That was really great! This video makes me wish I had hung onto my 3-pickup Danelectro Hodad bass like he’s playing, though.
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Bruce Thomas Master, Madman, or Hack?
- Thread starter Fender2015
- Start date
That was really great! This video makes me wish I had hung onto my 3-pickup Danelectro Hodad bass like he’s playing, though.
Really, listen to ANY song that he created the bassline for, it's beauty in its simplicity and how it flows between chordal progression. It's just great Rock Bass!
John
And another great English bassist.
Always one of my fave bassists, probably a genius in my book.
Yeah. I just read an interview and I’m becoming more convinced of this. He made those EC songs.
A definite genius. Always a rush listening to his lines
Would anyone be offended if I said I once thought I was an Elvis Costello fan, until I found out I was actually a fan of Nick Lowe and Bruce Thomas even more?
Bruce is brilliant. One of my absolute favorites, I only wish I could play as skillfully and melodically. In the early days of the Attractions, his playing sat somewhere between Jamerson and McCartney, but juiced by amphetamines.
Bruce played some fantastic baselines on Suzanne Vega's 99.4F - as inventive as the Attractions stuff IMHO.
Based on the options given in the OP, I'm going with madman genius. Fantastic player, always fun to listen to.
Thanks for bringing him up, when other British greats from the era were being mentioned, I was wondering why his name was not coming up.
I'm a huge Grahm Parker fan, and for the life of me don't entirely understand why he got overlooked. Mention Costello or Jackson to the average music fan and they know who you are talking about. Mention Parker and it's usually blank stares. You "might" get a knowing nod if you follow it by naming a song of of Squeezing Out Sparks, but man, he has SO much more great material. But hey, his relative obscurity has allowed me to see him live countless times, up close, personal, and sweaty, the way a great rock show should be. So I'm good with that.
Thanks for bringing him up, when other British greats from the era were being mentioned, I was wondering why his name was not coming up.
I'm a huge Grahm Parker fan, and for the life of me don't entirely understand why he got overlooked. Mention Costello or Jackson to the average music fan and they know who you are talking about. Mention Parker and it's usually blank stares. You "might" get a knowing nod if you follow it by naming a song of of Squeezing Out Sparks, but man, he has SO much more great material. But hey, his relative obscurity has allowed me to see him live countless times, up close, personal, and sweaty, the way a great rock show should be. So I'm good with that.
The Jeep is fantastic, and the Rumour were a great band.
In the late 70’s, I drove 300 miles to see them, but the show was cancelled when i got there.
One of my favorite Bodnar bass lines is the one in “The Mona Lisa’s Sister”. (Get started,start a fire)
Graham Maby
Bruce Thomas
Colin Moulding
The trinity of tastefulness!
Bruce Thomas
Colin Moulding
The trinity of tastefulness!
Bruce Thomas is great. EC is a fine song writer and vocalist but Bruce’s contributions really made those songs outstanding. Also second his work with Suzanne Vega.
On the scale of me (or you) to Mozart... no bass player has been genius. Not Bruce, not Colin Moulding, Not Jaco... To say otherwise devalues the word... just sayin'
Bruce, Jaco, Colin, Graham ... masters for sure and btw I can listen to an album of Jaco. I can listen to George Porter Jr all day...
Bruce, Jaco, Colin, Graham ... masters for sure and btw I can listen to an album of Jaco. I can listen to George Porter Jr all day...
Bruce was one of the first guys where I noticed the bass playing underneath "pop" music (I know Elvis at the time was a punker/new wave, but in hindsight things can change a bit), and was totally blown away. Killer P Bass tone, incredible movement, and provided some serious thrust to those Attractions records. Wonder if Elvis never bothered with a "lead" guitar player, since he knew Bruce was there basically playing lead bass underneath all these songs.
Just got my own little home recording "studio" off the ground here, and have been having fun making some noises. I really ought to have mic'd up my B-18 (Bruce was a huge fan of 18" speakers, and 12". Had very unkind things to say about 15", but I feel the tech, and thinking, has changed on speakers/size a lot since he said all that), but just ran direct instead. I feel like he really just let the natural Precision character define his sound.
Just got my own little home recording "studio" off the ground here, and have been having fun making some noises. I really ought to have mic'd up my B-18 (Bruce was a huge fan of 18" speakers, and 12". Had very unkind things to say about 15", but I feel the tech, and thinking, has changed on speakers/size a lot since he said all that), but just ran direct instead. I feel like he really just let the natural Precision character define his sound.
The Jeep is fantastic, and the Rumour were a great band.
In the late 70’s, I drove 300 miles to see them, but the show was cancelled when i got there.
One of my favorite Bodnar bass lines is the one in “The Mona Lisa’s Sister”. (Get started,start a fire)
LOVE that tune and album. That album and Paul Simon's Graceland were the key drivers of my first fretless purchase. I was too young and stupid to get decent at it, so sold it. Got another about 8 years ago and it's becoming my "go to" bass.
I can’t imagine where the the head of the OP’s “friend” was at when he made that challenge, even in jest. To suggest that Thomas was a hack is just lame trolling. And how would BT be a “madman”? I don’t have time for idiots like that.
