Howard Robert's incredible concentration skills

[Marty Grass]

I found these old videos of Howard Roberts at Ann-Margret's screen tests. How the hell could he focus on his playing?

Do yourself a favor and watch both.

[wolflen]

well marty..I played along with the vids...it was quite easy to concentrate on just the music..i wrote down the chords

G7 Ami Cthighs..Ebut Fff Ann Ann

now once you get your breathing under control the changes are easy

[Dave70]

haha Howard is strategically wearing sunglasses.

[SamBooka]

Ah.. Ann Margrock

[kris]

this is jazz!...:-)

[goldenwave77]

I did notice a certain resemblance between Ann Margaret and my step-grandfather's old '57 Buick RoadMaster---the model with the chrome bumpers and the porthole vents on the side.

Probably the way they both moved so smoothly...purring down the road with hardly a bump to be felt...yes, yes I'm sure that's what I was noticing.

[Vladan]

Ann Margaret!

[kris]

nice background music...

[339 in june]

It's a boy, Mrs Walker, it's a boy
A son, a son !

(Tommy, by the Who and Ken Russell)

Do you think it's alright ....

[MarkRhodes]

haha Howard is strategically wearing sunglasses.

It's rare to see a photo of him without them on. I've seen pictures of him in the studio with sunglasses on and wondered, "Isn't it hard enough to read music without blinding yourself?" (Yeah, I can be a smart-aleck sometimes.)

[Flyin' Brian]

Howard had an extreme sensitivity to light....hence the sunglasses almost all of the time.

[sgcim]

It's a boy, Mrs Walker, it's a boy
A son, a son !

(Tommy, by the Who and Ken Russell)

Do you think it's alright ....

She pretty much totaled her career with that POS. Ken Russell should be shot for that POS.

[Vladan]

One man's POS is other man's masterpiece.

[Boston Joe]

If you like Tommy, see if you can find a copy of Lisztomania. (It's not easy. Last time I looked, I could only find used VHS copies. I don't think it was ever even put on DVD). It's an unbelievable insane mess of a movie, but you'll never forget it. (You'll also never be able to explain the plot, because it's not very linear (or indeed, coherent), but it involves Franz Liszt (Roger Daltry) as kind of a proto- rock star / savior, and Wagner as the villain (in multiple incarnations such as Hitler and Frankenstein). Crazy, crazy stuff, but HIGHLY entertaining.)

The music in it, however, is terrible. They put lyrics to some of Liszt's melodies, and despite Daltry's best efforts, they're just awful.

[Doctor Jeff]

I remember seeing Tommy when it came out. I was fascinated and enjoyed it maybe more than the movie warranted, but my date thought it was the worst thing she had ever seen.

Actually, I saw the movie not too long ago, and it is an interesting artifact of excesses from the 70's. I would watch the movie just to see Eric Clapton as a stoner preacher, and Tina Turner as the Acid Queen, not to mention Ann-Margaret writhing on the floor in baked beans.

[sgcim]

If you like Tommy, see if you can find a copy of Lisztomania. (It's not easy. Last time I looked, I could only find used VHS copies. I don't think it was ever even put on DVD). It's an unbelievable insane mess of a movie, but you'll never forget it. (You'll also never be able to explain the plot, because it's not very linear (or indeed, coherent), but it involves Franz Liszt (Roger Daltry) as kind of a proto- rock star / savior, and Wagner as the villain (in multiple incarnations such as Hitler and Frankenstein). Crazy, crazy stuff, but HIGHLY entertaining.)

The music in it, however, is terrible. They put lyrics to some of Liszt's melodies, and despite Daltry's best efforts, they're just awful.

That's a good description of Tommy- "an unbelievable insane mess of a movie"!
I saw the first US performance of it by the Who at the Fillmore East- great experience.
Maybe NetFlix has Lisztomania- I'm getting desperate for movies I haven't seen!

[Vladan]

I saw Lisztomania already, but only once. Tommy, i don't know how many times, more than 10 probably, but I'd gladly see it again.

A mess?! Of course it is a mess. How can it be anything but mess? It's an opera, the rock one, made as a movie, where everybody are on drugs, medicaments and alcohol, all the time, without a single sane carachter.

Same goes for the writer, director and the rest of the crew.

How can anybody not love it?

[pubylakeg]

Howard had an extreme sensitivity to light....hence the sunglasses almost all of the time.

Go to 1min 40sec.