Slightly overrated bass palyers

[PatrickJ]

5 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

After saying all that, I've never seen him play in a band -- so he'd probably be fine. 😬

Not sure if it proves or disproves your point???

Edited October 16, 2020 by PatrickJ

[Judo Chop]

10 minutes ago, PatrickJ said:

Not sure if it proves or disproves your point???

The drummer was the best thing about that, brilliant

[Cuzzie]

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

[Thunderbird]

I think that Steve Harris bloke all he does is gallop and write really great songs and play a bit of bass yes he's done it for 40 years and everyone thinks he's great geeez lol

Only kidding he's the dogs danglies 

[EBS_freak]

17 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

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

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

or when he plays with The Dave Matthews band.

He can sit in with a band perfectly and play what I think you expect from a bass player.

But it’s Victa - people want to see tricks. And it’s the tricks that surface on YouTube - purely because it’s stuff that he has innovated or most people simply can’t pull off themselves.

[Thunderbird]

18 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

or when he plays with The Dave Matthews band.

He can sit in with a band perfectly and play what I think you expect from a bass player.

But it’s Victa - people want to see tricks. And it’s the tricks that surface on YouTube - purely because it’s stuff that he has innovated or most people simply can’t pull off themselves.

I think your wrong I'm sure most people can pull off by themselves lol

[PatrickJ]

25 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

or when he plays with The Dave Matthews band.

He can sit in with a band perfectly and play what I think you expect from a bass player.

But it’s Victa - people want to see tricks. And it’s the tricks that surface on YouTube - purely because it’s stuff that he has innovated or most people simply can’t pull off themselves.

I read an interview with old Vic once where he stated that actually he loves to just sit back and groove but people only want to hire him for the flashy stuff.   It's also what pays (apparently being a jazz musician doesn't pay that great, go figure).. 

But I agree with you @EBS_freakif you listen to the broad range of things he's done through his life he's one of the most versatile players out there who can play the role of traditional bassist but can also really push the boundaries of the instruminstrument.  He even plays metal for lords sake !!!

 

[Drax]

Mods / Ped - can we have a 'gently disagree' button? 

[NikNik]

11 hours ago, Rich said:

OVERrated? Really? How so? 

Watched him being fêted over the years and I cannot understand why.

He's the first of many that sprung to mind.

[Barking Spiders]

11 hours ago, EdLib-3 said:

I think Joe Dart is quite an impressive player on a technical level (and I'm a lot older than 25). I just can't stand the smugness of the guys in Vulfpeck though. It's not like they're doing anything other than recycling 70s and early 80s smooth funk jams

Vulfpeck, Snarky Puppy and their ilk are very good at what they do but there's nowt new here. Put on something from the early 70s like The Blackbyrds debut platter and you can see where these current bands got all their 'ideas' (for want of a better word) from

[Rich]

25 minutes ago, NikNik said:

Watched him being fêted over the years and I cannot understand why.

He's the first of many that sprung to mind.

Blimey, Giblin's one of my favourite players. Loved his work with Brand X, and his session career has been awesome. Fish's first solo album 'Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors' has some fabulous bass on it and it's all JG. Have a listen to this, 2:20 onwards. Sublime.

 

[peteb]

If you want someone a bit controversial, then Paul McCartney.. 

Yes, I know he was in the Beatles and therefore we're supposed to find hidden depths in everything he does but I'm afraid that I'm with Quincy Jones. If you listen to a lot of his old baselines there are some bizarre things going on (and not in a good way) that would get anyone else thrown out of the studio and the playing is as sloppy as hell...! 

Sorry Beatles fans and I do appreciate everything that he achieved, but his bass playing is overated. 

[Frank Blank]

[Dapper Bandit]

Time to get contentious!

Steve Harris - writes the same song over and over, has a distinctive yet limited approach to playing.

Cliff Burton - Composition was on point, I must confess but Anaesthesia is indeed very much like pulling teeth to listen to.

[Crawford13]

1 hour ago, Barking Spiders said:

Vulfpeck, Snarky Puppy and their ilk are very good at what they do but there's nowt new here. Put on something from the early 70s like The Blackbyrds debut platter and you can see where these current bands got all their 'ideas' (for want of a better word) from

It can be argued that nothing is new, and that all music is the musicians paying homage to their influences. 

The way I like to look at bands like Snarky Puppy is that they are bringing fusion to a new generation of musicians, and making the genre relevant to people that wouldn't other wise find fusion bands from the 70's / 80's.  In my opinion there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. 

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, Barking Spiders said:

Vulfpeck, Snarky Puppy and their ilk are very good at what they do but there's nowt new here. Put on something from the early 70s like The Blackbyrds debut platter and you can see where these current bands got all their 'ideas' (for want of a better word) from

Why has something got to be new and un-influenced by previous things to not be overrated?

why does anyone that gets successful or good have to be torn down rather than just accepted. I mean, I don't really like a lot of these people but I can't do what they do, which is born out by the fact I am not where they are. Obviously if I was there would be people saying the same about me though. What a stupid thread!

and yes, I see the irony of replying!

[Cuzzie]

1 hour ago, peteb said:

If you want someone a bit controversial, then Paul McCartney.. 

Yes, I know he was in the Beatles and therefore we're supposed to find hidden depths in everything he does but I'm afraid that I'm with Quincy Jones. If you listen to a lot of his old baselines there are some bizarre things going on (and not in a good way) that would get anyone else thrown out of the studio and the playing is as sloppy as hell...! 

Sorry Beatles fans and I do appreciate everything that he achieved, but his bass playing is overated. 

Not controversial at all, completely valid IMHO

 

BTW a distinction has to be made between saying overrated and someone is pants - I am sure most people mentioned here, people reckon are more than decent players, but......it’s fine margins and opinions on the elite, so it seems way out of kilter

Edited October 17, 2020 by Cuzzie

[Hobbayne]

I would have to agree with Jaco. Its just a lot of notes played very fast in my opinion.

[Drax]

Paul McCartney will always be the most famous bassist that has ever lived, so guess he’s always going to be the most under/over rated player in the world. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Drax

[ahpook]

I can't think of a single overrated bass player.

I can think of plenty of very famous bass players whose playing I don't care for, but none who are actually in some way bad at playing bass whilst everyone thinks they're great.

Edited October 17, 2020 by ahpook

[Bleat]

I don't think there is such a thing as over or under rated.....just personal opinion and what floats our own boat and what doesn't... Maybe we should all strive to be the sort of bass player we want to see in the world?

 

[Lozz196]

I think one of the things about under/over rated I’d we only really see/hear what they do for their bands. Who knows if Dee Dee Ramone could play slap-bass in the way that Flea does? Certainly not needed in The Ramones but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t (tho I do have my suspicions it wasn’t his bag).

[4000]

16 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I think one of the things about under/over rated I’d we only really see/hear what they do for their bands. Who knows if Dee Dee Ramone could play slap-bass in the way that Flea does? Certainly not needed in The Ramones but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t (tho I do have my suspicions it wasn’t his bag).

This is true. I remember a friend first seeing me play in a pop/punk band I was in at the time. When he saw me playing on my own at one of the bass bashes, he was a bit shocked and said he would never have expected me to be able to play like that. I play differently again in the band I’m in now, for which I decided to use a very specific approach and sound. I’m sure there are lots of players out there who can do all sorts of things you never see them do, although whether that makes them any “better” is another thing entirely. The best bassists simply  make the music they’re playing work, however they play, IMO. 
 

One other thing is that you may also be better at different things at different stages of your playing life. For instance playing bubbling  funk lines was never one of my strengths, but the last time I was actually called upon to do it was nearly 3 decades ago. I haven’t played or practised that style since, so now I couldn’t bubble my way out of a paper bag. 😉

Edited October 17, 2020 by 4000

[Owen]

And yet, everyone who has been mentioned at the very least has, or in general is, earning a living playing bass. So by definition they are doing it right. Cos we would all love to. Maybe some of us have and have moved on. Maybe some of us still are. It is a lesson that there are so few "name" players on here because there is always someone who wants to have a pop. It is like my mate who is 6'5" and huge going out on the town. Every bloke who wants to prove themselves wants to fight him. Why do forums get such a kick from saying "yeah, not bad but...... you know......"?

Everyone who has been mentioned has had commercial success which means they do not have to have a day job. They must be proper gutted that they do not measure up to what the BC Massive see as doing it right. 

[paul_c2]

Its distasteful, but within the forum rules.