A Bass Line You Can Chew On

Blood And Roses by The Smithereens

Released in 1986, the first single from their debut album contains an unstoppable bass line. As proof of how powerful and important it is to the song, I've seen this song done live twice, the first time a solo acoustic performance and the second, a full band version. The acoustic performance, while intimate and revealing, lacked the punch of the bass and drums. It was amazing to hear the song as it was written by lead singer/song writer Pat DiNizio and to hear the story behind the song. But with the full band, the song comes to life. The bass starts the song off and signals to the crowd what's coming. And when the guitar solo ends, its the bass that brings the song back to its heart.

Listen to the song and try not to keep you foot from tapping along to the drums while your head nods along to the bass.

Please enjoy.