Old Man Riva

They’re my favourite three, with Hejira at the top.

Pete Way responding to Geddy Lee who asked him about the sound of Gibson Thunderbirds... ”Well Glee, it’s three-quarters good, and one-quarter not very nice!”

Glad you like it! I really dig it. It feels really uplifting... I tend to get dragged back to all the stuff I’ve been listening to for years (which is not a problem at all!) so I love it when I get turned onto something new.

She’s been playing this album today - singing along to this track in particular... “read all the pamphlets and watch the tapes”. It makes quite a nice backdrop to home working!

Mrs Riva turned me on to this... so much about it I love!

Paul Buchanan of The Blue Nile is one of my favourite singers (and lyricists). I don’t think he’d appear on many singer ‘best of...’ lists, but I love his voice. The Blue Nile’s first album, A Walk Across the Rooftops is, to this day, one of my favourite ever albums. It’s one of the few albums I can listen to all the way through with no interruptions then put it on again straight away (maybe helps that it just under 40mins long?!). If you’ve not heard it/them; definitely worth checking out. It doesn’t do the album justice (in my opinion) to offer just one track as it really is a ‘whole’ album, but this is a track called Stay...

Shaun Ryder John Cooper Clarke

Shaun William Ryder John Cooper Clarke

Hey Joe was written about the footballer Joe Jordan after he was spotted chasing Gordon McQueen with a water pistol. Deacon Blues was written about Queen’s bass player, but Peter Frampton’s Show Me The Way wasn’t written about the UFO bassist. Though, as with all these things, I may have misunderstood the various stories over the years...

Miles Davis - Mr Pastorius

Of course. This opens the album...

The first Laura Mvula album is a record well worth checking out for sublime vocal performances... I was properly taken aback when I first heard it. Not just for her vocals, but also the quality and originality of the songs. With most albums I think you can see how a song was probably written - i.e. around a guitar, piano, beat etc. - but on the above album it was a mystery. To me, any road! Definitely worth a listen...

I was a big FGTH fan at the time. For me, they were a breath of fresh air. I thought they were a really talented bunch, but will probably be remembered (incorrectly, IMO) solely as the product of Trevor Horn, his Fairlight and array of session bods. A listen to the early demos pre ZTT/Trevor Horn/Paul Morley show the songs were there and the playing well up to scratch. I saw them live on the Liverpool tour and to this day it’s one of the best gigs I’ve seen. And, yes, they were perfectly capable of playing their instruments!!

Congratulations! That’s a really positive review in the magazine. I really like the YouTube track featured in the article. Thanks for posting - it’s good to hear a positive story regarding musicians in these challenging times...

Thanks for the review, really appreciated. It’s not a record I would normally think of seeking out but after reading the review I will now do so - which, for me, a good and well-written review should inspire the reader to do.

Always liked this New Order video. And got the distinct impression that Hooky was enjoying the role a little too much..!

I’ve tried a couple at The Gallery. Lovely basses, but I’ve never been able to get on with short scale basses, more’s the pity. Or maybe it’s a blessing as it would just be another thing to justify spending money I don’t have on things I don’t need!

A further example of the ‘cleaner’ version of the bass shown above by Jonse... (yes I have become slightly obsessed by the basses and the playing!). https://www.picuki.com/media/1955531161411044687

There’s a drum and bass gag in there somewhere, but I’m afraid I just can’t find it...

Blimey, you’re right! Hadn’t properly realised that. It feels like a cross between a Thunderbird and the Starcaster that uk_lefty referenced above (albeit a squashed one!). Here’s another pic of the body...

That’s an excellent point, and the honest answer is, I’ve no idea! You’re totally right about the player making a huge difference (I certainly wouldn’t make the bass sound like he does!) but in terms of the electrics being an important component I think on this occasion the Novak ‘Starfire’ type p/up being used on the bass definitely makes a difference to the fundamental sound of the instrument - in the same way it would make a difference if, say, a Jazz, Precision or Thunderbird etc. p/up were fitted. I really like the bass and I really like the player!

... the Abuelo. Built by Custom Shop Master Builder, Vincent Van Trigt, who is not only an excellent builder but an accomplished bass player to boot! I really like the look and sound of this bass. It features a Curtis Novak BS-DS p/up for that fuller throatier sound. I think the bass was made as a special order for a trade show, but if Fender were looking to broaden their horizons - whilst still wanting to remain on a four string, no battery ‘traditional’ approach - then they could do worse than rolling a few of these out... https://youtu.be/ivyPjNivcos