So, what have you been listening to lately?

[westen44]

I actually like their more individual take on U2 better! Of course the bassist overplays, we all know that to play WOWY, you don't need to change notes on the bass at all, just play D all the time - it works with the full D/A/B/G chord sequence!  Or in Eva Under Fire's case D# all the time because they move the song up a half-note.

Needless to say Herr Adam Clayton - never the most imaginative bassist, this post wouldn't be complete without me mentioning this in passing - made the same mistake and also slavishly followed the chord changes in the original recording, tsk, tsk, tsk. Now if Ian Hill of Judas Priest had been U2's bassist, he wouldn't have bothered to ever leave the D once. 

Years ago in a small Dublin music store, I was trying out some basses.  While I was playing one of them, the owner mentioned that Adam Clayton had tried it out the week before.  I surmised that his intention was to get me even more interested in the bass since Clayton had touched it.  But it made me actually less interested.  I've always thought U2 was overrated even when they were just starting. 

Of course I've mentioned some of these things in older posts and don't want to repeat myself.  I've always been baffled by U2.  Why the public got so excited by them, I just don't know.  My attempts to like them have all been in vain.  I remember reading a post by a British girl explaining to someone that some people just don't get Hendirx.  In my case, I obviously don't get U2.

[uwe]

You're just jealous!!!

[westen44]

I may be jealous.  But that doesn't take away from the fact that I've never liked U2's music, despite making an honest effort to do so.  I also might add that Adam Clayton isn't U2's only problem.  The vocals and guitar playing are just not very inspirational to me.  I don't know whose idea it was to put the U2 song on EUF's album, but it would not have been one of my choices.  Yes, they do a better job on the song, but something else would have been preferable. 

[uwe]

Noaomi was always my favorite U2 member. And she can't be blamed for any of the band's music. Plus very good aim when needed. Staff discipline is key.

[westen44]

Noaomi was always my favorite U2 member. And she can't be blamed for any of the band's music. Plus very good aim when needed. Staff discipline is key.

I don't know the details, but it sounds like there was an incident in which Naomi thought it necessary to throw something to make a point.  For what it's worth, Naomi was my favorite U2 member, too. 

[uwe]

That Metal outfit which ousted those pansies from Metallica a while back is at it again ...

[uwe]

Back when Alice and the boys were still unsettling and dangerous. And Vince obviously not a teetotaler yet.

[Alanko]

Jimmy Shand!

[uwe]

I'm generally not a Bonamassa fan boy, but this here is excellent. And that bassist is no slouch, really melodic and inventive. Love Joe's self-deprecating comment at the beginning: "(We're gonna) exercise that old skill set of overplaying over blues rock changes!"  How true, but still good fun.

[Basvarken]

That's Eric Czar.
Amazing player.
When I saw Bonamassa live he was forced to play repetetive blues schedules for 15 minutes per song. Because Bonamassa was having a wankfest at each bloody song...

[uwe]

Well not here, he's everything intelligent, creative bass playing in a trio format should be.

[westen44]

"Killing Me Softly With His Song" was originally written as a folk song.  I had no idea.  That song has quite a history behind it.  Lori Lieberman was inspired by a Don McClean song and started writing on a napkin what would become the lyrics.  I'm sure there are people who know about all this, but I definitely did not know anything about the song's origin and development.  You could spend days listening to all the cover versions.  Lori Lieberman said the first time she heard Roberta Flack sing it she was driving and had to pull over to the side of the road.  She was stunned by Roberta's brilliance. 

[uwe]

That song does take me back … TASOK* 1975 …



My first kiss with someone I was not related to … Kendall Siefker from Nebraska … I gave up my formidable Airfix WW2 collection a day later, yet never blamed her. 

Did I ever tell you guys what a hopeless romantic I am? I always feel that goes coarsely unnoticed here.

*The American School of Kinshasa

[westen44]

That song is a very emotional song.  I'm not surprised if someone might associate it with romance in real life.  In listening to some of the different versions of it, it becomes obvious a number of singers sing the lyrics in a detached way.  Lori Lieberman herself has made this observation.  Obviously, that's not the way to do it.  However, Lori also criticizes her own vocals as being too robotic.   

[uwe]

Roberta sang it - for lack of a better word - soulfully and like only a black woman could. The Fugees/Lauryn Hill version wasn't bad at all (I was happy they resurrected the great song at the time), but could not match Roberta's depth.