Sisters Guitarists.....

THE place for your Sisters-related comments, questions and snippets of Sisters information. For those who do not know, The Sisters of Mercy are a rock'n'roll band. And a pop band. And an industrial groove machine. Or so they say. They make records. Lots of records, apparently. But not in your galaxy. They play concerts. Lots of concerts, actually. But you still cannot see them. So what's it all about, Alfie? This is one of the few tightly-moderated forums on Heartland, so please keep on-topic. All off-topic posts will either be moved or deleted. Chairman Bux is the editor and the editor's decision is final. Danke.
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Padstar
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Ive always found Adam and whoever boring.....

Who do you think deserves an honorable mention.... i always liked Tim Bricheno, but he lived down the road so im biased... Do you all think Hussey is a god ???? Is Marx rthe better writer??? and which geetar dude kicks ass live ?

Thoughts :)

Paddy
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Ed Rhombus
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Like the new picture

Sooner you take over Sisters lead axe the better
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Padstar
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Big Si
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Ed Rhombus wrote:Like the new picture

Sooner you take over Sisters lead axe the better
Until I see you perform Nine While Nine I'm gonna have to go with Mr Marx (and I haven't seen him perform it either :roll: )
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Lars Svensson
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Listening to the Disguised In Black bootleg (Newcastle Tiffany's from '84[?]), both Marx and Hussey were actually pretty damn hot...

Without wishing to sound like a sad b*stard, the 'interplay' between 'em was amazing...and hasn't been bettered since.

They both added to the sound and the magic of the whole thing, whatever the detractors might say...

Since then, and I'm saddened to say this, the guitars just haven't been as 'interesting'. Floodland was basically a synth album and Vision Thing was just tedious a lot of the time guitar-wise. Which is a shame. :?

And, yeah, as far as Mr Pearson's concerned...until he can play the 'proper' intro to FALAA then I'm afraid I'm not convinced. There's simplification, there's re-interpretation, and there's just not being arsed - and I'm afraid Mr P seems to be in the latter camp. Sisters Guitar Karaoke, anyone? :roll:

Or am I just being precious?? :innocent: Probably! ;D

Oh, and which geetar dude kicks ass live??? Well, surely the answer is obvious: PADDY SMURPH naturellement...and you can play the intro to FALAA right. Bonus!!! :notworthy: ;D

PS: Shouldn't this be in Sisters Chat not General? Just a thought!!
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pikkrong
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Lars Svensson wrote: Shouldn't this be in Sisters Chat not General? Just a thought!!
i thought the same
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Agreed - DONE! ;D :kiss: :von:
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The Green Lantern
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I have to agree with mr Svensson. The fourth paragraph especially. I don't mind the changes the Sisters have gone through, but guitarwise I don't think any incarnation of the band matches up to the distinctive sound Hussey and Marx once created.

However, I'm glad the Sisters didn't sound exactly the same for two decades plus.
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MrChris
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Disguised in Black does sound great, so yes, a Marx-Hussey combo was the pinacle, I guess in terms of playing. An honourable mention must go to Chris Starling, though.

As for writing, as I've said elsewhere, my favourite Eldritch collaborator is Eldritch, Pearson has written some v. good toons, and I'd prefer Marx over Hussey any day, e.g. on side 2 of FALAA. The idea - in an old (1984/5?) interview I read lately that what Hussey brought to the Sisters was an awareness of the intricacies and craft of songwriting just takes your breath away in terms of general off-the-wallness and arrogance. Least said about Mr No-brain Twiddlybits Hussey the better. So in the interests of NOT starting any flame-wars, I shall stop.
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Jim
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I nearly missed this one - I'd given up on Sisters chat altogether.

Personally I liked the full band stylings of the early 90's. I'm a massive TJ fan, but he's not really a guitarist. Bricheno didn't hang around long enough for me to really say (though I love his AAE stuff), sooooo, I'll say Bruhn. He co-wrote a few of the songs (which are cool), I liked the bleached long hair look, and he hung around for quite a while, and (for once) he left on good (ish) terms.

Even if he did turn into a fat bastard towards the end.
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@ Snub Nose - Funny you should mention Bruhns "Comfortanly Numb" solos as my absolute favourate bootleg moment by the Sisters is that song, solo and the link into a stomping "Ribbons" from a Dec 93 gig from Birmingham NEC.

Reverberator paid me a very generous compliment about that solo from a gig we did last sunday and if i thought it was 25% as good as Bruhns ide be a very happy person!

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I have to be really sad and say the combination of Marx/Gunn was probably the best, certainly if the bootleg I have of the Berlin Loft Club
'83 is anything to go by.
Failing that, the first incarnation of the band I saw live remains one of the best in terms of sound and technical skill - Bruhn, Bricheno and James.
Reading '91 is the defining live moment for me, personally.

And some good quips from Von -

"This one's called how many k's in illiterate."

Aah happy daze! :von: :D
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i think, gary was the best axeman the sisters had. i would like to see a concert with a linup like...

[dream mode]
eldritch (voc+vodka), doktor (drums only), marx (git), pearson (bass) and...
well, cannot decide between bruhn and pearson for the second guitar...
[/dream mode]
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Zuma
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Always rated Mr Starling.....the recent Snub Nose brought that back to me...for any of them, it must be a tough job due to the knowledge of the likes of us - be nice to see someone just come in and not give a s*it and blast it.......after all, if you take it apart, there is no great guitar challenge technically - more about feel.....

I vote for Paddy too!
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Vox
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Padstar wrote:@ Snub Nose - Funny you should mention Bruhns "Comfortanly Numb" solos as my absolute favourate bootleg moment by the Sisters is that song, solo and the link into a stomping "Ribbons" from a Dec 93 gig from Birmingham NEC.

Paddy.
But the Comfortably Numb solo was straight out of the tab book from The Wall, mashed through a "make it simpler" filter and blended into SKOS, nice but Bruhn doesn't really deserve much kudos in my eyes and he struck me as looking "strained" many times live. Hats off to Dave Gilmour.
Really you cannot compare any of The Sisters guitarists with "the greats".

As for Wayne "opening up The Sisters sound", I think if you look at this statement in the context of his rapport with Marx and what they both eventually achieved in Eldritch's abscence with FALAA then it's true. If Wayne hadn't joined would Marx have been able to push Eldritch towards the FALAA sound that we know? or would Eldritch have remained loyal to the tight razor production of Alice and Body Electric (not a bad thing) or the subdued laments of The Reptile House EP which Marx was apparently never keen on?

Eldritch may never have found himself in this particular place today if it were not for Hussey's and Marx's contribution to the evolution of the Sisters sound. You can hear echoes of FALAA on GIFT despite the over-abundance of synths and GIFT was the prototype to Floodland.

Many good folks want to diminish Hussey's contribution based on their lack of fullfillment with The m*****n but in the context of his work with the Sisters I think he was singular in opening them up to a much wider audience something that Eldritch always craved but which possibly neither he nor Marx could deliver on their own. The same reason Patricia was brought into the band, to give them a public and marketable face.

As for Pearson, Varjak and Starling despite being in the band for longer than anyone else (with the exception of the good Doctor) they have contributed suprisingly little. The present sound is what Eldritch wants, the "new" material for the most part is uninspired, amazing that we all got so fired-up by Snub Nose and Crash and Burn.. The Sisters to me will always be the 81-85 lineup, Eldritch at his best will always be Floodland featuring (or not) Patricia. The best Goth Supergroup ever ala The Yardbirds is the Vision Thing lineup and Eldritch with some karaoke guitarists is what we got now.


Cheer up we got 4 bands for the price of 1 ! something for everyone although it would be nice to go out on a high, what would be The Sisters next dream team ?

Eldritch, Page, Waters and Minogue ?
(Jimmy, Roger and Kylie of course, not Elaine, John or Dannii)
Last edited by Vox on 18 Aug 2003, 17:25, edited 1 time in total.
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Padstar
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Vox wrote:
Padstar wrote:@ Snub Nose - Funny you should mention Bruhns "Comfortanly Numb" solos as my absolute favourate bootleg moment by the Sisters is that song, solo and the link into a stomping "Ribbons" from a Dec 93 gig from Birmingham NEC.

Paddy.
But the Comfortably Numb solo was straight out of the tab book from The Wall, mashed through a "make it simpler" filter and blended into SKOS, nice but Bruhn doesn't really deserve much kudos in my eyes and he struck me as looking "strained" many times live. Hats off to Dave Gilmour.
Really you cannot compare any of The Sisters guitarists with "the greats".
@ Vox, thats a fair point m8 actually, whilst i did come at that from the "Favourate bootleg moment" point of view, you are absolutely right :)

Infact i largely agree with everything youve said.

Paddy
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Vox
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[\quote]
@ Vox, thats a fair point m8 actually, whilst i did come at that from the "Favourate bootleg moment" point of view, you are absolutely right :)

Infact i largely agree with everything youve said.

Paddy[/quote]

All time favourite Sisters solo? Wayne doing Knockin' at The Royal Albert Hall, simple yet beautiful. A perfect way to say goodbye, Lemmy should never have talked Eldritch into doing the encores........
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Big Si
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Vox wrote:
Padstar wrote: @ Vox, thats a fair point m8 actually, whilst i did come at that from the "Favourate bootleg moment" point of view, you are absolutely right :)

Infact i largely agree with everything youve said.

Paddy
All time favourite Sisters solo? Wayne doing Knockin' at The Royal Albert Hall, simple yet beautiful. A perfect way to say goodbye, Lemmy should never have talked Eldritch into doing the encores........
I've got the encore on vid and I have to say those 3 songs they performed rocked 8) . You just gotta end a Sisters gig with Ghostrider/Louie Louie :D
Wyrd bið ful aræd...

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Big Si wrote:
Vox wrote:
Padstar wrote: @ Vox, thats a fair point m8 actually, whilst i did come at that from the "Favourate bootleg moment" point of view, you are absolutely right :)

Infact i largely agree with everything youve said.

Paddy
All time favourite Sisters solo? Wayne doing Knockin' at The Royal Albert Hall, simple yet beautiful. A perfect way to say goodbye, Lemmy should never have talked Eldritch into doing the encores........
I've got the encore on vid and I have to say those 3 songs they performed rocked 8) . You just gotta end a Sisters gig with Ghostrider/Louie Louie :D
That live version of Train is the best I've ever heard. Thought I do see your point mr Vox.
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Padstar wrote:Ive always found Adam and whoever boring.....

Who do you think deserves an honorable mention.... i always liked Tim Bricheno, but he lived down the road so im biased... Do you all think Hussey is a god ???? Is Marx rthe better writer??? and which geetar dude kicks ass live ?

Thoughts :)

Paddy
Marx deffo was the better writer.imo


I think you'd have kicked all their asses on geetar if they'd given you a chance, Paddy
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meckert
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Hmm.... the current guitarists are way too modest in terms of stage presence and play. Ok, TSOM songs are simple when it comes to playing them on guitar, but a good guitarist should experiment with them and make the guitars more interesting. The guitars sound too pre-programed. When I play with my band i always try to discover and introduce new concepts to already existing songs. Playing simple riffs and hand-mutting them all the time is just way too boring. Maybe Eldo doesn't give them any independence ??

The Marx/Hussey duo had always been more independent and they had a better scene-image. Also the riffs were more interesting, but this duo had always lack that essential (for me) heaviness.

In my opinion the best line up in terms of live sound and image was James-Bruhn-Bricheno. They were very "hard rockin'" dudes :-)
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