Scott Devines new record

[Rayman]

I’m sorry, if I’m being really thick, but from the tracks I’ve heard so far….
 

I….. Don’t….. Understand.

 

Anyone into it? Or…… 

[Doctor J]

Into what? Got any hints?

[Burns-bass]

Do you mean this?

 

https://devineking.bandcamp.com/album/the-devine-king-project-vol-1

 

It’s not my thing either, but fair play to Scott for doing more than some lounge jazz BS.

[Rayman]

Technically clever, but it sends my head West listening to it.

 

Mrs Rayman had to leave the room, her anxiety was peaking 

[Baloney Balderdash]

Yeah, agree, too trivial, I would rather have had him doing something like this:

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Cato]

Sounds like 'Heavy Weather' era Weather Report.

 

Not everyone's cup of tea but I wouldn't say it's all that odd for a bass player to take inspiration from that particular band.

Edited October 20, 2023 by Cato

[ahpook]

It's like what my Mum would think Squarepusher sounded like if I tried to explain it to her and she could will the music into existence.

 

Is this a good thing? Is it a bad thing ?

 

Only Mum knows.

[Rayman]

We’re bass players, we’re into all kinds of music, rhythms etc….. but I can’t listen to that at all, totally discombobulating. 

 

Meanwhile I’m hoping I can get a handle on Janeks’ new stuff before his gig and masterclass coming up next month.

[Bleat]

[Jonesy]

Not enough plodding along with root notes for my liking 😂

 

I can't get my head around this type of jazz, fantastic player though.

[Rayman]

7 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

Not enough plodding along with root notes for my liking 😂

 

I can't get my head around this type of jazz, fantastic player though.

Totally amazing player

 

But so far the album sounds like the soundtrack to a 70s cop show….. you know…. when the police are chasing the bad guys down a back alley in San Francisco….. in a gold sedan with a magnetic red flashing light on the roof….. crashing through piles of empty cardboard boxes with a box of donuts on the dashboard.

[peteb]

It is pretty standard fusion stuff, with really good playing but nothing to make it great. As with any album that is driven by pieces of music as opposed to 'songs' , it has to be exceptional to warrant a second listen and this isn't 'Spectrum', 'There & Back', 'Surfing With the Alien' or 'Race with Devil on Spanish Highway'. 

 

A pretty cool effort but nowhere near exceptional enough to transcend what is a very niche genre. 

 

Edited October 20, 2023 by peteb

[ahpook]

When fusion bands play live, are they on torus ?

 

[Bleat]

20 minutes ago, Rayman said:

Totally amazing player

 

But so far the album sounds like the soundtrack to a 70s cop show….. you know…. when the police are chasing the bad guys down a back alley in San Francisco….. in a gold sedan with a magnetic red flashing light on the roof….. crashing through piles of empty cardboard boxes with a box of donuts on the dashboard.

 

I so very nearly put up a picture of Starsky and Hutch, but opted for Jazz Club instead. 😄

Edited October 20, 2023 by Bleat

[Paolo85]

Well, it's fusion. I have listened to two songs only, just coming back from seeing a band live, I really do not have an opinion on it yet. But I must say why I adore some fusion albums, it's not very many and rarely that's the case when the guitar player clearly likes their metal (nothing against "normal metal though").

That being said, in my opinion, any consideration on this album should be made in the context of its genre. If someone doesn't like fusion they won't like this full stop. Same way there's no chance I'd like a Britpop album.

There's part of BC that seem to find it hilarious that some musicians study music, build chops and god forbid try to push the boundaries of what can be done on the instrument - or at least move to the vicinity of those boundaries, as I think it's more the case here.

Not a comment on the OP, to be clear.

 

 

[Paolo85]

1 hour ago, Rayman said:

 

 

But so far the album sounds like the soundtrack to a 70s cop show….. you know…. when the police are chasing the bad guys down a back alley in San Francisco….. in a gold sedan with a magnetic red flashing light on the roof….. crashing through piles of empty cardboard boxes with a box of donuts on the dashboard.

Weren't they using funk for these movies?

[ahpook]

13 minutes ago, Paolo85 said:

Weren't they using funk for these movies?

 

I think you're right.

 

Maybe a touch more 'Dirty Harry', I remember it being a bit more out there.

Edited October 20, 2023 by ahpook

[kodiakblair]

So it's not about Scott making the Guinness book for waffling absolute S**te 🙁

[Paolo85]

Right, I thought I had heard the drummer's name before... Scott's drummer and keyboard player played together in this other fusion album with a more "relaxed" vibe which I find rather beautiful 

 

 

Apparently they also plaied with Gary Willis. Chances are that's the link between them. I think Scott studied with Willis although I am not 100% sure. Certainly Willis does a lot for SBL anyway

[Jonesy]

1 hour ago, Rayman said:

Totally amazing player

 

But so far the album sounds like the soundtrack to a 70s cop show….. you know…. when the police are chasing the bad guys down a back alley in San Francisco….. in a gold sedan with a magnetic red flashing light on the roof….. crashing through piles of empty cardboard boxes with a box of donuts on the dashboard.

 

Yeah I get that. Polo necks, brown leather jackets and sliding across the car bonnet all come to mind when listening to it. To be honest, I really liked that vibe and was pleasantly surprised when I first listened. It wasn't the fusiony jazz tune I was expecting and I thought I might like it. Then all those extra notes were chucked in and my brain started to itch.

 

[Rayman]

6 hours ago, Paolo85 said:

Well, it's fusion. I have listened to two songs only, just coming back from seeing a band live, I really do not have an opinion on it yet. But I must say why I adore some fusion albums, it's not very many and rarely that's the case when the guitar player clearly likes their metal (nothing against "normal metal though").

That being said, in my opinion, any consideration on this album should be made in the context of its genre. If someone doesn't like fusion they won't like this full stop. Same way there's no chance I'd like a Britpop album.

There's part of BC that seem to find it hilarious that some musicians study music, build chops and god forbid try to push the boundaries of what can be done on the instrument - or at least move to the vicinity of those boundaries, as I think it's more the case here.

Not a comment on the OP, to be clear.

 

 

 

I hear you.  Listen, I'm a jazz fan, along with metal, dub, funk, Britpop (😉) etc etc... a vast array of different genres.... I'm a music fan, like most of us are. I love fusion.... Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Jamiroquai, (early) Level 42 etc... some amazing stuff there.

 

I also love art and poetry. However,  there are, for example some works of art and poetry that make me work too hard to understand.  I want to understand,  but no matter how hard I work, I don't get it. There's nothing for me, intellectually, to grab on to. It makes me feel like I'm too stupid to get it, and gets my back up.

 

That's how I feel about this music.

 

In my opinion, art should make you feel good and make you want to go back for more. For me, this art makes me feel like a Cy Twombly painting. Confused and irritated. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

Is it the one that goes, plinky plinky plonk twang? 

 

 

 

[Reggaebass]

Couldn’t get past about 15 seconds I’m afraid 

[Paolo85]

5 minutes ago, Rayman said:

 

I hear you.  Listen, I'm a jazz fan, along with metal, dub, funk, Britpop (😉) etc etc... a vast array of different genres.... I'm a music fan, like most of us are. I love fusion.... Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Jamiroquai, (early) Level 42 etc... some amazing stuff there.

 

I also love art and poetry. However,  there are, for example some works of art and poetry that make me work too hard to understand.  I want to understand,  but no matter how hard I work, I don't get it. There's nothing for me, intellectually, to grab on to. It makes me feel like I'm too stupid to get it, and gets my back up.

 

That's how I feel about this music.

 

In my opinion, art should make you feel good and make you want to go back for more. For me, this art makes me feel like a Cy Twombly painting. Confused and irritated. 

 

Well, if you don't understand no matter how hard you work then it is safe to say you don't like them. Which is fair enough and no need to feel bad about it in my opinion. There is no way one can like everything and quite frankly mot everything is good.

But then there are some considerations that are interesting IMO in terms of what conclusions to draw.

So, I agree art should please us and make us want to go back for more. But it does not mean that you have to like it the first time around. I am sure that, like everybody, it happened to you that you did not like something, then years later something clicked and you started liking it. I figured out that maybe I like Jamiroquai less than a year ago. They used to irritate me.

Now, I am not meaning here that Scott's album is a masterpiece and one day you'll get it. I still have to listen to the album properly. They make me think of Gary Willis' Tribal Tech a bit. Which I don't get. But then I love Gary Willis solo (eg Bent). You replace the aggressive guitar with a fiery sax and suddenly it works for me.

There is music of the kind played by Scott that I can confidently say it's just good. Not everybody has to like it but that goes for everything.

As it happens, I do not get Twomby either. But I do seem to get stuff that at first sight is just as minimalistic and abstract such as Fontana, Kounellis and Klein. It pleases me and make me wsnt more. While I seem not to get stuff that on paper seem less abstract and complex such as Hirst.

So I think the fact that Twombly is not our cup of tea does not mean there's anything wrong with making stuff that's minimalistic and abstract. It's just a matter of whether it's good or not, and whether we click with it or not

 

 

[Johncee]

I like it.