We just released a new CD, so if you're interested in checking some teaser snippets -

http://dots-fans.googlegroups.com/web/bears_eureka_tease.mp3?gda=xih540cAAABtuVpoCfJNYKM LULT6-cjVhi1Vzg5kfdK0q5gs5g67amG1qiJ7UbTIup-M2XPURDQGuj1owuV_DjIt_lRxxUD67L595v1qFzZwqDOxrNKO4 A&hl=en

I'm real happy with the finished product. It's available here

www.thebearsmusic.com CDBaby, itunes will come along shortly.

Most excellent! I will be picking that up real soon. I don't need any snippets to know that it's a must-have for me.
Thanks for letting us know, Bob!

WOW! Best effort yet!

Bob, your basses sounds incredible. Your lines seem to have reached a new level of maturity.

I'm nearing the end of my first listen through and I cannot wait to start it over :bassist:

I love Adrian's flavor in this... but it doesn't sound like an "Adrian Belew" record. Definitely a well rounded recording, I can hear each of you as strong as the others.

Once again... The bass is HUGE Bob! I cannot wait to try to figure these tunes out. "We Never Close" may take a while :eek: My hands cramped up 1/2 way through listening to it :D

WOW! Best effort yet!

Bob, your basses sounds incredible. Your lines seem to have reached a new level of maturity.

I'm nearing the end of my first listen through and I cannot wait to start it over :bassist:

I love Adrian's flavor in this... but it doesn't sound like an "Adrian Belew" record. Definitely a well rounded recording, I can hear each of you as strong as the others.

Once again... The bass is HUGE Bob! I cannot wait to try to figure these tunes out. "We Never Close" may take a while :eek: My hands cramped up 1/2 way through listening to it :D

Thanks much, amigo. We Never Close is on my fender fretless. :bassist:

Thanks much, amigo. We Never Close is on my fender fretless. :bassist:

I hear a lot of fretless... I hear the electric upright too.

Can you run down the tracks an what basses you've played?

(I'm almost through my second listening... this is good stuff!)

I hear a lot of fretless... I hear the electric upright too.

Can you run down the tracks an what basses you've played?

(I'm almost through my second listening... this is good stuff!)

My pleasure -

Zelda - fretted fender and bowed upright
Veneer - fender fretless
On - " "
Troubled Beauty- Englehart upright
Normal - rick 4001
We Never Close - fender fretless
Think - fretted fender
Keep Your Own Counsel - rick 4001
Idiot in the Sky - fender fretless
Doodle - Clevinger EUB
Comin 'round the Mountain - fender fretless

It's all DI except for the upright.

Was the sample clip suppose to be 3 seconds long? Because that's what I got. :hmm:

I'm a fan, as well, I'll probably try to get it.

Was the sample clip suppose to be 3 seconds long? Because that's what I got. :hmm:

I'm a fan, as well, I'll probably try to get it.

It's a couple minutes long...:(

Weird, maybe I gotta let it load, but it's rushing right to the end. I'll let you know if I get it working.

... just keeps getting to where Adrian starts singing and stops... for me at least. :hmm:

I really like the bass on that third clip. Real fluid and fat. And I'm a huge Adrian Belew fan, even when he's being really esoteric. Good stuff, Bob!

Troubled Beauty- Englehart upright

It's all DI except for the upright.

So how did you record that? I just bought one and I'd love to be able to get that good of a tone recorded out of it.
(assuming I could make it sound THAT good acoustically)

That is a tasty little solo you do at the end of the tune.

So how did you record that? I just bought one and I'd love to be able to get that good of a tone recorded out of it.
(assuming I could make it sound THAT good acoustically)

That is a tasty little solo you do at the end of the tune.

That was just a big condensor mike (Rhode or AKG, I can't remember) near the f hole a little south of the bridge. That track started life as a demo that Chris recorded up here - we wound up keeping the bass from it.


Thanks very much for listening, guys. :D

Way to give me a heart attack. I had no idea you were actually with the band.

When you say DI, you mean directly into the board, or did you use a DI box? What kind? Come oooooon we need more details here! (Oh, the tracks sound excellent)

Way to give me a heart attack. I had no idea you were actually with the band.

When you say DI, you mean directly into the board, or did you use a DI box? What kind? Come oooooon we need more details here! (Oh, the tracks sound excellent)

I'm not sure what kind of DI it was - I've never been able to tell much difference as long as it's not a POS. Sadly, our engineer (Ken Latchney) who did the tracking passed away last summer (heart attack). He was running the bass through a nice tube pre with a touch of compression, but nothing heroic. My fender jazz special basses are are stock except the fretless has barts on it. Ken had cut Tony Levin, Les Claypool & Trey Gunn - & he always told me it has a lot more to do with the player than anything he did.

I'm not sure what kind of DI it was - I've never been able to tell much difference as long as it's not a POS. Sadly, our engineer (Ken Latchney) who did the tracking passed away last summer (heart attack). He was running the bass through a nice tube pre with a touch of compression, but nothing heroic. My fender jazz special basses are are stock except the fretless has barts on it. Ken had cut Tony Levin, Les Claypool & Trey Gunn - & he always told me it has a lot more to do with the player than anything he did.


Whats up fellow barts-in-a-jazz-bass buddy?

I heard about Ken Latchney (My father and I are pretty big fans of Adrian and everything he's had his hands in [Zappa, Crimson, The Bears] and we were pretty depressed by the news... ) and didn't know he was working on the album. I understand the thought process behind the DI though. It's just that as long as it wasn't a Behringer or anything, but it's Ken Latchney, so I shall shut my mouth and dare not question his greatness anymore.

This record is really Ken's last baby. I was pretty torn up when he passed - I only saw him when we were working together, but we were pretty tight...we'd hang back at hotel & such. He was a good friend and a great talent behind the board. My wife Laura loved him too. It's going to be really strange not having him with us on these dates.

Wow, good stuff! Definitely on my shopping list. Thanks for the music, Bob. The earlier Bears records were an inspiration to me way back when.

Wow, good stuff! Definitely on my shopping list. Thanks for the music, Bob. The earlier Bears records were an inspiration to me way back when.


Thanks! We approached this record a little differently...it was less constricting on me for sure. We'd basically hear the tunes a couple times (demoed or played be the writer) and then go have it - so it's pretty immediate and fresh sounding as a result. There are some textural overdubs, but we really tried make it sound like something done live.

Great stuff ! I have a few of your "records", and IIRC, I really dug "Figure it out". I'll have to plug in the phono and revisit them. I'll look for you guys if you get near L.A.

Great stuff ! I have a few of your "records", and IIRC, I really dug "Figure it out". I'll have to plug in the phono and revisit them. I'll look for you guys if you get near L.A.

I'm keeping fingers crossed, bro. It's been way too long since we've played the golden state. :bassist:

Thanks - I wrote the bulk of that tune! :D

Dude, that little burpy line you play on the third song in the sample is so CATCHY! I'm listening to it on a better setup and I can hear it so much better now.

(Oh, I don't know who came up with the design, but my father absolutely adores the picture where every member is holding up a rickenbacker guitar, so kudos on that :D )


Ninja edit: Oh, and please please please play somewhere fairly close to Boston, if Providence is too much to ask. :)

At last- new music for Mature People w/ Big Brains! Or is that Big Girls w/ Big Glasses?
Haven't heard a note yet but I'm gettin' some. See you @ Martyrs unless you make it to Madison.:D

At last- new music for Mature People w/ Big Brains! Or is that Big Girls w/ Big Glasses?
Haven't heard a note yet but I'm gettin' some. See you @ Martyrs unless you make it to Madison.:D

A lot of the girls are wearing contacts these days. :D

I'm afraid Martyrs is as close as we get to you this time. Hope to see you there. ;)

We were told WXRT is getting behind it, so that should be a good night. :cool:

Hey dammit! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Pittsburgh!


The 27th... I'll be there AND be square. I'm stoked, I just accidentally discovered this. Pollstar.com has it listed as "Adrian Belew" so I checked his website, it's a Bears date. I'll find a way to make it down there (2 hour drive, but well well worth it!)

Hey dammit! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Pittsburgh!


The 27th... I'll be there AND be square. I'm stoked, I just accidentally discovered this. Pollstar.com has it listed as "Adrian Belew" so I checked his website, it's a Bears date. I'll find a way to make it down there (2 hour drive, but well well worth it!)

Awesome - it's an early show & we always come out and mingle afterward - please introduce yourself! :bassist:

Will do man, you'll be the guy playing bass right? ;) :D

Will do man, you'll be the guy playing bass right? ;) :D

Unless they fire me between now & then, yes. :hiding:

Unless they fire me between now & then, yes. :hiding:

can you drop my name? Not to jump in your grave or anything... but it's a killer gig you've got there :bassist:


;)

can you drop my name? Not to jump in your grave or anything... but it's a killer gig you've got there :bassist:
;)

They can't let me go...

I know where the bodies are. :D

It would be much more of a killer gig If we got to do it more than once every 5 years.

Thanks Bob. I look forward to picking this up! ...no date for a Philly show, too bad.

You guys need to reissue the old stuff. The first is one of my all time favorites period and has been a creative inspiration for me personally. I used to have it on vinyl but now it's gone.... anyways, thanks for all the great music!

Thanks Bob. I look forward to picking this up! ...no date for a Philly show, too bad.

You guys need to reissue the old stuff. The first is one of my all time favorites period and has been a creative inspiration for me personally. I used to have it on vinyl but now it's gone.... anyways, thanks for all the great music!

Thanks for listening, amigo. :cool: I am holding out much hope that we will be expanding the gigging later in the year and make it out east. That will largely depend on how the cd does, though. ;) I'm glad we're an independent entity, but sometimes I miss having some label support.

Will do man, you'll be the guy playing bass right? ;) :D

Hey Matt - did you make to the show?

Unfortunatly no, :( and I'm still really bummed about it. Sorry I didn't tell you, I had it marked on my calender so I didn't forget, but right now I'm essentially without a car, without a job, and certainly without cash so I couldn't make the 2 hour drive. I told a few pittsburgh friends to check it out and I hope they did.

Hope your shows have been going well.

I had it marked on my calender so I didn't forget, but right now I'm essentially without a car, without a job, and certainly without cash so I couldn't make the 2 hour drive. Hope your shows have been going well.

We just finished the last one for now. We did 8 dates in 9 days. I haven't had that much fun since the last time we did it. ;)

I just wanted to resurrect this thread and say how good this new record is. Upon first listen, I liked just about every tune and usually when that happens I tire of things quickly. However, Eureka continues to grow on me more and more with every listen.

Wonderfull bass playing and just really creative and intelligent songwriting ...Bob's songs in particular are some of the best on the record! I'm really hoping you guys make it to Philly at some point.

thanks for the great music!

Hey, thanks very much Larry - I appreciate that.

We have an invite to play on the David Dye's World Cafe - we're trying to see if we can put a few other east coast dates around that so we might make the thing profitable.

I love the freedom of not having a label, but it's sure tough promoting something with zero support.

Ahh I love the music bizness!! :help:

We have an invite to play on the David Dye's World Cafe - we're trying to see if we can put a few other east coast dates around that so we might make the thing profitable.

Cool! ...hopefully you'll do an evening gig at their club/venue too which is a really GREAT room (pretty sure Adrian's played there a couple times). I'll keep my eyes/ears open.

peace,
L

The disc is still in regular rotation with me... it's standing the test of time. Just solid playing & songwriting throughout.

I'm an hour east of Philly.... If that's as far East as you can make it... I can live with that :bassist:

I'll be sure to thump it here once we get something nailed down. I'd love to meet y'all! :cool:

We got reviewed in the July issue of Guitar Player! They gave us the #1 spot. :cool: