A thought on Mark's re-used guitar lines

[Matchstickman]

Guys, we are all familiar with the fact that there are a number of instances on the new material where Mark seems to be playing what are essentially old licks, or slightly adapted versions of guitar work from the past.

For example, he plays a brief part in Ahead of the Game that sounds identical to a part from the live 1996 version of Water of Love (at 2:15).

My feeling is that most people have assumed that these are unconcscious rehashes. But what if Mark has deliberately done this?

If so, what would be the point? One reason might be that he conceives of this album as a goodbye, or at least as something he knows will be coming out late in the game, of his career. Or, it is a way to wink at his fans, like an Easter egg might be in a movie.

I'm suggesting this because it just seems a little odd that Mark would need to re-use several old licks, in various songs, in particular in places where it seems that nearly anything would really do - but he chooses to go with something used previously.

What do you think?

[Robson]

Interesting topic. But all artists do it, or almost all of them.

I don't know if Mark does this consciously, I think it happens naturally.

[Love Expresso]

I haven't listened to the new album for the last six weeks or so but I indeed had the same idea when it came up that there are guitar "quotations" all over the place (that Why Worry thing in that one song, song number three? And many others.). I thought back then that they did it planned and consciously. Funny that you come up now with the same idea. 

LE

[kaleo74]

This is what we call a guitarist signature.

[Matchstickman]

I haven't listened to the new album for the last six weeks or so but I indeed had the same idea when it came up that there are guitar "quotations" all over the place (that Why Worry thing in that one song, song number three? And many others.).

The Why Worry part in Smart Money is the most obvious example, and no doubt deliberate, given that it is repeated and doubled on the piano. It is so substantial that it is unthinkable that they would not be aware.

With briefer parts, it's harder to tell. Maybe it's a combination.

Another interesting example, which I haven't heard, is Your Leading Man. If that song, as suggested in that thread, is thematically similar to So Far Away, and features a similar guitar sound/use, then perhaps Mark has been toying around deliberately with several such connections on the recent album/EP.

[Dutchessy]

IMO it sounds more like Southside Tenements by his brother than Why Worry..

[Rail King]

I think you might be reading a bit too much into it. With a back catalogue so vast, and with playing skills diminishing, it's only natural that someone would fall back on things they've played before. That doesn't mean Mark isn't aware of it. I'm sure he is, but I don't think he's deliberately trying to include old licks etc. My guess is that he just rediscovers these phrases by accident, and, when they seem to work, decides to go along with with them. And why not.

By the way, LE, I found it almost disrespectful to refer to Smart Money as "song number three".  I love this song and think it's one of the very best from the new ones. I actually like it better than Why Worry.

[dustyvalentino]

I think you might be reading a bit too much into it. With a back catalogue so vast, and with playing skills diminishing, it's only natural that someone would fall back on things they've played before. That doesn't mean Mark isn't aware of it. I'm sure he is, but I don't think he's deliberately trying to include old licks etc. My guess is that he just rediscovers these phrases by accident, and, when they seem to work, decides to go along with with them. And why not.

Exactly. As a guitar player, your hands fall into the same shapes, even when "improvising". It's more surprising that we haven't had more repeats over 45 years.

I remember Brian May speaking about this, he says he sings a solo first, then learns how to play it, to avoid just playing something he has played before.

[Rolo]

i think that the whole Mark's band repeats themselves.
I mean, it's more about the repetition of elements during the songs.

For example, Guy often uses that Sequencer since Speedway and, in my opinion, the worse, in most cases, about post 2006 Mark's songs are the drumming. The central drumming element is almost the same.

Well, Chad is a simplistic drummer, but he is a beast.
Danny and Ian are technically better than Chad, however, i always think that Chad was the best drummer on MK's solo career.

Why i am talking about drumming or keyboards?
Because Mark's playing reflects the repetion on the elements that i kind of explain earlier.

But it is about aging.

[dustyvalentino]

Agree that Chad was the best, disagree that Danny was technically better than him.

[Robson]

Danny had and has greater rock potential.

[Matchstickman]

It will be impossible to decide with certainty whether a certain part or guitar line was intended or not, except in the most obvious cases, but it could be fun to think about whether certain parts or sounds evoke earlier songs, and what that might do for the song.

[dustyvalentino]

Danny had and has greater rock potential.

He hits things harder?

Chad was good enough for Neil Young who rocks harder that solo MK ever did I would say.

[the visitor]

Mark has always recycled riffs. I'm sure that there is a part from Ride Across the River (outro of live versions) that is basically the riff to No Can Do. 

[Robson]

"He hits things harder?

Yes. I remember Danny'ego from the Get Lucky tour, he made a big impression on me.