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Bill Wyman or Keith Richards on bass

#81
Ric5 said:
Bill Wyman was a mediocre bassist.
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I take it you've not listened to much in the way of isolated Wyman tracks, or any Stones live albums. The Brussels Affair (a long time bootleg recently released officially by the Stones) is just one example that disproves your statement. If Wyman were "mediocre" there's no way Jagger would have allowed him to stay the band for almost 30 years.

Isolated Wyman tracks ....

 
#86
barebones said:
Anyone know who played bass on the song "Emotinal Rescue"? Funny running across this thread tonight, as I was just digging on that bass line today an wondered if it was Bill or someone else.
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Aussie Mark said:
That's Bill
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You sure about that? I distinctly recall reading somewhere back when that album was first released that the title tune "Emotional Rescue" had Ron Wood on bass (and Mick Jagger on electric piano!)
 
#89
I love Bill Wyman. I think he played great lines, and he had great entertainment "presence," even by just being the one who had good hair and cool clothes and stood perfectly still as he watched all the craziness on stage swirl around him.

No matter what one thinks of his "bass playing," you must admit he held on to one of the most prominent and most lucrative positions available in a rhythm section for many years.........
 
#90
Not a fan of the Stones. I like some of their early stuff and few songs from the 70s but don't like them enough to go see them or buy their albums. Other than Ron Wood's guitar work, I don't see anything great in their playing and I have never liked Jagger's voice.
 
#92
Two things about the (earlier) stones that irk me as a bassist:

1.The bass either sits perfectly in the mix, wobbles in and out of audibility or is just completely inaudible.

2.What the heck were they doing in the studio that made all their early stuff sound really flat or really sharp? I know Keith has some weird tunings, but have you ever tried playing along to early stones? It's very difficult to find the right pitch, almost like some of the tapes were slowed down while others remained at normal speed. It's not that they were tuned a half step up or down...I can't even find the damn note sometimes.
 
#94
sparkyfender2 said:
I love Bill Wyman. I think he played great lines, and he had great entertainment "presence," even by just being the one who had good hair and cool clothes and stood perfectly still as he watched all the craziness on stage swirl around him.

No matter what one thinks of his "bass playing," you must admit he held on to one of the most prominent and most lucrative positions available in a rhythm section for many years.........
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And left on his own terms. It seems he never liked the travel demands of the gig.

But he's managed to keep busy back home in Merri Old.
 
#95
The stones had a complete original in Bill Wyman, and never realized it, probably not even now. They wanted a generic bassist, and finally got one after Bill left.

If you ever went to a Stones show, the first thing you would notice would be the unique booming drive that Watts and Wyman created. It was so different from any other groove, a big machine. That's history.
 
#97
Aussie Mark said:
If Wyman were "mediocre" there's no way Jagger would have allowed him to stay the band for almost 30 years.
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The whole freakin band were nothing more than a collection of mediocre musicians. They weren't bad ... they were just average. There is a reason why the Stones are often refered to as the most famous garage band in the world. Jagger is perhaps the most mediocre lead singer in history.
 
#98
Haven't bothered to read the whole thread, or really any of it, and in fact only read a couple words of the title. But I have an opinion.

Bill Wyman is one of the best underrated players that rock has ever had. Pure groove and feel on everything.
 
#99
petrus61 said:
2.What the heck were they doing in the studio that made all their early stuff sound really flat or really sharp?
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They used to jam in the studio for hours and hours live, that's how they wrote. It was also very common to speed up or slow down tape a little or a lot to make the tune feel better or make it fit with vocals.
 
#100
Ric5 said:
The whole freakin band were nothing more than a collection of mediocre musicians. They weren't bad ... they were just average. There is a reason why the Stones are often refered to as the most famous garage band in the world. Jagger is perhaps the most mediocre lead singer in history.
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Beggers Banquet through Exile is one of the greatest runs of albums in rock history. IMHO. I'll take that level of mediocre anyday.;)
 
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