A Tribute to Les Paul (StayThirsty)

http://staythirstymedia.com/RansomNotes/2009/08/dawn-of-the-den/

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.”Hunter S Thompson

Words of wisdom from the Gonzo God himself. A true revolutionary in political journalism, psychedelics, napalm and the Rock & Roll lifestyle. A man who was cooler than cool, and will be remembered that way throughout eternity, rightfully so…

Let’s get down to bizz-ness.

“The Den” is Thirsty’s newest breeding ground for art & music culture. I’ll be offering weekly knowledge in the music and art scene, highlighting the big news buzzin’ around the Internet airwaves as well as momentous anniversaries honoring the ghosts of Rock & Roll past. A one stop chop-shop for interesting content and report that music lovers NEED TO KNOW to keep up with the rapid industry. If you live, die, eat, breathe, drink & smoke music…then “The Den” is your home away from home. Welcome.

A Sad Lonesome Stroll Down the Trail of Rock & Roll
Lester William Polsfuss, known notoriously as Les Paul, passed away last week after struggling with complications from pneumonia. He was a young and graceful 94 years old. Arguably the most influential force on Rock and Roll, Les invented the solid-body electric guitar along with many various recording innovations (delay and phasing effects, sound on sound, overdubbing). His playing style was immaculate as he demonstrated mastery in chording sequences, licks and the now idolized riffs…paving the way for future musicians to build upon his already burly Rock foundation. He had sold millions of records with his band mate and then wife, Mary Ford as well as scoring 16 top-ten hits with her throughout the 1950’s.

Les Paul’s invention of “The Log” in 1939 was ground breaking, as it introduced one of the first solid-body electric guitars ever created. At first, it wasn’t appealing to the corporate world, initially being rejected by Gibson Guitar Corp…but once they realized that their competitor, Fender, had a solid body debuting, they ran back to ol’ Les and begged for “The Log.” When Gibson/Les Paul sales began to decline in the early 1960’s, Gibson Corp took a different route and redesigned the guitar to make it more sleek and fashionable. This was alien to Les, as he was not notified about the drastic alteration to his innovative rock beauty. Rumors have tangled about what happened after this “alteration” but in a nutshell, Paul demanded that his name be stripped from the guitar and not used on the new, foreign design. The reborn Gibson guitar was renamed “Gibson SG (Solid Guitar)” and went on to become successful in its own right. The turbulence and turmoil between Gibson and Les eventually subsided and Paul began to endorse the company’s product once again. Their relationship would be life-long and their product…well…their product would be the HAMMER used by many legends to come.

Les was an active musician, performing live late into his glory days, all the way up to his death. He would frequently play at the Iridium in Brooklyn…two shows on occasional Monday nights. He was a true lover of his trade and damn good at it too. I think U2 guitarist, The Edge, says it best…”His [Les] legacy as a musician and inventor will live on and his influence on Rock and Roll will never be forgotten.” Let’s take a moment and hail the man who made the brand and aided the bands…the one who created the tool that would provide gut wrenching guitar solos and ear blasting licks. The one who wouldn’t stop, even when his aching elderly body craved some rest. The one who will go down…as the all time best.