John Hendow

Tony Levin has released a CD “Soup”. Show your support for artists by purchasing direct whenever possible.
Just who is Tony Levin you ask? Let me tell you. Actually, let’s start with a few quotes from other musicians…

“Tony Levin is one of the best bass players in the world, if not THE best” – Peter Gabriel

“…that’s lovely bass. I love it!…” – John Lennon, during the recording of ‘Double Fantasy’

“He’s really a genius. … he’s creating right in front of you… it’s like watching God make THURSDAY or something” – Ellis Paul

Tony’s musical resume is a musical history of the past four decades. He’s recorded and toured with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Paul Simon, Cher, Seal, YES, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, John Lennon, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, Lou Reed, Buddy Rich, Todd Rundgren, Gary Burton, James Taylor, The Roches, Herbie Mann, Judy Collins, Carly Simon, Peter Frampton, Tim Finn, Richie Sambora, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. He appears in the movie “One Trick Pony” with Paul Simon.

Tony has been inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk and celebrated with a lifetime achievement award courtesy of Bass Player Magazine. His personal web diary has been actively updated since being founded in 1995, before terms like “blog” or “the web” were even in common usage. Ask any bassist to name some favorite influences and his name will come up.

He plays fretted and fretless bass, Chapman Stick, synthesizer and tuba. In addition to being one of the world’s foremost bassists, Tony is also an excellent cook, an espresso enthusiast, and happens to be one heck of a nice person. After his performances, people wait patiently in line to meet him, shake his hand, take a picture with him, or just to tell him how much they love his music. I’ve seen this happen every time I’ve been around him. The guy radiates joy when he plays and is a spark plug for musical fun.

Tony’s playing is perfectly groovy. He always contributes the perfect bass line, and it’s often the element that makes the song memorable. I’m primarily a guitarist, but Tony Levin drew me to the dark side… after years of listening to his playing I become so fascinated that I bought as bass *and* a Chapman Stick. Criminey. Then I subscribed to Bass Player magazine. Oh, and I got a fretless bass after that, but Mick Karn can also be partially held responsible for influencing that purchase. I love bass players who sit in that perfect spot in the groove, tying the melody to the rhythmic pulse, and providing that crucial fundamental element of the backbone.

So what makes Tony’s playing unique and interesting? I think there are several important elements. First, he’s classically trained and has experience performing in symphonic settings, therefore he has good bow technique, understands phrasing, and is accustomed to working in a formal ensemble. Second, he is not a frustrated guitarist. The man plays is a bassist. He can solo, and contributes lead lines to many songs, but he’s not playing “lead bass”. Third, he’s a good listener. I think his greatest gift as a musician is being able to rapidly understand and adapt to the music around him. Earlier this year I watched him in concert with Allan Holdsworth, Terry Bozzio and Pat Mastolotto. The quartet performed two full sets of improvised music. That’s adaptability!

This newest CD “Soup” is released under the band name “Stick Men” and features Michael Bernier, Pat Mastolotto and Tony Levin. The music is an combination of great textures, wild playing, and brilliant surprises. The title track “Soup” is a good first taste of what’s to come; listen through headphones to get the crazy overtones off the partially muted Stick notes, liquid modulation effects, and to pick up on subtle percussion elements. “Hands (parts 1-3)” is a rollercoaster with three sections; dig the crazy tones flying by as the piece moves toward the final part – which opens with a Philip Glass-style arpeggio. “Inside The Red Pyramid” has a swirling feel that wafts like desert incense; this track is beautiful. “Fugue” is anchored by a wild percolating Stick pattern (guitar tappers, listen and be appropriately freaked out) then moves into a nice largo at the end. “Sasquatch” is the most Crimsonesque song on the album with interlocking angular Stick parts and rhythm elements. “Scarlet Wheel” is a magic carpet woven from quacking envelope-follower tones, backwards tapping licks, and cross-cultural percussion. “The Firebird Suite” is a wild take on the Stravinsky classic; the third and fourth movements have fabulous arco tones that suggest bowing, but this might be clever playing and EQ. The album’s final track “Relentless” is an aptly named three-movement piece that flows like a river of lava, has a contrasting middle section, and returns with a furious recap of the first two movements. 

I was listening to this CD today at work and one my co-workers (a bassist) came by to ask a work-related question. I said “hey, check this out” and handed him my headphones. His three minute reaction was “hmmm… a solo album by a rock bassist?… wait, this kinda cool… whoah how did he do that?… HOLY CRAP!”

OK, so you get it. Tony Levin has credits and credibility galore, and everybody loves working with him. He’s also one of those important independent voices in music who makes music for all the right reasons. By purchasing this CD directly from Tony, you are participating in a 1:1 transaction with the artist. And that represents a direct source of revenue and support for their work. You’ll also find this new release in your local music stores, and via digital download on iTunes, CDBaby and Amazon. Audio samples are available on Tony’s MySpace page.

Bauhaus remains one of my favorite bands of all time. As a young guitarist in the 70s I was a fan of Led Zeppelin and KISS. I liked dark, big music (and I still do). In the early 80s I also became enamored of new wave and the “new romantic” music that was coming out of the UK. But I’ve always had a rock and roll heart and Bauhaus was a fresh sound. The first thing that struck me about Bauhaus was the intensity and ferocity of the musical texture. Some of their songs are dense noisescapes and others are utterly stark and desolate. All aboard the goth train! Unfortunately by the time they became well-known in the US, the band had broken up. The family tree of post-Bauhaus projects is pretty big and includes Dalis Car, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, and solo albums by the band members. In 1998 the band reunited for a live tour which led to ongoing performances and recordings. Upon hearing of the planned reunion tour I decided I didn’t want to go; my fear being that it’s usually such a disappointment to see a favorite band reunite after so long. Rather than risk seeing post-peak it seemed safer to leave my fond memories of the band intact. Less than one week before the Seattle performance I repented and bought tickets. It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. I was blown away at the energy and intensity of the band, and felt lucky to see them delivering such a great performance.

Recently, Beggar’s Group USA re-released special versions of the first two Bauhaus albums. These are beautifully packaged box sets including additional tracks and live performances. Naturally, I’ve picked up both of them along with the bonus disc, AND ordered the “Studio 79” disc from the UK. My hope is that the other Bauhaus albums will receive the Omnibus treatment.

In The Flat Fields
http://beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/in-the-flat-field-omnibus-edition/
This album has been remastered and restored to its original track order. The Omnibus edition box set also includes a second CD of singles / out-takes / alternative takes, along with a 48 page booklet with photographs and reproductions of early performance posters. Although not a big seller initially, this album later became regarded as very important and well0-crafted release. Previous versions of this CD feature the tracks in a different order than on the original vinyl release.

Mask
http://beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/mask-omnibus-edition/
The Omnibus edition includes the remastered album, a second CD of non-album singles / demos / alternative takes, plus a third CD featuring a live 1981 performance. This set also includes a 48 page booklet with photographs, memorabilia and full lyrics. As sophomore efforts go, this was a pretty solid release. Hearing some of the alternate takes is interesting, and the live CD is great.

…And Remains
http://beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/bauhaus-box-sets-bundle/
This bonus disc includes 7 additional tracks. If you order both of the Omnibus edition CDs from Beggars Banquet, they’ll include this as a free bonus. I’m something of a completist, so I’m pleased to have these songs. They’re not the band’s strongest material but interesting to hear. If you are planning to buy both of the Omnibus releases you might as well get them directly from the label and enjoy the freebie.

Live In The Studio 1979
http://archive.beggars.com/releases/74/bauhaus-live-in-the-studio-1979
This recording recently was made available via the Beggar’s archive in the UK. This is the original studio recording of Bauhaus 1919 (they later shortened the name to just “Bauhaus”). The recording date was January 26 1979, only four weeks after the band formed. I’ve heard other fans discuss these sessions with a sort of goth reverence. I haven’t received this overseas shipment yet, but I only ordered my copy about five days ago. I’m sure it will be a fascinating peek into the early moments of the band.

Back in high school (1977) I was enamored of anything that was loud and scary. Bonus points if it freaked out my parents (sorry mom…). I had already discovered KISS, Stravinsky, and Led Zeppelin. Then one night I was at a party and someone put on Never Mind The Bollocks by the Sex Pistols, and I was instantly hooked. This was the album that set me on the path to discover the Dead Kennedys, TSOL, and a bunch of skate punk.

I recently purchased this release on CD, and it holds up incredibly well after thirty years. There is something timeless and essential here. The Sex Pistols were loud, fast and pissed off. That’s not always a formula for awesomeness, but it sure worked for them. I wish I had managed to see them during their ill-fated US tour. I drove around with the CD in my car this week, rocking out and hollering along. God save the Queen.

I have always gravitated toward interesting musicians who deliver a compelling, well-crafted groove. One of my favorite musicians is Tony Levin, and he always seems to be at the center of music I’m listening to. It’s largely due to Tony’s playing that I bought a Chapman Stick. My first attempts at transcribing bass parts were a result of hearing Tony’s recordings with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson. I consider myself blessed that I have been able to spend time with him and chat over an espresso. Heck, I’ve even loaded his gear down a couple of flights of stairs… guesss that makes me a fan / friend / roadie / guy.

Tony recently sent me a pre-release copy of his forthcoming CD Stick Man. I own all of his solo releases along with a large number of his band releases (I don’t make any attempt to collect everything he’s recorded… the man’s discography is immense). The upcoming release is a bold and musically adventuresome recording, and it’s become my favorite CD of the year. Among Tony’s gifts is the ability to always create an interesting tone and a well-crafted bass line.

Based on the CD title you can guess that Tony plays a lot of Chapman Stick on these tracks. It’s sometimes difficult to determine the bass from Stick tones. There is some very interesting processing on these instruments, and I hear a little of Tony’s classical training showing up in these sounds. Overall, it holds together cohesively as an album, which is every bit as important as the individual songs. I’m also intrigued by the vocals on this CD and look forward to hearing the material played live.

This release is stellar. Get out there and love this CD immediately!

I sometimes lament the sorry state of rock. It seems to me that I grew up surrounded by great rock from bands like KISS, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, The Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Rush, and so on. What I love about rock is the energy and the role of thunderous guitar and aggressive bass. At some point in the 1990s I realized rock had largely vanished from the landscape. What was left were bands where the guitar was a visual prop dragged around by a fashionably aloof lead singer. Nobody was rocking out! At that point I had been playing professionally for over a decade, and actively (and loudly) wondered what the heck was going on with rock. Dang. I had already become one of those fist-waving curmudgeons who scolded disaffected teens because back in MY DAY we had REAL rock and we were THANKFUL.

Bands like Tool and A Perfect Circle give me some hope that rock is not quite dead. Last week I picked up a copy of Tool’s new CD 10,000 Days. This month’s Bass Player magazine has a great interview with bassist Justin Chancellor, and it reminded me of how much I’ve enjoyed their earlier releases. For one thing, this CD easily has the coolest packaging of any musical product I own. It’s very inventive. And the music is everything rock should be… dark, complex, driving, and delivered just seriously enough that you can believe the people behind it are having fun. The band is well worth seeing live if the opportunity should present itself. Dig the crazy time signatures, admire the machine-gun kick drum, behold the majestic grind of a Mesa / Boogie Triple Rectifier. Tool delivers an industrial rock crossover with freshness and vitality.

It gives me hope that we’ll be able to reverse the trend toward global musical lukewarming, so our childrens’ children will still be able to enjoy a good moshpit.

Thus spake the great (and oft-eloquent) brethren of KISS:

I know life sometimes can get tough! and I know life sometimes can be a drag!
But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a road
And that road’s name is… rock and roll!
God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you
Gave rock and roll to everyone
God gave rock and roll to you, gave rock and roll to you
Put it in the soul…

Last week during a team lunch expedition I lobbied my co-workers to make a quick side trip to a CD store in West Seattle. They were kind enough to agree, and I picked up two discs that I had been wanting. One was the latest Tool release (review forthcoming), and the other was a double CD titled The Essential Jaco Pastorius. As a student of the instrument, I’m interested in analyzing Jaco’s approach to bass, and obviously his contribution to – and influence on – modern fretless bass cannot be overlooked. Most musicians hold him in reverence as the Jimi Hendrix of fretless bass.

I was aware of Jaco in the 1980s because my jazz musician buddies were always talking about him. My perception of his work was that he was brilliantly inventive, technically virtuosic, and determined to be up front in the band. Having the benefit of a few decades since those first listenings, my assessment of his playing is still very much the same. I think he was very interesting and complete as a stylist. But I’m not a fan of the music he played. The tracks with Weather Report seem a bit cheesy, both in the 80s new-wave-jazz-rock instrument tones, and in the actual compositions themselves. I enjoy his playing with Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny and of course with Herbie Hancock. There is a strong sense of drive in his playing that adds a new dimension to the music around it. He definitely has a strong lead melodic sense, which was (and still is) a departure from the traditional role of the bassist.

Studying Jaco is good for my musical education, and for my increasing understanding of the modern bass repertoire. However, the net effect is that I have an even greater appreciation for Mick Karn. Jaco is technically a much more adept and well-known bassist, but Mick’s playing resonates with me in a much deeper way.

During my junior year of high school (1980), I heard the Dead Kennedys debut album “Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables” at a rocking party. I had heard other punk bands and was a fan of Black Flag, the Clash, the Misfits, the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, but something about the DKs particularly resonated with me. The music was energetic and full of attitude, with a helping of snarling satire courtesy of Jello Biafra’s lyrics. It was the first point in my young adult life that I recognized the editorial voice present in rebellious music, which led me to explore some of the historical politically-charged recordings of Woody Guthrie. At the time in my life when I was on the cusp of adulthood, the status quo seemed boring and artificial. The DKs deftly skewered America’s middle class conservatism, and smarmy lyrics aside, it acted as a great soundtrack for my final summer as a high school student.

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Jah Wobble (real name John Wardle) is a bassist whose music origins are intertwined with longtime friend Jonny Rotten of the Sex Pistols. In 1980, Sid Vicious lent him a bass, and two months later Jah Wobble landed a gig with his pal Johnny Rotten (now John Lydon) in the newly formed band Public Image Limited (PiL). After three years he moved on to pursue solo projects which have have been all over the musical style map. Given the punk sensibilities of his youth, it’s interesting that he developed a world-fusion style of playing that draws heavily on reggae and dub. 

While there are several noteworthy CDs in his catalog, my favorite of his releases is “Take Me To God”, infused with multiple world music styles. The high point of the CD is “The Sun Does Rise”, featuring Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries). Every so often you hear a song that makes your heart soar. This one does it for me every time.
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Bill Laswell is a prolific, multi-talented musician and producer. I always find his projects fascinating, and many of his CDs are brilliant multi-ethnic style collisions. One of his recurring projects is called Material. This particular recording features Laswell along with musical luminaries Nicky Skopelitis, Wayne Shorter, Bernie Worrell, Bootsy Collins, Shankar, Sly Dunbar, Jonas Hellborg, Zakir Hussain, and Trilok Gurtu. I’m especially drawn to the track “Mantra”.You’ll also find a spoken-word contribution from William S. Burroughs, excerpted from his longer work Words of Advice for Young People. Burroughs is something of an acquired taste for most people, although I had found some of his writing to interesting.

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One of my favorite bassists is Mick Karn, formerly of the band Japan. He is a complete musical stylist, and his playing is unmistakably unique. This musical project is a collaboration with vocalist Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) and Paul Vincent Lawford (credited with “rhythm construction”).

The music on this CD has a spellbinding atmosphere. It’s nonspecific in terms of cultural style with elements of goth, Arabic/Greek/Turkish music, and alt-pop. The overall effect is beautiful and dreamlike. I am a big Bauhaus fan, and also a big Mick Karn fan. This is my favorite CD. There are arguably better releases from the artists involved, but this collaboration captures the musical essence of two brilliant artists emerging from their former bands to embark on solo careers.
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