So, what have you been listening to lately?

[Ken]

Rest In Peace Herman Deinum.
Incredible Dutch bass player with a super-distinctive and characteristic style of playing.

Wow, that playing really is incredible.  I'll have to look up more of his stuff.

[Basvarken]

When you mention his name in The Netherlands all the musicians (of a certain age) name the same song: Manja!
His signature sound and style:

[uwe]

He's good alright, melodic too.

[Pilgrim]

I joined a group of guys who meet more or less weekly to play together. They're all at least 10 younger than I am.  I discovered Weezer and Big Head Todd as part of their list.

I'm not that hot on the Big Head Todd stuff, but Island in the Sun by Weezer isn't bad. Nice light entertainment, not that different from Jimmy Buffett. Decent bass line, too.

 

[4stringer77]

And then you could follow it up with this.

Nice to see the Bicentennial bird in the Weezer vid. It'll be the 50 year anniversary for those next month. C'mon Gibson, time for a reissue.

[Son of Dave W]

Figured I would dust this off to start the new year.

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[godofthunder]

 In the early 90s-2000 I was into Social Distortion quite a bit. I've recently put them on regular Spotify rotation.  The song Reach For The Sky is really speaking to me these days, number one it's the title of my favorite book and after a banner year of losing friends at 66 years old it has my attention. https://youtu.be/khiNc2h7zdY?si=9NTyXUBNBgGjMzPw

[Pilgrim]

What's been stuck in my head for the last day is the Fabulous Thunderbirds "Tuff enough."

Great basic blues rock! I really like stuff like this, and it keeps me going.

[uwe]

Figured I would dust this off to start the new year.

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Keith, you'll have your old man turning in his grave!!! I remember Dave writing me that he hated the extended version of Getting Tighter most! And I loved him for it, his heresy was anointed.

[Basvarken]

RIP Francis Buchholz.
Just read on his Facebook page he passed away:

It is with overwhelming sadness and heavy hearts we share the news that our beloved Francis passed away yesterday after a private battle with cancer. He departed this world peacefully, surrounded by love.
Our hearts are shattered. Throughout his fight with cancer, we stayed by his side, facing every challenge as a family - exactly the way he taught us.
To his fans around the world - we want to thank you for your unwavering loyalty, your love, and the belief you placed in him throughout his incredible journey. You gave him the world, and he gave you his music in return. Though the strings have gone silent, his soul remains in every note he played and in every life he touched.
With love and gratitude,
Hella, Sebastian, Louisa and Marietta

[gearHed289]

Oh man, that's sad. RIP.

[uwe]

Sehr schade.

Francis had an interesting development as a bass player. Back in 1973 when Uli Roth's Dawn Road trio basically injected themselves into what was left of the first Scorpions line-up (basically Klaus + Rudolf) and Wishbone Ash was apparently still regularly on their turntables, he was all busy and melodic:

And then what I call his "German engineering mind" set in and he started to reduce his bass playing to the absolute minimum for greatest stadium impact. He'd go as far as to play quarter notes where Rudolf played eighths "to not clutter the sound" and leave room for those Hermann Rarebell drums.

Minimalism to the point of sounding angular sometimes.

The schism from the rest of the band in 1992 did not come from musical or personal differences. Francis was the "treasury minister" within the group and the Scorpions ran an elaborate tax scheme involving Luxemburg. But you can only believe to outsmart fiscal authorities for a certain extent of time. In 1992, the whole scheme capsized, the homes of Scorpions members where not so much dawn roaded as dawn raided and  criminal charges for tax evasion were pressed. Francis sided with the Scorpions' tax advising and accounting firms who said that everything was hunky-dory (it wasn't) and the band never forgave him.

I saw him twice with ze Scörps and - many years later - once with Michael Schenker (with Hermann Rarebell playing the drums, they were a tight rhythm section).

[Rob]

When you mention his name in The Netherlands all the musicians (of a certain age) name the same song: Manja!
His signature sound and style:

Nice!

[uwe]

Re the future of rock: Not all is lost yet ...

[gearHed289]

Yes, these gals are cool as hell. They've got some swagger and the music to back it up.