wateroftyne Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Apparently, his new record is bass-free. From this month's MOJO: [quote]I just decided I really don't like bass. The two gods I worship are Bo Diddley - no bass! - and Mystery Train by Elvis Presley which has stand-up bass you can't hear much.[/quote] Wow... working with Bakithi Kumalo and Tony Levin all those years must have really p*ssed him off. Here's the single he released last month, and... no bass! Regardless of whether I like the song or not, IMO it just sounds empty: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 It's alright I turned my back on Paul Simon due to his music being sh*te with or without bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slobluesine Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 REALLY, REALLY annoying track constantly waiting for the Bass to come in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 He's obviously just choosing to take a different direction with his music, I've got to say though some of the best bass ever gone down on a record was Bakithi Kumalo's stuff on Graceland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) Doh! I thought this thread was about the [url="http://www.paulsimon.co.uk/index.html"]curtain shop[/url]! Edited January 22, 2011 by Hobbayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 [quote name='risingson' post='1098751' date='Jan 22 2011, 03:44 PM']He's obviously just choosing to take a different direction with his music, I've got to say though some of the best bass ever gone down on a record was Bakithi Kumalo's stuff on Graceland.[/quote]i agree, some wonderful bass playing.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I think he's making music for us bassists so we can play our own ones on his tracks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 presumably whatever country's music he's ripping off this time doesn't have a tradition of basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I think what he means is "I don't like bass because it's the only thing on my album that's good and is the bit I didn't write/play" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 sometimes it's not what you play it's what you don't play..this is probably taking KISS TOOO far.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) Paul Simon goes through phases. He'll get back to loving bass soon. I like this number, but he's not completely right about Bo Diddley. At the start Bo didn't use a bass player but Willie Dixon played on some of his records and I saw him several times touring with a full band. Edited January 22, 2011 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I'm a massive Paul Simon fan but this does seem to be continuing the downhill trend since Graceland. It just sounds so derivative and lame, those irritating panned acoustic guitars sound terrible and it needs a bass pulse. Vampire Weekend do better Paul Simon these days than he does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=979rwnVPG4A"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=979rwnVPG4A[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Anyone remember the video to [b]you can call me al[/b] he was pretending to play bass to Chevy Chase IIRC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 I remember when he turned his back on ill fitted toupes!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Karoake for the Bassist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocco Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 Bad times He's had some bangin bass lines on tracks in the past, you can call me Al for instance! what a solo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 [quote name='waynepunkdude' post='1098743' date='Jan 22 2011, 03:37 PM']It's alright I turned my back on Paul Simon due to his music being sh*te with or without bass.[/quote] Just spat me tea all over the keyboard!! Cracked me right up WPD! Cheers, Norm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 [quote name='chris_b' post='1098869' date='Jan 22 2011, 05:19 PM']Paul Simon goes through phases. He'll get back to loving bass soon. I like this number, but he's not completely right about Bo Diddley. At the start Bo didn't use a bass player but Willie Dixon played on some of his records and I saw him several times touring with a full band.[/quote] When I saw him some time in the mid-eighties, Duck Dunn was playing bass for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) I think this whole "no bass" idea is just a bit of a fad. Started out with the white stripes, then went onto the gossip (who also started the "let's buy this person's records because they're fat and ugly and therefore we can pretend that we're not just shallow and obsessed with looks" trend followed on swiftly by Susan Boyle) and now paul simon. Unfortunately 95% of music listeners wouldn't be able to hear the bass anyway on account of playing music through their tinny little laptop speakers or "skullcandy" earbuds... Edited January 23, 2011 by EdwardHimself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meenie Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I think the only band I've seen/heard that sound good without bass are Jon Spencer blues explosion, but even they compensate with bass lines played low on a guitar. Maybe Paul Simon had a night terror about bieng at a neds atomic dustbin gig and that's why he's now so anti bass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mcgiver69 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 [quote name='headofire' post='1099172' date='Jan 22 2011, 11:00 PM']chin up boys... its not like any of us were in line for the gig. invent your own lines and send it in to the man... you never know [/quote] That is the best idea I've heard in the whole week. I think I'll arrange some bass and send him a copy by email that will put a smile on his face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EskimoBassist Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 The idea of "no bass" really isn't that original or shocking, I mean this stripped down sound has been done a thousand times. What about Sea Sick Steve? In a number of his songs, there isn't even guitar at least in the conventional sense, just the One-Stringed Diddley Bow. Just one string nailed onto a pieceof wood with a pick up attatched. Furthermore, consider the electro bands of the 80's, a sound being brought back to resurgence by Hurts. Guitar, drums, keyboards, vocals, yes - but no bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I went off Paul Simon when he started to appear in "Community"..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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