bassatnight Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 (edited) Just finished Mick Karns Bio entitled Japan and self existence and have to admit it was a very good read. Mick comes across as a sensitive soul who like most of the ex band members of Japan saw little in the way of money, a real eye opener on his life and thoughts on all things Fretless. He hates to talk about Basses and particularly strings, his attitude is refreshing in that he has no preference to strings its whatever is to hand and that he only changes them if they snap and usually will have the same set for 4-5 years. Worth a read if only for his humourous and shocking tales of stalkers! Edited December 20, 2009 by bassatnight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHorse Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Really looking forward to reading Mick's book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil.i.stein Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 [quote name='bassatnight' post='689881' date='Dec 20 2009, 04:33 PM']Just finished Mick Karns Bio entitled Japan and self existence and have to admit it was a very good read. Mick comes across as a sensitive soul who like most of the ex band members of Japan saw little in the way of money, a real eye opener on his life and thoughts on all things Fretless. He hates to talk about Basses and particularly strings, his attitude is refreshing in that he has no preference to strings its whatever is to hand and that he only changes them if they snap and usually will have the same set for 4-5 years. Worth a read if only for his humourous and shocking tales of stalkers![/quote] i get the feeling that mick is one of those artists that could have picked up any instrument & make it sound good.. never mind his fretless meandering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_In_Yer_Face Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Damn I should have asked for that for xmas.....Mick is one of the reasons I chose to learn bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 [quote name='Bass_In_Yer_Face' post='690489' date='Dec 21 2009, 11:24 AM']Damn I should have asked for that for xmas.....Mick is one of the reasons I chose to learn bass[/quote] + 1 I adore that man's playing. Total genius. Read an interview with him once in which he says he knew no theory whatsoever - didn't even know what a root was. And how Joan Armatrading said when he played on her album that he was the only fretless player she'd worked with yet who could play in tune. Total genius. fatback Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J3ster Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 how Joan Armatrading said when he played on her album that he was the only fretless player she'd worked with yet who could play in tune. I agree he is amazing and by far my favourite fretless Bassist.. But seriously!! :@) That comment from Joan is rediculous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 [quote name='J3ster' post='690562' date='Dec 21 2009, 12:36 PM']how Joan Armatrading said when he played on her album that he was the only fretless player she'd worked with yet who could play in tune. I agree he is amazing and by far my favourite fretless Bassist.. But seriously!! :@) That comment from Joan is rediculous![/quote] Just tried to find that interview again, and no luck so far. That's what he said about the JA session though. i'm pretty sure I remember it accurately, because it struck me at the time. Maybe not so boastful as it seems out of context. i think he was talking about what he saw as his limitations, so he was kind of surprised. fatback Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 [quote name='fatback' post='690546' date='Dec 21 2009, 12:20 PM']And how Joan Armatrading said when he played on her album that he was the only fretless player she'd worked with yet who could play in tune.[/quote] Oh c'mon now. Have a think about where this 'quote' comes from. Joan Armatrading agreed to publicly support the Tories in the mid 80's and later with the John Major government, so she must have been totally off her feckin rocker... and her music smelled like festering vegetables by that stage, anyway. I doubt whether the quality of Karn's intonation would have made any difference at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 And if you consider that Tony Levin played that fantastic fretless bass on "The weakness in me"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blamelouis Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 [quote name='wombatboter' post='690779' date='Dec 21 2009, 04:45 PM']And if you consider that Tony Levin played that fantastic fretless bass on "The weakness in me"...[/quote] And Pino had played on "The Shouting Stage" Stupid cow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 [quote name='blamelouis' post='690947' date='Dec 21 2009, 07:57 PM']And Pino had played on "The Shouting Stage" Stupid cow.[/quote] Yep +1 what he said..... sc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iconic Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 (edited) I'll have to get that book for christmas, he is also one of the reasons I love bass, the noises that guy can get out of bass amazes me... [b]ohh, and he can play and dance....sideways[/b][i][/i] see 4:30 onwards from Oil on Canvas ,Live - The Hammersmith Odeon - 1983 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYPntP1sIAc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYPntP1sIAc[/url] Edited December 22, 2009 by iconic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassatnight Posted December 22, 2009 Author Share Posted December 22, 2009 Japan were the first band I saw live back in 1980 my memories of Mick were of him just standing there with his Travis Bean swaying slightly but I do recall the iffy dancing a couple of years later. Mick is a very approachable guy and I have had a few letters off him and E-mails answering specific questions for a book I was putting together in 2004 - its a real shame that he and the other guy's are so ignored and thus skint. He had his first Travis Bean stolen with the serial number 03 and a year later it turned up at a shop in Denmark street and the cheeky buggers wanted him to pay £500 for its return - they settled for autographs and pictures in the end! Mind you what would that Bass be worth today!? Anyone played an old T-Bean fretless? [quote name='iconic' post='691217' date='Dec 22 2009, 07:46 AM']I'll have to get that book for christmas, he is also one of the reasons I love bass, the noises that guy can get out of bass amazes me... [b]ohh, and he can play and dance....sideways[/b][i][/i] see 4:30 onwards from Oil on Canvas ,Live - The Hammersmith Odeon - 1983 [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYPntP1sIAc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYPntP1sIAc[/url][/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 [quote name='bassatnight' post='691227' date='Dec 22 2009, 08:12 AM']Mick is a very approachable guy and I have had a few letters off him and E-mails answering specific questions for a book I was putting together in 2004 - its a real shame that he and the other guy's are so ignored and thus skint.[/quote] If you're referring to Sylvian - he's not skint! He's made a fortune by gazing wistfully away from the soft-focus camera and croaking about his 'alone -ness', (the poor fragile soul that he is). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Have you heard David Sylvian's latest album "Manafon"? It's not exactly easy listening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 [quote name='BigRedX' post='691282' date='Dec 22 2009, 09:34 AM']Have you heard David Sylvian's latest album "Manafon"? It's not exactly easy listening.[/quote] No sir, I have not. I was thinking about giving the king of the navel-gazers a wide berth for the foreseeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassatnight Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 Sylvian ripped the others off big time taking credit (and the cash) for songs that were written by the others and treated them in the end like session players, I would say Karns bass is the most memorable thing about the group Japan there's no way Sylvian came up with those bass lines which were the bones of all of there songs. Still the book reveals all. [quote name='Spoombung' post='691240' date='Dec 22 2009, 08:44 AM']If you're referring to Sylvian - he's not skint! He's made a fortune by gazing wistfully away from the soft-focus camera and croaking about his 'alone -ness', (the poor fragile soul that he is).[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 The effeminate futurists from the 80s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 [quote name='bassatnight' post='692069' date='Dec 23 2009, 08:56 AM']Sylvian ripped the others off big time taking credit (and the cash) for songs that were written by the others and treated them in the end like session players, I would say Karns bass is the most memorable thing about the group Japan there's no way Sylvian came up with those bass lines which were the bones of all of there songs. Still the book reveals all.[/quote] It's a familiar debate:where does composition and arrangement meet/end? Obviously the lines are very blurred in a band like Japan where the arrangements deviate significantly from the basic chords/lyrics framework. I remember the same issue regarding Paul Simon and his south Africans musicians on the Graceland album. He would present the frame work and they would work their magic on it. I have Japan's Tin Drum album and admire it in a holistic way rather than just the bass playing (the electronic treatments and synths and the drums and very interesting too). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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