The Smile

[lermgalieu]

Anyone been paying attention to the evolution of the Smile, with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood (from Radiohead) and drummer Tom Skinner? I've only seen a bit of it, but intend to investigate more thoroughly soon. Of note is that apparently Yorke plays quite a bit of bass (which is why I placed this in Bassists). Discuss.

https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-smile-first-public-gigs

 

[lermgalieu]

Guess not…this is a great record. I'd suggest a listen.

 

[MattZilla]

Thanks for the push.

For better or worse, it sounds like Thom Yorke in a power trio.

I liked it.

 

[PhR75]

Excellent album, been listening to a lot lately. Great string and brass arrangements.

 

[drwv]

We caught The Smile in Seattle this weekend, and it was a treat for bass nerds...

Thom fingered a Gibson EB0, a Guild StarFire II, and his trusty vintage Fender Mustang (all short-scales!) through a Fender Bassman stack.

Meanwhile - when Thom picked up a 6-string or played piano/Rhodes - Johnny aggressively picked a Fender Precision - and even bowed it arco style! - through an Ampeg SVT-CL 8x10.

Sadly the venue had sort of muddy, indistinct low-end, which sometimes made it hard to hear what was actually being played. But the set moved fast, was high energy, super creative, and - with the rolling jazzy backbeat from Tom Skinner - really grooved.

I think this means that The Smile has two good bass players... and Radiohead has THREE good bass players!


I didn't snap any photos, but here's an internet shot of Johnny channeling Spinal Tap:

Image Credit: The King of Gear

 

[cornfarmer]

I was not aware the RH guys were up to anything until a couple of months ago...I kind of live under a rock but still. It's a pretty good record, and sounds like a more focused, distilled RH without all the fluff I tend to associate them with. More interesting songs & a (subjectively) better drummer.

 

[lermgalieu]

I was not aware the RH guys were up to anything until a couple of months ago...I kind of live under a rock but still. It's a pretty good record, and sounds like a more focused, distilled RH without all the fluff I tend to associate them with. More interesting songs & a (subjectively) better drummer.

It's a good record. For me, it's not that it's a better drummer per se but that he's not (primarily) a rock drummer so they get to explore with more of a jazz edge.

 

[WG Plum]

It's a great record.

 

[HelpImaRock]

I'm a big fan of this record. I was drawn to it because of Tom Skinner, who played in Sons of Kemet, a favorite of mine over the past 5 years or so. I will say The Smile is not great driving music. But as a headphone record, it's up there with the great Radiohead albums. I haven't given much thought to Thom's bass playing yet.

 

[PhR75]

I'm a big fan of this record. I was drawn to it because of Tom Skinner, who played in Sons of Kemet, a favorite of mine over the past 5 years or so. I will say The Smile is not great driving music. But as a headphone record, it's up there with the great Radiohead albums. I haven't given much thought to Thom's bass playing yet.

I listened to it a lot last summer while I cycled to my theatre gig and back. Great headphone/cycle driving music.

 

[Brodizzle]

Do we know if the mustang bass is fretted or fretless? In the tiny desk video it looked kinda fretless to me.

 

[drwv]

Do we know if the mustang bass is fretted or fretless?

Thom's Mustang is definitely fretted, it just has a glossy fretboard.

NPR Tiny Desk Concert, with lots of up-close shots of Thom playing Mustang and Guild Starfire, Jonny playing P-bass through what looks like a modern Ampeg RocketBass combo:

 

[Brodizzle]

Thom's Mustang is definitely fretted, it just has a glossy fretboard.

NPR Tiny Desk Concert, with lots of up-close shots of Thom playing Mustang and Guild Starfire, Jonny playing P-bass through what looks like a modern Ampeg RocketBass combo:

Cool. Yeah it's that glossy fretboard that made me think maybe the frets were just markers. Thanks.

 

[KidAmnesia]

This just came out and sounds really solid.

 

[macburner]

just saw them this Friday at forest hills stadium. wonderful set! great sound! and many basses as listed above . I felt the guild Starfire was the most noticeable change in tone. really nice.

 

[Monkey]

I love this record! I've been listening to it a lot lately. The drumming is great and I really like Jonny's guitar playing. Cool bass parts and Thom's other-worldly voice…. What's not to like?!

 

[lermgalieu]

just saw them this Friday at forest hills stadium. wonderful set! great sound! and many basses as listed above . I felt the guild Starfire was the most noticeable change in tone. really nice.

Saw them here in Austin a couple weeks ago, at ACL Live. Great venue for them. I agree about the basses. If I only could get my D string to intonate properly on my Starfire. Fun bass, stupid bridge.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the show. Thom's bass playing is great - I liked it more than Jonny Greenwood's bass playing. Not a competition, just saying I like the places Yorke goes, and his sense of the pocket, much more behind the beat than Greenwood.

 

[Phe]

I saw Junun open for Radiohead in 2017 and Johnny played bass in that. A fretless Mustang IIRC and he was killing it. Might have been fretted, it's been a while.