Thursday, January 15, 2009

Funky Bass


It's funny how people sound differently than you expect. I read James Lileks for years--probably at least weekly for three years--before I heard his voice. I had pictured--no, that's a visual word--I had imagined--well, I could argue that's visual as well, but okay--a higher, more agitated voice for Lileks. Something like the debate-mode voice of my friend, the Rev. Joshua Hansen. (Who has no time for blogging, as you can see from the datedness of his last post. I understand. I should be writing a sermon right now.) But Lileks turned out to have this low, smooth, NPR-type voice. (You can listen to him on YouTube.)

After a few months of reading David Ker, I'd similarly expected a higher, agitated voice. (Maybe it's the whining about people not commenting.) (I kid, I kid.) But it turns out that he has a deep bass voice. (Video here.) Funky bass, even.

Which leads me to my point. I didn't realize until I heard "If You Want Me to Stay" how much I love a good bass line. I learned over Christmas that Pirate Jimmy has started learning to play the bass, so I recommend that he learns this song. Do the readers know of any other songs with great, interesting bass lines?
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5 comments:

  1. David Ker7:06 PM

    This is so funny. I think it might be the Flip Video audio. Or maybe morning groggy voice.

    I recorded something with my Zoom H2 and I sound a bit more like my baritone self: http://lingamish.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/cyber-psalm-51-david-ker.mp3

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  2. eddie7:54 AM

    The best bass line ever is on Mr Big by Free from the early seventies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhCilozomo

    I don't actually believe that Ker exists, so he doesn't really have a voice.

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  3. Pirate Jimmy12:10 PM

    There are a couple great classics that everyone knows:

    Pink Floyd - Money
    Jimi Hendrix - Fire

    Then there are a couple classics that everyone SHOULD know but I don't expect them to:

    Led Zeppelin - The Ocean
    Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression
    Sugarloaf - Green Eyed Lady

    And then there are some modern songs with pretty neat basslines as well:

    Smashing Pumpkins - Zero
    Deftones - My Own Summer

    And of course my favorites:
    TOOL - 46 & 2
    Black Sabbath - N.I.B.

    Specifically, if you haven't heard the recording of NIB with the black sabbath bassist going solo at the very beginning... then you might be a bad person.
    I think it's called "Bassically" so look that shit up you-tube and enjoy.

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  4. Pirate Jimmy12:14 PM

    But yeah, if you were to only listen to one song with a bass guitar in it ever again, I would suggest Black Sabbath's NIB.
    I link to think of it as sort of a love song.

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  5. The Rev. Joshua J. Hansen11:12 PM

    I am over a month behind in reading your blog. Here I am scrolling through and what do you know, I see my name. I am trying to remember what my debate voice sounded like...
    This is rather narcissistic, but why didn't we record or tape one of our debates?

    In terms of the blogging: now you have got me thinking that maybe I should re-launch this failed personal discipline. (Or is it an indulgence?)

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