Bloodless Coup

Well, then, you will appreciate this (if you must forward, the bit you want starts at 2:06).

Yes, something like that. Although, if you just listen to the music, I think it is clear that they could have used even more. There is, clearly, room for improvement there.

room for improvement

Rehab?

Depends on the stack.

A '69 plexi Super Lead 100 with vintage Mullard tubes? Hell yeah.

A Mode Four? Not so much.

ps: Do you know I currently own, and have owned for awhile, an '80s-vintage Laney 50w tube half-stack that with the EQ set just so does a lovely vintage Marshall impression? I really need to get back into playing.

It really is too bad we all live nine hours away from each other.

[Muses wistfully about aging hipster garage bands...]

No, my argument takes into account the variation in Marshall Stacks over the years. I fully grant that there were some bad Marshall products, but even bad Marshall Stacks make bad music sound better (again, if the music deserves it).

I still have the Guild bass, and the GK combo. I'd still love to get one of those aluminum cone Guild/Hartke 4X10 cabinets. What's intersting these days is that as I age, my musical tastes are broadening, and I'd play a whole bunch of different things pretty happily. Meaning, I'd be in a much wider variety of bands than I used to be willing to do. It is to bad we're that far apart. (although the US Naval War College in Newport, RI, is advertising for IR profs; however, they mostly want area studies people - Middle East and Asia.)

Well, I still have the two Strats and the Jazzmaster you probably remember and a *cough* 1985 Charvel Model 4 in black cherry metallic with a pointy headstock and a Kahler that I bought off eBay because, well, I needed it, damn it.

Oh, and a couple of small Fender amps, a milk crate full of now-"vintage" effects pedals, and the Laney.

And yes, between the Charvel and the Laney I'm all ready for the hair-metal revival that should be getting underway any minute now.

Oh, and to your core argument, I still disagree that all Marshall stacks make music sound better; I would even disagree that all tube Marshall stacks make music sound better. I could probably be sold on the idea that EITHER a good tube Marshall stack OR a good tweed-type Fender (think '59 Bassman) would make most anything sound better, though.

Damn, you have a Charvel now? Shit. (What pickup?)

It still has the factory Jackson pickups (HSS config) with the "active" battery-powered mid-boost. Total period piece. It needs a fret job and I probably ought to have the Kahler professionally set up, but it's a lot of fun (in an embarrassing George Lynch kind of way, admittedly).

Where is Lynch these days?

Are the kids showing any interest?

A has shown some interest. I gave him an old acoustic (a cheap Yamaha classical I picked up somewhere) to bang on, and he has done some messing around with that. He's currently fascinated by woodwinds, though -- bought himself a recorder, has been experimenting with D's mom's flute, etc. -- but I think he'll get back to guitar sooner or later.

I didn't expect him to be the musical kid but he's definitely got the bug.

Oh, and re that Darkness song, that's pretty much an epitome of the Marshall sound (JCM 800 variant) -- medium-heavy distortion, strong compression, and a pronounced upper-midrange emphasis, with a long finish. Tasty.

I think they have exactly the right amount. And wow, retro.

No, no no. Not "retro", you mean "rehab." The lead singer left the band to go into rehab. Besides, their second album sold, like, 37 copies because it was awful.

I should make a second law of music: just about every band has one decent song in them somewhere (and it usually appears on their first album).

The reason first albums, like first novels, are often really good is because the creative person/people have had ALL THEIR LIVES to come up with the material. The reason second novels and albums often suck is because "ALL THEIR LIVES" and "1-2 years while distracted by the mixed blessings of sudden success" are not equivalent.

Yeah, that's about my take (though mine was pithier).

As a related issue, I'm always annoyed when bands get dropped from their label (mostly majors) after their second album crashes. As you say, with the distractions of the first, the second is usually bad; however, once they master those distractions, they can sometimes write some decent stuff (third album and beyond). Labels should really help them through, not drop them. But hey, that's capitalism.

Or not. One might consider it the equivalent of the bond market versus day trading.