Tony Levin from BassPlayer Live

Dr. Cheese · #1 01-22-2010, 11:50 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3v0sVT8RiA

Tony Levin has one of the best Stingray tones of all time. I also think those Funk Fingers are crazy!

mccartneyman · #2 01-22-2010, 11:56 AM

As always, TL rocks. I can't imagine how he plays so accurately with those Funk Fingers. And them to use his third an fourth fingers to pick while he's still has the FF's on! Geez!

BigOldHarry · #3 01-22-2010, 11:57 AM

TL is *the man*

pasta4lnch · #4 01-22-2010, 11:59 AM

yeah - those things are crazy!

jij04002 · #5 02-02-2010, 09:28 AM

He is by far and away my biggest influence. Kills it every time, and his stick playing is unreal.

coronado3 · #6 02-02-2010, 09:32 AM

He was marketing those funk finger for a while... Anyone buy them from him?

DiabolicLow B · #7 02-02-2010, 09:40 AM

Yea I saw Tony Levin with Peter Gabriel back in the early 90's, one of my favorites for sure and his performance was nothing short of inspiring!

SlingBass4 · #8 02-02-2010, 10:05 AM

Having had the opportunity to very briefly meet and chat with Tony, and having seen him with a couple different acts...I can say that one of the keys to his success is his genuine love of everything music - the styles, sounds, people, life and opportunities it affords him (and his brother). Factor in raw talent and strong work ethic, and one has a pretty fair working formula for being a bankable commodity in the music biz. Good things do happen to good people

Yvon · #9 02-02-2010, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coronado3

He was marketing those funk finger for a while... Anyone buy them from him?

I bought a pair many years ago. I still have them here somewhere. I never really used them though.

bongomania · #10 02-02-2010, 10:43 AM

TL's great tone is a solid rebuke to anyone who says compression "sucks" or is "useless".

Gawd · #11 02-02-2010, 04:37 PM

I've never enjoyed TL's playing (especially on stick). I don't know, maybe he'll win me over some day.

Hoover · #12 02-03-2010, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coronado3

He was marketing those funk finger for a while... Anyone buy them from him?

I bought a pair from Papa Bear when they first came out. Didn't really get a lot of use out of them (although fwiw, FunkFingers on 8-string octave-course bass sounds AWESOME) and so sold them on eBay a few years ago

...for twice what I'd paid for them!

coronado3 · #13 02-03-2010, 10:31 AM

If anyone has a pair of Tony's funkfingers they would like to part with, let me know!

C3

FromTheBassMent · #14 02-03-2010, 10:36 AM

The thing I love about TL is that he adapts so brilliantly to any musical environment.

If you only knew his playing from his work with Peter Gabriel, you'd probably think that he had a great tone but not a whole lot of "chops." Because in that band he is totally a rhythm section guy, never doing anything flashy, but always choosing the right note at the right time. Just the sort of player that singers and drummers love to work with.

Then you hear him with his own band or with King Crimson, and it's like he's an entirely different player, with chops galore and total confidence stepping out in front of the band as a soloist on both bass and Stick.

He's been a tremendous inspiration to me for many years. No matter what musical context he's performing in, he always has this tremendous intuition for the boundaries of his role, be they narrow or expansive. I really enjoy listening to the guy play.

ColinGWood · #15 02-03-2010, 10:40 AM

Great melodic playing... I have never heard tony before but he has somehow influenced the hell outta me because that was pure gold. I have a new favortie bassist

mrufino1 · #16 02-03-2010, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coronado3

He was marketing those funk finger for a while... Anyone buy them from him?

Yes, and I used them a lot, until I lost one about 3 years ago, very sadly. I suppose I could make a replacement, I just haven't. Very cool sound though, I used them when we would play "I Want Candy."

bikeplate · #17 02-03-2010, 07:49 PM

HI

Always get a kick out of him. He's an original. Great playing on the Liquid Tension tune

Rob

Krügmeister · #18 02-03-2010, 07:55 PM

TL is an incredible player AND person... He is able to play in any environment, some of his best work was on Momentary Lapse of Reason is wonderfully subdued and appropriate.

Ezbass · #19 02-04-2010, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FromTheBassMent

If you only knew his playing from his work with Peter Gabriel, you'd probably think that he had a great tone but not a whole lot of "chops." Because in that band he is totally a rhythm section guy, never doing anything flashy, but always choosing the right note at the right time. Just the sort of player that singers and drummers love to work with.

I agree with you on the studio stuff (Big Time notwithstanding) but live it's a different proposition. Listen to Red Rain live from the Secret World tour and you'll immediately hear the difference, huge tone and nicely adventurous. TL and Manu Katche are probably my favourite rhythm section alongside Pino/Steve Jordan and Roscoe Beck/Tom Brechtlein.

Love TLs stuff with Liquid Tension Experiment which the OP's link comes from.

KJung · #20 02-04-2010, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3v0sVT8RiA

Tony Levin has one of the best Stingray tones of all time. I also think those Funk Fingers are crazy!

Unique and BURNING, and one of the nicest cats ever.

I still rate the Peter Gabriel 'Secret World Live' DVD as one of the finest pop bass performances (actually rhythm section performances) on record. Simply stunning.