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Chris Squire

#22
BigOldHarry said:
and older, pre-Alan White Yes (Fragile/Yes Album/Close to the Edge).
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Don't miss out on Yes' later output though. Especially Relayer, Yes' most magnificent work :)

I prefer Bruford to White by a mile but both I think Relayer is often under rated and in my opinion contains some of Squire and Steve Howe's most original playing.

And as bloated as Tales From Topographic Oceans is, there is really some great playing on there by Squire and the rest of the band (they could have cut the length of 3 of the tracks in HALF and left one track out and it would have been their best work, possibly).

And as for him not being able to cut it in a Jazz situation? I don't know, I think his playing reminds me a bit more of Jazz than blues or classical as is the case with other prog rock musicians. WHether he'd feel at home with a Jazz trio is another thing, just saying it's hard to pigeon hole a musician of his caliber.

It's actually hard (in my opinion) to pigeon hole a lot of prog-rock musicians because the nature of the music is a bit experimental, unconventional and in the best the genre has to offer you can often hear so many distinct influences.

And one thing I love especially with some of the longer tracks is how his compositions almost feel like they're improvised - something about the way he structures them.
 
#25
bbocaner said:
Squire grew up performing in Anglican church choirs. There's a very rich tradition of incredible music in the Anglican church, composers like Byrd, Handel, Morley, Weelkes, Tallis, Purcell, Britten, Elgar, Ireland, Vaughan Williams, Walton, Holst, etc.. In my opinion, the DNA of this music is VERY deeply ingrained in Yes, ELP, and the rest of the classic british progressive rock bands. But you can REALLY hear it in Chris Squire's writing. My advice if you want to write music like he does you should go to the source and listen to some of the same music that he grew up with and it'll rub off!
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^ THIS
 
#26
Relayer71 said:
And as for him not being able to cut it in a Jazz situation? I don't know, I think his playing reminds me a bit more of Jazz than blues or classical as is the case with other prog rock musicians. WHether he'd feel at home with a Jazz trio is another thing, just saying it's hard to pigeon hole a musician of his caliber.
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Disclaimer: Chris Squire is one of the bassists that inspired me to start playing bass. I love his work and think that Heart of the Sunrise is the best thing ever.

Ok, if you search youtube, you'll find some videos where he's trying to participate in a jam but he's lost for several minutes (no, I don't know of a link), but then the light clicks on and he starts getting into it. I think that he's so used to the tight structure that you get in a band like Yes that it's difficult (not impossible) for him to stretch out when suddenly asked to improvise.
 
#28
I totally agree with those who said Squire thinks and writes "compositionally". I used to consider him a "lead bass" player because he is melodic, plays high up the neck and has a cut-through tone. But he rocks and grooves and doesn't lose the bottom. In many songs, the other parts seem to be built AROUND the bass.

Chris arranged lots of Yes' vocals. I don't know if this carries over to his bass playing/writing. BUT he is a great musician/composer who also happens to OWN his bass lines and tones.
 
#29
wagdog said:
I'll +1 the suggestion to listen to vocal classical music for inspiration. Also, pick up his solo album Fish Out of Water. That's a master class in how Chris 'thinks'. And probably the hardest habit to break is to stop thinking of the bass as strictly a rhythmic/harmonic instrument. Learn melodies and develop the ability to play counterpoint, make the instrument an extension of your voice.
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What does it mean to play counterpoint, mang?

Bob C said:
Chris arranged lots of Yes' vocals. I don't know if this carries over to his bass playing/writing. BUT he is a great musician/composer who also happens to OWN his bass lines and tones.
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I'm a big fan of vocal harmonies so it's interesting to hear that Squire was responsible for a lot of that.
 
#30
Counterpoint (from wiki): In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent. In its most general aspect, counterpoint involves the writing of musical lines that sound very different and move independently from each other but sound harmonious when played simultaneously.
 
#31
AltGrendel said:
Ok, if you search youtube, you'll find some videos where he's trying to participate in a jam but he's lost for several minutes (no, I don't know of a link), but then the light clicks on and he starts getting into it. I think that he's so used to the tight structure that you get in a band like Yes that it's difficult (not impossible) for him to stretch out when suddenly asked to improvise.
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I seem to remember an interview some time back where he said he was not comfortable as a jammer, that he meticulously works out his parts.
 
#32
plangentmusic said:
Lots of people were doing psychedelic music at that time. Sgt Pepper was 1967 when Squire was 18 years old.

ANyway, the point is, he, like McCArtney, is a master of voice leading. That comes from understanding composition and melody -- 2 things many bass players don't explore. Frankly, some styles of music don't require it. You don't need to know voice leading and melody to play with James Brown. You need a completely different skill set. It's good to do it all.
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Fantastic quote. I hope you don't mind if I use this in the future!:hyper:
 
#34
iamthebassman said:
My son's a big Squire fan ;)
(my 4001CS Chris Squire Limited Edition, only 1000 were produced, of which only 3 were left-handed).
leftieskeith002-1.jpg
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I have a Friend in Philly that has one of the other lefties so that is two I wonder where the 3rd one is located?
 
#35
JxBass said:
I seem to remember an interview some time back where he said he was not comfortable as a jammer
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I find this hard to fathom---I saw Yes about 12 times live, starting with the Tales tour(what can I say, I idolized this cat for years as a kid---you shoulda seen my "baby Squire rig" I had when I was 12 yrs. old--Sunn Concert Lead head, Brassmaster, 4001, high boots;). Anyhow, he was improvising for sure, and a lot. The Yes songs were all worked out of course during the vocal parts of the songs, but during stretched out instrumental passages, these guys where tearing it up fresh.
It's funny, before there was a Bass Player magazine, I remember getting hold of my older brother's Guitar Player where Squire won best bassist awards several times, and Yes was described as "jazz-rock" at the time, FWIW.
 
#38
If you really want to know what Chris Squire is all about get Fish Out of Water. As several here have attested to - he was inspiration in the seventies to learn to play bass. (Wish I had the money back then to do it!) He's more than "just" a bass player - his credits go way beyond the Ric.
 

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