Nothing Is Easy Bass Cover

Happy Easter to everyone.
Consider this song as a companion piece to yesterday’s upload. It is “Nothing Is Easy” which is off of Jethro Tull’s second album, Stand Up, which came out in 1969 and featured Glenn Cornick on bass.
This song was mastered very low so, to record it, I had to boost the volume of the music by bringing up the volume of my computer speakers and lowering the volume of the bass which softened its tone a bit. Sometimes, that method works out better than others. Overall, I think it turned out alright.
The bass is a recent, Korean-made Guild Starfire. I’m not sure what possessed me to buy it. I think it had something to do with a combination of my overall satisfaction of my other Guild basses, my curiosity about a short-scale/semi-hollowbody bass, and the price being right. I don’t see myself spending too much time on it, but we’ll see. It happens to be Lynn’s favorite bass, which is a plus.
When I got this bass, Tull was the first music that came to mind to cover with it, although Bruce Thomas suggested some Jefferson Airplane or Grateful Dead…we’ll have to see about that. For some reason, I always imagined the older Tull material had been played on something like it. I was way off on that. It looks like Hammond played, mostly, a Jazz bass and Cornick, a Thunderbird, SG, or Jazz bass.

[@situationmoney]

Simple formula - If you're a Rush fan, you gotta be a Jethro Tull fan... Comments from the "music community" over the years consider Jethro Tull the best live band ever!

[@robertmagin4619]

A real underrated bassline from Glen Cornick and played so well! Keep them coming!

[@slw59]

Glenn Cornick was the man.

[@TJH3113]

Yes, he was definitely one of them.

[@GuitarGuys7299]

You should be on tour with Jethro Tull! Glenn was one of the best bass players that ever lived and you Sir have his bass lines down to a T!

[@ZeroMod]

How can you not love a bass with TWO thumb rests ? The Tullgasm continues ! May your view count skyrocket with these tasty homages.

[@timhiker5512]

A Tull block party weekend 👍

[@orion9437]

A great bass line from Cornick. As usual, you nailed it!

[@TJH3113]

It is, isn't it? Thanks.

[@dalekramer8406]

You never cease to amaze me with your covers!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks for the kind words.

[@RCAvhstape]

Love LOVE Tull. As a fan of both prog and jazz the early prog rock with the jazzy walking bass lines is just pure joy to listen to. Jazz bass is improvisational, walking around the chords, while prog rock bass is generally scripted out once the song is written, but the walking bass lines still have that jazz groove to them that makes a bass player feel like he's in the eye of a storm between guitar, drums, and whatever else makes up a band, all revolving around that killer bass groove.

[@lawrencecuccurullo3527]

Another Tull song! Unique tone with the Guild!

[@joecockx5545]

oh sweet more Tull stuff, Stand up was one of the first albums I bought by them. Wicked cover my friend!

[@greenoak1]

Nothing is Easy - including this cover I bet! Excellent!

[@perezosowf]

Thank you for uploading this and Hymn 43!! Love this song :)

[@gilpi552]

Im a big fan, never thought I'd see you with a hollow body and short scale. Love the tone and would like to see more with this bass. Great job as usual!

[@jaysantos1732]

Impecable

[@TJH3113]

Thank you.

[@laurelmarshall6903]

Fantastic job!! Thank you so. much. !!!!

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much Laurel. You're very welcome!

[@joeemick1891]

What a great bassline

[@TJH3113]

Glenn was top shelf, wasn't he?

[@joeemick1891]

@@TJH3113 sure was I remember trying to figure out Teacher when I 15 or 16 They were the first concert I ever went too. Yes was the opening act lol I was 13.

[@bentpolski]

I must add as we have discussed earlier when Glenn passed he was an exceptional under rated Bass player. The Band members just jelled like so few bands do now days. Bands that come to mind The Spiders from Mars and the The Smiths just to name two. Jethro Tull was a Band with very talented musicians for sure.

[@wbertie2604]

Nice guy too. We exchanged emails a few times about a dozen or so years ago.

[@onlyone9676]

Спасибо за то что вернул во времена юности большое спосибо

[@TJH3113]

Огромное спасибо за то, что вы посмотрели и нашли время оставить комментарий. Береги себя.

[@ZeroMod]

Somehow Russian commentary coming out of that profile pic of yours seems sinister.... (^_^)

[@cozinhadopoeta]

you play bass like a english lord. AMAZING JOB

[@TJH3113]

Haha... that's a first! Thank you very much Mario!

[@wilbertcook5076]

Happy Easter Troy to you and the family.Great tune! That bass has a great sound to it. I can only imagine it cranked up with an ampeg svt and 8/10 cabinet. As always you killed it ! Keep rocking!!!!

[@TheGrooveMaster10]

Glen is pictured on the Benefit Album playing a Gibson EB-2, which the Guild Starfire is of similar design.

[@TJH3113]

Interesting.

[@fermat2112]

That bass makes me think 'light and fluffy'.

[@Seanzilla]

Once again, Troy, you just make it look so easy!! Nice job!!

[@jethrospool]

Nice !

[@TJH3113]

Thanks!

[@thomcosta4082]

always a pleasure to checkout your channel, another incredible job

[@CindyDC]

you make it look so easy,,,thats a nice bass too,,im alwasy showing your videos to friends,like me they just watch in amazement,, ♡

[@OldBeatleMan]

Very nice... Been wanting to take a crack at this.... Watching your excellent cover will help immensely. HAPPY EASTER TO YOU AND YOURS !!!

[@jrmontague101]

great job … and a fine testimony to the late great Glenn Cornick!!

[@TJH3113]

Thank you very much.

[@sassaraowalter5241]

Great Glenn Cornick . Jethro Tull only had awesome bass players . One of my favorites bands . I am proud to be a bass player and Jethro Tull fan . Great music , TJ

[@TJH3113]

No doubt. Truth. Cool. Awesome. Thanks so much.

[@bobeichvalds6608]

Another great Tull cover!

[@eribaldoyes3883]

Pure gold right there man!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks.

[@davit25]

You've got Tull tuned in. Great work.

[@TJH3113]

Thanks a lot.

[@Misternoname100]

That tone is wonderful!

[@ThunderBassistJay]

Great cover! Happy Easter.

[@victorwong9622]

GREAT bassline, great job! Now, can you transcribe Clive Bunker’s swinging backbeat!!

[@TJH3113]

Thanks Victor. Not my job! Looking forward to seeing Clive play with Martin Barre in March!

[@frippertonics6421]

Well-done!

[@hearguitar262]

Great work! Great sounds.

[@bentpolski]

Great as always! Yes play something by Jack Casady on that Bass. His Guild Starfire had double Alembics however I believe. This Bass sounds very Muddy to me. Perhaps Somebody to Love or some Hot Tuna.

[@horsezens]

Oh, Heck Yeah! I'm smilin' so loudly! I've been researching videos of the Starfire series for future purchase, looking for a woody tone and versatility. Your videos nail what this bass can do. Now...If I can only un-knot my fingers to play to a 10th of your ability, I'd die happy. Thanks.

[@TJH3113]

I really like the bass. I don't play it too much as I don't want to get too used to the shorter scale. I have an Epiphone Jack Casady on the way which will take care of the scale issue. Not sure if it will be as mellow sounding as the Guild is.

[@atodorock1]

Magnifico . Tratare de imitarte con mi bajo rumblekat de escala corta .

[@TJH3113]

Gracias. ¡Sé que lo harás genial!

[@bentpolski]

Hot Tuna Water Song would be a perfect fit for this Bass. As would Jefferson Airplane feel so good. By the way I just picked up an American made 1992? Peavey Foundation bass MINT condition. If you ever see one of these around try to play it. The neck is very Jazz Bass and the pickups are amazing.

[@B17B25guy]

Sounds great and a good choice of material too! Guild Starfire......how about the Byrds (Chris Hillman). Perhaps, 'So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star'. This would have been a good bass to use on To Sir With Love :-)

[@bernardoraidan]

Hello Troy, how have you been during this quarantine? Long time fan of yours, really admire your recordings (got a new pair of headphones recently and they sound even better on them). Love the sound of this bass -- its tone sounds very much like the early JT tunes as you noted -- and wish you used it more haha... Speaking of which, have you got any plans on doing New Day Yesterday? Fellow (aspiring, someday, who knows...) bassist here, greetings from Brasil!

[@TJH3113]

Hello Bernard. We've been well, no big changes for either of us as we were deemed "essential" and have continued to work. While I'm a bit jealous of the people who have been furloughed, I am careful of the things I wish for. A couple of people have recently commented on how they prefer listening to my videos with headphones. I'll have to try that out sometime. I'll get back around to using this bass again at some point. I'm not familiar with that song, but I'll check it out. I wish you much enjoyment should you decide to take up the bass. Take care and stay safe!

[@CrockettsCabin]

First, outstanding (as usual), next -- do you still have the Guild?

[@TJH3113]

Thank you. Yes I do!

[@gffrush]

Great job Troy! This always comes to my mind; why don't you record your bass line isolated, then mix video, your bass and song. Much more tricks to get exactly what you want. Just a thought.

[@TJH3113]

Thanks. If I had to do all of that, I'd completely lose the joy of playing.

[@anthony22bob]

Christ! This must have taken you a LONG time to figure out and get just right!

[@Rev.Happy.]

could you cover some rolling stones

[@RedKitsuneRayouko]

You're actually correct in that Glenn Cornick did in fact play a hollow body Gibson as well at the time and probably used it in the studio a fair bit. You can see it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2GqcqibrdeJsNE

[@TJH3113]

Oh, thank you.

[@blankvrs]

Is this one of the newer Guilds, or is it a classic from the 60s?

[@TJH3113]

This is a recent one - made in Korea, but still a very fine bass.

[@CrazyGuy498]

Did your hotel California cover get taken down?

[@blankvrs]

I LOVE your bass playing, but what's with all the scary heads behind you? Makes it kinda hard for me to actually watch.

[@TJH3113]

Thank you Jack. I collect the masks behind me as well as other, horror related, items. Most of them are from DeathStudios if you ever find yourself in the market for a great mask.

[@deafears4025]

Not easy to play.

[@TJH3113]

Nothing is easy.

[@deafears4025]

@@TJH3113 That's my point my friend though you make it look that way. I enjoy your videos. Hope you don't stop. Thanks