Jeff Berlin & Vail Johnson Turn “Roundabout” Into a Bass-Only Showdown
“Roundabout” is one of those songs where the bass line is as famous as the song itself. Chris Squire’s part is instantly recognizable and a rite of passage for prog fans.
Jeff Berlin and Vail Johnson decided to take it on with nothing but two basses. The result is a fresh take on a classic. They trade lines, lock in on the groove, and find space where you might not expect it. Berlin leans into the melody while Johnson drives the rhythm, and together they bring out new colors in the tune.
It is both familiar and surprising. When two bass greats strip a song like this down to its core, it reminds us just how much weight and beauty the bass can carry on its own.
No Treble CEO Jody Miller is a Chicago-based bassist, guitarist, engineer, and producer best known for his bass gear demo videos and as the co-host of The Bass Nerds podcast.
Incredible!!!!
I’d say that around 98% of the performance videos you have on your site are incredible bassists playing incredibly boring solos or bands playing songs that really suck.
This was the polar opposite of that. While the playing is stellar, the improvisation is exciting and the arrangement is surprisingly inspired, what really sells it is seeing how much fun they’re having playing the song.
That looked like so much fun!