The Bass Geek

Now that Rhapsody is offering 256Kbps MP3 downloads for prices comparable to iTunes without the DRM, most of what I’m reading is “Why would anybody buy from iTunes?” And to be fair, aside from a nicely streamlined purchase process into my iPod and possible exclusivity on some material, I can definitely see their side of the argument. I’m getting just as much from eMusic these days as iTunes (if not more) at a better price than iTunes or Rhapsody. I’m not running into the DRM limitations that so many seem to be railing against, but this is likely to change now that I’m going to be streaming material to the new XBox 360.

Thus, it sounds like it’s a good time for iTunes to throw open the vaults - I’d prefer to get tracks in AAC format due to the improved codec (bump it higher, though, please), and DRM (although, again, I’ve never hit the wall on this once) needs to go away. Wonder how long it’ll take?

Rock Band gets a virtual P-Bass.

Both Rock Band and Guitar Hero get a virtual MusicMan Stingray.

Although I still like my real ones better (I’m trying to decide which one to use for “The Wiz” next month, as both will work wonderfully for solid, soulful playing), it’s an important step forward for bass visibility.

*cue swelling music*

No longer are we subjugated to bastardized plastic simulacrums of our proud instruments when we waste our time playing a glorified musical Simon game. No, our standard flies high today and forever more. Stand tall and proud, fellow bassists. Tall and proud.

*Fade on satisfying, glorious cadence*

The newest version of Guitar Hero allegedly sports some touch pads on the controller to help simulate the playing of slap bass. Of this, I am skeptical.

Not that I’m bashing the game by any means - it’s fun, and it’s just a game. No biggie. I just think touch pads can’t simulate the feel of the thumb striking and bouncing of the strings without a string-like object there.

It also can’t simulate the rolled eyes and exaggerated sighs you get when you go off-script for a bit during rehearsal and slap out the intro to the song in double-time. Which, after all, is the reason to do such things.

Think of the major online music retailers as the love-all-serve-all method - iTunes and Amazon stock a whole bunch of music and hope to drag in as many folks as possible. They function as content gateways in that they have a limited “stock,” if you will, but that stock is probably both wider (broader range of artists) and deeper (always more copies of the same thing available) than the average record store. Still, aside from celebrity playlist or online recommendations, there’s a supermarket feel to it. Just find what you want on the shelf and buy it.

I’m intrigued by the new Wax Poetics digital store as another alternative to that. With a respected brand name and the willingness to seek out older and out-of-print material, they can make a respectable niche for themselves fulfilling needs to more particular music listeners. I’m hoping this will turn into a virtual Dusty Groove for downloads.

Except that Wax Poetic only has one James Blood Ulmer album, which is what I always seem to walk out of Dusty Groove with whenever I’m there.

The idea of a phone-based sequencer is nothing new - an old Sony Ericsson phone of mine had a simple program that allowed you to move “blocks” of music around to make your own MIDI songs or ringtones.  Pair it with the touch-screen on the iPhone, though (and put it front and center at an Apple product debut), and suddenly the whole things takes life.  There’s video of Band already posted at their homepage, and the controls look simple enough.  I doubt it’ll be much help to high-power sequencers, but I also thought the same thing about Garageband when it first came out (and it evolved into a nicely usable program).

The thing that disturbs me is the Blues screen.  You can automatically generate your own 12-bar blues song, picking just the right key and structure for your blooze tune.

On one hand, does an iPhone have any business playing the blues?  On the other hand, is it any less deserving than “The Blues King,” subject of a story from a sax-playing friend of mine?  Said “Blues King” (identified as such by the embroidery on his leather guitar strap ) showed up at an open-jam night, resplendent in his SRV-inspired finery.  Cowboy hat with feather?  Check.  Fringe-laden leather jacket?  Of course.  Turquoise belt buckle and fine cowboy boots?  Indeed.  And, of course, he wanted to play some SRV tune or another.  Once called to the stage for his scintillating performance, he promptly pulled out a music stand.  And some guitar tab.  And butchered whatever song he intended like it was the finest veal ever.

This isn’t Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, here.  I’m just wondering which one hurts just a little bit more.