Full Description
The Bastard Instrument chronicles the history of the electric bass and the musicians who played it, from the instrument's invention through its widespread acceptance at the end of the 1960s. Although their contributions have often gone unsung, electric bassists helped shape the sound of a wide range of genres, including jazz, rhythm & blues, rock, country, soul, funk, and more. Their innovations are preserved in performances from artists as diverse as Lionel Hampton, Liberace, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, the Supremes, the Beatles, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Jefferson Airplane, and Sly and the Family Stone, all of whom are discussed in this volume. At long last, The Bastard Instrument gives these early electric bassists credit for the significance of their accomplishments and demonstrates how they fundamentally altered the trajectory of popular music.
Contents
Introduction: Music History from the Bottom Up
Part I: Origin Stories
Interlude I: The Forebears
CHAPTER ONE: The Modern Instrument: Leo Fender and the Early Years of the Fender Precision Bass
Interlude II: Everett Hull and the Amplified Peg
CHAPTER TWO: The Novelty Instrument: Monk Montgomery's Jazz Innovations
Part II: The Road to Legitimacy
Interlude III: Deep in the Heart of Texas
CHAPTER THREE: The Practical Instrument: Rock 'n' Roll Live and In-Studio
Interlude IV: Born in Chicago
CHAPTER FOUR: The Picked Instrument: Reinventing the Sound of the Electric Bass
CHAPTER FIVE: The Amateur Instrument: The Teenage Garage Band Revolution
Interlude V: The Electric Bass in England
Part III: New Sounds, New Roles
CHAPTER SIX: The Studio Instrument: Session Musicians and Stylistic Innovations
CHAPTER SEVEN: The Default Instrument: British Bassists and Mid-Sixties Rock
Interlude VI: Ain't it Funky Now
CHAPTER EIGHT: The Lead Instrument: San Francisco and Psychedelia
Conclusion: The Electric Bass and the Adjacent Possible
Notes
Bibliography
Index
