Slightly overrated bass palyers

[Judo Chop]

What's the most complex U2 bassline I wonder?

[Iacopo San]

God, some of these names.......

I genuinely don't see the point in a post like this. People can come up with any name, I've read Pastorius, Paul McCartney and Geddy Lee.... I mean, I understand it's just opinions, it's a discussion, everything is subjective... But really? 

[Iacopo San]

On 17/10/2020 at 07:51, Cuzzie said:

Victor Wooten - he is a technician, but not a musician in the bass player sense IMHO.

Just because his sense of music is different from yours?

For example, I find him one of the most musical bass players out there, if not the best in that aspect. Especially when he talks about music, you realise how important being musical is to him when he plays, communicate a feeling rather than being fast and technical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHdo1qWNWI4

Edited October 20, 2020 by Iacopo San

[Cuzzie]

39 minutes ago, Iacopo San said:

Just because his sense of music is different from yours?

For example, I find him one of the most musical bass players out there, if not the best in that aspect. Especially when he talks about music, you realise how important being musical is to him when he plays, communicate a feeling rather than being fast and technical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHdo1qWNWI4

Nope, nothing to do With his or my musical Sense, I can sense and feel and appreciated all different types-I have heard him play and talk on videos and live etc a multitude of times.

If you really wanted I could go into depth about feelings an opinions on stuff alongside examples etc. But it’s a light hearted thread asking opinions, therefore People their opinion about these threads on opinions is slightly absurd, but welcomed because it’s an open forum, plus I doubt anyone is interested.

we are talking small margins here, it’s like asking (if you like footyball) Who is better Pele, Eusebio, Best (no pun) Ronaldo (both) Messi, maradonna  - you would have them all in your team

[Iacopo San]

1 hour ago, Cuzzie said:

we are talking small margins here, it’s like asking (if you like footyball) Who is better Pele, Eusebio, Best (no pun) Ronaldo (both) Messi, maradonna  - you would have them all in your team

Asking who is better is one thing. Asking who is overrated is what I don't understand. Overrated in which sense? It amazes you that they people think they are good? Or do you think they are way too successful for the way they play, or for what they contributed technically to the instrument? Or to music? Or they are way too reach for what they do?

I am not trying to be polemical here, I genuinely struggle to understand the way of measuring overrating. Or it may mean so many things for different people, that you end up with a list of 200 names for so many reasons, that in my opinion it becomes meaningless. 

[paul_c2]

For someone to be overrated, they must be known. To be known, is an achievement in itself for a bassist.

[Iacopo San]

2 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

For someone to be overrated, they must be known. To be known, is an achievement in itself for a bassist.

What if you are Paul McCartney then! 🤯

[paul_c2]

Just now, Iacopo San said:

What if you are Paul McCartney then! 🤯

Who?

j/k

Fortunately, I am not!

[EliasMooseblaster]

15 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

Who?

j/k

Fortunately, I am not!

No, that was John Entwistle.

[paul_c2]

35 minutes ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

No, that was John Entwistle.

Who?

[Cuzzie]

53 minutes ago, Iacopo San said:

Asking who is better is one thing. Asking who is overrated is what I don't understand. Overrated in which sense? It amazes you that they people think they are good? Or do you think they are way too successful for the way they play, or for what they contributed technically to the instrument? Or to music? Or they are way too reach for what they do?

I am not trying to be polemical here, I genuinely struggle to understand the way of measuring overrating. Or it may mean so many things for different people, that you end up with a list of 200 names for so many reasons, that in my opinion it becomes meaningless. 

I think I get what your saying and agree with you, overrated is a difficult measurement - when I have my opinion I, can only speak for myself, and it’s in no way to denigrate VW - I think the metric I Was sort of Using is Based on a person being globally well known/lauded, but I think there are people possibly better not universally given the same amount credit/exposure etc. Now that can be for a multitude of reasons and not the artists fault in any way.
Back to sport (sorry) when they say someone is world class, IMO it’s an overused term - to be world class you would have to be without doubt the starting player in a world team Or A vs B team so there are 2 for every position , or subs bench in your era - that’s it, so there can only be a finite amount

Based on what you have said, I would happily retract, and I would probably Feel more comfortable naming globally underrated ones such as Dave Ellefson, Bobby Vega, Glenn Hughes. On some ways I would actually put Marcus Miller in the underrated slot - the guy played what needed to be played despite having all the chips in the world and could have gone off on one whenever he wanted.

Not sure if I have gotten across completely what I wanted to say, but hope you get the drift

[Nail Soup]

1 hour ago, Iacopo San said:

Asking who is better is one thing. Asking who is overrated is what I don't understand. Overrated in which sense? It amazes you that they people think they are good? Or do you think they are way too successful for the way they play, or for what they contributed technically to the instrument? Or to music? Or they are way too reach for what they do?

I am not trying to be polemical here, I genuinely struggle to understand the way of measuring overrating. Or it may mean so many things for different people, that you end up with a list of 200 names for so many reasons, that in my opinion it becomes meaningless. 

I think the thread was just intended as a bit of fun, and not intended to stand up to any scrutiny.

To join in the fun just think of a bass player you think is quite good but who is widely regarded as very good...… then post their name on here. Joining in the fun is optional by the way.

[bassace]

On 19/10/2020 at 16:38, Rocker said:

If the bass player in a band does what is required of a bass player in that band, he is doing a great job.  So what if he plays root notes or basic patterns.  If it works for the band, it works.

W

 

On 19/10/2020 at 16:38, Rocker said:

If the bass player in a band does what is required of a bass player in that band, he is doing a great job.  So what if he plays root notes or basic patterns.  If it works for the band, it works.

And that’s the point. So when a bass player steps outside that zone and is ‘rated’ he’s got to be bloody good. If he isn’t, he’s overrated. Pino  comes to mind. It’s all in that chorus pedal, nothing else. I saw him with the Who and he didn’t contribute much at all. Sorry.

[Crawford13]

4 hours ago, bassace said:

And that’s the point. So when a bass player steps outside that zone and is ‘rated’ he’s got to be bloody good. If he isn’t, he’s overrated. Pino  comes to mind. It’s all in that chorus pedal, nothing else. I saw him with the Who and he didn’t contribute much at all. Sorry.

While I stand by the view of "to each his own", I feel its pretty harsh to judge Pino based on his work with the who. Pino has such a varied CV, from his fretless work in the 80's, his incredible groove with D'angelo, to his work with John Mayer, he has such a massive skill set. 

[bassace]

20 minutes ago, Crawford13 said:

While I stand by the view of "to each his own", I feel its pretty harsh to judge Pino based on his work with the who. Pino has such a varied CV, from his fretless work in the 80's, his incredible groove with D'angelo, to his work with John Mayer, he has such a massive skill set. 

Fair ‘nuff. Didn’t wish to offend.

[Crawford13]

31 minutes ago, bassace said:

Fair ‘nuff. Didn’t wish to offend

No offence taken, to each his own. 

[Elfrasho]

if you ask a load of non bassists who's the best bassist in the world, you'll pretty just get a list of the most famous players. McCartney, flea, sting, Entwistle and so on. All excellent, but none do anything which is easily replicated. Probably by quite a decent number of bcers! So I'd say there's a strong argument for all of those guys! 

 

The people saying Scott devine, I'd be interesting to hear how much of his non bass orientated stuff you've actually heard. Clearly his YouTube stuff is aimed at bass players wanting to learn, so I don't think it's a fair representation of what he does on other stuff! Not that I've heard anything either to be fair so  I might be miles off with that! 

[Newfoundfreedom]

15 hours ago, Elfrasho said:

 

 

The people saying Scott devine, I'd be interesting to hear how much of his non bass orientated stuff you've actually heard. Clearly his YouTube stuff is aimed at bass players wanting to learn, so I don't think it's a fair representation of what he does on other stuff! Not that I've heard anything either to be fair so  I might be miles off with that! 

I don't get the logic? 

Why would his none bass oriented stuff be of any relevance to a thread about over rated bass players? Especially when taking about someone who is known for being a bass player. 

It's like saying Keanu Reeves is a good bass player, because he's made some decent films. 

[Elfrasho]

14 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I don't get the logic? 

Why would his none bass oriented stuff be of any relevance to a thread about over rated bass players? Especially when taking about someone who is known for being a bass player. 

It's like saying Keanu Reeves is a good bass player, because he's made some decent films. 

I can't be bothered going back to quoyte, but I'm sure someone said that his constant need for improvising puts them off him. But my point is, oa bass playing YouTube channel, teaching bas, then that's to be expected. I'm sure his own sesh work is nothing like that.  His ability allows him to go from flashy ott lines, to playing rhcp lines with ease! Whereas flea for example, could not do what Scott does. Hence Scott is not over rated. Flea is. 

[Drax]

On 20/10/2020 at 14:01, Iacopo San said:

God, some of these names.......

I genuinely don't see the point in a post like this. People can come up with any name, I've read Pastorius, Paul McCartney and Geddy Lee.... I mean, I understand it's just opinions, it's a discussion, everything is subjective... But really? 

I've found one of the life rules for long term tenure on Basschat is happily walk away from subjective threads.

If someone thinks Mozart / Hendrix / Miles Davis was crap, and 10 others pile in with a Like, whatever.

Sleep easy knowing the majority read what you did and thought the same as you.

 

[EBS_freak]

35 minutes ago, Elfrasho said:

I can't be bothered going back to quoyte, but I'm sure someone said that his constant need for improvising puts them off him. But my point is, oa bass playing YouTube channel, teaching bas, then that's to be expected. I'm sure his own sesh work is nothing like that.  His ability allows him to go from flashy ott lines, to playing rhcp lines with ease! Whereas flea for example, could not do what Scott does. Hence Scott is not over rated. Flea is. 

Ive been pondering on this.

Now don't get me wrong, I think Scott is a great player.

But part of the thing that makes Flea, Flea, is that he's appeared in BTTF. He plays naked. He looks the way he does. He acts the way he does. He plays his bass low.

Half of being in a band like RHCP is the theatre. And that's why Flea is a perfect fit for that particular band.

And that's before we even talk about his bass playing.

If the majority of capable bass players that could ape Flea's band didn't do half of what flea does both on and off stage, RHCP wouldn't be RHCP. So for me at least, that's a key consideration. But maybe all of this is a different discussion.

I suppose its the same with Gene from Kiss. Nobody really goes go to see him because of his bass playing - but I can't really think of anybody that would do that role in that band as good as him... and again, that's before we talk about any note that he has played. 

[EBS_freak]

1 hour ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

It's like saying Keanu Reeves is a good bass player, because he's made some decent films. 

But what is your measure?

Put up a poster with Newfoundfreedom bass lessons, or Keavu Reeves bass lessons... who is going to have more business?

In this game, there's more than to it than being able to play. There's loads of people out there that can play ridiculously good... but depending upon the gig, you'll have to bring more to the party, as I commented above.

[Newfoundfreedom]

21 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

But what is your measure?

Put up a poster with Newfoundfreedom bass lessons, or Keavu Reeves bass lessons... who is going to have more business?

I'd be better off giving the acting lessons. 😆

Edited October 22, 2020 by Newfoundfreedom