John McVie's Alembic--I thought it was a Fender

[ch willie]

I may have expressed this before, but I thought for years that McVie was playing a Precision or a Jazz Bass on Rumours and was surprised that he was wielding an Alembic.

Of course now that I hear it, yes, it is an Alembic, but it sounds very close to a Jazz Bass to me.

What's your opinion on his sound and playing on that album?

Does anyone care? FM radio has just about run FM's hits into the ground. But I still admire that sound McVie gets on "The Chain." It's growly and full.

[pc]

Maybe this should be embarrassing, but whatever... I was a HUGE Styx fan in the early 80s. Although I was more interested in trying to cop licks from JY and Tommy Shaw, there was something about John Panozzo's Alembic bass that was so powerful and solid. I'm remembering "Half Penny, Two Penny" in particular from Paradise Theater. I remember at the time reading about others using Alembic basses, McVie being one of them, and I could definitely hear that sameness. It seemed like a bunch of arena rockers had that sound for awhile then. I really dug it.

In the later 80s, suddenly Pino Palledino was on like every hit record with his incredibly lyrical, fretless bass sound, which ultimately led me to discover Jaco.

[ch willie]

Of course I think of Stanley Clarke's Alembic too. Mark King too (Level 42). And of course, Flea played an Alembic in the studio (may still do) but played Fenders and other basses live rather than take his prized Alembic along.