• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Cliff Burton Hype

Its not that he was a technical tour de force. He was however the bass player in what is arguably one of the most original and influential rock bands in the last 27 years. He obviously had a huge impact on their sound because after he died the sound changed drastically. What's wrong with him being held in high esteem for that?
 
I'm a big metallica fan, but i can't see him being anything out of the ordinary. espiecially on recordings. when i ask why hes so good ppl will only mention the same 2 songs to me

Dude, I'm not even that big of a Metalica fan but back when they came out that s#$t was a revelation. I'm not trying to be condescending when I say this...you're just not old enough to understand what type of impact their music really had at the time.
Its kind of like when Nirvana got big. The whole music scene changed almost overnight. Every thrash, black and death metal band you hear today is either influenced directly by what they did or influenced by a band that was.

Also, keep in mind that at that time metal wasn't nearly as palatable as it is today. They built themselves up to the point where they were selling t-shirts in freaking Sears when And Justice For All came out with virtually no radio play.

Give him some props. He is considered good because every song he played on, whether he shined in it or not, was part of a revaluation or sorts. It also doesn't hurt that he died in such a f&*#ed up way.
 
Dude, I'm not even that big of a Metalica fan but back when they came out that s#$t was a revelation. I'm not trying to be condescending when I say this...you're just not old enough to understand what type of impact their music really had at the time.
Its kind of like when Nirvana got big. The whole music scene changed almost overnight. Every thrash, black and death metal band you hear today is either influenced directly by what they did or influenced by a band that was.

Also, keep in mind that at that time metal wasn't nearly as palatable as it is today. They built themselves up to the point where they were selling t-shirts in freaking Sears when And Justice For All came out with virtually no radio play.

Give him some props. He is considered good because every song he played on, whether he shined in it or not, was part of a revaluation or sorts. It also doesn't hurt that he died in such a f&*#ed up way.

i never knocked him in anyway. i just said i don't find him to be better than most other metal bassists
 
i never knocked him in anyway. i just said i don't find him to be better than most other metal bassists

My bad if I made it sound like you were. I understand what you meant. Like I said, I'm really not a big fan. I also agree with you in that he wasn't that great a player. At least in comparison to a lot of other guys around at the time who were a much bigger influence on me than he was. I was just trying to tell you why other people might think that he was.

To put it in some perspective. I really dislike Led Zeppelin. I hate their songs, I hate Robert Plants voice, I hate Jimmy's sloppy playing, I hate it all. However, I can understand why other people might love them. Music's an individual thing and they affected a lot of people in a positive way. In that way I have to give the band and all of its individual players much respect for what they accomplished. Even if I find them all mediocre at best.
 
hmm well he wrote the song orion which is a fantastic piece =x he played with his fingers and his lines generally moved around a lot he didn't usually riff the same repeating figures over and over...when you consider the fact that for a lot of people metallica sucked after he died (or after and justice for all or the black album depending on who you ask) you can imagine he had a rather large influence over the writing process I would be inclined to say he probably had a bigger influence within his band then many other seminal heavy metal players.

i also sometimes get the feeling some of the cliff bashers just listen to pulling teeth only and just trash him because they don't like it.

and to the guy that doesn't like zeppelin...you're insane :P but then again i bought a weather report CD because my bass teacher told me too and it was the most boring ****ing thing i've ever heard. i'm sorry but jaco pastorious may be a great player but his music is god **** awful to listen too but thats music for you a completely subjective field =x
 
Someone please explain to me how he was a shredder.
I'm not saying he's a bad player, but some people feel that if you don't say he's great, then you're insulting him. I keep hearing revolutionary and how he influenced the band so much, what about the band that influenced Metallica, Motorhead. Lemmy Killmeister was a good bassist, he had more control over his band then any bassist I can think of. What does Lemmy have that Cliff doesn't.
And just because you were in a good band shouldn't make you considered a great musician. That's fallacy.
But yeah maybe it's cause he's dead.
Because whenever someone dies they're considered 10 times better than they were when they die.

Lets look at this critically, I would ask why people think he's great. No one posted any vids.
 
You will understand Cliff Burton, when you realize music is not a compliation of single instruments playing together, but a collaboration of emotions represented by musicians.

Cliff Burton was not the best, nor - forgive me when I say - the cleverest, but he is one of the architects of the music genre you still are listening today, including Linkin Park or Dream Theater. Please do not come with "but linkin park is not a trash metal band". I know that :)
 
Okay




So you choose the quality of a bassist by how physically attractive he is?

That's exactly what I meant!!! Whew, I didn't think anyone would understand...but you did. Good job.:spit:

Seriously, where are you going with this? Your post sounded like you were making the case for Lemmy being unduly disrespected because too many people like Burton. Its not an either/ or thing. Lemmy's got his place in music history. I'm sure that most people who think Cliff was a great player consider Lemmy one as well.

BTW you're the one who inverted Lemmy and Burton in your question (judging from the tone in the rest of your statement). I was just making a joke--not even at your expense. And if the mole really bothered that guy enough for there to be a need for you to defend his man-beauty, he'd have cut it off years ago.