Dark Side of the Moon - arranged for the NES

Says it all really....

Here's Money, but check out the YouTube page for the entire album.....

"Dark Side of the Moon - arranged for the NES" > read the full post

BASS - How Low Can You Go!

I am going to get mega geeky on yo butts. After all this funking around on the blog I started making a list of my favourite bass players and bass lines...Thats 2 hours I will never get back...Hey I'm a geek so you don't have to be! Read on for a funky good time...


1) James Jamerson






Motown session god, he played all his beautiful bass lines with just one finger and was nick named "Igor" because his playing was so freakishly good.

Here is the isolated bass line to Marvin Gaye's "Whats Going on":



His amazing line from The Jackson 5's "Darling Dear":




Someone jamming Jamerson's line from The Four Top's "Bernadette"

:


2) Bernard Edwards





From the band Chic, Bernard invented hip hop with his bass line from "Good Times" aka "Rappers Delight" aka "Another One Bites The Dust" etc. See sheet music at start of post.

Classic Chic track "I Want Your Love", nice threads as well!




3) Bootsy Collins





Great bass lines with James Brown of course but its with Parliament that things got really freaky! Check out the mad fuzz "lead" bass on the Parliament track "Together" below, like Hendrix had he played bass. It basically invents Flea and the Chilly Peppers entire schtick in one fell swoop...




4) Larry Graham




Easy ladies! Larry invented slap bass...but don't hold that against him. Instead check out the monster stoned groove on the track below, a slowed down spooky take on Sly Stone's hit "Thanks You".



Also the killer riff to this track:



5) Anthony Jackson




Bass player for Steely Dan, Chaka Khan and The O'Jays....Oily stylized lines played with fingers seemingly made from steel.

Great track about a drug dealer, natch...



I want a suit like that! I don't think it is Jackson on the video but he played the original riff.



6) Ronnie Baker




Great session player for Philadelphia International and Salsoul labels, his work helped invent the disco style while remaining jazzy and soulful.



7) Andy Frazer





Player with British blues pigs Free, forever associated with "All Right Now". His work on their lesser known album tracks was however influenced by both Stax and blues and was notable for its sparseness and amazing tone. He holds back and then drops a bomb with just one note. Extra pouting points as well...






8) Andy Rouke





The bassist from The Smiths this my seem an unlikely choice but check out the version of the bass line from "Barbarism Begins At Home" below. He was in funk bands before joining the indie icons and this track was a tribute to Stanley Clarke.



9) Jaco Pastorius






Jaco made his name with jazz fusion benders Weather Report but I always preferred his session work with Joni Mitchell, the track below being my fav.




10) Jack Bruce





A super star of heavy rock with Cream I like his quirky jazzy solo albums such as "Songs For A Tailor".



This is the best tune Cream ever cut and a cool bass line:





There are a shit loads of amazing bass lines out there, here are my favorites:

Hmmm squelchy...




As sampled on Stetsasonic's "All That Jazz"



My mate Marmite etc..




I am loathed to include Sting but this is a great line:



Classic post punk, great use of effects:



You only really notice how amazing this bassline is when you hear it played by someone else separate from the track:



OK time to sign off, next time rocks greatest triangle players...

maningrey


















"BASS - How Low Can You Go!" > read the full post

The Parliafunkadelicment Thang

That sho iz a mighty 'fro bro! George Clinton's crazy funk n roll bands Parliament and Funkadelic are amazing but also maddeningly inconsistent. I have selected the best albums to get you started, after that you are on your own....read on




First off a simple rule of thumb, Funkadelic were basically a black rock band with funk influences that grew bigger over time, but mainly guitar driven like a cross between Hendrix and The Stooges bathed in aceeeed.

Parliament were more of a soul funk band, big on horns and melody. Both bands featured similar players but in different configurations. There is a lot more of Bootsy Collins' bass lines in Parliament but if you like your guitar rock then aim for Funkadelic.


1) Parliament - Mothership Connection

Literally the mother load! Everything that made P-Funk great is on this album, surreal humour, squidgy bass lines, crazy avant synth work and deeeeeep grooves. Underneath the one liners and hilarious voices is a very soulful album particularly the gospel bridge of "Star Child". "Handcuff" is about fucking white women and "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof off the Mother)" does just that. "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funk Up)" is Lenny Bruce meets Earth, Wind and Fire.














2) Funkadelic - Standing on the Verge of Getting it On

The Black Heavy Metal Album. Killer riffs and blazing solos from Eddie Hazel plus crazy sped up voices asking you to "pee in their afro"....Also a sympathetic song about a homosexual, something you would never get on a Zeppelin album.















3) Parliament - Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome

Mothership part 2, but longer, stronger and weirder, if that was possible. Original album came with a pull out cartoon telling the story of the space pimp on the cover. "Flashlight" was the hit, powered by Bernie Worrell's Zappa meets The Swamp Thing keyboards but "Wizard of Finance" is possibly the oddest love song ever and reveals their doowop roots beneath the humour.















4) Funkadelic - Maggot Brain

The most acid drenched of the early Funkadelic albums this is a straight fight between fuzz riffs and soul harmonies. Starting with the monster guitar solo of the title track it then has the sweet Beatlesy "Can You Get to That". Funkadelic were always more straightforwardly political in their lyrics than Parliament and this covers the boiling racial tension of the time in "You and Your Folks".















5) Parliament - The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein

More lighter and more jaunty than the other albums it still features the killer grooves of the title track and " Getting To Know You", plus another amazing album cover!

















6) Funkadelic - Let's Take it to the Stage

The closest the band got to a cross over rock and soul album white folks might have enjoyed, if they had heard about it. Naturally it has a sinister Pedro Bell sleeve that probably killed its commercial potential stone dead but "Better By The Pound" and "Good To Your Earhole" do exactly what they say. "Get Off Your Ass And Jam" is the guitar wank off to end all wank offs...apart from "Maggot Brain" of course.














There are brilliant individual songs scattered through out the Parliafunkadelicment discography that are worth downloading from otherwise weak albums:

From Parliament:

"Side Effects" and "Together" from the Chocolate City album

"Mr Wiggles" from The Motor Booty Affair

"Up for the Down Stroke" and "Testify" from Up for the Down Stroke

"Big Bang Theory" and "Theme the from Black Hole" from Gloryhallastoopid


From Funkadelic:

"Loose Booty" and "A Joyful Process" from America Eats Its Young

"Soul Mate" and "Smokey" from Hardcore Jollies
(this whole album features some amazing guitar work from Michael Hampton by the way)

"One Nation Under a Groove" from One Nation Under a Groove

"(Not Just) Knee Deep" from Uncle Jam Wants You



maningrey

"The Parliafunkadelicment Thang" > read the full post

Bootzilla

In response to the last post here is some more Bootzilla...read on





Full clip of some classic James Brown with Bootsy:







Some versions of classic Bootsy basslines:







And talking of bass gods, here is someone playing some brilliant James Jamerson (Motown session legend) bass lines from a Jackson 5 song:



Plus a great live performance from Marvin Gaye featuring rare footage of Jamerson:




maningrey

"Bootzilla" > read the full post

Funk University Online from Bootsy Collins

It claims it will be the world's first Funk University for bass players, or at least the first one of planet Earth.
Professor Collins and the finest bassists in music will unleash an intense curriculum on the web, for intermediate to advanced funk disciples within the program.

In case you are wandering about the above-mentioned Prof. Collins, a quick search on YouTube is highly recommended. And better than that, you could do yourself a favour and immediately order every Funkadelic, P-Funk, and Parliament album ever recorded.

Read on for a link to the Funk University and a selection of videos....


Register your interest at
http://www.thefunkuniversity.com/



Oh Yeah, I'd rather be with you. Sounds familiar anyone? This is the real thing.






Bootsy started with none less than James Brown, and went on to be in the funkiest line-ups that ever graced this Universe...




"Funk University Online from Bootsy Collins" > read the full post

Ricky Martin, gay.

Here's something else to waste conversation on...





Who knew???

And just to confirm.


"Ricky Martin, gay." > read the full post

Art Vinyl ~ Play & Display Easter Vinyl Giveaway

To celebrate the Easter holidays, Art Vinyl will be giving away a brand new Beatles record with every order placed between now and Easter Monday 2010**. Read on......

With each order placed, you will automatically receive a brand new Beatles vinyl album, chosen at random from any one of their classic back catalogue.

Place your order online or call the Art Vinyl offices on 0207 241 4129.

**Offer terms and Conditions - this offer is valid with all web orders placed before midnight on April 5th 2010. The free Beatles vinyl record offer is available while stocks last.


"Art Vinyl ~ Play & Display Easter Vinyl Giveaway" > read the full post

WaveLab 7 for Windows... and Mac!

Finally! WaveLab 7 runs under Windows as well as Snow Leopard bringing all advantages of its professional editing and mastering tools to the Mac user. No more running dual systems on precious Macs!

WaveLab 7 is expected to ship in the second half of 2010. Stay tuned for updates.

"WaveLab 7 for Windows... and Mac!" > read the full post

Korg Monotron Demo at Musikmesse 2010

Following on from Ciaran's post, here is the demo video....





"Korg Monotron Demo at Musikmesse 2010" > read the full post

Murder Ballads (Songs About Murder)

Thought of changing to Orange mate? Have your spine chilled by this selection of creeps and weirdos, and that's just the band members.....read on





This blog contains a good list of the top songs about psychos and got me thinking about the tunes that get me singing in the shower like Janet Leigh....about murrrrderrrrrr.....


1) Ted, Just Admit It by Jane’s addiction

The absolute mother load of murder songs mainly because it does not simply glorify or condemn but makes a larger point about the connections between murder, rape, violence towards women and men’s attitude to women. It starts as a plea to Ted Bundy to name all his victims after his 70’s killing spree. It then looks into the media’s prurient fascination with murderers giving them an undeserving celebrity, particularly the urbane Bundy, and the fundamental violence inherent in the sex act. All set to a jazzy dub like steam of sound.

Most murderous bit:

And then he came
Now sister's
Not a virgin anymore
Her sex is violent...




2) Diane by Husker Du

While it sounds like it was recorded by a band trapped in the trunk of a car being driven to the desert to be "whacked" its murkyness adds to the sinister tale that unfolds. Based on the true kidnap and murder of waitress Diane Edwards by Joseph Ture in 1980, the Huskers contrast a bleak journalistic retelling of the crime from the killer's view point during the verse with an anguished howling chorus.

Most murderous bit:

"We could cruise down Robert Street all night long
But I think I'll just rape you, and kill you instead"




3) Excitable Boy by Warren Zevon

Hairy alchoholic Zevon was the turd in the punch bowel in the glitzy world of 1970’s LA singer songwriters. Surrounded by such vapid "cocaine cowboys" like The Eagles his songs could not have been farther from his contemporaries, chronicling rapists, mercenaries and…shudder…. lawyers. This deceptively jaunty ditty roles along merrily enough until the protagonist randomly bites an usherette in the leg in the dark of the cinema. The girly backing vocals, someone’s idea of making it “commercial”, instead make the whole thing even more bezerk. Zevon’s other hit was called “Werewolves of London” and he used to beat up his wife.

Most murderous bit:

After ten long years they let him out of the home
Excitable boy, they all said
And he dug up her grave and built a cage with her bones
Excitable boy, they all said




4) The Ballad Of TV Violence by Cheap Trick

Virtually all of Da Tricks first three albums are sugarcoated power pop with lyrics about pedophiles, suicide and ELO. Most slip by due to the catchy melodies and big riffs but this song really does sound like it was sung and written by a nut job. It took them years to have a hit….unsurprisingly. Killer riff!

Most murderous bit:

I need some rope, it’s my only hope
After twenty or so I just don't know
I was the lonely boy




5) Mind of a Lunatic by Geto Boys

There are a shovel load of rap tracks that are about killing, I could do a whole separate list. But this is the most famous hip hop song specifically about a serial killer rather than a gangland gun battle. Really all the other songs in this list wither compared to the ranting tirade of explicit splatter contained within. Most of their other stuff was equally graphic with one of their album covers featuring a dwarf rapper with his eye poked out....ewwwwww.

Most murderous bit, the whole fucking thing, but this is the most printable stanza:

Cross the line, your ass is mine
I don't give a fuck if you're 9 or 99
Blind, crippled, and crazy, don't faze me
Your funky ass will be pushin up daisies






6) Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen

I don’t give a fuck for the Boss generally but this wintery folk song works because it is shorn of his usual chest beating and really kills, forgive the pun, with the final stanza, see below. Based on the killing spree of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate which also formed the inspiration for the excellent film “Badlands”, basically the best film ever made kids….apart from Shrek 2 obviously.

Most murderous bit:

They declared me unfit to live
Said into that great void my soul'd be hurled
They wanted to know why I did what I did
Well sir I guess there's just a meanness in this world.





7) Gary Gilmore’s Eyes by The Adverts

A bit of levity with this punk classic. Based on the story of murderer Gary Gilmore who asked for his body to be donated to science after his, requested, execution. It imagines the fate of the person who is donated his eyes in a bizarre transplant, subsequently driven to madness by the visions his new eyes show him.

Most murderous bit:

A murderer's been killed,
And he donates his sight to science.
I'm locked into a private ward.
I realise that I must be...
Looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes.





8) Psycho Killer by Talking Heads

Undoubtedly the most famous song about a psycho. Singer David Byrne even looked a bit like Anthony Perkins in “Psycho”, and his strange muttered delivery reminds you of all the times you are stuck on the tube with the guy who just wants to be your friend, all the way until Bank…..Oddly the band Husker Du came up with their name when jamming on this song, they could not remember the weird verse that is in French so they started calling out other foreign phrases instead. “Husker Du” meaning “do you remember” in Swedish.

Most murderous bit:

When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed.
Say something once, why say it again?




9) Diary of a Madman by Gravediggaz

I forgot this classic! A hilarious theremin driven nightmare that works like a horror film in music. It starts with a court scene, each of the group's four rappers in the dock stepping up to recount their crimes. Each rap becomes ever more demonic and graphic ending with the court in uproar possessed by evil spirits....a little juicier than "Yellow" by Coldplay don't ya thunk?

Most murderous bit:

And they nailed my hands and feet to the form of a cross
Ah I cry as the blood drips inside of my eye I refuse to die
Visions of hell tormented my face
So i chewed my fucking arm off and made my escape




10) Midnight Rambler by The Rolling Stones

Well it just fucking rocks!

Most murderous bit:

I'll stick my knife right down your throat, baby
And it hurts!






I could have had tracks by Nick Cave and Alice Cooper but well...they are shite...


Maningrey


















"Murder Ballads (Songs About Murder)" > read the full post

Free Vocal Remover Software - GLS!

Tonebytes has introduced GLS! - a free virtual effect plug-in for Windows which lets you remove vocals from songs.......

I have not had the chance to test it, as I am on a (superior) Mac, but it's worth a try if you're on Widows because it's free! It works on the principle of "central channel subtraction" where singer's voice is usually located. Apparently, the plug-in is also able to preserve bass and drums, which are often located in the centre of the stereo space and may suffer along with the voice.

Tonebytes says: "Do not expect magic. GLS! will remove not only the voice: some other musical instruments or sounds may also disappear or become corrupt, and the song loses stereo." Well, what did we expect, really!



Feel free to leave comments if you've tried it...


"Free Vocal Remover Software - GLS!" > read the full post

Hand-held, battery powered analog synth

Check out the new Korg Monotron! It's got the same filters found in the MS-10 and MS-20, and accepts external input, as well as having a funky ribbon keyboard. No UK price yet, but it'll retail at $85 US, so expect around £90 once it gets here.

"Hand-held, battery powered analog synth" > read the full post

Rock's Greatest Lyrics

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

"Rock's Greatest Lyrics" > read the full post

Cygnus: a free ambient/soundscape VST synth (Windows only)

I haven't had a chance to use this because I'm on a Mac and unfortunately this is a Windows only VST synth, but I've read reviews from users online which were pretty positive. Designed for pads, ambient space sounds and other worldly effects, Cygnus is offered with a full compliment of 384 patches and a choice of GUIs. Not quite sure how great the interface is, but worth a try if you're on windows, because it's free. Check out the demo to hear sounds that can be created using Cygnus.........




Download it here.


"Cygnus: a free ambient/soundscape VST synth (Windows only)" > read the full post

Split your mix into stems!

Audionamix offer something different with their Unmixing Station. They will isolate and separate a recording into its component stems.....

Pretty cool - kind of like being able to take the egg out of a cake after it's cooked!

I can see many possibilities from this, but it's not just a plugin - you send your files to them, and they'll separate the stems and send them back to you.

You can register to download a demo version of their software, but this version hasn't any parameters to adjust, (and source file length is limited to 2 minutes). I've tried it out, and the results were, honestly, pretty awful, but the odds of the demo software parameters being ideal for my random source material are pretty slim. There's examples of their work on their website that show what it's fully capable of.

"Split your mix into stems!" > read the full post

Toontrack announces BeatStation

After a couple of weeks of teasing, Toontrack Music has now announced the birth of BeatStation........

Following the feature requests of current Toontrack users, BeatStation provides an open interface to create your own personalised sound-set, harnessing the power of percussion samples as well as melodic instruments all in one instrument.

BeatStation is a stand-alone and/or VST, AU, RTAS compatible virtual instrument, for Mac and Windows. It plays percussion pads, lead instruments and melodic bass. It's got a skinnable open playing surface, it can record samples and supports external samples, MIDI Grooves and REX files. The BeatStation expansion format (BTX) contains high end sampled drum, percussion, bass and lead instruments with MIDI and REX files.

It will be on the market in June 2010. Until then, Toontrack will continue to provide videos and tutorials showing the product's potential. Keep up with it here. (The introductory video on there at the moment is a bit crap but I'm guessing more informative and detailed ones will be put up in due course).



"Toontrack announces BeatStation" > read the full post

Suck Satan Cock

It's amazing how wrong some people are about everything and how right some other people are....read on





I found this crazy list of ranting madness which I thoroughly enjoyed laughing at, just click the word below:

SATAN

in response here is some suitable commentary.





And finally..



maningrey



"Suck Satan Cock" > read the full post

Rock's Ugliest Frontmen

Some bands get by on good looks and talent, others just have to grit it out and hope the wind changes...



1)
Easy ladies! It's Leslie West from the aptly named Mountain, never mind Whole Lotta of Rosie, what about Whole Lotta of Hans Christian Andersen....

2)
Be good and don't go to jail, otherwise you may have to bunk up with this beauty, his name will be D. Boon (from punk funk legends The Minutemen) and your new name will be Candy.....

3)
Is it a swooping pterodactyl? A ravenous velociraptor? No its Geddy Lee from Rush...

What about the voice of Geddy Lee
How did it get so high?
I wonder if he speaks like an ordinary guy?
(I know him and he does!)

from the Pavement song "Stereo"

4)
Biff from metal band Saxon actually looks like a Saxon after a particularly vicious going over from a Norman lord, "out of my path varlet!". In that get up Robin Hood would surely have vetoed his joining the gang.

5)
If the warts don't get you going how about the Nazi cap? What no takers? Having a warty Nazi fetish must be pretty rare but don't worry I'm sure he still gets plenty of "jailbait".

6)
Once Mark Hollis' career with Talk Talk faded he found work as an extra in "Shameless" playing a drunk junkie with tourettes.

7)
Ok so technically John Bonham was not a frontman but I am trying to get to ten pictures OK? Whatever he more than earns his place with this striking combination of Long Distance Clara, a Zodiac Bear and a fly fisherman.

8)
Dez from Black Flag. I don't know whats worse, the blood or the face like a gerbil post fun with Richard Gear.

9)
Often considered the "thinking woman's crumpet", I think of him as the "thinking man's complete bender".

10)
What a sorry excuse for a band look! Like the cast of "Glengarry Glen Ross". These guys are here for the ugliness of their cold cold souls. They once sued an eagle sanctuary for having the website "eagles.com", they lost and now have to settle for "eaglesband.com"...sad really.

11)
Special bonus freak!!!
Punk madman G.G. Allin distinguished himself by covering himself in his own shit, vomiting on stage and waving his unpleasant appendage about much to the audiences disinterest. The phrase "trying to hard" springs to mind, as does "ugly troll". Still about 100 times more credible than The Eagles or Sting mind you.

























Maningrey








"Rock's Ugliest Frontmen" > read the full post

New and very strange......

Here's new, strange........... and apparently a hit!



......and if you haven't had enough, go visit their website, oh yeah!

"New and very strange......" > read the full post

Old, but still strange.....

Can't find anything interesting to blog about today, so here's Leonard Nimoy and the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins......

"Old, but still strange....." > read the full post

Future UK plug design?

A student from the Royal College of Art has won this year's Royal College of Art's graduate show with a new design for the electrical plug.
Not that exciting, you might think, and slightly off-topic for this forum.

Maybe. But then we all use iPhones, laptops, and other objects of beauty, and our studios are filled with power strips that are often bigger than the objects they are used for.

Now have a look at these picture, and join me in praying that someone puts this stuff in to production as soon as possible.

Below there are a few more pictures and a link to an article with more details.























Follow this link for the full article
http://www.iconeye.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=1:latest-news&id=3864:rca-student-radically-improves-the-uk-plug



"Future UK plug design?" > read the full post