out and would be hits no matter when they would be released. Lucinda Williams has released a slew of fantastic albums post '85. But the whole format thing is spoiling a lot for me and I just cannot get into the whole rap thing.

- Jos

[willross]

Waldorf Salad? I prefer to keep my nuts out of salads, tossed or otherwise. FYI: Vegemite delicious on toast! I learned recently that vegemite is actually made by Kraft in the US and shipped Down Under.

Do you remember the first time you played a G&L..?

I checked out a few in the mid-eighties, but I remember the left-handed selection being virtually nonexistent. About a decade later I bought my first one (custom ordered from the now defunct Music Plus). That set the bar for anything else purchased from then on.

Is there anything out there that you really enjoy and believe will become ‘classic’ material?

A few names already mentioned fit the bill. I think whole genres will end up in there. Gotta have sumthin...


Cheers,

Will

[repoman]

Greetings Blarg,

Seeing as this is my first day as LR I'll ask a first based question - Do you remember the first time you played a G&L – where was it and was it love at first touch?

I sure remember the first G&L I played. I was guitar shopping in the late 80's and wasn't finding anything that really grabbed me. At a small shop a salesman told me about G&L and let me try his Broadcaster. At the time I knew about Musicman but really didn't know anything about G&L. They had a couple of G&Ls in stock, an Interceptor and something else I don't remember. I took a chance and ordered an Asat Special. Loved it from day one.

Is there anything out there that you really enjoy and believe will become ‘classic’ material?

Good question. You could argue over these for days. How old/new does a band have to be before its considered "classic"? U2 has been around for about 30 years now and is still one of the most popular bands on earth. But they are too "young" to be considered classic rock.
I don't know if these will be timeless, but a couple of current bands that seem like they might at least have some staying could be Coldplay and Death Cab For Cutie. And I agree with Tim that Nirvana (and maybe Pearl Jam) could be considered modern classics. Guess if I really knew what would be popular I'd be a rich man!

Never have been to Australia but it's near the top of the list of places to visit.

Jeff

[bassman]

Hi Jamie, G'day Mate!

First G&L: I think it was my L-1000 that I bought used in 1989 from a shop in which I taught bass lessons.
I had a student buy a L-2000 after seeing my L-1000 and it came with black hardware. It was a long time before I played a G&L guitar. That would've been my first S-500 that I bought in 1998. I had not played an ASAT until about 3 years ago!

Classic music from today: We are almost too close to tell, but I think some of U2's reperatoire is classic. Police have attained that designation, and Queen. but maybe these bands are already pre-1985. I have trouble with this because most of what I play is pre 1985 anyway.

I have not visted Australia but my son did last year. He even got to swim along the Great Barrier Reef! That was cool. Dad has to get over there and see what I have been missing.

[blargfromouterspace]

There seem to be mixed feelings about vegemite here - it's delicious! On toast with a liberal amount of butter and a glass of OJ, it's making me hungry just thinking about it - in fact, I'll have that for breakfast!

Some good suggestions there for classic stuff - I think Dwight Yoakam's music is classic. It definitely has an old feel as opposed to a modern one. Nirvana will undoubtedly become classic material. It seems to be played more and more on commercial radio these days, despite it being some of the most depressing, drug addled music ever played. I was really into them when I was in my early teens.

I can't really abide the pop/pop rock stuff, and there are few things I hate more than nickleback and the identical bands they have spawned.

I agree wholeheartedly. I really hope that our generation isn't remembered for their stuff. I once saw a guy wearing a Nickleback t-shirt in a car park and, although I'm a peaceful, non-aggressive guy, the first thing that came into my mind was to run over him. Of course I didn't actually do it, but I did laugh at him. I think Dream Theater have the potential to go classic, but in a cult, King Crimson sort of way. Their music certainly isn't to everyone's taste, a fact which any of the people I have lived with over the last 10 years will confirm!

Then I listen to older musicians new music. I loved Bob Dylan's record a couple years ago "modern times". and thought the allison krauss/robert plant collaboration "raising sand" was great.

I have both of those albums and love them both to death. 'Raising Sand' is a magnificent album.

Yes, it was a G&L Broadcaster in 1985 testing it at G&L's Factory in the presence of Mr. Leo Fender, Mr. Dale Hyatt and Mr. George Fullerton! Loved it too. What I remember is a blue SC-3 that I tried years later and bought on the spot in a Pawn Shop on the outskirts of North Phoenix that sounded and played better than my '59 Fender Strat! (Not a joke and I like Strats too!).

Somehow, Tim, I thought that you would have the best first G&L story. You haven't let me down! What an exciting day that must have been.

I realise that I had a bad link in to the theme tune I composed especially for these lunch reports. I'll fix it presently. Hopefully I'll get some feedback on it - don't be afraid, I can handle criticism!

[Philby]

Hi Jamie, thanks for an interesting lunch report. I live in Melbourne too so I have a 1 in 3.5 million chance of bumping into you one day! Our North American readers may not realise that Vegemite is a by-product of the brewing process. If you ever visit Melbourne's biggest brewery (Carlton and United) you'll see a row of Vegemite tankers lined up there to collect the left over yeast. And a tip for potential Vegemite eaters - don't spread it on thick like peanut butter. It's like alcohol, enjoy it in moderation.

My first G&L: I walked into a music shop in Melbourne called Frontier Music while my wife was in the jewellery shop next door. I didn't even intend to buy a guitar. There was a row of teles on the wall and a row of ASAT's just below them. I tried every tele to kill some time and remembered why I didn't like teles. Then I tried the ASAT's and fell in love with the second one along, an amber Tribute ASAT Special. I didn't even need to plug it in. It just rang in my hands and the raw finished neck felt right. I tried the USA ASAT's next to it and was surprised to find that I liked the Tribby much better. Since then I have acquired a tobacco burst ASAT semi-hollow (also a Tribute) and a 1997 US S-500.

Classic music from today: I think there is just as much great music as there has ever been. The difference is that the music industry has devolved to the point where great music is no longer signed or promoted, let alone heard on mainstream radio. The major labels are unwilling to take risks and all mainstream music ends up sounding the same i.e. safe.

I'm suprised no one has mentioned REM. They have produced some fantastic music over the last 25 years and I think some of their songs will go down as modern classics. I predict that some of the U2 catalogue will also go down as classic, and The Edge has certainly defined a guitar genre all of his own. As far as Aussie bands go, it's hard to go past Neil Finn/Crowded House for sustained excellence over a long period of time.

Cheers,

Phil.

[willross]

Our North American readers may not realize that Vegemite is a by-product of the brewing process. If you ever visit Melbourne's biggest brewery (Carlton and United) you'll see a row of Vegemite tankers lined up there to collect the left over yeast.

Here's a little info on the subject complements of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite

I knew Kraft was the chief supplier...


Cheers,

Will

[Philby]

I love this forum! You learn something new every day...

Thanks for that link Will.

My little girl lives on Vegemite Cheesybite but it's a lot of words for a toddler to learn. So she calls it Mups. Dunno why.

[blargfromouterspace]

As far as I know you can no longer buy it in the best jar (2nd in from the right)



It was the end of an era. It came in these jars which, when empty, made a good drinking glass. You'd be guaranteed to find at least one of those glasses in EVERY household. Alas, they have all since 'merged with the infinite' and it is a long time since I've drank out of one.

[zapcosongs]

Look forward to getting to the land Down Under one day. It looks like Melbourne is about as close to Antarctica as you can get in Australia (islands excluded). I'm wondering if you ever see any snow. I love snow!

My first G&L experience was also with an ASAT Special. I was actually looking for a P-90 equipped Tele when I pulled the trigger on an eBay auction not realizing exactly what I was getting into. I really, really loved that guitar, but it is no longer mine. Once I got my hands on an '86 ASAT and an early SC-2 with the same pickups, it became expendable but will never be forgotten. Those big MFD pickups are great!!!

That is one stunning Classic S you have there! Bet there aren't many of those on your continent, eh? I'm betting she's a very versatile lass, no?

I have to admit I don't listen to much "modern" music. My kids are 9 and 7 and are enjoying the classic album rock of my youth, so who am I to dissuade them with today's droning drivel. Ha! Go play some country. Play some metal. Have fun. Me, I'm lookin' forward to the rest of the week. - ed

[sam]

Never been to Australia, have partaken in many glasses of Shiraz, Pinot and others. (another wine fan) Would like to get there one day.

1) Do you remember the first time you played a G&L – where was it and was it love at first touch?
First in hand was an SC 2 at a local shop that I loved the feel just wish it was an ASAT. A few years later got my hands on an ASAT Classic and an ASAt at a shop in San Fran and knew I had to have one. ASAT Classic was the first purchased followed by ASAT etc...

2) Is there anything out there that you really enjoy and believe will become ‘classic’ material?
Your 25 year number covers a lot of ground so here goes. From the 80's - 2000's gotta think of songs that we hear played often on "nu-classic" pop/rock stations and bands who did not have songs out before 1985. Don't know who will be "classic", some already mentioned but might like to see a few others on a Classic Rock of the 2000's CD - Manic Street Preachers, the Strokes and Weezer.

Great start to the week.

[Kit]

The closest I've been to Australia is reading Bill Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country" and Robert Hughes' "The Fatal Shore." Both terrific book, although vastly different in style.

I think Radiohead's material has the potential to become classic.

Kit

[blargfromouterspace]

Look forward to getting to the land Down Under one day. It looks like Melbourne is about as close to Antarctica as you can get in Australia (islands excluded). I'm wondering if you ever see any snow. I love snow!

That is one stunning Classic S you have there! Bet there aren't many of those on your continent, eh? I'm betting she's a very versatile lass, no?

Thanks Ed, I like it too! They only made 12 in this colour, so I'm willing to bet that this is probably the only one in Australia. I could be wrong!

I've seen snow. Not in Oz but in Europe. I don't care for it, too cold and it hurts when it goes in your eyes. It does snow in Victoria (the state of which Melbourne is the capital) up in the mountain ranges. As far as I know, snow in Melbourne itself is exceedingly rare. There was a horrific hailstorm earlier this year which made it look like it had snowed but it was about 25 degrees (we use Celsius here, not that horrible, Farenheit system - too many damn digits)

Never been to Australia, have partaken in many glasses of Shiraz, Pinot and others. (another wine fan) Would like to get there one day.

.

Nice to hear there's another wino on the forum. I really want to try a few more American wines but you just don't get them here. I've only had one - a Zinfandel from the Napa - that was pretty good! I found that the USA and AUS make very similarly styled wines.

I think Radiohead's material has the potential to become classic.

Kit

I couldn't agree with you more, Kit. OK Computer is a great album, as are Kid A, Amnesiac......Definitely classic material - there's barely one modern band out there that wouldn't list Radiohead as an influence. Plus you have Jonny Greenwood (the guitarist) off on his orchestral composition 'side project', they're serious muso's. I can't imagine their concerts being particularly entertaining but they're a great band to listen to.

Glad to hear that so many of you wish to visit my country, rest assured that I would love to visit the US!