Oscar South Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 (edited) I think Paul McCartney is a strange case, his solo work was mediocre at best yet his work with the Beatles was some of the best and most influential songwriting ever, his bass playing on his own songs is competent but generally unexceptional yet his playing on Lennon and Harrison songs is remarkable. I do think hes overshadowed by his work with the Beatles and hes been inconsistent over his career, but hes undoubtedly one of the most influential bassists/musicians of all time. Edited April 26, 2008 by Oscar South Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty589 Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Overrated by who? Without wishing to descend into an argument, does the wider world care what the posters on this thread think? Jaco, Jamerson, Mark King and the rest have made music that has entertained and been enjoyed by people all round the world. Have you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johngh Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 It must be remembered bretheren, that players like Jaco, McCartney and King defined new standards in playing bass. Jaco isn't my cup of tea, and I have tried so hard to like him, but I can't deny his influence in setting standards. I dislike Iron Maiden with a vengence , but I can't deny Mr Harris's talents or they would not have been so successful. Mark Kings instrumental stuff with Level 42 was incredible, its the post Running in the Family stuff thats mundane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamble Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 I think you have to define what someone is rated highly for doing before you can say they're "over-rated". Personally think Les Claypool has a very inventive approach to playing (at least he did on Seas Of Cheese and Pork Soda), but then again he might have just picked that up from someone I've not heard of. His playing can be really sloppy at times but that's part of the charm of his style to me. If you're into super-slick, flawless accuracy, hi-fi kinda playing then you'll think he's over-rated. It's all relative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumble Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 I find it a bit tricky to define over-rated. Some are over-rated because their choice of notes ain't that great, others because their techniques are lacking and still others because they just don't rock my boat (or all three in my case!). For me, style is the main thing and the one person who just winds me up is Mr Wooten. You can't question the guys technique and pure talent, but damn I hate it when every single tune regardless of the genre or 'feel' has to be dragged into the musical cellar by filling it -at some point- with 200mph double popping, tapping la la la.... Annoys the pants off me. What's worse is that on three completely different songs, one with Dave Matthews, one with Bela Fleck and another with his own band, the double-popping-instrumental-fill was virtually identical. Give me Jamerson anyday. Big sigh.........I've been wanting to get that off my chest for a while. I now stand to be shot at! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='matty589' post='186106' date='Apr 26 2008, 07:08 PM']Overrated by who? Without wishing to descend into an argument, does the wider world care what the posters on this thread think? Jaco, Jamerson, Mark King and the rest have made music that has entertained and been enjoyed by people all round the world. Have you?[/quote] That's not the point, with respect.. The original post - by a member of Basschat, asked fellow Basschat members - who we thought were overrated. Therefore, it's a question about our opinions here, not about the achievements of the bassists in question out there in the 'wider world'.. So IMHO, it's just a harmless way to pass the time and definitely not a way to start arguements.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trent900 Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 (edited) [quote name='silverfoxnik' post='186122' date='Apr 26 2008, 07:38 PM']The original post - by a member of Basschat, asked fellow Basschat members - who we thought were overrated. Therefore, it's a question about our opinions here, not about the achievements of the bassists in question out there in the 'wider world'.. So IMHO, it's just a harmless way to pass the time and definitely not a way to start arguements.. [/quote] +1 I don't think anyone here [i]expects[/i] the wider world to care what we think. But it's still fun to think it! Agree with practically everyone already mentioned, except Jaco. Sure he's only very very niche famous, as it were, but damn the man could play. I can't think of anyone like him before or since. To me people like Victor Wooten and Les Claypool are the Eddie Van Halens of bass - fun for a minute or so but then you just wish they'd slow down and stop showing off. Overrated for me - Michael Manring. Edited April 26, 2008 by trent900 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumble Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 +1 for Michael Manring - forgot about him. Looks a bit funny too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 26, 2008 Author Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='silverfoxnik' post='186122' date='Apr 26 2008, 07:38 PM']The original post - by a member of Basschat, asked fellow Basschat members - who we thought were overrated. Therefore, it's a question about our opinions here, not about the achievements of the bassists in question out there in the 'wider world'.. So IMHO, it's just a harmless way to pass the time and definitely not a way to start arguements.. [/quote] Exactly man, this is purely on the basis of opinions and not fact and in no way did I intend for this thread to be one littered with the perpetual arguing which is now becoming all the rage. As I said I'm just interested to see what we all think. From the posts thus far, I get the impression that as bass players we give bassist's/or any muscians a great amount of respect, even if the player does not hit your eruption button. As opposed to the thread on the Pearl's drummer forum, which was more people all bashing the legends (Bonham, Moon, Baker and even Peart etc...) to aggrivate more than to state an opinion. Occasionally a sensible mind would write a post accepting all the opinions and admitting respect to them, and would thus be open to more flamming. Even for the few I think are "Over-rated" I respect greatly, Flea drives me up the sodding wall along with his army of Slap-a-likes, but he has built himself a great career, influenced countless bassists over the years and is still going strong, all you really can do is respect that As long as our opinions have an ounce of respect the less chance there is someone will take it the wrong way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='Rumble' post='186139' date='Apr 26 2008, 08:14 PM']+1 for Michael Manring - forgot about him. Looks a bit funny too [/quote] saw him play live about 4 years ago, blew my mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='Josh' post='186157' date='Apr 26 2008, 08:45 PM']Exactly man, this is purely on the basis of opinions and not fact and in no way did I intend for this thread to be one littered with the perpetual arguing which is now becoming all the rage. As I said I'm just interested to see what we all think. From the posts thus far, I get the impression that as bass players we give bassist's/or any muscians a great amount of respect, even if the player does not hit your eruption button. As opposed to the thread on the Pearl's drummer forum, which was more people all bashing the legends (Bonham, Moon, Baker and even Peart etc...) to aggrivate more than to state an opinion. Occasionally a sensible mind would write a post accepting all the opinions and admitting respect to them, and would thus be open to more flamming. Even for the few I think are "Over-rated" I respect greatly, Flea drives me up the sodding wall along with his army of Slap-a-likes, but he has built himself a great career, influenced countless bassists over the years and is still going strong, all you really can do is respect that As long as our opinions have an ounce of respect the less chance there is someone will take it the wrong way.[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Good reading! - Hmmm... well, I'm not so fussed about a bass player being called 'over-rated'. There are some that get hyped, for example when being called 'the next big thing', or 'the greatest since...'. That can be a little tiresome sometimes. I have more of an issue with narrow-minded people who are so busy standing their ground about their views, that they fail to see the bigger picture. "Mr XYZ is the best bassist on the planet, no one is as good as them".. ahhh, yeh.. ok.. Smell the coffee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted April 26, 2008 Author Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='dood' post='186167' date='Apr 26 2008, 09:08 PM']"Mr XYZ is the best bassist on the planet, no one is as good as them".. ahhh, yeh.. ok.. Smell the coffee![/quote] I think most if not all of us are guilty of being that naive when we were young Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BossHog Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Can't believe Jaco Pastorius is on this thread, bollocks!!!!!! He is neither my favorite player or bottom of the list but for gods sake he changed the sound of the electric bass. Unbelievable. My Vote: Mark King. Mark King and Mark King... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnt Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='peteb' post='186045' date='Apr 26 2008, 05:45 PM']To anyone who isn’t a massive soul fan, Jamerson was just a decent session player who played on a string of hits![/quote] Not as many hits as Carol Kaye, however... Nah - while Jaco does very little for me, I'm of the "if you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything" school of thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 (edited) [quote name='Josh' post='186157' date='Apr 26 2008, 08:45 PM']Even for the few I think are "Over-rated" I respect greatly, Flea drives me up the sodding wall along with his army of Slap-a-likes, but he has built himself a great career, influenced countless bassists over the years and is still going strong, all you really can do is respect that [/quote] Agree with most of your post, but I actually think Flea has something of a bad press amongst us bassists. He's often held up as a ''one trick pony'' slap player, but in fact, a lot of RHCP's best stuff is completely slap free! Listen to songs like Californication, Soul to Squeeze, Scar Tissue, Dani California, and there's some really good, melodic (non-slap!) playing. Edited April 26, 2008 by simon1964 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy67 Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 (edited) one player I thought was way under-rated but cant remember his name properly is, something like Alex Skleravic great slap and funk player. hope someone recognises him and knows his proper name befor it drives me mental?? Got him!! Alex Sklarevski: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCoHgfCVbYE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCoHgfCVbYE[/url] Edited April 26, 2008 by andy67 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='Josh' post='186172' date='Apr 26 2008, 09:15 PM']I think most if not all of us are guilty of being that naive when we were young [/quote] Mr XYZ was the greatest exponent of the bass guitar, yes lol ;o) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty589 Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='silverfoxnik' post='186122' date='Apr 26 2008, 07:38 PM']That's not the point, with respect.. The original post - by a member of Basschat, asked fellow Basschat members - who we thought were overrated. Therefore, it's a question about our opinions here, not about the achievements of the bassists in question out there in the 'wider world'.. So IMHO, it's just a harmless way to pass the time and definitely not a way to start arguements.. [/quote] If you read the question, then your reply misses the point. Who is rating the player in the first place? It can't be you otherwise how can you rate them and then say they are overrated? Logically we are being asked who WE think is overrated by THE WIDER WORLD. If the wider world have rated them to any significant degree then what is said here is, quite literally, a way to waste time. An opinion is only worth having if it is backed up with knowledge, experience and some kind of supporting evidence. Saying "I think Jaco is overrated" is like saying "I think blue is not golf". Meaningless. By the way, which washer-dryers are, in your opinion, overrated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oscar South Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 I believe that the washer dryers Geddy Lee uses are highly overrated, I tried one out in the shop and they are nowhere near as warm or dry as he claims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Do go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty589 Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 [quote name='Oscar South' post='186225' date='Apr 26 2008, 11:54 PM']I believe that the washer dryers Geddy Lee uses are highly overrated, I tried one out in the shop and they are nowhere near as warm or dry as he claims.[/quote] Now that's the kind of info we need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 victor wooten Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc B Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 Stu Hamm, Billy Sheehan and TM Stevens Their signature basses are all rank too.... Pulls on flak jacket, kevlar helmet and a Trojan.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sticker Posted April 26, 2008 Share Posted April 26, 2008 +1 on Billy Sheehan , saw him play with Vai and thought his sound was pants and his bass solo bored me to tears ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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