Saying "Rest In Peace" for somebody known for LOUD seems almost an oxymoron.
Jim Marshall, the creator of the famous Marshall amplifier, died today in England at the age of 88. Some people say he's very much responsible for the guitar sound of the 1960's.
As the story goes, Marshall ran a drum shop in London that guitarists frequented by Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore and other guitar players. They wanted to know why he didn't carry more guitars and amps..so he added some, including some American made Fender amps. Marshall got the idea to try and create some amps that could be made more cheaply than the Fenders. WIth the help of some engineers, the Marshall Amp was born.
Aside from Townshend and John Entwistle of the Who and RItchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, others who used mainly Marshalls included Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Duane Allman and Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band..and down on the line to Randy Rhoads and Slash.
While many guitar players look to Marshall for a certain sound, others just like the image they bring. Often you'll see a wall of Marshall amps on stage..when only one is actually plugged in (or the guitar's plugged into something else entirely).
My boyfriend Mike is a guitar player, and I know when he decides to plug in his Marshall, it's time for me to go run an errand or two because they really are LOUD, even when set on the lowest settings.
I called Mike to tell him about Jim Marshall's passing, and to ask him for his thoughts. He tried to explain the technicalities of the Marshall sound, but quite frankly it was mostly over my head. But he did mention that both Dickey Betts and Duane Allman played through Marshalls (Dickey a 100 watt Marshall and Duane a 50 watt version).
Here's a video featuring the two amazing guitar players from the incredible Live at Fillmore East album. You can see the Marshall amps in the background.
The Broadway musical Wicked has flown back into town, thrilling fans at the Overture Center now through June 9th.
I got a chance to see the production for the 2nd time last night, and once again was blown away. Even though I saw Wicked in 2010, I had...
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1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
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Next up is the Marquette...
The Broadway musical Wicked has flown back into town, thrilling fans at the Overture Center now through June 9th.
I got a chance to see the production for the 2nd time last night, and once again was blown away. Even though I saw Wicked in 2010, I had...
Today we traveled back to 1975 for a Rendezvous with The Hudson Brothers. This song didn't make it to high on the charts, but Kitty enjoyed it. Her favorite brother was Brett. She also loved their television show. We've included a skit from...
I'm not sure why Pete Yorn decided to name his new music project after a European cave dwelling aquatic salamander, but if he stops by to play us some songs in Studio M, we'll have to ask him.
The Olms is a collaboration between Pete Yorn and...
Today's song was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. It was inspired by the 1957 novel Doctor Zhivago. No one was inspired by the song this morning. It was rejected by almost all the listeners.
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
