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Adam Clayton Does Not Suck.

#341
AC sucks, The edge sucks, Bono sucks, U2 sucks... I can understand if somebody say that he/she does not like U2 music but I have hard time understaning why somebody will say they suck, they are one of the most accomplished rock bands in the history.

U2 have sold more than 150 million records.

Rolling Stone placed U2 at number 22 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

U2 participated in the Live Aid concert.

U2 received their first Grammy Award in 1988 for The Joshua Tree, and they have won 22 in total out of 34 nominations, more than any other group. These include Best Rock Duo or Group, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Rock Album.

The British Phonographic Industry has awarded U2 seven BRIT Awards, five of these being for Best International Group.

The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 2005.

In 2006, all four members of the band received ASCAP awards for writing the songs, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", and "Vertigo".

In 1985, Bono recorded the song "In a Lifetime" with the Irish band Clannad.

The Edge recorded a solo soundtrack album for the film Captive in 1986 which included a vocal performance by Sinéad O'Connor.

Bono and The Edge wrote the song "She's a Mystery to Me" for Roy Orbison.

In 1990, Bono and The Edge provided the soundtrack to Royal Shakespeare Company London stage version of A Clockwork.

Mullen co-wrote and produced a song for the Irish International soccer team in time for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, called "Put 'Em Under Pressure", which topped the Irish charts.

Together with The Edge, Bono wrote the song "GoldenEye" for the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, which was performed by Tina Turner.

Clayton and Mullen reworked the "Theme from Mission: Impossible" for the franchise's 1996 film.

Bono loaned his voice to "Joy" on Mick Jagger's 2001 album Goddess in the Doorway.

Bono also recorded a spare, nearly spoken-word version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for the Tower of Song compilation in 1995.

in 1998, Bono collaborated with Kirk Franklin and Crystal Lewis (along with controversial mainstream artists R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige) for a successful gospel song called "Lean on Me".

In 2007, Bono appeared in the movie Across the Universe and performed The Beatles songs.

Bono and The Edge also wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

Additionally, The Edge created the theme song for Season 1 and 2 of the animated television series The Batman.

They have also shared the stage with several famous musicians.

Adam Clayton has been part of all of this and more. How they can suck?
 
#342
Being technically able and being a good songwriter are two different things. Then there's the other thing where the song becomes more about feel and attitude than how many notes are played or how well they're played or about how all the parts connect.

Example: Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth has a TERRIBLE singing voice. Yet she sings on a lot of SY's releases and even as a huge fan of theirs I'd say she has ARGUABLY ruined a song or two but on MOST of the songs she sings on, she gives the song character and an easily identifiable sound. But you don't listen to Sonic Youth for amazing vocals, it's the sum of the parts, it's what the songs turn into with those 4 people playing together.

And you can criticize without saying someone "SUCKS" or is "THE WORST MUSICIAN ON THE PLANET". I can admit that Oasis or Green Day have written catchy songs but I am not a fan, I just don't like their music/vibe/sound.

As for Clayton, I can think of other examples where a bassist really is ineffective. One that comes to mind right away is The Alarm, a band which early on was compared to U2. I think their guitarist is really underrated and they had a decent singer but their rhythm section was oh so dull and basic to the point where not only could anyone play their songs but I really think any beginning musician could have written their parts.

Nothing about the bass playing on their albums stand out AT ALL. With Clayton, you always get something catchy, musical, something that actually DRIVES the song. The bass line in SECONDS from the War album drives that song. Same with many of their other songs. His playing is not complex or technically dazzling but it stays with you.
 
#343
I think he is a bass playing bother. I don't hate anyone at all. BUT firstly I find nothing interesting about his playing and I don't think he's done a lot for the bass as an instrument. Whether anyone likes U2, thinks Adam does a good job or if they are a "good" band is totally subjective. I don't think he's a bad player. For inspiration I look elsewhere.
 
#347
Dude's been a fulltime pro bassplayer for around 30 years now. Daily hours long playing. It is quite possible he could play circles around 90% of the posters on this forum. He's got a job, he does it. Only he and his friends know if his day job represents his creative ability or not.
 
#348
+1 I like a lot of Adam Clayton's bass lines, "A Man And A Woman" being one of my favorites. It's more important to play parts that serve the music well and not turn music into a wankfest to show off your chops. There are a lot of subtle ways good players choose and accent notes, work with intros turnarounds & bridges, etc without being over the top.
 
#350
bkbirge said:
Dude's been a fulltime pro bassplayer for around 30 years now. Daily hours long playing. It is quite possible he could play circles around 90% of the posters on this forum. He's got a job, he does it. Only he and his friends know if his day job represents his creative ability or not.
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If that is true, it would say more about the people on this forum than his ability. :D

I don't know where this possible creative ability thing comes from. Is being good not enough? He has to have skills beyond what he shows? Just my opinion, but i think it's unlikely that people play significantly below their skill level.
 
#351
30 years? or 1 year 30 times? 90% better than people here? He's hasn't displayed it, but I don't think that was the OP's comparison. I'm not bashing Adam C. or any other similar musicians, but his work is acceptable for the band and lots of their fans like it. He's a pro, but he just "holds it down". The real artistry is being able to do something creative within a framework that is inspiring.
 
#352
lfmn16 said:
If that is true, it would say more about the people on this forum than his ability. :D

I don't know where this possible creative ability thing comes from. Is being good not enough? He has to have skills beyond what he shows? Just my opinion, but i think it's unlikely that people play significantly below their skill level.
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maybe not significantly but personally in my own music I pretty much always play under what I COULD do. I'm no technical master virtuoso hiding behind simpler bass lines by far but I am still able of far more technique than what I put into my music. I always think of serving the song (and I write songs starting with the bass too so I suppose go all out, but that's just not the kind of music I want to make...)

I don't think Adam Clayton is a bass god hiding behind simple lines either, but he's probably more capable on a technical level than U2 music shows. Not that it matters. the truth is in the very early 90's he took some bass lessons cause he felt he was going around in circles a little (though it's not like after that his basslines became necessarily more complex so I don't know if he used what he learned either...for the record bono also took singing lessons in the mid 80's...and you can tell...listen to Unforgettable fire or Joshua tree and then to the earlier records...personally I don't necessarily hate his untrained period... sometimes he went too far with the voice)

The thing that has to be said, his lines were simpler on Joshua Tree than all he'd done on other records before and that was because they were going for a simpler sound on that record. So even though his lines were never complex he still made them even simpler. That shows at least one thing, complete lack of ego. Even Mullen's drumming never was as upfront and elaborate past Joshua tree as it had been before. Anyway, technical skill to me has very little to do with writing a good bassline. Very very little. I am on a technical level more advanced than all my favorite bassists (or at least, what they show...) and it's not cause i'm a great player....

I think the thing that bugs me the most about dissing AC is that...if I had to think of bassists who got a cozy job doing almost next to nothing in very famous bands...I could think of about two dozen bassists i'd name way before AC.


Anyway, I think this thread has by now established only people who think music should be hard to play hate on Clayton.
 
#354
When I listen to Havona by Weather Report, I hear a true artist playing the bass. When I hear What's Going on by Marvin Gaye, I hear the artistry of Mr. Jamerson. These guys paved the way. They are revered, bass players still talk about these guys today. 30 years from now AC will be a footnote in a music book. Music may be his profession, but only the elite are considered artists. Again, I'm not "hating" on the guy and I don't know why his name seems to be popping up lately. I just can't refer to him (and others like him) as artists. He does his job and he's famous for it. That doesn't make him an artist. That's like comparing a finger painting to Van Gogh's Starry Night.
 
#355
Mockyngbyrd said:
When I listen to Havona by Weather Report, I hear a true artist playing the bass. When I hear What's Going on by Marvin Gaye, I hear the artistry of Mr. Jamerson. These guys paved the way. They are revered, bass players still talk about these guys today. 30 years from now AC will be a footnote in a music book. Music may be his profession, but only the elite are considered artists. Again, I'm not "hating" on the guy and I don't know why his name seems to be popping up lately. I just can't refer to him (and others like him) as artists. He does his job and he's famous for it. That doesn't make him an artist. That's like comparing a finger painting to Van Gogh's Starry Night.
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Ok. Agree to disagree. I consider a child's fingerprinting or any other endeavor that leads to a creative impulse in which something that lived only inside ones mind is manifested into the world art.

One could also reduce Jamerson's Work on What's Going On to 'just playing a verse:1,6,1,6,2,5,2,5, prechorus: 2,5,2,5 chorus: 1,6,1,6 bridge: 4,5 progression on a chart someone else wrote in E Major' too I suppose. Of course I consider them both artists.

I've personally never shed a tear to a Weather Report Song..or anything Jaco played on, but there at U2 songs that can still get me to this day. That IS art.
art1
ärt/
noun
1.
the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
 
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#356
Stop listening to music as a bass player. This will help you recognize how good a lot of music is. This is how the general public listens to music. It might make you a better musician.

Ask the average person who the Beatles' bass player is. Many, many of them will say someone other than Sir Paul. Point is they don't care. They just like what they hear.

If Adam Clayton played all over the place on U2's albums, I bet they wouldn't sell out STADIUMS. Also, when you make your living playing arenas and stadiums, you realize that when you play blazing fast 16th nots on a bass, it gets totally lost. Absolutely gone (in most cases). So in order to be heard, and make the band sound better, play BIG, FAT, DEEP grooves, nice 'n slow.
 
#357
Mockyngbyrd said:
That doesn't make him an artist. That's like comparing a finger painting to Van Gogh's Starry Night.
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Not a Flavin fan either I take it?
tomatisse.jpg
 
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#358
Wow, I guess this guy Adam C. is someone special! Look, if you don't get the Jamerson groove, fine. The guy only helped define Motown in the 60's (and a lot of hits too). If you like U2 that's fine too. Enjoy them. I'm not trying to "take them down" from the airwaves. I'm just not going to refer to him as an artist.

Imagine what Dan would do with LED lights....
 
#360
Mockyngbyrd said:
Wow, I guess this guy Adam C. is someone special! Look, if you don't get the Jamerson groove, fine. The guy only helped define Motown in the 60's (and a lot of hits too). If you like U2 that's fine too. Enjoy them. I'm not trying to "take them down" from the airwaves. I'm just not going to refer to him as an artist.

Imagine what Dan would do with LED lights....
Click to expand...

I named my band after James Jamerson..The JJ's Band. I play What's Going On 4 or 5 nights a week which is why i was able to type the progression for the song by memory. I love his style. You can click here to hear my band.

I honestly think you missed my point...They are both artists by any definition i can find for the word Art.
 

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