In praise of John Deacon

[pbass2]

After I kept dropping Deacy's name in other threads, I started thinking and listening to some classic Queen and . . . .wow.
Favorite JD tracks anybody? I'll start with the huge smash he penned "My Best Friend"---listen to his fills and melodicism on this tune---elegant stuff. So many others---in every tune he "orchestrates" the perfect bass part from beginning to end . . .

 

[Kitsapbass]

Killer Queen is my favorite...

 

[Foamy]

Dragon Attack

 

[8guy]

I would offer "Sleeping on the Sidewalk" from news of the world. A outstandinf blues shuffle walking line with a lot of Flair to it. J.D. is the one who finaly made me take the plunge from guitar to bass!!!!!!

 

[steamthief]

Dragon Attack

+1! Slinkyfunkygoodness.

 

[DZIB]

"Play The Game"

 

[gweimer]

In the studio, Deacon was the band leader. He knew the environment better than everyone else. Another guy that did so much that you don't notice until you listen very closely. The perfect bass role.

 

[bassteban]

It's late- from News of the world. Oh, my. Just beautiful...

 

[Wasim]

Don't Stop Me Now

Another vote for Dragon Attack and Best Friend. Another One Bites the Dust?

I need to actually start learning to play some of his lines. The man is a great musician and responsible for some of Queen's best songs. Plus he lives in my hometown of Putney in the UK.

 

[pbass2]

He always had great tones too. Nothing flashy, but just perfect, fat punchy bass sounds.

 

[ducatiman]

under pressure

 

[IndyBass]

"The Millionaire Waltz" from _A Day At The Races_.

Listened to a bunch of their older stuff while driving this weekend, and Deacon's performance in this one is just crazy. Lots of very articulate point-counterpoint stuff going in the high bass. Wow.

 

[mvw356]

i'm going slightly mad, really cool bass line and fills. it's hard to hear though.

 

[Darkstrike]

Dragon Attack

+ 70.000

 

[DeanT]

"Keep Yourself Alive," "Brighton Rock." "Tenement Funster," "Stone Cold Crazy."

 

[MonetBass]

+1 on "Dragon Attack" (The Game) and "Keep Yourself Alive" (Queen I). Also "Bicycle Race" (Jazz) and "Death On Two Legs" (A Night At The Opera). Solid stuff.

 

[rockstarbassist]

Everything.

I've only begun to appreciate his greatness. That guy killed.

 

[lunarpollen]

"The Millionaire Waltz" from A Day At The Races.

Listened to a bunch of their older stuff while driving this weekend, and Deacon's performance in this one is just crazy. Lots of very articulate point-counterpoint stuff going in the high bass. Wow.

That one's a great example of his talent

I like his bass parts in "The Night Comes Down" and "Doing All Right" from their debut album.

 

[Hughsie]

+1 on Millionaire's Waltz, and Dragon Attack - it shows how verstile a player Deacon can/could be; sophisticated, clever and technically up there on MW, just downright *sweaty* on DA! Also his tone on It's Late is brutal, his attack on Liar is mental, his melodicism on Sail Away Sweet Sister is gorgeous and don't even get me started on the end-lines on Radio Ga Ga ...

He's one of the few players who could and would willingly (and very effectively) change styles and instruments for whatever suited the songs, switching from fingerstyle to plectrum, to fretless, to upright. Often in the same album.

Now, if only he'd come out of retirement ...

 

[Mystic Michael]

He always had great tones too. Nothing flashy, but just perfect, fat punchy bass sounds.

Agreed. With a band full of flash players like Roger Taylor, Brian May...and of course the incorrigible Freddy Mercury, playing non-flashily was the most musically expedient approach to take. To JD's credit...

MM