Last night I saw the 50th anniversary salute to the Fender Stratocaster. It was filmed in 2004 at London’s Wembley Arena. Lots of my favorite guitar players play Strats – David Gilmour, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton. Jimi Hendrix played and destroyed many. George Harrison played one. His solo on “Nowhere Man” was done with a ’65 Strat. I own a Strat. So without knowing who all was going to be on this show [I know, it says so on the box, but this was on TV...], I decided to watch. The following is my stream-of-consciousness commentary on what I saw.
The first act – the Crickets. Yup, those Crickets of Buddy Holly fame. They’re accompanied by Albert Lee and Brian May. They’re playing a few of Buddy Holly’s hits. Good Stuff!
Next – Theresa Anderson. I have no idea who this is, but at least Albert Lee is her guitar player [at least for tonight…].
Hank Marvin – The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt – Sleepwalk - Apache! A very cool song. I see why guys like Peter Frampton and Jeff Beck cite this guy as a major influence.
Paul Carrack – huh? He’s a keyboard player. Plays four songs – his own “How Long,” the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” and Genesis’ “I Can’t Dance.” Mike Rutherford from Genesis on guitar. Yawn…
Gary Moore – Irish guitarist extraordinaire – usually plays a Gibson Les Paul, but switches to a Strat from time to time. He started out as a hard rocker, played with Thin Lizzy for awhile before he went solo. He switched to playing the blues in the 1990s. A very fast guitar player, sometimes he overplays. Too many notes, but after hearing Paul Carrack’s snoozer of a set, it’s more than welcome to generate some excitement. He plays one song – Hendrix’s “Red House.” Excellent choice – doesn’t disappoint.
Jaime Cullum – who is this guy, and why is he boring me with a keyboard rendition of Hendrix’s “Angel”? Apparently he didn't get the memo this was a guitar show. Mercifully it’s the only song he plays.
Amy Winehouse – she looked great for this show, way before the drugs kicked in. She played a beautiful Red Strat. Did I mention how great she looked? She sounded pretty good too. What happened, Amy? Her guitarist played a pretty metallic blue Strat. She played three songs. I couldn’t name a single one of them, but that didn’t matter.
Paul Rodgers – voice of Free and Bad Company. Sings three songs and plays his own black Strat. First song – “Muddy Water Blues.” Very nice. Then he’s joined by his son and daughter. They play one of her original songs. Then there’s Free’s “All Right Now.” He dedicates this to Free guitarist Paul Kossoff, who ironically was a Les Paul player. He’s accompanied by Brian May, who reverts back to his Red Special. Last song – Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough.” Joe Walsh joins with black Strat in hand. It’s always good to hear a great singer, but too many singalongs.
Joe Walsh – Starts with the James Gang’s “Funk #49,” then goes into “Life’s Been Good,” a song Joe once described as “an industrial love song.” Joe looks good, healthy and sober, and he’s playing great. Third song – “Life in the Fast Lane.” It’s kinda weird not hearing Don Henley’s whiney vocals, but that’s ok. Last up – “Rocky Mountain Way.” He’s really working the slide and the talk-box. Well done Joe – welcome back to the land of the living. So far this is the best set of the night.
Phil Manzanera – Roxy Music guitarist, David Gilmour’s newest musical partner in crime. He plays a very good instrumental, then introduces David Gilmour.
David Gilmour [NOW we’re talking…] – First song – “Marooned” from Pink Floyd’s “The Division Bell.” He owns a Strat with the serial number 0001. Probably not the first one ever made, but I’m sure it’s damn close – a collector’s item to be sure. Second song is another one from “The Division Bell” – “Coming Back to Life.” Third song is “Sorrow” from Pink Floyd’s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason.”
Ron Wood – he’s not playing a Strat, but this big acoustic guitar. He’s singing – he should stick to playing guitar.
Finale – everybody. The big finish with the Faces’ “Stay With Me.” The show’s over.
Ok, it wasn’t a bad show, but it had such promise.
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