Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Is the bass playing really that bad?
- Thread starter Bassic_desires
- Start date
It sounds pretty rough and loose to me. Not that good really. This was also from the ‘60s. There’s a world of difference.
Last edited:
I prefer something in between the your examples; good musicians playing well, in time and together.
I like the Zombies and recently saw them in concert and they can still play and sing great!
Oh and I definitely appreciate and enjoy virtuosos. For example I have seen bands like Yes and Pink Floyd in concert and they have also crafted (almost) perfect albums without all of the digital trickery.
My point was that track from 1965 was more enjoyable to me then a lot of the “perfect”, auto-tuned, sterile tracks cranked out to the masses today.
A lot of those songs are so digitally enhanced they start sounding the same to my ears. The problem today is if a song doesn’t have auto-tune slathered on the vocals or instruments the listener thinks there is something off about the song.
I definitely agree regarding the sanitised pop we hear a lot of these days. The melodic intervals have also been reduced to formulaic simplicity that is monotonous. I have no idea where music will go in the future but I get the feeling that this type of wrung-dry-of-spontaneity pop music will not be be looked back on favourably.
I've not seen Bordertown -- a quick search sez "Finninsh crime drama." Sounds interesting to me -- I will definitely maybe give it a look. 
Re. Black Winds (the tune), I enjoyed it. I've heard better bass playing and worse. The bass line/main riff fit the tune well and was catchy -- someone said it'd be a fun song to cover. I agree.
The bass was a little out of tune (maybe pulled further out of tune on some notes?) and the timing wavered (in the guitar and drums some, too) and there was that one early slide, but it was never horriblle and there were good moments, too.
I don't know how old or experienced the players were at the time of recording... I think the overall vibe is cool (and I could see it as cool soundtrack material for a number of shows) and I like it as a document of a real moment, with real human beings.
If I was recording it (even in high school), I'd want to practice with my friends 'til it was a little tighter, all around -- and we were and would have been, but we probably also would have had some noodly/wanky moments if we were writing our own parts.
Anyway, I dig it -- I don't think it's bad -- and I prefer something rough and real to something polished and fake -- but would not be content to play at that level indefinitely.
What am I trying to say? I enjoyed it and hear room for improvement, both.
Re. Black Winds (the tune), I enjoyed it. I've heard better bass playing and worse. The bass line/main riff fit the tune well and was catchy -- someone said it'd be a fun song to cover. I agree.
The bass was a little out of tune (maybe pulled further out of tune on some notes?) and the timing wavered (in the guitar and drums some, too) and there was that one early slide, but it was never horriblle and there were good moments, too.
I don't know how old or experienced the players were at the time of recording... I think the overall vibe is cool (and I could see it as cool soundtrack material for a number of shows) and I like it as a document of a real moment, with real human beings.
If I was recording it (even in high school), I'd want to practice with my friends 'til it was a little tighter, all around -- and we were and would have been, but we probably also would have had some noodly/wanky moments if we were writing our own parts.
Anyway, I dig it -- I don't think it's bad -- and I prefer something rough and real to something polished and fake -- but would not be content to play at that level indefinitely.
What am I trying to say? I enjoyed it and hear room for improvement, both.
I've not seen Bordertown -- a quick search sez "Finninsh crime drama." Sounds interesting to me -- I will definitely maybe give it a look.
The English over-dubbing is horrible and the 'acting' of the teenagers aspires to reach the level of horrible. Those issues aside, it is a less than average series; however, I'm watching it because I've never before seen a series from Finland. I enjoy seeing the sights and learning a little more about the country.
I can dig it, the notes that are slightly off tempo just add that bit of raw humanness which I find endearing. Probably sympathize with that too since my own timing isnt always on point (would help to have a good drummer to practice with)
I actually really like the song. Thanks for sharing it!
I actually really like the song. Thanks for sharing it!
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
Like my profile says, "I really suck, but nobody seems to notice."
I was going to mention the film Smilla's Sense of Snow, but that has to do with Greenland, not Finland (saw it ages ago -- more than a little fuzzy on the details, now!).
So, slightly sub-horrible on average? I guess we all start somewhere.
If I watch it, I'll go for subtitles, if available."Here's a neat trick", said the producer, "Let's make the spoke and written words in English different."
Truly, there's all to often inconsistency between the over-dubbing and the subtitles. Quite amusing and annoying.
Last edited:
I wouldn't change a single thing about that song. What a cool, haunting 2 minutes.
I don't grade on a curve, and I calls 'em like I sees 'em. You like them? Great, enjoy!
Seriously?Listen to "Wish It Would Rain" by the Temptations. Nearly all root notes, pretty sure it was Jamerson.
I didn't say he always overplayed.
Yes, in 'i wish it would rain' , I don't think the bass overplays.
Last edited:
If you had a really good record player, reel to reel tape or headphones you could argue the bass playing is not the best ever - but no, not crap. If it were playing through a cheap record player with a little built-in speaker like lots of homes had or a car radio the bass playing is just fine.
For a guitar player playing a Mustang bass with a felt pick it's okay. ... At about the one-twenty mark there's a break, "and now they're black", and that's where they should've went right down to the bass line, similar to The Animals 'We Got To Get Out of This Place." and they might have had a hit.
It reminds me of a similar sound on Hamish Stuart's Mustang bass on some of the AWB albums.
It reminds me of a similar sound on Hamish Stuart's Mustang bass on some of the AWB albums.
True; and even more difference with a gem like "Tell Her No." But with this one, not so much difference. Very garage-bandy to my ears.
I don't think Jamerson has ever overplayed, but hey, opinions.I didn't say he always overplayed.
Yes, in 'i wish it would rain' , I don't think the bass overplays.
