Tom Scholz of Boston ---- any love here for his bass lines ? - Page 2

dalkowski · #21 02-02-2013, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardCranium

Tom, Brad, and the drummer whose name escapes me at the moment.

Sib Hashian.

audioglenn · #22 02-02-2013, 11:44 AM

No doubt about it...those are great bass lines on those records!

Art Araya · #23 02-02-2013, 11:49 AM

Totally underrated bass work on the first album until one sits down and closely listens and tries to copy the lines exactly.

Count me in. +1 on the killer tone and melodic lines.

Bass301 · #24 02-05-2013, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by electracoyote

+1
Sheehan really nailed those lines live (I saw them twice BEFORE "More Than A Feeling" hit, and a few times after).

electracoyote ,

How often did the band perform live in the early days before going national ?

I had been under the impression Scholz and Delp mostly composed and recorded in private and were not a local live performing band until the deal with the record company meant touring to support the first album.

We would love to read about your memories of the band's earliest days !

(everybody, please no comments about "if you can remember, you really weren't there")

electracoyote · #25 02-05-2013, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bass301

electracoyote ,

How often did the band perform live in the early days before going national ?

I had been under the impression Scholz and Delp mostly composed and recorded in private and were not a local live performing band until the deal with the record company meant touring to support the first album.

We would love to read about your memories of the band's earliest days !

(everybody, please no comments about "if you can remember, you really weren't there")

I grew up in the Columbus, Ohio area and graduated high school in 1977. My friends and I were serious audiophiles, and we prided ourselves on trying to anticipate the next big thing, so we'd buy lots of new releases from unknown bands. I was the first kid at my school to have the earliest releases from bands like Rush, Cheap Trick, and Boston, long before the buzz. It was like a badge of honor to "own" or be a fan of a band before they went "viral."

It seems that Boston came through Columbus a couple of times before they exploded. AOR FM radio programmers had just started to play "More Than A Feeling" when they headlined a large theater stage in Columbus. The room was not even half full of people. I watched in amazement (up close and personal) as they literally nailed the entire debut album with note-for-note accuracy. Having seen a lot of concerts up to that point, and experiencing a lot of disappointment by bands that didn't come very close to the studio product, I could not believe a band could duplicate that unique sound and precision live. Scholz used to do these kind of magic tricks with his guitar, getting some of those awesome spaceship noises by waving his hands around, and he took extended organ solos. The vocals were spot-on. It was mind-blowing, and I couldn't believe so few people had caught on yet. The second time they came through, "MTAF" had hit and they played a small arena and had a more respectable turn out. Soon AOR FM radio had almost abandoned "MTAF" in exchange for the rest of the album, and every track got played with regularity. After that, it was good luck getting tickets when they came to town.

I hope this helps. 1976 was a long time ago, and I'm not googling any of this, purely from what's left of my memory. I remember seeing them maybe once or twice again in support of the Don't Look Back release, and then no more.

wayout · #26 02-05-2013, 03:41 PM

Sib did do a few songs. the other drummers name, I think it was Maseda or something like that.

wayout · #27 02-05-2013, 03:51 PM

Tom's bass parts are amazing and dead in the pocket. The reason they are so in the pocket and sustained so long is the tape was slowed down while he played them. Please don't ask how I know but I'll tell you this much, it came directly from a band member.

**mjac28** · #28 02-05-2013, 04:00 PM

He's from my town and Tom is a genius especially in the producing and engineering of those records an absolute perfectionist and those records reflect it.I remember it was so cool seeing them explode like they did.

Silver Blues · #29 02-05-2013, 04:06 PM

Yeah, I love Boston too. Tom is an underrated bassist if you ask me.

--Silvie

4001 · #30 02-05-2013, 04:17 PM

I absolutly love Tom's bass work on that first Boston album. Quintessential 70's rock basslines. I don't think there is one note out of place on that entire album and playing them correctly is no easy task. Great album, great songs, great memories of that time when I was 10 years old.

matti777 · #31 02-05-2013, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayout

Tom's bass parts are amazing and dead in the pocket. The reason they are so in the pocket and sustained so long is the tape was slowed down while he played them. Please don't ask how I know but I'll tell you this much, it came directly from a band member.

and we wonder why we can't replicate some bass lines

Very interesting trick

ERIC31 · #32 02-06-2013, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4001

I absolutly love Tom's bass work on that first Boston album. Quintessential 70's rock basslines. I don't think there is one note out of place on that entire album and playing them correctly is no easy task. Great album, great songs, great memories of that time when I was 10 years old.

+1. Great record and I've sat down and tried to play those basslines and they are challenging. I still don't have them down but I'm having fun working on it.

I was also 10 when that record came out and it seemed like it was on my little transistor radio every hour back then!

LiquidMidnight · #33 02-07-2013, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

He's from my town and Tom is a genius especially in the producing and engineering of those records an absolute perfectionist and those records reflect it.I remember it was so cool seeing them explode like they did.

Yeah, Tom is a brilliant math wiz (MIT grad, IIRC) who got into music because he was fascinated by the mathematical logic behind it.

So, does anyone here still have a Rockman?

electracoyote · #34 02-07-2013, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

So, does anyone here still have a Rockman?

Yep, the first generation model. It sounds uncannily like Scholz's signature guitar tone. You can literally run it through an amp and boom, there it is.

jymyben · #35 02-13-2013, 03:44 PM

i still run the first gen bassman thru a rockmount in my rack...

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

Yeah, Tom is a brilliant math wiz (MIT grad, IIRC) who got into music because he was fascinated by the mathematical logic behind it.

So, does anyone here still have a Rockman?

groovemaker69 · #36 02-18-2013, 11:41 PM

Maybe it's possible that alot of the stuff was played by Sheehan originaly.Then Tom taped over it and perfected it later in the studio versions.I've seen sheehan play live and he's pritty much in that style??...who knows anyway.Wicked player none the less.

tbirdsp · #37 02-19-2013, 12:15 PM

Glad this was brought up. I always thought the bass on the Boston stuff was amazing, never knew the whole story though. I grew up in NE Ohio, class of '80. The debut Boston album will always hold a special place for me - it was the first actual LP I ever bought. Never did see them in concert though.

Wow - memories. My first concert was the "World Series of Rock" in '78 I think, at the old Cleveland stadium. Still remember the lineup - Aerosmith, AC/DC (RIP Bon), Ted Nugent, Journey, and Thin Lizzy (RIP Phil).

I also had tickets for Led Zep in fall '80 when I started college at Akron U - then Bonham died and they canceled the tour

ElectroVibe · #38 03-07-2013, 07:02 PM

He also wrote the songs and lyrics.

ronlitz · #39 03-07-2013, 07:11 PM

Jammit software has Boston with the bass track separate from the full band - it is awesome! Check it out at jammit.com.

jaywa · #40 03-07-2013, 08:21 PM

Love the playing, especially Peace of Mind. The parts are definitely on the busy side and must have been murder to play with a pick.

I remember reading about Scholz using the Gibson bass... Something about that the action was really high and the bass was virtually unplayable by most except Tom who was used to it. Also that the notes below E were punch-ins using a 4-string bass detuned.

Re tone... I've always thought the bass tone on the Boston records was unremarkable. Flabby and blah. Demo quality but nothing more. The drum sounds are terrible and Sib himself said years later he is tremendously disappointed with how his drums were recorded and mixed.