NickD

The last 45 minutes of Freebird?

My contribution to the June 2020 Basschat Composition Challenge, inspired by a picture chosen by last month's winner, Leonard Smalls. The picture asked me for a dumb, rough, punky, sub 3 minute romp.... so that's what I did. Lyrically, I suspect the guys in the pic were a welcome sideshow, looking at the band, but I've drawn on my years at bike events, where there was often a bunch of chubby, beardy, middle aged attention whores, often in tutus and fairy wings, being 'hilarious' and 'wild', because they're' soooo crazy' and 'don't care what anybody thinks' (except they do, obvs)... Getting in the way of people who actually want to watch the entertainment they've paid for. A novelty at first, but irritation after the first few times. All recorded in Cubase Elephants, with bass and guitar through the Helix. Drums courtesy of the Mrs, and Roland. **** Not totally worksafe, verse 1 contains a single, mid-scale profanity (Tw@t) ***

Maybe a bit modern, and with a slight rocky bias, but I love Bob Fridzema's keys on the King King Live album.

Metallic..... That was the word I was looking for.... 'Effecty'.... 🤣

I bought it on spec off a mate who was having a clearout, without seeing any reviews. I was pleasantly surprised. Tracking is good, and while in isolation the effects themselves could sound a little 'effecty' (if that makes any sense?), in a room, with a band, they sit really well.

I have their Critical Mass pedal. Kind of a rock biased variation of the others. It has doubling, octaves and gang vocal stuff, along with the same reverbs as the others. I was surprised how good it is, makes me sound much less stinky poo.

What Maude said is bang on. Your tuner is fine, if you listen the the lower patterns you play on the same strings it's fine. Intonation is just one of those little maintenance tasks you often have to do on a new bass, as well as after making neck adjustments or changing strings. Once you've got it, it's just a minute to check and 5 mins to adjust... I'm sure it's all over YouTube too.

If ever a picture called for bagpipes.... This is it!🤣

Really nicely played, you should be proud.😎 But, and maybe its just my ears, the higher parts at the beginning sound way out of tune. might be worth checking your intonation.

I think I've made sensible decisions with basses but I hear you on the Westbury.... A lovely bit of kit. Unable to find a suitable guitarist, I decided to put the guitar parts down myself on our in-progress recording. Given a fair bit of choice, with the studio having a few really nice guitars, my old Westbury still ended up doing 95% of the work!

Damn this thread! Plague everywhere, uncertain future at work, and I've spent half the day looking at bloody Spectors!

I'm a fan big the Beatles, but I always loved that version.

I don't think it's a matter of standard... It's very well done, but in an awful, insincere, souless, dry way. (To my ears, obviously). It's a danger of covering a 'classic'. They're a classic for a reason, a time, a place, a zeitgeist, or whatever. I've heard cover bands make it sound better. Then again, live and dirtier is always better.

It does... Different strokes and all that. I'm not a massive fan of the original to be honest, but those guys (or rather their producer to be fair) have sucked what little soul there was out of it for me. I don't think I could hate it more.

I once backed out of an audition because of that song! 🤣 I'd asked the guy for some tunes to get down in advance and he sent me that version... It had passed me by until then, surprisingly. "It's much better than the original" he said. I laughed my 'arris off at first listen. Damn, if only they'd realised that what that song needed was some generic nu-metal guitar tones and some autotuned vocals, Fleetwood Mac could have been as famous as... Er... Who was it again? I was on the phone making my excuses within minutes.

Something about abalone?

I thought it was just me.... I was desperately searching for a single way in which it's not hugely inferior to the original.

Any cover of any Bob Dylan song.... Except for that one where that woman with the Eyepatch changed the words and melody to Knocking on Heaven's Door... That was stinky poo.

Back in the mid-90s I did a stint with 70s Glam Cabaret act, trawling around Europe doing Military bases. Lots of Sweet in the set and they were great, fun lines to play,. The songs were unashamedly fun, and I've never known songs more effective for getting even the most reluctant audience on a dance floor and keeping them there. RIP Fella!

Don't start me off! 🤣

I look at natural finish Spector 5s with lust, but probably won't ever get around to one, partly because most seem to have gold hardware, and partly because they look as if neck dive would be an issue. I look at Dingwall Super PJs with lust, but probably won't ever get around to one because they're bloody expensive. On a more practical note, everytime a Maruszcyzk Jake 5 comes up in the marketplace, I get sorely tempted to get it as backup for my Jake... but then I'd have to get rid of my Elwood L5, which is probably better than the Jake in every way.... except I always find myself playing the Jake.

Exactly... Others can do as they see fit, the government tacitly condones it anyway. Me... I'm staying home a while.

Chatting with a consultant friend of mine over the weekend, and he's on alert for a big spike in July/August.... I'm not planning on going anywhere in the near future. Gigs can wait.