# More like Robert Cray?



## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

Recently, I've been trying to expand my musical horizons a bit, listening to some guitarists that are somewhat outside of the typical metal and heavy rock I've been listening to pretty much all my life. 

First I dragged out my old Steely Dan LP's; there's some really amazing guitar work on those. The solo in Rikki Don't Lose That Number is just brilliant. Ditto for Pretzel Logic. And the sax work on Aja is just inspiring. It's great to hear Michael McDonald singing in the background too.

Next I found a Robert Cray collection. I knew who the guy was, obviously, but I don't think I've ever listened to him for more than a couple of minutes. Wow, what a nice tone on the solos. I've got a lot to learn before I can cop those licks. Really, really nice.

Now I'm wondering where to turn next.

Any thoughts?


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

hmmm gary moore? early chicago? 

ol' alan holdsworth has a trick or two up his sleeve

my personal favourite right now is david grissom


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Freddie King, Robben Ford, Colin James, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Gov't Mule.

I also love The Tragically Hip.


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

The West coast country/folk rock scene: Neil Young, Steve Stills, Chris Hillman...... the Eagles....Jackson Browne..... J.J.Cale.... Nils Lofgren....for starters?


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW53fiwyskA


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Robert Cray and Keb mo' 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og3m4NOl6BY

Lucky Peterson 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHnBtJgKc_g


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

Thanks guys, keep 'em coming!

Robben Ford looks really interesting. Keb Mo is great. Lucky Peterson is good too.

I stumbled across Ronnie Earl by accident. Wow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4mKC7AJyj8


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Don't forget Ry 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxGpmp6URuk&feature=related


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## Lester B. Flat (Feb 21, 2006)

Duke Robillard


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I'll 2nd the early Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green. Also, the John Mayalls Bluesbreakers CD with Eric Clapton - mind blowing guitar on that one.

If you like Robben Ford, a fun activity is to go to theGearPage and ask what gear you need to get his tone. Pretty much guarantees a 20 page "argument" on whether its the gear, or its the fingers.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

If you want more like Robert Cray (I love his guitar playing but get so sick of his lyrics...did that guy never have a relationship with a woman that didn't sleep with his best friend/brother/band/dog/neighborhood?), you owe it to yourself to go back and listen to the guys he copped those licks from:
Freddie King is awesome, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins (go get the Collins Cray Copeland Showdown album. I think it's a soundtrack or something: Albert Collins, Robert Cray, & Johnny Copeland), BB King of course, Robert Johnson, Albert King, I love Paul Kossoff so try some Free, John Lee Hooker. Try to find some early Fleetwood Mac--Peter Green was a tasty player, still is but he's very different now. The first John Mayall album has an obscure young guitarist on it...whose name I can't...quite...remember... ;-)
Oh and Rory Gallager for amazing crossover blues/rock. Gary Moore in his blues phase (if you're a metaller you could do worse than listen to the whole GM catalogue...minus some of the dross from the 80s: start with Thin Lizzy's Roisin Dubh). 
You could go back even further and try Lightnin Slim, Elmore James, Hubert Sumlin, Memphis Slim, Lighnin Hopkins...
I'm presuming you've already heard SRV...
You'd probably also like the guitar playing on Muddy Waters' records too.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Check out the 2007 Crossroads DVD. It has a diverse group of guitar players. It will also give you a glimpse of guitar players you might not have heard before.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

As much as I have tried to like Clapton, somehow he just doesn't do it for me. White Room is good, so is Crossroads. Strange Brew is interesting, but it's gets old really quick. I've owned that Bluesbreakers record since I was a teenager (bought it because Alex Lifeson mentioned it in an interview). I like "Steppin' Out" but that's about it. "Wonderful Tonight" is a lovely song. "Bell Bottom Blues" is nice too. But the rest of it? Meh. I think I like him better when he's doing other people's material.

Gary Moore is one of those guys that I can tell is a very proficient player, but I just don't "get it". Sort of like Steve Vai. The chops are amazing, but what they do with them just doesn't resonate with me. Don't know why.

Yeah, Cray's lyrics are a hoot. He's such a great player, but he really needs to team up with a lyricist. "I'm in a phone booth baby. Yeah..." ROFL!

Albert Collins freaks me out a bit - what's up with the capo? How does that work? I saw Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown doing the same thing. Albert Collins' phrasing is excellent, though. Really good stuff. Ditto for Albert King.

I've been working on Couldn't Stand the Weather a little bit lately. Geez, Stevie sure clobbers the strings when he plays. Love the guitar tone on that song.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Not sure if you've seen it but the Crossroads DVD is not all about EC. He played 3 songs all by himself, if I remember right. And in about 10 of the over 40 songs, he was playing with others, like Steve Winwood, Robbie Robertson, etc.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

Yeah, I'll check it out. Sorry, I wasn't directing my Clapton comments at you. I hadn't even read your post at that point.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

No problem. :food-smiley-004:


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Greg Ellis said:


> As much as I have tried to like Clapton, somehow he just doesn't do it for me.


He has his off-days for sure, and I'm not too partial to the overproduced thing he does now either, but I love that Bluesbreakers album and most of the Cream stuff too. 


Greg Ellis said:


> Gary Moore is one of those guys that I can tell is a very proficient player, but I just don't "get it".


Fair enough. I love GM though. Have you heard Blues for Greenie? Peter Green covers and some blues standards. I love that album...and the guitar he's playing on it too. 


Greg Ellis said:


> Albert Collins freaks me out a bit - what's up with the capo? How does that work?


I think he tunes to F#min too just to make things more interesting, and no I can't figure out a thing he's doing either. Love to listen though.

Really, go give Freddie King a try, he's awesome. There's some good stuff on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16AnGcB7MHA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdyvPg0c6bI


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

devnulljp said:


> I think he tunes to F#min too just to make things more interesting, and no I can't figure out a thing he's doing either. Love to listen though.
> 
> Really, go give Freddie King a try, he's awesome. There's some good stuff on youtube.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16AnGcB7MHA
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdyvPg0c6bI


Actually Albert Collins used to tune to Fmin.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Kenmac said:


> Actually Albert Collins used to tune to Fmin.


Close, I need to move the capo down a fret? :smile:


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Yfi9fKpm3yU

CT.


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

or....http://youtube.com/watch?v=M_BmYyHGE7s

CT.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

CocoTone said:


> or....http://youtube.com/watch?v=M_BmYyHGE7s
> 
> CT.


Wow, those two were great - where do you find out about this stuff?
I only heard about Sean Costello a couple of months ago on TGP, and before the damn CDs could get here he was dead.

That Matt Schofield clip was especially tasty - I think I might have seen mention of his name in passing but it registered as John Schofield?

Who else am I missing? I love Freddie King, and SC came as close to a second coming as I've ever heard.


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## CocoTone (Jan 22, 2006)

Curtis Salgado(that was the bad boy clip)used to be in the origional Cray band, but I don't know why they parted.

CT.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Some good suggestions so far!

Roy Buchanan
Rory Gallagher
Jeff Beck (from every era)
Danny Gatton
Joscho Stephan 
Pierre Bensusan
Tony Rice

Peace, Mooh.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

devnulljp said:


> That Matt Schofield clip was especially tasty


Yeah, I agree; thanks for that one.


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