Adam Clayton-Lemon

[Captain Simian]

Can't sleep so I'm surfing and have iTunes on shuffle. I haven't heard this song in ages and forgot what a great bass line Adam Clayton play on it. Adam is one of my main influences and I occasionally get a bit of grief from other players. I will have to remember to play this for them when they start in on me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH9sT-3WoQI

 

[foq1978]

+1 to Adam Clayton!

 

[fenwickbacker]

I'm a huge fan as well - I was too busy being turned-off by Bono's "Macphisto" character and missed some of Clayton's great lines from Pop and Zooropa. I'm getting there - but mostly a Boy through Actung Baby, then back at All That You Can't Leave Behind through the latest album.

 

[iembalm]

Is this the tune that was in Peter Greenaway's film Pillow Book? If so, yeah that's a great bassline, and mixed just right.

 

[A.CLAYTON]

No,the song off that film was Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car.Off the same album as Lemon though.

 

[EddieG]

Zoo TV Live In Sydney is probably the best live gig EVER. By anyone. The intro alone seals that up for me.

Even U2 will never better it.

 

[Nigel Rahmshard]

Adam Clayton pretty much rules. No overplaying there.

 

[J. Crawford]

Adam Clayton pretty much rules. No overplaying there.

Hes so good because he plays what is needed, not what he wants.

 

[fretlesswonder]

My favorite bass line is from the song "Until the End of the World", just like what he does with it.

 

[groovenut57]

One question about this clip...

The video shows him with a Precision, but is it what he actually used for the recording?

 

[becker4567]

Adam Clayton is, in my book, right up there with John Deacon as two of rocks great bass players. Sure, there are players with more flash or faster walking lines, but for solid, melodic music, they are definitely on the 'A' list!

 

[OriginalKeyster]

I don't know if Adam is one of the best bass players or one of my favorites, but what he plays is tasty and always fits so well in U2's songs. It's not too much and not too little, IMO.

 

[Philbiker]

I've been a fan of U2 since I first heard the album "October" played in its entirety on late night radio when it first came out.

"Lemon" is my single favorite U2 song. The bassline grooves like a son-of-a-gun.

 

[Captain Simian]

Back in the early 80's I distinctly remember seeing the Gloria video on MTV. As soon as it was over I immediately got on my bike and went to the record store and bought October on cassette.

 

[LCMBassist]

Adam Clayton is, in my book, right up there with John Deacon as two of rocks great bass players. Sure, there are players with more flash or faster walking lines, but for solid, melodic music, they are definitely on the 'A' list!

You can add Mike Kroeger and Rory Macdonald to that list.

 

[llatikcuf]

One question about this clip...

The video shows him with a Precision, but is it what he actually used for the recording?

I don't know if it was the case on Lemon, but I understand AC usually records with a Gibson RD Artist (which I never saw him use live until this last tour).
OTOH, IIRC they made ZooRopa while touring for Achtung so he may've not had his trusty Gibson handy.

 

[Captain Simian]

If I remember correctly, in a Bass Player interview he said that Zooropa was mainly recorded with a Gibson Les Paul (or Triumph) bass and various jazz & precision basses. To my ears, the line on Lemon sounds like it was played on a jazz.