ian61

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

I worked with many signed up/chart bands bands in the 80/90 who weren't up to scratch in the playing dept and they certainly weren't replaced. There would have been a mutiny if they had been. 

Back in the day they would have been sent off for coffee and a session outfit would have done the biz...Happened all the time back in the 60's, 70's. Its a myth that record companies paid gazillions for no name musicians to spend days doing retakes ad nauseum. Name bands like Floyd, Queen who were accomplished musicians anyway, totally different matter. I've done sessions onto 4' tape and the pressure to get value for money was immense...

56 minutes ago, TimR said:

 

In the 70s you needed to be able to play live in the first place. 

 

Unless you had a load of money, you weren't going into the studio to record. You couldn't fix vocals or bad notes quickly. You'd have to redo and drop in  whole lines.

 

Audiences didn't have pocket video cameras. 

 

This had several effects but mainly people were used to hearing real music by real musicians.

 

Now music is so sanitised that almost anyone can put out something from their bedroom that sounds 'good', but everyone expects perfection. Top selling artists won't perform live as they are afraid of not being able to reproduce the studio quality that people have come to expect.

 

It'll only get worse with AI as 'engineers' decide that straight lines drawn by human artists must be over-drawn using rulers.

Absolutely. Saw that horrendous Apple Mac ad the other night where she presses a button and then says shes written a tune...But the thing is, the "sample" used was originally created back in the day by an extremely talented musician. This entire thing is completely unsustainable...  Oh and just to bang on endlessly...yet more adverts aimed at 'young people' using "crappy" old'... pop stuff from the 70's. No Adele, Sheeran or any of them... and I think we all know why.

Feel like Im living a mad cap parallel universe. Go listen to any old heavy/power rock music recorded in the 70's. No click, no this and that or the other...and bloody brilliant!. If everyone cencentrated on playing freely with heart and soul you wouldn't need all this stuff.

Mentioned it before hoping it might jog someones memory. There was this Euro guy on YT a long time ago....smoothest funkster Ive ever heard. Vid was him sat playing in a studio with a rack of old P basses. Reckon its been pulled...pity.

The title is etiquette, It does seem to have morphed into general studio chitchat, which is cool. Anyway one observation. How does tightening up the tempo make the final recording good? Gazillions of old recordings made without post recording tempo management, and those old tunes are now industry standard gold. Maybe someone could help me out. 

For me a grt track has all the right notes assembled in a very pleasing way to create, rythmic structure, emotion, tension and dynamic impact. Yeah sounds pretentious but I know what I mean.  And I sure as hell know it when I can't hear it.

Just a guess. Is the OP talking about that lush J bass bedroom sound so enjoyed by a lot of younger players..the one which sadly disappears once on stage.

My home playalong sound is a bone dry grey/middly tone with dead flats which on its own sounds a bit dull I suppose you might say...however stick on a track..reduce the bass on the music box and that dry tone could almost be in the mix.   

Blimey thats the best Eagles thing I've ever heard, very nice work indeed, grt P bass too ...tho mind old Don doesn't get wind of it...I trust youve sent him a cheque? haha..kidding, sort of.

2 hours ago, Tim2291 said:

Sadly I think they are just trying to get more money in store and preying on people who don't do their research!

This. Stores are now the Saturday afternoon domain of mum,dad and the grandparents who dont know much and will just hand over the money, meanwhile those in the know will trawl online and just get it cheap anywhere. 

Not exactly a regret more a whistful sense of something I was part of that was great and that will never happen again.

Twas back in 1986 and Id got a summer Hotel season thing on the Isle of Wight. Drums, bass, and a Fender Rhodes with a little string machine on top, all lead by an extraordinary white version of Tina Turner up front, big hair, gold lamay jacket...huge voice... Still got a playlist. I've done a lot of stuff but as a unit we were flippin good with a packed dance floor four nights a week for four months. Just nice to have those memories I guess.

Its actually got me thinkin about that backing track thread too. Back then you could take it where you liked, be spontaneous... and above all....relax, and just play loose!

Like parts of the body, every ones got one and there all slightly different....but to be slightly serious. There is no diffinitive answer...best way I deal with it is to break it down to this. 

Why is it 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' is such a phenomenaly amazing piece of music.  I mean its a bit silly, simple soppy, stupid even....but its iconic, and its iconic because it is very cleverly written to fit the genre it was written for.  In other words what ever you write has to work. It doesnt matter how daft or serious it is..it simply has to be well written for the genre. 

I have the same condition and Im afraid it's your body tying to tell you to stop, and I don't just mean electrical instrument noise.  Babies screaming, my spouse getting excited about something, machinery, noisy places, outdoors...even playing my other acoustic instruments...its all saying one thing...time to excercise avoidance and use protection .

I now cannot leave the house without ear protection in case I need it....I even have a tiny plastic chk list on the dash in the car with ear plugs in bright red txt to remind me, and forget those fancy muso plugs I have to wear the purple and green undustrial ones as a precaution.

Maybe youll be lucky and can carry on but my future days are seriously messed up and I bet we're not the only ones. Read somewhere that Debbie Harry is in a bad way too. 

I really like the Thin Lizzy format. Original drummer but complimented by three younger guys who have held onto the vibe without trying to be a tribute act, especially the singer kinda like Lynot but his own man....they are very good.

It's good but that production is still not as lush as anything from the early 80's which I presume is the time its trying to emulate. Proof tape and old school studio skill are a rare thing. 

Quite simply forgotten how incredibly good they were...stunning talent...Her vocals in particular are sublime...In this age of sub par talent and that A tune word thing they now all have to use....what a treat.

Back in the day a good pop cover band sounded good because of one thing... a top draw keyboard player. Way more fun than a backing track and you can go where you like. Played with many over the years. One memorable one was a guy with a Rhodes and little casio type thing on top for strings....We sounded great doing old school disco, soul and funk. 

68?  Thgt the bridge anomaly started in 70. Anyway its a just a bog standard P bass from the era...having said that a good one is a keeper.

I played a 77 black/maple for ten years in the 80's...nothing special at all. I've played subs which were better, nicer. A heck of a lot hyperbole out there in guitar land.

Reckon Lennon would have made it his next single after Woman..its got that early 80's Lennon vibe ....Doesnt really sound like the Beatles.

1 hour ago, Reggaebass said:

Thanks for sharing, I remember when that came out, such a great bassline to play

Isn't it. Can play that lazy groove all day....so much space, with each note full of purpose. When you get the feel right its just soooo heavy and tight....love it.

Open the windows and plug in...bass playing paradise.

U know the day has come when even in a tricky bit ur looking around the stage or out into the crowd yawning and not paying attention in the slightest.....That was the day I packed it all in.

Anyway back to those questioning an unusual vocal. There's a world of difference between beeing blatantly out of tune and having an unusual vocal style.  Bit like Picasso versus Constable.  Boy George has never sung a single note in tune ever but he sounds brilliant....Ferry too and the rest..Its an important distinction

55 minutes ago, steantval said:

One other option is to see a top rated tribute band, the musicianship is spot on and the vocalists are of a younger age and can emulate the vocals in the original keys with ease.

This. Just clocked the Thin Lizzy guys on YT with Brian Downey who still can play as he did, and the others are just top notch, specially the singer....and, visually it all hangs together too...so yes, as an eg, works superbly.

Way I see it is...some people can pull it off..others most certainly cannot.  Some bands are totally of their time. They were what they were because when they were new they epitomised the youth scene of the time and its that young image that made them what they were (ok a right mouthful), I know what Im trying to say.

Having said that u have to hand it to Jagger and Co.  How Mick does it is a mystery..He's still the greatest frontman in the entire pop business but do I wanna go see them..nope. 

Same with the Pistols. They blew my mind bk in 77, but tubby old geezers doing that stuff now, not for me.  But yes, nostalgia, we all love it, long may it last.

Sorry to hear this. Broke up with long term partner four years ago and I still haven't got to over it, and yes like you I didnt want to go near the bass at all, ...however one day early last yr I suddenly had the urge to play again.....The mind wants to heal itself and it does so in tiny increments, even more so when there is a creative neccessity. Your time will come when your ready, it really will.