Mankey's sound has to be the Amp. It was a Matchless C30 with the six-position tone switch. I think he had a simple setup -- only two distortion pedals and little else.
Never heard someone cover it that good. Sounded even better to me when you played it with fingers instead of a pick. I think what I really love about the solo is how so much of the single note melodic stuff is accented with other notes from other strings. It just sounds so full and rich.
I saw Concrete Blonde at some point in the mid-to-late 90's. After about an hour of playing the drummer took a break and Johnette and James stayed on stage with two stools and one acoustic guitar. They did about 30 minutes of acoustic songs and then the drummer came back out and they played about another hour electric again. Incredible show. Johnette has an amazingly powerful voice and James was always a creative and interesting guitarist.
James Mankey is one of my influences. I found him over 30 years ago with Concrete Blonde. He is so full creative and underrated. So great to hear you cover this solo and talk about the man and the band.
Fantastic episode today Mike. All the Concrete Blonde albums are worth exploring from a song writer's perspective. Manke is one of those musicians that always plays what's right for the song. I was living in LA when this came out, trying to "make it" on The Strip with every other Hollywood Hair Farmer then, and I can tell you, this band got big respect from the metal heads. There is nothing pretentious about them. Thanks for covering this.
“Like a sad hallucination, when I opened up my eyes. The train had passed the station, and you were trapped inside. I never wonder where you went, I only wonder why.”
Scene Of Parfect Crime is my favorite Jim Mankey solo off of my favorite CB album Free. Mankey's solos always have that kind of weepiness feeling to them. Very fitting. Johnette has a bit of that gothic Joplin personality to her singing/songwriting. I saw this thumbnail and couldnt believe someone was gonna talk about Mankey. Such a great player. Saw them many a time and never a bad show. Kudos for the DD sticker on the guitar.
I saw concrete Blonde back in the late 00s-early 2010s. James tone was incredible live. He was playing JCM 800s biamped, and he had at least 3 chorus pedals. He was stacking choruses.
Great episode. My band has been covering Joey for a few years now, our singer does pretty well with it and usually gets a reaction from folks in the audience who haven't heard the song for a while. Sadly, the solo has always been beyond me - I fake my way through. You've given me motivation to up my game...
I’m eternally grateful for growing up smack dab in the middle of the MTV era (when it actually played music); it was a magical time. I remember staying up late to watch 120 Minutes. I found Faith No More, Nine Inch Nails, Sepultura, Soulfly, and Deftones watching that show.
I picked up this album on casette way back when, and I always thought James Mankey's playing was understated and quite beautiful. Thanks for spreading the word, more people to know about him and this great band!
I was introduced to Ministry though Headbangers Ball. Immediately went and bought Psalms 69. That being said, the Concrete Blonde version of Everybody Knows (Pump up the Volume, yo!) is still one of my favorite tunes.
Absolutely haunting vocal performance on their version. And Pump up the Volume is classic. It's where I first heard the song. Didn't even know it was a cover for the longest time.
Pump Up Yhe Volume was my intro to a LOT of stuff.... I was in middle school and what a perfect time to discover the album "Bloodletting" and also the pixies and Peter Murphy?! The entire thingnis just fantastic
A possible reason Johnette does the vocals so well on this song is personal experience. All three of them were constantly fighting with addictions to alcohol and other drugs. Its amazing they got as far as they did. Johnette still plays solo gigs, she goes on nationwide club-level tours every few years. Catch her if she comes your way, she really seems more comfortable on stage these days than when I saw her with Concrete Blonde a few times here in L.A. back in the days.
This song is an absolute piece of musical art. I remember seeing the video and just being blown away by the vocals, the haunting rhythm guitar and then that solo hits like a mack truck. I was a metal head at this time but this song is incredible still to this day. Currently trying to learn the solo with the help of my guitar teacher, there is a ton of stuff in that 15 seconds. Great take on the song and solo and thanks for posting
Thank you so much. This made my day. When I saw the thumbnail, I thought, "That kind of looks like James Mankey." then "omg it IS James Mankey!" James has such a unique and mysterious style. Beautifully greasy and slinky. He actually plays without a pick a lot. Here's a live performance where you can see his fingerpicking: th-cam.com/video/ILleWEWfM8s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rtiJlN5_iZmdFKvv Concrete Blonde hasn't left my personal top 3 favorite bands since I caught Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) on the radio when I was 12 in 1998. I was a little weirdo who loved The Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and the Banshees, so it caught my attention right away, lol. It was one of those moments where we had just gotten home, but I had to keep sitting there in the car to hear the whole song. Thank God the DJ said who it was after it played. I managed to find a copy of Bloodletting (it was hard to find anything remotely obscure in the music stores in my hometown back then). I was stoked. I had been playing guitar for a few years at that point, but shortly after getting ahold of that album Tomorrow, Wendy became the first song that I could play and sing at the same time. I have a bit of an odd voice for a dude, but my range happens to be close to Johnette's, not that I can hit all the high notes. That song is still a sing-along in my group of friends anytime it comes on, or someone starts to play it on guitar. The first band I was in that I took seriously didn't really play covers, but we started throwing Caroline on our set list. There were always a few people that would come up after the show and be like, "Man, what was that song?" Needless to say, Concrete Blonde wasn't very well known to kids in their late teens/early 20s in the mid-2000s. Later, we also covered Someday, Carry Me Away, and Everybody Knows (CB's cover of the Leonard Cohen song). I'm always super happy when CB gets some recognition. It's criminal that they don't get listed up there as one of the essential rock bands of the 80s and 90s. Interesting side story: I discovered Sparks by digging into James' career. He played bass in the band lineup for Sparks for their first two albums. His brother, Earle Mankey, played guitar on those albums as well and is listed as a founding member of Halfnelson, which later became Sparks. Earle also produced the self-titled debut album for Concrete Blonde. Thanks again, Mike. Always love the videos.
I love the song Joey to this day. I was around 13/14 when I first heard it. Johnette’s beautiful voice, the lyrics, the whole structure of the song is amazing. The solo is one of the greatest of all time.
You did a fantastic job with this, and I’ve been waiting a long time for someone to start decoding Jim’s playing. Be sure to checkout their entire catalog starting with the album Free.
I'm so glad you're giving Concrete Blonde some exposure. Johnette's voice is amazing, especially when she layers it. And you're spot on about the emotion. My favorite of theirs is Caroline. So much great stuff there: the layered guitar parts, Johnette's subtle but sweet vocal licks; and SO MUCH reverb on the vocals and guitar. It's absolutely cavernous and gorgeous! Mankey is so underrated it's a shame. His style is very unique. It's a good chunk of Hendrix, a bit of Van Halen, and a lot of personal expression. I saw them live a number of times and was always struck by how he played so differently than most guitarists. Check out the rhythm guitar tone on James Brown's It's a Man's World. It's mostly clean, but it has such a sweet sizzle to it. The solo on Run Run Run is like a master class on harnessing feedback. The solo on Scene of a Perfect Crime is as if the guitar is drunk and stumbling along. I don't know how else to put it. But it's just so weird, yet perfect. Mankey is kind of a freak, but in a great way.
The guy who was "Joey" was Marc Moreland. Marc is most known for being the guitarist for Wall of Voodoo also very underrated. If you get the chance hear him with The Skulls ripping on "On Target" and "Victims" from the what is it compilation
At the moment i'm not nostalgic. I just listened our live set and just said "this band just fucking rocks" and then realized i'm in it. From a fan to a member is such a blessed thing.
Thanks Mike. I’ve been enjoying your work. I really like your open attitude to music and all of its sources. Keep up the hard work, it is appreciated. - Eric
I met the band after a gig many moons ago, i could hardly talk. Johnette told me to take a breath honey. Just so down to earth and real. Shes an inspiration in music to me, and James is sooo undsrrated as a guitarist. They have a sound thats hard to pin down, its unique.
James is one of the greatest "sidemen" of all time IMHO. He like Keith Scott for Bryan Adams, elevates every song he plays on! To me, that is the best compliment you can pay a guitarist. His technique is great as well, but it's his attention to creating a mood and atmosphere with his parts that make him so valuable! This is a great example of his contributions.
I've never heard the song until just then. The solo (or your interpretation of it) is really good- it's one of those examples of the whole "less is more" idea. (Those octave harmonics are always cool too.)
LOL, you got me. Between the video title and the songs/videos you mentioned I thought for sure it was the Cult of Personality solo you were going to do.
James Mankey is a genius and Ive been banging that drum since the 90's. Thanks for talking about him. The solo for "The Sky is a poisonous Garden" is as good as it gets.
It's absolutely insane how much good music there is in the 80s and 90s. Over the course of my life I've been exposed to these two decades the most and I've done numerous deep dives into the various genres and new genres developed in these times and I had never heard of Concrete Blond. Maybe I have, but I most certainly haven't. A band called 'Til Tuesday just randomly spawned in my recommended and that is another band that I somehow missed and they were decently big as well.
The 15 second solo is a lost art. Players like James - great players with very much their own styles that didn't need 72 bars to make a statement. Elliot Easton jumps to mind as well. I was fortunate enough to see Concrete Blonde in Richmond, Va a couple of times in the 80s and had a beer with them- very cool people. I never noticed the harmonic tap in that song, but I was always listing and not watching for technique. Thanks for shedding light on their abilities, been a fan for decades!
I just call it the standard rock guitar bend cuz... it's in EVERYTHING. Never heard that band, the solo, or that guitarist. was hoping to hear the solo IN this vid but I couldn't find it anywhere except you playing it. Solos that rocked my world were Stranglehold, My Sharona, Eruption, Rocket Ride, Dixie Highway, Bohemian Rhapsody, Comfortably Numb, stuff like that. Shock Me on Alive II also. Just sounds loud af and two hand tapping before the first VH album!
I grew up in this era, graduated highschool in 94. I remember this song. I've heard this song a hundred times but don't remember every seeing this video. Literally this is the first time I've seen it. I always thought the solo sounded like it was out of phase.
Mike, when this came out, like you, I was also very much into Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, etc, but I listened to this whole album on loop a lot (well, flipping the cassette over was manual looping, I guess!). Love the album. The Leonard Cohen cover, Everybody Knows, is also brilliant. Thanks for covering this song, it brought me back!
@TheArtofGuitar 🤘🏻🔥congrats on 861k subscribers! Love the satch guitar, I spy a Donnie Frank sticker. I grew up watching various music video channels, repeats of Top of the Pops, Old Grey Whistle Test etc, those shows are so nostalgic for me too. I remember the first livestream you played the riff to Joey, I checked out the whole album right after that. Loved it. This is an awesome solo, it really is crazy how they can be so short, but sound so amazing. The first one I learned is only 30 seconds long, but it's perfect for the song it's in. Love that Nazareth song and White Lion one.
Funny how I suspected this video was about the "Joey" guitar solo just from the thumbnail! haven't heard in many years but first time I heard it I was struck by how unique and poignant is was. I don't remember many guitarists from that time that had that effect on me. CB was a really cool band. Thanks for doing this in-depth analysis of that haunting solo!
This has been one of my favorite songs since before I even really started playing guitar. The thing I don't hear you mention is the pickup setting. This solo - especially at the beginning - is a clear example of what is usually called quack tone, the 2nd or 4th settings on S-S-S Fender Strat. Those first few notes of the solo, all I can hear is that unmistakable quack.
James Mankey pulls off lots of cool playing. On Bloodletting alone, The Beast, Sky is a Poisonous Garden, Days and Days. Little Conversations and Sun are also beautiful examples of his playing. Thanks for mentioning this great band.
Thanks so much Mike! One of my top 10 albums of all time. Makes me wonder if you remember Savatage at all as well. Another sleeper band from the 80's and on, but this was a metal band that had some amazing guitar parts and soul's that I feel the rest of the world totally missed out on! If the name doesn't ring any bells, check out both Streets and Edge of Thorns. Both have absolutly wicked riffs. And some of the guitar work will make you bust out the satch guitar for sure.
The 'Ain't no second prize' ( by Jimmy Barnes ) guitar work is very similar too. I think Mal Eastick was the guitar player on that one. He was an Australian Blues player at that time.
Holy crap! I haven't heard this song in ages! Great call selecting this song/solo to dissect. I'm a hard rock/metal guy at heart, but at the end of the day, a great song is a great song.
I'll second everything you said about the song/band/solo. But, personally, the track Caroline is THE track on Bloodletting. For all the same reasons you said about Joey. What are your thoughts on it?
Thanks for featuring this song and this band. I love this song very much to this day. I hope you'll feature Lloyd Cole & The Commotions' "Jennifer She Said" guitar solo as well. It's a bit melancholic of a song as well.
Wonderfully done video, and I truly hope Johnette Napolitano and James Mankey get to hear your praise of them! Your playing and teaching style are both top notch! My only contribution from your footage of the live solo is that James does appear to be using a pinch harmonic with the flat of the thumb on top of the string while plucking upwards with his index finger. Same as the pinch harmonic with the pick, just mechanically separated by the thumb and finger in a “pinch.” Hope to see you keep making tutorials!
Bloodletting is in my top 10 albums of all time. It's a fantastic album. If I want to be transported back to the early 90s, I slap Concrete Blondes Bloodletting in my player..... I'm glad you showcased this one Mike.
They did a college tour of Remote Control. I got in as part of the stage production. My band mate got entered as a contestant, won there, and then went on the show on actual show on MTV and won the grand prize. He got a trip to Acapulco and some ancillary prizes. He sold me his Epiphone acoustic he won and I still have it to this day.
I remember seeing this on Much Music during the summer of 1990. I remember hearing the solo and thinking “woah!” and how short it was. I was in that same phase as yourself - listening to Satch, Vai, Kirk, Eddie or Reb and thinking THOSE were guitar solos. But I have to say that this solo was the beginning of my belief in that sometimes “less is more”. James is so underrated and under appreciated as a player. Who knew he played bass on the first two Sparks albums!
Ken Ober, not Keith Oberman. Sorry Ken. 🤣🤣 Thanks RHBMovie3887.
Without the pick reminds me of Jeff Beck. Nice job!
Yeah, Olberman, that was a nice slip up; plus I thought me and Kari were exclusive !!?? What a beauty !!
@@jimhutchins2893 I'm such a goober that I was like "Oh shit, really, he's dating Kari Wuhrer??"
Impressive typo 😀
Mankey's sound has to be the Amp. It was a Matchless C30 with the six-position tone switch. I think he had a simple setup -- only two distortion pedals and little else.
James Mankey is criminally underrated, just a fantastic guitar player and the perfect foil for Johnette.
Never heard someone cover it that good. Sounded even better to me when you played it with fingers instead of a pick. I think what I really love about the solo is how so much of the single note melodic stuff is accented with other notes from other strings. It just sounds so full and rich.
I saw Concrete Blonde at some point in the mid-to-late 90's. After about an hour of playing the drummer took a break and Johnette and James stayed on stage with two stools and one acoustic guitar. They did about 30 minutes of acoustic songs and then the drummer came back out and they played about another hour electric again. Incredible show. Johnette has an amazingly powerful voice and James was always a creative and interesting guitarist.
James Mankey is one of my influences. I found him over 30 years ago with Concrete Blonde. He is so full creative and underrated.
So great to hear you cover this solo and talk about the man and the band.
Do you remember when MTV started? There was absolutely no commercials, game or reality shows. Just music videos 24/7.
Yeah, but like, the SAME five music videos, over and over. Mostly Def Leppard and Duran Duran.
There were commercials from the start.
The beige cable box with clicky buttons!
They played Pat Benatar, John Cougar, and the Video Killed the Radio Star on repeat.
Still better than what’s on now.😂
I was pretty young then, born in 77, but I do remember loving the music videos on MTV
Dude. You brought so many bands & guitarists into this to compare & contrast. And White Lion. Seriously. Subscription earned. 🙌🏼
Wow, finally hearing a guitarist praising this band and guitarist. Yeah! Still one of my favorite albums.
When the pre chorus kicks in the power in her voice really shows.
Fantastic episode today Mike. All the Concrete Blonde albums are worth exploring from a song writer's perspective. Manke is one of those musicians that always plays what's right for the song. I was living in LA when this came out, trying to "make it" on The Strip with every other Hollywood Hair Farmer then, and I can tell you, this band got big respect from the metal heads. There is nothing pretentious about them. Thanks for covering this.
From the same album, there is a BEAUTIFUL song called "Caroline," that also features an equally
gorgeous solo.
“Like a sad hallucination, when I opened up my eyes. The train had passed the station, and you were trapped inside. I never wonder where you went, I only wonder why.”
@@attentiondeficitsquirrel7660I wonder why….oh Caroline
Scene Of Parfect Crime is my favorite Jim Mankey solo off of my favorite CB album Free. Mankey's solos always have that kind of weepiness feeling to them. Very fitting. Johnette has a bit of that gothic Joplin personality to her singing/songwriting.
I saw this thumbnail and couldnt believe someone was gonna talk about Mankey. Such a great player. Saw them many a time and never a bad show.
Kudos for the DD sticker on the guitar.
Yea was going to say the same. My fav solo on that album.
Definitely a favorite. Powerful song for sure.
I saw concrete Blonde back in the late 00s-early 2010s.
James tone was incredible live. He was playing JCM 800s biamped, and he had at least 3 chorus pedals.
He was stacking choruses.
One of the best vocal performances of all time! Yes. And a killer guitar solo.
And no pick is key.
A hauntingly beautiful solo well deserving of the recognition you gave it. Outstanding job Mike.
This is amazing! I've long said that James is the most underrated player of the 90s. NO ONE knows him these days.
Great episode. My band has been covering Joey for a few years now, our singer does pretty well with it and usually gets a reaction from folks in the audience who haven't heard the song for a while. Sadly, the solo has always been beyond me - I fake my way through. You've given me motivation to up my game...
I’m eternally grateful for growing up smack dab in the middle of the MTV era (when it actually played music); it was a magical time. I remember staying up late to watch 120 Minutes. I found Faith No More, Nine Inch Nails, Sepultura, Soulfly, and Deftones watching that show.
I picked up this album on casette way back when, and I always thought James Mankey's playing was understated and quite beautiful. Thanks for spreading the word, more people to know about him and this great band!
That upwards strum at the end of the solo is sweet. A short small moment that is almost easy to miss.
Bloodletting, the album that Joey is from, is a fantastic record from start to finish, and deserves a far bigger audience than it got at the time.
I was introduced to Ministry though Headbangers Ball. Immediately went and bought Psalms 69. That being said, the Concrete Blonde version of Everybody Knows (Pump up the Volume, yo!) is still one of my favorite tunes.
Absolutely haunting vocal performance on their version. And Pump up the Volume is classic. It's where I first heard the song. Didn't even know it was a cover for the longest time.
connect the god damn doooootttssss!!!!
Pump Up Yhe Volume was my intro to a LOT of stuff.... I was in middle school and what a perfect time to discover the album "Bloodletting" and also the pixies and Peter Murphy?! The entire thingnis just fantastic
Excellent analysis of James Mankey....
He has so many great solos. Awesome songwriting.
A possible reason Johnette does the vocals so well on this song is personal experience. All three of them were constantly fighting with addictions to alcohol and other drugs. Its amazing they got as far as they did. Johnette still plays solo gigs, she goes on nationwide club-level tours every few years. Catch her if she comes your way, she really seems more comfortable on stage these days than when I saw her with Concrete Blonde a few times here in L.A. back in the days.
This song is an absolute piece of musical art. I remember seeing the video and just being blown away by the vocals, the haunting rhythm guitar and then that solo hits like a mack truck. I was a metal head at this time but this song is incredible still to this day. Currently trying to learn the solo with the help of my guitar teacher, there is a ton of stuff in that 15 seconds. Great take on the song and solo and thanks for posting
That was a great solo. Also, quick correction… The host of Remote Control was the late Ken Ober, not Keith Olbermann
Oh crap. Thank you.
Keith Olbermann would probably be offended that someone didn't know who he was.
Poor Ken, I would come back and haunt you for a decade if you called be keith olbermann.
And he was under Ober and Ober was under Dunn. Never forget Macho Grande.
@@BigJoker Isnt he doing a show from his mom's basement now?
Thank you so much. This made my day. When I saw the thumbnail, I thought, "That kind of looks like James Mankey." then "omg it IS James Mankey!" James has such a unique and mysterious style. Beautifully greasy and slinky. He actually plays without a pick a lot. Here's a live performance where you can see his fingerpicking: th-cam.com/video/ILleWEWfM8s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rtiJlN5_iZmdFKvv
Concrete Blonde hasn't left my personal top 3 favorite bands since I caught Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) on the radio when I was 12 in 1998. I was a little weirdo who loved The Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and the Banshees, so it caught my attention right away, lol. It was one of those moments where we had just gotten home, but I had to keep sitting there in the car to hear the whole song. Thank God the DJ said who it was after it played. I managed to find a copy of Bloodletting (it was hard to find anything remotely obscure in the music stores in my hometown back then). I was stoked. I had been playing guitar for a few years at that point, but shortly after getting ahold of that album Tomorrow, Wendy became the first song that I could play and sing at the same time. I have a bit of an odd voice for a dude, but my range happens to be close to Johnette's, not that I can hit all the high notes. That song is still a sing-along in my group of friends anytime it comes on, or someone starts to play it on guitar. The first band I was in that I took seriously didn't really play covers, but we started throwing Caroline on our set list. There were always a few people that would come up after the show and be like, "Man, what was that song?" Needless to say, Concrete Blonde wasn't very well known to kids in their late teens/early 20s in the mid-2000s. Later, we also covered Someday, Carry Me Away, and Everybody Knows (CB's cover of the Leonard Cohen song). I'm always super happy when CB gets some recognition. It's criminal that they don't get listed up there as one of the essential rock bands of the 80s and 90s. Interesting side story: I discovered Sparks by digging into James' career. He played bass in the band lineup for Sparks for their first two albums. His brother, Earle Mankey, played guitar on those albums as well and is listed as a founding member of Halfnelson, which later became Sparks. Earle also produced the self-titled debut album for Concrete Blonde. Thanks again, Mike. Always love the videos.
I love the song Joey to this day. I was around 13/14 when I first heard it. Johnette’s beautiful voice, the lyrics, the whole structure of the song is amazing. The solo is one of the greatest of all time.
You did a fantastic job with this, and I’ve been waiting a long time for someone to start decoding Jim’s playing. Be sure to checkout their entire catalog starting with the album Free.
Concrete Blonde are CRIMINALLY underrated.
They never wrote a bad song.
Thank you for breaking this down.
Yep. That band had all it takes. They should have gone all the way.
'God is a bullet' has an awesome guitar track as well. Tasty player. Never knew his name.
Concrete Blonde also did a fine job on the Leonard Cohen song "Everybody Knows" from the "Pump Up the Volume" movie soundtrack.
Every time I’ve heard this solo I always think “man, that is a fantastic solo and tone”. Really glad someone has given it some focus.
There is something about this solo that is pure magic - i can't put my finger on it but it's incredible.
I'm so glad you're giving Concrete Blonde some exposure. Johnette's voice is amazing, especially when she layers it. And you're spot on about the emotion. My favorite of theirs is Caroline. So much great stuff there: the layered guitar parts, Johnette's subtle but sweet vocal licks; and SO MUCH reverb on the vocals and guitar. It's absolutely cavernous and gorgeous!
Mankey is so underrated it's a shame. His style is very unique. It's a good chunk of Hendrix, a bit of Van Halen, and a lot of personal expression. I saw them live a number of times and was always struck by how he played so differently than most guitarists.
Check out the rhythm guitar tone on James Brown's It's a Man's World. It's mostly clean, but it has such a sweet sizzle to it. The solo on Run Run Run is like a master class on harnessing feedback. The solo on Scene of a Perfect Crime is as if the guitar is drunk and stumbling along. I don't know how else to put it. But it's just so weird, yet perfect. Mankey is kind of a freak, but in a great way.
Bloodletting is one of my all time favorite albums!
short and sweet, memorable and singable solo
The guy who was "Joey" was Marc Moreland. Marc is most known for being the guitarist for Wall of Voodoo also very underrated. If you get the chance hear him with The Skulls ripping on "On Target" and "Victims" from the what is it compilation
And, sadly, the alcoholism killed him at 44. Insidious disease.
Also track down a copy of Pretty & Twisted…. Truly Amazing. Johnette & Marc collaborating.
Your solo does it justice. Much justice. Wonderful to hear it in a well deserved spot light.
At the moment i'm not nostalgic. I just listened our live set and just said "this band just fucking rocks" and then realized i'm in it. From a fan to a member is such a blessed thing.
I remember when music television played music. A bygone time desperately missed
Thanks Mike. I’ve been enjoying your work. I really like your open attitude to music and all of its sources. Keep up the hard work, it is appreciated. - Eric
Spot on. A genius track. Johnette's vocals and the tasty guitar is pure perfection
I met the band after a gig many moons ago, i could hardly talk. Johnette told me to take a breath honey. Just so down to earth and real. Shes an inspiration in music to me, and James is sooo undsrrated as a guitarist. They have a sound thats hard to pin down, its unique.
The song had completely escaped my memory. Thanks for reuniting me with a great song.
I still have that same little Crate practice amp, ...my first amp, got it in the 90's at our small local music store.
James is one of the greatest "sidemen" of all time IMHO. He like Keith Scott for Bryan Adams, elevates every song he plays on! To me, that is the best compliment you can pay a guitarist. His technique is great as well, but it's his attention to creating a mood and atmosphere with his parts that make him so valuable! This is a great example of his contributions.
Saw Concrete Blonde in person several times back in the day. Great live. Still in Hollywood is another great song.
god is a bullet. but i probably replayed still in hollywood the most.
The first amp I ever bought was a Crate GX-30M which had a REAL spring reverb loaded. It would boing every time you bumped into it. Great times.
I've never heard the song until just then. The solo (or your interpretation of it) is really good- it's one of those examples of the whole "less is more" idea. (Those octave harmonics are always cool too.)
LOL, you got me. Between the video title and the songs/videos you mentioned I thought for sure it was the Cult of Personality solo you were going to do.
James Mankey is a genius and Ive been banging that drum since the 90's. Thanks for talking about him.
The solo for "The Sky is a poisonous Garden" is as good as it gets.
I agree one of the best solos I have heard it really compliments the vocals it shows u don't have to be fancy to have an iconic solo
Man, i remember that song. i haven't heard it years thanks for covering it...
I *_adore_* this solo. Pulls at your heart _so hard._
Sounded really great with no pick in my opinion. Damn you really are an incredible player.
Really cool video, thank you for bringing me back to this song from the past. Your playing is awesome!
It's absolutely insane how much good music there is in the 80s and 90s. Over the course of my life I've been exposed to these two decades the most and I've done numerous deep dives into the various genres and new genres developed in these times and I had never heard of Concrete Blond. Maybe I have, but I most certainly haven't. A band called 'Til Tuesday just randomly spawned in my recommended and that is another band that I somehow missed and they were decently big as well.
I loved this solo!
You definitely sound more expressive playing it with your fingers.
Awesome vid, Mike. This song has been a fixture on my playlist for as long as I can remember. Good to see it getting some love in 2024. 🤘🎸
The 15 second solo is a lost art. Players like James - great players with very much their own styles that didn't need 72 bars to make a statement. Elliot Easton jumps to mind as well. I was fortunate enough to see Concrete Blonde in Richmond, Va a couple of times in the 80s and had a beer with them- very cool people. I never noticed the harmonic tap in that song, but I was always listing and not watching for technique. Thanks for shedding light on their abilities, been a fan for decades!
I am old enough to have seen this song on MTV back in the day. Nice to see you get some love.
I just call it the standard rock guitar bend cuz... it's in EVERYTHING. Never heard that band, the solo, or that guitarist. was hoping to hear the solo IN this vid but I couldn't find it anywhere except you playing it. Solos that rocked my world were Stranglehold, My Sharona, Eruption, Rocket Ride, Dixie Highway, Bohemian Rhapsody, Comfortably Numb, stuff like that. Shock Me on Alive II also. Just sounds loud af and two hand tapping before the first VH album!
Your loss.
@@TheArtofGuitar Been doing quite well without it for 60 years so I don't count it a loss.
I grew up in this era, graduated highschool in 94. I remember this song. I've heard this song a hundred times but don't remember every seeing this video. Literally this is the first time I've seen it.
I always thought the solo sounded like it was out of phase.
Loved this tune ever since it was released. (And this is your best video to date.)
Thank you. My heart is embedded in this video. Loved making it.
Mike, when this came out, like you, I was also very much into Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, etc, but I listened to this whole album on loop a lot (well, flipping the cassette over was manual looping, I guess!). Love the album. The Leonard Cohen cover, Everybody Knows, is also brilliant. Thanks for covering this song, it brought me back!
Great playthrough of the solo. One of my favorite albums! "Tomorrow Wendy" is another great melancholy song.
@TheArtofGuitar 🤘🏻🔥congrats on 861k subscribers! Love the satch guitar, I spy a Donnie Frank sticker. I grew up watching various music video channels, repeats of Top of the Pops, Old Grey Whistle Test etc, those shows are so nostalgic for me too.
I remember the first livestream you played the riff to Joey, I checked out the whole album right after that. Loved it.
This is an awesome solo, it really is crazy how they can be so short, but sound so amazing. The first one I learned is only 30 seconds long, but it's perfect for the song it's in.
Love that Nazareth song and White Lion one.
Funny how I suspected this video was about the "Joey" guitar solo just from the thumbnail! haven't heard in many years but first time I heard it I was struck by how unique and poignant is was. I don't remember many guitarists from that time that had that effect on me. CB was a really cool band. Thanks for doing this in-depth analysis of that haunting solo!
This has been one of my favorite songs since before I even really started playing guitar. The thing I don't hear you mention is the pickup setting. This solo - especially at the beginning - is a clear example of what is usually called quack tone, the 2nd or 4th settings on S-S-S Fender Strat. Those first few notes of the solo, all I can hear is that unmistakable quack.
I acquired the Bloodletting album when it came out in the 90s , wore one cd out and on the second one now …never gets old ❤
I bought the album due to the solo on that track. Had not even heard of the band prior to that. Wonderful group.
Dude, a little earlier but "Free" is a singularly brilliant all time album. His tone and style on that album is so weird and perfect...
The guitar work in Mathew Sweet’s song, Girlfriend always stuck with me as a classic.
Checked it out it was great. I remember that tune. Thanks. Ms.. Napalitano has a great voice too.
James Mankey pulls off lots of cool playing. On Bloodletting alone, The Beast, Sky is a Poisonous Garden, Days and Days. Little Conversations and Sun are also beautiful examples of his playing. Thanks for mentioning this great band.
Thanks so much Mike! One of my top 10 albums of all time. Makes me wonder if you remember Savatage at all as well.
Another sleeper band from the 80's and on, but this was a metal band that had some amazing guitar parts and soul's that I feel the rest of the world totally missed out on!
If the name doesn't ring any bells, check out both Streets and Edge of Thorns. Both have absolutly wicked riffs. And some of the guitar work will make you bust out the satch guitar for sure.
The 'Ain't no second prize' ( by Jimmy Barnes ) guitar work is very similar too. I think Mal Eastick was the guitar player on that one. He was an Australian Blues player at that time.
Bro, I totally forgot about this band, so thanks for helping me remember the greatest era of music :)
Bro, amazing band, amazing song, absolutely spectacular solo. Great choice!!!!!
Wow, I had forgotten about this song... thanks for reminding me how amazing this song is.
Holy crap! I haven't heard this song in ages! Great call selecting this song/solo to dissect. I'm a hard rock/metal guy at heart, but at the end of the day, a great song is a great song.
I'll second everything you said about the song/band/solo. But, personally, the track Caroline is THE track on Bloodletting. For all the same reasons you said about Joey. What are your thoughts on it?
Thanks for featuring this song and this band. I love this song very much to this day.
I hope you'll feature Lloyd Cole & The Commotions' "Jennifer She Said" guitar solo as well. It's a bit melancholic of a song as well.
Wonderfully done video, and I truly hope Johnette Napolitano and James Mankey get to hear your praise of them! Your playing and teaching style are both top notch! My only contribution from your footage of the live solo is that James does appear to be using a pinch harmonic with the flat of the thumb on top of the string while plucking upwards with his index finger. Same as the pinch harmonic with the pick, just mechanically separated by the thumb and finger in a “pinch.” Hope to see you keep making tutorials!
I can still remember when MTV launched and the excitement I felt to have music videos all the time! This song is epic. Great job!
Caroline is easily my favorite CB song and solo.
That song is awesome! Oh caroline!!!!
I had and still have the same little amp!😅 love your sound! What string gauge do you use for standard tuning?
Without a doubt Joey is a killer tune. Johnette reminded me of a mix of Ann Wilson and Dusty Springfield. Love them.
Bloodletting is in my top 10 albums of all time. It's a fantastic album. If I want to be transported back to the early 90s, I slap Concrete Blondes Bloodletting in my player..... I'm glad you showcased this one Mike.
I would never have guessed you are old enough to nostalgize that era.
Never heard it before but it is getting more and more awesome the more often I listen to it
My band used to cover Still In Hollywood by Concrete Blonde. Just a fantastic song and really fun to play.
They did a college tour of Remote Control. I got in as part of the stage production. My band mate got entered as a contestant, won there, and then went on the show on actual show on MTV and won the grand prize. He got a trip to Acapulco and some ancillary prizes. He sold me his Epiphone acoustic he won and I still have it to this day.
Fun tidbit, I worked on sound for that show. The studio I once worked at in my younger days in NYC was the sound studio that mixed a lot of it.
I remember seeing this on Much Music during the summer of 1990. I remember hearing the solo and thinking “woah!” and how short it was. I was in that same phase as yourself - listening to Satch, Vai, Kirk, Eddie or Reb and thinking THOSE were guitar solos.
But I have to say that this solo was the beginning of my belief in that sometimes “less is more”.
James is so underrated and under appreciated as a player. Who knew he played bass on the first two Sparks albums!
Dude you nailed this. Been trying to figure this out for ever. Thanks soo much for this 🙏🙏
I was like you said. Always underestimated, underrated the guitarist. The vocals and stage presence of Johnette seemed to take all the attention.
I love how you teach me guitar technique and introduce me to new-OLD music too! I will def check this out! very good playing!
I never paid attention to Concrete Blonde back in the day, thanks for the suggestion!
This is one of the few albums where I love every single song on it.