Randy Watson 101

...and my Cheetah 4-string semi-acoustic is NOT for sale, anymore

Selling my Stagg 4-string electric bass For 55, outwith eBay. ...and my Cheetah 4-string semi-acoustic one For 45, outwith eBay.

Selling my Stagg 4-string electric bass Stagg ROCKET - 4-String Bass Guitar | eBay ...and my Cheetah 4-string semi-acoustic one Cheetah Semi-Acoustic Bass Guitar | eBay) Name your price for either, can come to collect or can deliver to you. For further details, phone/text 07708602683 .....or email andrew_watson101@hotmail.com andrew.watson32@btinternet.com Thanks.

The 'Hofner Blue Notes' album, by Chris Rea, is an entire album played on a Hofner bass. Not bad. Really laid back, though.

Yes - The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)

Tell us all about: The first ever gig you ever attended. Hmmm, either Hell's Bells or Maiden Scotland. Paul Di'Anno kept the Lemon Tree crowd waiting at the latter, turning up what appeared to be half-cut and wearing hip-hop clobber; like oversized white t-shirt, denim half-masts and bandana. Quite enjoyed it up until then, though. The best ever gig you ever attended. Almost didn't go, but Billy Ocean at the Music Hall fairly recently was brilliant. Been to see the likes of Ozzy, who's a good entertainer, and not too bad a singer; but Mr. Ocean is the complete package, even having a reserved Aberdeen audience on their feet and loving every minute. Wish the bassplayer played 'When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going' on his four-string and not a ruddy synthesizer, though! The worst ever gig you ever attended. Wasn't bad as such, but went to 'Taste Of Chaos' down in Glasgow, primarily to see In Flames, the other year. Played a few songs I like, but it appeared Anders was insistent on playing a lot of the slightly more recent stuff, that just sounds like glorified dance music; and hardly any of the classics. Had no interest in Killswitch Engage, but, ironically, they were by FAR the better band. If you're in a band, repeat the questions but as: The first ever gig you ever played. School 'Pop Idol' thing at the Westhill community centre. We played 'Toxicity' to a size of crowd, about 200-300 people (?), I daresay I'll never play in front of again. Pity the guitarist snapped his string within the first few seconds, mind! Wasn't too bad, apart from that. The best ever gig you ever played. Either the recent Splinterfist gig at The Moorings, or 'Bon's 25th Birthday Bash' at Cafe Drummonds. I usually, rather selfishly, judge gigs by how well I played, personally; though when the levels are ideal, it usually makes this even better. The Moorings was the best, that is least amount of mistakes on my part (!), and the levels began too low; rather than overdistorted from the get-go, which made things so much easier to rectify at the time. The levels at Bonner's gig were perfect from start to finish, and, as a whole - not just myself - we played pretty good. The worst ever gig you ever played. I would concur with Mr. Shand that the drummer not turning up at The Moorings gig was quite bad, but I didn't even have to play! Instead, I'd opt for the first time (and one of the last ) I played with Hytch-A-Ryde, which was at Drummonds. I'd barely been in the band a week, and was expected to play with a lot more confidence than just reading of tab/chord sheets; and therefore played embarrassingly terrible.

'When You Were Mine', Prince cover by Cyndi Lauper.

Short of telling people that it's a minor pet-hate of mine when people try to talk about them as if they're two different sub-genres within the same kind of music, I thought I'd put it in there. After all, it was something that confused me for a long time, mostly because I couldn't reason logically as to which one would be which. Was the 'Golden Age' called 'rap' music because that's what it was all about at the time, purely the art of 'rapping' and little of the superficial bullshit that developed much later; or was it 'hip-hop' because in name it's an apt reference to body-popping etc, locking in with the beat of the music and REALLY getting a feel for the rhythm of the drums and all that?

'Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing. Other elements include beatboxing.' Wikipedia.org isn't infallible, but there you go.

Dunno, inclined to believe that 'hip-hop' encompasses break-dancing, graffiti-art and what ever else I'm too ignorant to remember; and rap is the music itself.

Thought I'd make a distinction here: Was told a long-time ago there was a difference between 'hip-hop' and 'rap'. One, and I can't remember which, was meant to be that 'gangsta shite' you hear on television nowadays; and the other was 'proper stuff, like Run-DMC'. I'm more inclined to believe, I think KRS-1 says this on one of his albums, that 'hip-hop is the culture, and rap is the art-form/musical aspect of the culture'.

The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better. Debut of guy that was in-house writer for N.W.A., wrote most 'The Chronic' and '2001', taught Snoop Dogg phrasing AND how to polish up his skills before recording. The D.O.C. - The Grand Finale. Last song on 'No One Can Do It Better', and features all of N.W.A. It's brilliant because it's like they're all competing to see who has the best verse (It's between Ice Cube and The D.O.C. for me!). 'Parental Discretion Iz Advised' on 'Straught Outta Compton' also features him and other members in a track that has much of the magic that 'The Grand Finale' has. People also tend to forget, partly because of his 'hardcore' persona, how fresh - as they say it - MC Ren's solo contribution to that same album is: N.W.A. - If It Ain't Ruff

Sorry it wasn't as serious as it should've been, tosser.

I'm in the minority here, but if you're not willing to think about it, bugger off. You shot yourself in your own fucking foot telling me how, actually, subjective music is. I replied that that was essentially the root of this thread. The flippancy in how some of these opinions regarding these awful rules I'm talking about, is put across was meant to be the beauty of saying something beyond 'This is shite' or 'I like this - period'.

The thread started the way it was meant to end. If you think I'd stand here and say that all these 'rules', principles, were steadfast and couldn't be manipulated, then, I must say, I'd consider you to have a ridiculously low opinion of my ability to open-minded in a musical sense. Which is kind of insulting, really. This was meant to be light-hearted, and, I'll be honest, this has be turned into a slinging match about those evil people who insist on rules. Everyone has an opinion about the music they like, and if they didn't know why they like what they like, then it would be sheer coincidence to even muster, in all your lifetime, a handful of songs that you enjoy.

It's meant to be a bit of fun, and in most cases the 'rules' (sorry to inhibit the non-conformists...sheesh) apply to genres, and not all music in general.

I genuinely didn't think it would hurt someone's head to think this through. Id' say I'm not being patronising, but I am.

Right, how about saying what it is you like about the music you like? That's basically what I'm saying, no?

Eh, yes.

Whatabout elaborating on WHY it's 'Yes' or 'No'? There's nothing worse than someone dismissing somethng out of hand without justifying their reasons for feeling so.

...and the whole point of this thread is to be subjective, because flippant opinions regarding one's taste and what one thinks to be good, in a generized sense, is what I find, personally, funny. P.S. You haven't told me anything I don't know yet, which is a shame.

Hmmm, will sound like an ignoramous, but whatabout the classic Maiden E, C, D shape?

The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better

A bit tongue-in-cheek, but serious in the sense that it can also apply to songs you enjoy even as a guilty pleasure etc. And there's always a formula for songs you're not meant to enjoy, and, embarrassing as it may seem to be to admit WHAT it is you like about the 'cheese' in question, it's always useful to acknowledge what makes you like it in the first place!

Maybe not being eloquent enough here in expressing my desire for this thread, and perhaps something like this has been done before, but I will give it a go. This is partly for humour purposes, and partly to see how different people regard what constitutes good music, and rules and ways of doing things that have proved this to be so in the past. You can list ten, five or even just one or two 'principles' that are all-important to you in your musical world. For example, here's a few below. You don't necessarily have to go out your way to list songs that prove your 'rule', because the potential ignorance of the thread will be funny alone (I hope)! So, things that I think that SHOULD constitute towards good music, or have done so in the past, are: 1) Basslines that are in the key of E, or at least begin in this key, are the most notable, and best, of all basslines. Chic - 'Good Times'; Queen - 'Another One Bites The Dust'; Black Sabbath - 'N.I.B.' and so on. 2) '80s rock is only worth listening to if songs in question can be accompanied by heroic, Dio-like mic-stand swinging and Bruce Dickinson-esque arm-swinging (and fists held high, then, slowly, and powerfully, brought back to chest/heart of fire). Kiss - 'Reason To Live'; Bon Jovi - 'Livin' On A Prayer' and so on. 3) Guitar riffs and solos are only ever at their wildest and most untamed if played with a wah-pedal and ferocity akin to a wildcat roaring, like a lynx or black panther. Metallica - 'I Disappear'...Christ; really can't think of anymore than that, rule still applies though! Anything played by Zakk Wylde, perhaps? 4) Screaming vocals are no use without a gaping mouth and a tongue outstretched, howling "BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGH!" Howard's singing in anything by Killswitch Engage, probably. 5) Drummers only make the crowd feel special when aiming their sticks, bow-and-arrow style, towards them. I've got you in my sights, baby...feel the love! The late Randy Castillo of Ozzy Osbourne fame, in particular. Regards. Mr. A R Watson