Any Mick Karn fans out there?

nuno.ka · #1 03-21-2007, 05:10 PM

My first bass was a fretless because of him. Mick's playing is so sweet and the tone he gets out of his fretless Wal is just to die for. If you never heard him and you like fretless bass you're missing out.

Alan Vorse · #2 03-22-2007, 06:52 AM

I love Mick Karn. I think he has one of the most distinct voices out there. Polytown was my introduction to him, then I discovered Japan and Dali's Car.

acleex38 · #3 03-22-2007, 09:42 AM

I got into Karn through "Bestial Cluster", then went back and dug into the Japan catalog. If you ever get tired of hearing people say that "everyone who plays fretless is copying Jaco", Mick Karn (along with Percy Jones) is near the top of the list of counter-arguments.

Admittedly, that is still a pretty short list.

WalterBush · #4 03-22-2007, 09:46 AM

I heard him first with Terry Bozzio and Mike Torn on Polytown. Fantastic album, and a great example of fretless technique that doesn't sound like Jaco. I dig his playing.

**tommyr01** · #5 03-22-2007, 09:52 AM

Love his style and sound. I was introduced to his playing in the 80's when I bought Japan's first 2 albums. And of course when Dali's Car came out.
I still listen to him.......

Matt Till · #6 03-22-2007, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WalterBush

I heard him first with Terry Bozzio and Mike Torn on Polytown. Fantastic album, and a great example of fretless technique that doesn't sound like Jaco. I dig his playing.

Yep! I was just about to mention this.

One of the most impressive albums I've ever heard musically, while being incredibly spacious and polyrhythmic. I'd recommend it to anyone.

chris_nairn · #7 03-22-2007, 05:32 PM

Just for the record, it is David Torn, not "mike". Yes, polytown is awsome. Lonely Universe is awsome too for those who don't know that one. Mick is truly awsome. Also, in addition to him and Percy Jones, you guys should check out Stomu Takeishi. He plays fretless and is very creative and nothing at all like Jaco.

rogerbmiller · #8 03-22-2007, 07:20 PM

I have been listening to Japan's "Quiet Life" non stop over the last 9 months. Love Karn's playing.

BTW, he is associated exlusively wiht the Wal fretless because it is the only bass he has played since 1981, but the seminal Karn Fretless masterpieces from Quiet Life and Gentlemen Take Polaroids were played on a Travis Bean Aluminum neck fretless bass. Interestingly, the Quiet and Gentlemen sounds are more Wal-like than all of Tin Drum which is the only Japan allbum on which he played a Wal.

I believe a lot of his sound comes from how the bass was rigged and set up with chorus, etc. Really doesn't sound like a Wal. I suspect he is a Wal guy because of the feel. They are super easy to play. The Travis Beans on the other hand weigh like 200 lbs...

Benjamin Strange · #9 03-22-2007, 07:32 PM

I have Polytown and The Tooth Mother. Weird stuff, and very good. Love his tone, but I'd never try to emmulate it.

Matt Till's stuff sounds like him sometimes. Also good stuff.

marcray · #10 03-22-2007, 07:41 PM

Mick Karn is amazing... I was a big Japan fan but after Dali's Car I never really kept up with his activities but this polytown sounds interesting, especially as Bozzio is on it... I'll have to check that out... look on youtube for some of the Japan live stuff from Oil On Canvas, he's so smooth and effortless, it's crazy.

For me, "Tin Drum" sounds different for the whole band not just Mick.... it has a much more drier sound overall than previous albums.. gave them a new dynamic. I was really sad when they broke up...

Uncle Ernie · #11 03-22-2007, 07:46 PM

I've only heard him on Dali's Car, and he rocks. Should look for his other stuff...

zazz · #12 03-22-2007, 08:00 PM

love mick karns playing ....inspirational.

on the subject of jaco ....mick hadnt even heard jaco until after japan....he purposely didnt want influence from him. Thats why he developed his own style...very much from within himself.

Monkey · #13 03-22-2007, 09:54 PM

I have only heard Mick Karn with Kate Bush, but was very impressed with his unique tone and style. In need to check out his other stuff.....

chris_nairn · #14 03-22-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerbmiller

I have been listening to Japan's "Quiet Life" non stop over the last 9 months. Love Karn's playing.

BTW, he is associated exlusively wiht the Wal fretless because it is the only bass he has played since 1981, but the seminal Karn Fretless masterpieces from Quiet Life and Gentlemen Take Polaroids were played on a Travis Bean Aluminum neck fretless bass. Interestingly, the Quiet and Gentlemen sounds are more Wal-like than all of Tin Drum which is the only Japan allbum on which he played a Wal.

I believe a lot of his sound comes from how the bass was rigged and set up with chorus, etc. Really doesn't sound like a Wal. I suspect he is a Wal guy because of the feel. They are super easy to play. The Travis Beans on the other hand weigh like 200 lbs...

He doesn't only play Wal anymore. He did exclusively for a very long time but in the mid 1990s, he got a Klein Electric and so those are the two fretless electrics he plays-Wal and Klein. He also picked up a Taylor-Klein Acoustic fretless which he played w/ Alice for an acoustic tour. Also, the RainTreeCrow album he used his Wal. That is simply Japan w/ a different name.

giantrobot_69 · #15 03-22-2007, 10:33 PM

Mick Karn is awesome, I also got into him through Bestial Cluster. He is aunique voice indeed.

nuno.ka · #16 03-23-2007, 10:01 AM

Most of the songs where it seems he is using chorus, he isn't. He double tracks most of his bass lines to achieve that tight chorused sound. Rain Tree Crow is a masterpiece but sounds more like David Sylvian (who I also love) than Mick's solo stuff.
I learned to play the fretless bass listening to Tin Drum and Titles.

bassjigga · #17 03-23-2007, 10:24 AM

I love Mick! Love Percy Jones too (someone mentioned him).

Baryonyx · #18 03-23-2007, 10:46 AM

His playing is pretty interesting, but I'm more a fan of his tone than I am of his actual music!

Pj,Rj,Hj · #19 03-29-2007, 07:45 AM

One of the greatest moments in my life when I discovered Japan. Before that I though John Taylor was the pinicale of 'new wave/romantic' bass. Mick rekindled my bass passion before that all I cared about was John T and Bernard Edwards. I ripped the frets out of my beatup bass and eventually got my fretless Wal.