Clean Sadowsky tone... Walter Becker... the Dan

[Philbiker]

Listen to bass tone on "Snowbound" (Kamakaraid -Donald Fagen). It's Becker and the tone smokes.

Wow, I absolutely hate the playing/tone on that song. I think it's the only Dan or Fagan song I can say that about. Different strokes I suppose.

 

[Hopper]

Interesting to read this thread. I always wondered what kind of bass and what kind of technique produced that fantastic, thick, juicy tone on the Kamakiriad album and Dan albums. Superb, funky lines with lots of plunging octaves ... better than a lot of 'proper' bass players, in fact!

 

[EddieG]

...that fantastic, thick, juicy tone on the Kamakiriad album and Dan albums.

On The Dunes, tone to absolutely die for! I wonder if Walter is doing a bit of slapping on there?

 

[burk48237]

The other one I love the tone and the bass line is "Lunch with Gina", what a killer grove?

 

[SteveC]

I wish everyone would mix like they do. You can hear everything. It's awesome.

 

[avacack]

This is an odd post to make, but here goes.

Becker is a bit of a rote-bassist, or bassist-by numbers who lacks feel and innate groove (cf Rainey's stuff on Aja etc).

and plays like a guitarist doubling on bass ... you know, there's a lightness of touch and no dirt/groove (like when the guitarist picks up your bass and tries to show some line).

MMMmmm im not really sure about that, if you listen to some of the early stuff, say "countdown to ecstasy" there is no doubt the bass playing "king of the world" is very good, its chordal and has groove and a clear indication that he could play great lines, some of the early dan stuff did not need overpowering bass parts to push it,it was collectively pushed, but he was capable i think, have a go at learning that song, you will see what i mean, such a great bass line to play.

 

[kamakiriad7]

Becker's last album "Circus Money" has got a lot of great basslines and great tone. Definitely worth checking out - it's different, having a sort of rock/reggae vibe.

 

[JimK]

I wish everyone would mix like they do. You can hear everything. It's awesome.

I agree with that 100%. Gary Katz' production is also good on some other non-Dan things, too.
I would say more than a few use Aja as a reference disc.

 

[JimK]

Becker's last album "Circus Money" has got a lot of great basslines and great tone. Definitely worth checking out - it's different, having a sort of rock/reggae vibe.

More different strokes...
To me, every song had the same feel...same tempo, etc. I bought Circus Money the day it came out, played it a couple times...and was done.

I know this thread is about Becker & his current "modern" bass tone...to me, nothing wrong with the early Dan stuff (where he played bass) or the Dan/Rainey-era (on a '60s Fender P-bass).

 

[4Mal]

These guys have always had great production values. I bring up my P A with Two Against Nature. If that sounds good out in the house, then my band will as well.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Listen to bass tone on "Snowbound" (Kamakaraid -Donald Fagen).

I LOVE the bass line and tone on that song. It sounds like Becker was pseudo-slapping the bass.

 

[Munjibunga]

"Peg" is THE bass line. I listened to that line over and over, early in my playing, with the bass high in the mix and just soaked it up. The turn around part Rainey does before the chorus just always turned my toes up.

Then "Gaslighting Abbie" has to be a close second.

 

[Philbiker]

"Peg" is THE bass line. I listened to that line over and over, early in my playing, with the bass high in the mix and just soaked it up. The turn around part Rainey does before the chorus just always turned my toes up.

Makes me cringe when I see cover bands play the song because almost nobody plays it right. It's very fast and punctuated, and I can't play it any other way than using the open string for the quick "D" ala Jamerson. The toughest part of the song by a long shot IMO.

 

[Altitude]

Becker's bass playing sounds the way all of our bass playing would sound if we could all decide to leave our egos at the door and serve the tune. I know I may never get there.

Rainey was also fantastic on those old Dan tunes. I'm sure we've all watched the excellent "Making of Aja" videos on YouTube. He played at a clinic I attended in Boulder last year. I was not a fan of his tone - he seemed to take a beautiful bass and kill its tone in every way possible - but he was very nice and sounded great in his mix. He played against tracks on one of his own CDs. On odd thing, though - the first tune he played, he queued up the wrong track on his CD player and he didn't seem to figure out that he was playing against the wrong tune until about 9 seconds in. I guess we all get old...

 

[JimK]

I was not a fan of his tone - he seemed to take a beautiful bass and kill its tone in every way possible...

A far as Rainey's '60s/'70s recordings...I am a huge fan of his tone. back in the day, I am pretty sure that was what I was trying to get outta my '64 P-bass.
...and maybe it's me: Something just doesn't seem right when guys like Rainey, Rocco, Jaco, etc are seen with basses other than their old Fenders.
So if Rainey was playing a boutique bass at this clinic & it wasn't happening...to me, that follows.

 

[BuffaloBass]

Just curious.... how do you know its a Sadowsky?

It is, or it was mixed to sound like Sadowsky. Not my cup of tea. Way too sterile, but I'm a minority. Love Dan, dont much cotton to uber sterile bass lines.

Will, I dont know about that. I pracitce what you preach and still put a bit-o-grease in them lines. Not based on ego, buit based on what fits best. Walters' lines are like the bass tone. Uber sterile.

 

[MikeBass]

I remember reading that he used a pick and muted with his palm at the bridge just a little.
I never wanted to to use a pick more after hearing that disc. Love his tone on it myself.

 

[Sadowsky]

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Walter and Donald in the studio a few years ago. You've heard all the stories about how anal they are. Will Lee tells the story of working on The Nightfly with Donald and having to play the same few bars for hours until he got fed up and just walked out, leaving his bass behind!

But being with them in the studio, I was truly amazed at what they heard.....once they point it out, you can certainly hear the tempo issue or the pitch issue or whatever else it was that bothered them.

They really have remarkable ears.

Roger

 

[Acoop]

I've been listening closer to Walter's bass playing and I'm getting really blown away. ... The exact duration of note value and tone comes from years of studio experience but, it's always so tasteful you almost forget it's there. ... That's a killer art.

 

[burk48237]

Then "Gaslighting Abbie" has to be a close second.

Gaslighting Abbie was Tom Barney, probably with an ESP custom J bass. I believe that what he was playing in that era. He's playing Kneissel basses now. Monster player, he was the original player on Chicago Song by Sanborn too. Great guy to, the real deal, a pro's pro. Last I talked to him he was touring with Mary K Blige.