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ZZTop "playing" live to bass tracks !?!

#4
Nice catch. First time thru I thought I could pick up when he continues. Like there was a second bass (recorded or live?). Additional listenings, there's no break in the bass line (tho obvious finger stoppage). Lead and drums seem to be 'live' tho.
 
#7
Yep, lead is live for sure. Didn't watch the drums...

I guess Dusty couldn't sidestep and play...

It's not just sustain, the lime keeps moving. That said, he's got more going on with his right hand than I would have thought for that song. Have to revisit that one.
 
#8
My guess is that they overdubbed recording where he took his right hand off the bass to keep the recording sounding fluid. Bands do this all the time with live recordings because they assume people wouldn't be able to handle hearing flubs because that would mean their heros are actually human. Look at any of the Kiss Alive albums. Probably 75% of each of those albums were rerecorded in a studio. I hate it, and it's driving me to become a huge fan of bootleg recordings. I want to hear how the concert actually sounded, not an interpretation of it.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I saw ZZTop over the summer and was all the way up to the stage and in front of Dusty. He was definitely playing live that night so I don't see why he'd be faking it any other night.
 
#10
To be fair though, they've been touring with pre-recorded backing tracks ever since "Eliminator". There were lots of times the recorded track had rhythm guitar, keyboards, extra percussion, and a 3-piece horn section, but they never brought that size of a band onstage. In fact they claim in their box set notes that they made a commitment not to have any other musicians playing the music onstage, and by necessity that meant the three of them recording lots of backing tracks. For the horn section, they learned how to play the horn parts, and projected video footage of themselves as "the horn section" on the big screen of the stage, while the "real live" band was playing their bass, guitar, and drums.

They are great players, no disrespect from me on that count, but hells yes they do use pre-recorded backing tracks, and they say so themselves.
 
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#11
Man that was complete garbage. I don't care how legendary they are, and I used to like them. Who cares about the beards and outfits at this point in time? Looked to me that both guitar parts were dubbed to be honest. God I need to watch that just to make me sleepy.
 
#14
bassfart said:
The note is just sustaining, there is no question, Dusty is playing his part.
Click to expand...

I can't tell around 2:05 but at 1:37 that note is not sustaining! Not a ZZ Top fan but I had planned to see them open for Petty in a few weeks. If your job is to play a very simple bass line for millions of dollars you should be able to do it. So he stands up there and pretends to play like guitar hero? This is sad.
 

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