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Tara Hall New user 24 Posts |
Just wanted to see what others think. I know that Larry Jennings and others wre great in their days, but for sheer creative miracles with cards you have far to go to beat Paul Gordon!
There are so many brilliant original routines to choose from. Does anyone know, by the way, if he is related to Harry Lorayne? |
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AaronShields Loyal user 296 Posts |
Only if Keanu Reeves is the greatest actor of modern times.
Thanks for the laugh, dude......wild stalllllions! |
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paulduggan Regular user 131 Posts |
I like a lot of PG's material, and he seems like a nice bloke too (met him earlier this year). He must be getting something right, because card magic is his living. I think 'greatest magician' might be stretching it a bit, though. If we're talking cards, I think I'd have to nominate Lennart Green or Daryl.
It was a good battle, and they nearly won.
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mattH Veteran user 324 Posts |
I agree, Paulduggan, that Green, Daryl,
(and Tamariz, Hollingworth, Brown) are better card men than Paul Gordon. I have several of PG's effects and books, and I feel they are not as good as other I have by, for example, Paul Harris (another original card man). PG's effects are a little derivative, I feel. |
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MField2000 Special user Hastings, East Sussex, England 590 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-07-07 22:06, Tara Hall wrote: Paul Gordon is mediocre. I think he has some presentational skills. Matt Field |
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gkfreed Special user 532 Posts |
I assume and hope he is better than his books.
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RichHead New user 93 Posts |
Paul Gordon gets a lot of knocks on this board.
OK, so maybe he's not the the world's greatest card magician, but then are any of you? He is very competent with a pack of cards. He is a reasonable entertainer. He has written a good few books on card magic and produced a few videos. How many of you have done this? And as has already been stated, he makes his living out of a pack of cards. Give the guy some credit! |
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AaronShields Loyal user 296 Posts |
I don't think anyone is knocking Gordon's performance capabilities, but rather his publishing record.
We would be willing to give him credit if the "few good books" were actually filled with original material, rather than containing many minor variations that have no right to be claimed as "original". That being the case, I'd give more credit to the people who haven't published books, being sensible enough to realize that they shouldn't be publishing. Some of the finest magicians I've met have not published books. Publishing a book is not a measure of a person's worth, especially when the routines contained in the books are what they are in the case of Gordon. He would have been much better off taking the few original routines and putting them in one book, rather than filling multiples volumes. |
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Tara Hall New user 24 Posts |
Harry Lorayne, Eugene Burger, Michael Close, Max Maven and many others publish tiny variations of other people's tricks but THEY are not thieves! So neither is Paul Gordon. Paul is the best magician in the UK of all times. I can't say about America. I have not been there to see, but I'm sure he is better than most!
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marko Inner circle 2109 Posts |
Tara, the magicians you mentioned may also sometimes publish variations of standard effects, but they usually bring a new perspective or creative ingenuity to them.
I have not seen Paul Gordon perform, so I will not judge his performance skills. However, I have read a couple of his books and can say that, while I found a few worthwhile things here and there, his published work strikes me as fairly mediocre. If you get something out of them, though, then more power to you.
Thought: Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food: frequently there must be a beverage.
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MagicT Inner circle New Orleans 1248 Posts |
By the way, you cannot put Paul Gordon in front of Alex Elmsley. Sorry, Tara, PG is NOT the best magician in the UK of all times.
P.S. Those of you who are on TSD should check out the archives regarding Mr. Paul Gordon. Shields knows what I am talking about. Best, Trini
Trini Montes
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Fayaad Manie Loyal user 237 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-07-09 23:38, MagicT wrote: I couldn't agree more. |
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Tara Hall New user 24 Posts |
I don't see what "new" things Lorayne and such are bringing to their tiny variations.
As for Elmsley, that was a long time ago! Paul Gordon is way ahead of the likes of old timers such as Elmsley. |
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slydini9 New user 71 Posts |
Well, I have both his books, and I think hes absolutely fantastic. Sorry!
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marcus2 New user uk 78 Posts |
Tara Hall, you sound as if you're new in this business. When you say words like best magician in UK, get your facts right. Paul Gordon is an average card man! The best card men in UK today are Jerry Sadowitz and Guy Hollingworth, IMO.
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Chris "linkster" Watson Special user England 564 Posts |
Tara, it may be worth having a look at Paul's influences to see where he got his ideas from. Some of these 'old timers' were very proficient at what they did, and I wouldn't mind betting he has learned an Elmsley count at some point in his career .
There is a phrase "If I have seen further [than certain other men] it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants". This was said by Isacc Newton, but it applies to magic in a big way. Where would we be without all the greats who have gone before? I think it is great that you have found someone who's magic obviously gels with your style and way of thinking, but who's best? Have you seen Goshman do a coin routine? Have you seen Cardini perform his stage act? Lennart Green? David Copperfield? Slydini? Derren Brown? All have a very different approach to magic, but each bringing something new or unique in ideas or presentation or persona. I think one of the exciting things about magic is the discovery of so much varied and exciting material, and sometimes if you are lucky you find someone who gels with your style and has many routines you want to learn. It sounds like you have found that in Paul Gordon's work. For me I like material from Chris Kenner and Albert Goshman. They are the ones who really gel for me, but then I am more into coins than cards. Enjoy learning Paul's stuff but don't discount the other stuff. Some of the old timers are worth learning from too. |
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slydini9 New user 71 Posts |
Sounds like youre all pretty "down" on this Paul Gordon. His books are advertised everyhwere so he must be pretty well respected.
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cheesewrestler Inner circle Chicago 1157 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-07-18 17:41, Slydini9 wrote: Funny stuff! |
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jezza Elite user 469 Posts |
I've noticed that about 90 percent of quotes, etc., about Paul Gordon being a good card man are normally written by him on his sites. I think Paul Gordon does take the art of magic seriously, but I find I did not warm to him in his books or videos, where I detect a bit of arrogance, e.g., talking about culling cards and saying if you can't do that you're in the wrong game.
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Canvey Card Sharp Special user Canvey Island Essex ENGLAND 552 Posts |
Any man that can earn a living performing with a pack of cards in England must be pretty *** good at his game - believe me! Work on a regular basis just performing close up is not plentiful - only the best survive.
In my view his products are value for money and commercial - unlike many of the pipe dreams I have read in many other books over the past decade. At the end of the day, judge a guy by how he works in 'the real world' for people that don't really give a *** about magic (very typical of people this side of the pond) then pass comment by all means. Until then, if you don't like the guy or his material then don't buy it!
Barry Allen
A Trick....A Smile....Applause |
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