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10-15-2009, 02:49 PM
| | | | bass solo's
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why are there no bass solos in rock music? all songs have guitar solos but never bass, why is that? |
10-15-2009, 02:52 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Maple Ridge, BC | | | Depends what you listen too, I can think of several bass solos in rock... |
10-15-2009, 02:55 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Pvt.Parts  Depends what you listen too, I can think of several bass solos in rock... | name some songs with bass solo |
10-15-2009, 02:56 PM
|  | TalkBass: Usurping My Practice Time Since 2002
Endorsing Artist: Lyt Pedalboards Beta tester: Source Audio Moderator | | Join Date: May 2002 Location: Connecticut | | They aren't nearly as prevalent, but there are rock bands that have a fair amount of bass solos (and rock bands that have almost no guitar solos). It's for a number of reasons. Often a bass solo won't fit in the context of the songs- many rock songs would fall apart if the bottom and half of the rhythm dropped out. Sometimes the bassists aren't comfortable/knowledgeable enough to create a solo that fits in the song. Sometimes the band leader doesn't want one even if it would fit in. A large part it is that- the mentality that bass has a role that it needs to fill. Roles work sometimes. More often than not they just lead to boring, cookie-cutter music, IMO anyways.
I've moved this to Recordings for you. Also, there's no apostrophe on "bass solo's" unless you are talking about something that belongs to the bass solo  |
10-15-2009, 03:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Bryan Tyler They aren't nearly as prevalent, but there are rock bands that have a fair amount of bass solos (and rock bands that have almost no guitar solos). It's for a number of reasons. Often a bass solo won't fit in the context of the songs- many rock songs would fall apart if the bottom and half of the rhythm dropped out. Sometimes the bassists aren't comfortable/knowledgeable enough to create a solo that fits in the song. Sometimes the band leader doesn't want one even if it would fit in. A large part it is that- the mentality that bass has a role that it needs to fill. Roles work sometimes. More often than not they just lead to boring, cookie-cutter music, IMO anyways.
I've moved this to Recordings for you. Also, there's no apostrophe on "bass solo's" unless you are talking about something that belongs to the bass solo |
thanks for moving it, i didn't know. but couldn't a bass solo fit in instead of a guitar solo if the bassist can play well |
10-15-2009, 03:04 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: San Diego/LA | | Great songs are great songs to me. I don't like solos personally, I like good solid songwriting. A great bass line that defines the song is more of a strong point than a bass wank off to me with regards to rock music. There was a good thread about song defining lines. In jazz or fusion, I expect some artisty step up, but not rock.
I had a good analogy about adding another girl to a threesome to make it a foursome and the uselessness of it in regards to improving the overall greatness of it, but I don't want to be too risque.  |
10-15-2009, 03:04 PM
| | | | My Generation by The Who.
Anyone? Yes?
Other posts popped up while I was writing this, but oftentimes the bass is too essential for it to deviate from whatever line it's playing.
Last edited by bryantandrew : 10-15-2009 at 03:10 PM.
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10-15-2009, 03:05 PM
| | TalkBass: Usurping My Practice Time Since 2002
Endorsing Artist: Lyt Pedalboards Beta tester: Source Audio Moderator | | Join Date: May 2002 Location: Connecticut | | Quote:
Originally Posted by BlazeBass thanks for moving it, i didn't know. but couldn't a bass solo fit in instead of a guitar solo if the bassist can play well | Sure, sometimes. Sometimes it will make the song sound bad when the bass drops out. |
10-15-2009, 03:08 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Eastern Wisconsin | | | I'm not concerned with the huge gap between guitar solos and bass solos. There is ONE song which really bothers me because there is no bass solo, and that would be In-a-gadda-da-vida. I mean REALLY!?! 20 minutes and they couldn't find time for a real bass solo? At one point the bass is playing solo, but he's just repeating the same lick over and over, it's not a "bass solo", it's a transition. And that really annoys me. Because everyone else got a good 5 minutes each. The first time I heard it, I kept expecting it to come at some point, but it never did. |
10-15-2009, 03:10 PM
| | | Bass solos are rare because often times when recording the bass is often mudded into the mix. And to one of the previous statements you sorta lose the whole bottom end of a song when you move the bass up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug2uCleTXNo
See how even cliff Burton sounds off when he goes into the high note range during the last solo, the chorus and overdrive really couldn't fix it.
Yeah there are bass solos but you have to really incorporate it into a song and you have to pretty much make guitars non-existent or have a bass pickup that can really cut through the mix.
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10-15-2009, 03:21 PM
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Originally Posted by sawgydawg Bass solos are rare because often times when recording the bass is often mudded into the mix. And to one of the previous statements you sorta lose the whole bottom end of a song when you move the bass up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug2uCleTXNo
See how even cliff Burton sounds off when he goes into the high note range during the last solo, the chorus and overdrive really couldn't fix it.
Yeah there are bass solos but you have to really incorporate it into a song and you have to pretty much make guitars non-existent or have a bass pickup that can really cut through the mix. |
in other words bass solos don't work |
10-15-2009, 03:27 PM
| | | | Rush - Show Don't Tell.
It's about a minute long solo.
and
The entire song Malignant Narcissism, by Rush, is basically a bass solo.
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Last edited by Rushpwnsx : 10-15-2009 at 03:31 PM.
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10-15-2009, 03:32 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: San Diego, CA | | | My opinion: Because 99% of bass solos *bite*, much like 99% of drum solos.
It has always seemed to me that bass solos are thrown out there to make the Bassist feel good, rather than to serve the music. I'm a pretty darned good player but I really dislike taking solos - Folks don't really want to hear them, and they usually don't "Serve the Song". No, the *good* news is there are a ton of songs that have VERY big bass parts that aren't really "solos", but carry the song so much that they might as well be. Think of "Higher Ground" (RHCP), "How Many more Times" (Zep), "Money" (Floyd), "Sweet Emotion" (AeroSmith) and just about every Rush song every recorded - Not solos, but huge grooves/parts.
Speaking of Zep, about the only bass solo I can think of recorded by Zep was on "Good Times/ Bad Times" and they were perfect - about one measure a piece... just right. I really think "Soloing", as such is terribly over-rated. Leave the ego-wanking to Guitar & Sax players. Leave the *song* to US!
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10-15-2009, 03:45 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Upstate NY | | Quote:
Originally Posted by BigOldHarry My opinion: Because 99% of bass solos *bite*, much like 99% of drum solos.
It has always seemed to me that bass solos are thrown out there to make the Bassist feel good, rather than to serve the music. I'm a pretty darned good player but I really dislike taking solos - Folks don't really want to hear them, and they usually don't "Serve the Song". No, the *good* news is there are a ton of songs that have VERY big bass parts that aren't really "solos", but carry the song so much that they might as well be. Think of "Higher Ground" (RHCP), "How Many more Times" (Zep), "Money" (Floyd), "Sweet Emotion" (AeroSmith) and just about every Rush song every recorded - Not solos, but huge grooves/parts.
Speaking of Zep, about the only bass solo I can think of recorded by Zep was on "Good Times/ Bad Times" and they were perfect - about one measure a piece... just right. I really think "Soloing", as such is terribly over-rated. Leave the ego-wanking to Guitar & Sax players. Leave the *song* to US! | Don't forget JPJ's solo line on the Lemon Song
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10-15-2009, 03:53 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Netherlands | | Quote:
Originally Posted by BigOldHarry ...Leave the ego-wanking to Guitar & Sax players. Leave the *song* to US! | I'll have some of both, please.
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10-15-2009, 03:55 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Netherlands | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Rushpwnsx The entire song Malignant Narcissism, by Rush, is basically a bass solo. | Is that why they named it Malignant Narcissism? As in, Geddy's Malignant Narcisissm on that song?
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Originally Posted by Tsal Dude, when you can go loud, who needs tone? :D | Quote:
Originally Posted by Smurf-o-Deth Dirt is my friend. It wants to be your friend, too. | |
10-15-2009, 04:02 PM
| | | | Maxwell Murder by Rancid has a spectacular bass solo in it. |
10-15-2009, 05:44 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cambridge, MA | | | Some examples:
Go to a Government Mule show, you will see 1 or 2 nice bass solos.
Les Claypool is basically a lead bass player.
The Who's My Generation
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10-15-2009, 06:30 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Los Angeles CA | | | Try "Spare Chaynge" on Jefferson Airplane's After Bathing at Baxter's. Some Jack Casady magic. |
10-16-2009, 08:47 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Vortex of sin and degradation | | Quote:
Originally Posted by BluesWalker Go to a Government Mule show, you will see 1 or 2 nice bass solos. | I saw Gov't Mule with Andy Hess last year with the primary purpose of
seeing one of his bass solos. It never happened. He didn't do a solo.
He obviously does solos; there is a great one on youtube but, apparently,
they don't always have a bass solo. | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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