Blues Brothers - where they a mere parody or pure genius

[DanCa]

I have really gotten into the harmonica for about a year now. My old man got me a diatonic for me when my legs give out on me so that I ll have something to do and not be bored all day watching tv or sitting in my room and i love playing blues music, everything from catman scruthers to bo diddley to the blues brothers.
Any how the SNL post got me thinking do you consider Jake and Elwood to be a mere farce as in some circles or pure genius as in other . As for me I am down with the men in black all the way.

[anarch]

1. there is nothing "mere" about Jake and Elwood

Pure genius for sure!

[DanCa]

4. Oh agree but every so often you run into club purist that thumb thier

noses at them.

[Left_Winger]

2. Pure genius, 'nuff said

[CBGLuthier]

3. they were not a parody to me

Sure, the movie was goofy but they always had superior quality musicians backing them.

I think if someday told Dunn, Cropper, and Murphy they played parody blues they would be in a world of trouble. :-)

[DanCa]

6. Hmm howabout Bruce WIllis ? (nt)

[CBGLuthier]

11. Bruno?

Well, hmmmm, didn't listen enough to know.

I think if you have a genuine love for the music you should at least get the benefit of the doubt.

[Archae]

5. I remember seeing them the first time, on SNL.

I saw Dan and John, expecting a skit.

And was totally blown away, and became a fan for life.
They were terrific, to say the least.

From what I've read, the whole idea was from Dan Ackroyd, he loves Blues music, and having John sign on was pure genius.

Unfortuantely, they "jumped the shark" after John died.

[flvegan]

7. Pure genius.

How it all began:
http://www.bluesbrotherscentral.com/about.php

[gmoney]

13. Didn't it come out of the Kingbee "Killer Bees" song/sketch?

John and Dan in Killer Bee costumes with the band doing the old Slim Harpo tune "I'm a Kingbee baby" ...doesn't that predate the Blues Brothers proper?

[democracyindanger]

20. That, I think, is completely wrong

The Blues Brothers origins can be traced to Animal House, shot at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where Belushi met Curtis Salgado and Robert Cray (who appears in Animal House as a member of Otis Day and the Knights).

If you take out a magnifying glass and peer very carefully at the bottom line on the back of the first Blues Brothers album by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, you will notice, in infinitesimal print, the phrase "Dedicated to Curtis Salgado." It was decent of the Saturday Night Live guys to thank the then-unknown Robert Cray band's singer, harmonica player and co-frontman, considering that, in return for this modest mention, Belushi and Aykroyd got an act that grossed $32 million at the box office and an album that went platinum.

The crucial event was the historic 1977 meeting at the Eugene Hotel of Belushi and Salgado, who played harmonica and sang with Cray. Belushi was in Eugene to film Animal House (in which Cray wound up in a bit part as the bass player in the frat-house band Otis Day and the Knights). Salgado and Cray were there because the Eugene Hotel had a thing called Blue Mondays and it was Monday, and they needed the money.
...
In 1977, Belushi was under the influence of his own rather oafish taste in music, leaning toward the loud and the boorish. "He was listening to Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult at the time," says Salgado. "He was from Chicago, so he must have known something about blues, but he didn't know who the people were . . . I was the man whose act he took. Five of the songs on their first album were songs that I did. He did the songs just the way I did them. I used to wear dark shades just like the ones he later wore in his act. Of course, mine were prescription glasses. He wore his hair and moustache just like mine. He even did my between-song raps."

Cray confirms Salgado's story. "Curtis and Belushi just had this thing together. They were real tight." Several of Cray's friends from Eugene say that Belushi seemed a little intimidated by Salgado's wit, which could be just as fast and flamboyant as his own. And Belushi definitely needed Salgado's coaching to get the Blues Brothers going.
...
"He called me up one night from the East Coast and said, 'Lorne wants us to do the Blues Brothers live on the show tomorrow night. Would you give me that rap you do, all about how I'd walk a mile for a Camel?"' (Cray says the rap was originallv "Skillet Leroy burlesque stuff: 'Are you gonna be like a Camel and make me walk a mile-or like a Chesterfield and satisfy?' and all these lines about 'Do you want Regular or King Size?"')
...
http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~pringle/bluesbros/article.html

[HuskerDU]

24. Belushi was also into punk rock.

I remember seeing him with a Black Flag pin. Plus he was instrumental in getting Fear to play SNL in 81 or 82.

I think the Blues Brothers were pure genius. The played great stuff and had a tight band. (The MG's more or less?)

[billyskank]

8. The Blues Brothers is brilliant

although the only thing blues about them is their name. The actual band is closest (in terms of the music they played) to a soul band than anything else. But I can't think of anything from the original movie that is genuine blues, apart from the tiny snippet of John Lee Hooker.

I haven't seen the sequel.

The band are fantastic. This is at least half the reason why the film is as good as it is.

Being both British and only 29 years old, I have never seen the SNL skits that gave birth to it.

[DanCa]

9. Dont watch the sequel

It just as bad as blues brothers 2000 is just as bad as galactica 1980 and superman three.

[billyskank]

10. Gotcha

I won't. :)

[xmas74]

12. Excellent music.

I'm a fan of blues and soul(along w/ many other styles of music). I'd call them more soul but they were really good at what they did.
A friend from high school is now a blues musician. I saw him a few years ago at a class reunion. I asked him if he could recommend anything to listen to. After a long list of different artists he then stated that you can't go wrong w/ watching the Blues Brothers (first movie only). He says that they were a great service to the community by garnering interest from people who might not have been exposed to that sound before.

[Taverner]

14. The Blues Brothers were as good as their backup musicians

Which means they hired the entire crew from Booker T and the MG's to back them up, add Blues and Soul Legends in the movie (Aretha, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker...) and as a result the music was solid.

By themselves, Jake and Elwood were OK....but it was more the fact that they put "the band" together that made them good.

[Zuni]

17. not the entire band

it was just Steve cropper and Duck Dunn. Booker T Jones wasn't the organist and MG drummer Al jackson Jr. was dead

[billyskank]

18. The rest of the band was

Willie Hall on drums, Matt "Guitar" Murphy on er, guitar, Murphy Dunne on keyboards, Tom "Bones" Malone on trombone (natch), Lou Marini on sax and Alan Rubin (Mr Fabulous) on trumpet. I didn't miss anyone did I?

[Zuni]

19. I meant the band "Booker T and the MGs"

[billyskank]

23. I know

:)

[nickgutierrez]

15. Not parody, but tribute.

Parody is intended to deride, to mock. There is no such tone about the Blues Brothers - they have the greatest respect for Blues music, and communicate it through a light-hearted discussion of a rather serious issue, in much the same way some blues music does.

[Zuni]

16. I think the Blues Brothers rock

and they have a kick ass, super kick ass Blues/R and B band backing them up, particularly

Steve Cropper - House Guitarist for Stax records, and for the Stax House Band Booker T and the MGs. Backed up otis Redding (as well as co wrote some of Otis's best songs) and Wilson Pickett and many others. He is the original guitarist on many songs they covered, like Soul Man

Donald Duck Dunn - my all time favorite bassist. Same as Cropper, only not a songwriter.

Matt Guitar Murphy - Chicago Blues Hotshot guitarist. Played with most great Chicago Blues guys from Howlin' Wolf on down

[mcscajun]

21. The backup band was priceless. They Blues Brothers

Were part parody, part genius, all good. :)

The band was the core of the M.G.s (of Booker T and..."). Seriously talented stuff, there.

[Eagle_Eye]

22. Pure Genius! n/t