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Saul Arredondo/ Who is the MOST talented musician? · Best/Most

• Jose: Welcome to Best Mosts. I'm your host, Jose Jogo Gonzalez. This is the podcast where we ask the questions, what is the best or what is the most? For example, we ask questions like, what is the best snack and why? Or who is the most virtuous character in any movie? Yeah, thanks for being on. Is there anything that you would like to ⁓ promote or shout out? question this episode is Who is the most talented musician? As always, our guest chooses a question for the episode. Saul Arredondo what made you choose this question? Saul Arredondo: Yeah, sure. ⁓ My band, Corre Diablo, we have a new full-length LP out. It's streaming everywhere where you can find music and it's called The Monument. ⁓ So yeah, we got some shows coming up in the very new future. yeah, ⁓ find us on all the social stuff. That's Corre Diablo. Jose: Before each episode, I ask our online community a question that our guests had chosen as our topic. I then go over the community answers with our guests and we also discuss our own answers. You can check out and answer the questions at the best.most.pod Instagram page. Join the conversation. Our guest today is an old, old I've known him for about 26 years. We were old bandmates in a band called Stocking Roxy. We almost drove into a store when I fell asleep driving us home. We've been to each other's weddings. ⁓ He's a father, a husband, and has been a for a great band called Corre Diablo. They have a new album called Monument. Saul Arredondo: Thank Jose: I would like to welcome a skariffic guy, Saw Arredondo. Yo bro. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, what's up, dude? How's it going man? Thanks for having me a like nice nice nice nice intro I That that night dude when you almost drove us into the side of a liquor store Jose: Yeah, yeah, yeah. haha Saul Arredondo: that memory it will always Forever stay at seared at night in my memory bank dude. It'll it'll be with me forever, dude We can talk about that later Jose: Cool, man. I'm glad I'll always be in your memory forever. That's cool. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, dude. Yeah. I mean, we survived, so we didn't die. So all good. We're here. Jose: Yeah. Yeah, it's in a way a good memory. ⁓ Cool. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, yeah, for sure. ⁓ Well, you sent me a list of questions and I think it was like the third or fourth one and I didn't even have to look at the other ones. I mean I skimmed through them but that one right away because as as I read it I had an answer right off the bat. So it was a ⁓ no-brainer for me on this question. So, ⁓ you know, just an easy one for me. Jose: It's also pretty fitting. When I saw that you chose that one, I thought it was pretty fitting. Just because, I don't I know you as, I see you as a really good musician and I think that like, ⁓ I think that's pretty important to you, so yeah. So, let's go into best most community answers and chime in whenever. see, so, Horan C chose Mozart and just a little that I'm adding is. He was a child prodigy that composed over 800 works. Saul Arredondo: cut. I would have never ever thought of a classical composer. ⁓ That's awesome. ⁓ Jose: There you go. We have a few of those too that are like composers, Saul Arredondo: Really? ⁓ Well, I mean, hey, my choice, also a composer, ⁓ you know, way, way, way, way later time, but ⁓ also, you know, a great composer in his right. Jose: In full transparency, I did ask Saul to send me his choice so I can kind look into him a little bit. moving along, No Mercy Dojo ⁓ LB chose Frank Zappa, who is a pioneer of postmodern music. did you ever get into Frank Zappa? Saul Arredondo: You know what? He was one of the musicians or, you know, music artists that I didn't really get, I don't want to say discovered, because I had always heard the name, right, growing up and getting into, you know, different kinds of genres of music as I got older. I knew that he was a super prolific, talented artist, but I really dive in. And everything that I've heard and and seen I definitely like and I've appreciated but I've never like Given him the proper Do in terms of just seeking out more Frank Zappa, but I have a lot of friends that are really into Frank's Zappa I just never I never dove in but I you know, I think I think I should it's never it's never too late Jose: yeah, think it's same thing. I think it's one those things I have to just dive to really enjoy it. Saul Arredondo: He was ⁓ like ⁓ an intellectual too. I've seen a couple of clips of him on YouTube talking about ⁓ issues and issues some really cool stuff that I was like, cool, Frank Zappa for the people. ⁓ he dead? ⁓ He's dead, right? I don't know. ⁓ He's, yeah, okay. He might be long dead, right? Jose: Yeah, I think so. so if he's, if he is not dead ⁓ ⁓ we're totally wrong, I'll probably just edit this out, ⁓ ⁓ Saul Arredondo: Yeah, yeah, I yeah, yeah, I he might be dead. Yeah, but yeah, Frank Zappa cool guy, man. I gotta dive into him. Jose: Yeah, possibly RIP. So let's see. Next one. David Garcia chose Beethoven. He said, dude was literally deaf and made some crazy pieces without any recording. And then I have a note here. I put in said, played a pivotal role in transitioning from classical to romantic music. Saul Arredondo: got to be really good to deaf and ⁓ be a composer. Yeah, that's a good one. ⁓ Jose: ⁓ yeah. So let's see, RedneckFox23, ⁓ who know as well. Yeah. He chose Freddie Mercury for vocal range ⁓ and Elfman for music composition. Saul Arredondo: Shout out, shout out Brian. No, no, Those are, dang, Brian, those are good. Yeah, very good. Jose: so Zach Jumper, said, whoever wrote Axl F, which was Harold Fodermeyer. for the Beverly Hills Cop movies. Saul Arredondo: Oh, yeah. Yeah. That that's, you know, that's a mem, that's a memorable riff for sure. I think everyone in our age range knows that piano riff, that synth riff. Yeah. Yeah, that's good. Jose: Yeah. That's a cool little riff, cool little gem. Let's see. Eduro Di Carmona, my brother, said, Saul Arredondo: Yeah. Jose: Dave Navarro, who is a Jane's Addiction guitarist, or who is the Jane's Addiction guitarist, also played in Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1993 to 1998. Saul Arredondo: Mm-hmm. Jose: Fun fact. the Juh, five, on, Jason. Saul Arredondo: Shout out Jason. Jose: What up Jason Chavez? Technical musician, he said Jacob Collier. but straight talent Prince. Rick Peralta, he said, it's not the instrument, it's the songwriting. Billy Joel, who's a singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, no, did he wrote he wrote some gems wrote some bangers move moving out dude. Yeah, dude. That's a man that's Jose: Yeah, a lot of them. That song is really good. Saul Arredondo: It's good stuff. That's a great song man. It's a good Jose: That Saul Arredondo: record. Jose: when I was looking through records and that was the first record that I put on at home, like on like the ⁓ record player. And I was like, yeah, was holy shit, man. I've never realized how good Billy Joel was, but that song moving out is like solid gem, really good. Saul Arredondo: ⁓ Nice. Yeah on the turntable Yeah, I love the horn part. And you know, dude, that riff. That's such a good riff, dude. Like you would never think if you would never, if that was like your first introduction to Billy Joel and not knowing that he was primarily like his band leader, like his instrument was the piano and you heard that song, you would think that him and his band, like he's right there. Jose: ⁓ yeah. Saul Arredondo: playing guitar as a front man, because that riff is just so prominent in the song. And it's such a heavy, kind of like stank face, head bobbing riff. That's such a good song, dude. Shout out to Billy Joel. Jose: Mm-hmm. It doesn't feel like the rest of the songs to me. Like what I grew up, right? Because I remember like, what is it? That he didn't start the fire, that song and also Uptown Girl and... ⁓ Saul Arredondo: Not at all. Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ yeah. Well, it was pop. was like, it was like, it was like power pop, right? It was like the first Billy Joel, kind of feel like was gave birth to like power pop, piano power pop. You know what I mean? Like he, he kind of blazed that trail for a lot of like, kids learning piano, right? And that loved rock and roll, right? So ⁓ All of his other songs are super pop forward, but that moving out. song is nothing like his other hits. Yeah, Jose: it had a little bit more grit to it, I think. Saul Arredondo: you for sure yeah definitely that that rift is yeah yes that's a good that's a good that's a good word ads they had to gritty gritty rift yeah for sure Jose: And then let's see, Dr. Bass Forever, answer was at Maxwell Styles Music. And I because I didn't know who that was, is this just your band? He said, yes. I think our leader, Max, is the talented by me. Then he did the wassup, the wassup face. So I was like, ⁓ Saul Arredondo: Whatever. Jose: I just wanted to include it because I'm like, yeah, it's cool. I mean, you got to shoot your shot. yeah, hey, Maxwell's style music. Cool. Saul Arredondo: Shout out to Maxwell. Jose: on that note, Sauradondo, who is the most talented musician? Saul Arredondo: Well, my pick for who the most talented musician is Prince. I chose Prince. ⁓ Yeah, yeah. Jose: Solid pick. Saul Arredondo: Prolific songwriter. I think up until recently, I don't know if it was as widely of how ⁓ amazing of a guitarist Prince was. I think people, ⁓ know, especially our age growing up in the late 80s, early ⁓ you know, we saw Prince like just this kind of like tiny little flamboyant dude, just kind of like running around with like assless chaps on stage and wearing platform heels. Like, you know, he was a showman. And I think that's kind of like ⁓ the takeaway. from growing up in that era as a kid, like, you're like, ⁓ man, this guy's just puts on a show. Like he's got all these dancers, all these musicians. And I of think that, not that it took away from it, from his musicianship, but it was, ⁓ there was just so much going on. It was, you know, ⁓ almost kind like overstimulating the senses, right? You're like, whoa, what is going on here? Right? ⁓ You know, later, you know, as you know, for me, as I got older, I started to kind of, you know, kind of realize, you know, how amazing of a musician Prince was. And, and I just remember as a kid, the first song that I remember hearing on the radio that, that It wasn't oh yeah, it's just some whatever the radio's on, know, Kiss FM, whatever the pop station was. 1999 was the first song that I heard that I really actually heard, if that makes sense, that sounds corny. It was the first song that my attention I kind of realized this is... This is more than just some pop song on the radio. ⁓ It's the first song that really grabbed the hold of me as a little kid. ⁓ that was definitely as time went on, discovering other genres and other musicians. I just kind of feel like Prince was always one of those guys that like... I always had an affinity for Prince and even up until adulthood, know, collecting records as a ⁓ younger person and just ⁓ buying up all his stuff in his and ⁓ just, yeah ⁓ like I said, he's prolific and he's just showman and in my opinion, probably the best guitarist. Probably in rock and roll history, Jose: Have you ever seen them live? Saul Arredondo: Dude, no. And a big regret, because I remember in the, I would say like 2005, 2004, he had forum residency at the LA Forum, or when it was the Great Western Forum still, I think. Jose: in 2011. The only reason I know is because I went. Saul Arredondo: Was it? Oh. Oh. Oh, dude, that's awesome. Was it? Okay, I thought it was like 2005, 2006 or seven like that. Okay, cool. Yeah, dude, I... Yeah, man, 2011, crazy. Oh, that's awesome, dude. Dude, I'm jealous, I really wish I would have seen when want Get ⁓ a quick Prince fix I always Go to the George Harrison tribute where they play ⁓ my guitar gently weeps and it's Jose: ⁓ yeah. Saul Arredondo: With ⁓ all these like legends. ⁓ I did, I saw ⁓ an interview with the drummer, Steve you he was talking that ⁓ tribute that did where they all got together and they all knew. ⁓ each other and they all were kind of like in whatever like, you know, communication thread, like, okay, cool, we're gonna have this, you know, this, this session and we're gonna play my guitar gently weeps and, and we're just gonna meet up and we're just gonna jam it out and you know, we'll be good. So turns out that ⁓ no, no one invited, Prince, like no one, no one, ⁓ no one reached out to him. No one said, hey, Prince, we'd like you to come play. We're doing this tribute to George Harrison. So they don't know how Prince caught wind of it, but it's Prince, dude. Prince has people, dude, like, of course ⁓ Prince's people heard of it, told Prince, they're doing this thing. And of course Prince, Prince being Prince was like, ⁓ okay, I'm invited or not, I'm going Jose: Yeah. Saul Arredondo: to this and I'm gonna Jose: Yeah, ⁓ Saul Arredondo: I guess ⁓ people or whatever reached out to somebody ⁓ it all kind of, the day of, it all kind of started ⁓ the rounds like, hey, Prince is coming up. ⁓ was like, why is Prince coming? ⁓ Prince friends with George Harrison? ⁓ everyone there essentially was friends ⁓ had some sort of tie with George Harrison. And so they were all like, Jose: Yeah. Saul Arredondo: So but it's Prince so no one's gonna be like no Prince you can't right so so they show up he shows up and they ⁓ I think he said they like he was soup, know Prince, you know, I don't if Prince is written known for being super like quiet and kind of just to himself and and isn't like this boisterous like he's but it's it's so funny because he's boisterous like and just this huge personality when he's on stage, but like offstage he's just He was just this quiet guy, right? And yeah, yeah. And so they, I guess they go through it once. They went through it once and then Prince just disappears. And then they were all like, hey, everyone's gonna take turns, riffing for whatever, however many bars, whoever wants to join in or whatever. And you've seen it, right? Okay, so. Jose: Super shy I heard too. Hmm. I've seen it, yeah. Saul Arredondo: What Prince does in the actual recording of it, he doesn't, I think what it was is he didn't do that Jose: ⁓ during practice, yeah. Saul Arredondo: In the rehearsal, like they just, know, like, ⁓ yeah, everyone will take, like, know, however many bars. And so then Ferroni was like, yeah, so like they weren't expecting it. So like everyone's reaction was like genuine. Like everyone was like, what the hell's going on, dude? video dude is, dude I go back to that a lot and anytime I want to watch Prince just shred in the most like legendary sort of ways dude I always go back dude and he throws his guitar up in the air and you never see the guitar land it's like the guitar just like ascends Jose: Yeah. Saul Arredondo: into the heavens dude Jose: God's like, I want this. Saul Arredondo: But yeah, dude, so, yeah man, I always go back to that dude and I just, yeah, ⁓ I love doing deep dives Prince, man. Jose: Yeah. He plays with a lot of feeling, too. I remember watching that and thinking, dude, there's so much emotion in his playing ⁓ compared to everyone else. You know, like it's so fluid and just emotional. Yeah, that was I got to rewatch that. That was really cool. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, dude, after I'll send you that, I'll find that video of that the drummer that and you can see that his little ⁓ story about the whole Prince joining up ⁓ unannounced ⁓ basically. Jose: Yeah. That's cool, hell yeah. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, but ⁓ yeah, the Prince prolific man amazing songwriter Jose: Mm-hmm, yeah. Saul Arredondo: Wrote tons of tons of songs for ⁓ a lot of artists and you can he had such a style the way he wrote his riffs and his melodies that even when you hear a song that Wasn't ⁓ you Recorded by him. You can tell like ⁓ yeah, that's a Prince song. Jose: Yeah, very signature sound that just, yes, Saul Arredondo: Mm-hmm. Jose: I can see that. Saul's choice was Prince. my main pick is also Prince, but I have a, to make it fun, I added mention. So I did kind of pull a few different facts, fun facts about Prince. Do you want to hear those? Saul Arredondo: Yeah, yeah, let's hear them. Jose: So Prince, his real name was Prince Rogers Nelson. He was named after his father's trio kind of band. He had a jazz trio or jazz combo band, which was called Prince Rogers Trio. He's a multi-instrumentalist, played 27 instruments on his 1978 debut album, For You. He ⁓ wrote his first song at the age seven called Funk Machine. surprise. He changed his name to a symbol in 1993, becoming the artist formerly known as Prince. Saul Arredondo: No. Jose: He in 2006, he hid 14 purple tickets inside his 3121 album, inviting winners to a concert at his home. Saul Arredondo: Dude, that's awesome. That's dude. Yeah. Jose: Yeah, like Willy Wonka style. ⁓ He was named after his father. So he wrote a manic Monday for the Bengals. Nothing compares for Sinead O'Connor. Saul Arredondo: ⁓ huh. Yeah, I knew that. Jose: I feel for you for Chaka Khan. ⁓ He wrote ⁓ for Sheila E Glamorous Life Jungle Love for Morris Day in the Time and many And then he was also ⁓ he was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. on June 7th, 1958. ⁓ We went to go see Prince, ⁓ me and a former girlfriend. I think the tickets were free us because her boss ⁓ like two extra. ⁓ And we were at the Kia Forum. at that point, ⁓ it was a weird kind of stage. It was a rotating stage. we were in back of the stage. Like I'm talking about Saul Arredondo: RIP. don't know. Jose: four rows from the stage. So when it rotated, we were like super close. And you can see ⁓ Prince, he was dressed like Peter Pan, like fucking Peter Pan, but in white, like all white. Saul Arredondo: game. ⁓ that's awesome. Yeah. I love that dude, that's awesome. Jose: And it was crazy. only thing about it was, so he played a bunch of his hits in like a medley. So he didn't play the full songs. But what was really impressive about him was, even though that was the case, I was a little bummed that that happened initially. But then like the rest of the show was like a dance party, dude, of songs I never knew. But it was still super good. Like I was really excited about it and just dancing along and enjoying it. Saul Arredondo: ⁓ mm-hmm. Hmm. Dude, that's awesome. Jose: ⁓ Saul Arredondo: I gotta imagine seeing Prince live is pretty much just a dance party. mean, that's awesome. I love that, that's cool. Jose: Yeah. and then a memory I had with my sister, my cousin Lawrence and I would always watch Purple Rain as a kid ⁓ on VHS. And we would always like pretend to be Prince. Like we would just, you grab anything that looked like a microphone and just sing the songs and dance and act stupid, you know, ⁓ Do you have any memories with like Prince's music that you were like, ⁓ this is a fond memory? Saul Arredondo: Quite honestly, what I was talking about earlier... was a core memory for me. I remember exactly where I was. I was in my dad's station wagon. We were getting ready to go somewhere and my dad, I remember my dad gave the keys to me and my sister to get into the car and just start, know, just, you know, you know, you can turn the car so you can get the radio on. And we were sitting in the back of the station wagon and we turned the radio on in the car. And when we turned the radio on, the first song that popped on was, 1999 and that I don't know why I don't know why it but it just hit me like a ton of bricks that song ⁓ and and I that's pretty much been like from that time frame you know was a like a core memory and I don't I kind of feel like maybe that was like the beginning of me appreciating music for more than just sound and noise, right? Yeah, that was, you know, probably almost kind of like some sort of like a musical awakening really, even at that young of an age. So I would say that's probably like, that's probably, yeah, I got to say that's, that is the main reason why I just, I've always just had, I've had an affinity for Prince. And then, you know, just as I got older, you know, Jose: Yeah, yeah, like background noise. Saul Arredondo: learning more about him and the amazing musician that he became or that he was. Jose: So, as a father, you have two girls, very cool girls that seem very happy all the time, which is good. ⁓ So, have you noticed any of that kind of thing happening with them? Like you're like, hey, this is a core memory of music that's connected to them, that sticks out to you? Saul Arredondo: Thank yeah, for sure. I don't like to be the kind of like dad that,um pushes my musical tastes onto my kids, right? Jose: ⁓ yeah, like feeds. You're like, hey, listen to this music, cause I liked it. So you have Saul Arredondo: But I'll put it, I'll kind of just Jose: to like it. Saul Arredondo: it I'll play a song that think they might enjoy. And then if I notice that ⁓ they're like, ⁓ that was cool. What was that? Or who was Then I kind of feel like I kind of bait them a little bit. ⁓ then once they say, ⁓ once they start asking questions like, who that? What song is I like that song. Then I'm like, okay, got him. And then I just start playing more more and more. I've done that with ⁓ a couple of bands with my oldest daughter, Lily. I've gotten her into The Cure. They're actually both my girls. ⁓ They like The Cure lot and Lily especially. I like playing ⁓ female singer-songwriter artists for them ⁓ just so they can see that you know. It's not just men out there that are writing the songs super talented musicians. So I ⁓ ⁓ them discover ⁓ So like, Lilly is really into like Rilo Kiley and Waxahatchee, ⁓ is a newer ⁓ So we took Lilly to go see Rilo Kiley Jose: That's cool. cool band though, because Jenny Lewis is a badass kind of front person. A lot of confidence, just great voice too, great range. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, ⁓ absolutely. And I mean, she was so stoked when we took her to the Greek to see her. ⁓ like, that's, ⁓ for me, it's like a full circle moment, you know, being a dad and ⁓ being able to share that my kids. Like, you know, especially like bands that like have had an impact on me. And like kind of... you know, being able to impart that onto my kids, right? Like I said, I never want to force anything on my kids. Music, art, sports, I kind of just want to, you know, because those are things that I'm into, right? And if they see it, and you know, just because they're there, and they ask, you know, the moment they start asking questions, and I kind of can tell that their interest has peaked a little, like that's when I'll kind of like dive in and be like, ⁓ yeah, we'll check this out. You know what I mean? Like, hey, listen to this. so it's, it's, it's, it's cool. ⁓ So like, The kind of same experience that I had as a kid with like Prince, I hope that like when my girls are older, they'll have like an artist or someone that they really like enjoy still at that age where they can be like, oh yeah, I remember when like my dad played XYZ for me. you know, so I mean, I think it's important, know, it's, I mean, cause music is the, it connects us all, you know what I mean? So I hope that, you know, they're able to have that same experience. Jose: Yeah, absolutely. So I of think it's cool that you're doing, you have that approach as far as like you're not like feeding the music that ⁓ you ⁓ Saul Arredondo: you Jose: do that they're gonna know you either way through the ⁓ music that you play. ⁓ And that's gonna create a formative ⁓ memory as too. And connect you to them. And I think... Saul Arredondo: Mm-hmm. Jose: a way for them to get to know you, or to know you as a person. Saul Arredondo: For sure. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, definitely. think that, yeah, that's a good point. ⁓ Jose: Yeah, because even like Danny, right? Who you know, my stepdad. I remember we would go into his, we'd go to the store or something like that and he'd throw on K-Lo-S and play all these songs that were not stuff I was really into. like, now when I hear those songs, I'm like, hell yeah, like hell yeah, like it's such a good thing. So I think that your kids will definitely have that too as well. Like just when they're adults and be like, ⁓ shit. Saul Arredondo: Right. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Jose: That reminds me of my dad and probably give them a smile or something. I do have a runner ⁓ My runner up is ⁓ Paul McCartney. Saul Arredondo: That's a good one. Jose: ⁓ right? Born June 18th, 1942 in ⁓ Walton, ⁓ released 13 official studio albums while in the Beatles, over 19 solo studio albums ⁓ and official studio albums with Wings, ⁓ not including Best Ofs. Paul played left-handed bass, ⁓ drums, guitar and piano, ⁓ married photographer Linda Eastman and had four kids. ⁓ Later he remarried Heather Mills and had one child. ⁓ One thing I always thought was Linda Eastman was heiress to the Kodak company or something? She was not. That was a lie. She's not. No. Saul Arredondo: ⁓ Yeah. No? Yeah, because it's Kodak Eastman. it's, yeah. No, but that, I think I've heard of that before too. ⁓ So that's not true? Jose: So, that's not true. Debunking that on best most. ⁓ recently was also... Saul Arredondo: Well, like it's an American company. So yeah, that makes sense. She was British. Jose: recent re was she British? I don't think she was British, she was American. Saul Arredondo: She was she was was American? Jose: Recently was a part of a documentary ⁓ called Man on the Run, which depicts the Beatles days up until he started his solo career. Have you seen that documentary? Saul Arredondo: No, no, I've heard of it though. It's pretty good. Jose: It's really good. don't, you know what's funny is I didn't know much about Paul and his solo career. I didn't really get into Wings or his solo stuff. Saul Arredondo: Me neither. There were a couple of bangers. There are a couple of wing songs that are like, that's a good song. But yeah, I never got into wings. Yeah. Jose: Yeah, like maybe I'm Amazed or Band on the Run to me. We're like really good songs, I didn't really get into it. Yeah, Jet's a good song. Saul Arredondo: Yeah. Jet. ⁓ Yeah, that's a good song. Jose: But yeah, it's a really good documentary. recommend it. what's cool about it is that he's very candid about everything. Saul Arredondo: That's cool. Jose: very Beatle, all the stuff too about John Lennon. You're like, damn man, this guy is getting pretty raw with this information. Saul Arredondo: Did he, does he like, does he kind of like roast John Lennon a bit? Jose: ⁓ their relationship sound a little bit more human than ⁓ ⁓ as it seems. ⁓ He kind of roasts a little bit, ⁓ think now that he's in his later part of his life, he understands the ⁓ process of John, but also that John went through lot of trauma and stuff like that. But ⁓ worth ⁓ watch. Saul Arredondo: ⁓ Yeah. two documentaries that like Disney did, Well, the one that's kind of the, I think it's when they're recording, when they're in the studio trying to figure out, Let It Be, that, that's it, right? It's for Let It Be? Jose: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think so. think so, Let It Be was this kind of puff piece that they did a long, like years ago and then something like that. But it was, but I don't know what it is because I had a bootleg copy of it. I think I got a... Saul Arredondo: Right, and it was never released, right? Yeah. ⁓ wow. Is that the one that Peter Jackson did? Or which one is that Peter Jackson did? Jose: No, he did another one. He did one years later. So the one he did was extended footage of Let It Be pretty much. Saul Arredondo: Okay. Jose: what they did was they tried to make it make them a little less like, again, human and less ⁓ upset at each other in Let It Be. So the Peter Jackson one, actually all it's all hanging out. So it's a little bit more you could tell they were just over it. Saul Arredondo: Right, yeah, right. Yeah, just cause in watching those like, you, ⁓ John Lennon was a dick, man. Like I can totally, I mean, I know like because he's not here to defend himself and you know, but like, dude, mean, George Harrison is my favorite Beatle. And I just always like now, like when I see stuff like. George Harrison was right to have a chip on his shoulder, Because he was just as talented of a songwriter if not... I mean, dude, he wrote some amazing hits, right? But I kind of feel like John especially, like, wouldn't... I almost kind of feel like he didn't take George seriously as, Jose: Yeah. Saul Arredondo: Good songwriter. He took him, you know, he's like, yeah, he's a good singer But he didn't take him this if I even take him seriously as like a great songwriter and I kind of feel like Paul You know the way I viewed it like, you know Paul was kind of like maybe caught in the middle like of that and I don't know just feel like all these like documentaries that have come out like it I was talking to Jason about this the other day like it's gonna makes me feel like I just like John Lennon less and less you know what mean, and and just I don't know. Jose: He, well, I felt the opposite for some reason. I don't know what it, when I watched the newer documentary, not the Paul McCartney one, but the other one that we're talking about, I thought John Lennon was chill. Like he was fairly chill the whole time. And there's a certain part, I remember there's one part where Paul and George are bickering about something. And then I think Paul, John says, why don't we try it both ways and we'll see which one works best. And I thought, I was like, that's pretty fair of him. Saul Arredondo: ⁓ really? ⁓ yeah, Jose: ⁓ And for some reason I liked George less in these movies because he's I mean, but rightfully so. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, does. Yeah, rightfully so. He has his little fit, right, when he leaves. yeah. But because he's fed up, because he's fed up. Definitely. Yeah. Jose: The whole time he's just like, fuck this dude, he's over it, he's like completely over it. So yeah, understandably, and I mean, they pretty much screwed George over quite a bit. But I think what happened was that he played piggies and they're like, yeah, nevermind. Saul Arredondo: Yeah. I don't know, dude. guess I'm just biased, dude, when it comes to George, because he's always been my favorite. ⁓ Jose: He's great dude. I didn't get into his solo album or solo stuff until years later. What was it? All Things Must Pass is like a great album. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, yeah, say me too. ⁓ dude, is, that's like a top 10. rock and roll album dude it's so good yeah yeah for sure i think that's probably why i ended up like like george harrison so much more um because as i got older and got into his like his solo stuff and just all things let's pass is an amazing amazing record Jose: Yeah. He just, I think he's a talented musician, amazing guitarist, and I think he has a cool ass voice. ⁓ Great songwriter. think a lot of stuff I've seen of George, he seems just over it at all times. Even like when they're younger, he's just like, well, I don't know, I guess so. I mean, whatever. It's like, dude, I guess. Saul Arredondo: You I think, you know what dude, that's the chip on his shoulder dude. I was talking about earlier, like it's... don't blame him. I don't blame him for having that kind of attitude because that's, you know, like... a lot of egos in that band, right? Like, you know, three talented songwriters, like... And I kind of feel like George kind of was always like the... Got like the shitty end of the stick, you know what Jose: Yeah, I can see that. Yeah, don't fully blame him. And I do like, I don't know, but I like those documentaries because again, get to see like, again, like, Paul McCartney, dude, he was Saul Arredondo: They're good, yeah. Jose: he seemed like he was pretty desperate to get them on track too. Saul Arredondo: Mm-hmm. Yeah, for sure. ⁓ Yeah, it's watching those documentaries, man. Just watching process. ⁓ Like, how they would just write iconic songs, ⁓ just day of, in the studio, and like, all right, cool, let's record dude, that's just, ⁓ that's kind of like the dream, right? Being in a band and being musician, like where you're... Jose: Mm-hmm. Saul Arredondo: That's essentially your job is just to like write hits, write music and sit with your best friends or people that you enjoy their company. And that you respect as musicians and just sit and write music, man. And then you record it. That's like, you're living the dream right there. So it's so cool to see them in those sessions. Yeah, cool. Cool riff. Let's write a song. Maybe we'll just write a song right there and then record it. That's awesome. Jose: Well, also like forming their songs. we both have been in bands and played ⁓ in all that stuff, like in writing music and everything. watching that, it was kind of comforting to me. Like watching these guys that you, that ⁓ seeing them as such huge icons and amazing ⁓ rock gods or whatever, music gods. And you watch them and you're like, ⁓ this all looks fairly familiar. Like, and I thought that was kind of nice to watch too. Saul Arredondo: Mm-hmm. That is cool. That is very cool. Yeah. Jose: you do that, like you guys, your band ⁓ does the same, like I'm not saying does the same thing, but like, at least for my band, ⁓ you sit in a room ⁓ ⁓ not quite recording, but you in a room and you hammer out a song, you know? ⁓ And it takes a good while ⁓ the four of you or five you, however many people in the band, that's like the process. And it's like watching the Beatles do that same process, you're like, dude, that's... Saul Arredondo: Yeah, no. Jose: cool to see that and you see their strengths and you see kind of all these things. And again, it's familiar in the way that every band, it dispels the idea that people just, it's just there. Although it's a given, you get to watch it you're like, dude, yeah, we've all been there. Saul Arredondo: Right. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. We've all been there. It is a nice feeling to watch musicians that you admire and you aspire to be able to get to that level someday. In terms of not necessarily fame and all that stuff, but just songwriting. And you're like, oh man, we're all the same and we're all in the same boat. And the creative... that whole creative ocean, right? Like we're all traveling, traversing the same sea. So no, that's cool. Jose: Yeah, it's like an unsung fraternity in a way. Saul Arredondo: For sure, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, that is a good way to look at it, right? I appreciate, all bands and musicians that are out there trying to like, just create, dude, like, just make music, man. And ⁓ it's cool to see, bands have you know, the same processes as like legendary musicians, right? So. Jose: Yeah. And I think it's kind of weird, man. think getting older, watching any band play, I can't shit on a band anymore. feel like it might not be my thing. It might not be the kind of music I'm into or whatever. I might not be feeling it, but I definitely give credit to almost every band because it's like taking the, you know, hours out of their day just to write songs, to really like hone them and do whatever they need to do. Saul Arredondo: No. Jose: I think that's also a part of this podcast where it's like, I want to bring up people's likes and what they enjoy because it's all valid, you know? ⁓ Saul Arredondo: Yeah, for sure. I came across this phrase, ⁓ not that long of a word. I don't want to yuck anyone's yum, right? Of course, I have my tastes and things that I'm into, right? But if people are into that, cool. I don't want to yuck their yum, right? ⁓ I can appreciate the courage that it takes. Because being a musician and writing music, there's a huge sense of vulnerability in that, right? here's a part of me, right? Like essentially that's what it is, right? You're taking a part of yourself and you're putting it onto a guitar or a piano and you're, it's the most vulnerable way that you can show who you are is writing a song and playing it in front of people. Like you can write tons of songs and record them in your computer and just have them for yourself, which is all good and great, but like, you want to share that too, right? And I think that takes, commend every musician in every band that has the courage to do that and get on the stage and just be the most vulnerable that you'll ever be in your life. mean, you know, and that's just art, right? Like, is... You can't make art without being vulnerable. And that's all across the board, right? Whether you're a poet, a songwriter, a painter, a sculptor, right? It all takes a certain amount of vulnerability. And I appreciate that of every musician. My band played a show a couple of weeks ago. And we were the oldest band on the bill, which happens often. Jose: Mm-hmm. Saul Arredondo: but there were these kids that played and they played some covers and they played some originals but they were kids, they were like high school age kids. And they, you know, you can totally tell that they're still, they're good musicians for their age but they're still owning their craft, they're still learning. And I was so, like me and the rest of the guys in my band, were watching them and we were like kind of in awe a bit and we were super appreciative of these kids because it's like, That's where it begins. That's where it starts, right? Like you and I, right? Like, you know, back in our day when we were like 18, 17, 18, 19, when we were in a band together, like, you know, like, look at us, we're still playing music, right? We're in our forties and we're still, we're still doing it, right? And not because we're trying to make it, right? We're past, I've been past that for a lot of years, right? But I can't not play music and write music, right? And so it's so nice to see kids that age. Jose: Mm. Saul Arredondo: doing what we were doing at that age and seeing them just like, just putting it all out there and being super vulnerable, man, that was awesome. And like I said, like you can't be in a band, a musician, a songwriter of any sort without, you know, putting yourself out there and being super, super vulnerable. Jose: Yeah, and you don't know, know, especially at that age, you don't even know what you're doing. You're just like, ⁓ play some chords, I guess. And then, but I had a situation like that that happened where, ⁓ a friend asked me to to judge a battle of the bands for their, like their music school. And I was like, sure, that'd be awesome. it was, ⁓ it was such a, cause I don't know, man, I haven't really been music a lot. have been. Saul Arredondo: Yeah. Jose: kind of semi-retired in a way. ⁓ But ⁓ I went to go do this whole thing. ⁓ I went to go judge this Battle of the Bands and it really kind of made me feel really amazing after because I watched these kids, these little kids just fucking do their thing, dude. it was kind of cute, you know, but it was also like, cause they're so like, they're like scraggly little kids that are playing like Rage Against the Machine or something like that. And they're like full on going into it and getting into it. And I'm like, dude, man, this is so amazing. Like, this is so cool that these kids have this weird confidence that it just works. like, just, yeah, made me think of like, you know, practicing in the backyard or a garage and really just going for it. And it kind of like made me feel, it kind of touched my heart a little bit, And it made me leave. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Jose: the leave kind of feeling like rejuvenated and like understanding why I even did it in the first place. Saul Arredondo: Right, for sure. And then there's a sense of hopefulness for the next generation. That's definitely, yeah, I totally see that. Leaving that place and just being excited, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, Right, yeah. Exactly, do it. Do as much as you can while you can, because then... Jose: I felt proud, dude. I felt really proud of all of them. I was like, I hope you enjoy this. Keep going. Like, this is the fun part, you know? Saul Arredondo: you grow up and then life gets in the way. But that's definitely, yeah, yeah. Jose: Yeah, or egos or anything, you know, or the seriousness of it gets in the way. it's when it's fun, like when you're a kid, you're like, oh, dude, this is just like it's hanging with your friends and play music and being stupid, you know. And I think that's that's the best time. Saul Arredondo: Wow. Right. Yeah, dude, you're carefree, man. That's, yeah. A lot of good memories from back in the day, know, late teens, early 20s, just playing around town and packing all your gear. Jose: Yeah, you've been your band being called Scott Riffick. Saul Arredondo: Yeah, dude, you take those things with you ⁓ for the rest of your life. Jose: Yeah, dude, just a quick thing with that. We were in a band called Stockinroxy and this girl went to our went to our one of our practices. I don't know why. I think she was just in the practice space. It was a and what happened was this girl and her friends were there and we're like, hey, do you want to listen to our band? And she went into our practice space and we played a couple of songs or something and she was really into ska and she was like, whoa. Saul Arredondo: you Jose: That was scarrific. And I think at that age, Phil, one of our other friends who was also on the show at some point earlier episodes, and myself, just like, we couldn't let it go. We were like, oh my God, scarrific, huh? Saul Arredondo: Well, yeah, who were those girls? I vaguely remember that they just showed up out of nowhere. Jose: They saw us at another, they saw us at a show before that. what was weird was like Stocking Roxy was weirdly well known in Southgate. Like crazy well known, I think. Saul Arredondo: Mmm. Yeah, in that kind of, in that whole like, central LA area. Jose: Yeah, and I guess she had seen us at one of the shows and she had talked to us before and then we had seen her in the hallway at some place. She was there at another. Yeah, but yeah, I just like, it's terrific. And we're like. Saul Arredondo: I'm just invited to practice or Yeah, it's Scott Riffick. ⁓ Show me your Scott Riffick tattoo. I knew you had it on the inner bicep right there, This check is all around, Jose: Yeah, we're right. I know checkers. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Well on that on that note, let's see. Well, that has been our episode. Saul, thanks for joining me on this little journey. Did you have fun? Saul Arredondo: Yeah, Yeah, dude, thanks for having me, man. I hope I wasn't too, too long-winded. I know I warned you a little bit beforehand. ⁓ But no, this was fun, man, talking musicians that we admire and that we love and just talking about our past experiences and memories, dude. No, dude, this has been great, dude. Thanks for having me. Jose: Yeah, man. Well, thanks for coming and thank you to anyone who answered our question. Also, thank you for listening. If you're listening and want to know where to find the questions for future episodes, ⁓ add best.mos.pod on Instagram. Also rate, comment, subscribe. I truly appreciate it. ⁓ And remember, there are no guilty when it comes to music, movies and all art preferences. Love what you love. Enjoy what you enjoy. That connection is such a gift. And until next time. Take care and take care of each other. Bye bye. Saul Arredondo: Peace.