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Psychedelic Bassists Tribute

#21
Muzique Fann said:
Hey Futurebass,
I bet Phil was taking LSD (among other things) before you were even born. You're also the first person I've ever heard say that Phish isn't Psychedelic.
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Nope. Wrong. I had the pleasure (?) of being onstage at a Dead concert. Phil had a recording studio worth of outboard gear to make the same sound you get with a Gibson EBO through a Kustom amp with 1 18 inch speaker. Out of tune foghorn. They had two lethargic drummers who couldn't link up and the basslines meandered aimlessly all night long. Every song was mid tempo. 3 hours of midtempo boogie and country noodling without respite. No psychedelia. Then Garcia would go into a special tent on stage to shoot heroin. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe that is psychedelia, but to me that's bad psychedelia. They're kind of like George Bush. Only Americans like it. Maybe the psychedelia is the mass hallucination that confused Americans have that makes them think the Dead are good. Ever read "The Emperor's New Clothes"?

Regarding Phish, using drugs, having fans who use drugs, does not mean the music is psychedelic. Most musicians use drugs.

No offense intended to Dead and Phish fans. Everybody should listen to music that turns them on. I just don't like it.
 
#22
Futurebass said:
Regarding Phish, using drugs, having fans who use drugs, does not mean the music is psychedelic. Most musicians use drugs.
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No really. Wait... you're serious aren't you?

Have you ever bothered to listen to live Phish? It's trippy stuff. I mean, if you want to see and hear some crazy crap, watch "Phish It" and thell me they're not Psychedelic. Especially after "The tower set."
 
#23
From Wikipedia:

Psychedelic music is a musical genre which is not rigorously defined, and is sometimes interpreted to include everything from Flower Power music to Hard Rock and Acid Rock. However, an inner core of the genre that came to fruition in 1967 can be recognized by characteristic features such as modal melodies; esoteric lyrics often describing dreams, visions, or hallucinations; longer songs and lengthy instrumental solos; and recently invented "trippy" electronic effects such as distortion, reverb, and reversed, delayed and/or phased sounds. It is often inspired by the experience of mind-altering drugs such as cannabis, psilocybin, mescaline, and especially LSD.

Futurebass said:
Nope. Wrong. I had the pleasure (?) of being onstage at a Dead concert. Phil had a recording studio worth of outboard gear to make the same sound you get with a Gibson EBO through a Kustom amp with 1 18 inch speaker. Out of tune foghorn. They had two lethargic drummers who couldn't link up and the basslines meandered aimlessly all night long. Every song was mid tempo. 3 hours of midtempo boogie and country noodling without respite. No psychedelia. Then Garcia would go into a special tent on stage to shoot heroin. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe that is psychedelia, but to me that's bad psychedelia. They're kind of like George Bush. Only Americans like it. Maybe the psychedelia is the mass hallucination that confused Americans have that makes them think the Dead are good. Ever read "The Emperor's New Clothes"?
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The Dead are notorious for their ability to be the most incredible band you've ever heard on one night and then fall flat on their faces the next night appearing to be average at best and sometimes god awful.

Do yourself a favor and listen to a few different shows. I think you might find that they can be truely incredible.

IMHO you are also way off base with regards to Phil and the drummers.

By the 80's, indeed heroin had taken hold of Jerry and would eventually help do him in but back in the day Garcia was far and away one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. I encourage you to listen to some stuff from the late 60's and early 70's. It is some powerful playing. The interplay between Phil and Jer is absolutely incredible.
 
#24
Glad somebody mentioned Phish's Tower Jam - that's one of the most psychedelic things I've ever seen (on a concert dvd). When those repelling acrobat dudes are bouncing off the tower in time together - and it was a surprise 'set' at like 3 in the morning - and it was on an abandoned air force base that has documented alien sightings - wow, who thought that up?
This guy obviously doesn't like Phish or the Dead which is sort of anti-psychedelic to me, but to each his own.

Maybe I'll change my handle to Fluffhead.
 
#25
altdeadhead said:

By the 80's, indeed heroin had taken hold of Jerry and would eventually help do him in but back in the day Garcia was far and away one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. I encourage you to listen to some stuff from the late 60's and early 70's. It is some powerful playing. The interplay between Phil and Jer is absolutely incredible.

We're getting off topic here, but this is good stuff. For my money is doesn't get any better than May of 1977 - Everybody is just ripping at this time. Many heads consider the best show ever to be 5-8-77. Check out the setlist...
Set 1:
New Minglewood Blues
Loser
El Paso
They Love Each Other
Jack Straw
Deal
Lazy Lightnin'
Supplication
Brown-Eyed Women
Mama Tried
Row Jimmy
Dancin' In The Streets

Set 2:
Scarlet Begonias
Fire On The Mountain
Estimated Prophet
St. Stephen
Not Fade Away
St. Stephen
Morning Dew

Encore:
One More Saturday Night

I'd also just like to say it's great that Phish stopped when they did. Towards the end poor Jerry was out there touring just for touring's sake. Trey could've easily seen the same end.
 
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#27
Muzique Fann said:
altdeadhead said:

By the 80's, indeed heroin had taken hold of Jerry and would eventually help do him in but back in the day Garcia was far and away one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. I encourage you to listen to some stuff from the late 60's and early 70's. It is some powerful playing. The interplay between Phil and Jer is absolutely incredible.

We're getting off topic here, but this is good stuff. For my money is doesn't get any better than May of 1977 - Everybody is just ripping at this time. Many heads consider the best show ever to be 5-8-77. Check out the setlist...
Set 1:
New Minglewood Blues
Loser
El Paso
They Love Each Other
Jack Straw
Deal
Lazy Lightnin'
Supplication
Brown-Eyed Women
Mama Tried
Row Jimmy
Dancin' In The Streets

Set 2:
Scarlet Begonias
Fire On The Mountain
Estimated Prophet
St. Stephen
Not Fade Away
St. Stephen
Morning Dew

Encore:
One More Saturday Night

I'd also just like to say it's great that Phish stopped when they did. Towards the end poor Jerry was out there touring just for touring's sake. Trey could've easily seen the same end.
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I havent been exposed to much Phish , any suggestions?

Also , 77 with the dead, that was the egypt tour right? If so , then your right, that was some awesome ass music happening there. I personally love live in europe and live dead as well.
 
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#28
page said:
I havent been exposed to much Phish , any suggestions?

Also , 77 with the dead, that was the egypt tour right? If so , then your right, that was some awesome ass music happening there. I personally love live in europe and live dead as well.
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Suggestions? STAY AWAY FROM PHISH! :D


Not really, I like some of their music, but I dislike Trey's voice with a passion. Take my opinion with a boulder of salt as I'm not much on the jam scene.

Muzique Fann has the hook-up when it comes to that genre. I'm sure he'll share his knowledge.
 
#29
abark000 said:
Suggestions? STAY AWAY FROM PHISH! :D


Not really, I like some of their music, but I dislike Trey's voice with a passion. Take my opinion with a boulder of salt as I'm not much on the jam scene.

Muzique Fann has the hook-up when it comes to that genre. I'm sure he'll share his knowledge.
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Im with you somewhat on that I can't stand all of those "jam" bands that rip off ABB and the Dead. Those would be groups in my opinion like : Widespread Panic, Moe, Blues Traveler, some Black Crowes, and the dreaded Dave Matthews band.................ugh :scowl:
 
#30
page said:
Im with you somewhat on that I can't stand all of those "jam" bands that rip off ABB and the Dead. Those would be groups in my opinion like : Widespread Panic, Moe, Blues Traveler, some Black Crowes, and the dreaded Dave Matthews band.................ugh :scowl:
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Xsnay on the Luesbay Ravelertray. Or The Old John Popper will eat your head.

bluestraveler94-3.jpg
 
#34
abark000 said:
John Popper hungry. RAhhh.

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Don't you read the news? It was anounced that man wasn't really John Popper... That man ate John Popper at a young age. When he opened his mouth the real Popper would come up his throat and sing or play the harp. After a long battle with the digestive system, Popper finally won and was hurled up.

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^ what "John Popper" vomited up.

As for Jam bands... Firstly, I don't think that a lot of the bands listed sound anything like the Dead or Allman Brothers, let alone warrent the title "jam band". Just me though....

Suggestions for Phish, pretty much any Halloween show is crazy. Being a fan I really enjoy them, might not be the best thing for someone just getting into them though. One of my favourite's is the Halloween that they did the entire White Album... that was pretty entertaining as both a Phish and Beatles fan.

I agree with the statements about Dead's ability to be off and on. I think it especially came to a head in the 80's. I'm not a fan of synth and such anyways, which they started to dabble in a bit...
 
#35
DRUMS>SPACE = psychedelic

How could we forget about Bootsy! When the Mothership lands and Bootsy comes out...that is psychedelic.

But umm, Phish. My favorite year for sure is '97. Mike had recently obtained his Q5 and they were going for more of a funk feel - albeit slow phunk, or cow funk. The jams got longer and more ambient. Buy live Phish #11 (11-17-97 Denver, CO) it's like a jammers bible - check out the slapping in Ghost & Tweezer. If you can find good soundboards from '92 - '95 go for it, you won't be dissapointed. '98 was also a good year, as was 2000 IMO. I hit some of the shows in Vegas when they 'came back' and they just didn't have the magic they used to. Any New Years show will freak you out for sure. The Halloweens were awesome too and really showcased their musicianship: in '94 they did the White Album. They're so cool they actually let the fans vote and in '95 Joe's Garage won. I guess they learned most of it but they thought it would be too hard w/ all the overdubs and they weren't that excited about the offensive lyrics...so instead they did Quadraphenia (which came in 2nd in the voting). In '96 they did Remain In Light. It clocked in around an hour compared to the album at about 45 minutes. In '98 they did Velvet Underground's Loaded. The original was like 40 minutes but they stretched it out to around 1:15 - I was actually at this show (Vegas) and the crowd was loosing their ****. We're terribly off topic now, but...I've got tons of live Phish on cdr and dvdr if anybody wants some I'd be happy to send a few discs your way...
- sharing in the groove
 
#39
I absolutely love that scene in videoplasty where they are showing clips from the Horde tour, then randomly they show John Popper with a Saber, it's pretty funny. Good for him for losing all that weight.

I actually like the DMB... some of their songs are a bit too fluffy for me, but I like the concept. Dave's music, if it was just him and an accoustic would work, but it would be bland/overdone. But he surrounds himself with very talented musicians.
 
#40
We've gone from talking about psychedelia to talking about Dave Matthews. Now that's a bummer trip!

How about Sun Ra? Not psychedelic, because he didn't use drugs, but definitely trippy! Most of his bassists were great, but probably the best were John Ore (also of T. Monk) and Ronnie Boykins. Ra himself also had a pretty heavy left hand when he felt the bassists were not coping.
 

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