Easy Chicago n.p.r. X This is sound opinions I'm Greg caught and I'm Jim Goddess it's the time of the year when we reflect on things we're thankful for and in that spirit we've got a list of songs of thanks from Led Zeppelin to Sly and The Family Stone to the descendants What's the story of a bass masquerading as a guitar. Sound of the bass. Coming up sound opinions. Sound Opinions is supported by Goose Island beer company Brewers i.p.a. Force Sophie farmhouse and Bourbon County Branstad more. We don't need to be the only beer you drink we just want to be the best beer you drink you're listening to sound opinions and Greg later in the show we've got our occasional feature instrumental where we're going to look at the bass 6 a fascinating instrument a lot of people don't know about but it's been on recordings from Roy Orbison to new water that's later in the show but 1st Jim we want to honor the fact that Thanksgiving has just been completed we have got full stomachs full hearts I ate too much we want to play some songs a soundtrack for this occasion of thankfulness many songs throughout the history of rock and pop and r. And b. And soul and hip hop have been written giving thanks and you don't often associate that with a revolutionary rebel art form right now usually you're expressing a lack of satisfaction and I'm not going to say Thank You have no right and here are the exceptions to that rule there's a pretty heavy duty soundtrack we want to take you all over the map across the decades with our songs of thanks to start us off Jim I want to go to Memphis and Stax Records which produced a string of marvelous recordings in the sixty's. Including those of Sam and Dave the duo of Sam war and Dave Prager many of their songs were written by Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter including the one I'm going to play the song I think you perhaps known in some quarters as a hit covered by in the late seventies a little band from Texas had a hit version of this song but the original by Sam and Dave from the sixty's I thank you I think is the definitive one and not the least of which reasons are Sam's intro he sounds like a preacher year out you know get your arms together get your hands together and give me some of that old soul clapping the song has a vibe to it where he's talking about being smothered by love and a lot of people might push that away saying I don't I don't need so much of you all the time and they're saying why not that is a gift from God You should embrace it you should love that person right back with all the affection you can muster and I think that's a beautiful sentiment at this time of year Sam day with I thank you and sound opinions along. The sea. Thank you that is my 1st thank you song that I want to pledge and what have you got just pick us off well you know when we started talking about doing the show Greg the very 1st song that popped into my head is of course thank you by Led Zep 1969 Led Zeppelin to pretty much the definitive metal Zeppelin and then there's this song you know we forget the John Paul Jones some people forget the John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page were very accomplished English session musicians playing you know with with the kinks and in that scene post Beatles the whole pop explosion of 66 and 67 and even earlier and this to me is the one song in Zeppelins catalog that really could come out in $66.00 you know it has nothing to do with $69.00 and the Zeppelin that will become you know the rampaging Viking of metal in the seventy's it is it is a sixty's pop song it is a supreme leader goofy one these lyrics oh my God Little drops of rain whisper of the pain tears of love lost in the days gone by are but it's so beautiful that that silliness of plants vocals the mix of sweet and sour that is so classically Zepp and the gentle acoustic guitar intro John Paul Jones is Borgen and then. Back and forth my favorite song ever as silly as it is thank you. Refuse to show. It To. Thank you I love that song. That's a beautiful one I'm going to go to school. With a song called Dear Mama you know love for Mom I mean who doesn't relate to that right we all love our mom and I'm telling you the one thing about Tupac was that a lot of people viewed him as strictly a gangster you know there's this guy who was talking about running with gangs and mess and people up and and drug running and when he got his love of poetry from mom absolutely the one thing about him as an artist is that there was a tenderness and a vulnerability also there there was a gangster but it was there was also the mama's boy and he had a very tough upbringing and this tribute to his mother if any Chicago or is a beautiful one talks about very frankly about the poverty they grew up in and and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine and despite the fact that she was addicted she nonetheless was his rock through a lot of tough times she came through for him whenever he needed her and now he's going back and reflecting back and maybe I missed treated my mother back then maybe I wasn't as kind to her as I should have been and this is his way of saying you know I forgive you mom for what you did and I hope you can forgive me and the love and respect he has for endures. A great thank you song from Tupac Shakur Corps and so on and. for kids. And there's no way got to play the pet but the plan is to show you that under state law appreciate. That it's 2 o'clock with your mama from 1995 and saw the billions of Song of the. Thanks what have you got next I'm going to Natalie Merchant but not 10000 Maniacs which is I think what most fans would think of I was a huge fan of Natalie's 2nd solo album. You remember the art for that it was this great fold out cd jacket where she played like 10 different carryin she was part of a traveling circus impeach the idea was that she was taking a different persona for each song I think those 2 so especially Ophelia vastly underrated and I love this song kind and generous I mean what else could you say you know you've been so kind and generous I don't know how you keep on giving for your kindness I mean Betty or you know thank you thank you what a sweet way to say thank you what a great voice we've we've not heard enough from Natalie Merchant in recent years he's one of these artists who. You know takes long periods of time and doesn't come back until she has something to say Natalie come back I miss you but thank you for what you've given us here's kind and generous. Here. I mean when you're not doing in front of you to tune into w towards a night beginning at 9 pm It is a mixer and Joyce we get these on so for vocals your turf day even in connection interviews live performances on news of the local music scene. Off your African makes experience during those turns at night on your local public radio that is Kid w. $91.00 f.m. . I know I'm just getting me this week worldwide. I know from. From Zimbabwe. And that's next time on a fuck up worldwide from Public Radio International tomorrow evening at 11 here on Calle w. San Francisco. Sound Opinions is supported by coffee. Roaster coffees offering a variety of signature and. Coffee. Well the thing. Chad. Will be back sound opinions on Jim dear God is my partner is great I thank you for being my partner how about that thank you Jim It is Thanksgiving we are playing songs of thanks great rock and pop tunes from throughout the decades where somebody stopped for a minute and said Thank you it's music to go with those turkey leftover sandwiches or or tofu turkey or whatever it is that you're eating what are you that Greg Jim I want to say thank you to the descendants one of my favorite pop punk bands many decades ago I start started listening to them as a kid and grew up with them and there have been several hiatuses and comebacks by this band and I've been a fan of every one they never seem to lose their mojo they always seem to be on top of their game California quartet started out in $77.00 they've written some wonderful songs not the least of which is the song thank you from 1996 in which they pay tribute not to a girl but a band you know thank you for playing the way you play they said. Did you know your why I go and waste my time at a rock n roll show you let me know I'm not alone and that is in many ways a pit in my eyes is the experience of being a young person going to your 1st rock show and just being blown away by what you see happening on that stage and realizing they're relating to your life they're reflecting your life back to you there was many descendents fans who felt the same way who grew up with this band I think the descendents themselves or once kids talking about the notion of going to see a band and being inspired to pick up guitars themselves this song perfectly encapsulates that emotion thank you by the descendants and sound. Live there. Thank you from the great pop punk band The Descendants and Sound Opinions Jim you've got another song of thanks for us you know I'm thankful we have sound opinions to do every week Greg because I don't think anybody else on radio would go from the descendants to Abba in the space of 2 So there you go we love Abba both of us love Abba thank you for the music one of the songs that came at the very end of their career it was supposed to be part of a 4 song mini musical suite that Benny and beyond the songwriting or tears we're writing for Ani and Agnetha it instead becomes a showcase for it meet and it's just on the side it's right on that cusp you know Julie Klausner shamed me for it I have this hatred of musical theater all right and this song is really bringing new musical theatrical but it's obvious and I love it and there's always those Swedish perfect pop songs and the women's vocals are so amazing I'm nothing special in fact I'm a bit of a bore if I tell you a joke you've probably heard it before and you like where she get here and then the whole thing builds to this love letter to without a song or a dance what are we what would life be so I say thank you for the music right this is the story of our lives it's cheesy I'm sorry it's Abbott but thank you for the music on Sound Opinions. I'm nothing special in fake and they don't. If I attended to on you from the phone. Thank you for the music Greg you've got one more I do Jim I want to go to Sinead O'Connor for us with a song called Thank you for hearing me from her 994 album universal mother I think this is one of the most heartfelt and emotional songs and really saying something because. I don't think she has really ever done a half hearted song in her life she. Invests in what she's writing and how she's singing it she's had a very difficult and complicated life there's no doubt about it she had a stream a complicated relationship with her mother which is one reason this album was titled universal mother the other is that it was a writing this album as she was you know having her own experiences as the mother of what was to become for children. To mulch was relationships throughout her life not only with her mom but with her 4 husbands over the years a lot of that is poured into this song it is about a relationship coming together and the strength that it gave her and also that relationship falling apart and the strength she gained from that there is a hard one wisdom at work here a lot of people when they think of Sinead O'Connor think of that song Nothing compares to you or a great cover of that Prince song where she has a tear rolling down her eyes and he sort of think of her as well heartbroken victim in that song and the song is saying those experiences made me better made me stronger you know she once compared it to a doctor telling her when you break a bone when it mends it's actually stronger than it was in the 1st place and she says the heart is the same way that it can come back stronger from an experience like that so in the final lines of this song after all these really positive sentiments she's talking about thank you for breaking my heart thank you for tearing me apart and now I've got a strong strong heart thank you for breaking my heart it's a really powerful moment in a very powerful song this is thank you for hearing me from Sinead O'Connor sound and. Sinead O'Connor thing. For hearing me from 994 you got one final thank you song for us Jim thank you for letting me be myself again yes indeed Sly and The Family Stone an incredible 1969 tune you know it's just celebrate Tori. I've always heard it as a championing of one of rock n roll's great themes individuality right not conforming I don't fit in I'm a misfit I'm claiming it thank you for letting me be myself again but when you listen a little deeper I think 2 things are happening now one you know that 1st verse Sly is singing with Rose Stone and Freddie stone and Larry Graham the bassist are all contributing vocals looking at the devil grin and his gun finger start shaking I begin to run bullets start chasing I begin to stop we begin to wrestle I was on top I mean I think they're talking about violence in the streets and. The singer was spared thank you for letting me be myself again thank you for letting me live Ok And then as the song progresses the references to earlier sly work every day people sing a simple song Papa still sing in the remake tried different strokes for different folks right as line of Family Stone is coming out of a dark period they're coming to the end of their career you know Sly would have years of sadness and darkness and I mean he really was a groundbreaking genius merging rock and pop and soul and funk laying the groundwork for all black music that followed in the ninety's in the 2000 and troubled drug addicted and disappeared from view is not the hero we want to remember deserves to be remembered I think this is kind of a farewell song maybe he's saying goodbye to the whole business of stardom thank you for letting me be myself I'm not going to be what you expect me to be anymore there's a lot happening here but the thank you I believe you're sincere Sly and The Family Stone on. Sounds very. Much. Thank you for letting me be myself again from Sly and The Family Stone our final pick for a fake you song that wraps up our playlist but what's your favorite song that says thank you call and leave us a message on our hotline 888859800 or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter when we were joined the history of the basics of Patsy Cline to the cure that's in a minute and Sound Opinions are going to be easy Chicago p.r. Was. She was. This is not a 1.7 k a l w San Francisco. K l w listeners have donated their cars trucks boats and motorcycles and these gifts help us in bringing you the programming you enjoy like Sound Opinions So if you have a vehicle to donate please do it now and help us keep your favorite public radio station strong to see if your vehicle is eligible call toll free 880 k. L. W. Car that 888-525-9227 thanks to our was feeling. Thank you. I've got a broken ha. Ha. Sound Opinions on this my partner is Greg and that's one final song of thanks for you thanks a lot by on the stuff there's an instrument behind Ernest on that tune that's kind of a hybrid of the guitar and a bass it's generally called a bass 6 and it's the subject of our latest installment of instrumentals the segment where we take an in-depth look at an iconic instrument in rock history the may or may not be especially well known once again Daniel and Shelby Pollard of Chicago music a change will help us demonstrate and have so far we've done pieces on the Rickenbacker 12 string guitar and the wild wild pedal the basics doesn't have the same kind of name recognition but it's been on many classic recordings from Elvis Presley. To the cockroach we. Were going to turn it over to our producer Evan Chong to explain it's not just that it isn't a household name this instrument doesn't even have a proper name. So hard to even talk about because it's it's just confusing. The instrument that Daniel as a result of Chicago music exchange is trying to talk about doesn't least have a brand name associated with it the Fender bass 6 as in the Roman numeral that's most famous models so for simplicity sake we're going to refer to all of these instruments as a base. 6 really musicians and manufacturers can't agree on what to call it and use several terms interchangeably from far away can be confused easily as a guitar it just looks like a 6 string guitar but it's not a guitar it's 2 lower than that so a lot of people call it a baritone guitar it's certainly not a baritone guitar either because a baritone guitar is tuned differently in fact the tuning is even lower than a baritone from eat it just like a regular guitar but I knocked him below the lowest note same low note as an electric bass so since it has the range of a bass and has 6 strings plenty of people call it a 6 string bass but that term is already taken by an instrument with an even lower tuning when you think of 6 string bass you think of this giant fusion instrument with a huge neck. And it's not like that at all the string spacing is fairly narrow so it can be approached like a regular guitar and played like you know you can play chords and play arpeggios on it. The basics also has a very large gauge strings compared to a 6 string guitar a normal guitar but they're still fit enough that they can be kind of approached again like a regular guitar. Bass disguised as a guitar that's what made the basic sell appealing it was meant to be a bridge instrument a bass designed for someone who already knew how to play guitar someone like Sheldon Pollard at the Chicago music exchange and not a bass player by any shape of the imagination but it's a lot easier to just pick up a b 6 and play the same scale length it feels exactly like a guitar but it's. And sound like one so what does it sound like one notable feature of the basics is its deep Twain you can hear that on display all over in 1959 album by rock n roll legend Duane Eddy appropriately titled the twenty's the band. The design of the pickups the gauge of the strings and the fact that it's almost always played with a pick instead of with your fingers give the basics another distinctive sonic quality it really has this attack to it that no other instrument has the notes are very defined their attacks are very sharp. That sharp tone was put to good use in Nashville in the 1950 s. Up to that point traditional country records had always used an upright bass but the tone of the upright could come across as kind of a dull thud that didn't always cut through on am radio. It was a much more subdued sound a much rounder sound without a very sharp attack. But in 156 the Danelectro company released the 1st version of a bass 6 and Nashville producers realized that they could take advantage of that shark attack to help make the upright bass lines more audible to get the best of both worlds they began using 2 basses simultaneously on country recordings you can get a clear example if you listen closely to a stereo mix of a Patsy Cline saw in the right channel you'll hear Bob Moore providing the low frequencies with his upright bass. And in your left ear there. The click of Harold Bradley's base 6 doubling the part. You. See. In the doubled the baseline with a 6 string bass it really brought those bass lines to the forefront more than ever before and if you could hear the more distinctly than ever that technique of using a base 6 to double the upright became known as tic tac bass it's a subtle effect but you can find it in so many classic country rockabilly and rock'n'roll recordings of the fifty's and early sixty's like in this classic Roy Orbison single you were going to lead. You to cut. The lead to. Sometimes the basics players even got a chance to step up for a solo and on one occasion that ended up changing music forever in 1980 Martin was playing his Danelectro basics on a Marty Robbins ballad called Don't worry oh. 2 slowly but as he started his solo a preamp on the Dixie board went and but the band liked how it sounded released it as is introducing guitar fuzz to the world. Lead lead lead. Lead in 161 Fender released its own. Version of the instrument the fender 6 which as we mentioned became the most popular model it looks a lot like a Fender Jaguar guitar and you might recognize it as the most precious instrument in the guitar collection of Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap they just don't touch it. I was just pointing out. Even you don't even know you know it can't be because I know and I look up. Fender specifically advertised the 6 as a bass but as Daniel and Shelby explain they added a very guitar like feature away any bar I feel so stupid to not wear me a Vibro affect my bra don't think. The effect that it has is when you push down or pull up on the armies the pitch of the strings goes up and down. And it also has a built in mute which is super cool you can flip it on it really reduces the sustain of the strings dramatically with an accent is that an attack even more. The basics became a favorite tool of the legendary l.a. Session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew in the sixty's. During the head sound sessions Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys would layer 3 different bases including a base 6 here Shelby Pollard performing the iconic basics line from good vibrations . He You're playing the. As in the keys of the recordings right no I completely changed all the keys and. I had a stupid question but it had to be asked. Him. Along the way and that gets you through. One of the Wrecking Crew musicians on many of those Beach Boys recordings was Carol Kaye in 1968 she had her Danelectro basics with her 1st session with the late Glen Campbell there was a part in the middle of the song that hadn't been worked out yet and since Glen Campbell loved the sound of Kay's basics he had the idea to borrow it and played what became an unforgettable 20 solo in Wichita. And. I'm curious. Last. Night on June. Even legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery tried out a rare Gibson version of a basics on his moving along album. For . Little. A little. Over. The basics took on a whole new life in the post punk era of the eighty's with bands adding a healthy dose of moody reverb to it it became a major weapon for example in the arsenal of Peter Hook of New Order to our. Time. Maybe most notably Robert Smith of The Cure would love to incorporate that dark sound of the basics into classic albums like disintegration. And if the cure isn't moody enough for you let's transport you to the dark woods of Washington with the basics in Angelo battle of mentees theme to Twin Peaks. In the last few decades probably the artist most associate of the instrument is our friend Doug McCombs the basics of the foundation of many songs throughout his work in Brokeback 11th dream day and tortoise. It's definitely a conversation starter Doug McCollum stopped by our studio to demonstrate his basics. And ninety's it was still kind of an anomaly people were really aware of. That it existed and I would get people saying oh you know like what kind of octave pedal are using tar How do you thing you know or whatever you know that kind of stuff. To a certain degree that's part of what appealed to me about the instrument there was a kind of a way to set myself apart a little bit and just have like a little Nishabd specificity that I was able to inhabit. Oh it's like a lonely sound it's like a deep resonant 20 at the same time that's what I like about the low register but the 20 minutes of electric guitar. That's done with combs a broad back tortoise and 11 dream day performing from the black current on his bass 6 live on Sound Opinions. Thanks to our own Evan children for producing that piece and if you have a favorite piece of the basics let us know on our hotline 888-859-8800 now it's time for another edition of our occasional series Hooked on the Sonics where we ask a musician about the song that got them interested in music today we're talking with Tim McIlrath of the political punk band Rise Again. By insta McIlrath I see play guitar in the band Rise Against the song. I 1st heard that made me want to pursue music and be a part of it was waiting room. By God. The song Waiting Room I think was just so on ly and you think I had heard I was just being a punk and hardcore and for guys he didn't sound like and it sounded like punk guys who were liberated from the idea of what punk should or shouldn't sound like and it was just the powerful. I had an appetite for the I didn't realise I had you know and I started hearing this music it was a combination of the music and the subculture I found so interesting to it was all very just underground happening out there and I just I fell in love with every every single part of it and then eventually I I wanted to create it and I was when I got a guitar probably at the age of like 13 or 14. The whole being or the system will endeavor for God He was so punk it was kind of his middle finger to. Capitalism a kind of middle finger to what music should be you know they didn't make merchandise they didn't create t. Shirts which is most bands if not all bands of bread and butter they sort of piece dances from the cup with that and all go to those decisions or decisions that would historically probably heard a band it would ensure that they would remain underground and never had any sort of national success and yet for them it was like the opposite they became these mythological characters. And little did I know it was sort of. Random encounters were something like music which made it seem trivial all the time would it really. Shift the direction. Of my life I would like to think that the bands that I forgot the folks that I learned so much from that part of that is being passed down to you to be the next generation and that's kind of the the debt that I feel like I owe to that entire scene of music that that shaped my life. That was Tim McIlrath of Rise Against talking about for guys he's waiting room the song that got him hooked on Sonics and it was a good one Greg what we have on the show next week next week Jim we have our favorite list of the year the best albums of 2017 special thanks this week to Daniel asked the reason Shelby Pollard and Collins Ashmead bought it sound opinions was produced as always by Brenda van a sack Evan Chong Alex Claiborne's and I had a contributors. You. Sound opinion everyone's a critic so give us a call on our hotline 88885900 new method you. 0 My name is Joyce I never place a phone call for something like this but I so enjoyed your program today on Al Green my favorite l. Green song is love and happiness. And. Oh man I. Am. Someone who. Can take. Happiness when. I have a granddaughter that when that song comes on the radio and I'm in a car she knows kids here because I'm Grandma is going to help us out I felt only 5 books that I hear talked about I can choose my books I know the way that gentleman sounded so passionate about his writing of the book and I have particular don't like to read biographies. I read that a person write their own story the sentiment really found compassionate about his writing of Al clean and Al Green just down one of my to really top. Male singers so I so appreciated hearing that today and joy found opinion I love it when they're artists that I'm familiar with as well as artifacts I'm not familiar with but you hit it on the nail with me with Al Green thank you thank you thank you write my day. Then I said then. Yes. You are to be with me that's my favorite outgoing song and the name is Sally and I live in card room North Carolina thanks 0. I really enjoyed you guys Al Green up to super nice and I'm just calling to say you know my favorite Greenacre is I thought his 2008 record lay it down was very underprepared it's a great record and I think it bears mentioning that maybe the 2 main torch bearers of soul music today were involved in the record. Basco man who started daft on records road recorded all Sharon Jones. Engineer to play bass on the album and then question love of the roost and Angelo fame played and wrote a lot of music for the record and James Poizner produced by these records also. Was also involved in the writing I think. It's cool to see that Al Green to. Make incredible outlines much like his earlier work with. Modern soul Titans thanks very much freer. Than all the episodes of the show and I would forward to hearing the next on. Your money. 0 on the. Night. That is my name is Brant from Chicago just listen to your review of the Taylor Swift album I'm a 45 year old guy who's in industrial and punk music but I work with a lot of younger people who work Taylor Swift fans and I just want to say thank you for the honest review thoughtful I enjoyed listening to it and I agree with a lot of what you said I think she's very talented people are quick to kind of pooh pooh on a. Yeah you know I always buy I like big guys are honest and you guys can you know good feedbacks. Because a no that is still. No more. To give us your opinions and Sound Opinions call our hotline 859800 we'll be back next week with more sound opinions produced by easy Chicago and distributed by p.r. X. Morning Edition everywhere. N.p.r. News. Porting from bunkers the streets alleys jungles and deserts but most importantly. Where where ever you want to start your day with a trip around the world with Morning Edition from n.p.r. News. Every weekday morning from 5. We've launched a project called California speaks to help people from around the state share their thoughts and hear one another each week will broadcast a question from at the end of the week we'll bring you a collection of answers this this week's question what do you think should be done about people in your community going hungry to answer call 1833 speak that's 183-377-3252 extension 2 find more info at speaks. Thanks. Good morning it's 8 o'clock am in the u.k. Welcome to News Day from the b.b.c. Well. The special relationship between the United States and Britain is under intense pressure as President Trump says the British prime minister to reason may be.