Music

The Weekly Music Thread Celebrates the Low End

Let’s discuss any and all music here. Got a new artist who’s rocking your boat that you want to talk about? Post a video! Found out about that unearthed Coltrane album that has the jazz freak in you losing your mind? Lay it out for us! Have a theory about what your favorite band might do for their next album? Let’s hear it! Anything and everything music-related goes here.

This week’s discussion prompt: The Bass Player

Who are some of your all-time favorite bassists? What are some of your all-time favorite bass lines? Are there any bassists that you feel deserve more recognition or respect? Let us know! 

Pictured: The legendary Herbie Flowers on bass, and two other guys singing and playing guitars

Even if the name Herbie Flowers isn’t familiar to you, you’ve almost certainly heard some of his bass work. In addition to a respectable solo discography and recordings as a member of Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky, as a sessionist Flowers has contributed to recordings by dozens of artists, including Al Kooper, Bryan Ferry, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, David Essex, Elton John, George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, Lou Reed, Melanie, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Roy Harper.

RE: Nilsson Flowers came up with the memorable bass line for this song:

It was also Flowers’ idea to detune his bass while playing; he initially did it for a laugh (thinking it would be faded out) but everyone loved it, so they left it in.

RE: Lou Reed Flowers also came up with the bass line for what is arguably Reed’s most iconic song as a solo artist.

Apparently, writing and recording one of greatest bass lines of all time took Flowers all of about 20 minutes.

And at 82 years old Flowers is still active in music, playing bass guitar on the 40th Anniversary UK Arena Tour of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of H.G.Wells’ War of the Worlds in 2018 (he also played on the original 1976 recording) and playing concerts as recently as last year.

As always, any and all music-related topics are welcome. Have fun, and rock out with yr guac out!