Bass_In_Yer_Face

[quote name='Jase' post='130593' date='Jan 30 2008, 12:39 PM']I was enjoying that, like you say, using skill and translating it into music. The level of skill today though is more advanced than Jimi or Jaco, it's like technical ability has improved no end but being a musician hasn't. I've heard of your band before somewhere, can't remember where though.[/quote] I don't hear anything unique from Bass Players anymore...just plodders. You listen to Bruce Foxton, Andy Rourke, Mick Karn, Percy Jones, Hooky, Bernard Edwards, Pino (you get me drift)....you'd buy an album just to hear what they are doing. Nobody is standing out from the crowd.

[quote name='Rich' post='130520' date='Jan 30 2008, 11:03 AM']Daltry is right about needing another Pistols... not necessarily the band [i]per se[/i], but the whole ethos of the band, of the punk idea... the rebellion against the bullshit music had become before it, the endless manufactured pea-soup disco nonsense. Tina Charles' "I Love To Love" anybody? Now tell me that's not a million miles from Umberella-ella-fcking ella. For Boney M, read Girls Aloud. The industry need the same punk shake up, something to inspire not just a few people but the masses, something to make the greater music buying public wake up, smell the vinyl, and realise that music is stagnant and will just get worse without a radical change in approach. Until the people buying the music realise this and embrace this change of approach, the industry heirarchy will keep churning out the same old bollocks and pop really will eat itself.[/quote] My Point exactly....sadly I think there is such a strict control of music that it wouldn't be allowed to happen. having said that, there are so may forms of media outlets these days...maybe it could?......quite what form any sort of musical shake up would take, I don't know. Look at those arses 'The Towers Of London' trying to be the Sex Pistols but looking more like Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

[quote name='bassbloke' post='130333' date='Jan 29 2008, 10:34 PM']thispost might come across as a bit rambling... I find it a bit odd you saying there are no bass heroes any more when The Police, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Black Sabbath and Genesis, to name but 4 have all reformed and gigged in the past year. What's more, a couple of huge metal bands, Metallica and Megadeth, have recruited name bassists in Rob Trujillo and James Lomenzo. Modern bands like Muse,Mars Volta and Tool have incredibly prominent bass playing. What about Rush, Squarepusher. Gospel bass? So,here's a list of modern bass heroes Tom Jenkinson Chris Wrostenholme Justin Chancellor Juan Alderete Steve DiGiorgio Tim Commerford[/quote] Rage have been around since the early nineties...I think people are missing the point of my modern heroes thread. I am talking about bands that have formed recently.

[quote name='Jase' post='129835' date='Jan 29 2008, 10:23 AM']What I also find sad, is we hardly ever go to record shops anymore, I used to love delving through all the albums. I DON'T DO IT ANYMORE!!!!! shame on me!! Being able to buy the finished product, was in my opinion what is was all about...having the actual album in my hand was a great feeling, now I just buy certain tracks or have copies given to me, I'll admit it I've become so lazy. I can't actually remember the last time I bought a real, 3D, "proper" album from a shop...I disgust myself ..but I put it down to the fact that there's not much out there worth buying [/quote] Strange that I have an interivew in London this afternoon and intended spending the early part of the afternoon trawling 'proper' record shops in London

[quote name='Doc B' post='129753' date='Jan 29 2008, 08:16 AM']Isn't this a repeat of a previous episode of Grumpy Old Bassmen that we've had on here before? I'd agree to some extent that there does seem to be a lack of inspiring rock bands around just now but I tend to put that down to my advancing age and the changeable nature of music scenes, fashions or whatever. I was inspired to play by hearing bands like New Order, Faith No More, Therapy, Fishbone, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Living Colour, STP, Radiohead, RHCP, RATM etc in my late teens and early twenties. Most of my favourite albums are from 1985-1995. I think that has more to do with youthful enthusiasm though. IMO there's been plenty of great music around since 2000 - but I don't just listen to rock artists. Goldfrapp, Muse, Audioslave, Elbow, Doves, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Regina Spector, Cold War Kids, Isobel Campbell, Jose Gonzalez, and Mark Lanegan, System of a Down and countless others have produced fantastic music in the last few years. I've listened pretty much exclusively to BBC 6 Music for the last 3 years as Radio 1 died for me when Mark and Lard left. I'm quite proud of the fact that I didn't hear Rhianna's Umbrella song until I was in a pub in December and I had to use Google to find out who Leona Lewis is and I've still never heard one of her songs all the way through. Mainstream chart music has never really been that good IMO but I'm prepared to accept that I am old and out of step with the musical trends and the youth of today - I've just turned 34. 'Yer old, yer old, yer old, yer old' - Gary Stringer, Reef, 1997 Think Gary Stringer is probably regretting saying that as he is probably pretty old himself now.....lol..."would you like fries with that sir?"....first album was pretty good mind.[/quote]

I've been listening a lot to the late, great Bernard Edwards stuff with Chic & Sister Sledge etc and in Guy Pratt's book 'My Bass and other animals' (love it so far)...he mentions some solo albums by Bernard Edwards.....anybody heard them and what are they like?

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='128909' date='Jan 27 2008, 09:17 PM']Level 42 - Lessons in love... Very simple idea of arpeggiated chords but seriously effective! Jamoraquai - Travelling without moving... A standard for my pupils to learn! Victor Wooten - Zenergy (look it up on YouTube!)[/quote] Thanks for reminding me about Jamoraquai....I love playing 'Too Young To Die'....Stu Zender is a contender for my modern bass heroes thread as is Paul Turner just for the awsome 'Runaway'.

Hi guys I wanted to open up my thred earlier about there being no modern bass heroes by stating that music since the turn of the century has been on the whole pretty crap. Reading your posts on this board, it is obvious you guys are as passionate about your music as I am and I just wanted to see what you thought. One of my mates is a guitarist and I was telling him about how there are no musicians inspiring kids to pick up the bass. He then pointed out that there aren't any guitar heroes either, the guys who made him want to start a rock band....Clapton/Hendrix/Beck/May/Vai/Slash...etc. My music taste is totally eclectic and I can see that each decade had it's own merits 60's - Beatles, Stones,Motown,Floyd,Who,Doors 70's - Prog Rock (Led Zep, Yes), Glam Rock (Bowie, Bolan, Roxy Music), the rise of Punk (Pistols,Clash,Police, Stranglers), Disco, funk, New Wave (Talking Heads, Blondie) 80's - New Romantics(DUran Duran,Depeche Mode) Goth (Sisters Of Mercy,The Mission) Hip Hop, ALt Rock (The Cure, Pixes), Acid House, Baggy (Happy Mondays, Stone Roses) 90's - Grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins), Brit Pop (The Whole Blur V Oasis thing), Electronica (orbital, Chemical Brothers) 00's - Simon Cowell's puppets, James Blunt and The Artic Monkeys....ffs I guess what I am saying is that I want to be surprised by music but there is nothing. Everytime I hear a new band with a catchy single, you then discover that was the only track on the album worth listening to and end up skipping through the rest. You compare that to a band like The Jam for example, even their B-sides were worth listening to. I had to laugh recently when another mate of mine was viewing some latest tuneless wonders on TV and exclaimed "Christ i've got album tracks by Squeeze better than this crap" I don't want to be forever trawling back through time, trying to find bands I missed the first time around....where are the guys to pick up the flag and run with it? Roger Daltrey recently stated that something really needed to shake up the music industry....another Sex Pistols he said. My God is he ever on the money. I can't help but feel the kids of today are being badly short changed.

I did hear stuff by The Rain band from Manchester who were definately Hooky inspired...sadly they never lived upto the hype

Luckily when I started playing I was 38 so I had a wide choice of songs to choose from...plus my tutor introduced me to some tracks I'd never heard of.

[quote name='nick' post='127889' date='Jan 25 2008, 05:23 PM']Wombats 'Moving to New York' (?) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTEN359V8pI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTEN359V8pI[/url][/quote] Nice to hear the bass high in the mix. Song doesn't blow my skirt up i'm afraid. Sounds like everyone else.

[quote name='Toasted' post='127771' date='Jan 25 2008, 02:37 PM']If you can't find bass plasyers with swagger in mondern music you're simply not looking or listening hard enough.[/quote] Any Suggestions?...I'm all ears

Is just me or are there no bass heroes anymore? You know the guys who you saw on Top Of The Pops and thought “My God!...I want to look as cool at that guy” For me people like JJ Brunell, Paul Simenon, Simon Gallup, Peter Hook….all made the bass look like an offence weapon. I just don’t see anyone from contemporary bands inspiring an apathetic youth to play the bass. While I continue my rant……can anyone suggest any bands around at the moment who have inspiring bass lines as I’m struggling to find anything worth listening to in this current trend of ‘femmepop’ as my mate calls it. Emasculated rock

[quote name='Bassassin' post='23170' date='Jun 25 2007, 06:33 PM']Impossible question - but three from my massive "wish to f*ck I'd written that" category: [i]The Chinese Way[/i] - Level 42 [i]Free Will[/i] - Rush [i]Gutter Cat Vs The Jets[/i] - Alice Cooper Band Jon.[/quote] Freewill is a brilliant bass line to play...that and Far Cry

[quote name='E_MaN' post='126211' date='Jan 23 2008, 03:46 PM']rio - duran duran cannot beat it, has everything[/quote] I am attempting to learn that as I like a challange! Still a sucker for Jamie Stewart's bass line on Ressurection Joe by The Cult or Same Old Scene by Roxy Music

Their drum/bass/guitar techs were pretty impressive playing their instruments at a soundcheck Saw them at Cardiff back last year....pretty damn good i thought.....bit worried when the stand started to vibrate during So Lonely mind!

May I reply to my own thread and nominate the awsome Dave Allen from Gang Of Four. Not New Romantic but of the same era.

[quote name='SJA' post='119523' date='Jan 13 2008, 02:39 PM']mind you, Duran's recent stuff isn't so great either.....[/quote] Ain't that the truth

[quote name='SJA' post='119493' date='Jan 13 2008, 01:37 PM']I heard (from someone who's toured alongside JT's side project band the Neurotic outsiders) that Andy Taylor quit Duran recently as he was demanding more than the same 20% cut as the other 4 members, and they refused. also John writes all the music?[/quote] How come John's solo stuff is so lame then?

I don't play in a band...just wanted to learn an instrument...much as i'd love to play...I have to put other things first.

[quote name='Shaggy' post='118314' date='Jan 11 2008, 07:47 AM']Aaaaaah! I've been wondering for years what bass that was! He's playing it in most of the "Best of Japan" DVD[/quote] Well you learn something everyday. I love Mick Karn as he is entirely self taught (shows in his technique, not that I can play 1/10th as good as that) and openly admits he has no idea what notes he is playing....lol I think it must be a Travis Bean he is playing in the 'Old Grey Whistle Test' footage on youtube.

[quote name='bassaussie' post='117975' date='Jan 10 2008, 04:48 PM']That's what I've always been lead to believe as well. There's a video of the two of them going over the "Get it On" solo, where Edwards is suggesting what might be good for the solo. JT liked the example so much, it's what ended up going down as the solo. About the whole "did they play/didn't they play" thing with Duran Duran, I once had a conversation with a bass player in Australia who did some of the support slots when Duran Duran first toured Australia back in 1983 or thereabouts. She told me she'd often watch them from backstage, and said that there was no doubt in her mind that JT was actually quite a decent bassist. She said that one of the guys was a bit suspect, although didn't let on who that was. Since it would be hard to hide Simon's ability or lack there of, that leaves Nick, Roger or Andy.[/quote] I'd like to think that if they did have 'ringers' playing on their albums, it would have come to light by now like the whole Frankie / Blockheads deal.

[quote name='bnt' post='117889' date='Jan 10 2008, 03:07 PM']Anyone mentioned [url="http://www.tonyfranklin.com/"]Tony Franklin[/url] yet? Another great pop fretless player. Here he is rocking out with Kate Bush, and David Gilmour on Steinberger guitar. He has a Fender signature model of his own, though I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that he is Fender's Artist Relations Manager these days! re Power Station - I'm positive that's John Taylor on the first album. It sounds like him, and what he was doing with Duran Duran around that time e.g. "Union of the Snake". Bernard Edwards was producing, and I believe he played on the second album. This matches what Wikipedia says - Edwards took over for the 2nd album in 1997, and was going to tour with them, then [i]he[/i] died. [/quote] Without putting on an anorak, I was under the impression that JT played the majority of stuff on the first PS album and Bernard Edwards added some 'twiddly bits' etc as well, slaps etc.

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='117788' date='Jan 10 2008, 01:08 PM']Guy Pratt did the Powerstation bass lines. And don't forget hush money was paid because Roger Taylor didn't(couldn't?) play drums on the first album.[/quote] I thought it was Bernard Edwards? I know Guy Pratt did play on some of the live Power Station performances.....hmmmm

[quote name='Deep Thought' post='117749' date='Jan 10 2008, 12:27 PM']Again not New Romantic, but of that era, Stuart Morrow of New Model Army and Chris Thompson of Screaming Blue Messiahs spring to mind.[/quote] Stu Morrow on the early NMA is just awsome....sadly I think he plastering or something now.