Bilbo

Just practice reading in all keys, one at a time. It is as simple as that. If you haven't nailed it, you haven't practiced doing it enough.

I have now transcribed the whole Cozy Powell 'Over The Top' album - this one is 'The Loner' and features some very clever Jack Bruce parts. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/the-loner-cozy-powell/

Shadows and Light for the band. After that, I love them all and think that ranking them is a completely pointless exercise because it doesn't change the way I think or feel about them. She is a genius : end of. 😀

Another one nearly 40 years in the making (I saw Rush on this tour) - Geddy Lee's bass part for 'Red Barchetta' from the 1981 Rush album 'Moving Pictures'. Monster part! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/red-barchetta-rush/

Objective criticism of music. Is that even possible? Depending on the publication, I think it is important for critics to engage as well as inform. I think a stinking review can be really funny if we'll written. I grew up as a Prog fan in the Punk era. Nobody liked anything I listened to 😃 Writing is always about the writer.

Sounds like a lot of unmet expectations to me. What do you want from a critic? Do you want them to agree with you or to disagree? I think people forget how subjective music is and how, frankly, pointless it is to write about it. I recall a clip from Good Will Hunting where Robin Williams talks about reading 1000 books on flowers but never actually smelling one. Critics can be useful. If you learn to recognise which critics like what you like, then you can follow their recommendations. I have loved records critics hate and have hated records that critics love. Its not their fault. In truth, it is all about selling magazines not music. Like musicians, there are great critics and there are poor ones. It's not important.

A further transcription of a Jack Bruce bass part, this one being the Max Middleton penned tune 'Sweet Poison' from the 1979 Cozy Powell album, 'Over The Top'. Great bass parts featuring poweful rooted playing with some great counterpoint lines. A really influential album for me, personally. Only one more track to go ('The Loner') and I have transcribed the whole album! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/sweet-poison-cozy-powell/

Chip Jackson's bass part for the tune 'July' from the 1985 Al DiMeola album 'SOaring Through A Dream'. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/july-al-dimeola/

A simple part and and easy read for beginners. Jerry Duplessis's bass part for The Fugees version of 'Killing Me Softly' from the 1996 album 'The Score'. Because I am a massive Hip Hop fan. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/killing-me-softly-the-fugees/

Thanks for the feedback, Dave. I still haven't got a 'proper' copy I like to think that my approach was a bit different to the norm and I tried very hard not to be too 'obvious'. I only got to play on the one track.I recorded two more (Celluloid Star and 'Rebel Inside') but they wanted something more traditional than a fretless Wal and I wasn't in that space.

I had a request for a Jimmy Haslip part that I did not think was accessible in terms of the mix so went for this one instead. 'Sonja's Sanfona' from the 1986 Yellowjackets album 'Shades'. Haslip held the 'Jackets' bass chair from 1977 to 2012 - 35 years. Not a bad innings by anyone's standards! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/sonjas-sanfona-the-yellowjackets/

A new player on the scene..... don't be daft. John Paul Jones's bass part to the tune 'Ramble On' from the 1969 LP 'Ld Zeppelin II' https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/ramble-on-led-zepellin/

There are transcriptions of 'Fool For Your Lovin' by Whitesnake and 'Down To You' by Coloseum on my transcription site. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/fool-for-your-loving-whitesnake/ https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/down-to-you-colosseum-ii/

For me, it is not as much a question of what I like as much as it is what I prefer. I have 'enjoyed' all sorts of weird and disparate stuff over the 5 decades I have been listening to music but, when I have a choice, I gravitate towards the stuff I like the most. Listening time is a precious resource which I try to maximise the benefits of. I am not completely unapproachable on rap but am unlikely to prefer it Jazz, Latin, Prog, classical etc. So I don't go looking for it.

Bit of fun, this one. A transcription of one of my own solos! A single chorus of Charlie Parker's 'Yardbird Suite' (single because the solo went awry during the second solo as the band went into the B section prematurely). It is an interesting exercise to look this closely at your own work! https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/yardbird-suite-the-good-things/

Did you know that Brittany Spears is Brian Ferry's daughter? She took her mother's name apparently.

I have heard recordings and asked who played bass only to find out it was me. If you do a session with layers of the track not yet added, it is easy to loose perspective. It's always funny, though.

I am a Jazz musician. I never play the same thing once. Seriously, I have played tunes significantly wrong for decades. Nobody died.

Another long overdue transcription which I wish I could have done decades ago! Geddy Lee's bass part to 'La Villa Strangiato' from the 1978 Rush album 'Hemispheres'. The 'Ghost of Aragon' section was the tricky bit. It is only really a pentatonic lick but a slippery little sucker nevertheless. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/la-villa-strangiato-rush/

Now there's a thought.

AnotherJack Bruce performance from the Cozy Powell 'Over The Top' album. This one is the Bernie Marsden penned 'El Sid'. I did not transcribe the bass solo in the closing section because it is loaded with non specific bent notes that cannot be written down with conventional notation. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/el-sid-cozy-powell/

Now it really IS out and available to buy. The track I am on is the first one, 'Signs And Traces'. https://www.progrock.co.uk/multi-story-cbf10-digipak-c2x32609100

I always wonder what shortcomings guys like Linder have. Is his intonation on fretless really poor? 😃

I just can't fathom the level of intensity in these performances. It's awesome.

Bill Bruford drummed with both. Does that help clear things up?