jellisjenius

Not my favorite week but I like the advanced song so that works out. Gouge Away is pretty cool, just not all that interesting on bass. In general I don't enjoy easy songs with slides that don't register very well: And this song is nice, I just got into the groove: I played Wild Eyes for like 30 seconds and NOPE. I don't enjoy Japanese pop enough to endure that. As for Powerwolf, I understand why some might like them, but as a native English speaker I find their lyrics and image very cringe-worthy and therefore I can't enjoy a song like Prayer in the Dark. It sounds like the kind of weird "look at me I'm edgy and anti-religion" stuff that appealed to me as a teenager but not as an adult.

Agree that this is one of the most bass-driven Oasis songs, and therefore one that I really enjoy: This one is really tough for me: And congrats to @ Mikson on a very nice Lucky performance...I don't think I'll have time to make another push:

I'm glad folks are enjoying the week. Sorry @ Rodman for not getting the leaderboard tab set up in time...and thanks to whoever did set it up for me. It's been a crazy week for me at work. Anyway, the 90s were my high school and college years and the first time I really expanded my musical horizons. So all these bands and albums have a unique place in my history. My first tries this week: I still need to get fresh runs on Cast No Shadow and Easily as I didn't save screenshots during my testing.

This week's theme is 90's deep cuts, more specifically several fantastic but lesser known tracks off some of the most celebrated albums of the 1990s. For those interested, here is a little tour through the albums in chronological order: 1991 - Ten is the debut studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam. Many of the songs on Ten were instrumental jams or reworked Mother Love Bone - former band of bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard - songs for which vocalist/front man Eddie Vedder composed new melodies and lyrics. Despite its reputation as a quintessential grunge record, Ten is often noted for displaying a stronger classic rock influence than other contemporary grunge releases. Ten was not an immediate success, but by late 1992 it had reached number two on the Billboard 200. Beyond its role in consolidating the mainstream success of grunge rock in the early 1990s, Ten is generally considered to have been instrumental in the rise and dominance of alternative rock throughout the decade. The album has since been ranked by several publications as one of the greatest albums of all time. By February 2013, it had sold 13 million copies in the US, becoming the 22nd record to do so in the Nielsen SoundScan era and has been certified 13× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "Porch" is the eighth track on the album and one of it's lesser-known songs behind "Evenflow", "Alive", "Black", and "Jeremy", but it's a raw, emotional, hard-hitting, and unpredictable song, and the only one on the album written solely by Vedder. 1992 - Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. Rage Against the Machine was a critical success upon release with several critics noting the album's politically motivated agenda as well as Zack de la Rocha's strong vocal delivery. Rated number 24 on the Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time", the album peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Heatseekers chart and number 45 on the US Billboard 200 and has gone on to achieve triple platinum sales certification in the US. "Fistful of Steel" is the 8th track on the album and like all other songs on the album, it's success is dwarfed by that of "Killing in the Name"...but also that of more modest hits "Bombtrack", "Know Your Enemy", and "Wake Up." It's no less incendiary or kickass, with Tom Morello's wizardry and Timmy C's aggressive bass licks. Be warned - you will need 24+ frets to play this properly on lead. 1993 - Siamese Dream is the second studio album by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. The album has received widespread acclaim by audiences and critics alike, with the album's musical influences and lyrical material standing out compared to other alternative records released during its time. The album has since been considered "one of the finest alt-rock albums of all time". Despite recording sessions fraught with difficulties and tensions, Siamese Dream debuted at number ten on the Billboard charts, and eventually was certified 4x Platinum, with the album selling over six million copies worldwide, cementing the Smashing Pumpkins as an important group in alternative rock music. "Mayonaise" is the 9th track on the album and is not exactly unknown - it's one of the most stunningly beautiful songs to be released in the decade and is hard to overlook - but is overshadowed by the three enormously successful hits "Cherub Rock", "Today", and "Disarm" that precede it. "Mayonaise" is one of two songs on the album for which guitarist James Iha has co-writing credits with Billy Corgan. The other is "Soma", which is also a beautiful track. 1995 - (What's the Story) Morning Glory? is the second studio album by English rock band Oasis. The record propelled Oasis from being a crossover indie act to a worldwide rock phenomenon, and is seen by critics as a significant record in the timeline of British indie music. Morning Glory sold a record-breaking 345,000 copies in its first week in the UK, spent 10 weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart. It was also the band's breakthrough in America, reaching number four on the US Billboard 200 and being certified 4× platinum there. Although a commercial success, the record initially received lukewarm reviews from mainstream critics; many reviewers deemed it inferior to Definitely Maybe, with the songwriting and production particular points of criticism. However, critical opinion towards the album completely reversed in the ensuing years, and it is now generally considered an important record of both the Britpop era and the 1990s in general, as well as appearing on several lists of the greatest albums in rock music. "Cast No Shadow" is the 8th track on the album and one of the lesser-known behind mega hits "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back in Anger", "Some Might Say", and "Champagne Supernova". It's one of my favorite from the album though and has a surprisingly active bass part for an Oasis song. 1997 - OK Computer is the third studio album by English rock band Radiohead. The album depicts a world fraught with rampant consumerism, social alienation, emotional isolation and political malaise; in this capacity, OK Computer has been said to have prescient insight into the mood of 21st-century life. The band used unconventional production techniques, including natural reverberation through recording on a staircase, and no audio separation. Despite lowered sales estimates by EMI, who deemed the record uncommercial and difficult to market, OK Computer reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and debuted at number 21 on the Billboard 200, Radiohead's highest album entry on the US charts at the time, and was soon certified 5× platinum in the UK and double platinum in the US. OK Computer received critical acclaim and has been cited by listeners, critics and musicians as one of the greatest albums of all time. "Lucky" is the 11th track on the album and lags behind hits like "Paranoid Android" - a regular candidate for the best individual songs of all time - as well as "Karma Police" and "No Surprises", but in fact was the first song written and recorded by the band in 1995 (the other songs were all recorded in 1996-97). It's a gorgeous and surprisingly challenging song to play. 1999 - Californication is the seventh studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Californication marked the return of John Frusciante, who had previously appeared on Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik, to replace Dave Navarro as the band's guitarist. Frusciante's return was credited with changing the band's sound altogether, producing a notable shift in style from the music recorded with Navarro. Californication is the Chili Peppers' most commercially successful studio release internationally, with over 15 million copies sold worldwide, and more than 6 million in the United States alone. As of 2002, the album had sold over 4 million copies in Europe. The record marked a significant change in style for the band: Rolling Stone's Greg Tate noted that "while all previous Chili Peppers projects have been highly spirited, Californication dares to be spiritual and epiphanic". In the 2020 edition of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list Californication placed at 286. "Easily" is the seventh track on the album and a feisty challenge for Frusciante and Flea wannabes, but is often overlooked in favor of big hits like "Around the World", "Scar Tissue", "Otherside", and "Californication". You will get a workout playing this.

Welcome to the CF Rocksmith 2014 Championship! -= Week 415 =- Theme Week: 90s Deep Cuts FAQ: => How and Why join the Championships? => Rocksmith 2014 Championships rules Last week's winners Lead: Beginner: @ kayteck Intermediate: @ GeoAbraxas Advanced: @ Mikson Masterclass: @ nlbsmglsk Rhythm: Beginner: @ LacrimaLuna Intermediate: @ Banjoclan Advanced: @ Mikson Masterclass: @ nlbsmglsk Bass: Beginner: @ LacrimaLuna Intermediate: @ ShankD Advanced: @ jellisjenius Masterclass: @ nlbsmglsk Congrats to all winners. Well done! Rocksmith Championship Leaderboard This week's songs are: Lead Path: Beginner: Oasis - Cast No Shadow (3.5) Intermediate: The Smashing Pumpkins - Mayonaise (5) NOTE: please use the linked version by top-notch charter arrov, it's the only one with all three tracks Advanced: Radiohead - Lucky (6.5) Advanced Bonus: Rage Against the Machine - Fistful of Steel (6.5) Masterclass: Pearl Jam - Porch (7) Masterclass Bonus: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Easily (7.5) . Rhythm Path: Beginner: Oasis - Cast No Shadow (3.5) Intermediate: The Smashing Pumpkins - Mayonaise (5) NOTE: please use the linked version by top-notch charter arrov, it's the only one with all three tracks Advanced: Rage Against the Machine - Fistful of Steel (6) Masterclass: Pearl Jam - Porch (7) . Bass Path: Beginner: The Smashing Pumpkins - Mayonaise (4) NOTE: please use the linked version by top-notch charter arrov, it's the only one with all three tracks Intermediate: Oasis - Cast No Shadow (5) Intermediate Bonus: Rage Against the Machine - Fistful of Steel (6) Advanced: Radiohead - Lucky (6.5) Advanced Bonus: Pearl Jam - Porch (7.5) Masterclass: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Easily (8) . You can submit your song suggestions for the championship here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HzgY90kLwyGqzJ-R64v8lmpeQMMhhxwGwUlenepIgms/edit#gid=6 . Share with us your opinion on this weeks songs difficulty scores (1-10). . Classless, Fearless FreeBird Members in their endless battle with the fb police: 2groggy Let us know your opinions on the accuracy of the difficulty scores (1-10) for this weeks songs.

Okay, new week going up momentarily so Week 414 results are officially final. I hope you all enjoy the new week!

I think I’ll be posting the new week in about two hours so consider this the two-hour warning for getting your scores in.

Not my favorite week except for Vulfpeck of course... Beginner and intermediate bass charts were both awkward to play and intermediate I think was not synced well. I didn't even remember to save a screenshot of that one. Back Pocket is great and it's by far Vulfpeck's best known song...playful falsetto is not for everyone I guess but it very much goes with the band's wacky image: And this...was kinda fun except my hands wanted to commit seppuku before the end of the song:

@ GeoAbraxas This is why I ultimately settled on being a bassist only - I hate chords and really suck at changing between them. @ Rodman I'm hoping to be able to help more w/the CS when I get more settled in the US. My first and possibly only tries this week: I hadn't heard of Uncle Acid before this week and I like their sound. I did find this one actually a bit harder than The Trees on sightread, maybe because I'm more familiar with Rush and Geddy Lee's playing style in general: And yeah, The Trees is a lot of fun to play even if some of the fills are a bit beyond my current level:

First tries this week: Totally botched the little run of chords, going to try this with a pick: This is one of those songs that just clicks for me right away, some fantastic grooves:

Great week - thanks @ Mikson ! Fade to Black is an all-timer for me and Astronomy is a lot of fun on bass, so I'm excited.

Not sure I'll get a score much better than this until I figure out why note recognition is not working for me on the main riff...sounds good and feels like I'm playing it right but RS keeps dinging me for like 1 or 2 missed notes most of the time. Still a great song and fun to play.

Week 409 is over - congrats to the winners! Week 410 is now fully up and running.

Some playtest scores...seems I didn't save my scores from You're Beautiful or Evidence: This one is a lot of fun to play and rather unique: This is the hand destroyer but much love and respect to both Stevie Wonder and Nathan Watts (the bassist on this recording):

Thanks! Yes you're right, not sure how I got the difficulties switched on As but fortunately it won't affect the tierings this week. I will go ahead and update those and Evidence difficulties in the OP.

OP updated to reflect the week 409 winners - congrats to all! @ Hyphema Yes I originally rated it a 9 difficulty for the reason you mentioned - the last 2-3 minutes of the song my hands were just dead. Either way it's worthy of Masterclass.

I'm posting the new week early for personal schedule reasons but I won't finalize Week 409 winners until tonight US time. This week is a theme week as each song on the main paths/difficulties is from a different decade representing 50 years of music history (1970s-2010s). A good mix of genres as well, with soul/r&b, new wave, alternative, pop, and hard rock/metal all represented. Note: As by Stevie Wonder is a real endurance test - good luck!

Welcome to the CF Rocksmith 2014 Championship! -= Week 410 =- Theme Week: Through the Decades FAQ: => How and Why join the Championships? => Rocksmith 2014 Championships rules Last week's winners ead: Beginner: @ kayteck Intermediate: @ Banjoclan Advanced: @ Anitomer Masterclass: @ johnal Rhythm: Beginner: @ LacrimaLuna Intermediate: @ Daz40 Advanced: @ Mikson Masterclass: N/A Bass: Beginner: @ rodentwentyten Intermediate: @ ShankD Advanced: @ Mikson Masterclass: @ coldrampage Congrats to all winners. Well done! Rocksmith Championship Leaderboard This week's songs are: Lead Path: Beginner: James Blunt - You're Beautiful (3) from 2005 chosen by @ Mikson Intermediate: Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels (5) from 1985, my choice Advanced: Volbeat - Our Loved Ones (6) from 2013 chosen by @ DropZone90 Advanced Bonus: Stevie Wonder - As (8) from 1976, my choice Masterclass: Faith No More - Evidence (8) from 1995, my choice GOG: Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut Full Album (10) week 2/4 Rhythm Path: Beginner: Faith No More - Evidence (3.5) Intermediate: James Blunt - You're Beautiful (4) Intermediate Bonus: Volbeat - Our Loved Ones (5) Advanced: Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels (6) Masterclass: Stevie Wonder - As (7) GOR: Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut Full Album (8 ?) week 2/4 Bass Path: Beginner: James Blunt - You're Beautiful (2) Beginner Bonus: Volbeat - Our Loved Ones (3) Intermediate: Faith No More - Evidence (5) Advanced: Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels (7) Masterclass: Stevie Wonder - As (8.5) GOB: Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut Full Album (7 ?) week 2/4 Share with us your opinion on this weeks songs difficulty scores (1-10). . Classless, Fearless FreeBird Members in their endless battle with the fb police: 2groggy Let us know your opinions on the accuracy of the difficulty scores (1-10) for this weeks songs.

Hi All - I will be posting the new week shortly as I won't have access to my laptop until evening US time. I'll just post the new songs for now and update the week 409 winners tonight - so you have some extra time to get your scores in. Good luck!

Cool week, thanks @ Rodman Can we clarify the bass difficulty levels though? I thought we had changed so that 1-4 was beginner, 5-6 intermediate, 7-8 advanced, 9 masterclass, but recently there have been several weeks with difficulty 6 tracks as advanced and now we also have a 3.5 as intermediate.

Still traveling so not much time to practice or compete, but I had a bit of time the last two days: Great song...I think it might be a bit higher than 3 difficulty but I found it to be easy and very satisfying to play once I started using just my fretting index finger and sliding up and down the fretboard: This was fine...not a big fan of the vocals but it's reasonably fun to play: One of the better Slipknot songs IMO, and it's a fun challenge - I think the fast strumming parts should push it to a 7+ difficulty overall:

I won't have internet access the rest of the week so these first tries will have to do: Pretty fun song but definitely not advanced level IMO - I would probably rate it a 5 or 5.5, so solidly Intermediate: This one was honestly a disappointment for a Maiden track...the song is okay but it's several minutes too long and the bass part is very unimaginative and actually boring for like 2/3 of the song, while the rest is tricky but not very fun to play IMO:

My scores to this point...not sure if I'll have a chance to improve them before the new week is posted

Sorry about the link mixup, all - I'll fix it in the OP. And yes, 21st Century Gentleman is well worth playing on bass as well. I'll put the bass part in our "spare arrangements" tab on the selection list so it can be used properly in a future championship.