king bashing

[YouMa]

Why are so many Mark King bashers about,and why do people not realise what a fantastic decade the 80s was for bass guitar.I was still a stupid young kid in 1989,nostalgia aside does anybody agree with me?

[Toasted]

I don't think many people bash Mark King. I think you have to respect his skill and style, but that doens't mean you have to think that it's musical.

[Wooks]

[quote name='YouMa' post='235628' date='Jul 9 2008, 12:15 PM']Why are so many Mark King bashers about,and why do people not realise what a fantastic decade the 80s was for bass guitar.I was still a stupid young kid in 1989,nostalgia aside does anybody agree with me?[/quote]
Totally agree I was in my early/late teens during the 80's. Look at all the great metal bands with sh*t hot bass lines that came out in the 80's.... Maiden, Saxon. Motorhead,'tallica, to name but a few and the list is endless!!! So yeah the 80's were GREAT!!!

[Dr.Dave]

Mark King certainly inspired a lot of folk to play bass. Sadly many were satisfied to copy his style and lines , which isn't his fault.

A very skilled player , a profile raiser almost wthout equal , I've lot to admire the guy for.

I just don't care much for Level 42's music or have any desire to play bass the way he plays it.

[Dubs]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='235645' date='Jul 9 2008, 12:35 PM']Mark King certainly inspired a lot of folk to play bass. Sadly many were satisfied to copy his style and lines , which isn't his fault.

A very skilled player , a profile raiser almost wthout equal , I've lot to admire the guy for.

I just don't care much for Level 42's music or have any desire to play bass the way he plays it.[/quote]

I’d agree with a lot of that. You can’t talk down his skill and ability or his influence on many aspiring players. I’m not a huge fan of his sound or music at all, but I bought one of his solo CDs a couple of months ago (Influences) and there’s a lot on that for any musician to appreciate, let alone bass players – some fantastic and immensely complex finger style bass lines amongst some small sections of slap showboating…he’s not just a 1 trick pony you know

EDIT: He’s credited for playing almost every instrument on that CD too – undeniably a great musician.

Edited July 9, 2008 by benwhiteuk

[Josh]

[quote name='YouMa' post='235628' date='Jul 9 2008, 12:15 PM']Why are so many Mark King bashers about,and why do people not realise what a fantastic decade the 80s was for bass guitar.I was still a stupid young kid in 1989,nostalgia aside does anybody agree with me?[/quote]

I think it comes from the fact there are many players out there who post video after video of them playing nothing other than MK's chops and thus displaying little or no originality in which some players loose respect, I'm one for the latter.

I am a fan of Mark King, I'm not a huge one like many, he is a great source of influence and I've learnt how to slap in his way because it felt much more natural and comfortable as opposed to the crappy Flea style I was using at the time, and I can play a few Level 42 songs but beyond that I have no desire to copy MK down to a tee, and like some, I'm more impressed by his fingerstyle work as opposed to his slapping, but a little triplet w***ing is nice now and again.

Also I only recently aqquired a King-bass Black Beauty, so I'm sure some people will straight away assume I can do nothing but MK chops and have the bass right up underneath my arm pit and assume I wish on owning every single bass MK has ever had dealings with. Whereas the truth is, I first played a King-Bass a good few years ago thanks to a chap called Will Tottle, and thought it felt great and made everything I was playing on my bass at the time feel effortless and really just felt nice and comfortable and the LED's just make you smile. I bought this bass to see if it can do more than just give you MK's tone and set-up, and I have been pleasently suprised thus far and I'm also starting to enjoy playing again, which personally I think is a sign of a good bass.

Mark King is one of the most influential bassists of the last 25 years or so and has brought a style of playing to the masses unlike anybody else, and I doubt someone like that will come around again, and he's still going strong and is a bloody nice chap....apprently.

Edited July 9, 2008 by Josh

[bnt]

My favourite Level 42 album is Running In The Family, which features some of MK's least flashy and most musical playing. There are some tracks with little or no slapping, such as [i]Children Say[/i] and [i]The Sleepwalkers[/i]. So I'm not inclined to dismiss MK as a slapper..!

Edited July 9, 2008 by bnt

[crez5150]

Check out some of the live dvd's..... some of the finger work is incredible....

this is one of my favorite solo's he does..... the funky strumming bit is very different.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR-yS7z9Qdw"]click here[/url]

Edited July 9, 2008 by Crazykiwi
kiwi added youtube tags

[6stringbassist]

One of my biggest influences, and I erm...don't slap.

His fingerstyle playing is great.

And lets not forget, he sings really well while playing too, I can't even and talk and play at the same time without dribbling.

[Tee]

Because slap bass drives bears crazy?

[bass_ferret]

Considering I am not a fan of slapping I have got most of the Level 42 albums. I liked it but as others have said it was of its time. Still play them occasionally.

He is a tart when it comes to gear though and will only play what is given to him. Rob and Mark are obviously happy to do this and the sales of King basses possibly justifies it - but Bernie could not afford to give him a hand full of Rumours so he stopped using GB's. Bernie possibly under estimated the selling power of his name, which does come as a surprise to me. Not sure if this makes him a nice guy or not, or just sharp?

What I dont understand is why slapping is still such a big thing, like all reviews of basses say if they are any good for slapping and lots of amps still have the pre-shape to boost top and bottom and cut mids - I call it a slap switch. And there are loads of guys on here agonising cos they are bad slappers and dont get me started on all the slapping on you tube.

Music shops and trade fairs are also full of slappers, and bass bashes by all accounts. But when was the last time you heard slapping on the radio or saw someone slapping on Jools (or any other contemporary music show), or at Glasto (or any other festival). The worlds slappers can't all be in Level 42 tribs or 80's cover bands.

[chris_b]

Pre Mark King slap was great, a feel thing, a funky groove. From Mark King onwards slap became a speed freak, technical exercise. Boring!!

[3V17C]

I was never into mark king or level 42, either back in the day, or now. They seem far too sterile to me and i don't like his singing voice or indeed his bass tone. Undeniably a good player who raised the bar back in the day though. I'm sure he's a nice bloke n' all, but for some reason, to me, he always looked a bit like a school bully!!! Not sure why!! and yes, yes, i know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover etc etc...


peace

c

[BigBeefChief]

[quote name='3V17C' post='235721' date='Jul 9 2008, 02:14 PM']I'm sure he's a nice bloke n' all, but for some reason, to me, he always looked a bit like a school bully!!! Not sure why!![/quote]


I love this quote!



I think MK is technically amazing, but sounds like dog sh*t. He still has a (usually mulleted) fan base that eats it up, but its not my cup of tea

[cheddatom]

I don't give a toss about MK but one thing I do know is that I am absolutely sick of hearing about how great the 80s were. All this 80s revival sh*t going on at the moment is making me ill with stress.

[chris_b]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='235737' date='Jul 9 2008, 02:32 PM']....All this 80s revival sh*t going on at the moment is making me ill with stress....[/quote]
Don't knock the 80's revivals. In 20 years time what will they be able to revive from today?

[cheddatom]

[quote name='chris_b' post='235745' date='Jul 9 2008, 02:41 PM']Don't knock the 80's revivals. In 20 years time what will they be able to revive from today?[/quote]

In 20 years time I hope music will have moved on from crappy attempts at making old sounds new.

I have nothing against takng an old song and applying a different/modern twist. What I absolutely abhor is the way bands have taken the "style" (read fashion sense, music production style/sound etc) of the 80s and shamelessly recreated it. Everyone agreed, at least by 1995 that the 80s was the worse ever decade for style. Only 10 years after that blissfulll consensus and I start to see and hear it creep back! Why does everyone have to be so self loathing? We can make progress if we want to!!!

[tauzero]

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='235669' date='Jul 9 2008, 01:05 PM']And lets not forget, he sings really well while playing too, I can't even and talk and play at the same time without dribbling.[/quote]
Ah well, that's where I'd differ. What I mainly didn't like about Level 42 was Mark King's voice. It's not out of tune or anything, he doesn't do anything wrong, it's just bland and uninteresting.

[wizbat]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='235757' date='Jul 9 2008, 02:52 PM']Everyone agreed, at least by 1995 that the 80s was the worse ever decade for style.[/quote]

Well I never agreed!!!
I loved the eighties, the music and styles that were around.
If you take anything from the eighties you can immediatly recognise it, it was the last decade of any recognisable style regardless of wether it was good or bad, everything since has had no definable look or sound that was ever so clear, sure loads of good stuff has come since but If I had a time machine I,d love to go back to 1980 and do it all again, and probably the late 60,s and early 70,s.
I still have my drop sleeved leather jacket. :-)

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='chris_b' post='235697' date='Jul 9 2008, 01:38 PM']Pre Mark King slap was great, a feel thing, a funky groove. From Mark King onwards slap became a speed freak, technical exercise. Boring!![/quote]
+1

[thisnameistaken]

Level 42 aren't one of the '80s bands you're still allowed to like. Their fans looked like Swiss Toni, probably still do.

[crez5150]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='235950' date='Jul 9 2008, 06:14 PM']+1[/quote]

-1

[blamelouis]

I think MK is a VERY underrated bass player .
Try playing "children say" and singing it at the same time, his timing is immaculate !

And he is the first to put his own playing down "i just wiggle my fingers and get that nervous EVERYTHING gets thrown in before the first bar has finished"
I met him in Dublin after they're last gig there he'd had a few drinks and was an absolute gentleman and very funny telling everyone to follow him to the nearest bar !

Marky babes we salute you !!

[yorks5stringer]

I heard a few bars of "Dune Tune" (unless it was the Stanley Clark song he ripped off!) at the recent Yorkshire Bass Bash....

[GreeneKing]

I really enjoyed the earlier Level 42 stuff when MK happened to front a band called 'Level 42'. It then became 'MK slaps for attention' and lost it's appeal. Because of this it's become customary to knock all lvl 42 stuff methinks which I feel is a bit of a shame.

Peter