v* monologues

The Vapors - I think they're [catchily] "Turning Japanese", I really think so... And I'll leave it to you to solve what that song is about.

VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater, that is. Airy, rockish tunes with copious strings and electronic sprinkles. Occasionally there's something thumpy/groovy, but sadly, these skilled musicians produce the kind of music you put on as background you don't have to pay attention to.

Also, pals, I bought your stuff on CD - shouldn't you be AST?

Verve - remember their borderline lite rock smash, "Bittersweet Symphony"? Go ahead and mock me because I honestly still like that song, but the rest of their collection is nonexistent. Not to be confused with...

The Verve Pipe - some punks from the Motor City. I haven't listened to them much, but their name confuses me to no end.

Victor Wooten - best technical bass player I know. Some musicians are incapable of playing a wrong note. He is one of them. Further, one of the mock rumors about him is that he has eight arms/hands; listening to any of his music, you'd believe it. Check out "Me and My Bass Guitar".

Back in 2005, we saw him in Springfield, IL. Several times before and during the show, we had to evacuate the building for fire alarms; on one evacuation, he brought out a bass, someone came up with a practice amp, and everyone gathered around while he played right there on the sidewalk. Amazing. We schmoozed for a while after the show:




He signed my socks. This is not just an unbeievable musician, but also an incredible human being. There's so much more to say, but let's move on.

Victor Wooten and Steve Bailey - here we have the duo of the aforementioned VW bass fiend and Mr. Bailey, who plays a six-string fretless bass, similar to what I preferred to play (as well as that Claypool guy).

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Interjection: what the heck is so special about "six-string" and "fretless" on a bass guitar? Typically, a bass has just four strings (EADG, like a mandolin or the lowest four on a standard guitar). A six-string bass adds another string lower than the lowest (B) and one higher than the highest (C). Musicians, observe that they're all tuned to fourths, unlike the six strings of a standard guitar. While the extra strings make playing (and muting) more complicated, it's a tradeoff for a wider range and quite increased versatility to play without having to fly up and down the fretboard all the time. There are even songs you simply can't play without the extra strings. I might explain the convenience further...some other time.

Then "fretless" refers to the [lack of] little metal bars up and down the neck of a guitar or bass that ensure that you play notes in tune with a bit of wiggle room for finger placement. A fretless bass, just like upright basses and violins and cellos and such, doesn't have these metal bars. Thus, to stay in tune, the player has to be insanely accurate with finger placement. As an aide, electric fretless basses usually have lines on the neck where the frets would be - classical stringed instruments don't even have this convenience, so playing is entirely skill and guesswork (or laden with masking tape). The obvious disadvantage here is that most people think frets are the best thing since sliced bread, so getting rid of them seems nuts. Also, it's basically impossible to play chords even remotely in tune without frets. However, I argue that ditching frets is the most liberating experience in the world of guitar. (Actually, I started with a fretless, so I more accurately argue the inverse...)

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Anyway... This is really interesting instrumentation because they produce "normal" jazz/rock with just basses. Most often, Victor is absolutely wailing away at the melody while Steve plays both the bass line and rhythm guitar part on his sixer - walking up and down on the lowest strings and playing mini-chords on the highest two. Pretty complicated, but it truly sounds like they have an extra person playing backup guitar along with them. Then sometimes they will trade roles - Victor will take the role of bass, playing some incredible slap-n-pop foundation, while Steve solos away in the higher registers, sliding all over like you're supposed to when you don't have frets. Either way, it's always technically impressive fusion, jazz, or pedal-heavy instrumental rock. Look for their version of "A Chick From Korea".

I'd like to pretend that Nate, Mike and I sounded even half this good with the same instrumentation. In reality, though, it was more like Mike rocking away on drums, Nate playing equally as good but more thumpy/trippy than Victor on the 4, and me being aimlessly slidey and ashamed on the sixer. But someday, Nate, we shall do it again, and I shall not suck.

Violent Femmes - "college rock" meets country, before "college rock" existed. Best part: often at concerts they would have random people play backup brass and sax without sheet music, practicing, or even a set list. Consolation prize: their catchy "Blister in the Sun" has the same story as The Vapors' "Turning Japanese". Worst part: their front man sold out said song for TV commercials and such without consulting with, or even mentioning such to, the rest of the band. Bad form!