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Muzz Skillings (Living Colour) bass?

#42
The most interesting thing about opinions on Vernon Reid's playing usually comes from people who have only heard what he does with Living Colour and rarely if ever go beyond his work with that group.

RCCollins said:
Try "Smash & Scatteration" with Bill Frisell. I like him on Defunkt's "Thermonuclear Sweat" too. Ans if thatis going back too far fro you, Check out one of the Yohime Brothers discs.
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Do you really think most of these guys want some home work to take home? :)
 
#44
Doctor J said:
Your ears aren't enough?
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well, I guess not...........:rollno:
Because my ears, up to this point, really haven't heard anything special. (well, I do wear hearing aids, but I don't think that has much to do with it. or maybe it does:hmm:)
So, I guess asking for some suggestions, so I can maybe change/adjust/re-evaluate my position (which a LOT of people are too closed minded to do) is something that requires some patronizing.....

So, my ears just hear a fast, sloppy guitar player with lot of distortion that clouds what may be any sort of advanced concepts or "outside" playing.

I'd like to think, that maybe, just maybe I do have the ability to hear and/or recognize a level of playing that is beyond typical.
Or maybe I completely suck, sit in my bedroom, don't play out/do sessions, hang on TalkBass all day and act like I know something when I really don't.

So, good Doctor, please if you will, enlighten me to some Vernon Reid that would help a mere novice like myself understand the greatness of his playing (outside of what I said in my earlier post).


Now, back on topic......I did hear a rumor that they asked Muzz to play "typical" like other bass players (left hand under the neck- as opposed to over like he was accustomed to playing) because it "looked strange".
There are a few videos of him playing over the top like that, and not just to be "rock & roll", just what he does.
 
#46
RCCollins said:
Try "Smash & Scatteration" with Bill Frisell. I like him on Defunkt's "Thermonuclear Sweat" too. Ans if thatis going back too far fro you, Check out one of the Yohime Brothers discs.
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See, now that's all I was asking for.
Thank you!



JAUQO III-X said:
The most interesting thing about opinions on Vernon Reid's playing usually comes from people who have only heard what he does with Living Colour and rarely if ever go beyond his work with that group.





Do you really think most of these guys want some home work to take home? :)
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And Jauqo, you're exactly right. That's where much of my opinion is based. It's just because I really didn't hear much else.
Thus a simple question I asked, point me to some other stuff.
Hopefully my ears will work this time.....;)
(but I did just get these new bad-ass aids about a month ago, so maybe a new perspective?? LOL!!)
 
#49
Muzz and I spoke about him playing over the neck, he said he learned that way and they indeed wanted him to play orthodox. He played their way for awhile but went back to the way he was comfortable.
DSC06366.jpg

Muzz and pyrohr
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#50
The bass above is not Muzz's bass. something was wrong with his bass when he took it out so he grabbed the first thing he saw. I have to say Muzz is one of the most humblest cats I ever met in my life! very soft spoken and ego less! We spoke about living Colour at length and about the guy's in the group. Really a nice guy! He walks in and you have no clue who this dude is until somebody tells you. This pic was taken at a cookout in Jamaica Queens where all the who's who of musicians that are able to make it show up! Well known cats EVERYWHERE!!!
 
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#51
TC2112 said:
The newer stuff is Doug Wimbish on bass. I'm not sure when Muzz left for good, but his playing on the first 2 albums was awesome.

I saw them open for the Stones in 88. They were hella good
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+1 to the Stones "Steel Wheels" tour in 88. I saw them at Shea Stadium and they were awesome!

Oh yeah, back OT- add me to the camp that had Muzz playing ESP's on those albums.
 
#52
I'm not a big fan of Vernon's "scribble" playing... I believe it to be mostly slop as well. But, I give the guy credit for going for it and letting it hang out at least. I do like his solo stuff (like Mistaken Identity)... much different and more creative than all the other guitar hero type albums that guys put out... which generally all sound the same. His stuff with Masque is cool too. I think Defunkt's Thermonuclear Sweat practically changed my musical life the 1st time I heard it.

There's no doubt the dude can play in pretty much any style if he wants... and tastefully when he chooses. Corey Glover has a couple good solo albums as well.

Saw LC with Urban Dance Squad in '90 I think? GREAT show. Also saw them at a guitar festival 7 or 8 years back with Doug. Think this was a 1st show after a long hiatus... they were pretty rusty and made no excuses for it. Actually made fun of themselves quite a bit during the show. Still pretty entertaining.

The production on most of their albums kinda gets to me sometimes... particularly the drum sounds/production pretty much sound awful to me in many cases. Very gated and distant. But when they strip it down for a few songs that are more raw sounding they sound great. I don't get it... think it ruins many of their songs.

Don't think I've bought album since Stain, which I thought was awful.
---
c
 
#53
kjpollo said:
+1 to the Stones "Steel Wheels" tour in 88. I saw them at Shea Stadium and they were awesome!

Oh yeah, back OT- add me to the camp that had Muzz playing ESP's on those albums.
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I saw them there also! What a party...

Saw them on the Time's Up tour though and they were at the top of their game. Everyone was awesome. I saw them about 5 years ago with DW on bass. The concert was okay...nothing like the TU tour though.
 
#55
phxlbrmpf said:
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.
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I'm with you on that-I like everything else about Living Colour, including Vernon's writing and rhythm guitar parts. I'm also a huge Jack Bruce fan, and Vernon has been on his later albums. I usually listen to the songs up until the guitar solo, and then skip to the next track.
 
#56
chrisloe said:
I have a Spector Euro Doug Wimbish signature, it is one of the coolest basses I have ever seen or played. I played it at a couple of reunion shows this summer, it sounded incredible. A friend of mine bought one the next day...Check them out, they are awesome.
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Euro Wimbish sig bass????
<searching Spector site....>
 

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