Attenzione: ci piacerebbe che questo fosse un topic partecipato da più utenti possibili. Chiunque abbia voglia di fare una ricerca su uno di questi artisti e sulle rispettive opere, trovare siti da linkare o semplicemente tradurre una parte di questo topic, può farlo liberamente, mandando un messaggio privato a me o a Sandoz.
Inoltre con l'uscita del nuovo album prevedibilmente usciranno nuove interviste ai The Mars Volta, percui ci sarà da ampiare questa lista... ogni contributo è preziosissimo.
Questo topic resta chiuso per favorire una lettura diretta per tutti. Se volete discutere e approfondire uno di questi artisti e/o le rispettive opere, potete aprire una discussione nella sezione "Other Music" che verrà linkata in questo topic.
Grazie-Fela KutiCITAZIONE
"The MOJO feature on James Brown touring Vietnam was inspirational, but Fela lived his Vietnam every single day...Fela wasn't being cut out of pleasure. His scars were deep. Musically, he just pushed forward, never feared bad reactions. He was 100,000 percent funky." - Cedric
Jon played some Fela tracks during his appearances on GTFU Radio.
-Dub Syndicate's Pounding SystemAdditional Info: Jon played a track off this album during one of his appearances on GTFU Radio.
-Jaco PastoriusCITAZIONE
"...It's true. Every time I pick up the instrument, I'm thinking of Jaco, more than any other bass player. I've always believed that even though a lot of dudes play fretless and claim to be influenced by Jaco, many miss a key element to his playing: He played R&B and funk for years, in clubs, every night. So when Jaco played jazz or anything else, he still had an undeniable R&B feel. I hear lots of great fretless players who just don't have that feel -- there's no groove. Jaco just happened to be great at many things, but lots of guys focus on only one or two aspects and never learn how important R&B/funk feel is. His lyrical fretless playing was amazing, but then you hear him rock some James Brown song, and you realize it's insane how thick his groove is. Listen to "Chromatic Fantasy" off his second album, Word of Mouth. Many guys have covered that song but it never sounds as good. That's because of his feel, the way he sat with the groove." - Juan
Hear Juan's playing during "Take the Veil"- Wiltern Jams (May 6th and 13th)
-Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra)CITAZIONE
"My all-time favorite drummer is Billy Cobham. I love the way he plays. I even listen to his less-than-stellar '80s albums, 'The Traveler' and 'Powerplay.' But Cobham's playing is so natural, powerful and dynamic at the same time. I pattern a lot of stuff after him." - Jon
Jon played some tracks from Cobham's Spectrum album during one of his GTFU radio appearances.
-Johnny CashCITAZIONE
"He was such a pure talent. [His 'Peace in the Valley'] would clean the palette." - Omar
When Cedric and Omar stopped by 94.9 FM in San Diego, they requested the same song [from Cash's live At San Quentin album] for their playlist.
-Brian Eno (see also Fripp/Eno)Additional Info: Cedric quoted Eno's "Baby's on Fire" during many live shows in 2003. Also, when Cedric and Omar stopped by 94.9 FM in San Diego, they requested "In Dark Trees" [from Eno's Another Green World].
-Tony Williams-Elvin JonesCITAZIONE
"Of course, there's Tony Williams and Elvin Jones, who I listen to every single day." - Jon
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Ray Barretto-David BowieAdditional Info: Cedric frequently says, "My mother says to get things done, you better not mess with Major Tom," (Ashes To Ashes) during live versions of Cicatriz ESP.
-Augustus Pablo-Robert Fripp (see also Fripp/Eno and King Crimson)-Steve ReichCITAZIONE
"Reich was a massively visionary composer from the '60s onwards, so far ahead of his time." - Cedric
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"When she sings you can hear her upbringing. You can hear the fact that she worked in a brothel and that she was raped at an early age. You can hear the drinking and the smoking and what it was like to be a black woman at that time." - Omar
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"His [Mark E. Smith] music shows a real tortured artist. You know, you can't go up to him and say, 'Hey, I love you man!' He'd just shoot you down. He hasn't enjoyed the success he deserves and he's been around forever." - Cedric
When Omar stopped by Atlanta's 99x radio, he played the song "Wings" from The Fall's Perverted by Language album. Cedric and Omar requested the same track when they visited Austin's 101X.
-Sonny Sharrock --> DiscussioneCITAZIONE
I tend to think that Omar's guitar playing is a weird combination of Greg Ginn, Sonny Sharrock, and Syd Barrett, especially when Omar uses the slide - Cedric
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"I first saw him [Papa Lazarou] when I was watching the TV show on a flight back to America. I just thought, 'Shit, they've blacked up his face! That's some dangerous ground!' Papa Lazarou is fucking great. All I do is walk around, put my head through the doors and say, 'Hello Daaave...'" - Cedric
On the audio source of TMV's performance at Big Day Out in Australia, you can hear Cedric's impersonation of Papa Lazarou.
-Bill Bruford (see also King Crimson)-Joy Division Discussione"His [Ian Curtis] suicide was a real tragedy. We love Joy Division. He was another great mind. I love watching footage of the guy, watching him dance. His awkwardness is there before you. When i see him dance or sing, I can see his personality and i know what a conversation with him would be like." -
Omar-Nick DrakeCITAZIONE
"He died really young. I really love the Pink Moon album. The guitar, the voice, the intimacy of it is amazing...There are certain people where you never question their sincerity because you can hear it in their voice. It strikes a chord in your heart." - Omar
When Cedric and Omar stopped by 94.9 FM in San Diego, they included "Things Behind the Sun" [from Pink Moon] on their playlist.
-Ennio Morricone (see also the films of Sergio Leone)Additional Info: The theme to "A Fistful of Dollars" has been used as the intro to the band on their tour in support of Deloused and Frances the Mute.
-Al di MeolaAdditional Info: Here's a pic of Cedric wearing an Al Di Meola shirt. (I assume if he wears the shirt, he likes the musician.)
-Sylvia Plath-Talk TalkCITAZIONE
"The last one [album] they did, where they did a complete turnaround musically - Laughing Stock - it's a good rainy day album. I think a person in the band was getting a major divorce and you can hear it in the album. I was attracted to it cause the guy who told us about it told us that they recorded it with candles and stuff and it was real dark album for them and the label hated it. So instantly I was attracted to it...It's a big downer, but you know, downer music is good, though, too." - Cedric
In Q magazine, Cedric stated that his favorite song is "In the Light" and Physical Graffiti is his favorite album by Led Zeppelin, saying
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"It was '92 or '93. Omar and I scored four hits of micro acid from this Jewish kid that stole my girlfriend at the time. The night we took it 'In the Light' was playing. It opened up a hole in the floor of the room from which tentacles sprouted with puckered lips singing, 'Everybody needs some light.' We all fell in the hole years later."
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[speaking of her song "Journey in Satchidananda"] "You get to hear what an amazing pianist she was. What amazing heart and soul she had..." - Cedric
When Cedric and Omar stopped by 94.9 FM in San Diego, they requested Coltrane's "Shiva Loka" [from her album Journey in Satchidananda] for their playlist.
-Roni Size
-The Pretty Things
-Suicide-Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd) DiscussioneCITAZIONE
"He definitely taps into certain feelings; when i hear Barrett, I think of my worst trips, the worst times in my life, when i've been the most fragile. The music he made, you hear him unraveling. It's really honest." - Cedric
CITAZIONE
Cedric Bixler-Zavala: Well, with our last album and just the way we sound in general, everyone's always throwing Led Zeppelin at us, but I think it's important to clarify; If we're going to own up to anything, it's Syd Barrett's influence. I can't even think of how much he's influenced what we do. I mean, I even just got this really bitchin' fuckin' photo of him with two big sugar cubes in his mouth while he's in Sausalito, which is the tour that he went crazy on in The States, I think. It's a really beautiful, beautiful, beautiful picture of him. What else can I say? He's the original punk. I always dug his guitar playing, but I loved his lyrics. His music, especially his solo albums, those really did it for me. They made me want to make songs like that. Syd Barrett's all over what we do in The Mars Volta. I tend to think that Omar's guitar playing is a weird combination of Greg Ginn, Sonny Sharrock, and Syd Barrett, especially when Omar uses the slide. For me, Syd Barrett is one of the main influences of The Mars Volta.
When Cedric and Omar stopped by 94.9 FM in San Diego, they requested the song "Bike" [from Pink Floyd's album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn] for their playlist.
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King Tubby-Mahavishnu Orchestra DiscussioneCITAZIONE
"People keep telling us we sound like them. We think everyone should have their records." - Cedric
When Cedric and Omar visited 94.9 FM in San Diego, they requested the song "Miles Beyond" [from Birds of Fire] for their playlist.
-Miles Davis
-Fania All-Stars (see also Larry Harlow)-Lenny BruceCITAZIONE
"Lenny Bruce tore down the walls for anything that is punk rock or has a subversive voice that's in danger of being quieted. He was punk until the day he died; it's sad that paparazzi were willing to shoot that final photograph of him with a needle in his arm. He caused a strong reaction, even in death." - Cedric
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"[speaking about Herbie and the Headhunters]...this could possibly the tightest band in the history...I know a lot of people will probably argue with me over this...but I've had several moments with this album [Man-Child]. Specifically this song [Hang Up Your Hang Ups]." - Jon
Jon played "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" on one of his GTFU Radio appearances.
-Larry Harlow (see also Fania All-Stars)CITAZIONE
"The most influential album [on my guitar playing] would definitely be ELECTRIC HARLOW (1971) by Orchestra Harlow. Just because it's a record I grew up with, it was always played in my house - and it was probably the best salsa record of that era. You know, I really wanted to be a piano player, but I got stuck with the guitar [laughs]. But every time I hear that record, I come up with new ideas." - Omar
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"Harlow was a Jewish guy who moved to Puerto Rico and there was always something nicely 'outsider' about his music. I always think there's a salsa group fighting its way out of The Mars Volta." - Omar
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"You can learn to stick to your guns and stay stubborn and it's not necessarily a bad thing because I don't know how long it's been since I've been listening to the Fania records and Fania All-Stars which Larry is a part of and then actually getting to play with him, it just proves that all of what people might of thought of us making a mistake by quitting our old band, actually we are doing the right thing. It didn't even matter if someone was going to tell us you are doing the right thing or you are doing the wrong thing because it only mattered what we felt in our heart and then four years later to be on stage with Larry Harlow, we could just look at each other and say "Yup, we were right man!" - Cedric
Larry Harlow is featured on the band's second LP, Frances the Mute, on the songs "L'Via L'Viaquez" and "Cassandra Gemini," respectively playing piano and clavinet. Also, when Cedric and Omar visited 94.9 FM in San Diego, they requested Harlow's "El Malecon."
-CanCITAZIONE
"All roads lead to Can..." - Omar
Cedric quotes Can's "Vitamin C" from their album Ege Bamyasi ("You're losing, you're losing, you're losing...") frequently during live shows. Also, when Cedric and Omar stopped by 94.9 FM in San Diego, they included "Vitamin C" on their playlist.
Conversely, Holger Czukay, the bassist from Can, had the following to say about TMV:
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"What a surprise, attending a concert of The Mars Volta. Thought I got 40 years younger when my heart was beating in excitement. Sounded partly like Can during their best days. One wouldn't think that such a band could come from Junkyard City alias El Paso in Texas. Maybe that's what makes them strong. Guitarist Omar I knew already from L.A. when he opened my show last year together with John Frusciante and Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers but in connection with the Mars Volta band they exceeded my expectations, by far. Good hope that fine music is not dying!"
Additional Info: When Cedric and Omar stopped by 94.9 FM in San Diego, they requested King Crimson's "Asbury Park" [from their USA album] for their playlist.
-Bjork (see also Sugarcubes)CITAZIONE
"Bjork's one of my main vocal influences, her and Wilson Pickett. Her voice is a weapon. Who else would take an entire Inuit choir on-stage with her? Ever since I saw the video for 'Birthday' on some Public Access station, heard that chorus, I've thought, 'God! I wanna do that.'" - Cedric
Cedric quotes the song "Bachelorette" from Bjork's Homogenic ("I'm a fountain of blood....in the shape of a girl...").
-Wilson PickettCITAZIONE
"Old microphones have ribbons in them. They're not really supposed to be used for guitars and stuff like that but on some of the records I have of Wilson Pickett, he has such a strong voice so that you can hear the ribbon fold and it makes it sound like he's muffled and then it becomes clear again. And that's powerful." - Cedric
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I tend to think that Omar's guitar playing is a weird combination of Greg Ginn, Sonny Sharrock, and Syd Barrett, especially when Omar uses the slide - Cedric
