Sid Vicious could play the bass

[Cliff Colton]

Joe Pass once said he knew many musicians that could play multiple instruments but none of them could play any one instrument really well. Sid was one of those guys, and he played all the instruments equally well. He just spread himself a little thin by taking on bass and his organ simultaneously.

 

[Michedelic]

I don't have anything to add about the bass playing, but "Never Mind The Bollocks" is quite simply a great Rock record. Pretty sure it's recorded in Mono, which is too bad. It deserved a much better mix.

I’ll add to what others have said...first off, it’s not ‘recorded’ in mono, but ‘mixed’(mono, stereo, quad, whatever). NMTB is definitely stereo, maybe not mixed the way you like it, but the drums are wide, and there’s all those football chant vocals off to the side, plus little guitar bits and bobs that emerge from the monolithic rhythm wall. Maybe that’s what they wanted. Producer Chris Thomas knew what he was doing; after all, he mixed “Dark Side Of The Moon”(oh, the irony). If you look at his Wiki page, your mind will be blown by all the things he has done. Nothing like starting your career producing two tracks on the White Album while the boss was away, let alone playing integral keyboard parts. There’s a great Eagle Rock “Making of..” documentary on the album that you should track down...

 

[ultra60]

Pretty Vacant.

Listen to Submission. Much use of the stereo field. The drums at the end roll right across the stereo field.

Listen to Pretty Vacant. There is stereo delay all over the drums.

Well dang.... you guys are right! I had never noticed, lol. The whole thing sounded mono to me.

 

[Michedelic]

Well, if you say that Sid could actually play the bass - even though somewhat...badly.., I'll certainly believe you. Personally, the Sex Pistols and their...music, does not (and never did) appeal to me at all, but, that's neither here nor there. I've never heard a note from them - and don't plan to. But, if you say he can play - and have proof (more or less)? Then, so be it...
One thing, though.. Heroin does not - and never has - "set in". Unless somebody holds you down, and sticks needles in your arm - repeatedly - you have to get yourself addicted. Heroin is not the flu - or cancer - which does set in...

If you’ve never heard them, how can they not appeal to you?

 

[buldog5151bass]

Punk is obviously a fairly simple musical affair, but sloppy is not necessarily its defining characteristic. The Alley Cats are an example of an early L.A. punk band that strove to be tight.

That comment was made with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

 

[Tubehed]

Believe it or not, I read a piece in a British hi-fi magazine (can't recall which) fairly recently that listed "Pretty Vacant" as one of their top tracks to evaluate a home audio system's stereo imaging and sound staging accuracy.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Never Mind The Bassist, Buldog: Let's talk LAW

 

[SunByrne]

As long as we are raking rock stars over the coals, I'll admit I never thought much of the Dead either, seems like all those years of jamming should have produced better musicians, but the few times I saw them, they were sloppy as hell,

Not to threadjack, but it's nice to know I'm not alone in this. I never really understood why people thought the Dead were great, as I always found their music just totally boring. Was it more interesting if you were high as a kite? Never tried that. I always thought the Dead were really just about the scene, and that that the actual music was completely secondary. But to each their own, right? I'm sure some of things I like would puzzle Dead fans...

 

[Panek]

One thing, though.. Heroin does not - and never has - "set in". Unless somebody holds you down, and sticks needles in your arm - repeatedly - you have to get yourself addicted. Heroin is not the flu - or cancer - which does set in...

It was a figure of speech.

 

[BurningSkies]

Not to threadjack, but it's nice to know I'm not alone in this. I never really understood why people thought the Dead were great, as I always found their music just totally boring. Was it more interesting if you were high as a kite? Never tried that. I always thought the Dead were really just about the scene, and that that the actual music was completely secondary. But to each their own, right? I'm sure some of things I like would puzzle Dead fans...

I think it's an apt analogous band to discuss v. punk rock...and I like them for the same reasons. They connect with their fans with the music in a way that's not unlike what I was speaking about earlier. Sometimes its about emoting effectively rather than precision playing. Though I'd suggest that Phil's a well learned musician as was Jerry unlike many punk players.

I did see about 25-30 shows during the period of 84-89, though I rarely was high for them.

 

[Michedelic]

Never Mind The Bassist, Buldog: Let's talk LAW

Never mind the law, let’s talk about butter...

 

[Son of Wobble]

Never mind the law, let’s talk about butter...

LOL. Yes, Johnny is today found at home in his tartan jammies... But once upon a time, in his wild youth, he sold acid at Hawkwind gigs! (source: Lemmy)

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Son of Wobble]

Before Sid was Vicious, he was Bowie. Or maybe David Cassidy?

 

[54321BASSOFF]

I was a young teen when I saw the Randy's Rodeo show in San Antonio. Yes...he played the bass, and boy!, could he "swing" it (LOL). It remains about the most impressive rock show I've saw in my life, but not for the notes he played, but the impression it made on my adolescent mind. It's one of the reasons I still play music.

 

[10cc]

Not to threadjack, but it's nice to know I'm not alone in this. I never really understood why people thought the Dead were great, as I always found their music just totally boring. Was it more interesting if you were high as a kite? Never tried that. I always thought the Dead were really just about the scene, and that that the actual music was completely secondary. But to each their own, right? I'm sure some of things I like would puzzle Dead fans...

Yep. I’d much rather listen to Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd than The Dead)

Si(y)d thread

 

[Kilgore777]

Couple of reasons...
1. Did they sound like Buddy Holly and the Crickets? Or Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps? Or Eddie Cochran? No? Well, there you are, then...
2. I had to hear plenty of other punk bands when I was stationed in England. They're part of the reason I quit listening to the radio; bought a CD player; and started my Jazz/Blues/Grateful Dead collections... Atonal screeching and amplified noise is pretty much the same, regardless of who's doing it - only IMO, of course...

Well... for me the Sex Pistols are just.... a lot of fun. It’s fun to listen to and it brings back a news broadcast I remember from 1977 where they made punk rockers out to be a bunch of demonic madmen drunk on baby’s blood.... it was almost apocalyptic or something, the end of civilization crap. Then I listened and I found out that the SPs were a really good rock band with catchy, simple unpretentious song that had humor and actually something to say. So, they ain’t for everyone, but I think you should get a little drunk, crank up your stereo and listen to NMTB really loud... and don’t take it all so seriously for a little while....

 

[Michedelic]

Couple of reasons...
1. Did they sound like Buddy Holly and the Crickets? Or Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps? Or Eddie Cochran? No? Well, there you are, then...
2. I had to hear plenty of other punk bands when I was stationed in England. They're part of the reason I quit listening to the radio; bought a CD player; and started my Jazz/Blues/Grateful Dead collections... Atonal screeching and amplified noise is pretty much the same, regardless of who's doing it - only IMO, of course...

Eddie Cochran? Sure they/he did...


Or perhaps you find this more like it...

Or perhaps this ‘precision’ interpretation...

(that’s what my dad used to call “noise”)
The Pistols, along with the Clash(and The Stooges/MC5 before them)were far closer to the spirit, attitude and intent of 50’s rockers than Jerry and his taking three hour of plinking around to find that one right note. Gene Vincent? The original punk, dangerous, black leather clad, out of his skull on pain pills...

Atonal screeching and amplified noise, yeah, got it right here...

But it’s far more interesting when it’s articulated anger...

 

[bassstrangler]

Threads like these should be abolished.

I love how someone can trash a band they never heard...really?

My thoughts....Lydon is a genius, PIL completely brilliant. The Pistols...we wouldn't have had a lot of great bands without them. Watch 24 Hour Party People, that scene with the Pistols gig in Manchester is poetry.

Sid playing bass...who cares.

 

[bassstrangler]

Eddie Cochran? Sure they/he did...


Or perhaps you find this more like it...

Or perhaps this ‘precision’ interpretation...

(that’s what my dad used to call “noise”)
The Pistols, along with the Clash(and The Stooges/MC5 before them)were far closer to the spirit, attitude and intent of 50’s rockers than Jerry and his taking three hour of plinking around to find that one right note. Gene Vincent? The original punk, dangerous, black leather clad, out of his skull on pain pills...

Atonal screeching and amplified noise, yeah, got it right here...

But it’s far more interesting when it’s articulated anger...

You sir win not only the thread but maybe the whole forum ever! Abso$+!#lutely brilliant!

 

[Michedelic]

You sir win not only the thread but maybe the whole forum ever! Abso$+!#lutely brilliant!

Aw shucks, thanks. Just doing my job.