Who is a truly awful bassist?

[crez5150]

All bassists are rubbish.... wannabe guitarists the lot of them.... losers!

[crez5150]

All bassists are rubbish.... wannabe guitarists the lot of them.... losers!

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='Starless' post='925263' date='Aug 14 2010, 11:45 PM']I've scanned through the whole thread and can't believe (unless I've missed it) that no-one has mentioned the most abominable mis-use of a bass guitar in its long, distinguished history. I speak of the ding-a-ding-a-chucka-chuka-meep-meep bollix that was the 80's and fecking Level 42 in particular.

What the bejesus was that all about? Summed up that decade perfectly, all style and panache over any kind of musical relevance. Awful, just awful, and what is worse it gave birth to a whole generation of so-called 'bassists' who to this day go ding-a-ding-a-chucka-chuka-meep-meep in music shops up and down the country (the urge to strangle the spotty nerds trying out a bass who break into some ding-a-ding-a-chucka-chuka-meep-meep is overwhelming). If you want some wacky, off-the-wall noises then get a bloody synth player.

Rant over.[/quote]

Is the playing here an example of what you don't like? Mark King comes in @ about 4:00.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='923963' date='Aug 13 2010, 02:57 PM']I think it's funny, because at the same time as Tal was new to scene, Hadrien Feraud was just getting about. However, he was making a name for himself as the most bombastic and outrageously talented player since Wooten arrived in the mainstream, whereas Tal just seemed to be a rising star based on the connections she got from piping off Vinnie Colaiuta![/quote]

I was watching the Tal clip again and can appreciate why people think she might be so acclaimed. Personally, I disgaree, and genuinely believe she's a great player who deserves every accoloade she gets. Regardless of who she may be 'piping off', Jeck Beck isn't going to have a slouch playing with him. Nor is Chick Corea, and all the other top artists that have hired her

Are we to assume Prince hired Rhonda Smith purely because he has a penchant for using attractive female musicians (Shelia E?) as gimmicks? I think not. Look at the Live In Vegas gig, where Rhonda proves she's one of the best out there.

Do any of our female Basschatters have any thoughts on this?

Edited August 15, 2010 by Pete Academy

[fingerz]

Tal is sick, Rhonda is sick! totally Sick. Groove, feel... But you may still not like either of them... Doesn't make the 'rubbish' by any stretch.

A good player is someone you like, a bad player is someone you don't - but some one else will ! It's not for anyone to say. Now go play yo' basses !

jeeez

Edited August 15, 2010 by fingerz

[Doddy]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='925599' date='Aug 15 2010, 02:28 PM']I was watching the Tal clip again and can appreciate why people think she might be so acclaimed. Personally, I disgaree, and genuinely believe she's a great player who deserves every accoloade she gets. Regardless of who she may be 'piping off', Jeck Beck isn't going to have a slouch playing with him. Nor is Chick Corea, and all the other top artists that have hired her[/quote]

Fair enough. She can play,but I honestly think that there are waaaay better players out there who aren't getting the gigs. As far as female players
go,both Rhonda and Esperanza blow her away.

Like I said earlier,Tal doesn't belong in a thread about 'awful bassists'-overrated ones yes,but not awful.

[fingerz]

By what measure? She's (Tal) got her sh*t down... I suspect knows more about harmony than Rhonda. I'm not comparing, but just making a point that these people do THEIR OWN THING, and that takes balls as we all know. The people that hire them are giving them their 'rating', and those people (Prince, Corea, Beck) are world class at what they do. You could perhaps argue (if you wanted to!) about the choice of the bandleaders musicians, but not about the band members themselves. These people could pick anyone, maybe they hear something you don't?

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Doddy' post='925619' date='Aug 15 2010, 02:00 PM']Fair enough. She can play,but I honestly think that there are waaaay better players out there who aren't getting the gigs. As far as female players
go,both Rhonda and Esperanza blow her away.

Like I said earlier,Tal doesn't belong in a thread about 'awful bassists'-overrated ones yes,but not awful.[/quote]

She needs a trademark hat. Here's one I'd recommend:

[url="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~apc38/spraak/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/57612465-300x246.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~apc38/spraak/archives/date/2009/04&usg=__bqhi082f2bgMweGlnEwWd3HqiAs=&h=246&w=300&sz=14&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=xS3pQ0KKZLwLWM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=163&prev=/images%3Fq%3Daussie%2Bhat%2Bcorks%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D865%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=912&vpy=79&dur=49&hovh=196&hovw=240&tx=85&ty=114&ei=LPhnTOK5ApKD4QbpxamZBA&oei=LPhnTOK5ApKD4QbpxamZBA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=38&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0"]http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http...=1t:429,r:6,s:0[/url]

[Doddy]

[quote name='fingerz' post='925623' date='Aug 15 2010, 03:06 PM']These people could pick anyone, maybe they hear something you don't?[/quote]

Maybe they do. I was watching a clip of Tal playing 'Chameleon' with Herbie this morning,and for my money,it sounds weaker than when I've heard it with players like Nathan East,Matt Garrison or James Genus. Similarly with Chick,I always wonder why she only did a short tour of Australia with him,and why he continually chooses players like Christian McBride or Mike Pope over her.
Like I said,she can play,but I think there are better.I would also like to see her in a situation where she doesn't have the support of Vinnie Colaiuta,who is without a doubt the common denominator in all of her major gigs.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Doddy' post='925619' date='Aug 15 2010, 02:00 PM']Fair enough. She can play,but I honestly think that there are waaaay better players out there who aren't getting the gigs. As far as female players
go,both Rhonda and Esperanza blow her away.

Like I said earlier,Tal doesn't belong in a thread about 'awful bassists'-overrated ones yes,but not awful.[/quote]

Did you mention something about getting blown by Rhonda and Esperanza?

Keep your lurid fantasies to yourself, young man!

[Doddy]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='925634' date='Aug 15 2010, 03:23 PM']She needs a trademark hat. Here's one I'd recommend:

[url="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~apc38/spraak/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/57612465-300x246.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~apc38/spraak/archives/date/2009/04&usg=__bqhi082f2bgMweGlnEwWd3HqiAs=&h=246&w=300&sz=14&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=xS3pQ0KKZLwLWM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=163&prev=/images%3Fq%3Daussie%2Bhat%2Bcorks%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D865%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=912&vpy=79&dur=49&hovh=196&hovw=240&tx=85&ty=114&ei=LPhnTOK5ApKD4QbpxamZBA&oei=LPhnTOK5ApKD4QbpxamZBA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=38&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0"]http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http...=1t:429,r:6,s:0[/url][/quote]

Haha

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='Doddy' post='925636' date='Aug 15 2010, 02:24 PM']Maybe they do. I was watching a clip of Tal playing 'Chameleon' with Herbie this morning,and for my money,it sounds weaker than when I've heard it with players like Nathan East,Matt Garrison or James Genus. Similarly with Chick,I always wonder why she only did a short tour of Australia with him,and why he continually chooses players like Christian McBride or Mike Pope over her.
Like I said,she can play,but I think there are better.I would also like to see her in a situation where she doesn't have the support of Vinnie Colaiuta,who is without a doubt the common denominator in all of her major gigs.[/quote]

I would write to her, Doddy. Here's the address:

Tal Wilkenfeld
c/o Vinnie Colaiuta's Gaff
Drummers Drive
Jazzville
Arizona
USA

Don't forget to include an SAE.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='925642' date='Aug 15 2010, 03:30 PM']I would write to her, Doddy. Here's the address:

Tal Wilkenfeld
c/o Vinnie Colaiuta's Gaff
Drummers Drive
Jazzville
Arizona
USA

Don't forget to include an SAE.[/quote]

[steantval]

[quote name='crez5150' post='925335' date='Aug 15 2010, 08:29 AM']All bassists are rubbish.... wannabe guitarists the lot of them.... losers! [/quote]

Especially the ones who play 6 string basses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stan_da_man]

[quote name='woodyratm' post='923952' date='Aug 13 2010, 02:49 PM']Fieldy.[/quote]
I'd like to see you play Got The Life!

[OutToPlayJazz]

To my mind, a "bad player" (imagine me doing the quotes with my fingers here!) is someone with awful technique, no sense of rhythm, harmony or taste who clearly does not listen or adapt to the players around them.

I had a feeling this thread would degenerate into yet another "Let's all show how jealous of the virtuoso players we are and give anything we don't understand a good ignorant kicking!" Perhaps those knocking Tal Wilkenfeld, Mark King, et al, should look a little closer to home for the bad bassist first...

[KevB]

Agree with you Rich, there are plenty of players in genres I don't really listen much to or have styles that isn't to my personal taste but that's a long long way from 'awful'. In truth there are probably very few genuinely bad players that have got well known enough to merit mention or who stayed long enough as professionals to produce enought material to actually discuss rationally. Now that Flea fellow...nah, just joking. They're all light years ahead of anything I'll ever do (except Sid V I guess).

[Rich]

10600 members, 10600 different answers. It's as definitive as "who's the best bassist".
My personal [i]bête noir [/i]is Bill Wyman -- some people think he's perfect for the job, I think he's a waste of strings and oxygen. You pays your money, and so on.

[Bilbo]

One can only hope that the bad players never get heard because they wouldn't be allowed near a recording studio. Experience tells us otherwise but, for me, the only thing to watch for is guys who are taken out of their comfort zones by producers with ideas above their respective talents - like whoever told Van Morrison's bass player to do that to 'Moondance' or John Paul Jones doing reggae on House of the Holy . They are not 'bad' just poorly advised

[Johngh]

[quote name='Starless' post='925263' date='Aug 14 2010, 11:45 PM']I've scanned through the whole thread and can't believe (unless I've missed it) that no-one has mentioned the most abominable mis-use of a bass guitar in its long, distinguished history. I speak of the ding-a-ding-a-chucka-chuka-meep-meep bollix that was the 80's and fecking Level 42 in particular.

What the bejesus was that all about? Summed up that decade perfectly, all style and panache over any kind of musical relevance. Awful, just awful, and what is worse it gave birth to a whole generation of so-called 'bassists' who to this day go ding-a-ding-a-chucka-chuka-meep-meep in music shops up and down the country (the urge to strangle the spotty nerds trying out a bass who break into some ding-a-ding-a-chucka-chuka-meep-meep is overwhelming). If you want some wacky, off-the-wall noises then get a bloody synth player.

Rant over.[/quote]


I tell you have a great taste in music by the dimwit in your avvie.

[KevB]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='926373' date='Aug 16 2010, 12:47 PM']One can only hope that the bad players never get heard because they wouldn't be allowed near a recording studio. Experience tells us otherwise but, for me, the only thing to watch for is guys who are taken out of their comfort zones by producers with ideas above their respective talents - like whoever told Van Morrison's bass player to do that to 'Moondance' or John Paul Jones doing reggae on House of the Holy . They are not 'bad' just poorly advised [/quote]

It's funny Bilbo but I was listening to Planet Rock the other day and they have a section in one programme where people request their favourite 'unplugged/less out and out heavy' tracks. One of those chosen on Friday was Moondance and the presenter spent ages after playing it extolling it's virtues, I immediately thought of you ranting at the radio of course

[51m0n]

[quote name='Doddy' post='923950' date='Aug 13 2010, 02:49 PM']I thought it was Warren Cuccarullo?

Vinnie was mentioned after.[/quote]


Yup, Vinnie wasnt nearly so kinda young kinda wow I guess

[Bilbo]

[quote name='KevB' post='926394' date='Aug 16 2010, 01:08 PM']It's funny Bilbo but I was listening to Planet Rock the other day and they have a section in one programme where people request their favourite 'unplugged/less out and out heavy' tracks. One of those chosen on Friday was Moondance and the presenter spent ages after playing it extolling it's virtues, I immediately thought of you ranting at the radio of course [/quote]

Planet Rock? So a profoundly academic ethnomusicological analysis of the merits of the piece based on sound empirical evidence, then

As Shakespeare would have said: 'The dance of the moon doth suck'

[Rich]

Shakespeare might have added a few more "hey-nonny"s if he'd written it. And a better bassline.

[Vinny]

I tend to agree with most of the posts on the subject of "awful", I don't ever remember seeing a band and thinking 'Even I'm better than him' etc.

Having said that...

Snow Patrol, anyone....?