4000

You know, in my near 40 years of playing I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone playing Stairway in a guitar shop. Thankfully, it therefore retains its status as my favourite Zep track. Smoke on the Water, however, I’ve heard a thousand times. Still hasn’t managed to spoil it though. 😉

I’ve just listened to that isolated Something. The past week or so I’ve been demo-ing my latest batch of songs and have been recording the bass parts. Having listened back to my lines today, my approach is so, so similar. I never consciously learned any Macca lines once I started playing bass, but the Beatles were the first band I was ever into, pre-teen, well before I ever considered taking up an instrument (didn’t start til 17), and I used to know most of their songs backwards. I can only assume Macca’s lines must have been subliminally absorbed to a far greater extent than I realised.

You know, I never considered that could be why I don’t like Blur, being Northern too.😉😂

Street Spirit is one of my favourite songs of all time. But Radiohead are one of my favourite bands. 😉 All very interesting this. Just shows how different we all are, as expected.

What, even Russ? Seems a bit harsh. 😂

It’s absolutely up to you, bearing in mind the type of music you play. I played 5s and 6s for a while but I’ve never found a 5 or 6 I particularly like the sound of. I also prefer the sound going up the neck to going across it (particularly on the specific basses I prefer) so the positional thing wasn’t any real plus for me. Changing key was never an issue; for a start I never play covers. Never really used the low notes, and you need gear that’ll happily cope with those notes, so bear that in mind. Try a 5 and see what you think; only you can decide. EDIT: Never had an issue with the B itself but then the basses I chose were Seis. Oh, and one Status, which wasn’t a patch on them.😉

Countermelodies are where it’s at for me. I love it.

Don’t Fear the Reaper? God, I LOVE that song! With you on the Archers though, simply because of the tune!😉

Probably wouldn’t like my playing then. 😂

I’m not sure that’s the exact line. 😂 But it’s something like that. It winds me up something chronic.

Oh, so have I. With covers too. But the last 7 years in particular, we’ve done perfectly well with originals.

This is one of the joys of hardly ever having played covers in a near 40 year career. 😉

Oh God, I’d forgotten that. Can I have 4? Oh, and that Bruno Mars “I’d sit on a grenade for you” travesty. Make it 5.

It played fantastically and was tremendous for recording, possibly even the best “plug in and done” recording bass I’ve ever owned.

Always fancied one myself. I once had a Quantum, which was essentially almost the same but with twin pickups & without the sliding pickup. One of my favourite basses I ever owned, and beat many of my boutiques hands down.

You’ve Got The Love by the Source featuring Candi Staton. It hurts my ears. Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People. Brings on the red mist.... Anything and everything Mick ”nails down a blackboard” Hucknall has ever sung on.

Imagine Motörhead playing Dancing Queen. Rockin’. 😂

I’m a huge fan of both....and just for the record, so was Lemmy.😁

Yeah, all the time. I think most musicians - in fact most creative types - suffer from this to some degree, i.e. suffer massive self-doubt.

Yep, both of them are absolutely stellar. Hope you enjoyed the gig! Did they play Banks of the Nile or Who Knows Where The Time Goes? That would have been me done. Could have died happy. 😉 Actually, that’s just reminded me that I never saw ABBA live either, and the same applies. In fact I think my head would have exploded seeing ABBA live, so maybe it’s a good thing. 😂

I like The Snow Goose a lot, but Moonmadness is another planet entirely; or should that be satellite?😉 Strangely it seems to have flown completely under most people’s radar, or maybe it’s just an acquired taste. I finally saw Camel (current incarnation) play the entire album live last year, although they rocked up Another Night too much for my taste (not that I’m averse to rock mind, being a huge Sabbath and Manowar fan) and I don’t think the current band is as good as the classic line-up (particularly in the drums dept). For me the unexpected highlight of the gig was the non-Moonmadness track Ice. I’ve never been so moved by a piece of live music in my life. By the end I was literally sobbing. I dread to think what the people around me thought. Again, Andy Latimer is so, so underrated as a guitarist. He’s up there with a Gilmour for me.

You're gonna have to stop posting pictures of this because you’re making me want one - in the same colour!

For some reason completely beyond me I never got to see them live; odd as they’re one of my favourite bands and were actively gigging in my main gig-going years. A major oversight on my part and now a major regret. I did see David Gilmour at Euston station last year though. 😉

Saw - and met - Blizzard of Ozz on their brief warm up tour prior to the release of the album. Shook Randy Rhoads’ hand, and Ozzy signed my copy of Sab’s Vol 4.. 😁

My band did a similar thing on our Facebook page a while back, but there has been the odd tweak to the list since: Arrival by ABBA - a world without ABBA is no world at all IMO. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd - possibly my favourite album of all time and the album that changed my life. Flawless. Moonmadness by Camel - my other all-time favourite, never tire of it. Also flawless. Seconds Out by Genesis - probably my favourite live album. Supper’s Ready! ‘Nuff said. Going For The One by Yes - I could easily have put about 4 Yes albums in here but I’ve tried to keep it to 1 album per band, and allow for changes of mood. This isn’t my favourite Yes album in its entirety, but there’s no way I could never hear Awaken again, my all-time favourite track. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - again, flawless. Sandy Denny live at the BBC boxed set (or the 19cd collection, which I can’t afford!). Not strictly an album, so if I wasn’t allowed it I’d probably go for Fotheringay’s first, although What We Did On Our Holidays, Unhalfbricking, and Liege & Lief by Fairport Convention would run it close. At her best, Sandy is my all-time favourite singer and one of my favourite songwriters; never hearing her again would be horrendous. Anybody here ever see her live? If so, I’m so jealous beyond words. 😉 Never For Ever by Kate Bush - a cosy onesie of an album. Wonderful. I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow - absolutely love this band, and for some reasons these early tracks are generally my faves. Blood Sugar Sex Magic by the RHCPs. - there are some Yes albums that would come before this, possibly some other Genesis too - and I was really torn as to whether or not to put Hawkwind’s Space Ritual here, but although I think Space Ritual is a more important album to me, I simply don’t listen to it much anymore. Maybe I should! In terms of mood, BSSM ticks a different box to the others. It also reminds me of the tail end of one of the happiest, most blue sky periods in my life. So for now, BSSM, but it could be Space Ritual tomorrow. Or possibly the sublime The Lion’s Roar by First Aid Kit the day after. 😉 EDIT: I think on reflection the last would have to be Space Ritual. I think I just need to rediscover it.