In 2000, after Korn recorded their fourth album Issues, their bass player Fieldy decided to hole up and record a solo rap album under the moniker of Fieldy’s Dreams.
What resulted was 2002’s Rock’n Roll Gangsta, an easy shortlist contender for Worst Album Ever Recorded. It was self indulgent, unintentionally hilarious, misguided, and deadly earnest. It was Fieldy from Korn rapping! It has a song named ‘Baby Hugh Hef’ with the lyrics: “Baby Hugh Hef, that’s my name. KoRn brings the porn and a little of the fame.”
Here is the line from Wikipedia that best sums up the level of thought behind the entire album: “Fieldy decided that his contributions to the band [Korn] did not incorporate his love of hip-hop music enough.” He over-corrected somewhat.
Now, his follow up solo album comes 15 years later and promises to be even more indulgent. Bassically is an album that revolves around the bass guitar – sonically and thematically. Fieldy calls it a “blend of rock, funk and fusion.”
It is a 17-track collection, featuring songs with titles including-but-not-limited-to the following: ‘Bass O Rama’, ‘Buck of Funk’, ’15 String Exodus’, ‘Zibba Zibop’, ‘Bass Invaders’, ‘I Wuv Bass Mon’, ‘5 String Graffiti’, ‘Dance Your Bass Off’, ‘Mr. Bassman’, and ‘Bass Age’.
Those are all song titles. ‘5 String Graffiti’ is my current favourite, although it shifts by the hour. ‘Dance You Bass Off’ is amazing because it’s a sight rhyme only. As I said, it shifts.
“This is a bass album that encompasses the last nine years of my life on the road recording with a variety of special and unique basses”, Fieldy explains on his PledgeMusic page.
“This project features recordings of mine from dressing rooms, tour buses, hotel rooms and other unique locations playing on basses just as obscure as the locations. It’s a blend of funk, fusion, and rock – I can’t wait to share it with you.”
If you’re not sold yet, Korn’s frontman Jonathan Davis does some beatboxing on a song called ‘JD Fresh’, and you can buy a copy bundled with an Ibanez K5 Fieldy Signature Bass for a cool $1,200.
Here’s the cover art.
Here’s ‘Baby Hugh Hef’
