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This blogger, Richard Gehr, is not an employee of AARP. The opinions expressed in the blog are not necessarily the opinions of AARP and AARP assumes no liability for the content posted by Mr. Gehr or any other participant

June 15, 2007

Richard Gehr | June 15, 2007

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Too late for Father's Day (unobserved in our household, which tends to eschew Hallmark holidays), the limited edition miniature Fender guitar replicas produced by GMP are cunningly crafted die-cast fetish objects for both weekend guitar heroes and those who worship the real deals.

Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Mark Knopfler, and Jeff Beck all played the Fender Stratocaster, one of the twentieth century's most beautiful audio and visual icons. GMP's one-third sized replica of the Strat includes flickable pickup selection switches, twirlable volume and tone controls, and a removable tremolo bar. I've known many a guitarist who's bought an instrument based on looks over sound, so this is a heck of a bargain at $50; Clapton's black Strat went for a million bucks at Christie's in 2004, after all. GMP also sells foot-high faux Strats in red, black, and sunburst finishes, butterscotch and sunburst Telecasters, three Fender basses, and a scaled rack for display.

GMP actually specializes in tiny cars rather than guitars. I'm weirdly drawn to their boy-toy dioramas of mechanics, a chop shop, racing legend Carroll Shelby, and a lovable yet vaguely menacing Southern sheriff right out of Smokey and the Bandit. Hm. Maybe there's something to this Father's Day thing after all.

March 07, 2007

Richard Gehr | March 07, 2007

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One of the year's sadder passings was that of "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, who died of Alzheimer's disease in January at age 72. Kleinow's playing lent a melancholy grace to the retro yet revolutionary country-rock sound of the Byrds' unforgettable Sweetheart of the Rodeo and the group's subsequent country offshoot, the Flying Burrito Brothers. Kleinow's guitar embellished an astoundingly long and varied list of artists, from the Bee Gees and Pat Boone to Stevie Wonder and Frank Zappa. Before and after his musical career, Kleinow was also a noted stop-action special effects artist on the Gumby and Davy and Goliath TV series, more than one Star Wars movie, and countless commercials.

I was reminded of Kleinow's cosmic country licks by a few cool new steel-driven albums:

Jon Rauhouse, Steel Guitar Heart Attack (Bloodshot)
Rauhouse proves himself a pedal-steel historian on an album that lends a Western-swing flair to old-timey originals and chestnuts ranging from "I'll Be Seeing You," "East of the Sun," and "Begin the Beguine" to Lalo Schifrin's Mannix theme and The Andy Griffith Show's "Fishin' Hole" theme song.

Chris Difford, South East Side Story (Luna)
Melvin Duffy's pedal-steel twang adds a bittersweet hue to Difford's acoustic versions of "Up the Junction," "Tempted," "Cool for Cats," and other tunes associated with Squeeze, his celebrated UK group. Bandmate and co-songwriter Glenn Tilbrook's reedy harmonies are the only thing missing from these evergreen pop gems. Difford's touring the US as I type.

The Last Town Chorus, Wire Waltz (Loose)
Megan Hickey's whispery voice and kitten-with-whip lap-steel electric guitar lie at the core of this wafty and sometimes funereal album. The payoffs come when Hickey cuts loose and rockets out of the doom room on rollercoastering slide work.