Doin' that Scrapyard Thing

Always loved a good bass line; Donald 'Duck' Dunn's for Stax recordings, later Jack Bruce's for Cream...
I was asked to play bass for Thousand Oaks' 'Cast of a Thousand' in '72.
At the time I was diggin' 'The Move', a Birmingham band that went from Pop to Rock in the UK.

Rick Price replaced Chris 'Ace' Kefford's grindy bass, just as well.

Jim Rolfe, the lead guitarist of my new found band of Thousand Oaks, told me that Chris Squire of 'Yes' got his metallic bass sound on fresh Rotosound bass strings... I couldn't afford a fresh set of strings for each gig, so I'd rub alcohol into their round wound grooves.

I was a guitar player that wanted the bass to stand out melodic but still have a bottom with the drums.

Late 70's

The Punk scene is happening, dismissing the Prog'bots' scalies...

'The Stranglers' arrive.

Jean Jacques Burnell's bass lines brought it back with a vengeance.

Love that Large Mouth Bass.

  

Norwegian Shining

Per mio Primo Nipotino Norvegese Merrick,

Shining, not to be confused with the Swedish 'Shining'-

'OneOneOne' of this year, continues this band's venture into blackrebellajazzprogpunkin-scheet.

'Ottanta'  influences with DJ Nonno Scungilli's vox-

 

That Sixties' Sustain

The sound that made me want to play lead guitar rather than just rhythm was the fuzztone.

More than just distortion, sustain. To be able to hold a note infinitely it felt.

The left switch on the VOX pedal gave you that sustaining power.

So Cal bands: Iron Butterfly, Children of the Mushroom and Spirit were those that clearly stood out with its sound.

Dunlop's pedal was Jimi Hendrix, Robert Fripp to name a few's favorite

fuzz.  

Then came the sustaining 'E-Bow', a hand held device that plays upon the pick-ups' magnets and steel strings.

I was re-inspired.

The first I heard its effect was on the strings of Steve Hackett's guitar on Genesis' 'Carpet Crawler'. 

 Applied live on Bill Nelson's Be Bop Deluxe guitar...

I had to have one.

Still do.

Wish I still had my VOX Super Beatle and pedal.