General Music Discussions - Boogie with Vs Living the blues

I've watched the Bio on DVD several times and found that interesting. I'm sure the book gets into more detail. I found Blind Owl to be an interesting character. Sleeping in bushes and the band having to dig through soil samples in his pockets to find an airline ticket. Strange, intelligent, and nerdy he was......he was a driving force of great originality to that band. He was the progressive side to the band as he mixed ethnic styles with his open guitar tunings and wild harmonica playing to be heard on the official studio recordings. Mike Bloomfield and John Lee Hooker thought he was the most original harp player in the world. I agree. There was something very strange and unique about his phrasing. Blind Owl was supposedly close to Janis Joplin who was a bit of a misfit herself. People in the past have often made fun of his geeky vocals and compared them to the style of Neil Young

. My theory is that he was emulating the vocal style of the old Blues women from the 1930's. If you listen to some of the old blues recordings during the Robert Johnson era (which were originally 78's),.....you will immediately hear the distinctive style and sound of Blind Al Wilson's vocals. I don't know if this observation was ever written in the C.H. book, but it is exacting. He also mixed in notes that seemed awkward in Blues. Notes that were part of his chord voicings and can be found generally in various styles of European folk music. He tried to color the Blues with a European influence which sounded in the end.....like progressive. His lyrics reminded me of Nick Drake's. In the song...."Change My Ways" which I believe he either wrote or adapted he sings......"I wanna love some woman"....better not love myself" which is simplistic communication in lyricism, yet represents something strange in vibe that I have never figured out. In the song he sings....."I went down to the ocean"....and sat down by the sea"...."But the waves and the water would not give me peace". In a way it reminds me of the more depressing Nick Drake lyrics. It has not much to do with getting down and doing the boogie....if you know what I mean? I put emphasis on this detailed aspect of the band's music because they have never been taken seriously. He was obviously singing about himself, but his impression was dark and mysterious. You could feel his personal illness crying out through all his bizzare lyrics......"Human Condition" was another song of his which represented that. He was just a killer monster harmonica player! no doubt.