KevB

Decided some time ago I was born pretty much exactly 10 years too late. Just a bit too young to have seen many of the bands I like play at their peak and yet would still be young enough to appreciate those bands that have come around later. Also would have benefitted from having a much better standard of living after retirement than I probably will when I do eventually stop work.

That is one advantage of Fender, there are loads of aftermarket alternatives which will mostly fit straight on/in if you want to do some tinkering. I tend to buy second hand so I have been able to pick up MIA Fenders that were, in some cases, a lot less than a new MIM.

Fender make huge volumes if instruments and there is inevitably going to be some variation irrespective of where the product was assembled. Plenty on here have posted stories of a MIM being bought over a MIA when they were both played side by side in a shop and you will find the opposite as well. The important thing is finding an instrument that works for you at a budget you are happy with. I've never had a MIM Fender but I wouldn't rule them out if I was in the market for an new bass.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1368950262' post='2083224'] Oi no dissing the Shatner. By far the worst Beatles can be found in the recent BBC documentary on the (re)making of the Please Please me album. With one exception they are all absolutely terrible. [/quote] Valid point, the Graham Coxon effort was particularly limp iirc. If we can include non recorded versions then I'd say I've been responsible for playing some utterly forgettable Beatles covers in various bands.

Jesus Christ Superstar was originally described as a rock opera rather than a musical. Must have paid its way commercially over the years I would have thought.

Cheers guys, I'll get on to the band leader. He's pretty hopeless at organisation yet seems to take offence if I get too involved, very much 'his' band. In his shoes I'd have had it in writing by now from the guy at their end as to exactly what was provided and how we set up, considering it will be a 5-6 hour drive just to get there.

I think there was some guitar work on albums after Tony Reeves left and on a couple of tracks on Spyglass Guest that Reeves does play on (guitar by Dave Clempson guesting). By pure coincidence I have had this CD on in the car this week, some good tunes. Not sure if it 'classic jazz' sound though. I don't think of the jazz as having so clear an identity as a P bass. Is Jaco's back p-up heavy honk a 'classic' jazz tone?

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1337877996' post='1666919'] for me - the best bass solo's the one the player thought about doing and then figured the song would be better off without it!! I like the idea of essential bass parts in songs rather than solo's in the sense I think we mean solo. For instance - who can imagine the change in the middle of Fleetwood Mac's 'Chain' without McVie's part? Who doesn't look forward to the four 'solo'd' bass notes in 'Crazy little Thing called Love'? Who can no admire Macca making a very average 'Silly Love Songs' into a far better song by lifting it with his bass line. That's what it's about - listen to your song and make it better. [/quote] Pretty much what I was going to say but you've beaten me to it. As you point out, plenty of little bass phrases that crop in tunes that you listen out for without it necessarily being a full 'solo' as such, My Generation another prime example though it is often quoted as a 'solo' too. Another one off the top of my head is that nice little fill that Joe Bouchard does in the middle of BOC's 'Godzilla'. For a more extended solo I've always liked Glenn Cornick's contribution in the middle of Tull's 'Bouree'. That's really as long a solo as I want to hear from 4 strings though.

Bit of a long shot I know. My band leader has accepted a gig there but has typicallynot bothered getting any details of the set up, in fact I've only just got an actual venue name from him after asking for 2 weeks. So I looked at LGb web site and it gives the impression that the site is only accesible via 130-odd steps down from the cliff top. I really don't fancy the idea of lugging gear up and down that for one night's gig. It seems to be a respected venue with bands like Reef playing there but they don't haul their own gear about. Anyone played there who has more accurate info about the set up?

Take your own chicken wire?

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1368619028' post='2079212'] Well looking at their Wikipedia entry, Rush have been going for a couple of years now and made a few albums. I'm guessing they aren't too worried about what people think. [/quote] One of them (well it's more of an EP really) is entirely filled with cover versions - the shame! still sound like Rush though.

First job, listen to it and then see if there is a guitarpro file for it. Then take it from there. After that it is mostly memory. Couldnt sight read to save my life and having sheets on stage isn't really the done thing in the sort of bands I play in. I still make mistakes but I'd make even more if I was conciously thinking about the theory behind what I was doing whilst trying to entertain in my own little pole dancing clown-whorish way.

Decent gig to a slightly modest but enthusiastic crowd last night. Sadly the venue closes in August so we'll probably only get to play it once more in July before it goes. Never a big paying gig but it will be a shame to lose another pub that's been putting bands on for years. Managed to persuade the rest of the band to join me at a jam session this afternoon. We only did 4 songs but after I got home the landlord was on the phone offering us a full gig even though he wasn't actually in the pub when we played (he went on the recommendation of the guy who was doing the sound at the session). Also there was a local booker/agent at the jam session and he said he might put some work our way too. All in all a worthwhile 4 song workout!

Eye Of The Tiger. Oops, sorry, wrong Rocky.

Good reliable singers and KB players are usually in demand, guitarists are ten a penny especially if you want to do some blues stuff. Finding another good drummer might be an issue but you already have the basis of a decent band with what you have.

Much more direct, less of the endless space synth workouts and such. Always liked songs like Kerb Crawler, Steppenwolf and back On The Streets from this era.

You're not going to have a crack at 'Afterthoughts' then? I was delighted to see 'Crack The Big Sky' in the set, always liked that song with the laid back, slightly 'jazzy' bit of bass early on in the tune.

[quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1368064770' post='2072787'] The Ric went to fund the album It was one of the items in the [url="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/spock-s-beard-11th-studio-cd"]pre order cash raising exercise[/url] [/quote] Yeah I found out about that after I'd posted. They were looking for $25K and raised over twice that, I wonder if he's regretting it now!

Can anyone recall another, more obscure band, that had a tune on one of their albums that included a riff that was a real rip off of HotS? I think it also used a bit of Close To The Edge as well. Not Starcastle, they were just general yes soundalikes all round. Think the band's name began with A. Really starting to bug me now. Edit - found it now in my itunes library, it was a band called Atlantide. Knew it was obscure!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1367923064' post='2070981'] Tim's a great player too. His lines on The Long Run are great. Yep - he was only around for the last album and tour, [b]and the 'new' album (which is mostly junk IMO)[/b] but, in total, he's technically been in the band far longer than Randy. I don't agree that they went t'pot after Bernie left. The post-Leadon albums are awesome, IMO. [/quote] The title track's a belter though and I'm not their biggest fan as a rule.

Last year's English Electric pt1 coupled with this year's pt2, both by the sadly overlooked[url="http://www.bigbigtrain.com/"] Big Big Train[/url]. Excellent brace of albums.

Another gig, another drummer. Asking the band leader what his plans were for future gigs and who would play them I've figured out that by the time I hit double figures with this lot I will have played with FOUR different drummers and THREE different guitarists. And none of them ever seem to rehearse. No wonder it never sounds as tight as it should. Ah well, just collect the cash and drive home...

I won't give away setlist details but suffice to say I recommend anyone going that they familiarise themselves with the new album

Caught SB with Dave Meros playing in Sheffield last night, excellent gig so any of you with a penchant for a little modern prog try to support them at one of the remaining gigs if you can. Support bands SoundOfContact and Beardfish worth seeing too though they only get 30min each. SB on for a good 90min or more and at under £20 per ticket excellent value for 3 acts. Noticed Dave seemed to have given up on the ric and think was playing an OLP. Still his rig and him playing so still sounds very much as before. Bit of an overlooked player but he was great last night. Remaining tour dates here; [url="http://www.spocksbeard.com/concerts.html"]http://www.spocksbeard.com/concerts.html[/url]

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