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Essential John Deacon Tracks

#5
I remember trying to play "A kind of magic" when I was just starting out and I almost broke my fretting hand. :D

I like the bass line for "The Show Must Go On", it's loaded with nifty fills and licks.
Also check out "Hammer to Fall", even though there wasn't a lot of room for him in this guitar-driven song, there's still something 'elegant' about the line. The word 'elegant' is also what I think describes his playing best.

Oops, I almost forgot "These Are The Days Of Our Lives"
 
#10
MysticMichael said:
Liar for sure. I just love those rocker tracks from the early albums where Deacon and Taylor really lock in together. Excellent stuff!

MM
Click to expand...

+1
I love Deacon's stuff but found it quite tricky to leave a response to this one... The first few albums have his most 'in your face' stuff I suppose...

I love 'The Fairy Feller's Master Stroke', and the slight but gorgeous 'Nevermore', both from Queen II.
 
#14
Wow, I'm surprised that there haven't been more posts here, Deaky is truly under-rated. He did have a talent to play a great part, but it didn't necessarily jump right out, he was competing with multi-layered vocal harmonies and orchestral guitar parts. He avoided cliches often. I have been listening to a lot of Queen lately, and on some of their songs, you do have to listen to hear the parts that he is playing.

On the latter material, John takes a very mature approach, as on the previously mentione "These Are the Days of Our Lives." His part on "Breakthrough" is very good, he just doesn't stick to pumping the eighths, although that seems to be what the song calls for. "Dragon Attack" has been mentioned, but that is a very under-rated and unappreciated song, funk rock to the fullest, great bass rif, hot guitars, anthemic choruses. It's such a happening riff, but when you see them do it live, he's barely breaking a sweat, staying completely in one position. Another song to examine more closely is "UInder Pressure". Sure it has that simple and omnipresent intro riff, but listen to what he does when he moves from the riff. Go ahead, check it out!
 
#17
The Invisible man...multi tracked bass goodness..(yeah theres a synth in there but its still good)
Cool Cat...Funkay
Misfire..From sheer heat attack..great pop bassline
Machines...The Works album.
Your my best friend.
Dragon attack
Another one bites the dust...I LOVE that stingray sound
The Miracle
Khashoggis ship
Millionaires waltz
Bohemian Rhapsody
One Vision..The guitar solo section on the live at wembley album.
Deacon and Taylor are TIGHT
Stone Cold Crazy
Fun It

etc etc
 
#18
Well there are so many great basslines for this wonderful player.
He had great stuff from early albums like:
The Fairy Feller's Master Strokes, Father to Son, Liar, The Night Comes Down, The Loser in the End, Son and Daughter, Brighton Rock, Killer Queen, Stone Cold Crazy, Ogre Battle, The Millionaire Waltz, You're My Best Friend, then I would add songs like Jealousy, Bicycle Race, Fat Bottomed Girls, Don't Stop Me Now, Dragon Attack, AOBTD, Under Pressure, COOL Cat, A Kind of Magic, Radio Gaga, Breakthru, Don't Try So Hard, I'm Going Slightly Mad, These Are the Days of Our Lives, Stealin.
 
#20
John Deacon is my fave rock bassplayer together with Macca. Glad to find this thread!

He´s doing something cool in almost every Queen track so it´s really difficult to pick the essentials. But I´ll go with "Show must go on" and "I´m going slightly mad" for the new ones. First mentioned got some really nice fills played up on the neck and latter has one of the most psychedelic bassline I´ve ever heard.

You might want to check out the tracks hes been credited to, full of great bassplaying as well as the rest of the material ;) May be I´m not too objective...
 

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