Can the young dudes appreciate Les Paul?

[Unseen]

Okay, so he invented the OTHER kind of guitar, but in many ways he is more important to rock than Leo Fender. While both invented a major type of guitar, Les pioneered recording techniques as well, especially multi-tracking and playing with pitch by altering the speed of recordings. In many ways, he's the father of effects as well.

Example of a song he did with his wife and partner/singer, Mary Ford:

This one is Waiting For The Sunrise. Note how crystal clear and vibratoless Mary Ford's voice is and consider how important that is for the multitracking of her singing. Imagine what a mess it would be for her to sing multiple vocal parts overlayed on top of each other if each one had a vibrato. Likewise, his playing was similarly free of expression.

[Gareth John]

I appreciate it, it's fantastic and genius. Amazing talent.

[Dean Gray]

Man, I don't know that I qualify as a "young dude", but I love Les Pauls' playing, arrangements and production.

Anyone that records or multi-tracks anything today owes him a debt of gratitude.

The Les Paul and Mary Ford arrangement of How High the Moon still sounds fantastic to this day!

[Telemarkman]

I'm certainly not young - not even a "dude" - but I was young when I first heard Les Paul & Mary Ford in the 50's, and I consider him one of the greatest guitar geniuses of all time. A true pioneer!

[Telenator]

Great playing. I have the same guitar! A 1955 Les Paul Custom and thank goodness mine is sans Bigsby.

I tell my band mates all the time to not use vibrato in vocal or guitar harmonies. Nothing will ruin a good harmony faster than vibrato!

[Big John]

They might not now but give 'em a few years playing and then ask them again !

As a kid i never saw the appeal of Les Paul, Chet Atkins or any of the already accepted genii but sure enough, ---- i got older and got some sense.

[Mojohand40]

Funny you should post this!
I'm listening to Les Paul right now!

I've always been a big fan of early Les Paul and Mary Ford.
I recently scored a collection of Les Paul radio apperences in MP3 on CD from OTRCAT.COM. It's like 14 hours of Old time radio spots featuring Les, along with a bunch of his and Marys' radio shows.

Some of the shows are kinda' corny, but fun to listen too.
I think Les's early stuff was his absolute best.

Another great collection is "Les Paul: The Legend and the Legacy" it's a 4 cd set.
I also have:"Rhubarb Red And His Rubes - Les Paul's Country Roots". Intersting VERY EARLY Les Paul.

also I reccomend:"The Legendary Fred Waring Broadcasts" more Les Paul Radio spots.

If anyone here is intersted in Vintage country: Like "Light Crust Doughboys", "Eddie Arnold", or just early Grand Old Opry, you MUST check out
OTRCAT.COM!!!

[pseudocat]

I first heard Les when I was 15, and I about fell off my chair. I had been listening to Charlie Christian and Django quite a bit (thanks, Dad), so I was well-primed for it.

If you haven't seen the documentary "Les Paul: Chasing Sound", check it out. Great film; even my non-guitar-playing, totally-musically-clueless ex loved it.

[JimiBryant]

even as a teenager I could recognize true genius when I heard
Mr Lester Polfus..

he's one of the people, much like Louis Armstrong, who changed
how folks actually listen to the music.. he's an absolute legend!

[Flannel Pat]

You have no idea how much I appreciate Les Paul. I have everything that he ever recorded that I could possibly get my hands on. He's in my top five, for sure. Anybody who never checked out the Les Paul Trio, they have three or four recordings out. Also, if you can be put through the trouble of locating it, the Les Paul Trio with Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians is one of the coolest (bootleg) recordings I've ever heard. I have to go to work about five minutes ago, but I'll edit a bunch more rambling and crap into this post later.

[neocaster]

Young people are recording at home more than ever. Protools, Cakewalk, Garage Band, Audacity... You name it. I know a 15 year old that produces amazing stuff. He couldn't care less for Les' music, but knows what the man brought to the table.

[lunchbox]

Me and a friend used to go see Les Paul at Fat Tuesday's in New York in the early 90's as often as we could he used to do a weekly stint for years. I was 21 or so. I had no clue of what he really was before that BUT after that I learned everything I could about the man. So I believe the young fellers could become converts!!!

[purpletele]

I discovered the "Chester and Lester" album when I was a teenager. This was the early 90's so I think there's still hope. One nice thing about teens is they're always trying to discover something new that none of their friends know about. Or maybe their parents are late 60' to present rock freaks. What better way for a kid to rebel against their parents than to listen to the stuff their own parents were rebelling against. Les Paul (and many of the other greats) aren't that far off the beaten path. It shouldn't be that many degrees separation from an artist they like. Heck, the guy's name IS on half the guitars at guitar center.

[chet]

I'm thinking of selling my Les Paul and buying three Strats with the money.

[FirstBassman]

Video removed.


But on the topic - Lester Polsfuss (real name) is a king.

[Telehackster]

That's odd: the video worked for me.

I agree with John; if younger players can't appreciate Les Paul now, they should be able to in a few years. If not, they're probably not listening with an open mind or open ears.

I interviewed Mr. Paul briefly when I was in college (artcile for the student paper)--very friendly and very funny. That made me like him even more than I did already.

[TG]

The only thing stopping anyone of any age from appreciating quality musicianship is bias and snobbery. A few years back it seemed every young guitarist looked down their nose at any player who didn't play downtuned power chords (and who didn't sport a funny little monkey mustache and beard). Their notion of 'cool' blinded them.
Similar blinkers stop some forumites here from appreciating anything that falls into either 'shred' or 'SRV-style' categories. Same thing.

Les Paul was...and probably still is (I haven't heard him lately)...an amazing musician. And I won't add a 'IMO' on that one....it's too much a fact.

[XKnight]

Les Paul still plays at the Iridium in NYC every Monday night. All guitarists should see him at least once in their lifetime.

[stxrus]

in the record colelction i'm going to have shipped are several Les & Mary discs, plus some oth er stuff he was on.

grat stuff by a great player

steve

[Colt W. Knight]

Les Paul was a pioneer in music. I don't think any modern recordings would have come about without LPs ingenious multitracking.

[esteban]

Originally Posted by Dean R Gray

The Les Paul and Mary Ford arrangement of How High the Moon still sounds fantastic to this day!

+1.

[Mark Davis]

Leo was an inventor not a player.

Les Paul is an inventor and a player.

Without Les Pauls inventions we would have never heard a multi-tracked song.

Which basicly means no Les Paul no Beatles.

[dijos]

Les. Chet. Merle.
these 3 players really opened my eyes to what a guitar can do with enough practice. I'm 33. so not a kid, but not so old.

[Unseen]

And Mary Ford: what a perfect complement to Les!

[crawdad]

Story--When I was around 15, I learned "Jeff's Boogie" from a new Yardbirds LP. I thought Jeff Beck played some amazing and original stuff on that tune. Then, one Christmas, I was visiting relatives who had some Les Paul and Mary Ford records. The light went on and I realized that Beck got those licks from Les. And, I suppose that is an example of how the torch gets passed with guitarists even now.

Long live Les Paul! (but let me keep my Tele).

[Unseen]

I also just realized that some of the licks Les plays in Waiting For The Sunshine were picked up virtually note for note and used in The Ventures version of Caravan.