Don’t Change a Thing for Me: Two Songs Where the Bassist Can Relax

Michael Jackson, “Thriller” (Thriller, 1982)

Kings of Leon, “The Bucket” (Aha Shake Heartbreak, 2004)

Like I mentioned last week, shelling out to see the uneven but still fascinating Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It played a big role in my decision to bring this blog back from the dead. Part of it was seeing the way MJ worked, taking a vision that was in his head and turning it, masterfully, into a gigantic spectacle, one that required endless patience and the cooperation of hundreds of people. If he could do that, I can write 300 words about my favorite songs once in a while.

The other part was “Thriller,” or rather something about it that I’d never noticed before: the bass line almost never changes. With the exception of that killer bridge and a few section breaks, the chord changes are dictated by other instruments—primarily the keyboards. It’s as though the bass finds the perfect groove in the very first bar, and  decides to just set up shop. Maybe there’s a thematic connection there; the figure could be called “zombie-like” in its relentless repetition. Or maybe it’s just a neat idea that happened to work.

In any case, the “Thriller” revelation immediately triggered another. I’m pretty indifferent to most of what Kings of Leon have released into the world, but there’s one song of theirs that slays me. “The Bucket” charms with its simplicity—both the verse melody and the main guitar riff take simple descending patterns and loop them for the song’s duration. But there’s one minimalist trick that took me months to catch: the bass line is just. one. note! Straying only in the chorus, and then just barely, bassist Jared Followill finds D-natural and then sits back and lets his brothers do the work.