My infatuation with female bass players is well documented and this thread could easily, especially for me, be a flippant, voyeuristic look at hot chicks thumping basses (don’t worry we’ll get there), but the truth is that I feel that there is a deeper connection between the bass and the female that is primitive and intoxicating.
Nothing against men bass players but more so, I feel, than any other instrument, the bass and woman have a unique connection. In fact I would haphazardly postulate that there are more female bass players in rock bands than female any-other-instrument players. The sexist hypothesis might be that the bass is easier to play. Well that’s as may be. But, regardless, I think women are drawn to play the bass.
My theory is that bass-chicks are modern-day Fertility Goddesses.
I understand why they fired me, but did they have to get so fucking cold and ruthless about it?
—Doug Hopkins (Rolling Stone, 1993)
There is beyond an excellent chance that I was in this crowd.
DISCLAIMER: The Gin Blossoms were the bar band in Phoenix during my post college years. So many weekends were spent drinkin’, smokin’ and dancin’ up a sweat with The Gin Blossoms. Point is, I may be biased.
I am not of the Christmas persuasion. Not really of any persuasion per se, but in watching the one holiday special that still moves me, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas of course, the spirit of the season moved me to create the following gift.
The first Major League game of baseball I ever attended was a 1973 Oakland A’s game in Oakland. I was 9 and I don’t remember who they played but I do remember that it was “Official Oakland A’s Baseball Night” and all kids received a baseball with the A’s logo on it. Players were available for autographs and I got me some.
Shortly thereafter we moved back to Phoenix. No major league baseball…but we had Spring Training and every year my grandfather gave me season tickets to… the Oakland A’s training in Scottsdale. This gave me tremendous access to gather autographs on my team ball. At the peak I had; Rollie Fingers, Paul Lindblad, Ray Fosse, Catfish Hunter, Ken Holtzman, Sal Bando, Bert Campaneris, Phil Garner, Ted Kubiak, Vida Blue (who insisted on signing with a blue pen), Joe Rudi, Manny Trillo, Billy North, Dick Green and Philly favorite Chuck Finley.
The only other sig I really, really wanted was Reggie Jackson
And I got my chance.
I was at a Spring Training game with my dad and hustled down mid inning to get a hot dog and who should be in line right in front of me…Mr. Reggie Jackson. He was on the injured list that day with a broken toe. My dad was watching me from the back of the top of the bleachers. We made eye contact and without a word he dropped down my baseball and a pen. I flagged the ball and scooped the pen off the ground and asked Mr. Jackson for his autograph as he left with his hot dog and Coke…
“Get outta here kid! Can’t you see I’m injured?!”
My dad was pissed, took my ball and pen and started off for the dugout. I stopped him. I didn’t want that guy’s autograph anymore.
I followed baseball for a few more years. The A’s disbanded, most going to NY, and I tried to become a Yankee fan. But that just furthered the bad taste in my mouth. Reggie, the Yankees and a growing dislike of all things JOCK, put me off baseball for close to 20 years…
The Fireman is Paul McCartney and this dude “Youth” who played bass for Killing Joke and gained more rep with his “ambient house” collaborations with Orb.
Unbeknownst to moi, they started collaborating in 1993 and have realease a total of three albums, 1994’s Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest and 1998’s Rushes. I haven’t heard a single thing from these but understand they are heavily electronic and might not even include lyrics.
Can anyone shed some light on these for the class?
This new one Electric Arguments showed up highly praised on eMusic. I gave it a whirl and like it more than anything he has been involved with in a long, long time. It starts out pretty far away from electronic but by the second half gets pretty deep.
Media Contact:Chris Kooluris
Ketchum for Dr. Pepper
(646) 935-4098
Chris.Kooluris@ketchum.com
DR PEPPER WILL GIVE EVERYONE* IN AMERICA A FREE SODA IF AXL ROSE RELEASES NEW GUNS N’ ROSES ALBUM, CHINESE DEMOCRACY, IN 2008
*Guitarists Slash and Buckethead Will Not Be Eligible For Free Soda
PLANO, Texas (March 26, 2008) – Tired of a world in which Americans idolize wannabe singers and musicals about high schoolers pass as rock ‘n roll music, Dr Pepper is encouraging (ok, begging) Axl Rose to finally release his 17-year-in-the-making belabored masterpiece, Chinese Democracy, in 2008.
In an unprecedented show of solidarity with Axl, everyone in America, except estranged GNR guitarists Slash and Buckethead, will receive a free can of Dr Pepper if the album ships some time — anytime! — in 2008. Dr Pepper supports Axl, and fully understands that sometimes you have to make it through the jungle before you get it right.
“It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper’s special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love,” said Jaxie Alt, director of marketing for Dr Pepper. “So we completely understand and empathize with Axl’s quest for perfection – for something more than the average album. We know once it’s released, people will refer to it as “Dr Pepper for the ears” because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds – an instant classic.”
Show your support for Axl and get on the nightrain of encouragement at http://www.chinesedemocracywhen.blogspot.com/ –
