It's actually a *real* thing. The difference doesn't exist with *fresh* 9V batteries, but alkalines and carbon-zinc age differently. I expect that the audible difference also doesn't exist unless one is comparing the two types with fuzz pedals that don't require gobs of current. Aging carbon-zinc batteries can provide a short burst of current, in response to an intermittent sudden demand, but tend to go "Just hold up a sec, and let me catch my breath". As I understand it, this largely stems from the internal resistance at the junction of the 6 "slugs" that make up the battery. When a high-gain pedal is only asking for a few milliamps of current, this limit on current-delivery tends to translate into a sort of compression, as the battery declares "I can give you THIS much current for THIS length of time, but after that you'll need to wait a bit." In contrast, alkalines tend to provide a steadier, even if lower, current supply when they get older. Pull one of each apart and you'll see that internally they are constructed entirely differently. I have a stash of ancient "Polapulse" batteries, taken from Polaroid camera film cartridges ( lateralscience.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-polapulse-battery.html ). Much like the insides of a carbon-zinc battery, they are made of thin sheets with a large boundary area between cells. They can provide something around 5-6V. Their design let them provide enough momentary current to power the flash on the camera, and the motor that pulled the film through and squeezed the little bulb of developing fluid onto the surface of the photo. Because the end-user was not going to be going click-click-click through the cartridge, the battery had some time to recover between button presses. Aging carbon-zinc batteries behave in an analogous fashion, although they deliver less instantaneous current. The bottom line is that the peculiarities of older carbon-zinc batteries lend themselves nicely to older germanium-transistor fuzzes. It IS, however, a *dynamic* thing, responding to pick attack with older fuzzes, and is *not* replicated by use of a robust power supply set for a lower voltage (e.g., 7Vdc). Having all-the-current-you-want-and-need-for-as-long-as-you-want-it is not what the aging carbon-zinc battery does. That doesn't mean use of robust and stable lower supply voltages (which many pedalboard supplies can do these days) is not musically valid, or might yield pleasing tones. But the assumptions that Johnson is jerking people around, or deluded, are unwarranted. One has to consider the context in which his preference for a red Ever-Ready Classic is relevant.
@@tezen6190 Confused by my post? Or questioning the validity or relevance? Johnson gets razzed by some for "the battery thing". I was just trying to clarify that it is *real* but confined to particular circumstances; something that tends to get lost much of the time.
I remember the first time I watched him it was on Austin City limits on PBS! I was 12 years old at the time now I'm 43. The guy is literally like a alien from another planet.
I must have about a half dozen of his albums and I have to say that the first 5:30 of this is probably the loveliest thing I've ever heard from him; better than anything on the albums. I could stand an entire album of it. Hell, a double album.
But you need to know luis Alberto spinetta, take a look from his 70's band collled "invisible" youre going to tripping balls, 100% recomended I hope my english was good
@@Alpysf I agree, i think i even saw a crowd of young boys foolin around in the corner. Maybe even drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and platform soles.
IMO, Ah Via Musicom is the greatest guitar album of all time. It's showcases Eric's love & mastery of many genres incl Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Eastern, World, Ethereal, etc. However, his undeniable and beautiful style is stamped on every note. His killer technique is only outweighed by his deep soul and unbelievable ear. Steve Vai once said that Eric is like a great landscape painter and his notes are like beautiful colors. I def agree with that. God Bless & Rock On!
Saw him right before lock down in Akron Ohio and he literally brought tears to my eyes I hadn't seen him since g3 in the early 90's ...his clean melodic structures are just beautiful i could have listened all night.
I wish I still played guitar. I used to be able to play this song well. It’s almost depressing to watch because this guy was such an inspiration to me at the time, but it’s uplifting to see him do what he does. Few humans can play with this type of passion. He’s unimaginably in the zone. In this dude’s fucking mind, nothing around him exists other than the sound he’s so heavily focused on producing. The audience is not a primary focus at all and it’s such a great thing. This man trips on his own music. I’ll be able to hear every note of this for the rest of my life. Such an amazing song.
I view this as two songs. The first, that everyone feels is the intro, is variations on a theme. (We’re probably hearing what Eric does when he’s alone, noodling on the guitar. Nice that he shares that with us) Then it blends into the “Cliffs of Dover”.
How many fabulous clean sounds can one man get on a Strat ?!? This is "Pure Gold " ! and I'm only 4 minutes into it ! I'll shut up and watch the rest now ... Love to be sitting in the audience here... Eric lives up to his name.. THE TONE KING ! Guitar Player Magazine 2005..
Yeah, I thought he entered the zone at about 9:25 and didn't look back (but smiled at his bandmates as they noticed too), and he soared higher. Everything about this was amazing I agree.
My mind just blowed up! That Koto Technique during the intro was amazing! Actually EVERYTHING about this video is amazing! Great camera work and audio too! Thanks for sharing this gem!
At 9:25 when he struck those notes that were sweeter in that spot than he'd done before and smiled at the bass player (sorry I forgot his name, and he stepped forward smiling and nodded in acknowledgement), it was obvious he knew it and was pleased with himself for improving on this masterpiece, which even in a small way is another accomplishment after all these years. It's so exciting to see a brilliant artistic genius at work and in the zone like this! And he continued to soar to new heights after that! This is nothing short of brilliant, how he can take something that was already perfect, repeat it note for note and improve on it. What are there, like a million notes in this song? Who does that? This is another award-winning performance!
I get goosebumps every single time I hear this song. That tone and the the muting he dose. Eric will go down as one of the best. He doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
May very well be the best. Morse, Vai, and Satch are wonderful however. There's a melodic nature to Eric that makes him stand apart. There are easily 50 players one might say are world's best but it really comes down to personal taste. Eric is as talented as they come. The debate always devolves into semantics. Johnson is as good as anyone on any given evening. Cleaner than most. A rare talent. Again, much comes down to preference. A search to find someone better than Eric could consume the rest of your years. Pretty damn close to perfection.
So damned classy. I wish he did more with his underrated voice and accessible song writing skills but I can’t fault anything he’s done and he seems to be playing with increased musicality and less excessive fire. Ageing like a fine wine. Listening to him makes me feel drunk anyway 🤷🏻♂️😂
Marty Friedman. For me he comes really close. I love his melodisism and technical prowess. But Eric has a calmer presence whereas Marty has a more assertive style. Two guys that stand out far and above the rest.
Live I was in awe, then he got on the piano, again in awe, then he did some singing, did not know his voice was that good. This person might be the best of the best...
Obviously this is a hard piece to play. It is very interesting look up old live performances and view them in chronological order. I've found a few before that landmark 1988 Austin City Limits performance where he was still clearly struggling to get all the bits in. The 1988 Austin City Limits performance is the gold standard for me. You see some after that where he was clearly trying new things. This 2020 performance is great. Very true to the original, which I'm sure he can play in his sleep by now, with some tasty extensions. The whole intro thing (wide triads all over the neck) is getting a bit too much for me. I still think the Austin City Limits intro is the best. Simplest in many ways, but most musical. Basically vamping what sounds Joni Mitchel's Both Sides now over a BOSS DD3 clip. There is another version all most as good which sounds to me like the Beatles "Get By With A Little Help From My Friends" still using that BOSS DD3 repeated pedal chord. But what I enjoy the most is Eric's constant search to make it great and make it fresh.
Both Eric and I were born in 1954 - at our age of 67, some days are better then others , takes me two hours to get my fingers moving around the fret board , Eric only takes probably 10 minutes and is 10 times better.
😶😶😶😏😌😌😌😌😌and this is how its done... I dont know how many of u are out there but if u you were lucky enough to hear your friends play this as your hanging out in your garage... it was fun😌
Eric johnson is a best guitarist.. Creative techniques, the best harmonic techniques.. Harmonic sounds.. Steve cai (effects King), satriani (melody king), malmsteen (legend classical),
Thats not the original one, the original one would be whatever arrangement he had when he wrote the song, as far as earlier versions available to the public you could count the ‘84 acl performance as the original one
Eric is without question my favorite guitar ever! The tonality is unmatched and he can shred or play blissfully slow if the arrangement calls for it. However, he seemed to be rushing his part for this performance. The supporting cast was playing at the correct tempo though! Oh well, no big deal from the best ever!!!
God do I love listening to Eric play. Your sound quality is awesome, compared to many of the other videos floating around. Please tell me you used something other than a phone? Either way, thanks for sharing!🤘🏻💕🤘🏻
@@calypso.9469 Perhaps not recently but the Grateful Dead had an entire section of the audience reserved for "tapers". Many used excellent mics and digital recorders. :-)
All these years and he's still got it
his jazzy phrasings/improv taste have only gotten better even if he doesn't shred quite as fast
When ye got it , ye don’t lose it
Because he practices everyday , unlike Yngwie Malmsteen who just eats Donuts lol
@Arthur Kay Same thing last 30 years , check out Steve Vai he plays with a broken hand ✋ lol and innovates new stuff
Just listened to one from 1988 before this. Yup, he does.
that clean tone ... pure heaven
Outstanding!! 😮
Love those "koto" tones he can get.
Listen to his Manhattan song. That clean tone is nothing else then breathtaking
Bless i would luv to visit him for awhile and have a good beer.
Super twangy, but not too much. Kinda hard to explain. It's a pretty warm, yet snappy sound.
Besides his tremendous skills in guitar, he has got amazing hair! For a 66 year old guy, damn that's great hair!
Yeah...this is true! Lol
Wow 66 yrs old... a senior citizen already!!
Aging like fine wine
his tone keeps his hair fresh
Truly gifted.
9 minutes in
Rest of the band: "Oh, it's our turn now? Cool."
Playing in Eric Johnson’s band is 70% ability to look cool in the shadows
The man who can tell the tonal difference of a Duracell battery vs another brand.
It's actually a *real* thing. The difference doesn't exist with *fresh* 9V batteries, but alkalines and carbon-zinc age differently.
I expect that the audible difference also doesn't exist unless one is comparing the two types with fuzz pedals that don't require gobs of current. Aging carbon-zinc batteries can provide a short burst of current, in response to an intermittent sudden demand, but tend to go "Just hold up a sec, and let me catch my breath". As I understand it, this largely stems from the internal resistance at the junction of the 6 "slugs" that make up the battery. When a high-gain pedal is only asking for a few milliamps of current, this limit on current-delivery tends to translate into a sort of compression, as the battery declares "I can give you THIS much current for THIS length of time, but after that you'll need to wait a bit." In contrast, alkalines tend to provide a steadier, even if lower, current supply when they get older.
Pull one of each apart and you'll see that internally they are constructed entirely differently. I have a stash of ancient "Polapulse" batteries, taken from Polaroid camera film cartridges ( lateralscience.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-polapulse-battery.html ). Much like the insides of a carbon-zinc battery, they are made of thin sheets with a large boundary area between cells. They can provide something around 5-6V. Their design let them provide enough momentary current to power the flash on the camera, and the motor that pulled the film through and squeezed the little bulb of developing fluid onto the surface of the photo. Because the end-user was not going to be going click-click-click through the cartridge, the battery had some time to recover between button presses. Aging carbon-zinc batteries behave in an analogous fashion, although they deliver less instantaneous current.
The bottom line is that the peculiarities of older carbon-zinc batteries lend themselves nicely to older germanium-transistor fuzzes. It IS, however, a *dynamic* thing, responding to pick attack with older fuzzes, and is *not* replicated by use of a robust power supply set for a lower voltage (e.g., 7Vdc). Having all-the-current-you-want-and-need-for-as-long-as-you-want-it is not what the aging carbon-zinc battery does.
That doesn't mean use of robust and stable lower supply voltages (which many pedalboard supplies can do these days) is not musically valid, or might yield pleasing tones. But the assumptions that Johnson is jerking people around, or deluded, are unwarranted. One has to consider the context in which his preference for a red Ever-Ready Classic is relevant.
@@markhammer643 What?
@@tezen6190 Confused by my post? Or questioning the validity or relevance? Johnson gets razzed by some for "the battery thing". I was just trying to clarify that it is *real* but confined to particular circumstances; something that tends to get lost much of the time.
@@tezen6190 Autism not even once
@@markhammer643 Yeah, I majored in electronic in college and your thesis makes sense.
When you sound like him, you can’t play like him.
When you play like him, you can’t sound like him.
That’s Eric Johnson’s guitar lesson right there.
amen
He's so lucky that one of the most fun things for him to play is what everybody wants to hear!
I remember the first time I watched him it was on Austin City limits on PBS! I was 12 years old at the time now I'm 43. The guy is literally like a alien from another planet.
Up until this I always thought that Austin show had the best intro section to Cliffs but this... just blew me away!!
Hey!!! we are the same age and I first saw him play this on Austin City Limits too!
Yes,,Joe satriani once surfed with him.
@@picmman Best comment!!👌👌
Austin City Limits is fantastic! They've hosted so many iconic sets and their sound technicians are A1 quality so they always sound good on recording.
Bro... he goes off for like 15 minutes straight, puree skill this man is a guitar legend
He's old. I saw him in '86. I'm happy seeing him now.
I must have about a half dozen of his albums and I have to say that the first 5:30 of this is probably the loveliest thing I've ever heard from him; better than anything on the albums. I could stand an entire album of it. Hell, a double album.
Ditto!
Facts
I think he knows more chords than anyone
HA! Yep! I've thought that for a long,long time!
But you need to know luis Alberto spinetta, take a look from his 70's band collled "invisible" youre going to tripping balls, 100% recomended
I hope my english was good
Do you mean to say that he’s “guitar George”? 🤪😂
@@Alpysf I agree, i think i even saw a crowd of young boys foolin around in the corner. Maybe even drunk and dressed in their best brown baggies and platform soles.
@@ryanhughes8653 👌😂
6:55 That lick is a holy shit lick for sure.
IMO, Ah Via Musicom is the greatest guitar album of all time. It's showcases Eric's love & mastery of many genres incl Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country, Eastern, World, Ethereal, etc. However, his undeniable and beautiful style is stamped on every note. His killer technique is only outweighed by his deep soul and unbelievable ear.
Steve Vai once said that Eric is like a great landscape painter and his notes are like beautiful colors. I def agree with that. God Bless & Rock On!
Saw him right before lock down in Akron Ohio and he literally brought tears to my eyes I hadn't seen him since g3 in the early 90's ...his clean melodic structures are just beautiful i could have listened all night.
Action, OH.
Some of his best playing...mind blowing creativity and technical finesse. At 66 this man is a legend! And he keeps getting better it seems.
The cleanest sound played on a guitar. Pure heaven! There is only one Eric Johnson!
That is the most beautiful classic Fender clean tone. Smooth as glass.
I could listen to Eric doing the intro to cliffs of Dover all day long what sonic soundscapes
I wish I still played guitar. I used to be able to play this song well. It’s almost depressing to watch because this guy was such an inspiration to me at the time, but it’s uplifting to see him do what he does. Few humans can play with this type of passion. He’s unimaginably in the zone. In this dude’s fucking mind, nothing around him exists other than the sound he’s so heavily focused on producing. The audience is not a primary focus at all and it’s such a great thing. This man trips on his own music. I’ll be able to hear every note of this for the rest of my life. Such an amazing song.
Pick it back up. Not too late
I view this as two songs. The first, that everyone feels is the intro, is variations on a theme. (We’re probably hearing what Eric does when he’s alone, noodling on the guitar. Nice that he shares that with us) Then it blends into the “Cliffs of Dover”.
How many fabulous clean sounds can one man get on a Strat ?!?
This is "Pure Gold " !
and I'm only 4 minutes into it ! I'll shut up and watch the rest now ...
Love to be sitting in the audience here...
Eric lives up to his name..
THE TONE KING !
Guitar Player Magazine
2005..
Amazing intro, soaring melancholic majestic boundless beauty. Bravo EJ ❤ 🌼
Now I know what Heaven sounds like
Very few musicians have it, and Eric most certainly does.
The pure joy coming off Erics face as he looks around is amazing
Yeah, I thought he entered the zone at about 9:25 and didn't look back (but smiled at his bandmates as they noticed too), and he soared higher. Everything about this was amazing I agree.
Sweet lord Eric, I could watch this all day every day!! You are so connected to the guitar!
My mind just blowed up! That Koto Technique during the intro was amazing! Actually EVERYTHING about this video is amazing! Great camera work and audio too! Thanks for sharing this gem!
Man!!! I wouldn’t think it was possible but Eric is better then he ever was! Amazing man!!! 🤘🎸🤘
So much emotion in his playing. No flamboyant bs. Beautiful. Not note for note. Why? Because he's always creating on the spot.
Thx! Cesar Trevino!!!! AND ERIC JOHNSON AND ALL!!!!
You know an artist great when you can close your eyes and the music takes you away..
Eric johnson always surprises and delights no matter how many times he plays that tune.
At 9:25 when he struck those notes that were sweeter in that spot than he'd done before and smiled at the bass player (sorry I forgot his name, and he stepped forward smiling and nodded in acknowledgement), it was obvious he knew it and was pleased with himself for improving on this masterpiece, which even in a small way is another accomplishment after all these years. It's so exciting to see a brilliant artistic genius at work and in the zone like this! And he continued to soar to new heights after that! This is nothing short of brilliant, how he can take something that was already perfect, repeat it note for note and improve on it. What are there, like a million notes in this song? Who does that? This is another award-winning performance!
this should be a bg music to a mineral water ads, cause it's
pure and clean
I get goosebumps every single time I hear this song. That tone and the the muting he dose. Eric will go down as one of the best. He doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
May very well be the best. Morse, Vai, and Satch are wonderful however. There's a melodic nature to Eric that makes him stand apart. There are easily 50 players one might say are world's best but it really comes down to personal taste. Eric is as talented as they come. The debate always devolves into semantics. Johnson is as good as anyone on any given evening. Cleaner than most. A rare talent. Again, much comes down to preference. A search to find someone better than Eric could consume the rest of your years. Pretty damn close to perfection.
So damned classy. I wish he did more with his underrated voice and accessible song writing skills but I can’t fault anything he’s done and he seems to be playing with increased musicality and less excessive fire. Ageing like a fine wine. Listening to him makes me feel drunk anyway 🤷🏻♂️😂
Marty Friedman.
For me he comes really close.
I love his melodisism and technical prowess. But Eric has a calmer presence whereas Marty has a more assertive style.
Two guys that stand out far and above the rest.
Very true 👍
"Morse, Vai, and Satch"? Umm, ever heard of Stevie Ray Vaughan? He and Eric are far better than those 3, IMO.
@@bigelile07 In terms of skill??? Not even close
I was there for my 16th birthday
Increible como al pasar los años cambia los arreglos y suenan hermosos siempre
Siento q es el mejor de la historia
that intro made me tear up . what sounds
Such a Master…we the few adoring him knows..!
All those cleans really got me!✌🎉🤘 he's really the maestro for me!
This is a very inspired performance, even by his standards. Thanks for the upload.
Audience: Eric, what key are you in?
Eric: Yes
Audience: What about the time signature?
Eric: No
Lol fr
Live I was in awe, then he got on the piano, again in awe, then he did some singing, did not know his voice was that good. This person might be the best of the best...
Man! The tones he gets are AMAZING, as is everything else he summons from that instrument.
I agree very clear no one like him ever! 💋
I’ve listened to this song my whole life, live and all kinds of versions, but wow! this take was absolutely on fire.
I love you Eric! -Benjamin
Eric is perfect
Obviously this is a hard piece to play. It is very interesting look up old live performances and view them in chronological order. I've found a few before that landmark 1988 Austin City Limits performance where he was still clearly struggling to get all the bits in. The 1988 Austin City Limits performance is the gold standard for me. You see some after that where he was clearly trying new things. This 2020 performance is great. Very true to the original, which I'm sure he can play in his sleep by now, with some tasty extensions. The whole intro thing (wide triads all over the neck) is getting a bit too much for me. I still think the Austin City Limits intro is the best. Simplest in many ways, but most musical. Basically vamping what sounds Joni Mitchel's Both Sides now over a BOSS DD3 clip. There is another version all most as good which sounds to me like the Beatles "Get By With A Little Help From My Friends" still using that BOSS DD3 repeated pedal chord. But what I enjoy the most is Eric's constant search to make it great and make it fresh.
I was going to say something similar. I think maybe things have got progressively over-extended over the years with this tune.
@@Grant_Ferstat While it may have gotten a bit overextended... it's still good listening :)
This version is great maybe not as smooth as the Austin version but that could be age, still great.
I don’t think anyone can play as clean as he did in that 88’ video in Austin.
dont think anybody asked mate
Lamentable que todos estos grandes músicos desaparecerán en estos años ..... :(
Like a fine wine, he just gets better with age!
Unreal, thank You Eric
Saw Eric 30 years ago at the famed/now defunct Bayou Club on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. He was awesome then, and is awesome now:)
Both Eric and I were born in 1954 - at our age of 67, some days are better then others , takes me two hours to get my fingers moving around the fret board , Eric only takes probably 10 minutes and is 10 times better.
This man has been possessed by Virginia! :) Such a class show!
Hairs stand up on my neck when he was playing the clean tones at the beginning he’s awesome 🤘
😶😶😶😏😌😌😌😌😌and this is how its done... I dont know how many of u are out there but if u you were lucky enough to hear your friends play this as your hanging out in your garage... it was fun😌
Eric johnson is a best guitarist.. Creative techniques, the best harmonic techniques.. Harmonic sounds.. Steve cai (effects King), satriani (melody king), malmsteen (legend classical),
By far this is the most beautiful version! Thanks man!
Una Leyenda viviente una Flama que haun no se a extiguido de la Tierra
He never plays that song exactly the same. Always improvising but never loses a beat.
Great electric solo which reminds me of Phil keaggy..Love EJ so humble as true geniuses are..
Absolutely astonishing!
saw em in st. chareles. illinois at the arcadia! jus. last year b4. the shut down... man i gota c.em and the band again.. .
Eric...just MAGIC...
Thank you for capturing this! What a treat!
8:51. Cliffs of Dover. Awesome!
Such a lovely aesthetic and dialect to his technique soooo fantastic! Thanks for posting
This is the greatest vid of cliffs I've seen. 9 min intro improv 😂 and then incredible riffs on the typical melody like at 9:25
Talk about still having IT.
One of a kind , Awesome 👏
The original one from Austin City Limits in 1988 is the best recording of this, I believe.
Thats my favorite live version as well. He is really reaching on that one...going for it..
I loved his tone and set up on that show.
Agreed The tone and energy is magical. It is a gem.
I think in part due to the jacket.
Thats not the original one, the original one would be whatever arrangement he had when he wrote the song, as far as earlier versions available to the public you could count the ‘84 acl performance as the original one
Yup, take a bow fellas, you sure earned it!
Jesus!!!!!!❤️ Amazing.
Beautiful guitarist!!
Simply amazing🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
THX!
Goosebumps
God, a cure for insomnia.
one later . since my last post below.. .jus. under this one!!! jus. great!!!! thx!!!!
Leo Fender is happy today!!
I love cliffs of dover
Eric is without question my favorite guitar ever! The tonality is unmatched and he can shred or play blissfully slow if the arrangement calls for it. However, he seemed to be rushing his part for this performance. The supporting cast was playing at the correct tempo though! Oh well, no big deal from the best ever!!!
He incorporated the Koto technique at 1:02.
What is thatttt??
The harp harmonics are really great too
That is so f***n clean , i dont need to wash my hand after this
THank you for sharing. Such an amazing experience to have been there.
hella high quality video - thank you!
just incredible
Amazing! 👏👍😎❤️
A god among men.
Thank you. That was divine, as always. Happy New Year! 🎶🎶🎶
God do I love listening to Eric play. Your sound quality is awesome, compared to many of the other videos floating around. Please tell me you used something other than a phone? Either way, thanks for sharing!🤘🏻💕🤘🏻
I think he's recording only using his phones because noone bringing recording equipment such as microphone etc to watch a live music xD
@@calypso.9469 Perhaps not recently but the Grateful Dead had an entire section of the audience reserved for "tapers". Many used excellent mics and digital recorders. :-)
Amazing technician, but I didn’t make it to the end, sounded like a warm-up 🥱
i love clean sound
Crazily beautiful fingers.
better than ever!!!!
I knew I heard a separate guitar in there. I didn't know Eric added a 4th member. Sounds good!
Even with a noisy 5-way switch he's still the best there ever was.
How the world has changed since this!