Great player and Eric has been a friend since 1979 ✅ Most folks don’t know that Guitar was his 2nd instrument. He’s a Classically trained pianist. His inspiration of guitar voicing and inversions are all based of Piano structures… That’s what makes Eric so unique ✅ Such a great player and wonderful person 🎸
I saw him live at antones with Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon they were on a bill with Chris Duarte as the showcase artist when , my way down came out great at a small club setting.
He makes it look easy! I feel like i can do this... Maybe after a year or two of heavy practicing! Just got to save up to buy a decent guitar then i'm golden!
i was in a great band in the late 70s in Houston, and every guitar player in Texas damn near would be in the little clubs watching Eric in amazement...wed look at each other smiling..knowing our lives had changed forever.
The first time I heard Cliffs of Dover, I was sold. There is nobody else that plays like Eric does for my ears. So clean, so smooth, and very unique to his own sound.
I was in high school and some guy had the tape heard it, lost my ish, pick my guitar again, never looked back. The best tone, melodies, chord embellishments. Just plain dope
Brannen Temple on drums, Roscoe Beck on bass, this specific version of Manhattan is, without a doubt, one of the greatest achievements in the history of music... I've been listening to it for over 20 years and it never ceases to amaze me. There is so much art, soul and technic going on, simply amazing. Thank you for your video!
I was a metalhead and then watching this DVD made me want a strat.. and develop the ability to produce some of these tones. It's very unique but in such a beautiful way. This, SRV and Trademark are my three favourite songs from him. If you want to decode it.. Rick Graham's Lick Library DVD does a great job. But those are based on the album versions.. the live versions are something else entirely. He always improvises and changes things. This G3 1997 video is the best version of Manhattan I've ever heard. Shout out to Rick Graham for being one of the only teachers in the world who has the ability to teach this style. Sliding octave riffs, the SRV strum technique (strumming all 6 strings and muting with the left hand), hybrid picking with thumb over the neck for bass notes and picking the bass notes while finger picking the treble notes at the same time.. Pentatonic 5's during solos.. weird arpeggios.. the way he ascends and descends is so wierd and unique.. there's so much to it.. and most of all.. such a pure tone. It comes from the fingers but the amp and pickups help too. Great stuff..
One of my favourites. Eric is a genius. I was smiling at the fact you didn’t know where to start, which was just like my first reaction. I’ve watched it loads since.
He is so good..... and a huge shout out to his playing on Rick Beato's "what if" video on stairway to heaven.... quite possibly the best guitar performance on youtube
Man, that violin tone just melts me every time I hear it- that's the best description I have for it- violin tone. It's just as warm and soft as a violin and yet it's not overly compressed- and his clean tone is nothing to shake a stick at either. It's not as famous as his lead tone but- listen to it, it's beautiful. The only person I ever heard play that I thought rivaled his ability to just saturate every note with feeling, meaning, and emotion is Via. Imo Steve has mastered the ability to ring every single spec of feeling emotion out of a note- just completely turn it upside and shake out its pockets. But Eric is right there with him- both are unbelievable musicians.
Manhattan is one of his most soulful songs in his catalog. I can't really play it and do it any real justice much less create such a brilliant piece of music. My hats off to eric!!
This G3 video introduced me to Eric and then I heard “Cliffs of Dover”. Amazing. He reminds me of Wes Montgomery, who employed his thumb, instead of a pick. Eric once composed a song, “East Wes”. It had to be dedicated to him, it sounded like the way Wes played.
I was born raised and live in Texas. I’ve seen Eric live many times. He’s fat and away the best player from the many guitar monsters Texas has produced. You just have to enjoy what Eric does. There’s not another player on the planet that does what he does.
@@scottmccaig6185 i doubt srv could play this and cliffs of dover but eric could play all srv songs ill leave it at that. music isnt a competition anyway they are diffent styles
For a long time, I felt like Eddie Van Halen’s tone was the epitome of electric guitar. For me, I think that is now Eric Johnson IMHO. Incredible tone.
In the UK here. It took me 10 years to get a copy of Tones back then. Sooo amazing a player. I agree that his pure violin tone is just something else… almost euphoric.
Eric just makes that guitar sing. Pure magic. He used to play at Cheatham St Warehouse in San Marcos Texas. A few college kids would try to dance, give up, sit down and just listen, because they had never heard anything like it!
That's Eric at his absolute pinnacle. He still plays that song now, but it doesn't come close to this version as far as precision. It's cool to see a great player like you to be just as amazed by it as I am.
His reaction to the video at 13:48 is the same as mine most of the time when I listen to or watch Eric play. Just about flawless! That's why I guess he's my favorite guitar player. I've seen him live many times and it never gets old!
He's incredible. I remember seeing him in NYC a few years ago, and your description is spot on. The confusion set in once it ended and we all left in silence. It was as if he'd found new notes on the guitar or something.
Eric used to be the opening act for the Dixie Dregs. Steve Morse once said in an interview that getting on stage and playing after Eric was not easy. A LOT of pressure. That's how good this guy is.
I hold Eric Johnson an Larry Carlton to be twins separated by decades. So smooth and agile, not to mention precise. Both have such beautiful phrasing and incredible note choice.
What makes Eric so unique is that he transcends the instrument. Very few players are able to do it, Steve Vai, Van Halen, and Beck to mention some. Make you as a listener, forget that such a sound came from the guitar itself.
Yes!! I first saw this when I was 14 and fell on love with everything with this song and performance. I started trying to learn this at the beginning of lockdown in 2020. It’s very very hard!!
I was very fortunate to have seen him many, many times at a Houston bar with The Electromagnets. It was very cool to sit 6 feet from him and watch him perform night after night. He truly is an extremely remarkable guitarist!
Eric is just incredible. I love his tone and his style. Everything he does is so clean. And I love the way he chooses all the chords over the neck for the perfect sound. I have this DVD and this is my favourite track of his. He has inspired me so much how to write beautiful melodies and harmonies over the years. I'm so happy you finally reacted to one of his stuff, especially this one. Thanks again for a great reaction video! ❤
Another great Video Michael. I’m also amazed you didn’t do an Eric Johnson video. What a unique player he is. Such a huge spectrum of style and music influence. He’s one player who is just impossible to imitate. He does things that sound simple and approachable but when you analyse,playing like he does is really hard to do. Manhattan is an example of this. The intro playing is way harder to perfect than he makes it seem. Keep up the amazing work Micheal and Happy Easter.
15 years ago I would spend night and day trying to learn his stuff. I got to a point where I could play half of his catalog pretty well. Tablature books were a must for me to get it down. Learning Manhattan was challenging but very rewarding, especially getting the ending sequence down without mistake. Venus Isle is my favorite record with Ah Via Musicom a close second. The Tones album also has some cool jams. The stuff Eric did with The Electromagnets was ok but not my cup of tea. Now that I think about it I have all his albums lol. Great vid Michael!
E.J is a master of the guitar. He's definitely my all time favorite guitarist. Soo smooth and precise that it's almost inhuman to be able to play that good. He and the guitar are as one.
I have been listening to Eric since around 1992-93 and I just can never get enough and this is one of my favorite songs of all, what more can I say. Thanks so much for taking us on this wonderful journey.
I used to work in a mostly jazz club in Fort Worth, TX and Eric would come and play a few times a year. I got to see him play multiple shows on three trips through. He NEVER missed a lick on stage and was the nicest prince of a guy off stage.
This is my favorite breakdown I’ve seen yet. You… the look of amazement and bewilderment on your face… and your humility… you had me laughing along with you because I totally get it. I think we all get it. This performance is incredible. I think maybe watching this video with your comments made me appreciate how spectacular Eric Johnson’s skill is even more than I previously thought… and your sincere reaction made me appreciate you more as well. Well done, Michael. I just subscribed.
I'm not a guitarist. Don't own one, can't play one, but the first time I saw this video I was left with my jaw dropped! You're SO right, Michael, about his precision and ease. These were exactly whatI was thinking. Its a masterful piece at all levels.
I read an interview where eric said it took him a pretty good while to be able to play it live. But damn what an amazing song and tone and....well you know already!
Yeah he's amazing. What's cool to watch from his live performances is how well he keeps the melodic themes of the recorded versions of these songs but then does these incredible improvisations and embellishments that weave in and out of the written parts
Eric Johnson - when utter perfection simply isn't enough.... I still remember listening to "Tones" for the first time back in 1986. And "Ah Via Musicom" in 1990. And simply being flabbergasted by both. So. Much. TONE!!!! I've seen and read interviews over the years, and he just strikes me as a guy who simply demands the best from himself, and absolutely enjoys making it happen. He'll always want to be a better player. Side note - I absolutely *loved* seeing Mike just surrender, just like the rest of us have when trying one of Eric's songs for the first time.
You're right Michael, his rhythm section is dope. You can hear the bassist suggest things to Eric and offer him stuff to paint with. I heard someone describe Eric one time as "your favorite guitarist's favorite guitarist." Thanks for the upload and breakdown!
Great vid very enjoyable thanks for sharing the wonderous instrument guitar 🎸 and all the study it brings and deserves so much, Eric Johnson is amazing I love that tune
Awesome video Michael, EJ is like you said-just a different level completely. Another cool thing about him as I have met him 2x is he is very friendly and humble considering what an absolute monster player he is. Thanks for doing this video on him!
I've said since the day the song came out, the album version of the solo to Manhattan is the best, most lyrical guitar solo ever recorded. It ticks all the boxes; tone, speed/chops, melodic beauty and modal ingenuity. It's hard to think of Eric Johnson as underrated, but in a world where so many people are in love with flashier players like Vai & Satriani - both amazing players, to be sure - I feel like Johnson doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's the most musically rounded guitar god out there.
Join the club Michael. I'm a guitar player from the Houston area and the first time I saw him I was a working musician in 1982 and the guy who built my guitars, Rick Becker, told me one day "We gotta go to Rockefeller's tonight to hear this guy named Eric Johnson from Austin. My friends in Austin say he's amazing". I said sure, let's go. $5 later I'm inside Rockefeller's (holds about 200 guys) and I look around the room and every damn person in the room is a musician that I know personally from all over East Texas. Eric comes out and absolutely DESTROYED the place. Every single song (most of them never published even to this day) get's a standing ovation and a room full of people shaking their heads in disbelief. Over the next 7 or 8 years I saw him more than 20 times. His "Tones" album came out and it was a HUGE disappointment. The producer didn't come close to capturing Eric's power or tone. Anyway, after that first time at Rockefellers I decided to go to college and become an Engineer. I'm not kidding. How can you compete with this guy who just blew away a whole room of players and he looks like he's about 20 years old (he was actually about 28 years old). Forget it, I give up. Just like you did at the end of this video. He is so far ahead of anyone else I had ever seen, why bother. Just go get a real job and admire from afar. Nuff said.... lover the videos Michael.
His tone is just Butter.. like that dripping off a freshly cracked Crab Leg on date night with the lady. Beautiful! Great breakdown Mike! I could listen to that tone forever, even still.
I can remember back in the 90s I had a friend that made neon in a little storage unit down at south Lamar and airport Blvd in Austin. Where Eric also had his practice room. He would spend hours practicing one lick until it was perfect. The man is very devoted to his craft.
This video brings me back. I think this was the first Eric Johnson vid I ever saw when I was first getting into that real virtuosic instrumental player thing
This very performance was my introduction to Eric. Everyone talks about Cliffs of Dover, but that came later for me. This performance was so immaculate. I have never heard a performance of this track before or since that is this level of perfection. A virtuoso at his very peak.
The version he played with Mike Stern at Blue Note years ago was a fun listen because both guys use that chorus/delay effect in different ways and that was new to me when I discovered them. Stern taught me how to play MSMW's 'A Go Go', and it blew me away to see how such a simple vamp could be extrapolated so wildly. Highly recommend looking into his stuff- there's a reason he got to play with Miles back in the day!
I’ve been in love with this performance for over 20 years. I tried to play it when I was younger but couldn’t even get close. It would be fun to circle back around now that I’ve matured a bit as a player. EJ is just a monster player and by all accounts super nice guy. Thanks for taking a look. It’s fun to see this again. Maybe this will be my fall project. I can see how close I can get these days.
Nice reaction to my favorite guitarist. I was actually surprised to see you have such difficulty getting a handle on this because you usually get players styles down pat real quick. You're amazing at that. This particular performance was during G3 in 1996. I live in Texas and didn't see him live for the first time tell 2001 when I was 20. He totally blew my mind with his tone and phrasing and his improv. Talk about a guy who never plays his song the exact same way each time unlike Satriani another favorite of mine. I incorporate much of his style of phrasing and soloing into my own playing because I always though it was the coolest. I've seen him many times since.
As a self taught guitar player I gave up a long time ago trying to learn his songs, I just enjoy them now. Watching him play, I cannot help but focus on the dexterity of his fretting pinky finger.
Your opinion as a professional musician carries weight. "Prepare for impact" ... "soul crushing" ... loved watching your facial expression while EJ wove his magic. I remember the first time I saw him play live at a little dive bar in Charleston SC (Myskins?) in the early 80's. In between the sets, Eric sat down on the edge of the stage (guitar in hand) and fielded questions from the aspiring musicians in the crowd. Demonstrated chord fingerings, progressions, runs, etc. all in slo-mo. One of the most humble artists you'll ever meet. I heard a rumor that his roadies called him "Ear-ache" ...lol! I'm a Dixie Dregs/Steve Morse fan since 1978. Eric Johnson and his music is a VERY close second (more like 1a/1b). Just depends upon my listening/playing along mood at the time. Some Dregs stuff I can play along to. EJ... nothing! 😅 Love your content!!!
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Great player and Eric has been a friend since 1979 ✅ Most folks don’t know that Guitar was his 2nd instrument. He’s a Classically trained pianist. His inspiration of guitar voicing and inversions are all based of Piano structures… That’s what makes Eric so unique ✅ Such a great player and wonderful person 🎸
you're friends with him?
Interesting
I saw him live at antones with Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon they were on a bill with Chris Duarte as the showcase artist when , my way down came out great at a small club setting.
@@kennethmeeker6369 I love Chris Duarte and that album! Seems like he hasn't released much since.
His approach to chords makes a lot more sense knowing his first instrument is piano.
"Soul crushing" you said, I get that. Eric is so smooth, he's done the work it takes, he is inspirational and fantastic.
I also liked “confused”
He makes it look easy! I feel like i can do this... Maybe after a year or two of heavy practicing! Just got to save up to buy a decent guitar then i'm golden!
Andy Timmons told me face to face that Eric was his favorite guitarist on planet earth.
his guitar tone might be the best live tone of all time in my mind. there's something transcendent about it
Eric the man who can accurately tell you what brand of battery is in your pedal.
This G3 performance solidified this as my favorite EJ song, back in high school.
i was in a great band in the late 70s in Houston, and every guitar player in Texas damn near would be in the little clubs watching Eric in amazement...wed look at each other smiling..knowing our lives had changed forever.
EJ’s fingers just KNOW the way home..!!! And he stops to smell the flowers along the way…!! His playing is just….aaaaaaahhhhhh…❤️
The master of tasteful, melodic, harmonic invention, he just traverses the entire neck, and wrings such tone from his guitar, always been a fan.
The first time I heard Cliffs of Dover, I was sold. There is nobody else that plays like Eric does for my ears. So clean, so smooth, and very unique to his own sound.
BTW, this G3 version sounds KILLER on a great stereo.
I was in high school and some guy had the tape heard it, lost my ish, pick my guitar again, never looked back. The best tone, melodies, chord embellishments. Just plain dope
EJ is a genius no doubt, but gotta give it up to Roscoe Beck for the harmonic contributions from his bass, as well.
Roscoe is amazing. That was such a great lineup. Hope Roscoe is on the G3 tour again.
Indeed! 👍
How good is EJ's harmonic sense? Total command of his instrument.
He's not of this world!
And he's so fluid. Everything he does seems seamless.
You remind me of me. Out of your depth.
perfectly said bro
Erick for me is the best guy who carries a spectacular clean in his timbre and a genius fuzz overdrive
Such a beautiful live performance by EJ. What tone! There's a lifetime's worth of lessons in that one song!
I love when you just looked at the camera and shook your head. Eric is a quiet monster
Brannen Temple on drums, Roscoe Beck on bass, this specific version of Manhattan is, without a doubt, one of the greatest achievements in the history of music... I've been listening to it for over 20 years and it never ceases to amaze me. There is so much art, soul and technic going on, simply amazing. Thank you for your video!
Absolutely! That is Eric at his absolute best. The whole band was absolutely legendary.
Venus Isle is an amazing record. Incredible songwriting and solos on there.
I was a metalhead and then watching this DVD made me want a strat.. and develop the ability to produce some of these tones. It's very unique but in such a beautiful way. This, SRV and Trademark are my three favourite songs from him.
If you want to decode it.. Rick Graham's Lick Library DVD does a great job. But those are based on the album versions.. the live versions are something else entirely. He always improvises and changes things. This G3 1997 video is the best version of Manhattan I've ever heard. Shout out to Rick Graham for being one of the only teachers in the world who has the ability to teach this style. Sliding octave riffs, the SRV strum technique (strumming all 6 strings and muting with the left hand), hybrid picking with thumb over the neck for bass notes and picking the bass notes while finger picking the treble notes at the same time.. Pentatonic 5's during solos.. weird arpeggios.. the way he ascends and descends is so wierd and unique.. there's so much to it.. and most of all.. such a pure tone. It comes from the fingers but the amp and pickups help too. Great stuff..
Check out Andy Wood, he is also a great EJ analyst & player extraordinaire!
One of my favourites. Eric is a genius. I was smiling at the fact you didn’t know where to start, which was just like my first reaction. I’ve watched it loads since.
He is so good..... and a huge shout out to his playing on Rick Beato's "what if" video on stairway to heaven.... quite possibly the best guitar performance on youtube
Unbelievable guitarist. A master of his craft!
This is a way of life. Imagine how much time you would need to learn this and how much more to stay proficient.
Nice one, man. Nobody out there like Eric. Sounds like a violin, a clarinet, a piano, and the heart always comes through
Man, that violin tone just melts me every time I hear it- that's the best description I have for it- violin tone. It's just as warm and soft as a violin and yet it's not overly compressed- and his clean tone is nothing to shake a stick at either. It's not as famous as his lead tone but- listen to it, it's beautiful. The only person I ever heard play that I thought rivaled his ability to just saturate every note with feeling, meaning, and emotion is Via. Imo Steve has mastered the ability to ring every single spec of feeling emotion out of a note- just completely turn it upside and shake out its pockets. But Eric is right there with him- both are unbelievable musicians.
Manhattan is one of his most soulful songs in his catalog. I can't really play it and do it any real justice much less create such a brilliant piece of music. My hats off to eric!!
This G3 video introduced me to Eric and then I heard “Cliffs of Dover”.
Amazing.
He reminds me of Wes Montgomery, who employed his thumb, instead of a pick. Eric once composed a song, “East Wes”. It had to be dedicated to him, it sounded like the way Wes played.
It was dedicated to - and inspired by - Wes Montgomery.
I was born raised and live in Texas. I’ve seen Eric live many times. He’s fat and away the best player from the many guitar monsters Texas has produced. You just have to enjoy what Eric does. There’s not another player on the planet that does what he does.
I totally agree - but - I wouldn’t say he’s Fat! Jes’ sayin’! Love TX!
Love EJ, but don’t know if I would put him above SRV
@@scottmccaig6185 i doubt srv could play this and cliffs of dover but eric could play all srv songs ill leave it at that. music isnt a competition anyway they are diffent styles
@@scottmccaig6185 Ej is clearly the more talented player .... Stevie had more hits tho ✌️✌️
@@RUARI-mi1yt Couldn't agree with you more. Well put.
For a long time, I felt like Eddie Van Halen’s tone was the epitome of electric guitar.
For me, I think that is now Eric Johnson IMHO. Incredible tone.
Got to grow up in an incredible time for guitar. 54 and retired now, 45 yrs playing. Always and forever a student.
In the UK here. It took me 10 years to get a copy of Tones back then. Sooo amazing a player. I agree that his pure violin tone is just something else… almost euphoric.
Eric just makes that guitar sing. Pure magic. He used to play at Cheatham St Warehouse in San Marcos Texas. A few college kids would try to dance, give up, sit down and just listen, because they had never heard anything like it!
I am not a musician but I love listening to Michael's in depth reactions. Especially Eric Johnson ----I have Eric's 1990 AH VIA MUSICOM cassett tape!
That's Eric at his absolute pinnacle. He still plays that song now, but it doesn't come close to this version as far as precision. It's cool to see a great player like you to be just as amazed by it as I am.
His reaction to the video at 13:48 is the same as mine most of the time when I listen to or watch Eric play. Just about flawless! That's why I guess he's my favorite guitar player. I've seen him live many times and it never gets old!
At 7:00 too !!!!
He's incredible. I remember seeing him in NYC a few years ago, and your description is spot on. The confusion set in once it ended and we all left in silence. It was as if he'd found new notes on the guitar or something.
You haven’t even stopped the video yet, and I have to comment on how quickly and easily he “stores” the pick, then brings it back…
Eric used to be the opening act for the Dixie Dregs. Steve Morse once said in an interview that getting on stage and playing after Eric was not easy. A LOT of pressure. That's how good this guy is.
I hold Eric Johnson an Larry Carlton to be twins separated by decades. So smooth and agile, not to mention precise. Both have such beautiful phrasing and incredible note choice.
What makes Eric so unique is that he transcends the instrument. Very few players are able to do it, Steve Vai, Van Halen, and Beck to mention some. Make you as a listener, forget that such a sound came from the guitar itself.
Yes!! I first saw this when I was 14 and fell on love with everything with this song and performance. I started trying to learn this at the beginning of lockdown in 2020. It’s very very hard!!
I was very fortunate to have seen him many, many times at a Houston bar with The Electromagnets. It was very cool to sit 6 feet from him and watch him perform night after night. He truly is an extremely remarkable guitarist!
His best song by far, g3 version is special
Eric is just incredible. I love his tone and his style. Everything he does is so clean. And I love the way he chooses all the chords over the neck for the perfect sound. I have this DVD and this is my favourite track of his. He has inspired me so much how to write beautiful melodies and harmonies over the years. I'm so happy you finally reacted to one of his stuff, especially this one. Thanks again for a great reaction video! ❤
EJ is the best guitarist in the world imo. He never gets the credit he deserves. A true virtuoso and an amazing person.
Another great Video Michael. I’m also amazed you didn’t do an Eric Johnson video. What a unique player he is. Such a huge spectrum of style and music influence. He’s one player who is just impossible to imitate. He does things that sound simple and approachable but when you analyse,playing like he does is really hard to do. Manhattan is an example of this. The intro playing is way harder to perfect than he makes it seem. Keep up the amazing work Micheal and Happy Easter.
15 years ago I would spend night and day trying to learn his stuff. I got to a point where I could play half of his catalog pretty well. Tablature books were a must for me to get it down. Learning Manhattan was challenging but very rewarding, especially getting the ending sequence down without mistake. Venus Isle is my favorite record with Ah Via Musicom a close second. The Tones album also has some cool jams. The stuff Eric did with The Electromagnets was ok but not my cup of tea. Now that I think about it I have all his albums lol. Great vid Michael!
Hats off to you for being able to get any of EJ's music down. It must've taken tremendous dedication. 🥂
E.J is a master of the guitar. He's definitely my all time favorite guitarist. Soo smooth and precise that it's almost inhuman to be able to play that good. He and the guitar are as one.
02:33 is such a fresh take on a common phrase, sounds so otherwordly just through the slight shift in timing
I have been listening to Eric since around 1992-93 and I just can never get enough and this is one of my favorite songs of all, what more can I say. Thanks so much for taking us on this wonderful journey.
My favorite EJ song, I had done it for my audition into Berklee. Really tasteful work especially once you dig in, purely sublime *chef's kiss*
I used to work in a mostly jazz club in Fort Worth, TX and Eric would come and play a few times a year. I got to see him play multiple shows on three trips through. He NEVER missed a lick on stage and was the nicest prince of a guy off stage.
EJ has such a unique smooth tone and a control over his instrument which make it mesmerizing to watch/listen
This is my favorite breakdown I’ve seen yet. You… the look of amazement and bewilderment on your face… and your humility… you had me laughing along with you because I totally get it. I think we all get it. This performance is incredible. I think maybe watching this video with your comments made me appreciate how spectacular Eric Johnson’s skill is even more than I previously thought… and your sincere reaction made me appreciate you more as well. Well done, Michael. I just subscribed.
I love the reaction to this video! haha EJ is such a masterful artist
I'm not a guitarist. Don't own one, can't play one, but the first time I saw this video I was left with my jaw dropped! You're SO right, Michael, about his precision and ease. These were exactly whatI was thinking. Its a masterful piece at all levels.
Eris's fingers and punctuation is so precise. Hit body clock is perfect
I read an interview where eric said it took him a pretty good while to be able to play it live. But damn what an amazing song and tone and....well you know already!
First time I've heard this piece. Very smooth! Just goes to show the man's versatility. It just doesn't get any better. All good wishes.
Yeah he's amazing. What's cool to watch from his live performances is how well he keeps the melodic themes of the recorded versions of these songs but then does these incredible improvisations and embellishments that weave in and out of the written parts
Eric Johnson - when utter perfection simply isn't enough....
I still remember listening to "Tones" for the first time back in 1986. And "Ah Via Musicom" in 1990. And simply being flabbergasted by both. So. Much. TONE!!!! I've seen and read interviews over the years, and he just strikes me as a guy who simply demands the best from himself, and absolutely enjoys making it happen. He'll always want to be a better player.
Side note - I absolutely *loved* seeing Mike just surrender, just like the rest of us have when trying one of Eric's songs for the first time.
Great reaction! I remember that performance, and I was always blown away by it. Eric was at his very best back then. Absolutely legendary.👏👏🔥🔥
Michael - Love your work. Such an awesome channel that brings a smile every time.
"Great economy of movement", didn't know there was such a perfect way to explain the greatness of EJ's guitar playing! He makes it look effortless
13:43 Exactly what I thought when I saw the video title. Good stuff, Michael.
You're right Michael, his rhythm section is dope. You can hear the bassist suggest things to Eric and offer him stuff to paint with. I heard someone describe Eric one time as "your favorite guitarist's favorite guitarist." Thanks for the upload and breakdown!
I saw Eric Johnson live in Toronto back in 2020 before all the lockdowns. Man, what a master of the Guitar, he was so precise and fun to watch!
Great vid very enjoyable thanks for sharing the wonderous instrument guitar 🎸 and all the study it brings and deserves so much, Eric Johnson is amazing I love that tune
Props to Satch and Vai for taking this monster on the road with them.
Thank you Michael, your faces made laugh so much haha!! Eric is like that hahaha smooth operator!
7:13 Michael's reaction = priceless!🤟
Couple of my buddys saw him in the late 80s / early 90s … one of my buddies “ RIP Tim “ cried … lol
Like a knife sliding through butter... Fkn incredible. L•E•G•E•N•D•A•R•Y
Eric is a wiseman in league of guitarist
Eric is one of a kind, just unique, like all of the greats are. Love your commentary.
Awesome video Michael, EJ is like you said-just a different level completely. Another cool thing about him as I have met him 2x is he is very friendly and humble considering what an absolute monster player he is. Thanks for doing this video on him!
I've said since the day the song came out, the album version of the solo to Manhattan is the best, most lyrical guitar solo ever recorded. It ticks all the boxes; tone, speed/chops, melodic beauty and modal ingenuity. It's hard to think of Eric Johnson as underrated, but in a world where so many people are in love with flashier players like Vai & Satriani - both amazing players, to be sure - I feel like Johnson doesn't get the credit he deserves. He's the most musically rounded guitar god out there.
Great assessment of EJ. Your reaction mimics the way I felt the first time I heard him!
Join the club Michael. I'm a guitar player from the Houston area and the first time I saw him I was a working musician in 1982 and the guy who built my guitars, Rick Becker, told me one day "We gotta go to Rockefeller's tonight to hear this guy named Eric Johnson from Austin. My friends in Austin say he's amazing". I said sure, let's go. $5 later I'm inside Rockefeller's (holds about 200 guys) and I look around the room and every damn person in the room is a musician that I know personally from all over East Texas. Eric comes out and absolutely DESTROYED the place. Every single song (most of them never published even to this day) get's a standing ovation and a room full of people shaking their heads in disbelief. Over the next 7 or 8 years I saw him more than 20 times. His "Tones" album came out and it was a HUGE disappointment. The producer didn't come close to capturing Eric's power or tone. Anyway, after that first time at Rockefellers I decided to go to college and become an Engineer. I'm not kidding. How can you compete with this guy who just blew away a whole room of players and he looks like he's about 20 years old (he was actually about 28 years old). Forget it, I give up. Just like you did at the end of this video. He is so far ahead of anyone else I had ever seen, why bother. Just go get a real job and admire from afar. Nuff said.... lover the videos Michael.
His tone is just Butter.. like that dripping off a freshly cracked Crab Leg on date night with the lady. Beautiful! Great breakdown Mike! I could listen to that tone forever, even still.
When you are on such awe that you just keep listening with a smile on your face.
Teacher flabbergasted. What I learned is this man is WAY out of his league, soorrreèe michael
Thank you for doing one on EJ… so good! One of my faves and fun to see your reaction
I can remember back in the 90s I had a friend that made neon in a little storage unit down at south Lamar and airport Blvd in Austin. Where Eric also had his practice room. He would spend hours practicing one lick until it was perfect. The man is very devoted to his craft.
Been in love with this forever,
This video brings me back. I think this was the first Eric Johnson vid I ever saw when I was first getting into that real virtuosic instrumental player thing
This very performance was my introduction to Eric. Everyone talks about Cliffs of Dover, but that came later for me. This performance was so immaculate. I have never heard a performance of this track before or since that is this level of perfection. A virtuoso at his very peak.
Beautiful playing 👍🎸always loved this EJ tune!
The version he played with Mike Stern at Blue Note years ago was a fun listen because both guys use that chorus/delay effect in different ways and that was new to me when I discovered them. Stern taught me how to play MSMW's 'A Go Go', and it blew me away to see how such a simple vamp could be extrapolated so wildly. Highly recommend looking into his stuff- there's a reason he got to play with Miles back in the day!
I’ve been in love with this performance for over 20 years. I tried to play it when I was younger but couldn’t even get close. It would be fun to circle back around now that I’ve matured a bit as a player. EJ is just a monster player and by all accounts super nice guy. Thanks for taking a look. It’s fun to see this again. Maybe this will be my fall project. I can see how close I can get these days.
Eric Johnson has his own signature sound. All the greats do.
Nice reaction to my favorite guitarist. I was actually surprised to see you have such difficulty getting a handle on this because you usually get players styles down pat real quick. You're amazing at that. This particular performance was during G3 in 1996. I live in Texas and didn't see him live for the first time tell 2001 when I was 20. He totally blew my mind with his tone and phrasing and his improv. Talk about a guy who never plays his song the exact same way each time unlike Satriani another favorite of mine. I incorporate much of his style of phrasing and soloing into my own playing because I always though it was the coolest. I've seen him many times since.
what chance have us mere mortals, when even Mike is gobsmacked...soul crushing indeed.
I wore that vhs tape of G3 out in HS. Joe, Steve, and Eric still my favorite G3 lineup
Hello Michael, Your commentary on Eric's playing was so very good. That's quite a song. Thank you
As a self taught guitar player I gave up a long time ago trying to learn his songs, I just enjoy them now. Watching him play, I cannot help but focus on the dexterity of his fretting pinky finger.
Your reaction at 12:54 is me most of the time. HAHAHAhahaha. "soul crushing". Love the realness and honesty. I'll keep practicing .
“It’s so............”? It’s so good!!! You have a knack for being able to accurately articulate your viewers thoughts. Great job!
The whole band is just at another level. The bassist Roscoe is such a masterful musician
A fav! Thanks!
Eric Johnson is amazing and his band is amazing.
Your opinion as a professional musician carries weight. "Prepare for impact" ... "soul crushing" ... loved watching your facial expression while EJ wove his magic. I remember the first time I saw him play live at a little dive bar in Charleston SC (Myskins?) in the early 80's. In between the sets, Eric sat down on the edge of the stage (guitar in hand) and fielded questions from the aspiring musicians in the crowd. Demonstrated chord fingerings, progressions, runs, etc. all in slo-mo. One of the most humble artists you'll ever meet. I heard a rumor that his roadies called him "Ear-ache" ...lol! I'm a Dixie Dregs/Steve Morse fan since 1978. Eric Johnson and his music is a VERY close second (more like 1a/1b). Just depends upon my listening/playing along mood at the time. Some Dregs stuff I can play along to. EJ... nothing! 😅
Love your content!!!