New for 2021

[godofthunder]

   My first inclination was to bash the new GS offerings, I  am going to reserve judgment and keep a open mind. Something is better than nothing which though if not completely true with Gibson they do make us feel like second tier customers whether they know it or not.

[planetgaffnet]

I'm just dipping in here once in a while.  Is this the Thunderbird news mentioned back when all this was fields or is it something else?

[Basvarken]

As an owner of six Flying V basses from four different companies (Ibanez, Kramer, Gibson & Dean), all I can say is that building one that will sound more than ok is a task and a challenge. Let's see. 

Voila!

[4stringer77]

I'm just dipping in here once in a while.  Is this the Thunderbird news mentioned back when all this was fields or is it something else?

Scott and Rob said previously that there is some other stuff beside this on the horizon. Should find out any day now I imagine coinciding with more namm news.

[uwe]

That V looks great with the TBird'esque neck-thru center block. Promising. And the double octave notes are even fretless! 

I'm sssuitably ssseduced, I'll buy one no sweat. Color is gorgeous too. Nothing says "immaturity" better on a 60-year-old than a Flying V bass.

PS: Or isn't that the new Gibson model, Rob? Why doesn't it say Gibson on the trust rod cover? 

[Basvarken]

Don't worry Uwe. It's not a Gibson. It's a Brooks 

[uwe]

Verdammter Holländer, and it's not even April yet.

[Basvarken]

It's not even a joke! 

http://bassoutpost.com/index.php?topic=11766.0

[Alanko]

Mein Gott, Alan, shouldn't he have some credit for knowing and having listened to Lindisfarne at all? The man is a Jewish immigrant to (another) one of your former colonies after all. I didn't read it as him deriding Lindisfarne at all, the man is an outright Anglophile in his music tastes: Beatles, Jeff Beck Group, Slade, The Move/ELO/Wizzard, Uriah Heep, Argent, The Sweet, Blackmore, Gary Moore, you name them. All he said was that Lindisfarne wasn't geared to conventional and commercial tastes, which I believe any member of Lindisfarne would agree to.

And for the record: Gene's mom was an Auschwitz child survivor who largely raised him single. He adored her und would have done anything for her.

Gene could have said that 'Lindisfarne weren't geared to conventional and commercial tastes', but if that is what he meant then he couched it in very Trumpian prose.


I've never really liked outright anglophile American bands. I would throw Cheap Trick into that camp, alongside Todd Rundgren, Klaatu and maybe The Cars as well. When you hear it you know it. My band has also played alongside a few American neo-psychedelic rock bands, and they all take it so very deadly seriously. They dress up like extras from Austin Powers movies and write songs that sound like they just missed the cut to make it onto the Stones' Aftermath album. Earnestly reproducing every fizzle and crackle that British artists laid down on tape 50+ years ago.

Its weird meeting people from another country who are more nerdy, and yet somehow joyless, about music that your own people made. Then again, I've met Germans who are Scottish history/music/culture nerds and that is even more weird. They know more about this stuff than I do. 

[uwe]

I'm currently going through a Renaissance (the band with Annie Haslam) phase and read in one of the newly acquired Esoteric Recordings boxed sets a comment by Annie according to which Gene Simmons was a great fan of the band and waved the Renaissance flag with Northeastern US (Renaissance's most successful territory worldwide) DJs. The Demon must indeed have had a weak spot for Brit folkies (abandoned in their home country).







And of course when for once they ventured into ABBA realms  :



At this rate, the man probably liked Fairport Convention, Fotheringay and  Steeleye Span too!  God of Thunder and, uhum, gentle fo-o-o-o-olk ...

[amptech]

I'm currently going through a Renaissance (the band with Annie Haslam) phase and read in one of the newly acquired Esoteric Recordings boxed sets a comment by Annie according to which Gene Simmons was a great fan of the band and waved the Renaissance flag with Northeastern US (Renaissance's most successful territory worldwide) DJs. The Demon must indeed have had a weak spot for Brit folkies (abandoned in their home country).

At this rate, the man probably liked Fairport Convention, Fotheringay and  Steeleye Span too!  God of Thunder and, uhum, gentle fo-o-o-o-olk ...

I love them! I first ripped a few good songs and included them on my 'favourite prog songs that will make my wife like prog eventually' mixtape (actually minidisc). Over the years the discs had more and more Renaissance songs, then I ened up bying all the albums (from prologue to novella) on vinyl. I think the first incarnation of the band (and records) is a bit tough to adhere to (with exepions like 'kings and queens and a few other tracks) and still not really dig the last few albums that took them into the 80's.

All in all a band that grows on you. At first the bassist (Jon Camp) didn't really do it for me, i thought the sound was too trebly even for prog, and the playing too busy to fit the songs. But his style really grew on me, and now I can't imagine anyone else playing those songs. And at first I thought the 'song for every season' album was a bit 'too much', but even that one grew on me. If I have a bad day now, I can put on 'day of the dreamer' and the mood gets better. Even bought it on CD (from Germany would you believe it) to use it as a reference on my digital setup.   

[godofthunder]

   Renaissance and Pentangle have been in my play list of late. I always liked the bassist in Renaissance and Annie's voice is just beautiful.  I've been working on my mandolin playing this winter and have found myself wandering down musical paths I would not have trod in my youth.

[ilan]

I'm currently going through a Renaissance (the band with Annie Haslam) phase

Jon Camp was a guitar player until he heard Yes, which made him switch to bass, get a Ric and Roto's and dial the treble to 11.

[uwe]

Hey, lots of Renaissance recognition here!

The Squire influence on Camp is undeniable, but nothing to be ashamed of. That Squire sound can still be heard on a lot of Prog albums today, in that niche he's a lasting influence if, lamentably, nowhere else. But then you don't hear a lot of modern day bassists sounding like Bruce, Entwistle or Macca either, a cultural loss.

Camp could stretch out because there was no electric guitarist within Renaissance.

And when Renaissance ill-advisedly turned synth pop in the 80ies, he retained his style which at least sounded, uhum, idiosyncratic:

https://youtu.be/mr9iIjI7m_s?list=PLikNHjJ_cxzAOD2K46-qWwR7qHvKWp1z9

Annie had obviously heard too much Kate Bush by then, that wasn't a good idea either! 

[Highlander]

The double neck he's playing in the latter of the 3 vids Uwe posted... what an odd collection of styles and parts...? Slot-head necks, Ric style body... DM/Precision bass pups... what's going on there... almost Spinal Tap...