Post by The Ghoul on Jul 12, 2004 16:24:06 GMT -5
I thought I'd take this time to write out a bit about my inspirations and influences for anyone who might be interested, since our bios are a little scant for aesthetics.
My influences, musically, have been on my mind since I watched Cliff 'em All last night.
Cliff Burton was the person who made me see the bass guitar as a viable, expressive instrument, as apposed to seeing it as 'just another instrument'. Cliff Burton was a man so far ahead of his time that fate could not allow him to exist in this world, and he died very young. He was, in fact, the same age that I am now when he died (and on a sidenote, he died on my sixth birthday, September 27, 1986, which I remember well, though it wasn't until the next day that it was reported here in the US).
Cliff played stuff that was classicallly influenced. He enjoyed metal music. He enjoyed punk and was a big misfits fan. And... if you llook closely at most live shots of the 'major rager on the four strong m'f'er', you might notice how often he wore his beloved Dawn of the Dead t-shirt. But most importantly, he played things that made people everywhere look at the bass differently.
But Cliff wasn't the person who made me want to be a musician. That is the fault of Nikki Sixx. If you didn't know, I have been a Motley Crue fan since I was three, honest. Nikki made music look like the best life in the world He loved what he did and he showed you that with every second he was onstage.
It's these two dichotomies that I bring to the bass when I play it. The desire to play well and be solid, and the desire to entertain and have fun. I've learned, over the years, to broaden my tastes in music and learn who influnced the people who influenced me. I've also grown more as a musician as a result.
If you need some research material, I definatelyy recommend listening to the two pieces that I wore out on cassette after cassette -Anasthesia (Pulling Teeth) from the Metallica album Kill 'em All, and Orion from Master of Puppets. For visual references, check out the Metallica VHS Cliff 'Em All to see Cliff's best solos. I addition, check out 'Uncensored' the Crue video which I watched thousands of times wwhile daydreaming about playing music as a kid (and if anyone's got a copy they could dub for me...)
Anyway, just a thought about my influences.
The Ghoul
My influences, musically, have been on my mind since I watched Cliff 'em All last night.
Cliff Burton was the person who made me see the bass guitar as a viable, expressive instrument, as apposed to seeing it as 'just another instrument'. Cliff Burton was a man so far ahead of his time that fate could not allow him to exist in this world, and he died very young. He was, in fact, the same age that I am now when he died (and on a sidenote, he died on my sixth birthday, September 27, 1986, which I remember well, though it wasn't until the next day that it was reported here in the US).
Cliff played stuff that was classicallly influenced. He enjoyed metal music. He enjoyed punk and was a big misfits fan. And... if you llook closely at most live shots of the 'major rager on the four strong m'f'er', you might notice how often he wore his beloved Dawn of the Dead t-shirt. But most importantly, he played things that made people everywhere look at the bass differently.
But Cliff wasn't the person who made me want to be a musician. That is the fault of Nikki Sixx. If you didn't know, I have been a Motley Crue fan since I was three, honest. Nikki made music look like the best life in the world He loved what he did and he showed you that with every second he was onstage.
It's these two dichotomies that I bring to the bass when I play it. The desire to play well and be solid, and the desire to entertain and have fun. I've learned, over the years, to broaden my tastes in music and learn who influnced the people who influenced me. I've also grown more as a musician as a result.
If you need some research material, I definatelyy recommend listening to the two pieces that I wore out on cassette after cassette -Anasthesia (Pulling Teeth) from the Metallica album Kill 'em All, and Orion from Master of Puppets. For visual references, check out the Metallica VHS Cliff 'Em All to see Cliff's best solos. I addition, check out 'Uncensored' the Crue video which I watched thousands of times wwhile daydreaming about playing music as a kid (and if anyone's got a copy they could dub for me...)
Anyway, just a thought about my influences.
The Ghoul
