Old Man Riva

Seen a few of the bands mentioned on here (!) but of the bands I could have seen but didn't Prince's Parade tour in 1986 and Jeff Buckley at Shepherd's Bush in 1995 are the two I wished I'd gone to.

[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1331558242' post='1574689']
Ah the 80s...it all started so promisingly and ended up with Deacon Blue...never mind.

One of my faves from the mid 80's... if you can get past the syn drums, it still sounds great to my ears.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu0LL-M5gxM&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL094ABECF15457526[/media]
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Love that album - Pat Thrall's OTT 80s guitar playing is fantastic.

Was a big fan of this lot at the time... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh4Ce-8z8Gw[/media]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1448187318' post='2913460']
I went to see Tricky performing Maxinquaye in Bristol a couple of years back.
I should have known it wasn't going to be great as Tricky has zero interest in that album and doesn't like playing in Bristol.

When the stage doors opened the smell of weed was over powering, and I was about 40' away. All his hangers-on crammed themselves at the side of the stage and proceeded to piss about. Every now and again Tricky would wander over and join in, even if it meant missing whole verses out.

The backing band were pretty awesome and when Tricky was into it, it was fantastic. He'd rearrange the song on the fly, signalling to the band to either slow things down or speed things up.

But Tricky got so bored with the whole thing he decided to get some of the crowd on stage to dance about for a whole song and then he got his nephew to improvise some awful rap for another song while he disappeared for a smoke.

Oh, and a couple of times Martina Topley-Bird [font=sans-serif][color=#252525]got so fed up she'd walk off stage and would have to be persuaded to come back [/color][/font]
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I think it's fair to say that Tricky can be distinctly, erm, a bit hit and miss when it comes to gigs/live performance!

The bass line on the Manifesto track itself is great. Really clever/nice stuff - assuming from previous comments this is Alan Spenner?

The first two Roxy albums do it for me (Graham Simpson, on both, I think) and there's a cheeky little bass homage to Day Tripper in Re-Make/Re-Model off their debut album... which Ferry then 'covered'/reinterpreted on his Let's Stick Together album which in turn features John Gustafson delivering a killer bass performance.

He can pretty much do what he wants for me, given his output between 1969 and 1983, so I'll always approach any new song of his wanting to like it.

I think this is brilliant and I absolutely love it.

Spent most of the morning with Mrs Riva trying to work out what it's all about - fundamentalism? one's own mortality? the state of popular culture? - and haven't a clue. He's nearly 70 and he's still managing to challenge the listener and get people thinking.

I'm not sure I can think of any other artist who manages to do that.

Genius Jones.

The Who circa 1981 on the Face Dances tour at Brum NEC.

Massive Who fan at the time (still am) and watched a disinterested Pete Townsend barely go through the motions, the 'wrong' drummer in Kenney Jones struggle to emulate Keith Moon and John Entwistle overplay his way through the gig whilst being way too loud.

The only one to come out of it with any credit was Daltrey - he was superb, but not enough to drag the others along with him.

A massive disappointment.

[quote name='blamelouis' timestamp='1446376745' post='2898830']
Check out his work with Joni Mitchell he really was the Yeboah of bass .[/quote]
From a Leeds point of view wouldn't he be the Duncan McKenzie of bass? - touched by genius but wholly unfulfilled.

[quote name='roceci' timestamp='1446220833' post='2897890']
Jaco was undoubtedly a great musician with regards to playing, performing & composing. Sometimes he thrills me, sometimes he bores me.[/quote]
That's it for me too.

I was lucky enough to see him twice with Weather Report and it was one of the most inspiring things as a teenager, music-wise. As I got older and got into other things he'd done I found that there was more of his stuff that didn't do anything for me than did.

And I know this will sound irrational (and it's obviously not his fault) but the one thing thing that has detracted from his legacy for me are the clones he spawned - completely cheesed off with seeing players throwing in harmonics for harmonics' sake and playing near the bridge with the bridge p/up on the Jazz honking like a demented duck, with little to no empathy for the music they are supposedly contributing to.

It's great to be inspired by someone/thing but to rip it off completely isn't what he'd have wanted his legacy to be, I reckon.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1445972244' post='2895845']I get the feeling that he could be in any band and he would just play whatever was right for that band.[/quote]
Beautifully put, and (for me) probably the best compliment that can be paid to a player/musician.

And as others have said, he just seems like a really good guy..

I'm a relative latecomer to the joys of Mr Vega, only really made aware of him over the past couple of years.

Absolutely love what he does and could watch/listen to him all day.

He also does some of his good stuff on the MXR pedal videos.

One of my favourite players..

I think 'the lads' from FGTH get a bad press in terms of their musical ability. I heard one of their original demos back in the day and they could play perfectly well. Also saw them live at the NEC on the 'Liverpool' tour and they were excellent. Peter John Vettese (a keyboard player of some note) was on the tour and he rated them as musicians.

If you scour YouTube the various 'early Frankie' and 'Blockhead Frankie' demos are there to be heard/compared.

It was very much of its time but I reckon Trevor Horn/ZTT/Paul Morley did an incredible job with FGTH; from the music to the marketing to the mystique. One of the more interesting bands of the 80s for me..

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1445624354' post='2892976']Snake Charmer, anyone?[/quote]
With Jah Wobble and The Edge? I'd put the Snake Charmer EP down as a lost classic. Lent it to someone just after it came out in the 80s and never got it back - don't think it was ever released on CD so now I'm stuffed. Featured The Edge doing something different/interesting on guitar, away from what he was doing with U2 at the time.

If Bowie rhythm sections are being mentioned (and rightly so) it'd be criminal not to include the Spiders' Trevor Bolder and Woody Woodmansey. So much to choose from but, for me, the Aladdin Sane album is the one. Funk, soul, rock 'n' roll...

Here's a taster.. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf0fmqWS-kI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf0fmqWS-kI[/url]

[quote name='kevvo66' timestamp='1443915114' post='2878731']
Going back to when we all started playing bet you 90% of us lusted after fender basses ,right I'm off to lust over a white p bass!
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That's me. When I was about fifteen I used to get the train from Cov to Brum on a Saturday morning primarily to stare at a Fender P-bass that hung from the wall in Woodroffe's music store! Black with a rosewood neck.

Took me years to finally own a Fender (started off with an Avon Jazz bass copy) and once I owned a proper Fender I never really wanted anything else..

I'm sure I once read that Bob Babbitt's line on Inner City Blues was a composite of a few takes and there are times when two basses are in the mix - I've listened to it countless times and still can't make my mind up. Either way it's a wonderful line and beautifully played.

I always liked this tone..sounds like an old Thunderbird, or could be a Rick? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ylqx1zAgg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5ylqx1zAgg[/url]

Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy (nice Hendrix/Third Stone From the Sun motif to boot)

Jasper Carrott - Funky Moped (most bought it for the Magic Roundabout b-side)

Great shout above for Benny Hill and Ernie.. and rare to see a video/film on Top of the Pops at the time.

And a great shout also for Lieutenant Pigeon (being a Cov Kid one of the abiding memories of the time was seeing them on Top of the Pops and one of the band wearing a City away top - green and black stripes - in an era when grown men never wore football tops, other than to play football. Brian Johnson/Geordie did similar with a Newcastle top on TOTP a year later).

Black Sabbath - Sabotage.

Not a fan of Sabbath/heavy metal at all but the album just blows me away every time.

It never seems to get a mention when their work is discussed, which is a shame as it's such a diverse and 'risky' album..

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1441636690' post='2860451']I spotted McCartneys frog record in Ozzys kitchen last time I was there, and he used to live near the inner circle 8 route. Probably just goes to prove what goes around comes around, or something
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Ozzy's a massive Beatles fan. Remember reading as a kid that he was obsessed with them and, being young and naive, couldn't get my head around the Prince of Darkness bopping along to Love Me Do (around the same time I also had it in my head that Angus Young probably actually did wear a school uniform as his everyday garb).

Always thought the bass line on Tonight (off one of his first solo albums) was very Macca-esque (courtesy of the underrated Bob Daisley).

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1441463872' post='2859075']

Uh oh , I feel a 'my Slade curse' coming on

On the other hand my Ambrosia curse is obvious for all to see
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Well Nod is only one letter away from God, after all!

I might start up a Church of Slade. The 'Him Buk' would be fun..

[quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1441460600' post='2859053']
Can we all agree that Slade are goddamn brilliant. Please?
[/quote]
Yep. Hearing Slade Alive genuinely changed my life. Got me into music in a massive way. First musical heroes.

Know Who Are, Know Where You're Going To..

At the time (as a kid) I thought Monty Python was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now it barely raises a chuckle.

Monty Python, Derek & Clive, The Goodies, Kenny Everett, Morecambe & Wise, The Two Ronnies, Jasper Carrott and Billy Connoly were all people I got into as a lad in the 70s. Monty Python the ones I look back on with least affection.

If we're looking at the effect The Beatles had on popular music then I'm afraid we have to blame them, and only them, for the monstrosity that was/is Black Pudding Bertha. Mr Blue wasn't there so won't have got it, and he can think himself lucky.

If The Beatles were comedy in the 70s they'd have been Michael Bentine's Potty Time..

A[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1441399673' post='2858714']
1973, my last year at junior school. My parents bought me what I think may have been one of the first replica football kits. Man Utd full strip, including George Best boots with rotating studs on the soles and laces up the side, not the top.
So what did I do? Bought the first edition of a new series of Marvel comics - with a free gift of a Spiderman iron-on transfer - yes - yes - I did!
Went from trendy bugger of the team to sad git in one week.

Now - George Best wasn't from Liverpool - but he was Irish - and that's close enough; if it wasn't for The Beatles, there'd have been no George Best!
[/quote]
Ah, yes, Georgie Best's Stylo Matchmakers (not forgetting Alan Ball's white Hummels). Flamboyant footwear for the up and coming nippy winger.

Talking of nippy wingers, Steve Heighway was one. David Fairclough was a supersub. Keegan and Toshack were a potent strike force. Emlyn Hughes was a crazy horse.

Hughes, you say? Nerys Hughes was in the Liver Birds. The Scaffold sang the theme tune. Hang on, wasn't a certain Mike McCartney in The Scaffold? And isn't Mike McCartney the brother of... Paul McCartney?!?

Blimey, is there nothing that They weren't responsible for?

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1441398604' post='2858706']
What, Echo and the Bunnymen?
[/quote]
I was thinking more Flock of Seagulls, but as you never know where or when Ian McCulloch may pop up next - and as I wouldn't want to be on the end of one of his legendary tantrums - Echo & the Bunnymen it is..

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1441396929' post='2858685']
Growing up in the 70s child here.

Power cuts
Harold Wilson & Ted Heath both being impersonated to hell on comedy TV shows.
Power cuts
Top Of The Pops in black & white - or at least it was on our TV.
Power cuts
Slade going straight to Number One three times in one year.
Osmonds and David Cassidy fans out-screaming Beatles fans at various airports.
Northern Ireland's "troubles"
Raleigh Chopper bikes, Airfix models, Action Man
[/quote]
Two-tone tonic trousers
Patch pockets
Star jumpers
Budgie jackets
The Sweeney
Cup final It's a Knockout
Blokes with permed hair
Red Robbo
Black football boots
Texan chocolate bars
Bowie
Kung fu
The Fonz
Eric and Ernie
Nationwide
Digital watches

None of the above would've been possible had it not been for four lads from Liverpool!!

What a shame. I saw him playing with Jerry Dammers Spatial AKA Orchestra last year and he looked really frail and not at his best at all.

Memories of happier times.. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTzit75q0s"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTzit75q0s[/url]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1441193502' post='2856782']The Beatles Curse thread is interesting also in that the band resutled in a generation or three of guitar based bands knocking out A Hard Days Night..[/quote]
Probably not the best example you could have chosen, given that most bands would struggle to make the first chord sound like the record!

http://www.beatlesbible.com/features/hard-days-night-chord

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1441032496' post='2855489']
Rich Kids - Ghosts of Princes in Towers.
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Great shout. Overlooked at the time, I think mainly due to Matlock's (perceived depleted) status after being ousted from the Pistols and also the feeling (in the press) that it was somehow 'punk lite'.

It's a top album.