xilddx Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Submission No1 Zappa's Zoot Allures, the massively neglected Scott Thunes on bass. He deserves study, a real romantic bassist, his note choices are beautiful, his phrasing, his timing ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUhRBq8UiL0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Wazoo Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Agreed, as a Zappa die hard fan, I strongly agree about Scott Thunes, but then Frank was very anal in his choice of musicians and the gruelling auditions he put them through before actually hiring them, Scott was a great bassist but also a complete and utter weirdo, very difficult to get on with and according to Frank who mentioned it in one of his last interviews, Scott was the main reason for the band to start fighting with each other, because no one wanted to play with him and he actually caused other member to want to leave because of his attitude. This is a small description from Frank in regards to Scott Thunes [b]zappa:[/b] scott has a unique personality. he also has unique musical skills. I like the way he plays and I like him as a person, but other people don't. he has a very difficult personality: he refuses to be cordial. he won't do small talk. and he's odd. so what? they're all odd! they should tolerate each other. unfortunately the real world doesn't work that way, and I don't want to name who got this thing started, but it turned into a personal vendetta against scott thunes. [url="http://home.online.no/~corneliu/musician91.htm"]nov. 1991[/url] Anyway. If ever you happen to be south o' the river give me a shout, I have the whole discography here on CD and can show you some really forgotten jewels that Zappa recorded but not a lot of people have heard. There is a particular song, which was recorded years before the "Does Humour Belong In Music" tour, on an album called "Sleep Dirt" the opening tune of that album is "Filthy Habits" and the band at the time was the crème de la crème : Zappa on guitar, Patrick O'Hearn on bass, Terry Bozzio on drums, George Duke on keyboards, and I find this tune to be very dark and eclectic, in particular the bass line is almost scary to listen to but yet very captivating, check it out, unfortunately is not a live video but just a youtube song [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEfwhUQ4Wqk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEfwhUQ4Wqk[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nBGQ1xVroqk Yes I agree wholeheartedly regarding Scott Thunes musical brilliance. Amazing improviser. Have either of you read Thomas Wictor's book, "In Cold Sweat - Interviews with really Scary Musicians"? Scott Thunes (whose interview gets nearly half the book) basically opens up his heart regarding what transpired on Frank's ill-fated '88 tour. I feel after reading it that he was quite hard done by considering that musically he did the job exactly as he was employed to do - ie not to be the traditional 'bass player' (this is explained in the book as one of the reasons people didn't like him as in he didn't support the band in their expected way but hey, Frank was the boss right?) Yes I can imagine his abrupt personality did him no favours but I did really warm to his suffer no fools outlook. I mean, why should any of us? His interview is a great read and I found it to be very insightful and inspiring about music in general. It really is a great shame Frank never toured again after his experience in '88 but I think they (his band that is) all played a part in it's demise. I don't feel Scott Thunes deserves to take the rap for it on his own. Check out the book if you can. Anyhoo, Thunes is the reason I now play a P-bass - incredible tone, attack, note choices...a genius in his own right in my opinion, so perfect for Frank's music (who I love for his entire musical output) Check out the link at the top of this post to see the band of '88 before it all went tits up... Frank's really pushing the compositional boundaries here. Amazing stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 [quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1364176376' post='2022884']his note choices are beautiful, his phrasing, his timing ...[/quote] And his tone! That is the tone I have in my head when I think about a P bass. Hold the front page - "[i]Musician with questionable personality[/i]! shock!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 True dat. Loads of Zappa fans blame Scott for the premature end of his final tour, but it still remains that Scott is a superb player and helped to make that incarnation of Zappa's band greater than the sum of its parts. Fluid yet razor sharp , tight playing - check. Inspired note choices - check. Brilliant improvisation alongside supportive 'accompaniment' playing - check. He might be a 'prickly' character, but he's an awesome musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 POH still my fave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 (edited) [sub]Submission 2[/sub] For creating his own unique soundworld, whilst creating great songs.This, for me, is sublime music and musicianship. [media]http://youtu.be/xWIKQMBBTtk[/media] Far removed from the first example Edited March 25, 2013 by Lord Sausage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 enjoyed the Zappa tune, Nige. Its a very nice Precision sound that your man Scott T has there and he does have some interesting note choices for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 (edited) My contribution is "Topplue, Votter & Skjerf" (hat, coat and scarf) by the ECM jazz trio of Terje Rypdal (guitars), Miroslav Vitous (double bass) and Jack de Johnette (drums). Shut your eyes and you will be on a boat floating across a misty Norwegian fjord. Honestly! The double bass solo at 1:29 is just sheer beauty to me [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCRyXeD1S8s[/media] Edited March 25, 2013 by Clarky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I'm quite partial to this little number... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAv2FoYji8 The original by Nitin Sawhney is rather gorgeous too - really moving actually http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jJJHfL1yQA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 26, 2013 Author Share Posted March 26, 2013 [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1364242748' post='2023760'] My contribution is "Topplue, Votter & Skjerf" (hat, coat and scarf) by the ECM jazz trio of Terje Rypdal (guitars), Miroslav Vitous (double bass) and Jack de Johnette (drums). Shut your eyes and you will be on a boat floating across a misty Norwegian fjord. Honestly! The double bass solo at 1:29 is just sheer beauty to me [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCRyXeD1S8s[/media] [/quote] Lovely that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 (edited) [quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1364176376' post='2022884'] Submission No1 Zappa's Zoot Allures, the massively neglected Scott Thunes on bass. He deserves study, a real romantic bassist, his note choices are beautiful, his phrasing, his timing ... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUhRBq8UiL0[/media] [/quote] [color=#222222]That brings back memories![/color] [color=#222222]I believe that is from the 'Does Humour Belong In Music' video - I used to have it on VHS but it disappeared several house moves, not to mention several years ago. It was often the essential viewing on many nights when we got back from the pub[/color][color=#222222]...[/color] [color=#222222]Scott Thunes is undoubtedly a very good bass player, but that's a given for anyone in Zappa's band - Chad Wackerman is hardly a slouch on drums either! [/color] [color=#222222]Personally, I don't see Thunes as a phenomenal talent like Steve Vai or Terry Bozzio, to use obvious examples of Zappa alumni. I think that possibly some people see his rather challenging personality as some sign of unrecognised genius, whereas many who actually played him regarded him as a bit of a sociopath who was the reason for the demise of one of the greatest bands ever![/color] Edited March 26, 2013 by peteb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Huge fan here zoot allures probably my fave zappa track. I always liked frank but got the impression he could be a bit of a smart arse,but if you have the brains to back it up...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 (edited) [quote name='urb' timestamp='1364300405' post='2024497'] I'm quite partial to this little number... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAv2FoYji8[/media] [/quote] Nice. But not, maybe, as nice as this one (when it comes to "sublimeness"?) [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NomkmxUgzps[/media] Edited March 27, 2013 by Conan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 This is pretty cool [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FHXNN7daO4&playnext=1&list=PLFC461BC88FEC7BE0&feature=results_video"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FHXNN7daO4&playnext=1&list=PLFC461BC88FEC7BE0&feature=results_video[/url] Or a more conventional ensemble piece [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zhpF8wOARc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zhpF8wOARc[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 [quote name='peteb' timestamp='1364417184' post='2026290'] This is pretty cool [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FHXNN7daO4&playnext=1&list=PLFC461BC88FEC7BE0&feature=results_video[/media] Or a more conventional ensemble piece [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zhpF8wOARc[/media] [/quote]Marching Powder is a great track. Great album actually, i loved savannah woman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1364242748' post='2023760'] My contribution is "Topplue, Votter & Skjerf" (hat, coat and scarf) by the ECM jazz trio of Terje Rypdal (guitars), Miroslav Vitous (double bass) and Jack de Johnette (drums). Shut your eyes and you will be on a boat floating across a misty Norwegian fjord. Honestly! The double bass solo at 1:29 is just sheer beauty to me [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCRyXeD1S8s[/media] [/quote] Thanks, very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Strings Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 [quote name='urb' timestamp='1364300405' post='2024497'] I'm quite partial to this little number... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drAv2FoYji8 The original by Nitin Sawhney is rather gorgeous too - really moving actually http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jJJHfL1yQA [/quote] Maybe I knew what to expect from Jeff, Tal, et al as I found the Nitin version compelling. Quite an amazing singer, seems the song attracts talented, female bass players! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobodysprefect Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Sublime eh? I submit this guitar solo. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8ZhN_qoI1s"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8ZhN_qoI1s[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 (edited) [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1364399149' post='2025951'] Nice. But not, maybe, as nice as this one (when it comes to "sublimeness"?) [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NomkmxUgzps[/media] [/quote] Agreed... that is gorgeous... one of my fave Beck albums for all this kind of epic, emotive widdling! There's is an album version of Nadia too which is pretty stunning as well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1SeXzvtoe0 Edited March 28, 2013 by urb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 31, 2013 Author Share Posted March 31, 2013 [quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1364182192' post='2022897'] Agreed, as a Zappa die hard fan, I strongly agree about Scott Thunes, but then Frank was very anal in his choice of musicians and the gruelling auditions he put them through before actually hiring them, Scott was a great bassist but also a complete and utter weirdo, very difficult to get on with and according to Frank who mentioned it in one of his last interviews, Scott was the main reason for the band to start fighting with each other, because no one wanted to play with him and he actually caused other member to want to leave because of his attitude. This is a small description from Frank in regards to Scott Thunes [b]zappa:[/b] scott has a unique personality. he also has unique musical skills. I like the way he plays and I like him as a person, but other people don't. he has a very difficult personality: he refuses to be cordial. he won't do small talk. and he's odd. so what? they're all odd! they should tolerate each other. unfortunately the real world doesn't work that way, and I don't want to name who got this thing started, but it turned into a personal vendetta against scott thunes. [url="http://home.online.no/~corneliu/musician91.htm"]nov. 1991[/url] Anyway. If ever you happen to be south o' the river give me a shout, I have the whole discography here on CD and can show you some really forgotten jewels that Zappa recorded but not a lot of people have heard. There is a particular song, which was recorded years before the "Does Humour Belong In Music" tour, on an album called "Sleep Dirt" the opening tune of that album is "Filthy Habits" and the band at the time was the crème de la crème : Zappa on guitar, Patrick O'Hearn on bass, Terry Bozzio on drums, George Duke on keyboards, and I find this tune to be very dark and eclectic, in particular the bass line is almost scary to listen to but yet very captivating, check it out, unfortunately is not a live video but just a youtube song [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEfwhUQ4Wqk[/media] [/quote] Fantastic! Thank you! Loved the Filthy Habits vid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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