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  • SONGVIEWS - SCIENCE FICTION

    I'll take it as a given that everybody here knows The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Great movie, fantastic soundtrack. I saw this one in the theatre in, I believe, 1976 or thereabouts.

    I know it had been out for awhile and was stirring up a bit of fuss in the underground community of cultish movies. Naturally, I was there.

    I had already become a huge fan of 1974's Phantom Of The Paradise, which had its OWN cult following, and around here, it became sort of one of those "understood" things that if you loved Phantom, you loved Rocky Horror. Y'all know I cut my teeth on 70s music and movies.

    Both of these underground gems had the music I craved... from (as I call it) the Jim Steinman era, which included Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell, which featured Paradise By The Dashboard Light, among others. He was also responsible for such 70s melodramatic, emotional outings such as Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart," and "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All," by Air Supply. Overblown, over-dramatic, and oh, so important to the teenaged soul.

    Aaaanyway, as far as The Rocky Horror Picture Show is concerned, the bass is an intricate component of the music tapestry of the soundtrack, but I thought I'd take a look at one particular number, since its bass presence really gives the film its flavour. In the theatre, with the big stereo sound came... THE LIPS. The bass is teasing and subtle, and - as the film progresses - explodes into a thunderous thrill ride of rock and roll bottom end.

    And now, I would like - if I may - to take you on a strange journey.

    I give you, the opening of the film (and the soundtrack), "Science Fiction, Double Feature." Listen to the skillful way the slow, eyebrow-raising bass invites you in with a whisper...


    Comments 4 Comments
    1. TobiasMan's Avatar
      TobiasMan -
      Nice 70'x retrospective there Elmeaux.
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      Quote Originally Posted by TobiasMan View Post
      Nice 70'x retrospective there Elmeaux.
      Why, thank you!

      You're all welcome to post a little blurb about a song that touches you because of the bass!
    1. thunderman's Avatar
      thunderman -
      Frankly, I didn't really become aware of the potential of a bass guitar - even though I played one for years in a 60s pop band - until I heard McCartney's groove on Lady Madonna (even though he played it on piano), then Penny Lane. Amazing stand-alone pieces of music on their own. Then I started listening to Nate Watts on some of Stevie Wonders stuff, and my head exploded in shame - I had had the chutzpah to tell people I was a bass player! John the Baptist had said of Jesus "I'm not worthy to tie the thongs of his sandles". I know the feeling!
    1. Elmeaux's Avatar
      Elmeaux -
      Quote Originally Posted by thunderman View Post
      Frankly, I didn't really become aware of the potential of a bass guitar - even though I played one for years in a 60s pop band - until I heard McCartney's groove on Lady Madonna (even though he played it on piano), then Penny Lane. Amazing stand-alone pieces of music on their own. Then I started listening to Nate Watts on some of Stevie Wonders stuff, and my head exploded in shame - I had had the chutzpah to tell people I was a bass player! John the Baptist had said of Jesus "I'm not worthy to tie the thongs of his sandals". I know the feeling!

      Yep! It's all very humbling.
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