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ThisName Group: Members Posts: 307 Joined: July 2005 Posted: June 23 2006, 04:38 I think that the way mike uses bass in his music is really overlooked. The way he writes for bass is as a lyrical solo instrument so that the bass lines to his pieces dont just trace the harmony but in fact have their own form of counterpoint. I think this is incredible and goes to show how inventive he is and how good a bassist he is also! -------------- www.ryanyardmusic.com Back to top

Trinidad Group: Members Posts: 295 Joined: Mar. 2005 Posted: June 23 2006, 07:29 That's exactly what I've been thinking about lately. I'm not a musician, but I'm starting to learn a little to play the keyboard, just for fun, and trying to make a Sentinel cover meanwhile. And, in one part, there's a bass playing a melody I never noticed to be so complex (well, not really complex, but more that just tracing the armony, as you've said). Now I take more attention to those things. Back to top

Quicksilver Group: Members Posts: 85 Joined: July 2005 Posted: June 23 2006, 11:01 Mike plays bass amazingly good. I'd like to hear it more in his future works   Back to top

larstangmark Group: Members Posts: 1759 Joined: Mar. 2005 Posted: June 26 2006, 14:00 Some great MO bass moments: TB part 1 (first section): the roles of the piano and the bass are exchanged. The piano plays a repeated figure while the bass plays the melody. Works really good and keeps the piece interesting. Watch Mike play this on the "Elements" live version. Ommadawn: incredibly low and ominous bass figure the first time the "dark" theme appears a couple of minutes in. The bass makes me think of rotting wood for some reason... Also the bass figure behind the "climax" of pt1. It's remarkably hyperactive. Amarok: first time the "spanish" theme appears. That's a incredible sounding bass guitar playing the melody. Also, note how Mike uses synth basses ca QE2/FMO. Only a bass player can play synth basses like that. (final part of Taurus I...title track from FMO). Also #2, note how different Mike's early pieces sound once he let funk monsters like Pekka Pohjola or Hansford Rowe take over the bass in live situations. It's not neceserily a bad thing, but it's very different. -------------- "There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste" Mark E Smith Back to top

emac Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: May 2002 Posted: June 28 2006, 15:53 The bit near the end of side one of Hergest ridge with the loud sleigh bells and melodic guitar solo has an amazing bit of bass work under it (Note the use of slight distortion in the sound) it is driving, rythmic but melodic at the same time well worth a close listen to! emac. Back to top

jonnyw Group: Members Posts: 522 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: June 30 2006, 17:56 Mike is an awesome bass player -------------- Grand piano. Reed and pipe organ. Glockenspeil. Bass guitar. Vocal chords. Two slightly sampled electric guitars. The venitian effect. Digital sound processor. And Tubular bells. Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com Band music - http://www.rsimusic.com Back to top

Fredde Group: Members Posts: 19 Joined: Feb. 2007 Posted: Feb. 14 2007, 07:47 Usually bass players have short nails when playing bass, but doesnt Mike have long nails, for guitar? Anyone know how he plays? Back to top

jonnyw Group: Members Posts: 522 Joined: Oct. 2005 Posted: Feb. 14 2007, 07:58 Quote Usually bass players have short nails when playing bass, but doesnt Mike have long nails, for guitar? Anyone know how he plays? I think (By the sound of it) He uses a plectrum, I have long nails for playing guitar also, and I have to use a plectrum on the bass guitar. and he pamlmutes the bass quite often too, so you would need a pick for that.   -------------- Grand piano. Reed and pipe organ. Glockenspeil. Bass guitar. Vocal chords. Two slightly sampled electric guitars. The venitian effect. Digital sound processor. And Tubular bells. Solo music - http://-terrapin-.bebo.com Band music - http://www.rsimusic.com Back to top

manintherain Group: Members. Posts: 545 Joined: Mar. 2004 Posted: Feb. 14 2007, 15:12 And on David Bedfords Track Nurses Song With Elephants from the same album when Mike comes in at 12:27. The intro on May I from Kevin Ayers And The Whole World. Also on Angelique from Light + Shade. Strip the U-Myx track down to bass and percussion. Ah, I like that! Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Feb. 14 2007, 18:12 Quote (manintherain @ Feb. 14 2007, 17:12) Also on Angelique from Light + Shade. Strip the U-Myx track down to bass and percussion. Ah, I like that! The bass work here is groovy and great,I do like it a lot. And also the bass part in the end of Poison Arrows. Watching Mike playing bass live was amazing @ NNOTP. What a great bass player he is -------------- "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

D Seph Group: Members Posts: 50 Joined: Oct. 2006 Posted: Mar. 27 2007, 20:05 Wow, I have always thought MO using the BASS rif at Tubular Bells Finale was genius. I mean it was just gorgeous. Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: Mar. 28 2007, 09:02 Quote (D Seph @ Mar. 27 2007, 22:05) Wow, I have always thought MO using the BASS rif at Tubular Bells Finale was genius. I mean it was just gorgeous. That's it!   -------------- "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

nushky Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: Nov. 2005 Posted: April 05 2007, 12:44 A very good example of this is during the european tour (from which the Montreux DVD is shot) when he puposely plays solo bass during Taurus I Back to top

Tati The Sentinel Group: Members Posts: 3360 Joined: Feb. 2002 Posted: April 05 2007, 18:45 Quote (nushky @ April 05 2007, 14:44) A very good example of this is during the european tour (from which the Montreux DVD is shot) when he puposely plays solo bass during Taurus I Another great moment of Mike playing bass,I like it a lot. -------------- "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

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: June 15 2007, 01:41 Quote (manintherain @ Feb. 14 2007, 15:12) Also on Angelique from Light + Shade. Strip the U-Myx track down to bass and percussion. Ah, I like that! I eliminate the percussion, too. I absolutely love the bass, there. -------------- "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

Piltdownboy on horseback 22 Group: Members Posts: 1545 Joined: Sep. 2005 Posted: Sep. 11 2007, 06:34 I'm a bassplayer myself... I always pay attention to Mikes bass lines... Very creative and melodic! I love it when he plays bass on the Montreux concert in 81, it looks really cool on him. I'm happy he uses 4-string bass. I hate 5-string basses!!!!!!!! -------------- "And now we're going to play Platinum!" Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Oct. 09 2007, 21:07 Quote (larstangmark @ June 26 2006, 14:00) the bass figure behind the "climax" of pt1. It's remarkably hyperactive. When you say "climax", larstangmark, do you mean after the 16:54 mark? After years of listening, it was only in recent months that I'd consciously picked up on that bass part and thought 'Hey, that's really nifty'. -------------- "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

larstangmark Group: Members Posts: 1759 Joined: Mar. 2005 Posted: Oct. 10 2007, 13:53 Quote (Sweetpea @ Oct. 09 2007, 21:07) Quote (larstangmark @ June 26 2006, 14:00) the bass figure behind the "climax" of pt1. It's remarkably hyperactive. When you say "climax", larstangmark, do you mean after the 16:54 mark? After years of listening, it was only in recent months that I'd consciously picked up on that bass part and thought 'Hey, that's really nifty'. That's the exact moment! It's also one of the few moments where he doesn't use a pick. It's also a bloody difficult part to play; to play those quick 16th notes with your fingers, jumping between the octaves. He does something similiar at the end of HR part 1 (the sleigh bells part), but in a major scale. -------------- "There are twelve people in the world, the rest are paste" Mark E Smith Back to top

Sweetpea Group: Members Posts: 1476 Joined: April 2007 Posted: Oct. 10 2007, 14:41 Quote (Quicksilver @ June 23 2006, 11:01) Mike plays bass amazingly good. I'd like to hear it more in his future works Yes. Perhaps a future album called "Bass Guitars"?   Quote (larstangmark @ Oct. 10 2007, 13:53) He does something similiar at the end of HR part 1 (the sleigh bells part), but in a major scale. I'll pay close attention the next time I play HG. -------------- "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

The Caveman Group: Members Posts: 2178 Joined: Jan. 2008 Posted: May 18 2008, 09:24 Old topic i know but i have a few thoughts.For a good oppertunity to see Mike playing bass it has to be Montreux.He shoehorns the bass part to the Deep Deep Sound bit of Taurus 2 into Taurus.Wonderful tone and wonderful playing.What i love abput his tone is the fact that it growls (if that makes any sense).Fender P-basses do that anyway but it's a  really expressive sound.I read an article where he says that bass doesn't have to just go "Bmm bmm bmm" and that "bass can really talk".Also at the end of part one of Stars End there is a call and response bit between guitar and bass and it's the saddest (by sad i mean genuinly sad not in a derogitory way) sounding thing full of longing and,without wanting to sound too flowery,sorrow. Regarding the bass sound at the beginning of Ommadawn that's a Gibson EBO he's using to get that big fat distorted sound.It's a similar model to that used by Jack Bruce in Cream (Jack used an EB3)so it's in the same ballpark tonally. So why is Mike not recognised as the amazing bass player that he is?Beats me. -------------- THE COMING OF THE GREAT WHITE HANDKERCHEIF IS NIGH. Back to top

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