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Every poet is a thief

Nov 9, 2009 Guitar & Gear, Stëv Skye
Posted by holySmith!

Watch this quick video first. . .

It’s the truth. Every poet is a thief. I just stole that line from Bono of U2, who, in turn, probably stole it from any number of others. It seems we poets tend to stand on the shoulders of giants (again, stolen). . .

But I think all poets (read: artists, musicians, writers, etc.) are inspired from a variety of sources, and each mix of inspirational ingredients makes for a new brew of creative. . .stew (only because that seems to rhyme).

See. I’m a thief without grief. And a poet, yet I didn’t know it.

Now watch this one. . .

So this video is obviously David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame, doing a cover of what you saw (heard) in the first video, which is one of Syd Barrett’s (also of The Pink Floyd, when they were still known as “THE Pink Floyd”) old tunes known as “Dark Globe”. As you can hear, it’s kind of a nonsensical song, as many of Syd’s tunes were. But in the capable hands of David Gilmour, you get a totally new feeling out of the song and, I would argue, a more powerful, moving experience than the original. And even though it’s not HIS song, per se, he made it his own.

In other words, the original is a good tune, but a different spin on it makes it an even better tune, with no disrespect to the original or its artist. David Gilmour performed that song on his solo tour in 2006, just after Syd Barrett died, which added an even greater level of emotion to that particular performance because he was doing it in tribute to his former band mate and friend.

So what in the F does this have to do with Stev Skye? Well, nothing. And everything. The reason I (holySmith!) write this blog about Stev Skye and Stev Skye’s music is that I (holySmith!) have a reason to write. I get inspired to write about music because certain music is inspiring to me. Stev Skye’s guitar playing, not unlike David Gilmour’s guitar playing, strikes a chord – pun most definitely intended – that makes me want to write about it. Is it thievery? Yes. I am lifting my inspiration off those sounds, translating it into words, and putting my name next to it so that you think I came up with this?

Guilty.

But I think Stev would agree that artists are only artists because of the artists that came before them. Gilmour wouldn’t play the way he plays unless Elvis and Jimi Hendrix (and others) had inspired something in him that moved him to play one way or another. It’s not copying. It’s motivation.

And the motivation doesn’t always come from a lateral source – such as from one guitarist to another, or from one writer to another. Sometimes it’s an event, a person, a rainy day in the desert, or someone else’s music that inspires the need to make music, or to write, or to create something. Happens to me all the time.

And it’s not just the music. Stev and I seem to find common ground when it comes to the process of creating something. It usually just happens and the trick is knowing when to recognize it. As time progresses, Stev and I are going to delve into that more. We’re going to wrap that all into the posts I will eventually write about the gear Stev is using (and now there is a lot of it). I wanted to preface those posts about guitar stuff with this post about why all that stuff is necessary because that, in itself, is fascinating.

I also want to say that I am not a musician at all. I couldn’t carry a tune if you packed it in a suitcase and handed it to me. So in order for all the upcoming info about pedals and distortion boxes to be any fun at all for you, I decided that I better come up with a way to put it into some greater context so that it is interesting and has meaning.

I don’t own a guitar, yet I am fascinated by them and those who are able to play them well. I do know that a lot of stuff goes into making “a sound” – and by that I mean the signature sound that is unique to all the greats. If you close your eyes and listen, you immediately recognize a David Gilmour, an Eddie Van Halen, a Mark Knopfler, the Edge, a Pete Townshend, a Joe Satriani, a Stevie Ray, a Santana, a Brian May, a Slash, a Kirk Hammet, or a Jimi Hendrix. You just know them. They are unmistakable sounds that nobody else does quite like they do.

After you hear enough of Stev’s songs, you start to hear that, too. It does take time, but keep your ears open and one day, you’ll find yourself wanting to steal some of that poetry, too.

Tags: David Gilmour, Fender Stratocaster, Guitar inspiration, holysmith!, Jimi Hendrix, stev skye, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Syd Barrett