Is Marcus Miller overrated?

[portlandguy]

Saw him live a few years ago, Not overrated at all

[bass12]

Originally Posted by Coop Soup

The first and last response to this thread should have been simply "No".

/thread

Well that wouldn't have been much fun, would it? I'm guessing the OP is fairly young and represents a generation of bass players who have grown up listening to guys like Victor Wooten, Matt Garrison and Hadrien Feraud - guys whose primary appeal for many is their ability to play fast and technically impressive things on their instruments. There's nothing wrong with that, but Marcus is coming from a different place. Was the solo in the clip you referred to technically very demanding? Perhaps not. Could most of the bassists out there known for being able to play flamenco runs on their ramp-equipped axes play the same part and make it as heavy and in the pocket? I doubt it. Marcus is playing bass in a very pre-90s sense, if you will - the groove comes first - but anyone who knows his work well can attest to his ability to play some very intricate bass. Do you know how many people's minds were blown when they first heard Marcus slap "Teen Town" on Night Music? Regardless, your comment concerning the level of difficulty of that Youtube solo is telling. How do you feel about Larry Graham? Do you feel that he's overrated? That his level of musicianship is diminished by the fact that a lot of his bass lines would be considered cliché by today's standards? It could simply be that your notion of what constitutes a great bassist differs from that of the kinds of folks for whom Miller has an appeal. Anyway, it makes for some interesting discussion. I do, however, hope that you take this opportunity to read (and listen) up on Marcus Miller to find out just how great a musician he is. I just remembered, in fact, that when I was doing my bachelors in music I wrote a paper on Marcus Miller for a jazz history course. I'd completely forgotten about that...

[JAUQO III-X]

Originally Posted by Chrisk-K

Marcus Miller is the most sampled bassist in music history.

Define sampled.



Thank you.

[BassDbler]

No. Yes. Does it matter?

[SteveC]

No more than any other player I like and you don't.

[hover]

Yeah, Marcus is insanely overrated...it it were opposites day.

The dude is so deep in the pocket you have to look under the lint.
And I found that solo / break / whatever incredibly tasty.

[metalstorm]

Ha, the OP also said there were no good bass players at the Grammy's. Clearly he hasn't outgrown the phase where pyrotechnics are what constitutes good.

[Pickebass]

As an unbiased fan, no he is not overrated. That being said you have to take in to context what is able to do. Beyond soloing, it is what he brings to a song as any good bassists does. When you think of Nathan East, you don't think soloist but a great musician who knows where he fits in a song. Marcus does the same thing.

In addition or as a compliment to his playing is his production skills. I think as a producer he truly understands what needs to be done within the structure of the song.

The man has many highlights. 1st of of all Miles Davis.. TuTu... 2. Al Jarreau... Tenderness. Great LIVE album that he played and produced.

He may not have the technical abilities of Victor Wooten (who does), but he has great technique and great feel.

[GM60466]

Miles Davis didn't think so.

[mebusdriver]

This..... Producing, composing, and playing..... How can you call him overrated? How can anyone hired by Miles F'ing Davis to run his band be overrated? Oh and that solo, just incredibly funky, grooving, and full of pure taste. Not too shabby.....

Originally Posted by bottomzone

Marcus Miller, overrated? HMMM. let's see..... Check out his discography, currently at 605:

marcusmiller.com

-He plays clarinet (his major instrument before playing bass), drums and keys. Because of his reading skills honed on clarinet pieces by Stravinsky, reading and playing bass parts was easy by comparison.

-He was a first-call NY studio musician in the late seventies and early eighties, where reading was a must on almost every date. Along with some other OK bassists, Anthony Jackson, Will Lee, Francisco Centeno and Neil Jason, the ability to not only read, but play as if you weren't reading, Marcus became a go to guy.

-He started getting calls to play his own style without any notation.

-Marcus' style and tone is imitated by many and duplicated by few.

-He was 16 when he played on his first recording with a not too shabby drummer who was in a fairly decent band called Return to Forever-Lenny White.

-He composed and produced some pretty good songs for Luther Vandross.

In other words, no-Marcus is not overrated.


A Groove is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

[BobaFret]

This kind of blasphemy is going to push me toward a rage quit.

[Ewo]

FWIW, this is plenty good enough to impress me: touch, technique, musicality, tone.

Scoop, unaccompanied.

[Tampabass]

a: no.

[odin70]

Originally Posted by Pickebass

He may not have the technical abilities of Victor Wooten (who does), but he has great technique and great feel.

imo Wooten is an apprentice compared to Marcus

[svtb15]

Speed aint nothing without class.. And Marcus has TONS of class.. He plays tasty!

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by BobaFret

This kind of blasphemy is going to push me toward a rage quit.

We must be related in some way..............

[lucas vigor]

The OP came here, took a dump in the talkbass toilet, then left without flushing.

[RL Scott]

Interesting thread. Is Marcus overrated? Not even sure I get the question. He's a great bass player. Something to aspire towards. He's better than me, so no, he's not overrated. And I aint too shabby. He's a groove master, and in my book, it makes him underrated. Any bass player with technical ability but prefers to groove, is a mature musician, and should be an inspiration to us all.

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by pedroims

I am not a fan of Marcus and Victor. Are they overrated? No way, those guy know what they are doing... that does mean that you must like their music? No. hate it if you want which is ok.

Same here, not my fav style of music, but I admire their talent!

[dmusic148]

Marcus kills it.
Define 'overrated.' What does that even mean? Does it mean that people like him more than they should, according to you?