Since movies are a big deal to me. And scores an even bigger deal, here are some recommendations.

Now before we begin, let me tell you what I think is the measure of a great film score. A great score is one that, if you took it away, the movie would fail. Or, put another way, the movie only works with that particular score.

Patton – Jerry Goldsmith
From the opening echoed trumpets to the end Hindemith-like reverie, this one has it all: memorable themes, great orchestration and the ability to enhance the mood of every scene.

Fantastic Voyage – Leonard Rosenman
The best example of twelve tone (atonal) music ever used in a major Hollywood movie. It’s pretty good popcorn sci-fi too—you get to go inside a human body along with Raquel Welch. (Admittedly not as good as going inside Raquel Welch, but hey it’s a family show, pal.) Most people reflexively cringe when they think ‘twentieth century concert music’ but Leonard showed that you could use contemporary techniques that were beautiful, […]

OK, what is it supposed to be.

Great question. I’ve heard and seen numerous ‘retrospective’ radio shows and books which try to even-handedly discuss ‘prog’. The latest, and perhaps one that really did try to be even-handed was on the Public Radio show Sound Opinions (Show #207). What prompted me to write this was that they were trying so hard to be ‘fair and balanced’ but they can’t help themselves; they just gotta emphasize the ‘camp’ aspect. And that’s not only hosed the music’s image, but even more sinister, it’s had a horrible effect on the current range of bands that claim to be ‘prog’. In other words, prog bands today are as much defined by what they are trying not to be.

Why So Serious?

As The Joker says. Most of prog over the past two decades has been progressively (no pun intended more and more serious. And hard. Part of this is because of the connections with metal. After all one of the main roots of prog was King Crimson’s […]

When you’re young and working on yer ‘chops’ there is a tendency to roll one’s eyes when you hear a musician of a certain age start talking saying things like ‘less is more’ or ‘now I play with more taste.’ There is an unspoken feeling that all that sort of talk is a cop out and that what the guy is really saying is either:

a) My technique is hosed.

b) I could never play as well as you young whippersnappers.

Young guys often refuse to accept the idea that it really is a choice; that as one ages, one’s ideas about what constitutes good playing change. Note count no longer seems quite as important as it once was.

In my case, I admit to being guilty of a little of both a) and b). I don’t play as well as I used to–largely due to arthritis. And then there are techniques that came into common practice after got into ‘the biz’ and never concentrated on–an example would be sweep picking; I use it, […]

Stuff for people who play. Or want to play. These are the questions I get most often.

You Do A Lot Of Thumb Playing With The Bass. Any Tips?

Pretty much everyone and their mother plays this stuff nowadays–and way better than I do. But here goes…

Listen to Marcus Miller. He’s got the pre-eminent tone. And tone is what it’s all about, baby. Most other guys sound wimpy and overplay.
Learn to do both up and down strokes really evenly with your thumb. You should be able to use your thumb as fluently as a pick. I use this technique on SAFE (Compartments) andI’m Telling (Home)
If you have an amp with a volume meter, use it to gauge the evenness of your playing. I used to notice how great players could play so cleanly that the needle barely moved from note to note, regardless of tempo.

You Use A Fretless Bass On A Lot Of Songs. Any Tips On Playing In Tune?

Same way one gets to Carnegie Hall. On a […]

I decided I wanted to include at least a few new songs within Nice Cuts. The idea for Detroit came about after a trip back there this spring to do some shows. I was just dumbstruck by how awful the place felt. The fact is that it hadn’t really changed all that much; it’s just that all the recent press which labels Detroit as the poster-child for the economic melt-down finally got to me. I started seeing the city as it really is;  a tragedy of almost epic proportions. And then I thought of (of all places) Russia.

I have visited Russia several times over the years. Before during and after ‘the collapse’. They market a lot of amber there which is quite a metaphor; something very beautiful, but frozen in the past–and kinda delicate. That was Russia. The people were intensely proud, but it seemed as though they were oblivious to the fact that they were living in the past. All their ‘might’ was based on previous glories. People […]