The Last Bass Outpost

Sad news. Loved his music with Talk Talk and on his lone solo album.







The progress from early synth pop to the organic sound of "The Colour Of Spring", very experimental "Spirit Of Eden" and "Laughing Stock" and his timeless acoustic solo album is quite astonishing.

Although nobody asked but bassist is definitely Mike Wedgwood. He later replaced John G. Perry in Caravan.

Bumped into the name on a latest Mojo mag. It was mentioned alongside Andy Pratt about hippie singer-songwriters who made lavish albums that ended up almost prog, so of course I had to find out more. His voice reminds me of a less abrasive Shawn Phillips mixed with David Pack of Ambrosia. This song is pure Joni Mitchell circa '75 with Squire on bass instead of Jaco or Max Bennett. I believe John Guerin is on drums on this track:


Interesting cover art.

This earlier song is more British sounding with great bass sound from Lee Sklar (I believe):

Eddie Jobson's Zinc/"Green Album" - gotta do something for my PROG credentials. I didn't even know he could sing (bit too Jon Anderson'esque for my taste, but still).

It's his voice and singing style that put me off this album every time I try it again. He can sing but it's somehow annoying. A shame really, it's a pretty good sequel to his UK stuff and Jethro Tull's "A".

Jobbo is still a mighty fine singer when compared to Steve Howe. Yesterday I listened "Beginnings" for the first time and probably for the last too. Ouch. He should've stuck to background vocals and hire a Graham Nash or Roger Hodgson.

My favs too, I learned a lot from him when I first bough "Makin' Magic" in the early 90's and subsequently bought more. He was tight with every drummer Pat had (Roy Dyke, Nicko McBrain, Clive Edwards, Tommy Aldridge, Sandy Gennaro etc.) and I especially love his work with Nicko.

He played with the Gentle Giant-ish prog band Gnidrolog in the early seventies and right before he joinen PT he was a member of famous British (free)jazz drummer John Stevens' Away and played on his 1975 album. That album's lineup sans Stevens played on Amalgam's "Another Time" (1976).

I've never heard anyone not liking Mars' playing. He was mainly a P-bass player but sometimes used a Dan Armstrong plexiglass bass (it's heard on Traver's 1977 BBC gig w/ Edwards on drums and Mick Dyche on rhythm gtr) and on the back cover of "Crash 'n' Burn" he is shown with a maple necked Jazz w/pearloid block markers, or at least the neck is from Jazz Bass.

Wow, that is perfection. So that's the Tele for sure? Total change in tone at 1:53. I would guess the Ric, then switched to neck pickup only for the middle, which he also did on YIND. Very inspiring.

Yes it is. He has both pickups on (it had an added bridge pickup) and switches for the neck (the original single coil) for the middle part.

When Yes played this song live he never used a Ric but a Lakland P -bass or some other bass.
"A Venture" is another Tele track.

Lots of new (at last to me) isolated bass tracks from the original Yes rhythm section.
"South Side Of The Sky" has Squire playing his Telecaster bass and what a sound! Might be one of my favs from him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WWgscKoFBs&list=RD_WWgscKoFBs&t=343

Thanks for reminding me, I've totally forgotten this. I've liked Copeland's singing to the point I collected all the Klark Kent singles and 10" mini-LP and been recently checking out discogs.com marketplace for a 12" version (same songs but a better sound!).

I'm with Uwe regarding Mark King. And Belew's always been amazing.