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Rick Beato: Steven Wilson interview

Oooh, missed that - always find Rick entertaining, and SW very thoughtful and interesting, so ought to be a compelling watch :)

We need more SWs in modern music btw.
 
Just watched it. Superb! A great interviewer and interviewee. Probably the best I've seen, and Mr Beato sets a very high bar.
 
Great interview - I like listening to Wilson talking far more than his music which, much as I try, it just doesn't click for me. My loss I guess.

A thought: Coming soon: "Later with Rick Beato"

I am increasingly of the view that Rick Beato is the new Jools Holland. If JH leaves Later, RB could be drafted straight in with barely a beat missed.

This first occurred when I was watching the video of Low's Tiny Desk and found so many of the comments below the line said they'd heard of Low via RBs Youtube channel after Mimi Parker died, just like people discover things via Later. He's quite the influencer.

Obvs, RB is a more technically knowledgeable muso than JH and I've learnt a lot by watching his videos, but I can just imagine him on Later having a rack of guitars and a Marshall amp set up ready to plug in and jam along with guests.

RB also, for me, shares JHs loveable-but-annoying personality. He clearly loves music and knows vast amounts, but he also has the slightly pious "all music is good music" and "isn't everything brilliant" thing going just like JH. And RB has a definite penchant for late 80s/early 90s rock just like JH loves his blues and boogie-woogie. I find RB videos fascinating and insightful but also find myself getting more and more irritated with his expressions when playing music on camera, just like JHs patter between bands. It's all part of their schtick I guess.

I find myself getting oddly and unexpectedly nostalgic for Bob Harris who made it clear he thought some stuff was utter cr*p - usually the stuff I liked most - but at least he had opinions! I am still of the view that having music you really don't like is just as much fun as having music you are passionate about. I've always been a tad suspicious of people who like everything.
 
Don't think Mr Beato likes everything…

I like Rick Beato, his explanations of many classic rock songs are really interesting and come from vast knowledge, but he is staggeringly conservative in taste. Never expect anything ‘out there’, never expect any modern music outside of the occasional pop chart chart run down.
 
Don't think Mr Beato likes everything…

He certainly doesn't take kindly to criticism, or indeed anybody daring to suggest he is perhaps less than brilliant.

The phrase 'That narcissistic p***k' has been used on more than one occasion I believe. I certainly wouldn't rush to his defence alas.
 
...l but also find myself getting more and more irritated with his expressions when playing music on camera...


This is where he loses me. Rick's reactions, air guitar, air drums, and the little gasps when the song gets to a little hook or bit of ear candy that really sends him, these are the things that really annoy me.
 
This is where he loses me. Rick's reactions, air guitar, air drums, and the little gasps when the song gets to a little hook or bit of ear candy that really sends him, these are the things that really annoy me.

I like that, for someone so knowledgeable and skilled his enthusiasm seems absolutely genuine to me. The sheer joy in say his Joni Mitchell video is wonderful. He clearly loves the stuff he picks for ‘What makes this song great’. He also manages to be entirely non-patronising. It would be so easy for him to look down on stuff, but he always seems to analyse without prejudice. As stated upthread I really like the guy, my only criticism is he is remarkably conservative in his taste/selections. You’ll never find him dealing with late-period Coltrane, Stockhausen, Cecil Taylor, Can, PIL, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher etc. Everything is fairly close to melodic ‘70s classic rock or very glossy US post-grunge (the stuff he was involved with himself).
 
Yeah, I hate clever people too.

Clever people are the best - but all the really clever people I know personally (Professors, Doctors, authors, musicians) wear their learning very lightly.

However, I suppose that doesn't allow you to be a successful (as in £££S$$ success) YouTuber or influencer.

btw is YouTuber the right word? Sounds like I'm accusing someone of being a potato.....
 
Clever people are the best - but all the really clever people I know personally (Professors, Doctors, authors, musicians) wear their learning very lightly.

We are back to Dunning Kruger again...clever people know how much they don't know. Or as Bertrand Russell put it: the trouble with the modern world is the stupid people are cocksure, whilst the intelligent are full of doubt..."

I think "Youtuber" is correct. At least, my friend's kids used the phrase...and they used it as if it was the best thing in the world that one could aspire to be!
 
Don’t underestimate Rick Beato! Read some of his CV here on Wikipedia. He’s a respected session musician, producer and music theory university lecturer. One with an astonishingly trained ear and sense of pitch. He’s one of those rare people who can analyse and transcribe what he hears in pretty much real time, and from a multi-instrumentalist perspective. Dig a little deeper into his channel if in any doubt. The only “criticisms” I have are I view him as rather conservative in taste (e.g. where is the free jazz, Krautrock, EDM etc) and I’m not a fan of the sort of stuff he’s produced (polished US post-grunge/rock stuff, just not my thing). None of that takes anything away from him. I’d kill for a single percent of his analytical skill! He deserves to be where he is as he’s got there on knowledge, natural talent and a lot of work. He’s one of the good guys!
 
The real star is his kid. (Dylan) ridiculously good ear. I wonder what music sounds like when you can perceive it to that level?
 
Don’t underestimate Rick Beato! Read some of his CV here on Wikipedia. He’s a respected session musician, producer and music theory university lecturer. One with an astonishingly trained ear and sense of pitch. He’s one of those rare people who can analyse and transcribe what he hears in pretty much real time, and from a multi-instrumentalist perspective. Dig a little deeper into his channel if in any doubt. The only “criticisms” I have are I view him as rather conservative in taste (e.g. where is the free jazz, Krautrock, EDM etc) and I’m not a fan of the sort of stuff he’s produced (polished US post-grunge/rock stuff, just not my thing). None of that takes anything away from him. I’d kill for a single percent of his analytical skill! He deserves to be where he is as he’s got there on knowledge, natural talent and a lot of work. He’s one of the good guys!

^This.

If you want an idea of how good he is at analysis:



Sadly, he doesn't do much of this stuff - guess the other videos like interviews, grumping at modern music etc are the ones that pay the bills.
 
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This is where he loses me. Rick's reactions, air guitar, air drums, and the little gasps when the song gets to a little hook or bit of ear candy that really sends him, these are the things that really annoy me.

What, enjoying the music he's listening to? The b*startd!

You'd hate his analysis of "More Than a Feeling", then.

;)
 
You'd hate his analysis of "More Than a Feeling", then.

Since (1) I can't stand that song and (B) it's full of the little ear candy production tics that seem to set Beato off, I'll avoid that one. It's likely to trigger me.
 
Both me and my youngest teenager are big fans of Beato.
My kid's learning to play classical and also electric rock guitar.

 


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