Old Man Riva

That Flea interview is wonderful. Got a bit choked up watching that. Thanks for the heads up…

Reni was (probably still is) a staggeringly good drummer. Pete Townsend tried to nab him for some of his solo stuff, and likened his natural carefree playing to that of Keith Moon. His and Mani’s styles complimented each other so well. Some of the rehearsal footage in Shane Meadows’ documentary/film is wonderful, with the dynamic duo just laying it down with not a care in the world. They made it look all so easy. And fun. Never forgetting fun…

I think the John Gustafson and Alan Spenner eras get a fair bit of love and respect their way - and rightly so! For me, the first two Roxy albums can get overlooked, which is a real shame. They also hold a special place as they were pretty important records when I was first really getting into music - so not necessarily better, just my favourites, and I think underrated, from a bass playing perspective. But as I say, the whole Roxy catalogue is full of great bass moments, across all eras…

Cucumber Slumber is seldom mentioned when Weather Report (and highly regarded bass lines) are discussed. That big fat funky line is life-affirmingly good!

I’ve always found Roxy Music albums to be a treasure trove of low end delights, but the first two records are probably my favourites. Graham Simpson on the debut record, and John Porter on the For Your Pleasure follow up, are wonderful players, and add so much to the albums…

‘Live! In The Air Age’ is a great shout. Charlie Tumahai is fabulous on that record. The bass is also quite prominent in the mix, so tracks like Shine (which was included as part of the additional EP) really showcase his talent. Funky double stops ahoy! John McKenzie, in his time with Steve Hillage, puts me in mind of Charlie Tumahai.

Mani on bass…

Chanan Hanspal’s YouTube channel has some excellent XTC content. Well worth checking out…

A similar tale here. The ‘73/‘74 Jazz I’ve had since the early/mid 80s has had five different sets of p/ups in it - the originals, 70s cream coloured DiMarzio, first generation EMGs, a sourced set of ‘74 p/ups, and currently a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquity. The original owner was responsible for the first two sets, and I’ve piddled around with the rest! I took off the tug bar and covers (as most people did at the time) and left them in a wardrobe at my mum’s decades ago. She then had a clear out and they ended up at the main Coventry tip! The original case is long gone too. It’s been played to within an inch of its life, and I still love the thing as much today as the first day I had it…

Ali Baba by John Holt would be worth considering…

Fabulous, isn’t it! That blows my tiny mind! I saw him when Snarky Puppy played the Albert Hall - he was part of the support act with (if I remember correctly) Becca Stevens. I just couldn’t get my head around how he was doing it!

The low note at 1.45…

I’ve genuinely got no idea what’s going on, but I love it…