Isolated Bass Tracks Questions.

[Winfred]

I've noticed a few things when I listen to all of the isolated bass tracks on youtube, etc. Doesn't matter which genre it is either.

Some of the songs are ones I've been playing for decades. And I thought I knew them dead on.

First: I'm usually wrong. Now that's cool. No biggie. But what's surprising is that I'm almost always OVER PLAYING certain sections.

Sweet Emotion, perfect example. I've played that song for decades. Got the intro dead-on. Chorus, guitar solo, ending, spot on. But during the verse I was playing more than needed. That surprised me.

Second thing: Why is it that everyone seems to love these isolated tracks, unless they involve Steve Harris or Geddy Lee??? For some reason, the comments on their isolated tracks are ridiculous. Lots of arguing about every minute detail of the track. All sorts of claims about fraudulent copies, wrong tone, substitute bassist that actually played the track, etc. The comment section is nuts. So I stopped reading them. It's the only thing I can do.

Anyway, why would people believe all of the other isolated tracks are legit, but not the ones for Harris and Geddy?

 

[ffutterman]

I always feel a little comforted when I listen to one of them and hear little mistakes or sloppiness that get masked by the other parts of the song. It's nice to know that even the pros aren't completely flawless.

My absolute favorite isolated track has to be Flea's line for Alanis' "You Oughta Know". It's perfectly listenable on its own, kind of like a Jamerson track (Bernadette, I'm looking at you.)

 

[Winfred]

I always feel a little comforted when I listen to one of them and hear little mistakes or sloppiness that get masked by the other parts of the song. It's nice to know that even the pros aren't completely flawless.

My absolute favorite isolated track has to be Flea's line for Alanis' "You Oughta Know". It's perfectly listenable on its own, kind of like a Jamerson track (Bernadette, I'm looking at you.)

That's exactly how I feel. Makes me feel way better about my playing when I listen through headphones, or just hear my own isolated bass track.

 

[bass12]

I like listening to these isolated tracks partly because they're good reminders of how much it's really about how everything fits together more so than "perfection" on each individual's part. I think that's part of the reason that so much current top 40 just seems sterile to me - it's all been polished to the point where very little personality remains. Listening back to Flea's part on "You Oughta Know" - they could have spent an entire afternoon cleaning up that track. It's full of little inconsistencies time-wise, there are some minor mistakes and there is string noise that some people would be very tempted to try and eliminate. But in the context of the song none of that really matters. The energy and attitude is there and it's a great track that helps make the song.

 

[M Sharp]

I use isolated tracks to catch notes I can't hear in the final mix. Get the vox and other instruments outta there it helps learn some songs much quicker.
Besides some buzz and fret noise, I am suprised to hear so many tracks with some distorion/overdrive that I thought were clean.

 

[cchorney]

I'm usually wrong. Now that's cool. No biggie. But what's surprising is that I'm almost always OVER PLAYING certain sections.

Same here. Seems I have an obsessive need to "fill".

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I don't like to listen to that ... you hear so many clack, very strong attack, overdrive ... I come from a classical background and that kind of stuff would be unacceptable...

it is sad that all that stuff is remove and all ... pretty much like an autotune. Then people start to think like"why would I work harder when this is prefectly acceptable by my heros" and everything is leveled down quite a lot.

 

[Joebone]

I like listening to these isolated tracks partly because they're good reminders of how much it's really about how everything fits together more so than "perfection" on each individual's part. I think that's part of the reason that so much current top 40 just seems sterile to me - it's all been polished to the point where very little personality remains. Listening back to Flea's part on "You Oughta Know" - they could have spent an entire afternoon cleaning up that track. It's full of little inconsistencies time-wise, there are some minor mistakes and there is string noise that some people would be very tempted to try and eliminate. But in the context of the song none of that really matters. The energy and attitude is there and it's a great track that helps make the song.

So...In 1995-96 I was living in a cave and not particularly cognizant of this tune. I heard it last week, flipped over the bass line, and want to bring it to the band I'm starting to play with - at the age of 65, my first cover band ever (OK, I was a trombonist in my first life, and very little music in my second, day-gig life, but whatever). I grab two transcriptions off the web - one is super clean, the other is trying to do an "Anthony Jackson does Jamerson" number, with super-detailed notation of micro-variations in the rhythm and ghost-notes...I listen while reading both, and am inclined to think the truth is somewhere between the two...and then a webcrawl reveals this:

Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill engineer Chris Fogel: “Flea was surprisingly way out of time on You Oughta Know”

So, first question - is the isolated track reflecting the time correction? Guessing so, based on the description of heroic efforts to quantize same...but even then...

Second question - who cares? Flea brought an energy and morse-code rhythmic motif that is so iconic as to rival Motown's "Keep Me Hanging On," along with a killer intensity and energy that propels the living beJesus out of this track.

Hoping our vocalist is up for this - I think she has the chops and the drummer and guitarist will certainly bring it, but the band's vibe may not accommodate such an uncompromising tune...I'll soon find out.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Flea brought an energy and morse-code rhythmic motif

Here is an interesting article about Alanis Morisette track.

The History Of The Mystery Track – Alanis Morissette Gets Her Release

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I like listening to these isolated tracks partly because they're good reminders of how much it's really about how everything fits together more so than "perfection" on each individual's part.

Listening to an isolated track is very "entertaining," but...
(Without getting into anything deep...)


Here is a very short part of Flea's isolated bass-line from "You oughta know".

(At 25% of the original song's tempo)

https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...3/?temp_hash=c1caa39a727254b31ffe7cf1ed35f7c7



Here is the same short part of Flea's bass-line from the FULL track of "You oughta know."
(At 25% of the original song's tempo)


https://www.talkbass.com/attachment...3/?temp_hash=c1caa39a727254b31ffe7cf1ed35f7c7

The played notes are different.

 

[Spidey2112]

I've listened to this isolated version of 'We're An American Band' dozens of times as we cover it.



Most of the track sounds awesome, then at about 02:12, it gets a little... loose.

When I listen to the original track, I'm not hearing it. Possibly buried on purpose, using the recording techniques of the '70's? Take 35, and that's good enough? I need a better stereo?

 

[Lownote38]

I've listened to this isolated version of 'We're An American Band' dozens of times as we cover it.



Most of the track sounds awesome, then at about 02:12, it gets a little... loose.

When I listen to the original track, I'm not hearing it. Possibly buried on purpose, using the recording techniques of the '70's? Take 35, and that's good enough? I need a better stereo?

Buried by default due to the other instruments in the mix. Especially the drums.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Buried by default due to the other instruments in the mix. Especially the drums.

What about my example?

 

[Lownote38]

What about my example?

Hard to tell with it slows down to 25%, but it sounds like there are some low toms, or the bass drum in the full mix that are contaminating the bass note, which makes it sound different. It's the same as the isolated one, though.

 

[StereoPlayer]

I am always amazed at the little flub here in there in this.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Hard to tell with it slows down to 25%, but it sounds like there are some low toms, or the bass drum in the full mix that are contaminating the bass note, which makes it sound different. It's the same as the isolated one, though.

I've listened carefully, but the final result for me is the same: The bass notes are similar but different.
And there are no drums involved in that particular spot.
It's at 1:16 to 1:17.
I always liked that bass part.



P.S. I was able to find only one bass tab on youtube that would reflect that beautiful bass embellishment.
No other transcriptions/TAB have those very simple notes played by BASS on the full track of You Oughta Know.

 

[Lownote38]

Sounds the same to me.. It's at :57 on this isolated clip.

 

[Spidey2112]

I must be hearing it wrong, at bar 22... @Whousedtoplay, whaddya think?

E_C#F#_EA

 

[Whousedtoplay]

I must be hearing it wrong, at bar 22... @Whousedtoplay, whaddya think?

E_C#F#_EA

I think we are counting bars/measures wrong.
From Basslessons.be (Chris - a very serious transcribing pro):
It's not Bar 22.
That part comes after Chorus 1.

P.S. Chris did not indicate that pick up G# note.

N.B. NO other instruments are playing in that spot.

Here is Bar 22 from Chris' transcription:

Chris' transcription:

Alanis Morissette - You oughta know | Bass Transcription | Flea

 

[Spidey2112]

Cool... how about 01:16 of the song, then?*

*I thought the notation you provided (post #16) was at the same point in the song... no?