ShadowSanctum - 3-27-2004 at 08:34 PM
I've been listening to an experimental/avantegarde guitarist named David Torn recently and noticed under his equipment list was a Najarian
Electric Oud. I listened to a song recorded by his current project Splattercell with some terrific playing on the Najarian. Do any of you have any
info about these or any other electric ouds for that matter?
Thanks.
Oh, here's a link to the mp3 of the song he used the Najarian on if you'd like to hear it.
The song is called "Wake Up And Smell The Corpses"
ShadowSanctum - 3-27-2004 at 08:35 PM
whoops...forgot to throw the link in there...lol 
http://www.geocities.com/splattercell/oah.html
billkilpatrick - 4-4-2004 at 01:10 PM
i ain't listening to anything entitled "wake up and smell the corpses"...
but on the whole i think there are some instruments that shouldn't be amplified with electric pick-ups and the oud is one of them.
the reason is not some deep-seeded, luddite-like loathing of all things modern but rather a proper consideration for the intimate sound of strings
resonating over a wooden chamber. each oud sounds different and is subject to such subtle changes - both objective and subjective - that i feel
it's a real shame to hammer it all out into a homogenious, synthetic electric sound.
playing near a microphone is bad enough but that's the listeners problem, not mine. what we hear when we buy a cd is only an approximation of
what the oud sounds like "live."
to me it's like shouting at people to shut up. wouldn't it be better to play for people who go out of their way to listen?
tante bene cose - bill
l0/04 - i listened to the piece and there's no doubt, it's good. i also appreciate that having access to an electric oud will help free it
from its middle eastern context and i'm all for that - it's a dynamic, vivacious instrument and it deserves a wider recognition.
but...
just because it makes sense to do so and just because someone plays well on it doesn't make it desirable.
nadir - 4-5-2004 at 10:30 AM
I agree that "Wake up and smell the corpses" was a little too gothic to represent the intimacy and romanticism the oud holds. And the oud is
not meant to be used in heavy metal rock music either, it's a romantic instrument, not something to generate anger...
However, I don't mind the fact that the oud has also gone electrical... it's a pleasant change.
Interesting
LeeVaris - 4-5-2004 at 11:09 AM
Well...
I liked it... I think the title is perhaps a put-off more than the music. Electrified oud has its own voice, totally valid for the way it was played
here!
Its not arabic or turkish but that don't mean it ain't good - personally I prefer Anour Brahem's version of modern oud to David Torn
but I think David's playing here was very expressive. Nothing wrong with a little variety- a lot more could be done with the oud in this
direction. David's playing is very guitaristic – it would be very interesting to see what would happen with a little more advanced risha
technique.('
'
Douglas - 4-9-2004 at 10:48 AM
I actually enjoyed his playing and the sound of Najarians electric oud. Are there any other pieces he plays the oud in?