Good ish players never likely to be in your top 10 and for why

[Barking Spiders]

Flea - partly for the unedifying images of him playing on stage in his shreddies, partly because many RHCP fans seem to think he invented slap bass, and partly because I can't stand his band.

Geddy Lee - no doubting his chops but I cant get my head around his band's music to ever be able to appreciate them fully

Vic Wootten - aye, a Steve Vai of the bass if you will with some incredibly impressive double thumbing going on and all that jazz but it's like with some beautiful looking women. It all looks great on the surface but you know there's something that doesn't hit the mark but you're not quite sure what.

[NickD]

+1 for Geddy. No doubt he can play, but is tone is awful, his songs are dull, and his singing makes me want to stamp on kittens.

Pretty much any fusion player. Yes they're all very clever, and very capable, but I'd rather feel something than sit through a science lesson.

[paul_5]

Stu Hamm. Amazingly technical player, and a really impressive list of artists in his back catalogue, but his tone just doesn't sound like a bass to my ears.

Same applies to Victor Wooten.

Chuck Rainey's in there too, but only when he's playing with Steely Dan. I struggle to think of a more contrived, FM friendly, soulless outfit.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='NickD' timestamp='1482163553' post='3198139']
+1 for Geddy. No doubt he can play, but is tone is awful, his songs are dull


[/quote]

[alittlebitrobot]

I have a similar thing with Wooten. Incredible technique and deep knowledge of music theory but all I hear is lift music. Or, if any of you ever played a game called "Transport Tycoon"....

And, musically, I'm not a complete "just keep it simple" kind of person either. I [b]LOVE [/b]Squarepusher. Tom might even be my favourite bassist, so I'm not averse to rapid-fire, technical mumbo jumbo, but Wooten, Bailey, Hamm and some others just sound unbearably cheesy to me.



[size=1]also, I'm not a fan of Jaco[/size]

[visog]

Pino - tasteful, talented and... dull... Preferred him when he had a bit of individuality and sprayed fretless all over the songs.

[Bilbo]

100% agree re: Pino. A perfectly competent player but nothing particularly exciting that couldn't be done by most of us with a bit of rehearsal.

Wooten I never got. A juggler rather than a player and when I hear him in a band context (say Mike Stern), I hear a competent played who, when he solos, well, juggles rather than expresses anything.

Stanley Clarke - I want to like him, I really do, but I just think he sounds clunky and un musical.

[scalpy]

[quote name='alittlebitrobot' timestamp='1482177992' post='3198275']




[size=1]also, I'm not a fan of Jaco[/size]

[/quote]

I saw that, and completely agree.

[BrunoBass]

Mark King (*flinches at coming onslaught...*)

Clearly an incredibly talented musician, but all that rapid percussive stuff doesn't do a thing for me.

[mentalextra]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPhO5g39vpg[/media]

Good, but his heart was never in it?

[TrevorR]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1482181848' post='3198307']
Wooten I never got. A juggler rather than a player and when I hear him in a band context (say Mike Stern), I hear a competent played who, when he solos, well, juggles rather than expresses anything.
[/quote]
[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1482185627' post='3198349']
Mark King (*flinches at coming onslaught...*)
Clearly an incredibly talented musician, but all that rapid percussive stuff doesn't do a thing for me.
[/quote]

This just about sums it up for me. Clearly a whole load of Wooten-love happening on this page.

Oh, and Rudy Sarzo but only because he replaced the best bass player Whiteshake ever had or will have...

[Gibbo9876]

For me I would say Billy Sheehan, undoubtedly a fantastic technical player but after trying (and I mean really trying!) to get into his music I just dont get it sometimes. Its either a little restrained or completely overkill. But hey I'm a huge fan of Geddy so guess this is all opinion.

[Rich]

Oh good, some relentless negativity. Things were getting far too cheerful round here.

[ahpook]

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1482187639' post='3198382']
Oh good, some relentless negativity. Things were getting far too cheerful round here.
[/quote]

Basschat - Always racing to the bottom.

Edited December 19, 2016 by ahpook

[blue]

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1482162742' post='3198135']
Flea - partly for the unedifying images of him playing on stage in his shreddies, partly because many RHCP fans seem to think he invented slap bass, and partly because I can't stand his band.

Geddy Lee - no doubting his chops but I cant get my head around his band's music to ever be able to appreciate them fully

Vic Wootten - aye, a Steve Vai of the bass if you will with some incredibly impressive double thumbing going on and all that jazz but it's like with some beautiful looking women. It all looks great on the surface but you know there's something that doesn't hit the mark but you're not quite sure what.
[/quote]

You and I are the same page.

Totally agree.

Blue

[Conan]

[quote name='TrevorR' timestamp='1482186570' post='3198362']
Oh, and Rudy Sarzo but only because he replaced the best bass player Whiteshake ever had or will have...
[/quote]

If you are referring to Neil Murray I am totally with you on that! An incredible (and sadly under-rated) player

[Japhet]

Loved a load of John Entwhistle's basslines, particularly around Quadrophenia, but the tone on a lot of later stuff was a clanky mess IMO. With regard to comments about players above though (particularly Pino). I'd say that whilst a lot of us could undoubtedly play many of the basslines, would any of us have been able to come up with them in the first place?

[molan]

[quote name='PaulGibsonBass' timestamp='1482185627' post='3198349']
Mark King (*flinches at coming onslaught...*)

Clearly an incredibly talented musician, but all that rapid percussive stuff doesn't do a thing for me.
[/quote]

Completely agree. Whenever I see him playing this is what I hear:

https://youtu.be/VElv-wrqWIA

[molan]

[quote name='Gibbo9876' timestamp='1482187615' post='3198381']
For me I would say Billy Sheehan, undoubtedly a fantastic technical player but after trying (and I mean really trying!) to get into his music I just dont get it sometimes. Its either a little restrained or completely overkill. But hey I'm a huge fan of Geddy so guess this is all opinion.
[/quote]

I'm the complete reverse, lol

[Muzz]

Lots of big names leave me cold, including most of the usual suspects already mentioned, but I'm not going to name names...

[lowdown]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1482187997' post='3198391']
Basschat - Always racing to the bottom.
[/quote]



So, Chuck Rainey is relegated to "Good ish" because he recorded 'Josie' with Steely Dan ?

[Barking Spiders]

The thing with many of the top technical players (same goes for guitarist and drummers too) is they seem strangely drawn to the jazz rock /fusion genre, one which has all the appeal of genital warts. I've watched vids by bands like Tribal Tech on YT and despite the undoubted high quality of musicianship I'm uninspired.

[Yank]

Virtuoso players do nothing for me. I'll take a feel player any day. Flash will always get the spotlight, though.

[Barking Spiders]

When I hear a bass virtuoso playing Moonlight Sonata or some such on the bass, I think why FFS. It sounds a bit precious and pointless.

[interpol52]

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1482179448' post='3198292']
Pino - tasteful, talented and... dull... Preferred him when he had a bit of individuality and sprayed fretless all over the songs.
[/quote]

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqmjbiA_wnc