Bob Stinson's last recorded great guitar playing

[teddinard]

I've always thought he sort of mailed it in for Tim, and his playing on it is lackluster.

I'm not sure I've got the chronology right, but I think his last great recorded playing is on "Nowhere Is My Home." Wasn't that a Chilton-produced track before the Tim sessions? Anyway, just great.

[dee]

Little Mascara.

[condo]

You said "recorded" so that would include Bob's last rehearsal with the band, chronicled on "Boink", Bob's playing on "Valentine" and "Red Red Wine" is terrific, if he had stayed in the band, those solos might have been played the same way on PTMM, instead of Paul's stripped-down, basic solos.

[anarkissed]

I was a sort of a post-Bob fan...Never really understood exactly what he played on what during the "Tim"/"PTMM" demo period...Care to enlighten?

[markc]

Jan 8, 2017 12:24:13 GMT -5 condo said:

You said "recorded" so that would include Bob's last rehearsal with the band, chronicled on "Boink", Bob's playing on "Valentine" and "Red Red Wine" is terrific, if he had stayed in the band, those solos might have been played the same way on PTMM, instead of Paul's stripped-down, basic solos.

I have Bonk - what's the last rehearsal on there? Are you referring the the Chilton produced songs? Where do I find Bob playing on Valentine and Red Red Wine? Thanks

[teddinard]

Jan 9, 2017 2:07:11 GMT -5 markc said:

Jan 8, 2017 12:24:13 GMT -5 condo said:

You said "recorded" so that would include Bob's last rehearsal with the band, chronicled on "Boink", Bob's playing on "Valentine" and "Red Red Wine" is terrific, if he had stayed in the band, those solos might have been played the same way on PTMM, instead of Paul's stripped-down, basic solos.

I have Bonk - what's the last rehearsal on there? Are you referring the the Chilton produced songs? Where do I find Bob playing on Valentine and Red Red Wine? Thanks

I looked for what condo was talking about because the Boink I know is the UK Glass Records issue with just eight songs. So I found this:

www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/10r16.html

But I don't know where it is available. Does anybody else have it or know where to get it?

[teddinard]

I always felt the stuff on Tim was lackluster but Chilton managed to get great stuff from him

[pm]

I love the guitar on Tim, although not clear on who played what.
In any event, something felt lost on PTMM. Was it the guitar? Too much polish? Recording in digital vs. analog? (sorry, don't mean to derail).

[thematsarealive]

Jan 18, 2017 13:53:03 GMT -5 pm said:

I love the guitar on Tim, although not clear on who played what.
In any event, something felt lost on PTMM. Was it the guitar? Too much polish? Recording in digital vs. analog? (sorry, don't mean to derail).

That was definitely the point where they were trying to add the studio polish and used some of the conventional 80's guitar and drum recording techniques. Digital recording (Protools) was still about 10 years away, it was more about what gear they used and how it was mixed after recording.

[thematsarealive]

Jan 18, 2017 13:53:03 GMT -5 pm said:

I love the guitar on Tim, although not clear on who played what. 

That's definitely one of the only things I really learned from the documentary that was released a few years back.

Tommy Ramone said Bob's Tim contributions were all done on one day and Tommy Ramone played the "Kiss Me on the Bus" solo himself.

I would have loved to hear Bob play on the last few records, but they obviously would have been totally different records had he been in the band. He would not have let an album like Don't Tell a Soul get released as a Mats album; Paul would have had to gone solo sooner.

[mudbacktodirt]

I have a cassette of Boink! Quite a find since it only came out in England in the mid-80's (and I got it at a record store on the west coast of the US in the late 90's).

I remember peering through the locking sliding glass door where the cassettes were stored and wondering what it was. I knew all Replacements at first sight but this one had a different and completely unfamiliar spine. I asked them to open the case and I wound up with quite a haul that day.

Actually, it's the only cassette I still own now (although I haven't played it in a long while . . . and I do have a cassette player still). I listened to that driving to and from work many, many, many times back in the first few years shortly after I got it (yes, I still had a car with a cassette player instead of a CD player all the way up until about 2 years ago).

[anarkissed]

I drive a 1996 Saturn SL1...It's ragged as shit inside...But it has over 200,000 miles and only refused to start once...I think because an interior light got left on and drained the battery...We jump started it, and never had another issue...It has a cassette player that crapped out years ago...Today, my son says: "The cassette player started working again!" He blew it out with compressed air, and plugged one of those things that allow you to channel your IPod through it in there...Says it sounds great...It's like something woke up after 200 years of cryogenic sleep..."What year is it? Are the Replacements still together?"

[Jer]

Jan 19, 2017 20:59:37 GMT -5 thematsarealive said:

That was definitely the point where they were trying to add the studio polish and used some of the conventional 80's guitar and drum recording techniques. Digital recording (Protools) was still about 10 years away, it was more about what gear they used and how it was mixed after recording.

It (PTMM) actually was one of the earliest records recorded digitally, though it was well before Pro-Tools. The process was fairly young, but it was out there.

I think Bob's last great moment on tape was Nowhere Is My Home (as teddinard said). He shines on some of those `86 bootlegs for sure.

As much as I love Tim, I don't think the production is great, and usually when Bob comes in it just screams "overdub" to me. That's mostly due to the rhythm guitars being so restrained and the reverb on the drums. Then in comes Godzilla. I'm glad he's on there because he added a much-needed edge to that record, but in hindsight it feels like the 3 guys + Bob rather than a cohesive effort to me.

[thematsarealive]

Feb 2, 2017 8:51:31 GMT -5 Jer said:

Jan 19, 2017 20:59:37 GMT -5 thematsarealive said:

That was definitely the point where they were trying to add the studio polish and used some of the conventional 80's guitar and drum recording techniques. Digital recording (Protools) was still about 10 years away, it was more about what gear they used and how it was mixed after recording.

It (PTMM) actually was one of the earliest records recorded digitally, though it was well before Pro-Tools. The process was fairly young, but it was out there.

Do you have a reference for that? I haven't read the new book but it's interesting to imagine Ardent Studios in Memphis in the 80s bringing in digital recording equipment.

[thematsarealive]

Feb 2, 2017 8:51:31 GMT -5 Jer said:

Jan 19, 2017 20:59:37 GMT -5 thematsarealive said:

That was definitely the point where they were trying to add the studio polish and used some of the conventional 80's guitar and drum recording techniques. Digital recording (Protools) was still about 10 years away, it was more about what gear they used and how it was mixed after recording.

It (PTMM) actually was one of the earliest records recorded digitally, though it was well before Pro-Tools. The process was fairly young, but it was out there.

I think Bob's last great moment on tape was Nowhere Is My Home (as teddinard said). He shines on some of those `86 bootlegs for sure.

As much as I love Tim, I don't think the production is great, and usually when Bob comes in it just screams "overdub" to me. That's mostly due to the rhythm guitars being so restrained and the reverb on the drums. Then in comes Godzilla. I'm glad he's on there because he added a much-needed edge to that record, but in hindsight it feels like the 3 guys + Bob rather than a cohesive effort to me.

By the way, I wouldn't doubt it at all if it was recorded digitally based on the way it sounds, but considering the other legendary albums recorded around that time at Ardent studios, it would be interesting to see what albums they may have already been recording digitally at that point.

[Jer]

Feb 3, 2017 19:30:18 GMT -5 thematsarealive said:

Feb 2, 2017 8:51:31 GMT -5 Jer said:

It (PTMM) actually was one of the earliest records recorded digitally, though it was well before Pro-Tools. The process was fairly young, but it was out there.

I think Bob's last great moment on tape was Nowhere Is My Home (as teddinard said). He shines on some of those `86 bootlegs for sure.

As much as I love Tim, I don't think the production is great, and usually when Bob comes in it just screams "overdub" to me. That's mostly due to the rhythm guitars being so restrained and the reverb on the drums. Then in comes Godzilla. I'm glad he's on there because he added a much-needed edge to that record, but in hindsight it feels like the 3 guys + Bob rather than a cohesive effort to me.

By the way, I wouldn't doubt it at all if it was recorded digitally based on the way it sounds, but considering the other legendary albums recorded around that time at Ardent studios, it would be interesting to see what albums they may have already been recording digitally at that point.

I remember all the talk at the time, about it being recorded digitally, and it seemed really cool and cutting edge. CDs were still relatively new and everyone was all geeked about them.

Here's a couple solid references I found via Google:

City Pages, 8/21/13: ...the group recorded digitally for the first time with legendary producer Jim Dickinson. And while that results in a cleaner, glossier sound...

Pitchfork, 9/26/08: Pleased to Meet Me could be heard as an overcompensation for Tim's failings. Much was made of it being a digital recording, which in 1987 was seen as extravagant, the kind of thing Peter Gabriel and Dire Straits indulged in.

[raccoon]

Let's not forget Bob's post-mats recordings. Static Taxi.
Glad to hear some Bob talk. That guitar sound he had was amazing. The riff from 'Johnny's Gonna Die' and the work on 'Go' still send a pleasant chill down the spine.

[creep66]

Mar 7, 2017 22:47:37 GMT -5 raccoon said:

Let's not forget Bob's post-mats recordings. Static Taxi.
Glad to hear some Bob talk. That guitar sound he had was amazing. The riff from 'Johnny's Gonna Die' and the work on 'Go' still send a pleasant chill down the spine.

There are some great Bob moments on the Static Taxi stuff....

[teddinard]

How available is the Static Taxi stuff?