Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I love the song "Long Time Gone" Bill, as I do many other CSN&Y songs.

It almost seems to me that I have played that song forever. I play the rhythm parts and bang out the simple but effective lead parts that are in the arrangement. It is a great song to sing and it seems to resonate well with anyone listening.

As far as hearing me play it...........If you are ever in BC wander on over to Vernon and I will be pleased to play it for you while we share a brew or a cuppa of your choice.

Failing that, Aitch will likely hear my version when he visits me in September so perhaps he will provide a commentary as part of his progress report of his sojourn.

I like the tune too but just have a hard time imagining it as an acoustic song-then again, those are usually the pieces that get me when I hear them. Some tunes too seem to just translate well to acoustic-the right song, the right person, just the right range, some of those musical intangibles thrown in. It's hard to predict. I posted a posting about The Strawbs a while back and last summer, I got to see them as an acoustic show, just three of them mostly playing acoustics (with an occasional electric, dulcimer, and banjo thrown in). Although they have lots of acoustic based tunes, most of their set was full out electric tunes re-arranged to accommodate this line-up. It was absolutely brilliant to hear the songs stripped down like that. I guess most tunes start out on an acoustic or piano or something equally spartan anyway.

I don't play acoustic guitar, or guitar for that matter, but if I did I would surely learn the Anthology version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. It is simply breathtaking, and I really don't know if I have heard a more gorgeous recording that was simply intended as a demo.

I remember going to a Rod Steward concert where he and his band did Maggie May" as an acoustic version. It was brilliant. The Eagles stripped down "Hotel California" also and created an amazing acoustic version of one of their monster hits. Perhaps the best acoustic revamps that I have ever heard. As you say it all depends on the artist.

My all time favourite has to be "Guinnevere."

Our taste in CS&N music is pretty much the same obviously.

To name just a few...
MOOD FOR A DAY - Steve Howe
COMFORTABLY NUMB - PF (esp. good on a 12-string)
SEE THE CHANGES - CSN
STEALING - Leo Kottke
EIGHT MILES HIGH - Leo Kottke
CRIPPLE CREEK - Leo Kottke
THE WATER IS WIDE - Ed Gerhard's version
OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY - Led Zep
...and my original instrumentals in several alternate & open tunings.

George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
CSYN's "Teach Your Children."
Most anything by Hank Williams Sr.
More recently, I've been working on some acoustic Delta Blues.

Andrew Messer: The Feb 03 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine has the transcript of the original acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as done on the "Anthology" CD.

I'm glad to see another person here who can play MFAD!

Jeff, I remember hearing someone play that at MARF (it must've been you), and I thought the same thing.

Yeah, it was me!