Bernard Butler

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werdna
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Bernard Butler

Post by werdna »

Bernard Butler doesn't get much of a mention but he is a phenomenal guitarist and producer.

His style is conventional rock techniques mixed up fluently. In Suede's Animal Nitrate, the intro riff is chords, the verse is chords with riffing, the chorus is a kind of lead break, and the middle eight is picking chords. It's wired, fiery glam rock. His tone's old Gibsons into old Voxes. After they played Animal Nitrate at the Brit awards in '92, Suede kicked off Britpop, although Britpop was never like this. After Butler left Suede in 94, Suede hired a guitarist to replace him who was 17 and had spent all his teenage years in his bedroom learning BB's songs. After that Suede were pretty crap IMO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOfLzGvlJJo

The McAlmont and Butler singles Yes, Falling and You Do were the best soul songs of the 90s by any British artist. McAlmont had huge range and falsetto. Just when you thought a song had reached a crescendo, it lifts off again under McAlmonts voice. The production is like Phil Spector. It's grand but its also tasteful, on just the right side of restraint. Not Meatloaf. Should have sold in the millions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJSaRw1vjxM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=037XlZDBKtQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFw9w-Jh-g4
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Re: Bernard Butler

Post by Danger Mouse »

He is a very much underrated guitarist as you say. I was in the UK when they were at their peak so got to listen to a lot of Suede, even though I wasn't into that sort of music, his incredibly clever guitar playing would always catch my attention. And I would always chuckle at the Megadeth lick in Animal Nitrate... not like Suede fans would know.
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Re: Bernard Butler

Post by jimi »

Bernard Butler is the reason I wanted to play guitar. And still the reason Vox and ES355 GAS are never far away.

1st 2 Suede albums are excellent, Infact in the 90's they were a bit of an obsession for me.

My CD rack still has evidence:
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Re: Bernard Butler

Post by foal30 »

Danger Mouse wrote:He is a very much underrated guitarist as you say. I was in the UK when they were at their peak so got to listen to a lot of Suede, even though I wasn't into that sort of music, his incredibly clever guitar playing would always catch my attention. And I would always chuckle at the Megadeth lick in Animal Nitrate... not like Suede fans would know.
He clearly used the makeitupolydian mode :clap:
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Re: Bernard Butler

Post by sizzlingbadger »

I like Suede too.
Tube amp and guitar tones straight from 1958… amazing how believable the sounds were back then, even without the modellers...

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Re: Bernard Butler

Post by philly »

super hans...i always hated everything about britpop...
but your post is so passionate and articulate i will check bernard butler out
( i think someone i know produced or engineered suede too..or one of them..)
at the very worst i can say " i hate you butler..."
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