This is a very true statement, and I've learned it on my own journeys with turntables and LPs. The best Black Sabbath I ever heard was this 1976 NEMS Paranoid LP, with a Pressed in Holland sticker, and played on a cheap-ass Sanyo DD turntable. It had quartz lock, but everything else about it was cheap. The music was astonishing. It had this dark, heavy, swampy sound, but gritty textures, and guitars that just howled. It was a revelation, and I'm probably still on that journey, that trip.
how come Im the only guy who listens to robert johnson on good equipment and am happy that all the pops and scratches and unevenness have been preserved so lifelike........if bob had to die at 23 isn't it nice his work didnt?
here is a partial list for lester...all available at yard sales and hippie record stores when the prices hven't been run up by 'collectors', Magic Sam Earl Hooker John Lee Hooker Sun House Bukka White albert King BB King Freddie King Mississippie Fred Macdowell
lester, you self indulgent wuss, why not do what I do and save your vinyl for your turntable (and you can get a turntable,,,it;s called choice) you want to play like a suburban bitrch artist pretending self importance go buy an old guitar and an aold amp, but then you could't be self righteous...you have to choose for all tthose abba fans out there...u must have been a rock critic cuu you are not a music lover
It's stunning that anyone thinks Lester Bangs is some sort of authority on anything. He's a cute writer from a forgotten age... his compilations probably look great on a coffee table, but his opinions are no better than anyone else's. He was just a blogger before there were blogs. Critics are parasitic. And he was the ultimate critic/parasite. The Crown Prince of Pseudo-intellectuals.
@julioscissors I think that's an oversimplification. Lester loved rock 'n' roll; he was a fan; he served a purpose: without him, Peter Laughner would likely be even more obscure; he championed Robert Quine (who is still underrated). Although I haven't read a Lester piece in five years, he really seemed to put himself on the same tier as his readership, unlike Christgau (blah!). Agree with him or not, he was passionate and opened windows for a lot of kids hungry for the esoteric.
@julioscissors What a retarded comment. (And that's not an opinion, that's fact). Calling Lester a pseudo-intellectual? What a random thing to say. He never played the intellectual. In fact he was quite the opposite. He spoke from his gut, pure and simple. And that's what he felt Rock 'n' Roll should be about, not money or fame. He like rock to be stupid and real and stripped of pretense and he would attack the artists he thought were fake. (And did a pretty good job at it).
He probably would been even more angry about how kids today would buy just one song off of itunes instead of buying the whole album/cd, etc. I can just picture him going off on a tirade about how where music has taken us from going thru the album selection at a music store to just picking and choosing what songs you want to buy. Lester, we need you more than ever before!!!
@1zappa Personally, I think he would have been more pissed about the bands/record companies putting out shitty albums, because they can rely solely on the strength of a single.
This is a very true statement, and I've learned it on my own journeys with turntables and LPs. The best Black Sabbath I ever heard was this 1976 NEMS Paranoid LP, with a Pressed in Holland sticker, and played on a cheap-ass Sanyo DD turntable. It had quartz lock, but everything else about it was cheap. The music was astonishing. It had this dark, heavy, swampy sound, but gritty textures, and guitars that just howled. It was a revelation, and I'm probably still on that journey, that trip.
gamesDAMNED 6 months ago
how come Im the only guy who listens to robert johnson on good equipment and am happy that all the pops and scratches and unevenness have been preserved so lifelike........if bob had to die at 23 isn't it nice his work didnt?
here is a partial list for lester...all available at yard sales and hippie record stores when the prices hven't been run up by 'collectors', Magic Sam Earl Hooker John Lee Hooker Sun House Bukka White albert King BB King Freddie King Mississippie Fred Macdowell
jimneb 8 months ago
lester, you self indulgent wuss, why not do what I do and save your vinyl for your turntable (and you can get a turntable,,,it;s called choice) you want to play like a suburban bitrch artist pretending self importance go buy an old guitar and an aold amp, but then you could't be self righteous...you have to choose for all tthose abba fans out there...u must have been a rock critic cuu you are not a music lover
jimneb 8 months ago
This sounds like a manfesto for Jack Black
PutItAway101 11 months ago
you put this video with lester talking about cheap equipment on good records and put images from St Pepper, Yes or Supertramp????
prunepurple 1 year ago
He would have loved The White Stripes.
michael918273645 1 year ago
It's stunning that anyone thinks Lester Bangs is some sort of authority on anything. He's a cute writer from a forgotten age... his compilations probably look great on a coffee table, but his opinions are no better than anyone else's. He was just a blogger before there were blogs. Critics are parasitic. And he was the ultimate critic/parasite. The Crown Prince of Pseudo-intellectuals.
julioscissors 1 year ago
@julioscissors I think that's an oversimplification. Lester loved rock 'n' roll; he was a fan; he served a purpose: without him, Peter Laughner would likely be even more obscure; he championed Robert Quine (who is still underrated). Although I haven't read a Lester piece in five years, he really seemed to put himself on the same tier as his readership, unlike Christgau (blah!). Agree with him or not, he was passionate and opened windows for a lot of kids hungry for the esoteric.
markeesmith 1 year ago
@julioscissors Spoken like a true Nickelback fan.
daddyrollingstone 1 year ago 2
@julioscissors What a retarded comment. (And that's not an opinion, that's fact). Calling Lester a pseudo-intellectual? What a random thing to say. He never played the intellectual. In fact he was quite the opposite. He spoke from his gut, pure and simple. And that's what he felt Rock 'n' Roll should be about, not money or fame. He like rock to be stupid and real and stripped of pretense and he would attack the artists he thought were fake. (And did a pretty good job at it).
FuttBucker667 10 months ago
The man is spot on. Rock and roll isn't supposed to be clean, polished, or pristine.
DNDis4Suckas 1 year ago
wow, his thoughts correspond exactly with mines'
mozfonky 1 year ago
sounds like lester is inside a metal machine.fantastic footage though.thanks for putting it up!
cosmicrider287 1 year ago
Dobley? In doubly.
MontagTheMagician 2 years ago
PiL, Eno, Bo Diddly, you are one cool guy.
TheHeadOfDavid 2 years ago
Awesome interview!
I wonder what Les would make of the iPod...
JohnnyFriendly 2 years ago
He probably would been even more angry about how kids today would buy just one song off of itunes instead of buying the whole album/cd, etc. I can just picture him going off on a tirade about how where music has taken us from going thru the album selection at a music store to just picking and choosing what songs you want to buy. Lester, we need you more than ever before!!!
1zappa 2 years ago 8
@1zappa yeah i reckon you are right on the money there
edwardcollinsjnr 2 years ago
@1zappa oh hell ya, he would have bombed somebody
mozfonky 1 year ago
@1zappa Personally, I think he would have been more pissed about the bands/record companies putting out shitty albums, because they can rely solely on the strength of a single.
chrisjackson1 10 months ago
@1zappa Except that people bought singles all the time then.
So...yeah, probably not.
pavendar3313 2 months ago
every little piece of Lester we can get is much appreciated
GBStuff 2 years ago 9
Thank You For THIS!
todayisforme 2 years ago