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  • "They tell me you're good. Just don't play too many notes."

    From Norbert K@21:1/5 to All on Sun Feb 27 06:26:03 2022
    This was John Lennon's greeting to bassist Tony Levin when Levin appeared to work on John's Double Fantasy album.

    Levin laughed, and answered: "Don't worry, John. You've got the right guy."

    Lennon also prescribed simplicity from drummer Andy Newmark.

    Was this the right approach from Lennon? Are Lennon's best songs characterized by simple bass and drum parts?

    I'd say "No," in an answer to both questions. I speculate that upon beginning the Double Fantasy sessions, Lennon's musical confidence was still low and he didn't want to be challenged by the studio pros.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From geoff@21:1/5 to Norbert K on Mon Feb 28 09:24:47 2022
    On 28/02/2022 3:26 am, Norbert K wrote:
    This was John Lennon's greeting to bassist Tony Levin when Levin appeared to work on John's Double Fantasy album.

    Levin laughed, and answered: "Don't worry, John. You've got the right guy."

    Lennon also prescribed simplicity from drummer Andy Newmark.

    Was this the right approach from Lennon? Are Lennon's best songs characterized by simple bass and drum parts?

    I'd say "No," in an answer to both questions. I speculate that upon beginning the Double Fantasy sessions, Lennon's musical confidence was still low and he didn't want to be challenged by the studio pros.

    But Tony did manage to squeeze i memorable sophistcated bass parts !

    geoff

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Norbert K@21:1/5 to All on Sun Feb 27 13:42:28 2022
    On Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 4:18:07 PM UTC-5, cuppajoe2go wrote:
    On Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 12:24:58 PM UTC-8, geoff wrote:
    On 28/02/2022 3:26 am, Norbert K wrote:
    This was John Lennon's greeting to bassist Tony Levin when Levin appeared to work on John's Double Fantasy album.

    Levin laughed, and answered: "Don't worry, John. You've got the right guy."


    Lennon also prescribed simplicity from drummer Andy Newmark.

    Was this the right approach from Lennon? Are Lennon's best songs characterized by simple bass and drum parts?

    I'd say "No," in an answer to both questions. I speculate that upon beginning the Double Fantasy sessions, Lennon's musical confidence was still low and he didn't want to be challenged by the studio pros.
    But Tony did manage to squeeze i memorable sophistcated bass parts !

    geoff
    Newmark no slouch in sophistication either.

    I wonder if JL gave the same instructions to Cheap Trick.

    I don't know, but it sounds like they were all cutting loose a bit on their version of "I'm Losing You." It's too bad *that* group (with Levin on bass) didn't do the whole DF album.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From cuppajoe2go@21:1/5 to geoff on Sun Feb 27 13:18:05 2022
    On Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 12:24:58 PM UTC-8, geoff wrote:
    On 28/02/2022 3:26 am, Norbert K wrote:
    This was John Lennon's greeting to bassist Tony Levin when Levin appeared to work on John's Double Fantasy album.

    Levin laughed, and answered: "Don't worry, John. You've got the right guy."


    Lennon also prescribed simplicity from drummer Andy Newmark.

    Was this the right approach from Lennon? Are Lennon's best songs characterized by simple bass and drum parts?

    I'd say "No," in an answer to both questions. I speculate that upon beginning the Double Fantasy sessions, Lennon's musical confidence was still low and he didn't want to be challenged by the studio pros.
    But Tony did manage to squeeze i memorable sophistcated bass parts !

    geoff

    Newmark no slouch in sophistication either.

    I wonder if JL gave the same instructions to Cheap Trick.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Norbert K@21:1/5 to geoff on Sun Feb 27 13:40:36 2022
    On Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 3:24:58 PM UTC-5, geoff wrote:
    On 28/02/2022 3:26 am, Norbert K wrote:
    This was John Lennon's greeting to bassist Tony Levin when Levin appeared to work on John's Double Fantasy album.

    Levin laughed, and answered: "Don't worry, John. You've got the right guy."

    Lennon also prescribed simplicity from drummer Andy Newmark.

    Was this the right approach from Lennon? Are Lennon's best songs characterized by simple bass and drum parts?

    I'd say "No," in an answer to both questions. I speculate that upon beginning the Double Fantasy sessions, Lennon's musical confidence was still low and he didn't want to be challenged by the studio pros.
    But Tony did manage to squeeze i memorable sophistcated bass parts !

    geoff

    Yes, including the one on "Watching the Wheels," which is deliberately McCartneyesque.

    Levin was coming off a Peter Gabriel album & tour, and about to join the reformed King Crimson. Is there a style of music he can't play well on the bass? Probably not.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From geoff@21:1/5 to geoff on Tue Mar 1 10:47:01 2022
    On 28/02/2022 9:24 am, geoff wrote:
    On 28/02/2022 3:26 am, Norbert K wrote:
    This was John Lennon's greeting to bassist Tony Levin when Levin
    appeared to work on John's Double Fantasy album.

    Levin laughed, and answered:  "Don't worry, John.  You've got the
    right guy."

    Lennon also prescribed simplicity from drummer Andy Newmark.

    Was this the right approach from Lennon?  Are Lennon's best songs
    characterized by simple bass and drum parts?

    I'd say "No," in an answer to both questions.  I speculate that upon
    beginning the Double Fantasy sessions, Lennon's musical confidence was
    still low and he didn't want to be challenged by the studio pros.

    But Tony did manage to squeeze i memorable sophistcated bass parts !

    geoff


    I wonder if any JL stuff in here:
    https://tonylevin.com/photobook

    geoff

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Norbert K@21:1/5 to geoff on Tue Mar 1 04:39:12 2022
    On Monday, February 28, 2022 at 4:47:14 PM UTC-5, geoff wrote:
    On 28/02/2022 9:24 am, geoff wrote:
    On 28/02/2022 3:26 am, Norbert K wrote:
    This was John Lennon's greeting to bassist Tony Levin when Levin
    appeared to work on John's Double Fantasy album.

    Levin laughed, and answered: "Don't worry, John. You've got the
    right guy."

    Lennon also prescribed simplicity from drummer Andy Newmark.

    Was this the right approach from Lennon? Are Lennon's best songs
    characterized by simple bass and drum parts?

    I'd say "No," in an answer to both questions. I speculate that upon
    beginning the Double Fantasy sessions, Lennon's musical confidence was
    still low and he didn't want to be challenged by the studio pros.

    But Tony did manage to squeeze i memorable sophistcated bass parts !

    geoff
    I wonder if any JL stuff in here:
    https://tonylevin.com/photobook

    geoff

    That will be a fun site to browse.

    I remember Levin saying in an interview that the DF gig was "no-pressure." Working with Buddy Rich, by contrast, was "Nothing but pressure."

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)