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Bassman Group: Members Posts: 548 Joined: Feb. 2008 Posted: May 18 2008, 14:14 Bass style?  Now yer talkin'! I, for one, recognize MO for the amazing bass player he is.  His bass style has always been consistently intricate and melodic, and most importantly, it always served the song-the song never became a platform for a bass guitar wank-fest.  My favorite aspect is that it's a very percussive style in which to play.  It could be theorized that he plays this way because his early work rarely depended on a proper traditional drumkit to set the pulse, and that mindset continues to this day-even if it is runs played on a synth.  But no matter.  It's fantastic.  I never tire of his bass lines. Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: May 18 2008, 19:45 Quote (Bassman @ May 18 2008, 19:14) Quote and most importantly, it always served the song-the song never became a platform for a bass guitar wank-fest. He gets pretty close to "knocking one out" at the start of Airborne though.. Back in the day when I played with a band our bass player used to always run through the start of Platinum as a kind of warm up to our rehersals.He`d never really get past a few bars before he`d give it up as a bad job and get back to practising his own pretty cool unique style.But you could tell he would have just loved to have been able to play that thing note for note if he could have applied himself more. Mike`s bass playing is a fine thing no doubt about it.Even as recently as that little bass figure on Angelique.I can remember hearing that for the first time and thinking to myself.."Oh yes fantastic Mike Oldfield on bass guitar!"..And going back to Platinum again his bass playing on the Charleston section of that track has always been a personal favourite of mine as well..But in all reality I`m just scratching at the surface here.As he`s got so many fantastic bass lines going on throughout his work it`s untrue. Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 19 2008, 02:44 Unfortunatley he didn't play bass on Platinum....mores the pity.I think it was Hansford Rowe on Airborne but there are 3 bassists listed.All sessoin men. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: May 19 2008, 06:12 Quote (The Caveman @ May 19 2008, 07:44) Unfortunatley he didn't play bass on Platinum....mores the pity.I think it was Hansford Rowe on Airborne but there are 3 bassists listed.All sessoin men. Just before I posted that last night it actually crossed my mind that it might not have been Mike on there.That`s what I get for posting when I`ve just come back in from the pub.Our bass player always thought it was Mike on that track as well.Blimey all these years,I`m absolutely devastated.. Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 19 2008, 06:51 He did do a rather good versaion on the guitar live though.Tricky part.I can play it but rather falteringly In Changeling Mike talks about the album being made in the USA (he calls the studio Electric Ladyland,it's actually called Electric Lady-it was Handrix's studio so easy to confuse it as,as i'm sure you know Electric Ladyland was Hendrix's magnum opus 3rd album) and how he used studio musicians and encouraged them to come up with ideas.My guess is he wrote the part though.Still it's a bugger he didn't perform it.The tone's a bit of a give away.Very clean as opposed to Mike's growl. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: May 19 2008, 07:16 Yeah I`ve got that live version on disc two of complete.It`s a pretty cool take on it I always felt.I was aware that Mike reorded the album over at Electric Lady.And that there was a number of session guys on it as well.Which was why I probablly should`ve checked that thing out before I posted last night.The whole sound and production of that album is very good though imo.It`s got a great clean & crisp top middle and bottom to it.Which a lot of the best well made albums seemed to have at around that time.Somehow or other all those "toppy/trebley" sounding new wave dudes,and the advent of synths etc.Meant that all that stuff seemed to all but dissapear from the mainstream I guess.Anyway I`m digressing there: Mike`s bass line that introduces the climax to Hergest Ridge is an absolute belter.   Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 19 2008, 07:28 Totally agree!Just listened to a bit of Orribidoo and his bass palying on that is really cool too!The production is pretty special on Platinum.One thing bugs me a little though.The drum sounds.Really compressed sound always made me think of the sound of hitting a beach ball (the big inflatable ones from the 70's).Dunno why.Overall though it's a great album.Dodgy scat vocals and all. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

raven4x4x Group: Members Posts: 1535 Joined: Jan. 2002 Posted: May 19 2008, 07:35 The loud bit in Crises from about 3.50 onwards. Mike seems to be doing his John Entwistle impression here. -------------- Thank-you for helping us help you help us all. Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: May 19 2008, 07:36 Beach ball drum sound ay? I`ll listen out for that next time.And yeah some of those "dodgy scat vocals" are my favourite bits..Heh heh only Mike Oldfield it has to be said. Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 19 2008, 07:39 I think it was Phil Spalding on that one.Could be wrong though.Damn tricky parts there too!. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: May 19 2008, 10:32 We are way too used to hear Mike's electric guitar' talents,but we should pay more attention to his bass playing. -------------- "But it's always the outsider, the black sheep, that becomes the blockbuster." - Mike Oldfield, 2014 "I remember feeling that I'd been judged unfairly and that I was going to prove them wrong." - Peter Davison, 2011 Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 19 2008, 10:36 Damn right Tati.The man's a master.His stuff with Kevin Ayres is wonderful too.Whatevershebringswesing is priceless! -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 20 2008, 07:38 And another thing.... Anyone who's got the stunningly good Kevin Ayres And The Whole World Live At The BBC (for those who haven't got it move heaven and earth to get it...it's rare but brilliant)should check out Mike's bass playing.Particualrly good are There Is Loving with a massive fuzzy tone carrying the whole thing and the middle bit on Clarence In Wonderland.To be fair he played brilliant bass throughout except on Whatevershebringswesing where he plays what can only be described as pissed sounding guitar solo (in a nice woozy sort of way)and Why Are We Sleeping,the second half of which is basically the guitar solo after the Caveman song on TB part 2 which in itself is well worth the price. He Rocks on all the rest as the bassist! -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: May 24 2008, 03:00 Quote (Dirk Star @ May 19 2008, 07:16) Mike`s bass line that introduces the climax to Hergest Ridge is an absolute belter.   Goodness, yes. When I think MO bass, that's what immediately comes to mind. Before my first listen, it had never occurred to me that I could get so excited over bass. Errr... I think we're talking about the same thing - 13:24 of "Part One", right? -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Tayniee Group: Members Posts: 132 Joined: April 2008 Posted: May 24 2008, 03:22 That is a great Bass moment leading up to the climax in Part1. Have been talking about that build up in the HR thread, it really is an awesome piece. -------------- As we all know, endings are just beginnings. Back to top

Dirk Star Group: Members Posts: 1331 Joined: Sep. 2007 Posted: May 24 2008, 08:09 Quote (Sweetpea @ May 24 2008, 08:00) Quote Errr... I think we're talking about the same thing - 13:24 of "Part One", right? Yes that`s the part I was refering to.And then just before 15 minutes Mike plays another bass part to take us into the main theme proper as it were.Fantastic stuff I don`t think I`ll ever tire of listening to it. Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: May 26 2008, 02:06 I sometimes wish we could hear Mike's bass playing a bit more up-front. There's a lot to be said for subtlety ("Enigmatism"), still it's great when the bass pops up prominently - albeit briefly - as in several Amarok passages (2:16, 42:30, and 46:07 for example). -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: May 26 2008, 13:16 I think I only truly learnt to appreciate the possibilities of the bass guitar with Squarepusher; with Mike Oldfield, I always paid more attention to the communication between the instruments and the melodies themselves, but looking at this thread, I have to say: that bass part of Hergest Ridge you mentioned is fascinating, and I wish there were more bass parts like these in the world. -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: May 27 2008, 00:33 Quote (Sir Mustapha @ May 26 2008, 13:16) with Mike Oldfield, I always paid more attention to the communication between the instruments and the melodies themselves This reminds me that way back when I only knew a couple of MO albums, I thought of him as a composer. It wasn't until hearing more of his work (and seeing performances on video) that I felt like a doofus for not realizing, sooner, that he's a fantastic guitarist. Which is really strange considering the memories I have of one of my brothers initially encouraging me to listen to "this cool guitar passage" in Ommadawn, and another who - while watching TBII in Edinburgh on PBS with me - said "Good Lord. How many guitars does this guy need??". So a classic case of cloth-earedness (and cloth-eyedness?) on my part. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Jan. 04 2009, 01:48 Sadly, I doubt there will ever be a "Bass Hero" video game. -------------- "I'm no physicist, but technically couldn't Mike both be with the horse and be flying through space at the same time? (On account of the earth's orbit around the Sun and all that). So it seems he never had to make the choice after all. I bet he's kicking himself now." - clotty Back to top

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