hairyhaw Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1329915059' post='1549554'] Aye fine examples. But, its not like they were commonplace on the majority of the tunes and despite being well thought out basslines they really aint remarkable. Shes so high is a great example. Well structured etc. However, everytime I hear it I just think Stone Roses, ie. classic Brit Pop. [/quote] [sub]Does that mean that all less than remarkable bassists are bog-standard then? I think there are a few more graduations of bass playing that. I would argue more that James is a thoughtful player and as a result this makes him a fine bassist. By contrast, a remarkable bassist is a rare beast and even remarkable bassists aren’t remarkable all the time. [/sub] Edited February 22, 2012 by hairyhaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='umcoo' timestamp='1329916332' post='1549596'] I think Mick Quinn is a really amazing bass player. Different strokes I guess, but Supergrass and Blur always had great basslines imo. It wasn't the best performance to be fair, but I think it improved as it went on. I was saying to my ladyfriend when 'Song 2' was on, that I only really like the album version....I've never heard a live performance of it that I thought was any good. [/quote] +1. Supergrass had some cracking basslines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Just to get people's hackles up further, I think the best Blur album (and actually rather good) is ThinkTank, which of course was after Graham Coxon left. Furthermore I sat through a Coxon gig in Hammersmith recently - derivative pseudo-psychedelic Syd Barrett-gets-an-electric-guitar stuff that was perfectly OK in small doses but became boring after 3 or 4 songs. Hence I cannot agree he was the only talented member of the band Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='MB1' timestamp='1329912359' post='1549479'] [attachment=100658:anne.jpg][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp4yrSTUUII[/media] MB1. 2.17 and 3.50 on the boys and girls clip sounds strangely like Anne off Little Britain?... [/quote] Ha ha ha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) [quote name='hairyhaw' timestamp='1329916395' post='1549599'] Does that mean that all less than remarkable bassists are bog-standard then? I think there are a few more I would argue more that James is a thoughtful player and as a result this makes him a fine bassist. By contrast, a remarkable bassist is a rare beast and even remarkable bassists aren’t remarkable all the time. [/quote] In my book yes. But thats just about how you define bog standard and less than remarkable. Its not a slur at all. Do I find Clayton to be a poor bassist? Not at all. Bog standard yes but not poor. I think you may be assuming that I class him as a poor bassist and that IMO a remarkable bassist has to be flashy or whatever, which is not the case at all. The same applies to Mick Quinn who has popped up a few times since I mentioned him. What he does is fine, nothing wrong with it but its never made me sit up and think "wow, epic bass line". Just dont tell Protium I said that........... Edited February 22, 2012 by Mog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerley Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1329916716' post='1549613'] Just to get people's hackles up further, I think the best Blur album (and actually rather good) is ThinkTank, which of course was after Graham Coxon left. [/quote] Agree. An album far removed from any brit pop connotations. Plus comes in a very nice CD case too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyhaw Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1329917381' post='1549637'] In my book yes. But thats just about how you define bog standard and less than remarkable. Its not a slur at all. Do I find Clayton to be a poor bassis? Not at all. Bog standard yes but not poor. I think you may be assuming that I class him as a poor bassist and that IMO a remarkable bassist has to be flashy or whatever, which is not the case at all. [/quote] On the face of it, I’m kind of glad I read my book and not yours. I’m not assuming anything at all, but it might help your case if you were to give a couple of examples that make up your particular frame of reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='hairyhaw' timestamp='1329918180' post='1549666'] On the face of it, I’m kind of glad I read my book and not yours. I’m not assuming anything at all, but it might help your case if you were to give a couple of examples that make up your particular frame of reference. [/quote] Sound, without going too far off topic. 5 bassists I'd class as remarkable:[list=1] [*]Nathan East [*]Mike Dean [*]John Paul Jones [*]Tye Zamora [*]Dee Murray [/list] Theres plenty more I could mention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1329911449' post='1549454'] ...I can't imagine many teenage girls have posters of Victor Wooten on their bedroom walls... [/quote] I bet quite a few middle-aged men do, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyhaw Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1329918723' post='1549682'] Sound, without going too far off topic. 5 bassists I'd class as remarkable:[list=1] [*]Nathan East [*]Mike Dean [*]John Paul Jones [*]Tye Zamora [*]Dee Murray [/list] Theres plenty more I could mention. [/quote] JPJ - happily agree but he's had plenty bog-standard moments too. Rest I've never heard of so will need to go look 'em up over next few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='hairyhaw' timestamp='1329919826' post='1549726'] JPJ - happily agree but he's had plenty bog-standard moments too. Rest I've never heard of so will need to go look 'em up over next few days. [/quote] Tis no biggie lad. Opinions (however different) are (supposedly) allowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest markinthegreen Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1329909766' post='1549377'] I find him bog standard to be honest.Then again so were his 'peers'. I mean, Matt Osman, Steve Mackey, Paul McGuigan, Annie Holland, Mick Quinn............ None of them spring to mind as outstanding bassists. I'd stick them all in the Adam Clayton/Michael Anthony pile. [/quote] Wow Mick Quinn "Bog standard"!!! My word thats a quote I didn't think I was going to read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyhaw Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1329920372' post='1549746'] Tis no biggie lad. Opinions (however different) are (supposedly) allowed. [/quote] They certainly are chappy and cheers for the recommends - only had time to do Nathan East and Dee Murray - have to say both fine solid workman-like bassists but I honestly wouldn't rate them any higher than A.James. That's opinions for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) [quote name='risingson' timestamp='1329908069' post='1549336'] EDIT - an FYI, the Gorrilaz debut album sold 10 million. Quite a far off amount from Blur's combined 24 million. [/quote] I guess it depends on where you get your figures from: [url="http://www.vblurpage.com/info/chartography/sales_albums.htm"]http://www.vblurpage...ales_albums.htm[/url] a wee bit shy of 24 million. Edited February 22, 2012 by MacDaddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1329918723' post='1549682']Sound, without going too far off topic. 5 bassists I'd class as remarkable:[list=1] [*]Nathan East [*]Mike Dean [*]John Paul Jones [*]Tye Zamora [*]Dee Murray [/list] Theres plenty more I could mention.[/quote] I've heard of two of them. If it wasn't for adverts on bass forums / magazines I would only have heard of one of them. Pop music doesn't really need its bass players to be outstanding though does it? Or at least not that often. That said, I think Alex James has played some nice parts over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegatward Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 A few points to mention about the Brits First - it's quite funny that the real reason the show ran over time wasn't to do with Blur's performance (which must have been planned in) but with the length of their acceptance speech. It was of Oscar length and banality. Second - I must be getting old. The award for the best single. I'd never heard it before, didn't like it and had never heard of the boy band that performed it. At least middle age brings a modicum of taste then Third - I thought George Michael sounded completely off his head. Was impressed he actually managed to stay stood up. mind you he did have to hold onto Adele at one point. And lastly - Alex James makes really nice cheese. Our local deli had some a while back thought was so expensive I got the assistant to half the size of the piece I originally wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirky Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I've never been a Blur fan (although I have a copy of Tender and I think its a great song), but my whole family thought that their warts and all performance was the highlight of the night (perhaps along with Bruno Mars super-slick performance). When I got home from work yesterday my 13 year old son was sitting playing his guitar having taught himself all the Blur songs they performed (at least on ITV). That's what a proper rock and roll performance can do, even if those of us that know better realise it wasn't a vintage performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='hairyhaw' timestamp='1329922516' post='1549801'] They certainly are chappy and cheers for the recommends - only had time to do Nathan East and Dee Murray - have to say both fine solid workman-like bassists but I honestly wouldn't rate them any higher than A.James. That's opinions for you. [/quote] Can you compare Alex James to Nathan east? Workmanlike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1329990227' post='1550782'] Can you compare Alex James to Nathan east? Workmanlike? [/quote] You sound like me whenever someone has the temerity to slag off Gibson basses Ahh, the sweet and sour of opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1329990227' post='1550782'] Can you compare Alex James to Nathan east? Workmanlike? [/quote] Good point. Surely describing a bassist who has played a handful of gigs in the last decade and spends most of his time eating cheese as 'workman-like' is a tad insulting to pretty much every working musician out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='mikegatward' timestamp='1329924437' post='1549847'] Alex James makes really nice cheese. [/quote] I don't think you can argue with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairyhaw Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1329990227' post='1550782'] Can you compare Alex James to Nathan east? Workmanlike? [/quote] They inhabit different musical realms but yes, I think I can. And I think I just did. [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1329991371' post='1550808'] Good point. Surely describing a bassist who has played a handful of gigs in the last decade and spends most of his time eating cheese as 'workman-like' is a tad insulting to pretty much every working musician out there! [/quote] Ah, but I wasn't describing James (who I've described as a fine bassist) as workmanlike - I was describing East, who is also a fine bassist but not one I would rate over AJ with particular regard to bass part composition. Their work schedules are totally different but I wasn't discussing their work ethic either. Its all horses for courses really, isn't it? And who's to say Nathan East isn't fond of a horsing down a slab of Red Leicester in his free time either? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveK Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Shame internet and BassChat wasn't around in the 60s. Would've been fun comparing this thread on Blurs Brits performance to, say, a Who, Kinks, Troggs, Stones, Move etc performance of the 60s... methinks there would be an uncanny similarity, There's something strangely comforting but at the same time disappointing about Blurs appearance. It's a really sad state of affairs when the most common positive comments I've read are, 'At least they played live". How have we come to this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 (edited) [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1329904725' post='1549262'] Did anyone actually find out what their outstanding contribution to music is in the end or not then? [/quote] They were central to that whole Britpop thing. Whether you liked it or not, it had an enormous impact on mainstream pop music in the mid 90s. Far more than Grunge or Madchester had. (and I apologise for the use of lame genre names) Edited February 23, 2012 by dlloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerley Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1329997873' post='1550993'] It's a really sad state of affairs when the most common positive comments I've read are, 'At least they played live". How have we come to this? [/quote] Guess you would have to track back to when miming to songs on TV became the norm. 1980s?, it certainly wasn't that recently anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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