spongebob

I really hope he's back on track. I've read some Motorhead forum stuff, in which quite a few are seeing the end of the touring band in sight. I'm 50/50 on this - I've been a fan since '87, I hope Lem will be back, but even I was left speechless when he started to sing 'Ace Of Spades' when they played 'Overkill' at Glasto! Thought they sounded good besides that. Was it a tech glitch - or was did he really think it sounded okay? I just get concerned when bands start to regularly cancel, and the excuses start to come out - sickness, lung infection.....makes you wonder if there's more to it. I sincerely hope not - I'd rather see them continue in the studio knocking out brilliant albums like the new one (their best for a good few years - and I've loved the recent ones) than continue to tour and slowly decline. Lem sounds great on the new songs. ....and I've just ordered my 'new album' t-shirt! Let's hope that normal service is resumed.

I was watching the 'Standing In The Shadows Of Motown' film last night. I found it interesting when they mentioned the tone of the drums - the fact that even they had a 'tone' or 'note' to them. I find that pretty much most, if not all, modern productions leave me cold - they all sound to me like they've been made in either an aircraft hanger (wide and spacious, no feeling), or that everything is squashed together (love Rush, and the album, but step forward 'Clockwork Angels'). Modern drums go puffffttt, and cymbals shhhhhttt, whereas we all know proper cymbals go tssssst! There's science here, chaps! ....and that's before the modern bass tones - no definition. Rant over!

Certainly some awesome playing going on there. Must admit, I'm not keen on his tone (sacrilege, I'm sure) - and the less said about that pointy monstrosity in his hands the better...sorry Ox fans!

Great player, still inspires.

Just read this on the NME site. Very upsetting indeed. I just hope it ends well - Lem back on his feet doing what he does best - even if it means touring a little less. Lem is one of the reasons I picked up a bass, and remains so. A great rock 'n' roll band - pure and simple. On a happier note, the new album, 'Bad Magic' is awesome. It's certainly one of my faves of the last 10 years. They sound like a band 40 years younger. Maybe he could spend more time in the studio? I can't see it though, as Lem himself once said, if you're not gigging, you can't call yourself a band!

I had about 4 years off some time back, was back drumming instead. Got the chance to join a band I liked, so got practising! Gave myself 2 weeks of playing a lot (I was on annual leave from work) - and got the gig. Not saying I was Jeff Berlin on the day, but I got through it without any cramps or finger pain! It does take time, but I don't think you can ever truly forget. I do remember trying to play stuff I'd recorded with another band 5 or 6 years previously, and at first not coming close. That was a shock, it is amazing how quick you can lose ability in the hands. Not forget, but not be physically able to play what you could easily before.

I like the album. Some very good stuff on there. Proof that there are some excellent new records being made! I keep meaning to listen to his other solo stuff. I'm a big fan of his last solo album (Renaissance) as well. I'm kind of working backwards!

How Did You Know It Was Me? (It's a Barry White track, fans!)

[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1439815262' post='2845951'] But lately the old girl has been coming out for more gigs, and sounds divine. [/quote] Great to see the vintage getting some gig time. I always think if you're going to have it, might as well use it! How about a picture?

This thread has got me wound up on the OP's behalf! Absolute cheek of the highest order, in the imagined hierarchy of musicianship in which the rhythm section gets looked down on. Never fails to grind my gears.

He's been playing an old Rickenbacker 4000 of late. Saw them back in '96 - support was Strangelove - remember them?

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1439461415' post='2842998'] I think from a bass players perspective (and purely my own opinion, of course) that when you play with a guitarist with a single coil guitar it leaves a clear demarcation between the sonic territories of the bass & the guitar which makes it relative simple to get a nice clear bass sound in the mix. The increased mids range of humbucking guitars (PAF fitted Les Pauls seem to be particularly strong in the mids area) blurs the sonic territories together making it a little bit harder to get a distinctive bass voice in the mix. Its not a huge problem but I think it does require a little more fiddling with various controls to get right. Going from a Tele to a Les Paul does seem a bit like going from one trebly extreeme to the mid-heavy other. [/quote] Exactly! Well said in far better terms than I did!

I think the trouble is our guitarman has a very 'brash' tone - permanent distortion, etc. Not a nice clean sound at all!

Is it just me, or do you find that the Les Paul is the most dominating guitar tone around? I've never had problems playing in a band with Strats and Teles, but I always find the old LP has a habit of taking over! Our guitarist used to play a Tele, now a LP through a Marshall stack.Once was in a band with two of them! Found that P-bass sits in well, anything else gets a bit lost in the mix. I always find the tone a bit like a sledgehammer, going over everything. Old band had a Strat player, always sound really well balanced. Maybe it's me, but I'm not a fan of the Les Paul!

Blimey! I only have two, always feel guilty for having more than one!