Roy Buchanan/Danny Gatton tones are irritating

Yeah, Jackal is on to it.

I like briefly listening to recordings by both guys, but I frankly am haunted that they never seemed to find what they were looking for. A man "in search of" will push way up against boundaries (too loud, maybe too much treble, maybe too much guitar altogether) that a satisfied player will have no need to jam up against so far. These two guys were not what I would call "happy" performers and that upsets me to a degree. By comparison I was so pleased for someone like B B King. That guy found a way to contentment, and it makes me happy to listen to those expressions of joy.

 

I had the pleasure of seeing Danny play hundreds of times (Roy just once). I saw him in practically every iteration, with Buddy Emmons in the Redneck Jazz stuff, with Evan John and the H Bombs, The Fatboys, with Robert Gordon, Joey DiFrancesco, Tom Principato - sitting in with the Nighthawks... almost all of it was just jaw dropping and fantastic. The Redneck Jazz show with Buddy Emmons was easily one of the best nights of music I've ever heard. There was never any issue with tone, he played a 3 HB les Paul, jazz boxes, and his teles. It was never just one thing. There were times (in the shows I saw in the late 80' early 90's) when there were a hundred guitar players (fanboys) standing near the front of the stage watching, and that kinda killed the vibe of the evening as it shifted the focus from the music to just watching him play. He was never a frontman, didn't write songs, and didn't sing. He sure could play.

 

@boris bubbanov This is kind of a deep post, and one of the most interesting things I have read on this thread. I think you nail it. I love Roy Buchanan, and listen to him a lot. A lot of the negative comments here mystify me. But I think I respond to that "pushing up against the boundaries" - for whatever reason, that really engages me. Whereas while I love BB, his playing never engages quite the way Roy does. That expression of joy is glorious, but does not pull me in the same way.

Your analysis is much more insightful than the usual "everyone has different taste". Thanks.

 

If you find Danny Gatton's tone irritating, you probably haven't listened to enough of him. I've been listening to his entire catalogue, most of it anyway, and he doesn't have just one single tone. Try listening to Funhouse, New York Stories, Cruising Duces, and the Humbler. All Danny, but not all the same tone.

 

Gotcha...

 

Agreed. He has a wide range of tones across his various songs.

Also interesting to me is that sometimes his ES-350 TDC bridge P-90 tone is *very close* to his Telecaster bridge pickup tone.

 

Indeed a Tele bridge pickup plugged straight into a dimed Vibrolux is not for the faint of heart. It may be helpful to pull your testicles out of your rectum before listening.

 

I wish I was able to see either of them live. But I always felt Roy was a little bright, but never uncomfortable. I am going to have to give some CDs another listen.

He was so brilliant of a player though that people would go see his band despite it being vocally driven pop songs. My dad did get to see him one time and he thought "How is this awkward guy not singing or even looking at the crowd going to be holding their attention"?

He thought the crowd was just being polite and clapping along between songs. He said at some point though after @ 45 minutes or so Roy takes a drink of his beer and holds it up like a toast to the crowd and the place went nuts; a several minute standing ovation where people were jumping up and down like they were testifying.

 

I lived about 5 miles from McDuffy's/Sunset Grill in the 70s and early 80s. Played darts, swilled beer, and saw a good bit of live music, but can't remember any of it now... You might've been there on one of those nights...

 

Funny how some of my music-playing comrades (as many of us play or sub in ' each other's bands') have great memories, playing the Sunset Grille over the years.

I only played there (as Sunset Grille)a few times.
( played @ JV's a lot in the '90's during same time), but I have memories of just 'OK gigs' - just sort of ignored. Maybe we were lame?! But such is gig life.

 

I saw Danny play once and always remember that show with him playing his Les Paul. I don't remember how many guitars he used. Is it really possible to get that "ice pick" tone with the Bardens? Did he record with the Bardens or "regular" Tele pickups?

 

Glad you got it!

 

In addition to horrible tone..... His songs are boring and forgettable. Nothing there for me, thanks.

 

I was a little young to have been hip to Danny at the time(grad HS in ‘86)...but I lived about a half mile from the sunset bar and grille. Went to St Michaels. Miss being a kid in late 70’s/early 80’s hanging out at Penguin feather records and tapes right near there. I did see the grandsons of the pioneers countless times and Bill kirchen later on. Re Danny... amazing player but too much going on at once for me. Like there’s too many styles/genre’s going on at once so while impressive to watch, becomes generic and soulless. Genius for sure just not my thing. I do like the Humbler I will say.

 

My brother was raving about Roy and I listened to the first few albums and wasn't exactly floored. It sounded like a standard-issue bar band with an unusual guitarist. Then I SAW Roy, around the time of the "Livestock" album, basically at the peak of his career and it was INCREDIBLE. His tone made much more sense in a setting with a B3 organ. He cut right through it. He would play himself way out on a limb and it was high drama watching him get back. The audience was literally moaning and writhing in our seats. As he built to a peak, people were unconsciously leaning forward on the edge of their seats and screaming. It was like a spell that Roy cast. I've never seen anything like that from any other guitarist and I've been to more than a few shows over the last 50 years.
Never saw Gatton except in videos but it was clear why his nickname was The Humbler. It was a sad end for both men, RIP.