Bass Books
Recording: Book Reviews Including… The Daily Adventures of MIXERMAN, and More
Review by Raul Amador
Everything I have reviewed so far has been pretty well directly Bass related with the exception of the Les Paul Book. So, today I am leaving the beaten path to pursue books that deal with the topic of recording… First and foremost, we have “The Daily Adventures of MIXERMAN!”
One of my friends once told me, ” The way you look at things and speak of them is in a kind of sarcastic, cynically witty manner… I like that in you!”… I could pass on the same compliment to MIXERMAN.
‘”MIXERMAN” is the alias the author used as he kept an online diary of a recording session/project with the band from hell. This book is the hard copy of these daily entries.
All the names were very cleverly changed to protect the innocent starting with the bands name…. “Bitch Slap.” My favorite is his name for the drummer, “Dumb Ass…” I really wish I knew whom he was talking about but I imagine that the risk of litigation precludes this.
If you are easily offended by profanity and a generally low opinion of musicians, then this is not a book you want to read. MIXERMAN describes this particular band as “talentless, petty, generally unlikable imbeciles.” (And I am sure that he does not have this opinion of all bands… otherwise why be in the biz at all?)
Ok….. so I smirk even when I write this down. We all know players like this.
Anyway, once you get past the language and don’t take offense to the digs, this book is really entertaining; I laughed out loud every time I picked it up.
Just under the surface you will also find a lot of sad truths about the biz, specifically:
- Commercial appeal is more valued than actual talent.
- Performers shortcomings can be “Fixed” by applying recording technology (off key, off beat etc… no problem).
- A major label can spend $3.5 million and end up with an unfinished record and only a handful of demos.
This is just a few on the list…. Is this crazy or what?
In summation, I enjoyed this book and you might too, Check it out!
MIXERMAN might have not had the material to write his book if “Bitch Slap” had read any of the following Books…
“The Drum Recording Handbook” by Bobby Owsinski and our very own Dennis Moody. Here you have all the details you need to know to record drums! The instructional DVD makes it even better.
Areas covered include:
- The Drum Kit
- The Recording Environment
- The Drummer’s Headphone Mix
- Phase Cancellation- The Drum Sound Destroyer
- Miking the Bass Drum, the Snare, the Hi Hat, the Tom-Toms
- Overhead Mics, Room Mics, and Alternative techniques
- Mixing
- Finally, the Appendix with interviews with renowned drummers including one of my favorites Dave Weckl completes the package.
“Dumb Ass ” really should have read this one before he went in to record!
“How to Make Your Band Sound Great” by Bobby Owsinski would have been a good book for “Bitch Slap” to have read!
This book is a good reference loaded with useful information concerning “Your instrument and Playing” and “How do I make my band sound great?” A 60-minute DVD complements the wealth of knowledge you will find here.
There is just too much here to cover so give it a read if you are taking your Band to the next level!
Next, Lets address “The Studio Musician’s Handbook” by Bobby Owsisski and Paul Ill.
In MIXERMANs’ book, they had to bring in additional musicians to supplement “Bitch Slap”s lack of talent. If this appeals to you as a job then you should read this book!
No, seriously, working as a studio musician is a vital part of many bass players and other musician’s daily routine. This handbook and DVD can help if you want to be successful at this.
You will discover:
- How to become a studio musician
- Who hires you and how much do you get paid
- What kind of musical skills you need and what kind of gear you must have
- Proper session etiquette
- How to apply the necessary skills to make any recording session successful
Lets wrap this up by looking at a couple of books that MIXERMAN might like to read and could use as a sound engineer.
“Mixing the Hits of Country” by Dave Martin and “The Desktop Studio” by Emile D. Menasche. The first book focuses on what works for Country music and has an interactive approach where you can work with two DVDs. Lots of fun with mixing!
Many musicians produce recordings with out ever stepping into a studio thanks to home computers and the wealth of software that is currently available.
Emile teaches us about:
- Optimizing your computer for audio production
- Recording and editing multitrack audio and MIDI data
- Understanding computer-based synthesis, sampling and effects
- Mixing, mastering and CD burning
- Creating audio for video
- Preparing audio for the Internet
Well, this was a fun detour away from the usual books I get to enjoy. Hopefully there is something that will be of some benefit to you Bass Musicians…… Have fun!
Books available at Bassbooks.com and Amazon.com
If you are an electric bass player, this is an exciting time to be alive as this relatively new instrument evolves around us. Some creative individuals have taken an active role in this evolution and made giant leaps in their own direction. Lee Barker is one of these inventive people having created the Barker Bass.Â
Fortunately, Lee is also an excellent writer (among so many talents) and has recently released his book “Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass”. This book is a very fun read for everyone and shares a ton of details about Lee’s life in general, his experiences as a musician, a radio host, and a luthier. Now I am fortunate to have the great opportunity to gain even more insights into this renaissance man with this video interview.
Plausible Gumption, The Road Between a Christmas Toolbox and The Barker Bass is available online at Amazon.comÂ
The Bass Space: Profiles of Classic Electric Basses.
The definitive book for lovers of the low-end. Willie G. Moseley, Senior Writer for Vintage Guitar Magazine, profiles more than 100 historic and unique electric bass models from such makers as Alembic, Danelectro, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Hamer, Kramer, Rickenbacker, and many others.
Rare and legendary instruments, from the earliest attempts at amplified basses in the mid-1930s to the cutting-edge instruments of today, are presented in more than 250 color and period photos.
The main feature of this book is the exclusive coverage of historic and one-of-a-kind basses owned and played by such famed musicians as: Bill Black (Elvis Presley), Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge), Mark Egan (Pat Metheny Group), John Entwistle (The Who), Paul Goddard (Atlanta Rhythm Section), Bruce Hall (REO Speedwagon), Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Benjamin Orr (The Cars), Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick), Carl Radle (Derek and the Dominos), Gene Simmons (Kiss), Steve Wariner, and others.
The Bass Space: Profiles of Classic Electric Basses is available online at Amazon.com
Bass Books
Review: The Bastard Instrument, A Cultural History of the Electric Bass by Brian F WrightÂ
I was intrigued when The Bastard Instrument showed up on my desk… let’s dig in!
When we dive into the history of our beloved instrument, the bass, we find roots that go back as far as the 15th century. This instrument was a member of the violin family and was for the longest time, an acoustic instrument. As the years passed and music changed, there was a need for the instrument to evolve and the electric bass was born.
Comparatively, the electric bass is a relatively new instrument with its earliest appearances dating back to the 1930s and it is exciting to be an electric bass player while this history unfolds around us. Fortunately for us and future generations to come, Professor Brian F. Wright has taken on the herculean task of documenting the trajectory of the electric bass with this excellent book.
The Bastard Instrument presents an extraordinary amount of fine details about the instrument itself, the development of the amplification to handle its output, the pioneers that dared play it, the rapidly evolving music that flourished because of its presence and so much more.Â
When I first started reading this book, I noticed that it felt a tad academic, like a textbook (it might be one someday) or a doctoral thesis, but to present all this information accurately, this approach is more than appropriate. Another detail that might be a bit of a spoiler is that the book only gets us up to the late ’60s. I was left wanting more as we know that so much has happened in the bass world since that time frame; I hope there is another volume in the works to get us up to the present!
All in all, “The Bastard Instrument, A Cultural History of the Electric Bass” is a must-read for all of us who play electric bass and understand its essential place in music.
I found that there was a lot that IÂ already knew but also quite a bit that I was unaware of. I believe that to know and understand where you are, you must know the history of exactly how you got here.
Highly recommended.
The Bastard Instrument is available at Amazon.com (beginning July 2024)
Bass Books
Review: The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health
The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health
I have often thought that it would be great if the doctors who delivered us as newborn babies provided us with a user manual to help us navigate through life in the best way possible. Now Dr. Randall Kertz, D.C. has produced a manual specifically designed to address the many possible afflictions plaguing us bass players.
Many of you will remember volumes 1 & 2 of this book and our first review in 2007. The new complete guide combines the two volumes and features over 20 pages of new material including interviews, techniques, and conditions.
If you play bass, you can read this book cover to cover and walk away with a ton of relevant and helpful knowledge. Another option is to search out issues relevant to you specifically (I found quite a few of my own with helpful options). This is possible because the book is very nicely organized into six chapters that address Pain, Conditions, Techniques, Road Issues, Inspirational Q&A with some of the biggest names in the bass community (too many to list here) and finally How to get relief.
All said, this book is essential if you play either electric or upright bass to the point where they should issue you one when you get that first bass in your hands.
Lastly, if you have this book and you have specific questions, Dr. Kertz is readily available through his website, www.drkertz.com. As if that was not enough, he has a wealth of knowledge you can find right here on our website at bassmusicianmagazine.com/author/randallkertz
Get this book… Live long and play bass well into the years! Available on Amazon.com
The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention & Better Health is now available!
A compilation of Volumes 1 & 2 of the acclaimed Bassist’s Guide with 20+ pages of new interviews, techniques, and conditions, The Complete Guide puts everything in one convenient place.
Available at Amazon.com and from our friends at Bassline Publishing
Follow Dr. Kertz’s Bass Player Health at Bass Musician Magazine
Gear News: Future Impact V4 Guitar & Bass Synth Now Available in the U.S.
Interview With Barker Bass’s Inventor and Writer Lee Barker
Working-Class Zeros: Episode #4 – Boutique and Vintage Basses, Dress Code for Summer Gigs
Gear News: Ibanez & Graph Tech Launch Multi-Scale Bass with Cutting-Edge Tuning
Album: John Entwistle, Rarities Oxhumed – Volume Two
July 22 Edition – This Week’s Top 10 Basses on Instagram
Gear News: Positive Grid Launches Spark 2
Gear Review: Exploring the Joyo Gloam – Sub Octave Fuzz Pedal for Bass
Alberto Rigoni On Unexpected Lullabies
