Barking Spiders Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 The problem with jamming is that when people are undecided what to play it often descends into dreary 12 bar blues stuff. Or worse you end up sounding like the Grateful Dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) [quote name='rushbo' timestamp='1509300514' post='3397897'] Going slightly off topic, but.... When Boz Burrell joined King Crimson, Robert Fripp had to teach him how to play the bass. I'm a huge Beatles fan and a staunch defender of Ringo. When people trot out the rather dreary "Ringo was crap, wasn't he?" line. I'll ask for a specific example of a "bad" Ringo drum part. I've yet to get a decent response. You could do the same with Adam Clayton, Alan Lancaster or Cliff Williams. They make the band sound better by providing a solid foundation for the guitarists and vocalists. Is Vic Wootten a better bass player than Adam Clayton? I think so. Adam Clayton would probably agree. Would Vic Wootten be a good fit in U2? I'm not so sure. [/quote] +1 People without much insight usually equate simple with easy and easy with bad. They are just highlighting their lack of understanding. Many years ago I used to watch Boz playing with the Chuck Farley band in the local pubs. He was good but wasn't the best bassist on the circuit. VW compared to AC? Put them in each others bands and they wouldn't cut it. What that proves is. . . . absolutely nothing. Ringo was one of the two most influential drummers in rock. The other being Earl Palmer. Edited October 31, 2017 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 [quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1509440715' post='3398842'] The problem with jamming is that when people are undecided what to play it often descends into dreary 12 bar blues stuff. Or worse you end up sounding like the Grateful Dead [/quote]the problem with jamming is, whilst it might be fun for the participants it bores the arse off anybody unfortunate enough to be watching therefore should always be done in private Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1509445444' post='3398897'] +1 People without much insight usually equate simple with easy and easy with bad. They are just highlighting their lack of understanding. Many years ago I used to watch Boz playing with the Chuck Farley band in the local pubs. He was good but wasn't the best bassist on the circuit. VW compared to AC? Put them in each others bands and they wouldn't cut it. What that proves is. . . . absolutely nothing. Ringo was one of the two most influential drummers in rock. The other being Earl Palmer. [/quote] I'm not a fan of either but you could argue that VW could dep a U2 gig, I'd be surprised if AC could dep for VW? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 (edited) I've never seen AC play live (either in concert or outside of U2 context, or when noodling on his own), so don't feel remotely qualified to judge his ability to do the bass "pyrotechnics/gymnastics" thing so admired by some. But I can see that its easy to assume that he is singly incapable of playing anything other than what is heard on a U2 recording....but that assumption feels a little lazy at best, and judgemental at worst. I do get the feeling that the derision occasionally aimed at AC's bass lines miss the point on so many levels, not least of which is that to play seemingly "simple" bass parts consistently & with required feel/dynamics over a 2 hour show, requires discipline & an attention span that doesn't drop off after bar 4 of song 1 because he's bored or is not getting any attention. I'm no U2 fan, BTW, apart from The Joshua Tree which I did buy because I thought the drummer had a great hair cut...now who's shallow. Edited October 31, 2017 by oldslapper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted October 31, 2017 Author Share Posted October 31, 2017 The intention behind this thread wasn't to slag off AC and others but find out if they're genuinely able to play stuff that's more demanding than their day jobs require.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 The Mrs, who's never been a fan of U2 just discovered the Joshua Tree album about 2 months ago. It's now one of her fave albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 [quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1509452391' post='3398992'] The intention behind this thread wasn't to slag off AC and others but find out if they're genuinely able to play stuff that's more demanding than their day jobs require.. [/quote] Understood. I don't think any of these comments are aimed at you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 [quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1509452391' post='3398992'] The intention behind this thread wasn't to slag off AC and others but find out if they're genuinely able to play stuff that's more demanding than their day jobs require.. [/quote] Unfortunately the mention of AC often prompts derisory comments, and I always bite... feeling the need to defend him or his "style"... no idea why, I would imagine he couldn't give a monkeys 😁 Sorry to have gone OT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 Another tad off OP, but back in the 80's I saw The Shadows. Only on a couple of tunes, did Hank let go, and boy could he fly. At the time I was very much in to my heavy metal, and the man can shred like a Demon \m/ So in the guitar world, Hank can. And did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borntohang Posted October 31, 2017 Share Posted October 31, 2017 [quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1509452391' post='3398992'] The intention behind this thread wasn't to slag off AC and others but find out if they're genuinely able to play stuff that's more demanding than their day jobs require.. [/quote] I would imagine so. AC still gets paid the same as the rest of the band for banging out his root 8ths, and honestly in his position I wouldn't feel the need to prove anything to anyone. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear; the world thinks I am a terrible bass player. Please excuse me while I retire to my mansion and sulk about it, in my swimming pool full of money and supermodels." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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