GUITAR MAN

[bazmusicman]

Hi All,
I'm with Ken on this one, I think I've only played it once but then again I am stuck in the early sixties for that sound!!

Best regards,
Baz.

[dave robinson]

Bit of a typo there, Dave - 'Guitar Player' is one of my favourite albums! "A-Tall A-Tall Dark Stranger" is the stand-out track for me.

And Tracy - there's no doubting Hank's mastery of the guitar, but the 'Guitar Man' album is just not my cup of tea. As Dave says, "one man's meat...."

Ken

Sorry Ken, I have corrected it because as you say 'Guitar Player' is a great album.

[dave robinson]

I need to add that in all fairness, at the time of release it was reported somewhere that Hank wasn't allowed to choose all the material on 'Guitar Man', it was a record company requisite to include some current chart stuff, even though some were difficult to adapt as guitar instros.

[Gary Allen]

Did anyone let "youre beautiful" play for more than 10 seconds ??

[Stratpicker]

Did anyone let "youre beautiful" play for more than 10 seconds ??

Yes - but only once!! That and "Patience" are my least enjoyed tracks. BUT -in general the more I listen to the album , the more I am impressed with how Hank, Gary et al adapted sometimes inappropriate "songs" into decent guitar instros. Weirdly, I do, often thanks to the McGarricks BTs, enjoy actually playing these tracks. Makes such a nice change from Apache! LOL!
My appreciation of Hank and The Shadows (solo or combined) covers not only 1960 - 63 but the whole 50 years. I dont universally adore everything they have ever recorded. No one mentions the "Burns Years" where you could hear them play Shadows tunes that could have been played by just about anyone, such was the diversion from "that sound". Even Hanks early solo albums - I do think that his first solo album overall is horrid (now wears tin hat!). LIfe Story was turgid and despite the Jerry Lordan pen and its epitaph scenario, was NOT worthy of a Singles release.
cheers
ian

[Trayc]

No probs Ken with the typo,
I know what you mean with the album, I think it was the first album that he recorded fully on the TVS3 do you think it mellowed his guitar,to a sound
we wernt quite used to at that time ? thats me trying to be technical.
Trayc x

[Phil from Melbourne]

Funny how we all have different tastes. I found Guitar Man to be an excellent album and one that I play frequently. Conversely, I simply loathe Guitar Player (Apart from Windmills which was really from Marvin at the Movies; and E.Rigby) and regard A Tall-A Tall Stranger as one of the worst titles Hank has ever recorded. Stupid title to boot! So there you have it.

Best wishes to all.

[iefje]

The eponymous "Hank Marvin" horrid? I found it one of Hank´s best solo albums! Especially the Burns sound combined with more aggressive playing and the occasional use of the rotating (Leslie?) speaker. As much as I like the clean sound of The Shadows and Hank´s, I also very much like the early to mid 1970´s sound of The Shadows and Hank´s only solo album of the decade "The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate". I think in interviews of the time he has mentioned a possible follow-up. Well, how about one now? Not in 1970´s style of course, but a guitar orchestra album for the new decade, electric and acoustic? This time with more original material.

[Stratpicker]

The eponymous "Hank Marvin" horrid? I found it one of Hank´s best solo albums! Especially the Burns sound combined with more aggressive playing and the occasional use of the rotating (Leslie?) speaker - - - - how about.... a guitar orchestra album for the new decade, electric and acoustic? This time with more original material.

It would be a boring world if we all enjoyed the same thing. I think it was that Burns+over-use of Wah+ Leslie that put me off it.
However - that idea of an Orchestra + Hank would be an awesome Album !! I don't think it will ever happen now as Hank gets on with just enjoying his "freedom"and exploring his new styles but its nice to Wish. Maybe if Hank had full control of what he put on his album and not the dictat of the record company (which probably finished him off from a recording point of view) we would hear something quite special.
cheers
ian

[captainhaddock]

I love the first Hank Marvin solo LP. For me it stands up well even after 41 years. The idea that the legendary Hank Marvin is dictated to by the record company, I find difficult to believe. Wasn't one of the reasons behind the big split from EMI, the chance to exercise more control over the content of their albums, or was it just on commercial grounds?. In these days of downloading recordings, we can now just purchase the tracks we like, simple.