lowdowner Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Sometimes, to remind myself how incompetent I am at playing bass I plug my ipod into my amp and switch the playlist to shuffle - loads of interesting stuff comes up and I try to make a bass line to whatever I hear as well as I can. Yesterday up popped U2 with 'where the streets have no name' and I did my usual faffing about - only to quickly find that there isn't much to the bass at all. I went back to some online tab sites and sure enough, my simple (I can only play simple!) bass line was more complex than the original (!) so I took it back to the bass-ics... Taking a look at some other U2 tracks it seems that the bass lines are pretty much as simple as you can get - and a bit repetitive. I like U2, but I'm a bit surprised by this. Is all U2 like this, and why? Is it something to do with their bass player not wanting to do anything 'original'? Is it just the genre, or is U2 pretty unique in this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Is the drummer any more "original" or "complex"? You've missed the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudpup Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Clear winner in the pounds per note competition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Sometimes it's all about the space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) I think there are 2 main reasons for this: 1. With The Edge on guitar, does there need to be anything in the way of his sound, or should his guitar, and the atmospherics it can bring be unhindered. 2. Bonos voice - same thing really. Clutter up the sound too much and you lose the power and feeling in his voice. I`m not a particular fan of U2, but I think they are very clever in this, they play to their strengths. Edited January 19, 2013 by Lozz196 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) Time to start the onslaught of Adam Clayton panning (again) then... I wish to say that I find the bass work just right for the songs. I have always liked simple over flash but irrelevant.... Edit: very surprised by the positive comments above - I'm not the only one then... Edited January 19, 2013 by OldG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 'Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.' Frederic Chopin Courtesy of Silddx from the Musicians Wisdom thread. I hope this isn't going to degenerate into another 'Clayton is a poor player' thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The only U2 bassline I've ever noticed is this one, I like the way it stays the same but fits over the whole song. Very simple to play though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Oh3mlGHEc I guess Adam Clayton is doing an OK job if his basslines don't stick out as being wrong, but I haven't heard him play anything that inspires me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 If you want to learn the lines exactly, you may find there's more to them than is at first obvious, though this may be more by accident than design. For example in Beautiful day, (one of their new ones!) the return to the A each time is sometimes on the offbeat and sometimes on the beat. It happens fairly randomly and Mr. Clayton was apparently unaware of it, when asked in an interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I'll add it takes real skill to play something that simple with feeling and keep it musical whilst' locked in the pocket'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 OK lowdowner - here's a little test for you... Find a suitable singer, guitarist and drummer. Record your own version of "Where the streets have no name" with a bassline you think is more interesting while still be being appropriate and post it up here on Basschat for us to critique. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Alan Lancaster in Quo plays one note bass lines that work. James Jamerson played 3 notes on Higher and Higher. It's a classic. Adam Clayton's playing style is exactly right for U2. The OP is equating complex with better and simple with being less original. Both misconceptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 There's Moog Taurus bass in WTSHNN if anyone's interested. U2 would be rubbish with a flashy bassist. AC's perfect for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimryan Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Hehe Have you found what you're looking for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Clay ton for a Masterclass anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdowner Posted January 19, 2013 Author Share Posted January 19, 2013 That's quite an interesting set of responses. I wasn't expecting a question looking for views and comments to be read as a slur on U2. I *like* U2 - that's why they are on my iPod, and I like simplicity and space (most of the really good funk is filled with space and that's what I like playing). I buy into the 'the unheard notes are sometimes the best' feelings, and I don't prize complexity for complexity's sake. I'm certainly *not* 'equating complex with better' - that would be crass and musically unsophisticated. Though I don't equate complex with bad either - complex is right for some tracks. That's not what I'm getting at. Nor am I knocking Clayton (god knows, I'm not in a position to do that with *my* quality of playing). I was just interested in whether it's common for bass players, even in really respected bands, to play lines that are so simple. Sure we all rave about Wooten and The Meters (and for good reason), but for big, mainstream bands like U2 the gap between complexity and originality and simplicity and repetition, seems very striking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I'd suggest there's a tendency to over-analyse such things. I'd bet that U2 didn't set out to create a particular sound, they were just a bunch of guys who got together to play stuff and 'their sound' simply emerged from their respective skills and styles. Then, it just so happened that the public loved the result and the rest, as they say, is history. So why change anything? And the same is probably true for every other successful band. Now, given their popularity, it's quite possible that other start up bands may try to copy a particular sound and style, but how often does that really work (ok, Oasis obviousl) ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gub Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Is there an Adam clayton bass ? Will have to google it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Apologies for misreading your original post. Switch the question around, can you think of any respected (how do you define respected?) or mainstream bands that have complicated bass lines? Most don't. Status Quo, Stones, Bowie, JLS and Queen's bass lines are all pretty simple. JPJ in Led Zepelin played lots of notes but they were all pretty basic blues lines. An effective band usually has simple playing at it's core, until you get into Dream Theater territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I love the bass-lines of Stories for Boys or Two Hearts beat as one.. also the simple pluck in Unforgettable Fire.. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIuAFBRyjj4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIuAFBRyjj4[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdKdl3e8sl4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdKdl3e8sl4[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I roadied for U2 at the Marquee in 1979. I was assigned to Edge to help set up his equipment but got to watch the whole show. Watching Adam Clayton made me think "I can do that, I could be in a band like this". I couldn't and, needless to say, I wasn't It did make me buy a rather nice P bass and start learning to play though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassection Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 'Get on Your Boots' is a bit of a better bassline than most of their songs, but after you learn the main riff you realise that there really isn't much to it at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The bass part on New Years Day makes the song. A different bassline would not work as well IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 [quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1358598268' post='1941901'] The bass part on New Years Day makes the song. A different bassline would not work as well IMHO [/quote] Yep, the bassline is the easiect identifiable part of that song, and had it been a different line, well, would we even know the song? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) Flippin heck! 24 posts and not one "Adam Clayton is crap!" post. Most unusual. (I like u2 by the way) Edited January 19, 2013 by jezzaboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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