Back when they released 2VN, Becker commented in an interview that the   
   band had been 'reformulated as a blues band'. I think that explains   
   the neverending guitar fills, among other things.   
      
   I'm not all that crazy about his noodling, either, especially his   
   vibrato, which is a bit too wide for my tastes. The essence of Miles   
   Davis's "cool" sound was that it was vibratoless. If you're playing   
   the right notes, you don't need to 'put eyebrows on it'.   
      
   But if anyone has earned the right, in my book, to do what they want,   
   it's Donald and Walter. They've given me so much pleasure over the   
   years - truly enriched my life - that it seems churlish to complain   
   about anything. Including the lame setlist for this tour.   
      
   Noam Sane   
      
      
   On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 11:59:03 GMT, "Karma-kazi"  wrote:   
      
   >   
   >   
   >Becker developed that "noodling" guitar style as you call it on 2vN and I   
   >think it's been very effective - he takes that raw vintage style sound and   
   >licks and superimposes it over the high gloss slick rhythm section SD is   
   >famous for. The contrast between the vintage and high tech sounds is pretty   
   >impresive. Compare his style from 2vN forward with the electronic sounds on   
   >Kamakiriad. I think this style sounds great and I try to incorporate this   
   >technique in my own band.   
   >   
   >I think you are confusing style and abilty. Sure Herington is doing the   
   >edgier, more hard rocking stuff... but this basically just looks like   
   >division of labor from where I was sitting. In any event - they do sound   
   >great together and the conrast is a part of it - I just think it is by   
   >design and not because of any lack of ability.   
   >   
   >And for someone who mentioned it earlier - Becker was using basically two   
   >rigs - A Mesa Boogie head with a Mesa 2 x 12 cab and a Top Hat head with a   
   >Bogner 4 x 12 slant cab. If Top Hat & Boger isn't exotic enough for you...   
   >Herington used a "Guytron" head and Guytron 2 x 12 cab. All expensive hand   
   >wired tube gear I'm sure.   
   >   
   >Freddie Washington was using a pre-fender SWR900 with a Goliath III Sr....   
   >built in the days when Becker was on SWR's advisory board.... so yeah...   
   >Becker is up to his hips in the bass world... but I'm sure you're not going   
   >to suggest that bass is an instrument for guitarists who aren't very good...   
   >right? I haven't heard THAT one in a long long time.   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)