Macca

[steve-soar]

Do you like black and white films by any chance?

[EssentialTension]

Just listening to the White Album: Dear Prudence - excellent bass line, Glass Onion - excellent bass line.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='pietruszka' post='902499' date='Jul 22 2010, 11:04 PM']Im gonna be a pain here. I personally can not stand the man. I think he is unbearably arrogant, obnoxious and the stingiest man alive. Solid bass player but have never liked what he's done. He's not for me.

Please, this is just my opinion. I favour other bass players. For fear of causing an uproar, this is only my opinion.

Dan[/quote]
Fair enough but the thread was about his bass playing not his alleged obnoxious stinginess or his supposed unbearable arrogance.

Edited July 22, 2010 by EssentialTension

[EssentialTension]

[quote][b]George Martin[/b]
"There's no doubt that Lennon and McCartney were good musicians. They had good musical brains, and the brain is where music originates - it has nothing to do with your fingers. As it happened, they could also play their own instruments very well. And since those early days they've all improved, especially Paul. He's an excellent musical all-rounder, probably the best bass-guitarist there is, a first-class drummer, brilliant guitarist and competent piano player."

[b]Sting[/b]
"It's hard to separate McCartney's influence on my bass playing from his influence on everything else-singing, songwriting, even becoming a musician in the first place. As a child, I would play my Beatles albums at 45 RPM so I could hear the bass better. He's the Guvnor."

[b]Will Lee[/b]
"Growing up in Texas in the early '60s I was so obsessed with the Beatles' music that I didn't feel like a fan, I felt like I was in the Beatles. About the same time I switched from drums to bass I became aware of who gave the band its charm and personality, from visual tunes like "Penny Lane" to the group's repartee with the press. It was the same fellow who was able to take a poor-quality instrument like the Hofner bass and create magic on it. I especially dug Paul's funky, Motown-influenced side, evident in the bass line from Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey," or even in the syncopated part from "A Day In The Life.

Paul's influence on bassists has been so widespread over numerous generations that there's no denying he's in everybody's playing at this point. We're all descendants. He played simple and solid when it was called for. But because he had so many different flavors to add to a song, he was able to take the instrument far beyond a supportive role. Paul taught the bass how to sing."

[b]Stanley Clarke[/b]
"Paul definitely had an influence on my bass playing, not so much technically, but more with his philosophy of melodic bass lines - especially as I hit my teens and the Beatles' records became more adventurous. On tracks like "Come Together," the bass line WAS the song. I've always liked that. The only other person I knew of who was doing that was James Jamerson. That was one of the reasons I was inspired to write "School Days": so I could just play the bass lines and people would hear a whole song.

I had the honor of being contacted by Paul through George Martin to play on Tug of War, and I also appeared on Pipes of Peace [both on Capitol]. Paul was very nice. He asked me to show him how to slap. During Pipes we got a groove going in a studio jam, and it ended up making on the album as "Hey Hey." He graciously gave me a co-writing credit, and it's still a thrill to see my name next to his above the music in the song book."

[b]Billy Sheehan[/b]
"The reason I got involved with music in the first place was because I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. I watched all the girls going crazy, and I figured this was the best business in the world to be in. Later on, when I got more deeply into music, Sgt. Pepper was a break-through record for me. I must have listened to it several hundred times. What intrigued me was how totally musical every aspect of it was, especially Paul's melodic, fluid bass lines. When my band Talas was starting in the mid '70s, [the Beatles' tribute show] Beatlemania was big, and we used to play entire gigs of just Beatles tunes. I've learned so much from Paul about playing, writing, and playing and singing at the same time that I should probably start sending him checks.

Most bassists get into the flashy players, but I think the reason Paul is often overlooked is that what he was doing wasn't really obvious. It was so brilliantly woven into the context of the songs. One of my favorites is the bass line from "Rain." I still use it to test the low end of an amp. That Paul happens to play bass is a great boon to all of us, because he made us realize that there are no limitations to being a bass player."

[b]John Lennon[/b]
"Paul was one of the most innovative bass players ever. And half the stuff that is going on now is directly ripped off from his Beatles period."

[url="http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/paulbass.htm"]Source[/url][/quote]

[steve-soar]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='902365' date='Jul 22 2010, 09:16 PM']On the early Beatles songs - which were my era - I can't hear anything special at all. I've often heard people mention him, but can't hear anything different from the other 60s bands.

Please enlighten me to something that he did that was special.[/quote]
Oh Pete....(sigh).

[Stingray5]

The Beatles and Macca in particular are why I started playing guitar (1964) and bass (1969) although I had many more early influences including Hank Marvin and Chris Squire. (Jeez, that was a long time back! )
But, like him or not, ask yourself this:
Can you play those bass lines and sing the appropriate parts too (where he was the lead singer, of course)? Try something 'simple' like 'I Saw Her Standing There' or 'All My Loving'.
Also, how many other pop/rock bass players will be similarly discussed 50 years after they first started - and still out there doing it!? (ok, stoopid question, but you get my point...?)

[Mr Fudge]

Most pub players including my humble self are light years in front of this raven haired twat. He has grasped defeat from the jaws of victory with over 30 years of solo pap.

I would like to bring Neil Young to the witness stand to show the world how to remain a dignified artist over 40+ years.

As for the 60's ??? I'm no expert but I seem to remember a nifty player called the ox?

Not popular I know ... but I just can't see it.

I suppose Phil Collins is a great drummer?

[risingson]

[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='902671' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:01 AM']Most pub players including my humble self are light years in front of this raven haired twat. He has grasped defeat from the jaws of victory with over 30 years of solo pap.

I would like to bring Neil Young to the witness stand to show the world how to remain a dignified artist over 40+ years.

As for the 60's ??? I'm no expert but I seem to remember a nifty player called the ox?

Not popular I know ... but I just can't see it.

I suppose Phil Collins is a great drummer? [/quote]

Disparaging Paul McCartney is a little like saying J.S Bach wasn't all he was cracked up to be. It's bollocks basically. Opinions aside, I'm sure if you got the chance to speak to John Entwhistle (god rest his soul), he'd tell you that Paul was a more than capable player who had a profound affect on The Who, and every other single band since the Beatles existence, whether they were aware of it or not.

[Mr Fudge]

[quote name='liamcapleton' post='902676' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:08 AM']Disparaging Paul McCartney is a little like saying J.S Bach wasn't all he was cracked up to be. It's bollocks basically. Opinions aside, I'm sure if you got the chance to speak to John Entwhistle (god rest his soul), he'd tell you that Paul was a more than capable player who had a profound affect on The Who, and every other single band since the Beatles existence, whether they were aware of it or not.[/quote]


I don't like The Beatles and I think Macca is a twat. Is that Ok?

[risingson]

No problems here.

[Mr Fudge]

Im off to bed ... night night.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='902671' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:01 AM']Most pub players including my humble self are light years in front of this raven haired twat. He has grasped defeat from the jaws of victory with over 30 years of solo pap.

I would like to bring Neil Young to the witness stand to show the world how to remain a dignified artist over 40+ years.

As for the 60's ??? I'm no expert but I seem to remember a nifty player called the ox?

Not popular I know ... but I just can't see it.

I suppose Phil Collins is a great drummer? [/quote]
Correct, Collins is a very good drummer.

[risingson]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='902689' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:22 AM']Correct, Collins is a very good drummer.[/quote]

Yep, a massive +1. Peoples ideas of musicians in the public eye seems to be that this makes them inferior musicians. You only have to listen to A Hot Night In Paris to realise that not only is Phil Collins a good drummer, the caliber of musicians on that tour wouldn't even entertain the idea of playing with him if he wasn't.

[Big_Stu]

Never in my life have I seen so many patronising tw@ts all in one thread. Is no-one allowed to have their own opinion on this forum without being slagged for it?

[risingson]

[quote]Never in my life have I seen so many patronising tw@ts all in one thread. Is no-one allowed to have their own opinion on this forum without being slagged for it?[/quote]

It's a thread about loving McCartney. It stands to reason that if you refer to him as a twat and go on slagging him off then you're going to get minced. If he'd said something like 'I'm not a fan of McCartney, but each to their own' etc. then it wouldn't have merited the same roasting.

[YouMa]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902697' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:35 AM']Never in my life have I seen so many patronising tw@ts all in one thread. Is no-one allowed to have their own opinion on this forum without being slagged for it?[/quote]


EEEEEEEEh the launguage on it!

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902697' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:35 AM']Never in my life have I seen so many patronising tw@ts all in one thread. Is no-one allowed to have their own opinion on this forum without being slagged for it?[/quote]
So, you appear to be thinking that some people should not be allowed to state their opinion?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='liamcapleton' post='902708' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:49 AM']It's a thread about loving McCartney. It stands to reason that if you refer to him as a twat and go on slagging him off then you're going to get minced. If he'd said something like 'I'm not a fan of McCartney, but each to their own' etc. then it wouldn't have merited the same roasting.[/quote]
The phrase actually used - i.e. 'most pub players including my humble self are light years in front of [McCartney]' - could easily go in Basschat's Famous Quotes thread. It was definitely a bit of a roaster itself.

Edited July 23, 2010 by EssentialTension

[risingson]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='902719' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:57 AM']The phrase actually used - i.e. 'most pub players including my humble self are light years in front of [McCartney]' - could easily go in Basschat's Famous Quotes thread. It was definitely a bit of a roaster itself.[/quote]

It definitely made me lose faith in the sanity of the common man for a few seconds.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='liamcapleton' post='902708' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:49 AM']It's a thread about loving McCartney. ................. If he'd said something like 'I'm not a fan of McCartney, but each to their own' etc. then it wouldn't have merited the same roasting.[/quote]
Not in the thread title I'm seeing on my monitor it isn't.
And since when is an opinion such as the one you quoted in need of any kind of "roasting" at all?



[b]Essential Tension[/b], not what I said. Or are the thought police alive & well on this forum & any answer other than the stock deification of the guy not allowed?
FWIW so far as I noticed most of your answers have been reasoned opinions of your own. Personally he does nothing for me whatsoever either in music-style, ability or personality so far as I've bothered to take in; despite which I do have a small number of Beatles CDs for the odd track or three.
Of his era I would put the Stones ahead in listenability (even if it was a word) and excitement. And would put Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley way ahead in creating rock music as we know it today rather than what the Beatles did after them.

[size=7]BUT[/size] (obligatory)

If everyone liked what he or any other individual player did in the past in would surely stifle progression or development of the many and varied musical genre that have followed since.

Edited July 23, 2010 by Big_Stu

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Mr Fudge' post='902671' date='Jul 23 2010, 01:01 AM']As for the 60's ??? I'm no expert but I seem to remember a nifty player called the ox?[/quote]

I never understood John Entwhistle. I sounded fairly good when all I had to spend on an amp was a hundred quid. Meanwhile he had practically unlimited funds and a rig half the size of Wembley and still routinely sounded like sh*t.

But he was good, right?

He also played sh*t-looking basses, so he could look like sh*t while he sounded like sh*t.

I know he's dead and all but seriously he's one of the shittest-sounding and shittest-looking bassists ever. Meanwhile McCartney managed to sound good on every record I've ever heard him on, and he wrote all the Beatles' best songs. Making him f***ing loads better than John Entwhistle at basically everything except being a pretentious pointy-guitared twat.

Edited July 23, 2010 by thisnameistaken

[risingson]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902731' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:17 AM']Not in the thread title I'm seeing on my monitor it isn't.
And since when is an opinion such as the one you quoted in need of any kind of "roasting" at all?[/quote]

Did we read the same post? The guy was saying with the greatest of confidence that his ability eclipsed that of Paul McCartney. You'll forgive me when I say I'll believe it when I see it. And I quote:

[quote]most pub players including my humble self are light years in front of [McCartney][/quote]

You've got to admit... there's a sh*t lot wrong with that statement.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='liamcapleton' post='902733' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:29 AM']Did we read the same post?
You've got to admit... there's a sh*t lot wrong with that statement.[/quote]

Now you're saying "post" - I saw "thread", big difference.

The guy ventured an opinion, the main thing wrong with his statement is using the word "most" I'd say. I wouldn't say "most" pub band players were better, but there could well be some. I knew a guitarist in Edinburgh who was leagues ahead of most major league names/players; I guess he just didn't get the breaks. I reckon 100's pf people across the world could say the same thing.
But put the word "most" in it?? Nah.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902731' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:17 AM']Not in the thread title I'm seeing on my monitor it isn't.
And since when is an opinion such as the one you quoted in need of any kind of "roasting" at all?[/quote]
I realise this point is not directed at me, but I have to say that the response was much less aggressive, in my view, than what was responded to.

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902731' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:17 AM'][b]Essential Tension[/b], not what I said. Or are the thought police alive & well on this forum & any answer other than the stock deification of the guy not allowed?[/quote]
I've not seen any 'stock deification' here, are we reading the same thread? I've also not seen any 'thought police'. You do seem to think someone (i.e. LC) shouldn't have said what they said. You also said 'Never in my life have I seen so many patronising tw@ts all in one thread'. I take it from what you say (quoted below) about my answers that you may not have meant me, but it certainly sounded like you meant several people.

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902731' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:17 AM']FWIW so far as I noticed most of your answers have been reasoned opinions of your own. Personally he does nothing for me whatsoever either in music-style, ability or personality so far as I've bothered to take in; despite which I do have a small number of Beatles CDs for the odd track or three.
Of his era I would put the Stones ahead in listenability (even if it was a word) and excitement. And would put Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley way ahead in creating rock music as we know it today rather than what the Beatles did after them.[/quote]
Fair enough, I wouldn't disagree that Berry and Diddley and the Stones, and many many others, are very important and I suspect McCartney would agree too. However, I think the influence of the Beatles and of McCartney are massive. I don't see that as a competitive claim. Lots of others are extremely influential too.

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902731' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:17 AM'][size=7]BUT[/size] (obligatory)

If everyone liked what he or any other individual player did in the past in would surely stifle progression or development of the many and varied musical genre that have followed since.[/quote]
I don't see why that would be the case even if everyone did like McCartney (or whoever). If I like someone's playing, even if I am influenced by them, why on earth would that stifle me. It doesn't follow.

[risingson]

[quote name='Big_Stu' post='902737' date='Jul 23 2010, 02:39 AM']Now you're saying "post" - I saw "thread", big difference.

The guy ventured an opinion, the main thing wrong with his statement is using the word "most" I'd say. I wouldn't say "most" pub band players were better, but there could well be some. I knew a guitarist in Edinburgh who was leagues ahead of most major league names/players; I guess he just didn't get the breaks. I reckon 100's pf people across the world could say the same thing.
But put the word "most" in it?? Nah.[/quote]

Well forget the part where I said about it being a McCartney loving post, I was in retrospect wrong about that. Even if it was then it should be allowed for people to voice their opinions regardless. Point being that if the guy had worded his post like you just did he might have endeared himself a little better. It's such a stupid argument anyway, with no ground for reasonable discussion when you're claiming to be better than Paul McCartney. It's just wrong in so many ways.