In defense of Bruce Thomas.

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 3:42 pm

I´ve just listened to Beaten to the punch, and I have to say the way Bruce Thomas plays bass on that song is just fantastic: it´s the real basis of the whole song (and the only instrument you can hear during the most part of it).

That´s all. I wouldn´t say anything about how ugly or handsome he is. Not this time.

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 3:45 pm

Bruce's bass playing on albums like Get Happy!! and Imperial Bedroom is outstanding.

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 3:50 pm

The good part of it is that we don´t really miss Buce when EC doesn´t play with the Attractions because Marc Ribot (or even Macca playing in This town) is also great, but...

Another Bruce´s great work: Big sister´s clothes! (this is from Trust, of course...)

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 3:58 pm

Yeah, Bruce was/is a great bassist...didn't EC say something about him being the only player at the audition that would venture so far up the neck of the guitar...that sums him up really. Him and Pete are ultra dependable really, when you consider some of the quick changes in tempo in ECs songs and the way EC pulls out little beats everywhere for lyrics...they never falter.

Still wish that Nick Lowe was the bassist now though...how cool would that be!!! Remember that april fools rumour about EC, Nick, Graham Parker and Joe Jackson doing a tour together...that would be a brilliant thing!

Back to Brucey...I can kinda understand the way he fell out with them, him being older and all...and his book shows how bored he must have been (mainly cos its so boring to read, imagine how boring it was to write/experience). When is his new book coming out??

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 6:25 pm

I've just been noticing the bass in It's Time. It really makes the song, I think. Good bass is so essential for the attitude of a song... too bad (mainly for him) that he seems to have hung up his bass for good. And he absolutely rocks out in Complicated Shadows.

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 6:56 pm

A reliable source tells me Bruce is straightening out his affairs at the moment. His favourite bass was stolen or burnt or something so he has'nt been active in that field lately. Once he gets his current writing commitments sorted out he plans to get back playing in earnst. He's a fine player who still has much to offer.

Jackson Doofster · Post by **Jackson Doofster** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:55 am

Bruse Thomas is a genius with a bass guitar. One of the best ever IMHO.

I have to say that losing Bruce does make a difference to me. Elvis still writes great songs and the Imposters are great, but I always feel that there's something missing. Pity that they can't work together. I mean I work with 'miserable bastards' every day of the week and it doesn't stop me doing my job.

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 5:58 am

Hi King Of Spain - Elvis plays all the instruments on Big Sister's Clothes. So you've just paid him a big compliment by thinking it was the great if estranged Bruce Thomas!

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 8:20 am

There´s a Spanish saying: "You won´t go to bed tonight without knowing something new".

Thanx, Danny. I didn´t know that.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 11:56 am

How many people walking past him in the street would think he is an accountant? I would if I didn't know him.

His playing on Get Happy!! makes me cry tears of joy.

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 4:36 pm

Has anyone ever heard Brucie talk? He's a geordie isn't he (more or less).. howay the lads mon!

The actor Philip Davis (he was in Quadrophenia as Chalky, and stuff like Face, Secrets and Lies, and I think Alien 3...always plays a rough sort of bloke)...anyway he always reminds me of Bruce.

Here's the best pic I could find, he's the one on the left, next to the mouth with a hat on...

Here's one off the point for you though, on the back cover of the newest Punch The Clock, that does not look like Steve does it! Tell me I'm not alone in thinking that it's a fake Steve!

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 4:17 am

Phil Davis is the other excellent actor - do you mean Phil Daniels, LC? No way does he look like Bruce! Bruce is fair-haired first of all... and wears glasses.

And don't let anyone from Newcastle catch you calling someone from Middlesbrough a Geordie!

That is Steve on the back of PTC. The nose gives it away. Always the nose.

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 10:33 am

The real Bruce:

Here, with Elvis playing Elvis:

IStandAccused · Post by **IStandAccused** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 11:26 am

The ONLY sin Bruce committed in EC's eyes is he wrote a book. That is really the bottom line. He wrote a book. Nothing more, nothing less. It is childish and an old war that should be put to an end. Elvis writes his "books" on his liner notes. Everyone has an opinion of each other in that camp. AND everyone has a right to their opinion. But to place all this blame and unkindness towards Bruce because he wrote a book about HIS experiences with the band is wrong. He had been put through the ringer and wanted his say too. Nothing against Elvis, but he seems to be good at dishing it out but not very good at taking it. For all we know, Bruce could have been telling the truth. If Mr. Costello doesn't want anyone taking in a negative way about him perhaps he should try the same. It goes both ways.

King_of_Spain · Post by **King_of_Spain** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 11:32 am

IStandAccused wrote:The ONLY sin Bruce committed in EC's eyes is he wrote a book. That is really the bottom line. He wrote a book. Nothing more, nothing less.

I haven´t read The big wheel, it isn´t published here in Spain and I don´t know if it´s worth it to buy it via Amazon or something.

How is the book? What is the image BT gives about EC? So "egotist" as they -the literary critics- say? Is the book so ruthless to deserve the perpetual EC´s hate??

(And I think ISAtandAccused is right: if Elvis writes his own novel on his lyrics and the liner notes, he should be more open to one of the band talking about the rest).

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 11:51 am

PoP...naa, I do mean Philip Davis...have you seen that film Face with Ray Winstone and Damon Albarn, he's in that. He's in loadsa stuff with Ray Winstone (like Secrets and Lies). Cockney, blonde, scruffy, bad teeth...one of those actors you think ''oh it's him, what's he been in?''. He was in that Zadie Smith thing White Teeth as Archie, the friend of whoever Om Puri played. Did you see that?

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Lair/8421/davis.html

KoS...In Bruce's book, he doesn't directly say 'Elvis is a prat', but he makes him out to be purile and points out that he breaks guitar strings a lot, and Steve and Pete are made out to be drunks/immature. He writes as if they are beneath him...but most of the time he writes about how boring the tour is. It's a very good descriptive book, but the 'plot' is dull as ditchwater. I thought the only really interesting bits were when he slagged people off.

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 12:57 pm

Oh yeah. Sorry, LC, I thought you meant Phil Daniels (I forgot Davis was in Quadrophenia). He actually reminds me of Steve N for some bizarre reason. I did see White Teeth but not Face -- he's not on the telly nearly enough if you ask me.

martinfoyle · Post by **martinfoyle** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 6:21 pm

Phil Davis is great in North Square, http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0267201/ ,an excellent legal drama series that ran for only one series on Channel 4 on 2000. It's probably the last decent series C4 made.

Jackson Doofster · Post by **Jackson Doofster** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 12:18 am

KoS/LC

The other thing about Bruce's book is how bloody awful the jokes are. I had a re-read the other day and it seems like he's just trying to be clever.

Anyway, so what it they were puerile, immature drunks. They were young and thrown into a world that they could previously onlt imagine.

How many of us (over 30) would like to be judged on how were were and behaved when we were in our late teens/early 20s ?

Not me!

Copenhagen Fan · Post by **Copenhagen Fan** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 2:44 am

King_of_Spain wrote: Another Bruce´s great work: Big sister´s clothes! (this is from Trust, of course...)

DOH! Elvis plays bass on Big Sister's Clothes....if I recall correctly....but Bruce is a hot bass player anyway.....Beaten to the Punch is cool....he actually borrows a little Paul McCartney riff there.....sorta like Tax Man....and then again the Jam have their own stolen version START...one of my faves...

Copenhagen Fan · Post by **Copenhagen Fan** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 2:47 am

Laughing Cow....thanks for the cool pic from Quadrophenia....how cool! I was actually listening to it last night while washing the dishes and jumped around in a testosterone freenzy....Until my girlfriend come home and told me it sucked and then put North on......

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 6:47 am

Copenhagen Fan wrote: I was actually listening to it last night while washing the dishes and jumped around in a testosterone freenzy

Does washing the dishes get you in a testosterone frenzy then cope?

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 10:31 am

Doof...I know I wouldn't want to be judged at the pearly gates, by my actions every time I have a sip of drink. I guess Bruce had seen it all before...oh those heady days with the Roadrunners, and Village!!!!!

Cope...the Who rock my socks!!! I don't think anyone mentioned them in the Annex post about great british rock bands from the 60s though! Has anyone heard that crap cover of Behind blue eyes by Limp Bizkit. It blows!

IStandAccused · Post by **IStandAccused** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 10:57 am

laughingcrow wrote:Doof...I know I wouldn't want to be judged at the pearly gates, by my actions every time I have a sip of drink. I guess Bruce had seen it all before...oh those heady days with the Roadrunners, and Village!!!!!

Cope...the Who rock my socks!!! I don't think anyone mentioned them in the Annex post about great british rock bands from the 60s though! Has anyone heard that crap cover of Behind blue eyes by Limp Bizkit. It blows!

*The worst cover in the universe! What was Durst thinking? Have you seen the video? He gets to make-out with Halle Barry- lucky sod!

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Oct 20, 2003 11:12 am

My $.02 on Bruce:

Listening again to the re-issues, especially "Get Happy!!," you realize how much his bass lines contributed to making that album a success. For me, it represents the Attractions at the top of their game. Maybe not EC's greatest artistic achievement, but for the sound of the band alone, "Get Happy!!" cannot be beat. Every part is worth listening to and there's so much musicality in all of the playing and so many unexpected touches.

With Bruce, at least on the records up to "Imperial Bedroom," you never got the feeling that he was just keeping time. There's a lot of great playing from Bruce on "Punch the Clock" too. It's sad and unfortunate (and somewhat childish for all parties concerned) that Bruce and EC don't see eye to eye now - I feel that Bruce really added something to the sound of the band that EC hasn't recaptured since. Davey Faragher is a fine player, but I don't notice his bass parts the same way I did with Bruce's. Maybe EC wants it that way - who knows?

Elvis Costello Fan Forum

In defense of Bruce Thomas.

In defense of Bruce Thomas.

Bruce and "the book"

Re: Bruce and "the book"

Behind Blue Eyes