Just blasting through Masques, where apparently it was his first album using his fretless...it sounds like he was always using one. He's a beast on the title track with that thing! The whole band kills it. And I really have always loved Chuck Burgis' work on it too.
I think that was when he got the Wal custom, but he was using fretless before that.
Yes, that sounds better. I thought he was using one with Eno.Originally Posted by Dave (in MA)
He played a fretless Fender Precision before he got the Wal for "Masques".
And the Wall bass was also fretless. Did he ever in Brand X use a fretted bass?
Thats where I got confused, I thought he sounded fretless all along with Brand X. (Well, not being a player myself, he ALWAYS sounded fretless to me.)
And the Wall bass was also fretless. Did he ever in Brand X use a fretted bass?
I'm pretty sure he hasn't used a fretted bass at any time in Brand X, but his fretless Fender Precision sounds on the 3 first albums, as the strings are not close to the fretboard so they dont 'hum/buzz' as they do with the Wall bass (as you can hear with Pastorious a.o.).
A lot of PJ's personality shows through there, especially in those cheerful, elastic bass lines bouncing along on side one of Before and After Science.
... “there’s a million ways to learn” (which there are, by the way), but ironically, there’s a million things to eat, I’m just not sure I want to eat them all. -- Jeff Berlin
It's too bad that with all of the scads of Soft Machine live archival releases that have come out, there's nothing from the tour with Jones.
Nice interview! Percy's humbleness and 'English reserve' shouldn't bely his true originality and innovation (at least I know it doesn't for readers/listeners here)!
Glad to see mentions of Noise 'R Us and Stone Tiger! A real shame that there are no official live releases of Percy with Noise 'R Us and no releases--studio or live--of Stone Tiger. I've always felt that the Percy Jones/Mike Clark rhythm section/tandem was one of the most advanced and forward-thinking in their complexity and tightness (while always maintaining forward momentum groove). I could listen to Dance Of The Illegal Aliens and Not Good Enough - See Me! from 'Product' over and over...) Mike Clark is another one of those real innovators who often doesn't get the appreciation he deserves.
and I understand Percy's perspective on his solo music, but his (drum) programming/sequencing was REALLY quite advanced and skillful, approaching Frank Zappa's in certain areas when it comes to understanding and utilization of complex, rhythmic sequences--a rare talent!
Such a brilliant album all around!!
Percy playing a dive bar in Brooklyn for hat money as we speak. This isn't a reflection of him as much as it is a reflection of the fall of culture, and a lack of education and appreciation for music by today's general listening population.
Very sad state of affairs.
A very Brand X-ish sounding Soft Machine at 4:57
I doubt it's even a new thing. On the Fats Domino memorial thread, someone mentioned the other New Orleans musicians who were more respected in the local music community, but never became famous and basically played for hat money their entire lives.
The only exception was when (part of) the music scene was growing explosively, in the late '60s and early '70s. We somehow thought that time, rather than this time, was normal.
... “there’s a million ways to learn” (which there are, by the way), but ironically, there’s a million things to eat, I’m just not sure I want to eat them all. -- Jeff Berlin
Smoking rythm section!
Good read, thanks. I've now seen the modern iteration three times, saw the "classic" lineup in the late 70s at the Bottom Line
I wonder if the members of Brand X ever heard fellow Class of '76 fusionmeisters Band X.
In-depth History of Music from Around the Globe (1967–1985)
Music from the British Isles A–Z (1964–1988)
Jazz-Funk/Fusion Albums from the United States: 525+ titles, semi-annotated
TriMax Soul Albums from the United States: 950+ titles, semi-annotated
Albums from Germany: 1,150 titles, semi-annotated
Albums from France: 1,000 titles, semi-annotated
Albums from Italy: 700 titles, semi-annotated
Zolo Sound Collage
I've seen Ric Sanders fiddling with Fairport Convention so many times over the years it still blows my mind that he was ever in Soft Machine.
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
Is there a studio release of Noise 'R Us???
There are several Paranoise albums, which is Noise R Us. Details here:
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1866798-Paranoise-3
The first two have Percy.
As for Stone Tiger... "Google is your friend."
Thanks for this! I'm a HUGE Kev Hopper/Stump fan so he and Percy having a bass summit is most welcomed in my house.
Glad to hear this! I can never understand why Stump are so overlooked. Sure they were born in the post-punk era but had a love of progressive era music (Brand X and Captain Beefheart in particular) and so they were viewed with suspicion by their audience. Apparently people used to shout 'jazz-rock!' at them as a form of abuse. But they've never had the sort of adulation that Cardiacs now get, and they were similarly loved and despised in the 1980s.
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