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Whoever this guy is (John Gustafson?)
- Thread starter Raman
- Start date
- Jan 1, 2014
- 1,016
- 3,480
- Disclosures
- Decendant from the Clovis culture. "Emitting that wonderful bass effect since 1970".
I believe he was Roxy's bassist for longer than anyone else. Superb player.
I'm not a big Roxy Music fan at all. I know only a few songs. Yesterday, someone sent me this video so I started browsing through some of their material. That's when I remembered that super slick bass in Love is the drug, from the time I worked as a doorman in a dance club. 
I'm not a big Roxy Music fan at all. I know only a few songs. Yesterday, someone sent me this video so I started browsing through some of their material. That's when I remembered that super slick bass in Love is the drug, from the time I worked as a doorman in a dance club.
Also, John was memorable as singing the part of Simon Zealotes in the original brown album version of Jesus Christ Superstar. He had a great voice, in an album of great singers (Ian Gillan, Murray Head, Yvonne Elliman, etc.).
Keywords: bass forum.
If we can't come here to ask about a bassist that we may have never had the chance to discover, where would you like us to go?
My Wal was a John Gustafson custom. I'd never heard of him and was a bit put out at buying somebody else's
bass.Sold it on then years later found out the first 46-47 ? Wals were all JG Customs and I'd heard him play
loads of times
Wished there was TB back then to ask about him,it'd be worth a fortune now
bass.Sold it on then years later found out the first 46-47 ? Wals were all JG Customs and I'd heard him play
loads of times
Wished there was TB back then to ask about him,it'd be worth a fortune now
I don't know any jokes, but I do appreciate a good, dirty limerick. Do you have any of those?
No harm. I didn't take it wrongly.
If I thought you might I wouldn't have written it. I enjoyed the Cure thread you started and I am a huge roxy fan, have been since late 70s. Anyone discovering them and in particular Johnny is good in my book...
Yep. Also if your digging Gustafson you should check out all of Roxy Music's catalogue every bass player they had was great!
I'll definitely look them up more. Just from reputation and from the other artists that they influenced, they were always in the "I respect them but they're not to my taste" category. I think it's especially Ferry's style which I've always found a bit too... syrupy.
But it's been my experience that I can be put off by one aspect of a band for many years. And then a song hits home and that gives me the key to appreciate the rest. (For years, I couldn't stand Rush because of Lee's voice. And then I payed attention to the rhythmic section in La Villa Strangiato. I believe that within 1 week I bought 4 of their albums!)
All I know for now is I've had that Gustafson bass line stuck in my head nonstop for 2 days...
But it's been my experience that I can be put off by one aspect of a band for many years. And then a song hits home and that gives me the key to appreciate the rest. (For years, I couldn't stand Rush because of Lee's voice. And then I payed attention to the rhythmic section in La Villa Strangiato. I believe that within 1 week I bought 4 of their albums!)
All I know for now is I've had that Gustafson bass line stuck in my head nonstop for 2 days...
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Hey Raman. Another Cure superfan here.
RE Roxy Music, here's my friendly suggestion:
Keep in mind Bryan Ferry's from a working class background, think of his voice as an tongue-in-cheek aspirational riposte to all the hippie pretension at the time.
Start with the first album. Admire the proto-punk experimental energy.
Go to the second. See where the new wave took notes.
The third? Eno gone, but the songs are strong enough and then some.
By the time you make it to the fourth, Country Life, you hear the vision codified. It rocks, yet there is a timeless courtly detachment. IMHO the band at its finest.
And John Gustafson kills all over this record.
RE Roxy Music, here's my friendly suggestion:
Keep in mind Bryan Ferry's from a working class background, think of his voice as an tongue-in-cheek aspirational riposte to all the hippie pretension at the time.
Start with the first album. Admire the proto-punk experimental energy.
Go to the second. See where the new wave took notes.
The third? Eno gone, but the songs are strong enough and then some.
By the time you make it to the fourth, Country Life, you hear the vision codified. It rocks, yet there is a timeless courtly detachment. IMHO the band at its finest.
And John Gustafson kills all over this record.
I LOVE that album! I first heard it as a teenager when touring England in the '70s and I was hooked. John's tone and energy on "Casanova" and "The Thrill of It All" are great, and I love the strange beginning of "Bitter-Sweet". Great player.....
The Love Is A Drug groove always seem like the template for the sound of the Talking Heads to me.
