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For All You Lakland Tone Lovers

#61
The bass playing is top shelf on every link in this thread. That said, 'neo-soul' does nothing for me. Puts me in mind of what I hear when I'm put on hold on the telephone or ridin' in an elevator. The playing roxed my sox, though.
 
#67
Well, the way I see it, in this age of "instant celebrity" platforms (YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, etc.), it was inevitable that "instant critic" would follow.

Everybody want to be "famous" and then everybody else want to criticize those who become "famous". (Of course, I'm using the term "famous" very loosly). Although I've worked as a music journalist, I've never considered myself a music "critic".

We could pick that guy's bass tone, mix placement and note choices apart for days and the only thing it would prove is that we're all different. Like Sly said - "Different Strokes for Different Folks!"

Can we get back to that Leon Sylvers III track for a minute? I loved it. He always has absolutely flawless execution, tone and feel, IMO. Thanks for the link.
 
#69
DWBass said:
That Lakland is killin' and damn, Goapele is FINE!! And to those who don't have a lot of experience in R&B, Soul and Funk music, the bass has ALWAYS been in the forefront and a driving force of the genre. The guitar takes more of a back seat and becomes more of a rhythm instrument. Pretty much the complete opposite of Rock music where the Guitar takes a front seat and the bass takes a back seat. It is what it is. I will say, take the time and open your mind to other styles and genres of music. You'd be surprised at what will rub off on you!
Click to expand...

While I agree with you that bass is much more forward in the mix in R&B than other musical styles this mix is just... weird sounding (though I do dig that bass tone). All the instruments are occupying the same sonic space but not quite sounding like their part of a unit if that makes sense. Everything is jumping out at you all at once, particularly the guitar and bass. The best example I could give of a similar bass tone (without the filter) used in a much better mix would be Link Removed. The bass is still forward but it not so much that it's awkward.
 
#72
JAUQO III-X said:
Will you backed N'Dambi a few times live. How was it for you to play that tune live?
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It evolved over the course of doing 4-5 gig's with her,she wanted it just like the record at first but a few BPM faster but the last time I worked with her a few months ago she wanted the bassline with more space between the first phrase of the line and the rest of it.I played the gig with 3 different drummers and that made a huge difference on her material as far as feel
 
#73
Great thread. On the comments about 'being a critic', my view and approach to that is NEVER to dog a player who isn't significantly better than you are. In other words, then you aren't doggin' a peer, but rather posting as an 'educated listener'.

If done with respect (which I always try to do), what results is a discussion that ends up turning some who didn't like the piece onto new styles, new music, and players they might never have heard of (like this thread). I think that is a good thing.

I remember all of us who grew up with Tommy Kennedy back in St. Louis snarking about him playing too many notes, etc. I don't think Tommy really gave a rats **s about what the average bassist said about his music, and of course, every darn one of us wished we had the chops to overplay like that:D

Sorry for the OT... great thread, and I learned about and listened to some new stuff because of it:bassist:
 
#75
Kwesi said:
While I agree with you that bass is much more forward in the mix in R&B than other musical styles this mix is just... weird sounding (though I do dig that bass tone). All the instruments are occupying the same sonic space but not quite sounding like their part of a unit if that makes sense. Everything is jumping out at you all at once, particularly the guitar and bass. The best example I could give of a similar bass tone (without the filter) used in a much better mix would be Link Removed. The bass is still forward but it not so much that it's awkward.
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That is one thing I have noticed with the younger crop of musicians is that 'wall' of sound thing! Went to a Jill Scott concert a couple years ago and the band sounded horrible! Everyone on 'full blast' it seemed! I walked out after 3 or so songs. I couldn't take it anymore! I have to say that, there are some phenominal musicians today as compared to my era but they don't study 'music' as a whole. They master their instrument and do mindblowing things but still when it comes to playing in a band, seem to be clueless when to give the music some sonic space and subtleties. Again, the recording is a board feed and most likely how the audience may have heard it. It may have sounded different on stage. Who knows. The best test is to go see these artists live!
 
#77
I've just now had a chance to listen through something decient.
Hey, I look at it like this, it's out there and if someone has an issue with any of us having an opinion one way or the next, then, shut the hell up and don't put it out for public review.
Don't b!tch when someone knocks it.
Simple.
(one reason I haven't released my own stuff really- I couldn't handle you guys!!! :D)

Anyway, to me, it felt disconnected. I would have approached it differently myself, but that's how he did it.
It didn't feel as if the band was a coheisive unit. Could be 100 different reasons- bad monitors can make the whole band play "off". Play the same song at the same moment in time with each other, but not "with" each other.
Can't tell you how many times at sound check things were cool then at go time, it was off. And the who thing kinda didn't feel right.
That's how that tune felt to me. Like they were disconnected.

Tone was cool though. It's that big wide R&B type of tone.

Oh, and I gig.
A lot.
About 200 dates this year alone.
 
#78
DWBass said:
That is one thing I have noticed with the younger crop of musicians is that 'wall' of sound thing! Went to a Jill Scott concert a couple years ago and the band sounded horrible! Everyone on 'full blast' it seemed! I walked out after 3 or so songs. I couldn't take it anymore! I have to say that, there are some phenominal musicians today as compared to my era but they don't study 'music' as a whole. They master their instrument and do mindblowing things but still when it comes to playing in a band, seem to be clueless when to give the music some sonic space and subtleties. Again, the recording is a board feed and most likely how the audience may have heard it. It may have sounded different on stage. Who knows. The best test is to go see these artists live!
Click to expand...

DW, the problem is that young guys learn to play in church instead of clubs or school bands. Gospel is great music, but often exuberance fades into chaos with vocalists and instrumentalists slinging around way too many fills and straying too far from the melody and structure. I say this as someone who mainly plays in church.

Players in earlier generations who played in dance bands had leaders who kept them in check, the same for a school band.
 
#79
Dr. Cheese said:
DW, the problem is that young guys learn to play in church instead of clubs or school bands. Gospel is great music, but often exuberance fades into chaos with vocalists and instrumentalists slinging around way too many fills and straying too far from the melody and structure. I say this as someone who mainly plays in church.

Players in earlier generations who played in dance bands had leaders who kept them in check, the same for a school band.
Click to expand...


That's a good point. Funny. There was a classic 'modern gospel drummer' from your neck of the woods who was part of the freelance organization I work out of in St. Louis for a while. When we all played with him the first time, it was very cool, massive energy (also massive volume:hmm:), those fun kind of gospel fills where you wonder if the drummer is going to finish by the downbeat of the next measure:p, etc.

By the third or so gig he did across the organization (i.e., with all the different combinations of bassists, etc.) over a few months, he was fired:D
 
#80
Jauqo,
I appreciate you posting this thread. I know it's supposed to be about Lakland tone. But for me it has turned me on to two artist I have never heard of. Goapele & N'dambi, both are fantastic and the bass lines just groove on the tracks I have heard.
 

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