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Flea - Isolated Bass BSSM full album


miles'tone
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http://youtu.be/MYqxHtAEIUA

Forgive me if this has been posted before (I'd be surprised if it hasn't tbh).
In the "album you know inside out.."thread, many people cited BSSM as that album. Thought many would be interested in this then.
I've been playing Breaking The Girl for many years in a band and a bit incorrect as it turns out!
Enjoy!

Edited by miles'tone
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Found this on YouTube a while back. I pretty much learned to play bass by working my way through this album, so all these years later it's great to hear Flea's masterpiece in isolation, and also interesting to pick out some things I'd never noticed. The octaver on "If You Have To Ask" was a particular surprise!

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[quote name='Johnny Wishbone' timestamp='1485987459' post='3228387']
Found this on YouTube a while back. I pretty much learned to play bass by working my way through this album, so all these years later it's great to hear Flea's masterpiece in isolation, and also interesting to pick out some things I'd never noticed. The octaver on "If You Have To Ask" was a particular surprise!
[/quote]
Isn't it. It sounds surprisingly to me like there's a bit of fretless on the 'middle 8' of Mellowship Slinky in B Major too!

Ahh kids today.. They don't know how lucky they are with all this YouTube/online learning malarkey.
In 1992 I was trying to learn all this off a vinyl record on a crap Dixons midi player! 🙇

Edited by miles'tone
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Whether it's a personal favourite chillies album or not it's a great "bass album" there's no denying. Is he making complex lines sound simple or simple lines sound complex? I'm not sure, but it is a cracking album in every respect. Great to hear the bass isolated, one of the album's that spurred me on to learn more in my frustrated early bass playing days :)

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[quote name='Johnny Wishbone' timestamp='1485987459' post='3228387']
Found this on YouTube a while back. I pretty much learned to play bass by working my way through this album, so all these years later it's great to hear Flea's masterpiece in isolation, and also interesting to pick out some things I'd never noticed. The octaver on "If You Have To Ask" was a particular surprise!
[/quote]

Exactly this. Thanks, you saved me typing the exact same post!

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I love the tones on this album, I believe it's all Wal, except for a bit of 5 string Stingray (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong).

I always thought that Flea was using a very subtle envelope filter on everything, not enough to colour the sound but just enough to give that slightly 'squelchy' attach, but listening to this it's just his 'natural' tone I think.

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This album, to me, is their master of puppets or number of the beast. Seminal in so many ways.
I've been using bssm to teach with for many years- there are so many lessons in working with drummers, and using simple (as well as not so simple ones😉) counter melodies to emphasise elements.
I've always found the bass track relatively easy to hear in context. The tone as someone else mentioned, was a little of a surprise - it put me in mind of the isolated queen songs where John deacon's bass tone is filthy, but sounds really clean in the mix.
It's always an inspiring album for me and IMO their best and most mature work,despite the constant willy jokes in the lyric!

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[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1486113922' post='3229279']
I always thought that Flea was using a very subtle envelope filter on everything, not enough to colour the sound but just enough to give that slightly 'squelchy' attach, but listening to this it's just his 'natural' tone I think.
[/quote]

There is of course the "Mu-Tron with dying battery" tone on Sir Psycho Sexy. I'd never heard anything like it at the time!

Edited by Johnny Wishbone
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I have noticed effects used on Flea's sound on this album but they're quite subtle in the mix, apart from a few examples where they're pushed to the front (the breakdown in Power of Equality with the auto wah, and Sir Psycho Sexy). I haven't listened to these isolated tracks yet - going to get to them over the weekend when I'm off work - and I'm excited to hearing every nuance of the sound. I find it staggering that it's mostly Wal, it always sounded like classic Stingray to me, and I just took it for granted because I always saw Flea with a Ray, and although it's a long, long time since I watched Funky Monks, I don't remember seeing Flea with a Wal during any of the recording footage (not saying he wasn't - just saying I don't remember noticing). I'm excited to hear the nuances of tone and use of effects laid bare here.

This album had a huge influence on Joe Dart and shaped the way he plays bass in numerous ways. This was also the album that made me think "I kinda wish I'd bought a bass instead of a guitar...someday I have to get to bass." That thought never went away, it was always whispering to me in my mind through the years I was playing guitar, until eventually that whisper became a scream. So that's why I'm so excited to hear this laid bare.

Thanks again for this :)

Edited by Funky Dunky
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[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1486115679' post='3229307']
although it's a long, long time since I watched Funky Monks, I don't remember seeing Flea with a Wal during any of the recording footage (not saying he wasn't - just saying I don't remember noticing).
[/quote]

Looks like it's time you watched it again - the Wal is featured prominently! IIRC it only shows the 5-sting 'Ray when he's tracking "Funky Monks".

Edited by Johnny Wishbone
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[quote name='Johnny Wishbone' timestamp='1486116736' post='3229324']


Looks like it's time you watched it again - the Wal is featured prominently! IIRC it only shows the 5-sting 'Ray when he's tracking "Funky Monks".


[/quote]

I stand corrected - in my defence, I wasn't a bassist when I last watched it, so I didn't have such a keen eye for basses. But there you have it! I just went and gave a wee listen to a couple of the isolated tracks and it does not sound like a Stingray at all! Also the sound is much thicker, fatter and more affected than I realised. It's not just as tight when you hear it isolated either. I listened to a little of Chad's isolated drum tracks, though, and the playing is fantastic.

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