Comments on: Squarepusher: Solo Electric Bass 1

By: Nextman

Nextman — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:18:33 +0000

“I enjoy the bass guitar in its rightful place – i.e. as an accompaniment to other instruments. But on its own? No ta.”

What a ridiculous statement. Embarrassing.

By: party ed

party ed — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:59:27 +0000

All i can say is that the middle of the crowd at squarepusher in the glade at Glastonbury is a very bad place to be is you’re pulling a pretty severe whitey

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:40:15 +0000

There’s a post just there Thumper.
I’d add Steveie Wonder to that list

By: Thumper

Thumper — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:22:31 +0000

Later Queen albums ARE rubbish. But then again, a lot of people who made good albums in the 70s released a lot of mince in the 80s. Yes, I’m looking at you Mr Bowie.

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:18:53 +0000

Don’t think it’s a guilty pleasure.
Liking “Brothers in Arms” or later Queen albums would be embaressing. Prefering Jethro Tulls last piece of shit instead of “Aqualung” would be too much. I could go on but think it’s best to stop now.

Is liking Jethro Tull, too much?

By: joewhitenoise

joewhitenoise — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:17:26 +0000

*shameless plug alert*

I wrote a piece on Guilty Pleasure on my blog here -

http://www.thewhitenoiserevisited.co.uk/2007/05/you-should-never-be-ashamed.html

I don’t believe in it.

And Nick Tann – if you want to see some Squarepusher bass noodling, here he is on the Culture Show -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ0LL1SJ-6U

By: Thumper

Thumper — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:52:21 +0000

Does smell a bit like Jazz Odyssey doesn’t it?

I think it’s interesting we’re fessing up to liking early Dire Straits. Maybe there should be a post about all that Guilty Pleasures malarkey. I’ve never bought into it as I have always had a record collection that’s full of unfashionable stuff like Alice Cooper and Queen. I think that Billion Dollar Babies is a better album than London Calling and I’m not afraid to say it!

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:27:28 +0000

I take your point but I would have like to have heard some to make a judgement.
An album of bass noodling by Charlie Mingus might be nice.
It does remind me a little of Spinal Tap….

By: joewhitenoise

joewhitenoise — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:05:15 +0000

Wow – an impassioned defence of Level 42. Not something you read every day.

Fair points though Nick. Like Thumper, I am a fan of early Dire Straits. Though their third album was also good. Anyway, I digress. Perhaps one for a future post.

I guess the main point I was making with my initial post was that an entire album of pure slap bass noodling is indulgent nonsense. Surely that is indisputable.

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:03:17 +0000

Making Movies is a pretty good album.
No slap bass though…..

By: Thumper

Thumper — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:48:33 +0000

The Cure didn’t do slap bass though did they? Their albums are aging pretty well on the whole. The Head on the Door still sounds good.

I quite like the early Dire Straits stuff.

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:39:54 +0000

I saw Lvel 42 before they were signed in a little bar in the isle of Wight in 1980. Mark King (The Sultan) had a long bass lead, walked off stage and carried on playing as he walked through the bar and out into the street.
The First Level 42 album was great, all original and imaginative. Then the whole corperate thing happened and they just branded out.
Same with Dire Straites (?). Their first album and maybe the second was non too bad.
Most bands of the time did bland out.
Elvis Costello and The Cure maintained their originality without selling out too much.

*waits*

By: joewhitenoise

joewhitenoise — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:30:37 +0000

Didn’t Mark King used to fly around on wires while slapping his bass? That’s actually pretty cool if he did. Perhaps if Squarepusher flew about I could forgive him.

By: Thumper

Thumper — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:30:11 +0000

It’s just a signature sound of crap 80s music Nick, that’s all. It reminds me of Level 42, Johnny Hates Jazz, Living in a Box, all that stuff that I really really hated.

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:16:18 +0000

Why so?
He is the Sultan of Slap…

By: Swineshead

Swineshead — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:14:02 +0000

Mark King is an argument against

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:11:53 +0000

And me…

*twangs*

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:11:23 +0000

Rock School was shit. It almost put me off wanting to play.
A bit severe thpugh, hating slap bass because of that and Seinfeld.
What about Bootsy and Mark King and Jacko Pastorius?

By: Thumper

Thumper — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:38:03 +0000

I hate slap bass, it reminds me of that rubbish Rock School programme on BBC 2. Plus, Seinfeld has to have one of the worst TV themes ever.

Joey De Maio of Manowar used to do Bass Solo versions of classical pieces like the Flight of the Bumblebee on their albums.

By: joewhitenoise

joewhitenoise — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:12:27 +0000

That youtube track is a bit misleading – I couldn’t find a decent clip of ‘Pusher playing slap so opted for a proper good bit of old school acid as an example of what he does that is good.

By: Nick Tann

Nick Tann — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:09:17 +0000

I like a bit of slap too. I don’t know if I’ve missed the point here but the youtube track had no slap bass in it. Talvin Singh meets Dr Who, that’s what that was…

By: Swineshead

Swineshead — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:58:11 +0000

I like a nice bit o’ slap bass. It’s the funk, dig?