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Muzz Skillings (Living Colour) bass?

I'm sorry guys - what I meant to say (and did a piss-poor job of stating), was that even though DW has had a previous endorsement of Ibanez (and SWR amps), everytime I've seen him, it was with Spectors and TE amps...every single time. He's been playing that original 87 honey Spector pretty much forever now. The fact is Doug finally has a Spector signature series, so I would be VERY suprised if he plays something that isn't a Spector now.



When he had the Ibanez endorsement he rarly played it. It was his Spectors that the most play.


If you ever get the chance to check out a Ibanez DW sig you will see that the necks profile is very very close to that of his Spectors, especially his 80's Spector.

He has been using TE since the very beginning of TE's inception. He was with SWR for a little over a year and that was because TE was going through some exc changes. His main TE rig that he uses the most is from the early TE days.






I know this thread is about Muzz but here's a new track from LC's latest CD.

Live version.

 
He was playing guitar in a blues band and he leads a band playing guitar called Medicine Stick

There are videos of Medicine Stick on YouTube. Muzz plays overhand throughout the one I watched. Pretty cool, unique technique.
My wife brought me to see LC for my birthday when they did their first reunion tour. Just insane to finally see them after listening to them for so long. She also bought me a shirt and got the band to autograph it for me. I married her the next year. :cool:
 
Muzz Skillings was an amazing bassist when he was in LC.. i think he left after TIME´S UP.

Listen to OLOGY, from TIME'S UP.. i just uploaded it to youtube cos it´s an awesome song only played on the bass.

Enjoy




It's like 6-9 different bass lines on that tune.

That was a tune that he was extremely proud of and he definitely had good reason to be.
 
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Great, great band, every one of them is a truly superb musician. Vernon Reid would be in my top three guitarists list. Muzz left after Time's Up or the Biscuits EP (whichever came second) and Doug joined for Stain, probably my favourite Living Colour album. The re-ununion album, Collideoscope wasn't great, to be honest, but I'll definitley pick up the new one.

Doug was interviewed by a UK bass magazine recently, he said the only reason he was with Ibanez and SWR was because Spector and TE both disappeared for a while, but he could never get the sound he wanted other than from his Spector and TE rig. When both brands recovered he went back with them.
 
Is anyone else having trouble getting into LC because of Vernon Reid? He really strikes me as the annoying "look at me, I'm a virtuoso" type and as the band seems to be mainly his baby it becomes all the more apparent. Funnily enough, his penchant for playing "outside" lines just makes it worse even though I usually enjoy jazzy guitar soloing. It's mainly "Cult of Personality" that gets to me, the recorded version is guitar-centric enough but when I watch the live footage some people linked to and I see Vernon shred constant, often out-there sounding 32th notes while Muzz/Doug is trying to hold the music together but is nigh inaudible, I can't help but cringe. And for the record, I even like some shredders, like Paul Gilbert for example. He's simply not my cup of tea, I guess.
 
I think the guy is a genius. He's got the ability but doesn't stick to the same old tired licks, phrases and patterns a lot of his peers rely on. It's not like Doug or Muzz ever rigidly stuck to the root either, that's what makes then such an interesting band ;)
 
Is anyone else having trouble getting into LC because of Vernon Reid? He really strikes me as the annoying "look at me, I'm a virtuoso" type and as the band seems to be mainly his baby it becomes all the more apparent. Funnily enough, his penchant for playing "outside" lines just makes it worse even though I usually enjoy jazzy guitar soloing. It's mainly "Cult of Personality" that gets to me, the recorded version is guitar-centric enough but when I watch the live footage some people linked to and I see Vernon shred constant, often out-there sounding 32th notes while Muzz/Doug is trying to hold the music together but is nigh inaudible, I can't help but cringe. And for the record, I even like some shredders, like Paul Gilbert for example. He's simply not my cup of tea, I guess.



I have no issues at all with Vernon's playing or how he chooses to express himself on his instrument.



Most people think that Vernon was the new kid on the block when they first heard the group Living Colour.


If you haven't, check out the things he was doing before he came out with Living Colour?


In the late 70's early 80's he was already ahead of most, with his utilizing synth guitar,midi guitar and even electric banjo. And as far as shredders, Vernon just doesn't sound like the flavor of the month or retro or like the millions of other shredding clones who actually play the same old regurgitated lines.
 
Is anyone else having trouble getting into LC because of Vernon Reid? He really strikes me as the annoying "look at me, I'm a virtuoso" type and as the band seems to be mainly his baby it becomes all the more apparent. Funnily enough, his penchant for playing "outside" lines just makes it worse even though I usually enjoy jazzy guitar soloing. It's mainly "Cult of Personality" that gets to me, the recorded version is guitar-centric enough but when I watch the live footage some people linked to and I see Vernon shred constant, often out-there sounding 32th notes while Muzz/Doug is trying to hold the music together but is nigh inaudible, I can't help but cringe. And for the record, I even like some shredders, like Paul Gilbert for example. He's simply not my cup of tea, I guess.

I have no issues at all with Vernon's playing or how he chooses to express himself on his instrument.



Most people think that Vernon was the new kid on the block when they first heard the group Living Colour.


If you haven't, check out the things he was doing before he came out with Living Colour?


In the late 70's early 80's he was already ahead of most, with his utilizing synth guitar,midi guitar and even electric banjo. And as far as shredders, Vernon just doesn't sound like the flavor of the month or retro or like the millions of other shredding clones who actually play the same old regurgitated lines.

I have a buddy of mine here in town who could transcribe a mosquito buzzing around. He transcribed some of Vernon Reid's lines when they first hit with LC (he's a guitar/piano player- kind of a music geek really, knows more about music and music history than anyone should really. Kinda annoying! LOL!!) and said/says that not only is the playing sloppy (which I AGREE) but it really isn't outside as much as it's just sloppy fast playing.
Not saying I agree with the technical aspect of what Vernon is playing, but I will say, I haven't heard him play those "outside/virtuoso" lines cleanly yet. Or slowly and with out a ton of distortion- which hides a lot (if someone could provide a link or two, that would be cool BTW).
So, with what I have seen on YouTube and on have on disc, I kinda may have to fall in the camp of nothing virtuoso happening there. But great grooving/song writing! Whew!
(BTW, just down loaded the new album- great tunes. Highly recommend it!)

Not trying to be a Vernon Reid hater, just asking to have some other things to base my opinion on.
 
Hey Mike I never said that Vernon was a virtuoso but he is(to me) very talented. And an adventurous musician and that in itself says a lot.



Not trying to be a Vernon Reid hater, just asking to have some other things to base my opinion on.



Just check out some of his work other than what he's done with Living Colour.
 

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