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Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
Posted: October 17 2015 at 23:15
Does 'Skins' count ?? Mason did a great job on TER. As for the bass work - Gilmour can pull it off, though you can sort of tell that the bass isn't his 1st instrument. Pratt is fine (what little he contributed) and who's the other - James Guthrie - on Allons-Y ?? No, it's Bob Ezrin, just looked at the booklet. He plays well. Would've been beyond MAGNIFICENT had Waters contributed the bass parts - had the music been exactly the same, but with Waters bass throughout, I dare say TER would be rated a lot higher.........
Joined: June 18 2009
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 12609
Posted: October 17 2015 at 22:30
Tom Ozric wrote:
Care must be taken on occasion as Gilmour did in fact do quite a bit of the bass in the studio. I was quite surprised when I learnt of this - especially regarding Pigs - the bass line is so Waters. The 'funky' jam in Echoes, the first half on Pompeii - Waters is just grooving along and his sound is fantastic. Love his pick work when he does those fast runs up and down a string. Mason doesn't get much credit for his drum work - some say things like dull, lazy, basic, standard........but his style was spot-on for Floyd. Couldn't picture it working with someone the calibre of Palmer or Collins. And what Mason lacks in 'chops', he makes up for with fantastic ideas and off-the-cuff creativity. You don't often see drummer's names in the composing credits in those days, but Mason was regularly credited on albums. I don't believe Roger and Nick couldn't 'lock together' - they are the perfect rhythm-section for Floyd. Next thing is 'who's the better bassist - Waters or Pratt ??'
I liked Mason even better in those early days, where he sometimes went into a more melodic kind of playing, to try to explain it some way. Things like what he did on Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun, Remeber a Day, A Saucerful of Secrets... he would later on go into a more straightforward kind of drummer, though. And in a way Waters went along with Mason with his bass playing... I mean, Set the Controls melody was mainly played by Mason and Waters, and it's great... and I guess that's not a very common thing to hear... not even from Squire. Perhaps some of ELP's songs.
Joined: September 03 2005
Location: Olympus Mons
Status: Offline
Points: 15916
Posted: October 17 2015 at 20:09
Care must be taken on occasion as Gilmour did in fact do quite a bit of the bass in the studio. I was quite surprised when I learnt of this - especially regarding Pigs - the bass line is so Waters. The 'funky' jam in Echoes, the first half on Pompeii - Waters is just grooving along and his sound is fantastic. Love his pick work when he does those fast runs up and down a string. Mason doesn't get much credit for his drum work - some say things like dull, lazy, basic, standard........but his style was spot-on for Floyd. Couldn't picture it working with someone the calibre of Palmer or Collins. And what Mason lacks in 'chops', he makes up for with fantastic ideas and off-the-cuff creativity. You don't often see drummer's names in the composing credits in those days, but Mason was regularly credited on albums. I don't believe Roger and Nick couldn't 'lock together' - they are the perfect rhythm-section for Floyd. Next thing is 'who's the better bassist - Waters or Pratt ??'
Joined: January 17 2012
Location: Wirral
Status: Offline
Points: 1079
Posted: October 17 2015 at 19:31
uduwudu wrote:
That he and Mr Mason recorded Atom Heart Mother in one take is definitely worthy of note... One of These Days double act with DG. And one day his work on The Embryo (especially those great live versions)...
I've never noticed where exactly, but on documentaries it was revealed that later on in recording the rhythms of the other instruments didn't match up as both Waters and Mason were playing either a bit faster or slower.
It's come to something that after all these decades of hearing that, I still can't find the moment they were talking about.
And even if I do find out where it is, the thought of Roger and Nick recording their take across the full 20 odd minutes is a powerful piece for his case!
I think his best work is all over the Animals album, Pigs (3 Different Ones) especially. Had a great riff with Money. Knows when to leave the spaces (TDSOTM) and knows his way around a groove too (ABITW 1, 2 and 3). Nice riff in Set The Controls. Some of his best ensemble work is Shine One (Parts 5 - 9).
That he and Mr Mason recorded Atom Heart Mother in one take is definitely worthy of note... One of These Days double act with DG. And one day his work on The Embryo (especially those great live versions)...
Joined: October 12 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 6446
Posted: October 16 2015 at 14:58
sublime220 wrote:
Let There Be More Light, one of the best Floyd songs.
That's one of the few where he 'shines' on a studio track. That opening bass riff was an inspiration for the main riff in Metallica's "Master Of Puppets".
Joined: January 17 2012
Location: Wirral
Status: Offline
Points: 1079
Posted: October 16 2015 at 13:24
"A Saucerful of Secrets" all round is a great case for Roger Waters bass work.
"Money" is an obvious, but "Two Suns In The Sunset" isn't. Despite the latter being a restrained bass line without the frantic of his early days.
On a documentary Ron Geesin says Roger was not particularly good at the rhythms, but excellent at timing.
So on that basis, "The Final Cut" maybe should be listened to with that in mind?
Hugh Hopper was for me the better bass guitarist than PF and KC, but Roger Waters has a great sense of timing.
The more guitar songs from "Amused To Death" should be considered, except for "What God Wants Pt.1" and "It's A Miracle". (According to Wikipedia, someone else played on those tracks)
And if you don't listen to the lyrics, even "The Pros And Cons Of Hitchhiking" has solid bass playing.
Given there's barely a fill or solo on either album.
Hang on, surely Chris Squire is the better bass player than Roger Waters and Hugh Hopper?
Argh! All confused now!
Roger Waters not a great bass soloist, but the perfect bass player for a band.
Joined: March 08 2011
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 1060
Posted: October 15 2015 at 00:23
I love him, but he's an average bassist. Even Gilmour played a lot the bass in the studio albums. Some lines in The Piper are good, like TUTSAW, but he's a much better "artist" than he's a musician.
I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place
Joined: March 19 2008
Location: Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 841
Posted: October 14 2015 at 15:48
Dellinger wrote:
DDPascalDD wrote:
Don't forget Money! Also I really like roger at pigs, really cool thing he does just before gilmour strikes with his axe.
I think someone mentioned a little while ago around here that the bass on Pigs was played by Gilmour... though you might just as well not take my word for it.
You're absolutely right, it's a fretless bass and Roger doesn't do that.
An interesting thing about Money; the riff is played both by Waters on bass AND by Gilmour on the Leslie guitar. That's how they get that great "fat" sound.
Joined: June 18 2009
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 12609
Posted: October 13 2015 at 21:42
DDPascalDD wrote:
Don't forget Money! Also I really like roger at pigs, really cool thing he does just before gilmour strikes with his axe.
I think someone mentioned a little while ago around here that the bass on Pigs was played by Gilmour... though you might just as well not take my word for it.
Joined: September 20 2009
Location: TEHRAN-IRAN
Status: Offline
Points: 2619
Posted: October 13 2015 at 11:33
Tom Ozric wrote:
Rog is a decent, solid bassist. I love his playing throughout the Pompeii film. Also, I think the bass lines in Take Up Thy Stethoscope.......is really cool. Atom Heart bass lines are superb too. Actually, Roger was the reason I picked up a bass in the first place !!
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Roger Waters bass work
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Tom Ozric wrote:
