Quit picking on Tommy! in Pre War Blues Forum

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Quit picking on Tommy!

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Old Mike

Quit picking on Tommy!

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Posts: 400

Jan 14 06 10:23 PM

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I have recently been revisiting my Tommy McClennan stuff and I think I have let what I read colour my enjoyment of his music. I only ever listened to the one or two songs that I really liked and gave a pass on the rest. I had this notion that he was more enthusiasm than talent, but I find him more that competent as a bluesmen and enjoy all his songs.
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Taff

#1

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 4578

Jan 14 06 11:15 PM

I'm with you there Mike, I play his stuff often, I have the "Big Joe Williams and the Stars of Mississippi Blues" box set and Tommy is one of them

One of these mornings baby, an' it won't be long, I'm gonna catch the first thing smokin' and down the road I'm goin'

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Muddylives

#2

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 5139

Jan 15 06 8:25 AM

The complaint that is sometimes made about Tommy McClennan is not that he lacked talent (he had that in abundance), but that he often played messy and drunk. It doesn't bother me too much. I just feel it as part of the whole McClennan package.

Muddy

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Hawkeye

#3

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 7329

Jan 15 06 9:00 AM

... to be sure, Tommy McClennan was definitely the "Whiskey-Headed Man" ... but he had talent, too.

Hawkeye

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tanta07

#4

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 9133

Jan 17 06 3:52 PM

I love Tommy McClennan's stuff, his gruff singing style, especially. His voice kind of reminds me of Willie Brown's.

The Buzz Brothers Band

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outfidel

#5

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Posts: 371

Jan 17 06 4:29 PM

"Deep Blue Sea Blues" is a great song -- I love his singing on that one.

Support musicians in need -- join the Music Maker Relief Foundation

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Jack of Diamonds

#6

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 2558

Jan 17 06 4:52 PM

Reminds of this nugget from Guralnick's Robert Johnson book:

"What could be more appropriate to our sense of romantic mystery than an "emotionally disturbed" poet scarcely able to contain his "brooding sense of torment and despair"? Just as we imagined that Tommy McClennan was mad from the ferocity of his growl, that Blind Willie McTell was the unlikely reincarnation of a latter-day Flying Dutchman with his uncanny ability to turn up in the recording studio at least once in every decade, so Robert Johnson became the personification of the existential blues singer, unencumbered by corporeality or history, a fiercely incandescent spirit who had escaped the bonds of tradition by the sheer thrust of genius. Incredibly, all of this apostrophizing' was based solely on Charters's chapter and one recorded selection, "Preachin' Blues," on which Johnson sounded somewhat thin, constricted, and out of control".

"Lightnin' change when Lightnin' want to"

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MaskedMarvel

#7

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6919

Jan 17 06 10:48 PM

I like Tommy McClennan music and humour. I think he is uniq and original at that. It helps make his music so I feel a positive spirit comes from the music

All the above written is in my opinion unless it is someone else's opinion, or a fact.

Location: Zur Moshe, Israel

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The Blindman

#8

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 7079

Jan 18 06 2:14 PM

Tommy's "human frailties" are part and parcel of the man
and as such are also part of his music.
Take away the drinking problem and what you've got left is
not Tommy McClennan.
His life and hard times must have influenced and
contributed to his music.
Forget the stories and the labelling just enjoy the music.

Blindman

Aberdeen - Scotland

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Not even Forumer is Gonna Put Me Down!

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tanta07

#9

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 9133

Jan 18 06 2:53 PM

What stories are we talking about? I've heard that he was an alcoholic, and died in poverty, but that kind of stuff doesn't keep me from liking his music.

The Buzz Brothers Band

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The Blindman

#10

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 7079

Jan 18 06 2:59 PM

QUOTE (tanta07 @ Jan 18 2006, 02:53 PM)

I've heard that he was an alcoholic, and died in poverty, but that kind of stuff doesn't keep me from liking his music.

You've got it tanta, that's my attitude too.
Mind you with my past history it would be
two-faced or double standaeds to do otherwise.

Blindman

Aberdeen - Scotland

user posted image

Not even Forumer is Gonna Put Me Down!

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MaskedMarvel

#11

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6919

Jan 18 06 5:34 PM

There were talking about women beating though TM was probably a very small guy weighting not much more than 100lb standing about 5 ft so it doesn't make too much sense.

All the above written is in my opinion unless it is someone else's opinion, or a fact.

Location: Zur Moshe, Israel

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CornElvis

#12

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Posts: 290

Jan 19 06 11:35 PM

I like his stuff but not to long as he keeps on raising his voice, but that's the whiskey as well I guess.
He does do marvellous stuff on that guitar, but a bit sloppy, but hey: "he gots them blues", that's one thing for sure.

what you can hear is how he influenced Buddy Guy, or do I only hear that?

Well, within short notice, I tell them where I�ve been.
What they are missing and what they�ve never seen.
Try to sell myself no matter how to.
Even try tell them black men stole my blues.
But somehow, nobody ever heard of me.

Jackie D. Blues & Rock Band
MySpace
CornElvis.Com

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MaskedMarvel

#13

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 6919

Jan 21 06 2:56 PM

Elvis, Mclennan as an early shouter is interesting idea. I do think that guys like Little Richard were influenced by his singing.

All the above written is in my opinion unless it is someone else's opinion, or a fact.

Location: Zur Moshe, Israel

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CornElvis

#14

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Posts: 290

Jan 21 06 9:30 PM

QUOTE (MaskedMarvel @ Jan 21 2006, 04:56 PM)

Elvis, Mclennan as an early shouter is interesting idea. I do think that guys like Little Richard were influenced by his singing.

That can be true as well, but those guys never tell that to the reporters, so we never know, because my guess is that they would think: "Who the hell knows Tommy, so why should I tell, nobody wants to know!"

I can be wrong here, because as I know a lot of musicians try to push their influences to the public, so maybe it got never picked up or wasn't interesting enough for the media.

We are digging into these things because we like to know the background of things, but most people don't give a damn and only want to hear spicey stories about the star himself.

Well, within short notice, I tell them where I�ve been.
What they are missing and what they�ve never seen.
Try to sell myself no matter how to.
Even try tell them black men stole my blues.
But somehow, nobody ever heard of me.

Jackie D. Blues & Rock Band
MySpace
CornElvis.Com

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volvo slim

#15

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Deepest Blue

Posts: 1234

Jan 21 06 9:44 PM

I really enjoy McClennan - the whole package, including his attitude: this rather sloppy player calls himself a guitar king and keeps on nagging the poor bass player, telling him to play it right!

Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sverige (Sweden, Schweden, Suède, Suecia)

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