Flea

[cheddatom]

When I was at school and uni, he was the bass player every none bass player admired, so it did get pretty annoying when people would say "do you want to play like Flea" etc

but yeh he's very good, much better than i'll ever be!

[bartelby]

I prefer his acting...

[merello]

I've never heard anyone with taste knock him.

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1341992708' post='1727432']
I prefer his acting...
[/quote]

NSFW:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L2qP-xQ_7o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L2qP-xQ_7o[/url]

[thumbo]

His bass parts on Blood Sugar Sex Magik are outstanding - just the right mix of holding it all together and showing some flare in tasteful places.

[El Bajo]

No a massive Chillis fan but I love his finger style playing particularly on californication and Mars Voltas Deloused

[51m0n]

Soul to Squeeze - my favourite bass line of all time....

[foal30]

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1341952918' post='1727045']
I've just been watching a Chili's live concert and think that Flea is an amazing player. The way he grooves and fills out the sound for a three-piece is astonishing.

Why do people knock him?
[/quote]

they have decided the world has no need for a white Louis Johnson?

[Commando Jack]

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1341952918' post='1727045']
Why do people knock him?
[/quote]

Because he's a trumpet player!

[ZMech]

I think many bassists (read: myself and some bassists I know) seem to go through three stages.

1) Flea is awesome, I wish I could play like him!
2) Wait a second, there all of these guys that just dominate Flea (Miller, Wooten etc).
3) Actually, Flea's bass parts are often superb, I'd much rather listen to them than slap happy tomfoolery.

Unfortunately stage 2 can last a long time, and can lead to quite vocal statements of how ___ is better than ____ .

Edited July 11, 2012 by ZMech

[thunderbird13]

Flea does have an amazing technique , his playing includes a lot of different styles and he plays for one of the biggest rock groups in the world
So for better or worse he is held up to be a "bass hero"

TBH I never really liked RHCP I always thought that everything else about them was a bit second rate and if it wasnt for Flea they would be a very average band

[JakeBrownBass]

.

Edited January 19, 2013 by JakeBrownBass

[BigRedX]

IMO the music that you choose to play is just as important as your ability on your chosen instrument(s). As a band RHCP don't really do anything for me so while Flea may or may not be a fantastic bass player because I don't like the music he plays I find it hard to appreciate his playing.

Also I'm a great believer in the importance of the song and the arrangement over the instrumental prowess of the individual musicians. To me if as a musician you are more noticed that the songs you are playing that means either the songs themselves are weak, or you are over-playing. Either way IMO you've failed as a musician.

[peteb]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1342002042' post='1727662']
IMO the music that you choose to play is just as important as your ability on your chosen instrument(s). As a band RHCP don't really do anything for me so while Flea may or may not be a fantastic bass player because I don't like the music he plays I find it hard to appreciate his playing.

Also I'm a great believer in the importance of the song and the arrangement over the instrumental prowess of the individual musicians. To me if as a musician you are more noticed that the songs you are playing that means either the songs themselves are weak, or you are over-playing. Either way IMO you've failed as a musician.
[/quote]
But surely the logical extension of that is saying that anyone who achieves recognition as being a great player must, therefore, be rubbish!

I'm all for great songs but (IMO) there must be room for outstanding musicians as well......

[Conan]

Oddly enough, despite his ability with fingers and slap, most of my favourite Chilis tracks feature Flea playing with a pick!!

Fortune faded and Parallel Universe for example...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9mmnRO02xY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9mmnRO02xY[/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fPYyoY49Bc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fPYyoY49Bc[/url]

[fumps]

I used to hate the RHCP but hen i saw them at Reading 1994 as a headliner & was absolutely blown away. they were just the most energetic-power ball of power, noise & i just could not take my eyes off them.

Ever since I'm still in awe at their ability to survive & do what they are good at. Not everyone likes the same thing but I for one will always be a massive fan of Flea & his playing

[Gust0o]

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1341960054' post='1727230']
It's probably that British thing. Always knock the good uns cos were jealous.
[/quote]

This. In one. We resent success.

[akabane]

He's a really great bass player - I do like almost all of his fingerstyle grooves and *some* of the slapped ones (a very few though) - even if I don't dig a lot of RHCP's stuff.
The thing I guess is that people see Flea doing his slap fast thingy on youtube or bass lessons and compare him to good 'solo' players like Wooten and company, and Flea in that department (playing ALONE showing off) sucks big time. (and that's allright!)
But that's just because he is NOT a solo bass player. He is a band member and his best stuff come from the songs with RHCP and you can hear that, wheter people like that kind of music or not.

@BigRedX: [i]"Also I'm a great believer in the importance of the song and the arrangement over the instrumental prowess of the individual musicians. To me if as a musician you are more noticed that the songs you are playing that means either the songs themselves are weak, or you are over-playing. Either way IMO you've failed as a musician."[/i]

I guess the 'oh wait, that's bs' line on this statement is really really thin - fact being that if you are in one of the most known bands in the globe you ARE going to be noticed (especially if you're in a 2 or 3 piece band). The fact that he shows off a lot as well does not help here.

Your statement could be as well something like "IMO if you play notes higher than the 5th fret (possibly 4strings) you're not a bass player" and could be right AND so wrong at the same time, is a personal opinion but this way you have the risk of encapsulating some good players into stereotypes - which is always wrong I think.

'...either way you've failed as a musician' is a pretty strong sentence

(If I misunderstood what you wanted to say here I'm sorry - I'm sleeeeeeeeepy today XD)

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1342002042' post='1727662']Also I'm a great believer in the importance of the song and the arrangement over the instrumental prowess of the individual musicians. To me if as a musician you are more noticed that the songs you are playing that means either the songs themselves are weak, or you are over-playing. Either way IMO you've failed as a musician.[/quote]

So you don't play basses that look like futuristic sex toys to get noticed, then?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1342004731' post='1727751']
So you don't play basses that look like futuristic sex toys to get noticed, then?
[/quote]

*Grin*

That's a visual thing. We put on a show so that people who come to see the band live have something worth watching otherwise they might as well stay at home and play the CD loud.

I think the issue with Flea and RHCP is that musically he overshadows the band. I doubt whether anyone who rates Flea as a bass player, but isn't particularly a RHCP fan could name either the drummer or the current guitarist. And while their sound is to a certain extent dominated by the bass playing it's still a band and each part should be equally important.

In the end though it's probably down to the fact that their music does nothing for me so I can't really appreciate Flea as a player because of that.

[paul_5]

I'll screw my courage to the sticking place and say "Flea da BOMB!"

I've always loved his playing.

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1342002042' post='1727662']
IMO the music that you choose to play is just as important as your ability on your chosen instrument(s). As a band RHCP don't really do anything for me so while Flea may or may not be a fantastic bass player because I don't like the music he plays I find it hard to appreciate his playing.

Also I'm a great believer in the importance of the song and the arrangement over the instrumental prowess of the individual musicians. To me if as a musician you are more noticed that the songs you are playing that means either the songs themselves are weak, or you are over-playing. Either way IMO you've failed as a musician.
[/quote]

My thoughts exactly.

Flea is very good at what he does. I just don't really like it. He's really talented, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to him!

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1342007764' post='1727863']I think the issue with Flea and RHCP is that musically he overshadows the band. I doubt whether anyone who rates Flea as a bass player, but isn't particularly a RHCP fan could name either the drummer or the current guitarist. And while their sound is to a certain extent dominated by the bass playing it's still a band and each part should be equally important.[/quote]

I don't listen to their recent output because I find it all a bit plodding. On their earlier stuff where they were actually interesting they were all young and part of that funk/rock scene in California where overplaying was part of the sound, even still Flea shows a lot of restraint on the stuff towards the end of that period (Blood Sugar Sex Magik doesn't have much in the way of over-playing on the bass, and hardly any slapping). I disagree that he overshadowed the band; Kiedis was a great clown at that time and Flea was more of a sideshow.

Perhaps you're right in that people who rate Flea but isn't an RHCP fan might not be able to name the other band members, but you could level that at any highly-visible bass player. I know that Vic Wooten played for Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, but I couldn't tell you who the rest of them are. I could have a guess at one of them being called Bela Fleck I suppose...

I don't really know why people look down their noses at Flea. He's been successful because he worked really hard on his thing. And I know you think that the visual aspects of a performance are really important so I thought you'd at least credit him with being very good at that.

[BottomE]

I have only seen him on a couple of things - one was a jam with lots of bass players playing School Days - he was pretty good but not outstanding. The other was at a Bass Day thing where he played along with a drummer and it wasn't that inspiring.

[wingnutkj]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1342007764' post='1727863']
I think the issue with Flea and RHCP is that musically he overshadows the band. I doubt whether anyone who rates Flea as a bass player, but isn't particularly a RHCP fan could name either the drummer or the current guitarist.
[/quote]

Oh! Oh! I know this one -the drummer's Will Ferrell!