Wastes of Talent: The 2003 George Benson Award Nominations

[BurtWorm]

I was listening to a light "jazz" station on my cab ride to work this morning and on came George Benson playing this most amazing run of bluesy notes, which, of course, quickly devolved into supermarket mush. And I was remembering when Benson first broke into the national scene. He was touted, justifiably, for being a genius and he was popping up in small combos everywhere, demonstrating a supreme understanding of jazz and blues guitar. Then he had a megahit with Leon Russell's "This Masquerade," which I thought was a really beautiful song and a well-deserved hit. But that was the end of George Benson as genius. It's been elevator music ever since.

Any nominations for similar wastes of talent, in any field of the arts or sciences?

[Kamika]

1. Mickey Rourke

He was a cool actor, great looking, and his career seemed to go great.

Then he quits to go pro boxing..

Didn't work out that great.

[jobycom]

2. Sylvester Stalone

Wrote Rocky, was an Oscar level writer, director and actor, then devolved into the Rambo and Rocky sequels. WHo remembers "Over the Top?"

[regularguy]

3. The George Benson Cookbook w/ Lonnie Smith

Wow. What a guitarist! A few years ago (ok quite a few)I saw him singing on TV and he wasn't even holding a guitar. Pratically brought me to tears.

[mmm]

4. You are right on about George Benson

take a look at guitarist Daryl Stuermer who went from
boy genius to sideman for hack Phil Collins.

5. Phil Collins

Peter Gabriel is great, but we have him to blame for Phil Collins beginning to sing. Phil shoulda stuck to drumming.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

12. Phil Collins had talent? When?

[Character Assassin]

15. He's quite a talented drummer and arranger.

All it takes is an open ear.

16. believe it or not

He was a great drummer.
He's even playing drums on some of Robert Fripp's solo stuff & Fripp never lets any slouches play with him.

[RandomKoolzip]

18. Phil Collins was a PHENOMINAL drummer....

Just an amazing ability, his own unique sound, very influential as a drummer (The cymbal-less style he pioneered on Peter Gabriel's third album still gets talked about in Drummer's mags),and a fine blue-eyed soul singer and I have to admit I have a weakness for some of Collins's early-eighties material, like "Misunderstanding,""Behind the Lines,""I Missed Again," and "Paperlate," I guess mostly because I loved those songs when I was really little, and they shaped some of my musical tastes...BUT!
BUT! The little troll can bite me for every piece of shit record he put out after that rare burst of songwriting ability, which has done nothing but obscure the quality of his early work. "Sue Sue Sudeo," my crotch, you officious little elf!

[Screaming Lord Byron]

19. Fair enough. I can't get over him saying he'd leave the UK if Labour won.

Did he?

[RandomKoolzip]

23. He did?!

Well, if he meant the Bliarized version of labour (neolabour?) then more power to him. If he meant traditional labour, then fuck him. A former working class brit like him oughta know better.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

26. oh no, he's a tory.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gallery/image/0,9353,-10804453210,00.html

[Screaming Lord Byron]

28. Quote from The Observer - July 22nd 2001

A few days ago, as Phil Collins, the man who once made boatloads of money with an actionably mawkish song about the homeless called 'Another Day In Paradise', then threatened to leave the country if we didn't vote Tory, was beginning to seethe at Chris Morris's latest trick, his nemesis was walking out of Oxford Circus Tube station into a blattering rain.

[RandomKoolzip]

29. In that case,

I hope he gets mauled by a radioactive wolverine. Do they have wolverines in England?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

30. I'm sure we could arrange one for Phil.

[Character Assassin]

31. Well, golly. I guess that pretty much cancels out his drumming ability.

Tory supporter Phil Collins set up a foundation aimed at helping young children to realise their dreams in starting careers in arts or sports.

And that makes him a real shitheel as well.

What a right bastard.

[RandomKoolzip]

32. No, it doesn't, but I can't in good conscience defend a tory...

Even if he does support some charities. He probably does that just to assuage his own guilt about voting conservative and to keep his name in the news. It's called the "Live Aid Syndrome."

Supposedly Roger Waters leans the same way. Ugh, why, Roger, why? After being such an eloquent anti-war/disarmament spokesman, why turn your back on your ideals?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

33. Funny, I'd heard Waters was pretty much a Communist

Anyone know the truth?

[Screaming Lord Byron]

34. Here's him dissing Bush at least

http://www.rogerwaters.org/politics.html

[Screaming Lord Byron]

35. Uh-oh. Here's him saying he'd vote Tory.

I think I'm going to cry now.
http://www.pink-floyd.org/artint/rw130500.htm

36. very sneaky

Is it just chance that the site this is on is endorsing Howard Dean?:)

[Screaming Lord Byron]

37. Hey I'm Canadian! I'm totally neutral.

Is it any significance my last name is Clark?

38. aha

Clark huh?
Must be some secret meaning here I'm missing.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

40. Yes! I am Wes Clark and I'm undermining the Dean campaign

by surreptitiously linking his name to idiot rock stars who are clueless about politics. And I would've got away with it if it weren't for you pesky kids!

[rog]

6. Live Benson

ON EDIT: added a link to a great detailed review.

I don't begrudge George making a great career for himself, but I wish he would release a few serious jazz sessions along the way. He did record Tenderly (with McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter, Al Foster, Louis Hayes, and Herlin Riley) several years ago. There's some GREAT guitar playing on there, and his voice is incredible on the standards. Check out "Stardust," and the (IMO) definitive version of "This Is All I Ask" ... one of my all time favorite tunes.

But these recordings are few and far between. If you want to hear what Benson is capable of, check out the two CD set of a live jam session from 1973. His solo on "Witchcraft" is arguably one of the all time greatest guitar solos ever recorded ... and listen to "Oleo" if you want to get your mind blown with awesome melodic sense at a breakneck tempo.

You can check out some (too short) excerpts online at CDnow: http://tinyurl.com/uf0q

The CD is out under about a zillion titles at varying prices, both as a twofer and as separate CDs ... "After Hours," "GB Live, The Early Years," etc., and it goes in and out of print. For example, there's only one copy left at CDnow.

I guess George shows up to sit in once in a while in small clubs ... and takes everyone to school ... but I wish he would record some more straight ahead stuff.

Here's a little review of the live thing:

Although George Benson was 30 years old when he recorded this date, he was still far from the commercial fortune and success that would come with albums such as Breezin', Weekend In L.A. and most of all Give Me The Night. He was nonetheless already a jazz artist with a gifted touch. This live session recorded on a Sunday afternoon at the New Jersey Club Casa Caribe in 1973, is probably his last jazz date until his comeback in 1989 with the Big Boss Band Album (featuring the ex-Count Basie Band). Benson's playing is in excellent form, delivering a stunning series of standards. The rhythm session here is also top quality, with pianist Mickey Tucker (previously with Sonny Stitt, Art Blakey and Junior Cook), bassist George Duvivier (who recorded with Bud Powell and Lester Young) and drummer Al Harewood, member of the former US3, trio of Horace Parlan and companion of Blue Note stars Grant Green, Stanley ... (Apparently this got truncated, but my guess is they were going to say 'Stanley Turrentine' ... but you get the idea.)

In depth review (i.e., specific tracks mentioned):
http://www.epinions.com/content_101542760068

Really, if you like SMOKIN' jazz guitar, this will kill you.

.rog.

[BurtWorm]

9. You've really fleshed out my reasons for naming this award after him.

:toast:

[RandomKoolzip]

7. Rod Stewart, The Stones, Bob Mould, Pere Ubu, Yes, Lou Reed.....

All of these acts have devolved into parodies of themselves after scaling McKinleyian heights. And the worst part is that they insist on dragging their sorry crow-footed asses into the marketplace with shitty comeback albums ev'ry goddamn year.

[BurtWorm]

8. Bob Mould, Pere Ubu, Lou Reed.....

Your judgment seems kind of harsh for these guys, who are still capable of putting out out-of-the-ordinary material, and whose past glories testify to the fact that they did not waste their talent. The Stones are wasted, anyway, but they put out enough in their career to make up for a drought now. (They should put the whole endeavor to bed though.) I never thought highly enough of Yes in the first place to be able to make a judgment about them one way or the other.

But I'll grant you that Rod Stewart is wasted talent. The very definition of wasted talent: someone who has a gift and uses it for ill rather than good.

[RandomKoolzip]

14. I could argue....

That Pere Ubu in particular should just pack it in, as they haven't put out a listenable record since 1980 (and I'm a HUGE pre-Anton Fier Ubu freeeeak!) and were sliding downhill fast after "New Picnic Time"....David Thomas should go back to writing on the printed page, he's an immensely talented critic.

As for Bob Mould, have you heard his last album? Don't.

Lou Reed. Oh, Lou....There've been a handful of good songs since "The Bells", But his voice has deteriorated to such a painful degree that listening to much of his output since the late seventies gives me an incredible headache. And listen to how dated the production of his 80's albums sounds now. All he's doing is tarnishing the legacy of the Velvet Underground.

Here's a few more I'd add to my list of artists who shoulda packed it in long before they did/will; flame away, human torches!

Half Japanese
Mark Eitzel
George Harrison
Burning Spear
Ruth Ruth
Jason Falkner
Liz Phair
Bob Seger
Wire

[BurtWorm]

20. No flames from me.

All is fair. My only point about those three is that they made Everest sized contributions in their heyday, so everything since is icing or crumbs. But your points are well taken. And your new list has a lot on it I agree with.

[RandomKoolzip]

25. Oh, and as far as Jazz is concerned....

I'd nominate Archie Shepp. Once a burning, demonic saxist, he got sloppy in the seventies and his chops departed him completely by 1984 or so.

17. rod

Ever heard that story about how a few years ago Rod asked Jeff Beck to tour with him but was only going to let him come out on stage every 10 minutes or so to play a solo (something like that)? Seems Rod thought that he was the bigger of the two. So Jeff told him to go to hell, that Rod had lost it if he seriously believed that.

[CShine]

10. You can add Rush to that list, Koolzip

[RandomKoolzip]

21. I don't think Rush qualifies, totally....

Because I believe they seemed to be the opposite of wasted talent: They didn't seem all that great early on, then steadily improved, album by album, then drastically rethought their sound circa 1986, then coasted on that sound, which was a lot blander than what they seemed headed towards circa Grace Under Pressure, for the rest of their career. Methinks they plateaued rather than nosedived (nosedove? SP?).

[Screaming Lord Byron]

11. Rod Stewart. Never has so much talent been wasted on so few good records

[mitchum]

13. you can also add Kris Kristofferson

[bif]

22. How about Earl Klugh?

And David Sanborn?

[Character Assassin]

39. Too true, too true

File Earl Klugh under 'Snoozefest for Strings'.

[bif]

24. Charlie Watts

What a total waste of talent. He a very good big band jazz drummer. I know he makes a ton of money with the Stones. But still...

[RandomKoolzip]

27. Wow, for me Charlie is the only reason I'd listen to the Stones today...

It sure wouldn't be the songwriting! I love his style, even now...