cytania Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Seems the last decade has been about individual artists not groups; Ed Sheeran, Jake Bugg, Adele etc. They often have backing bands but it's not the same as being a definate unit. Some real blockbuster bands would help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 [quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1385837201' post='2292762'] ...more work for us when we reach oldfartdom! [/quote] Way ahead of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Apple Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1385838782' post='2292784'] Way ahead of you. [/quote] Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted November 30, 2013 Author Share Posted November 30, 2013 I speak to music reps all the time. Bass sales are down significantly. I think the bottom line (no pun intended) is that it's not a cool instrument at present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1385841676' post='2292821'] I think the bottom line (no pun intended) is that it's not a cool instrument at present. [/quote]No, people aren't cool enough to play it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Could just be a blip but at the shop where I help out we've seen a lot more younger players coming in and it's not a market we really cater for. Sales continually increasing as well, October was our best ever month Probably a different marketplace we're operating in though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1385841676' post='2292821'] I speak to music reps all the time. Bass sales are down significantly. I think the bottom line (no pun intended) is that it's not a cool instrument at present. [/quote] Even if new bass sales are down there remain plenty of used basses for sale - and they are substanbtially cheaper. Anyway is it really only bass sales that are down? We're in a recession so surely it's all sales that are down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 I can +1 on much of the above here. I share the opinion that current records really lack prominent bass parts and mixing, even bands I like seem to have lost the art of recording their own bass players! Also agree that 'the scene' also lacks a bassist/s that people collectively 'wow' at in the mainstream. I can't remember the last time I saw, for example, 'Later', and was taken aback by a player who inspired me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1385910138' post='2293461'] I can't remember the last time I saw, for example, 'Later', and was taken aback by a player who inspired me. [/quote] That bass player in Haim was pretty inspiring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1385910138' post='2293461'] I can +1 on much of the above here. I share the opinion that current records really lack prominent bass parts and mixing, even bands I like seem to have lost the art of recording their own bass players! Also agree that 'the scene' also lacks a bassist/s that people collectively 'wow' at in the mainstream. I can't remember the last time I saw, for example, 'Later', and was taken aback by a player who inspired me. [/quote] When did the mainstream 'collectively wow' over any bass player? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1385913054' post='2293516'] When did the mainstream 'collectively wow' over any bass player? [/quote] Dunno. Chris Squire when 'Roundabout' was released, maybe? 1972 or thereabouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1385913626' post='2293524'] Dunno. Chris Squire when 'Roundabout' was released, maybe? 1972 or thereabouts. [/quote] Almost everybody in the world has never heard of Chris Squire and they have no idea who he is. In 1972 most people didn't even know who 'Yes' were let alone know they had a bass player, or even what a bass player is or was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1385913800' post='2293527'] Almost everybody in the world has never heard of Chris Squire and they have no idea who he is. In 1972 most people didn't even know who 'Yes' were let alone know they had a bass player, or even what a bass player is or was. [/quote] Then it depends on your definition of 'mainstream'. Yes were definitely 'mainstream' - if you were a twelve-year-old who was into prog rock in 1972, that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 (edited) [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1385914007' post='2293532'] Then it depends on your definition of 'mainstream'. Yes were definitely 'mainstream' - if you were a twelve-year-old who was into prog rock in 1972, that is. [/quote] I was a twenty-year-old and not into prog rock but I did know who Squire was. The mainstream would not have known what prog rock was let alone its niceties or its bassists. You'd be better off choosing McCartney as an example but still most people would not be 'wow' because he played bass. What? McCartney played bass? What does that mean? Edited December 1, 2013 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1385913054' post='2293516'] When did the mainstream 'collectively wow' over any bass player? [/quote] I think a lot of people know Mark King - ie numerous 'non' bass players know him and that he's a bassist. The Jam were regulars on TOTP - I was a bit young, but I think he was pretty high profile - and played on very successful chart singles that featured prominent bass. Probably lots of other examples I can't think of now....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1385915001' post='2293552'] I think a lot of people know Mark King - ie numerous 'non' bass players know him and that he's a bassist. The Jam were regulars on TOTP - I was a bit young, but I think he was pretty high profile - and played on very successful chart singles that featured prominent bass. Probably lots of other examples I can't think of now....! [/quote] Sorry, but I'm really not convinced by either example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't know who MK is or plays bass - normally followed by an air-bass impression! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1385916953' post='2293585'] I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't know who MK is or plays bass - normally followed by an air-bass impression! [/quote] The only non-bass player I've ever met who knew who Mark King is was a drummer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 [quote name='molan' timestamp='1385895671' post='2293190'] Could just be a blip but at the shop where I help out we've seen a lot more younger players coming in and it's not a market we really cater for. Sales continually increasing as well, October was our best ever month Probably a different marketplace we're operating in though. [/quote] I should add that it's Fenders all the way for young players, very little interest in anything else. Very biased towards Jazz rather than Precision as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingus Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Bass has never really been that high-profile an instrument , in the scheme of things. It has always been slightly mysterious to most people, and that is indeed, if they are interested at all. The biggest hurdle, if you are at all slightly bothered by what other people think , is to convinvce people that you are not a failed guitarist and that playing the bass is not dead easy because it only has four strings. I don't mix with a lot of younger people nowadays- this electronic tag has put paid to that, and besides which , Mrs Dingus says they might find my wig a bit disturbing- but the impression I get is that playing the bass is about as appealing as it ever was, it's just that what it means to be a bass player has changed over the years. Maybe when Pete Academy and I were starting out , trends in bass playing dictated that more people strived to actually being able to play a bit, as opposed to nowadays when there is a big trend towards a kind of retro simplicity and also a rejection of aspirational ideals . In light of that , maybe more kids think that they don't need lessons. If all they want to do is get some tattoos and be in a punk rock group( how quaint!) then they may well be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin8708 Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 There is no shortage of bass players down here , may be due to the fact that Mr King is a local boy , and we have a small music college which turns out students with a diploma in " walking round the town centre with a gig bag over my shoulder looking cool " . A lot of these gunslingers tend to be guitarists who can play a bit of bass. I also come across musicians who can play numerous instruments , including bass , so I suppose they must also be counted as bass players , even if it's not their favoured instrument . These multi-instrumentalists tend not to spend too much money on a bass as they would rather spend it on guitars / keys . Having been in 3 recording / rehearsal studios on the Island , I notice that the studio guitars and drums are pretty good level instruments , yet the studio bass / bass amp is of poor quality , maybe bass player are expected to bring their own gear ( which I do ) , but it's just seems to indicate that bass is the last thing on people's minds when it comes to music . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leen2112 Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 My band practise in a school music room, the deal being that the one lefty drummer student gets to use our lefty drummers kit for lessons. All around us are basses, gtr's 3 drum kits and other assorted musical stuff. There are pictures of the students bands all over the walls and pictures of famous folks the kids look up to. Thats pretty healthy I'd say. I spent my youth going round the small music shops that were full of used guitars, I could never have afforded £500+ for a bass back then and I doubt kids can now. Bass was never cool, but because there were so many guitarists it got me into the better bands. There are loads of great bass players, it takes time for the kids to break away from the 'popular' music to find their own style like Funk/metal/prog or whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 I'm working on it, I promise - give me a couple more years to get famous and then they'll be clamouring in your shop for any bass they can get their mitts on! Joking aside, this does go back to a similar thread I was reading last week, which came to a similar conclusion: a lack of any real "bass heroes" in modern music - I've certainly noticed the glut of cardboard-cutout indie bands in which the tallest of the four hipsters was given a bass and told it was easy enough to play, but of course he was told he [i]had [/i]to buy a Fender so they could "get that vintage feel." Dubstep has probably not helped matters. But then I'm sure '80s synth-pop was not exactly helpful - why bother looking for that elusive Competent Bass Guitarist when you could just play the bassline on a keyboard? Now I'm fortunate to be too young to remember much of the '80s, so tell me: were the big shots Mark King and Jaco actually appreciated at the time, or did that come later? Do we simply have to wait for players like Steve Lawson or Me'shell Ndegeocello to receive more widespread recognition? Or do we need to go out and reclaim this territory ourselves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Remember that all the really important bass players are nearly always the songwriters (and often the singers) too. The good bass players tend to be people who are creative and versatile. What better way to do that then to learn more than one instrument? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayPH Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 As others have said it's probably down to bassists being pretty unnecessary in a lot of modern music. Lots of stuff is just done with computers. That Daft Punk bassist with the cool space helmet on could help. We need to see more of him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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