Semi-Charmed Life bass line live
 

Hey y'all, my cover band is adding 3rd Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life" and I came across this vid of them playing it live. It's not the bassist who recorded it on the album and he's going way more complex with the bass line. I'm curious what TBer's think - is he messing the song up, or making it more interesting? Need to decide how I want to approach it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3H46LCDfI0

Sounds like he is having fun with it and embellishing where he feels adds to the song. He's playing the groove and landing where he needs to. I probably wouldn't take as many chances as he did but I dig it.

I laughed hearing all those comments about the bass being too hot. I think it sounds perfect...sounds like it's definitely off the board.

I've never heard the song, but all I know is that bassist stole my tone. Love that. That's the way a Jazz Bass should sound. (Yes, I know those are Ampegs on stage, but what we're hearing is the send to the board.)

The original recording was an excellent example of pop bass playing - great note choices, restrained, serves the song very well. The guy on the vid isn't doing any of that at all and makes the group sound like a C level bar band.

Other than that, I have no opinion on the subject.

Absurd.

In my mind that song has always been the younger and more annoying brother of "Two Princes".

That album has always been one of my favorites. Except for the radio hits. I like the original version better myself. This new guy is definitely a good player, but I thought it was too much, personally. But, I'm from the school of 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'. Great playing, but it didn't do it for me.

I really liked the line that Arion (think I spelled that right...) Laid down on the original record. Groovy and tasteful. I've jammed on that tune before, and it's hard to hold back from embellishing a little bit. He's definitely getting more creative with it than I would, but it still sounds cool.

Slightly off topic- anyone know what happened to their original bassist? Last I heard he was struggling with an addiction, but that was a few years ago...

WIN.


My thoughts exactly.
Just too much..he coulda just thrown in a LITTLE suttin..here n there. but I think he went too far.
Always dug that song.

Thanks for the comments so far, and any more are still welcome. We may be gigging it this weekend, so we'll see what happens. What I've found happening is when I'm practicing in my basement for fun, I tend to go pretty nutso with runs and fills on the bass part, but in the band I'm singing it too, and that tends to make me rein it in. We'll see how it comes out.

So, I gave this another listen and I still feel the same way. Kinda. I was reading the comments and came across a comment the bass player left. Here is what he had to say.

I'd have personally never mixed the bass this loud, I just did whatever SJ and Brad were into, SJ said something like I should play balls out all the time, so I did.... LOL! Thanks for the comments - - - Abe

So, I guess he did what was asked of him.