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Freebird!!


duff beer

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I'm probably in the minority, but I've never been in a band that plays Freebird. From what I've read here and other places, almost everyone seems to hate playing the song.

 

However, based on this isolated bass and drum track from the original recording, I wonder how many people who hate playing the song, are even playing it right??

 

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I don't get why there is so much dislike for playing Freebird. As can be heard from that track the bass line is kind of fun to play. My band plays it but since we are a 3 piece band we kind of have our own arrangement for it. The crowd still enjoys it.

 

Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it.

http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband

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The first band I was in did a great rendition of Freebird. It was always our last song so that if the rest of the set was less than stellar we could blow 'em away with our last song. I always loved playing it.

 

Of course this was back in the very late 70's so it was still fairly fresh and hadn't yet been played to death on the radio.

Nothing is as it seems but everything is exactly what it is - B. Banzai

 

Life is what happens while you are busy playing in bands.

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Best way to get rid of someone requesting Freebird is to look at the floor circumspectly and say as sincerely as possible, "Man, nobody can play Freebird like Skynyrd."

 

Then offer to play "Workin' for MCA" instead.

"Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky"
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I've never been in a band that played that song, nor have I been in a place where it was requested. The cover bands I've played with are all about getting people on the dance floor (and keeping them there). The song doesn't seem particularly danceable to me.

 

For the bassist, it would be kind of boring to keep playing the same thing over and over. I guess it's all about the guitar solo.

 

 

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It is boring for the bass player... except the notes are cool..... (the chords)... some chords just go well together.... The end of the some has some freedom for the bass player.... I only ever played it "live" once. Was fun.. but enough....
"When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown
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For the bassist, it would be kind of boring to keep playing the same thing over and over. I guess it's all about the guitar solo.

 

 

Perhaps. But every isolated bass part that I've ever heard makes me think, Hey! I guess those guys are human after all. This one sounds good to me, but take out the drums and we all could be more critical. How many of you are so proud of your soloed tracks that you would want to put them out there like that? In the context of a song is one thing, but soloed bass track? C'mon.

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I'd rather play "Call Me the Breeze".

 

I think the whole "Freebird" thing comes from the live version that was common on rock radio about 35 years ago. The singer asks "What song is it you wanna hear?" and the answer is of course "Freebird" so it became a giant rock in-joke.

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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What song is it you want to hear???? ... "Call Me the Breeze!!!"

 

I like this song but every band I have been in that tried to play it forgets the little riff in the middle..... wimps....

"When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown
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I think the whole "Freebird" thing comes from the live version that was common on rock radio about 35 years ago.

 

35 years ago? It's still a staple on classic rock radio -- what DJs call a "bathroom song," because it's long enough for them to go take a bathroom break.

"Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky"
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What song is it you want to hear???? ... "Call Me the Breeze!!!"

 

I like this song but every band I have been in that tried to play it forgets the little riff in the middle..... wimps....

 

Do you mean that little boogie woogie riff in "They call me the Breeze"? That's my favorite part to play. And yes I like that song too.

 

I forgot to mention that being a 3 piece band we do play shorter versions of those LS songs by cutting back on the time spent on guitar solos. Our guitarist is pretty good but it's still pretty damed hard to replicate all those guitar parts.

 

Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it.

http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband

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I don't get why there is so much dislike for playing Freebird. As can be heard from that track the bass line is kind of fun to play. My band plays it but since we are a 3 piece band we kind of have our own arrangement for it. The crowd still enjoys it.

 

"Smoke on the Water" is more avoided, and the bass line is WAY more fun to play. The verse turnarounds just kick all kinds of ass.

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You misunderstand, that version was new about 35 years ago.

 

As for "Smoke On the Water", how many guitarists have the attention span to get past the opening riff? Better to hear "Highway Star".

 

Despite my gripes, I still listen to classic rock radio more than any other when I'm driving. Just because I am very tired of the predictability doesn't mean the songs aren't good.

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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Freebird is one of those handful of enduring, classic songs that "your" band gets judged not by how well it executes, or how much better than other bands, but compared to the original song - in this case, Skynyrd.

 

Yeah, people (usually late second/early third set) start yelling for it. And they cheer when you play it. And they can't wait to tell you how bad you sucked compared to Skynard when you're done.

 

In the immortal words of Admiral Akbar "It's a trap!"

 

FWIW, we cover "Breeze" and it goes over very well.

 

FWIW, we cover FWIW, too.

 

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

 

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FWIW, we cover FWIW, too.

 

Well played, sir. Had to look that up, not recognizing the actual name of it. I'm sure I'd get blank stares in this neck of the woods playing that song...

 

You mean Lynchburg doesn't have an enclave of hippie granola crunching , bead wearers?

 

I was in a duo/trio and we played "Freebird" we'd play the first verse, the bridge, and go into the outro jam, the crowd liked it, and it saved us at least 5 minutes.

"Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.'-Hamlet

 

Guitar solos last 30 seconds, the bass line lasts for the whole song.

 

 

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Recently my band has been playing "What's Your Name?" at shows, which is a lot of fun to play and sing back up on. A few years ago we performed "Call Me the Breeze" a few times, and I think we might resurrect that one since we now have a trumpet player and sax player who join us for gigs.

 

I've heard people shout out "Freebird" at our shows, but I think it's mostly a joke because Freebird! is what drunks are supposed to shout out. I agree with Jeremy--a song like that really doesn't make sense in a bar setting where people are expecting to dance.

"Everyone wants to change the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." Leo Tolstoy
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We've done "Gimme Three Steps" a couple times and it went over well.

 

We've also done "Simple Man" but it gets frustrating because I've been the only one that plays the guitar phrase consistently. I have to keep prompting our guitar players that one of them needs to pick that up...

 

Invariably, if we dig out LS or The Allman Bros. there is one person, usually a guy in his 50s with the long beard, pony tail, and faded tats that meanders his way up to the stage and starts telling us how HE played the song 30 years ago with his brothers band...

 

"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind"- George Orwell
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Gimme Three Steps is the only LS cover we ever did with any regularity. "FreeBird" is now usually yelled out by other musicians to let you know you look old. :D

You can stop now -jeremyc

STOP QUOTING EVERY THING I SAY!!! -Bass_god_offspring

lug, you should add that statement to you signature.-Tenstrum

I'm not sure any argument can top lug's. - Sweet Willie

 

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