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An Ian Hill thread... just because

B

Byzcat

Aug 3, 2009
257
9
Lynn, Mass
#1
So, I decided that I'm going to learn to play the bass line from the J.P. version of "Better by You, Better than Me", and it got me to thinking...

Ian Hill. OK, not the greatest bass player to walk this earth, but he's rock solid. And I wouldn't want to be him.

I've been listening to a lot of early Priest, and I just love the way the bass lines weave in between the guitars. Nothing flashy, but very nice. Then, I guess it must have been around British Steel, the bass lines just sort of disappear. Especially on Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith. I mean, really, you shouldn't have to hire a team of archaeologists to dig a bass line out of a song.

Haven't heard the Ripper Owens era stuff, but the bass lines seemed to have come back on Angel of Retribution, and there is some very nice bass work on Nostradamus.

But in the interim... yeesh. Buried in the mix, and when you can find the bass line, he was mostly riding root notes. Personally, I'd have left the band or died of boredom.

I've often found myself wishing that Judas Priest had stuck with the heavy blues-based stuff, for no other reason than I like, you know, actually hearing the bass lines.

So, anyway, let's give Ian Hill a little hard-earned respect.
 
#6
Like what was said earlier, he played what fit the songs. Priest was/is promoted first on vocals followed closely by the twin guitars of Tipton and Downing.

As for leaving a band like that, I'd never. Multiple multi-selling platinum albums and playing to enormous audiences night after night, year after year... I'll take that gig any day of the week
 
#9
Great thread! I have been playing bass in a JP tribute for a couple of years. Some songs are simple and others are a bit challenging (ie; Tyrant, Sinner). His parts do fit the song though as others have said. The biggest adjustment for me has been to play with a pick. From Sin after Sin (1977) on, Ian has played with a pick and it is key to get his attack and tone. I have seen videos of Ian playing fingerstyle in the Sad Wings era. You also need a Jazz Bass with fairly hot pickups. I use a Geddy Lee model and it is spot on. The British Steel era stuff didnt really bury the bass, but his tone on that album was a bit overdriven and squashed. The following release, Point of entry had a better mix to it. From !985 to present he has played on Spector basses. All in all, its pretty fun stuff to play.
 
#11
PolkaHero said:
Have you heard "The Rage" from British Steel? Bass is pretty prominent in that song!
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah, love that intro! "The Rage" is probably the best song on the album, bass-wise.

But British Steel seems to be the transition point. There are a few tracks where the bass is really out there, and it's audible on the whole album, but that album seems to be the point where the band shifted from doing really blues-based stuff to straight-ahead metal, and that's where the bass lines started to suffer.

Haven't listened to Point of Entry in a while. I consider it one of the weaker entries in the Priest catalog (though nowhere near as bad as the abomination that was Turbo- Judas Priest doing hair metal :spit:), even though it has Desert Plains on it, which is one of my all-time favorite Judas Priest songs.

I think the SfV and DotF are the worst albums, bass-wise, even though they are great albums. I had to check the liner notes a few times, just to make sure Ian had actually played on them (although on "The Sentinel", the bass line is fairly strong).

I like to hear the bass lines, dammit!!!

Oh, and Sartori, I've never seen Priest live, though I'd love to. I'm strictly talking albums right now (note to self- next time I order from Amazon.com, get Unleashed in the East
 
#12
BTW, I also see "Desert Plains" as a prime example of why women musicians are at a disadvantage when it comes to playing metal- we're deprived of the use of the motorcycle as sexual metaphor.

The line "The engine roars between my thighs" is a glorious metaphor for male arousal, but if you're a chick and you've got an engine roaring between your thighs, it's probably someone else's engine. (of course, if you're Rob Halford, it still might be someone else's engine...).

I'm also not crazy about the live version of the song. I think that a lot of the power on the studio version of "Desert Plains" derives from the fact that the song is played rather gently, and in the live clips I've heard, it's rocked up quite a bit, and while I'm generally a fan of rocking songs up, in this case, playing it harder diminishes the song.
 
#13
They had me up and until British Steel! Sad Wings of Destiny. The Ripper and Beyond the Realms of Death were me two favorites. The poppy feel of British Steel and beyond had me questioning what they were doing, until I figured out that they really just wanted to sell some more albums.
Fishheadjoe
 
#14
In a backwards way, Hilly was actually a BIG influence on my playing: my high school was full of KK Downing wanna-be's, and I was stuck learning Priest songs for my first few years. Since nobody can actually HEAR Priest's bass lines, I had to write my own. Got more than a few props on 'em, encouraging me to be more "outspoken" with my new bass.
 
#15
TimWilson said:
In a backwards way, Hilly was actually a BIG influence on my playing: my high school was full of KK Downing wanna-be's, and I was stuck learning Priest songs for my first few years
Click to expand...

Me too- but not because of Ian so much, but for the fact that Priest songs were good jam songs. I guess after so many songs and jams I investigated further...

Priest was like Rush for me- in that I first heard what was on the radio, then went back and dug into the catalog and found out for myself what i liked. For Rush, Permanent Waves took me back to Caress of Steel & Farewell to Kings which ended up being my favorite Rush albums. For Priest, British Steel took me to Unleashed in the East & Sad wings of destiny...

British Steel & Unleashed are my faves because they are simple and heavy- and Ian sounded great whether it was Les Binks or Dave Holland playing drums (two very distinct styles there)... still sounds great w/ yet another unique stylist in Scott Travis!
 
#16
Ive always had respect for Ian Hill. I love rocking out to some Priest every now and then. Hes very solid. I read an interview in Bass Player saying he sticks to root notes cause thats what Priest calls for. But when hes at home playing hes learning new techniques and everything. I really want to see what hes made of.
 
#17
stuonbass said:
Great thread! I have been playing bass in a JP tribute for a couple of years. Some songs are simple and others are a bit challenging (ie; Tyrant, Sinner). His parts do fit the song though as others have said. The biggest adjustment for me has been to play with a pick. From Sin after Sin (1977) on, Ian has played with a pick and it is key to get his attack and tone. I have seen videos of Ian playing fingerstyle in the Sad Wings era. You also need a Jazz Bass with fairly hot pickups. I use a Geddy Lee model and it is spot on. The British Steel era stuff didnt really bury the bass, but his tone on that album was a bit overdriven and squashed. The following release, Point of entry had a better mix to it. From !985 to present he has played on Spector basses. All in all, its pretty fun stuff to play.
Click to expand...

me too. My band is called SinneR. I don't care about the pick. I play finger style only, and I get along just fine. The hardest thing of all for me is the goddam wig i have to wear. That thing is hot, not in a good way. I have no problem rocking root notes all night. It comes with the territory. I have a blast doing it, so it's all good.

Link Removed
 
#18
Sorry for the necrobump:

Ian absolute plays for the song and it works. He is the unofficial band encyclopedia.
He sneaks in a ton of things you would never have known... until you heard the song without them.
 

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