Tina Weymouth

[Bob_Ross]

Those who try to cover the song with a pick, as those who cover her with a more traditional finger-style, all seem to be missing a big part of it.

One of the things that immediately leapt out at me when you posted the youtube link to "Cities" in post #76 was that Tina's articulation is what makes that bassline so ear-catching. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it "one of the top 3 best ever bass lines of all times" but I'll definitely grant that it is unique in its feel and the way it propels the tune, and I think a lot of that comes from the way Tina shapes each note; her note attacks and durations are atypical and distinctive.

 

[Raman]

One of the things that immediately leapt out at me when you posted the youtube link to "Cities" in post #76 was that Tina's articulation is what makes that bassline so ear-catching. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it "one of the top 3 best ever bass lines of all times" but I'll definitely grant that it is unique in its feel and the way it propels the tune, and I think a lot of that comes from the way Tina shapes each note; her note attacks and durations are atypical and distinctive.

I'm prone to hyperbole when I'm really into a song. In the end, I have many "top 3 best songs ever" lists...

 

[Raman]

I adore Tina's playing. I'm particularly fond of her upstroke/thumb technique. Nobody sounds quite like her. Her bass lines are just right.

She bounces from thumb to other fingers. It's like a dialogue. She propels the song, and she also structures it.

Byrne is raving mad in this. His lyrics seem to come from a severely autistic person trying to "pick a city to live in":
"There are a lot of rich people in Birmingham
A lot of ghosts in a lot of houses
Look over there!...A dry ice factory:
A good place to get some thinking done"

Brilliant!
Byrne's guitar is equally brilliant and funky. But it's static until Tina Weymouth's bass gives it direction and uplifts it.

 

[600 Ohms]

She bounces from thumb to other fingers. It's like a dialogue. She propels the song, and she also structures it.

Byrne is raving mad in this. His lyrics seem to come from a severely autistic person trying to "pick a city to live in":
"There are a lot of rich people in Birmingham
A lot of ghosts in a lot of houses
Look over there!...A dry ice factory:
A good place to get some thinking done"

Brilliant!
Byrne's guitar is equally brilliant and funky. But it's static until Tina Weymouth's bass gives it direction and uplifts it.

Art school freaks!

 

[jeff7bass]

She rocks it for sure. Strong in the hands. LOVE this song. Sounds so happy but is it? With Byrne hard to tell.
Don't Worry About the Government (2005 Remaster) - YouTube

 

[600 Ohms]

She rocks it for sure. Strong in the hands. LOVE this song. Sounds so happy but is it? With Byrne hard to tell.
Don't Worry About the Government (2005 Remaster) - YouTube

Well, this is my thesis about pop music: you are usually better off wrapping up a difficult subject in happy music, because you get more ears on it and it otherwise alienates people who might otherwise be sympathetic, because you've made the music sound emotionally manipulative, a downer. These days, the opposite seems the norm, and now we're stuck in a vi-IV-I-V hell of our own making.

Talking Heads is one of the shining examples of this principle, and I'll often put on Speaking In Tongues when I cook, or clean or iron or whatever (because I don't want to be lulled into a depressed stupor). Nearly every record I love makes you feel good when you listen to it, even if lyrically you are being challenged into thinking about something hard, and I much prefer it that way.

 

[jeff7bass]

Well, this is my thesis about pop music: you are usually better off wrapping up a difficult subject in happy music, because you get more ears on it and it otherwise alienates people who might otherwise be sympathetic, because you've made the music sound emotionally manipulative, a downer. These days, the opposite seems the norm, and now we're stuck in a vi-IV-I-V hell of our own making.

Talking Heads is one of the shining examples of this principle, and I'll often put on Speaking In Tongues when I cook, or clean or iron or whatever. Nearly every record I love makes you feel good when you listen to it, even if lyrically you are being challenged into thinking about something hard, and I much prefer it that way.

The 77 album makes me happy also.

 

[E2942]

Heart & Soul of that band!

 

[Pablo504]

...and now we're stuck in a vi-IV-I-V hell of our own making...

That is really funny! I love that... very clever... took me awhile to figure it out.