Mick Ronson's Les Paul + other gear.

c_wester · Dec 22, 2013

Cliff Gress said:
I agree. Diamond Dogs was lacking and it was all downhill with Bowie from then on for me.

Yupp thats my opinion aswell.
Ronson and Bowie made great music togheter but apart they fail to get me interested.

Midnight Blues · Dec 22, 2013

c_wester said:
I Read in his Biography that he sanded the Les Paul down after Jeff Beck did it on his Burst As Mick was a huge fan of Jeffs.

I think Mick had a huge influence on Bowies success the guitar work and arranging is as I have understood very much Micks work. But who knows...

He really was a huge fan of Beck. Don't know if you've ever listened to "Showtime", but during the interview, they start discussing Beck. At one point, the interviewer mentions that on the soundtrack for the movie "Twins" (Arnold Schwartzenegger and Danny Devito), Beck recorded a version of "The Stumble". You can tell that it really peaked Mick's interest.

Completely agree with you about his influence on Bowie as well.

frazettafan · Dec 22, 2013

It's a shame it never happened but I think Ronson should have joined the Stones after Bowie. I think he was shortlisted for the gig.

I think he was best as a sideman, not a solo artist and I think he really could have supercharged the Stones in a way Ron Wood has never managed to do.

frazettafan · Dec 22, 2013

c_wester said:
Yupp thats my opinion aswell.
Ronson and Bowie made great music togheter but apart they fail to get me interested.

Word.

JRW8214@AOL.COM · Dec 23, 2013

I agree although i do think Mick's solo song I'd Give Anything To See You has some of his best playing on it.

I dont like the stuff with Ian Hunter either. I dont understand the hype over Hunter.

buddyboy · Dec 23, 2013

Word:

frazettafan · Dec 23, 2013

JRW8214@AOL.COM said:
I agree although i do think Mick's solo song I'd Give Anything To See You has some of his best playing on it.

I dont like the stuff with Ian Hunter either. I dont understand the hype over Hunter.

Yeah, I've always felt that way about Hunter. Great on 'Dudes' though, can't imagine anyone singing that better but I don't like his songs much.

Ronno had some good moments solo. "Billy Porter" was brilliant.

Billy Porter · Dec 23, 2013

frazettafan said:
"Billy Porter" was brilliant.

Thanks :rofl

Like several posting on this thread it was Ronno who got me into playing. I couldn’t get into Bowie post Ronson either and Ronson’s first 2 albums were too cheesy and marketed at teenage girls.

I believe that Ronson’s real talent was his production and arrangement skills as technically his guitar playing never matched the likes of Jeff Beck (who does though) but never lacked attack :dude:

I have to admit though, I rarely listen to Ronno or Bowie nowadays and find the old footage a tad embarrassing but Ronson got me into playing so will always be one of my favourite guitarists

shred · Dec 23, 2013

frazettafan said:
It's a shame it never happened but I think Ronson should have joined the Stones after Bowie. I think he was shortlisted for the gig.

I think he was best as a sideman, not a solo artist and I think he really could have supercharged the Stones in a way Ron Wood has never managed to do.

:applaude

That would have been awesome...

He'd have been great with Mick and brought a real Rock n Roll swagger to the proceedings that Ron Wood doesn't have... Keef wouldn't know what hit him :biggrin:

thin sissy · Dec 23, 2013

Just to balance out the opinions here, I personally think Ronno's best work was his solo stuff! Although I love the "spiders" era, I don't think he really got to show his guitar skills the way he did on his own.

Apart from the already mentioned "I'd give anything...", which might have the best guitar solo ever played on it, "Hard life" and "Crazy love" are other good examples.

JRW8214@AOL.COM · Dec 23, 2013

That is true. His Bowie stuff lacks alot of his lead talents. I hate how his solo on Jean Genie is buried in the mix, damn near to the point you dont even know its there.

JRW8214@AOL.COM · Dec 23, 2013

frazettafan said:
Yeah, I've always felt that way about Hunter. Great on 'Dudes' though, can't imagine anyone singing that better but I don't like his songs much.

Ronno had some good moments solo. "Billy Porter" was brilliant.

Funny its his voice i dont get. I remember seeing a video someone posted on here of him and Mick doing Once Bitten Twice Shy. Now i grew up thinking that was a Great White song. I never knew it was a cover. I heard the original version and i thought the cover was better. I NEVER say that, especially considering the band is one of those 80s hair bands. But Hunter sounded dull and lifeless singing that song, and i have to be honest when Mick solo'd he looked and sounded like he was bored. Keep in mind this is coming from a guy who though was born in '84, doesnt like most music made after '80. So for me to say that about the two versions of Once Bitten... i think says something. Just my humble opinion though......

frazettafan · Dec 23, 2013

shred said:
:applaude

That would have been awesome...

He'd have been great with Mick and brought a real Rock n Roll swagger to the proceedings that Ron Wood doesn't have... Keef wouldn't know what hit him :biggrin:

Exactly. Keef would simply have had to raise his game………or die.

Bhoodog · Dec 23, 2013

frazettafan said:
It's a shame it never happened but I think Ronson should have joined the Stones after Bowie. I think he was shortlisted for the gig.

I think he was best as a sideman, not a solo artist and I think he really could have supercharged the Stones in a way Ron Wood has never managed to do.

Sadly Mick was never shortlisted for the Stones, I wrote an article on this sometime ago (and true to form, I can neither find it or remember who it was for) the rumour stemmed from an NME article of the time, there were auditions (not involving Mick, Rory Gallagher was one) but the name in the frame was always Ronnie Wood.

Have to agree with the general feeling towards Mick's work with Hunter, aside from Hunters solo debut I thought Mick took the easy option by working with Hunter - I wish he's kept in avante gard mode. Rolling Thunder deserves a mention as does the bulk of his arrangements and production. ('Perfect Day' without his arrangement is a very plain song, 'Jack and Diane' was in the bin prior to Micks rescue)

For anyone interested, I have a facebook page (a work in progress) dedicated to Mick's equipment, mainly from the Ziggy tours, select 'photos' then the 'album' of interest. Please drop by and have a look, all comments welcome.

https://www.facebook.com/MickRonsonGear

cheers
Colin

shred · Dec 23, 2013

frazettafan said:
Exactly. Keef would simply have had to raise his game………or die.

Heh...

So true... Yeah, it probably would've been the kick in the ass the Stone's so desperately needed... Of course you're right, Keith probably would have died trying to keep up :biggrin:

frazettafan · Dec 23, 2013

Bhoodog said:
Sadly Mick was never shortlisted for the Stones, I wrote an article on this sometime ago (and true to form, I can neither find it or remember who it was for) the rumour stemmed from an NME article of the time, there were auditions (not involving Mick, Rory Gallagher was one) but the name in the frame was always Ronnie Wood.

Yes, I remember the NME article, with a shot of a striped-shirted Mick.

Have to agree with the general feeling towards Mick's work with Hunter, aside from Hunters solo debut I thought Mick took the easy option by working with Hunter - I wish he's kept in avante gard mode. Rolling Thunder deserves a mention as does the bulk of his arrangements and production. ('Perfect Day' without his arrangement is a very plain song, 'Jack and Diane' was in the bin prior to Micks rescue)

Not the track by J.C.Mellencamp! He was involved in that? That's a f*%@ing great song.

For anyone interested, I have a facebook page (a work in progress) dedicated to Mick's equipment, mainly from the Ziggy tours, select 'photos' then the 'album' of interest. Please drop by and have a look, all comments welcome.

https://www.facebook.com/MickRonsonGear

cheers
Colin

I'll check it out for sure - thanks Colin.

frazettafan · Dec 23, 2013

shred said:
Heh...
Of course you're right, Keith probably would have died trying to keep up :biggrin:

:lol

What do you reckon it would've been like if Gallagher had joined, Shredmeister?

shred · Dec 23, 2013

Yeah, Rory was a badass... Love the old Rockpalast and 70's Montreux stuff :dude:

Imagine this guitar playing with the Stones...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ReR-jHmyg

Course Mick's pretty rockin' too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ReR-jHmyg

thin sissy · Dec 24, 2013

Rory and Ronno, two of my all time favs! Stones would have been interested with any of them. I do think Rory was always better suited as frontman rather than just a guitarist in a band.

frazettafan · Dec 24, 2013

thin sissy said:
I do think Rory was always better suited as frontman rather than just a guitarist in a band.

Definitley.

I know they get compared and I dunno about you, but I prefer Ronson to Beck……..!!!!

Mick Ronson's Les Paul + other gear.

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