Mike Compton's journal

[dudlebug23]

Read this:

http://www.mikecompton.net/Journal/archives/archive_2005-m09.php

This isn't the casual fan, it's a Monroe style professional. What a compliment.

[fredfrank]

Ol' Mike's quite the storyteller! Read on, if you have the time.

[midmando]

I just gave Thile's "Deceiver" a listen today. The guy's ability extends well beyond the mandolin. Amazing stuff.

[SternART]

I was left wondering why they need a "Pickin on" Nickle Creek CD?

[sgarrity]

I thought it was kinda weird too. My guess is that they want to cash in on the Nickel Creek name while they are so popular. I'll buy the disc though, just to hear Compton play. It will be interesting to see how he played that style of music.

[kudzugypsy]

oohhhh, now i get it - they are making a nashville session players cd of nickel creek tunes...ok - like the lynard skynard , ac/dc, etc, etc, ad nausum ones...that will be interesting marketing - why not have a "pickin on Abba?" they're comin back!...bigger market share than NC i bet

i think a "pickin on" set of cd's covering everything is just what we need - we'll be like weird al yankovick and coat-tail every hot fad with a "pickin on" cd - no wonder there is nothing but mush coming out of n-ville - all the hot players are making pickin on & tribute cd's.

i'm just wondering who is the brainchild behind all these - really, is acoustic/bg/country music so bad off, that it cant sell on its on merits and artistic abilities, and the nashville studios have to resort to pickin on and tribute cd's to sell acoustic music to the masses?...it might be,,,just wondering

i do enjoy mikes posts, he is a good read and really lets us inside his world for a few episodes. folks think the life of a top tier nashville session guy is the ultimate life - just read the real world view - very interesting.

[JimRichter]

I don't think the Pickin' on dribble was created to sell acoustic music to the masses. #It was created for a quick buck. #All the Pickin On stuff is is a retooling of all the bluegrass/country CDs I used to see as a kid at my local 5&10 store. #When I started playing in my early teens, all my first albums were from the bargain bins at the local Ben Franklin or Murphys stores. #Most, if not all of them, were Starday or King "20 Great Instrumentals" or "The Nashville Fiddles play. . ." etc. #

I'm sure they are quick and cheap to make and the dollar return is pretty high. #I see these CDs constantly in the bins at Wally-world. #I've kept an eye out for Mike's Nickel Creek one, but it seems it made it to Elderly before WalMart. #Most who buy them are buying purely for novelty--and I agree wholeheartedly w/ the Weird Al comparison.

And, again, I say w/ obvious bias--give Mike's journal a regular read. #Some may scoff at the bibs or underrate him because he's an old-timey mando guy and not "flashy" in the modern sense, but that guy is a thinker and he's got heart. #He does what he does not because he can't do anything else, but because he chooses to. #His journal writing is much better than some of the recent "old time/bluegrass" oriented books at our local bookseller--and it's for free.

Jim

[bjc]

Is there a Pickin' On Bill Monroe?

[kudzugypsy]

i will say that the *original* set of weird al's - homer & jethro - did a fine job, sold a lot of records, and made a pretty good livin' (esp for a mando player in the 50's) with all their wacky stuff.

mike journal is great - he doesnt hold back either - aint no whitewashed white bread CMT censored material in there - which is what most people enjoy reading. he seems like a really neat character with a different twist on life.

[VictorLouis]

Having just bought my 'Pickin-on' CD, I find the comments interesting. I bought it because it was apparent that it would instrumental only, and for the novelty aspect of it. What I found is that I really liked it. Then again, I do listen to country, classic Rock, jazz and classical in preference to most any of today's pop-music, metal and whatever they're calling "alternative" these days.

[kudzugypsy]

oh, believe me, i have my share of similar cd's too - they used to be called "country fried" instead of "pickin on" - i have one with tv tunes and they are really quite awesome. hawaii five-o - muppets - andy griffith - star trak - etc - a really neat twist. i've also heard from folks who dont even care about bg, that they have the ac/dc one and LOVE it - so, someone has a good idea and is taking it to the bank.

[JimRichter]

Forgot about those "country-fried" albums. #Very same deal. #Or let's go back to the "Hooked on" classical music series. #Man, were those big in the early 80's. #I remember a ton of friends/family owning "Hooked on Bach", etc.

Jim

[John Hill]

It seems (at least on some level) doing an acoustic take on AC/DC or Lynyrd Skynyrd makes some sense because those bands aren't...well...acoustic to begin with. But does an acoustic quartet like Nickel Creek need to be "picked on"?

Like bjc mentioned, what's next a Pickin' On Bill Monroe CD? Better would be to have AC/DC do a tribute to Ol' Bill... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Even better than that would be to have some reggae groups to a bluegrass tribute album: Smokin' On Bluegrass... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

John

[batman]

My youngest son(15) is a classic rock fanatic. He asked Mike if he wore spandex bibs while doing the Van Halen thing. Mike cocked his eye and said "Yep, leapord skin".DB

[Milan Christi]

I found that article to be a straight-from-the-heart show of respect from one total pro to another. Insight like that is hard to find these days. A great read and an honest, privileged peek inside the mind of a master.

[fangsdaddy]

i'm down with nickel creek and all but i'm still waiting for the "picking on the sex pistols" to come out. forrealforreal.

[VictorLouis]

Well, I just saw the Creek show here in town last night.

Wow! Now I can see why this young man is so popular. Heck, props to all three of them, because it's apparent that they are ALL quite talented.

I can also see WHY Mike posted the way he did. I heard an extremely capable group capable of complicated, jazz-improv style music, with obvious influences from rock and pop alike. I wouldn't pigeon-hole them as Bluegrass at ALL. Both of the Watkins siblings sing very well, both solo and in harmony.

I know someone posted about it recently, but they did garner roaring appreciation for their cover of Brittany's "Toxic". http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif