I respect Stone's songwriting contributions to this band

[Kevin Davis]

Stone is easily the best and most interesting guitar player in the band for my tastes.

Agreed. I love Mike's work with the band, but for the most part his solos don't do a ton for me with some big exceptions (All or None, NAIS, Immortality). His solos in stuff like Go and Comatose are fine, but it's almost like they're just another instrument propelling the song further into fervency, rather than a piece in their own right. Stone has this Neil Young meets Steve Cropper thing that I think is pretty cool.

Stone, along with Jeff and Matt, strikes me as being pretty consistent live. The only thing he does that doesn't make sense to me is sometimes he'll just fart out an ending to a song rather than properly finish it. He does it a lot on the ending of In Hiding, where he plays the first measure or two and then seems to say "ah, fuck it" and bails out.

There used to be details to songs on the 2000 tour that kind of became "lost" through time...little "licks" that Stone used to play that are now replaced by standard chords. I don't think he gives a fuck.

There is a version of "Insignificance" from Nashville in 2003 where Stone is just having a field day with little flourishes like that. Those were the days.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Stone is easily the best and most interesting guitar player in the band for my tastes.

Agreed. I love Mike's work with the band, but for the most part his solos don't do a ton for me with some big exceptions (All or None, NAIS, Immortality). His solos in stuff like Go and Comatose are fine, but it's almost like they're just another instrument propelling the song further into fervency, rather than a piece in their own right. Stone has this Neil Young meets Steve Cropper thing that I think is pretty cool.

Stone, along with Jeff and Matt, strikes me as being pretty consistent live. The only thing he does that doesn't make sense to me is sometimes he'll just fart out an ending to a song rather than properly finish it. He does it a lot on the ending of In Hiding, where he plays the first measure or two and then seems to say "ah, fuck it" and bails out.

There used to be details to songs on the 2000 tour that kind of became "lost" through time...little "licks" that Stone used to play that are now replaced by standard chords. I don't think he gives a fuck.

There is a version of "Insignificance" from Nashville in 2003 where Stone is just having a field day with little flourishes like that. Those were the days.

He also makes a mistake and then freaks the fuck out at the end of the West Palm Beach version of "Save You". One of the rare occasions where a mistake made for a better version.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Stone is easily the best and most interesting guitar player in the band for my tastes.

Agreed. I love Mike's work with the band, but for the most part his solos don't do a ton for me with some big exceptions (All or None, NAIS, Immortality). His solos in stuff like Go and Comatose are fine, but it's almost like they're just another instrument propelling the song further into fervency, rather than a piece in their own right. Stone has this Neil Young meets Steve Cropper thing that I think is pretty cool.

Stone, along with Jeff and Matt, strikes me as being pretty consistent live. The only thing he does that doesn't make sense to me is sometimes he'll just fart out an ending to a song rather than properly finish it. He does it a lot on the ending of In Hiding, where he plays the first measure or two and then seems to say "ah, fuck it" and bails out.

There used to be details to songs on the 2000 tour that kind of became "lost" through time...little "licks" that Stone used to play that are now replaced by standard chords. I don't think he gives a fuck.

There is a version of "Insignificance" from Nashville in 2003 where Stone is just having a field day with little flourishes like that. Those were the days.

He also makes a mistake and then freaks the fuck out at the end of the West Palm Beach version of "Save You". One of the rare occasions where a mistake made for a better version.

Ha. I vaguely remember this one

[Strat]

Stone is easily the best and most interesting guitar player in the band for my tastes.

Agreed. I love Mike's work with the band, but for the most part his solos don't do a ton for me with some big exceptions (All or None, NAIS, Immortality). His solos in stuff like Go and Comatose are fine, but it's almost like they're just another instrument propelling the song further into fervency, rather than a piece in their own right. Stone has this Neil Young meets Steve Cropper thing that I think is pretty cool.

Stone, along with Jeff and Matt, strikes me as being pretty consistent live. The only thing he does that doesn't make sense to me is sometimes he'll just fart out an ending to a song rather than properly finish it. He does it a lot on the ending of In Hiding, where he plays the first measure or two and then seems to say "ah, fuck it" and bails out.

There used to be details to songs on the 2000 tour that kind of became "lost" through time...little "licks" that Stone used to play that are now replaced by standard chords. I don't think he gives a fuck.

There is a version of "Insignificance" from Nashville in 2003 where Stone is just having a field day with little flourishes like that. Those were the days.

He also makes a mistake and then freaks the fuck out at the end of the West Palm Beach version of "Save You". One of the rare occasions where a mistake made for a better version.

Ha. I vaguely remember this one

I just watched the video. He defintienly screws up and delivers a nasty emotional solo to close out the last portion of the song. Rarely see stone so into it. he was on fire the entire song.

Man, what a band that was.

[bodysnatcher]

Agreed, though I've seen that from each member. I wonder how many things are getting sacrificed for speed.

A lot, I imagine. Your fingers can only go so fast. At least that's what I tell my wife.

[Norah]

Stone is easily the best and most interesting guitar player in the band for my tastes.

so much this

[VinylGuy]

Stone fuckin rules.

He is amazing live.

[wease]

Stone's the one guy in the band I could see myself hanging out with.

[Strat]

Stone hasn't done much on record for the past few :\

[joostone]

well, Stone did a lot on BS and LB. Lots of very interesting little guitar parts on LB.
But it's true that his songwriting contributions on those two are little..

[Strat]

well, Stone did a lot on BS and LB. Lots of very interesting little guitar parts on LB.
But it's true that his songwriting contributions on those two are little..

Yea, i do love the flourishes he brought to LB, really helped many of the songs including Sirens and Swallowed Whole.

[VinylGuy]

He is really good on Sirens.

[evenslow]

All of that is true but when one-time band leader and all-around awesome player Stone Gossard has been reduced to something of a session player that accents the music, you've taken a wrong turn somewhere.

[VinylGuy]

All of that is true but when one-time band leader and all-around awesome player Stone Gossard has been reduced to something of a session player that accents the music, you've taken a wrong turn somewhere.

I dont feel he is been reduced to that at all.

[evenslow]

All of that is true but when one-time band leader and all-around awesome player Stone Gossard has been reduced to something of a session player that accents the music, you've taken a wrong turn somewhere.

I dont feel he is been reduced to that at all.

The only songs he really wrote on Backspacer: Amongst the Waves, Supersonic
The only songs he really wrote on Lightning Bolt: Let the Records Play and a co-write on Infallible/Pendulum.

Maybe it's his fault for not using some of the Moonlander compositions with PJ. Or maybe it's the band's fault for not immediately responding to those demos. Whatever, we need more Stone.

[LoathedVermin72]

giving more control to the guy who wrote ltrp can only have a negative effect

[LoathedVermin72]

lol

[VinylGuy]

All of that is true but when one-time band leader and all-around awesome player Stone Gossard has been reduced to something of a session player that accents the music, you've taken a wrong turn somewhere.

I dont feel he is been reduced to that at all.

The only songs he really wrote on Backspacer: Amongst the Waves, Supersonic
The only songs he really wrote on Lightning Bolt: Let the Records Play and a co-write on Infallible/Pendulum.

Maybe it's his fault for not using some of the Moonlander compositions with PJ. Or maybe it's the band's fault for not immediately responding to those demos. Whatever, we need more Stone.

He also has a credit in The Fixer and Johnny Guitar, Infallible and Pendulum, and he is actually doing very interesting things in both albums...he is one of the defenders of Backspacer....i see him very pleased with whats happening with the band these days. More than in the Vitalogy or No Code era.

[evenslow]

giving more control to the guy who wrote ltrp can only have a negative effect

It's really baffling to me that that's a Stone song.

[evenslow]

Whatever Stone was drinking circa Yield, I'm happy to buy him again.

No Way
Do the Evolution
In Hiding
All Those Yesterdays