@@Biarkiiabsolutely! Playing the string slides like notes at 0:03 , EJ channeling his inner-Hendrix, Tommy Taylor playing through a broken snare drum, and the way EJ played the muted notes. Fantastic song!
The one time I was able to see Eric Johnson perform live was when he opened for Steve Miller ages ago. Believe it or not, the Miller crowd was booing during Mr. Johnson's incredible set. One guy behind me yelled, "You suck". At least in America, audiences get what they deserve: mass market pitched formulaic dreck.
Well!!!! Just looking at the music world 🌎 today..it has been perverted to nothing. The industry today and performers do not want truly talented people like himself to be noticed.
@@jankafka7330 something tells me EJ had to try not to outplay Steve Miller Band. After all, it’s not courteous of the opening act to better the main act
Throughout my life I have seen musicians who I believe are not from this planet, Paul McCartney, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and of course Mr. Eric Johnson...
Dude busted his snare drum head at 2:34! Full on rock power is too much for mere drums to handle haha. And dude, the bass work on this song is phenomenal. Seriously one of the best rhythm sections on the planet. Eric Johnson is a beast as always.
I searched for someone who had commented on this fact. Ohhh, the accuracy to finish the tune playing on a quarter inch spot, with ultra control. Bravo sir !!!
In 1991, I had tickets to see Rush in Auburn Hills. The warmup act was a guy I had never heard of named Eric Johnson. My brother had seen the same show a week earlier in Indianapolis, so I asked him about Johnson. He said, "he's good. He comes out and jams." OK, fine, always a bonus when the warmup act is decent. Got there in time for Johnson's entire set. He started with Righteous. OK, yeah, my brother was right. He is good. Then he did this song. Wow, OK. He's REALLY good. Then he did Desert Rose and 40 mile town. OK, that's it. This guy is fucking awesome! I went out and bought Ah Via Musicom the next day, and a week later, when I saw Rush with Eric Johnson in Cleveland with my Dad, I was just as excited if not moreso to see Johnson. In four songs, I went from having barely heard of the guy to being a fan for life. Thanks for posting something from that time. Geez, we all looked so young back then!
@@jasonkeith9317 Right? I mean, come on! I loved Rush, and they were fantastic, and Eric Johnson was a revelation. 3-1/2 hours of unbelievable music. One of my favorite shows of all time. With that in mind ... EJ paid it back many years later. I went to see him in 2012 at House of Blues. The warmup act that night was a guy I'd never heard of named Andy McKee. Wow. Lightning strikes twice.
@@SenorPlaid Eric Johnson is about as good a guitarist u'll ever come across. I miss Rush. RIP Professor. Their music was pretty much the soundtrack to my young adult life. Guess we'll always have the music but seeing them live was surreal. Eric was great live too. I'd never seen fingers move like that. Absolute master of the instrument.
LOL< no kidding, always said he had to be an alien or something. When we first found him in '78 at a little club in San Marcos, and then later when he played all the clubs I was playing in Houston...all of the guitar players, known players, would be in the audience and shaking our heads. And...smiling.
This may well be the BEST live performance ever,,, especially when you consider it's only a 3 PIECE BAND!!!! The drummer, Taylor is a mini-rhythm section all by himself,, Brock is kickin out 8th notes on the bass, and Eric is breaking the speed limit constantly!!! Amazinggggg!!!!
MOST ETHERAL SONG..MOST ETHERAL TONE..MOST ETHERAL PLACE..N A TRILLION LIGHT YEARS WHEN WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN, I PRAY ERIC IS IN HEAVEN PLAYING FOR THE SON....................
Way down here on the edge of these snows, I hear a strong wind whine; Goin' to where the freedom bells ring, Into the Highlands I must climb. On this journey, I have been here before, Tryin' to reach the other side; I just can't get through the top of these hills, Without a mountain guide. Took such a while to find you, Oh could you show me the way? To get to the place I once knew, You're the only one, so take me through High Landrons. Up ahead, I know the trailway stops, From there on, only eagles fly; Burning (with) visions of the way back to you, They're burnin' through the eastern sky. Now and then I see a shooting star, Lighting up the silver blue; It's shining all the way down the mountain skyway, Oh, it's shining straight from you. Took all my life to find you, Oh could you show me the way? To get to the place I once knew, You're the only one, so take me through High Landrons. Up ahead... Took all my life to find you, Oh could you show me the way? To get to the place I once knew, You're the only one, so take me through High Landrons. Up ahead...💜
This is what happens when the stars align. Eric's playing was incredibly tight, and he was visibly channeling his inner SRV. The vocals were great, which can't be easy in a song with such demanding pieces on the guitar. Heck, Eric even had a good hair day, and was likely only 5 to 7 years away from being able to grow facial hair when this was recorded. This is what it's all about, and I simply can't stop watching this performance.
Really he is on a different level than SRV.. Eric had a way more modern feel.. No disrespect to SRV..I thought a more complete player not relegated to the blues... Heavy influence by Johnson..
SRV was good, but he didn't have as of a full body of work as Eric. He ventured out with Venus Isle. Songs where he plays piano...songs he scalds the solos. SRV could play guitar. Eric is a artist painting a tapestry, telling a story.
Im 34 years old, Ive been a guitar addict for over 20 years.... Why on earth am I only discovering this genius recently?? I thought I knew it all... I was so wrong
You've been missing out! He's why I started playing, cuz he's incredible. He's why I stopped playing, cuz I didn't have the chops! His whole catalog is a treasure of gems like this!
@@GregoryWolff I'm listening to the song Victory from the Tones album... its so unbelievably brilliant.. the range of techniques he uses.. the flawless precision of every note.. its full of melody.. my favourite sound is the kyoto thing he does, plus the artifical harped harmonics.. just an incredible sound
That natural harmonics lick that this guitar demigod did at 04:29 provided more goosebumps on my end than most musicians did with their entire discographies. His live sound is out of this world, just like his talent. Absolutely unbelievable musician, and his band is tight as f#$K!
one of the best ever. his chord progressions and his overall tone are out of comparison almost with every other guitarist on this planet. flawless right-left coordination, his alternate picking is as good as it can get. These fast pentatonics after 3:50 are out of this world. super clean and perfectly executed.
Who is the "Mountain Guide"? ESV Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know! Prov. 30:4
Do I need say anyting one of the most original sounds I've ever heard he's a genius met him down to Baltimore soundstage back in 2012 nicest guy you ever want to meet even bought us a drink rock on Eric you're the man
Eric Johnson tore a hole through the guitar in the 80s..Saw Johnson in Dallas at a small club and he changed my mind on where guitar could go, and launched my quest to guitar...Still on it!
The shots of his left hand are amazing. The trick is to get as much music as possible with is little hand movement as possible. The work comes in actually doing it.
Je ne me lasse plus d'écouter et de prendre modèle sur le maître. Et quel son inventé une époque où les modélisations et autres.... n'existaient pas. Thank you Éric!❤❤❤
This is truly one of his best live performance I have seen! along with Friends (ACL 2001) Are You Experienced/Cliffs Of Dover/Trail Of Tears (ACL 1988) Both the guitar playing and singing was great and spot on here! I miss this old guitar tone a lot!
Same here! He had outstanding equipment, tone, a dumble, and more echo and sustain/reverb making a three-piece unit sound like so much more. Some talk negatively about his reverb and echo but that's what caught my ear initially back in '88! At his peak during this period sound-wise IMO.
Man I miss that Rig O' Tone! - 100W Marshalls - Stereo Twin Reverb heads and that Dumble! That MXR Flanger! Tommy & Kyle killing it ~ Just plain Ol' Badass!
One of my favorite live recordings of Eric…perfect tone, a large, energetic crowd, and even the wind blowing through his hair on this particular song was perfect.
I was fortunate to have seen this performance and the incomparable Red Rocks Amphitheatre. He was the warmup act for The Steve Miller Band, but as much as I like Steve Miller, I was there in the 2nd row to see my man Eric
@@jimmcgivern I was at the Red Rocks concert too! I live in Denver. Aside from Eric, I was amazed at how many young people there were singing along with Steve Miller’s songs from 25 years earlier. I decided there might be hope for the younger generation. 😀
@@gcolnr that's funny, because that was my first impression as well. I thought I'd see a bunch of people my age (now 60) but like you said, it was a bunch of kids, and none of them knew who EJ was. I told them to be prepared to have their faces ripped off. And they all loved him. EJ came out to do a sound check and no one knew who he was. I went up to the rail and called to him, he came over and chatted with me for 3 or 4 minutes which was so cool for me. My first EJ show was the Ah Via Musicom tour. I saw him down in the Springs at the AF academy. I'm going to the Paramount on 3/5 to see him
@@gcolnr absolutely! Not only is he an incredible talent but the message in his lyrics has always inspired me. Peace, love, forgiveness, appreciation of beauty and on and on. He has lifted me out of a funk too many times to mention with his message of hope. His music speaks to me in ways very few artists have in my lifetime. And he can rip your rip face off as well!!! haha
Not only is the guitar technique and playing ability completely amazing, the multitasking ability is astounding! I had the privilege of seeing him in concert last night at a small venue in Albany, New York. Both EJ and his back up band were totally jammin! 🎸🤘
Such a great player! One of my all time favorite guitarists. Tommy and Kyle are his best live line up IMO. Tommy really drives with those drums. Eric's tone is stunning!
Tommy still hammers the skins the best that i have ever seen live. Saw them earlier this year and he still keeps the best backbeat i have ever heard! My favorite guitar player and drummer in the same band.....Whoo Whoo!!
Agree that Tommy and Kyle are and always have been good best lineup i had the pleasure of meeting then all in Raleigh NC in 94 got there it was sold out by mere luck ran into Kyle as we were walking to our car to leave and he hands us 2 tickets and backstage passes got all my stuff signed by them all got killer photos they were all the nicest guys
Met him many years ago in a bar on 6th street in Austin, Texas. Very unassuming and genuinely good guy. His guitar work is legendary with Hendrix like playing styles. One of the best in the business.
His father was a prominent physician in Austin. He had a classic upbringing. Not a vampire. A very, very, dedicated artist. No drugs, alcohol, loose living, just pure dedication to his art. The proof is in the product. Tommy Taylor on percussion. One of the best.
His voice is good, but it isn't inhumanly good and unique like his guitar playing. In fact, for many years after discovering him, I would only listen to his instrumentals because I was mad that the vocals were obscuring the guitar notes. Thankfully, I overcame that hangup.
Even with Tommy's snare breaking this is one of the best performances of this track. This is one tight band & i can only bet the rest of this show must have been amazing . Eric is one fine songcrafter & his playing just speaks for it self ...
JHC......i continue to find something unique and otherworldly every time i watch this! Marshall stacks, Fender Twins, "Strat bends", a Dumble(s)and EJ's fingers flyin'! I know for a fact if Eric ever decided to launch a "Throwback Tour" with this setup and sound(if still feasible), getting a ticket to experience this would be a challenge.....but one EVERY fan would gratefully accept. "Throwback Tour".......i see T-Shirt sales galore as well goin' thru the roof! What a unique concept tour for the fans.....a "Throwback Tour"!
A very Fender sound, some Fuzz, Flanger, Overdrive and a lover of analog delays, and that versatility, with those triad-shaped chords that make Eric Johnson's sound, a heavenly sound. A master of tone.
Love every single second of this song. Always since I first heard this from when I bought Ah Via Musicom on release. Cliffs of Dover, Forty Mile Town, etc. 🤟
After watching this 4 times in a row ..mesmerized by Eric's playing.. I just noticed he's at Red Rocks.. Saw The Moody Blues and Def Leppard there..Awesome!!
My wife and I saw EJ at the Birchmere Theater in Alexandria VA several years ago. Front row seats. LOUD. Great show. After his encore he started to walk off stage. I jumped up holding a black marker and plastic Stratocaster vibrato cover hoping for an autograph. He paused, looked at me, turned again to leave, paused again, then came back and signed the cover. I told him what a great show it was and he thanked me.
He was (still is) crazy good! Obviously he's a master on his instrument but his style is really cool, too, a blend of 80's new wave and blues, brilliant!
Without a doubt, the pinnacle of a storied career! A+ backing section in Kyle and Tommy and Eric with what many consider his best rig and sound set up. Are there any more videos from this day's performance? Hopefully so......cuz it's a smoker!! Thanks for posting......aaaaaaaaaaaaaaap preciated greatly!!
We went to see a concert in August 1991 at Spartan Stadium: ZZ Top, Steve Miller, and an opening act we did not know anything about, Eric Johnson. As we got to the stadium and parked, we were puzzled by the giant gaggle of groupies surrounding the fence through which the stars' limos would enter - stunning beauties, dressed in their best, 60 or 80 of them. We were not used to seeing that quantity and quality of gorgeous women show up for ZZ Top, or Steve, who are great musicians, but we had never before seen attract quite that level of attention. Then Eric Johnson came out on stage, and we said, "Ohhhh, now we get it." What a handsome guy - and his playing is nonpareil. Been fans ever since.
Everything working. Amps, guitar, pedals, he's in excellent voice, Tommy and Kyle are prefect, incredible mix. One of the best performances in rock history.
