Ok, I'm old and not really a Jaco fan either. Didn't care for him then or now. I do have an appreciation for what he brought to the instument but no way can I sit and listen to it for hours on end. That includes the whole weather report thing too. I'd rather listen to Stanley Clarke anytime.
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Does anybody else not Like Jaco
- Thread starter peaveyuser
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Ok, I'm old and not really a Jaco fan either. Didn't care for him then or now. I do have an appreciation for what he brought to the instument but no way can I sit and listen to it for hours on end. That includes the whole weather report thing too. I'd rather listen to Stanley Clarke anytime.
You could fake Stanley's lines.. If you didn't know any theory, Jaco's stuff was a text book in chord voicings and theory. I was there, i remember the impact both had. I like Stanley, but they were both separate ends of the spectrum.
By the way, I can only listen to select Jaco songs. Stanley was puttin' up da funk, and although that's my bag, I can honestly say IMO..
Jaco's stuff was harder to play than Stanley's if you didn't know anything about music theory.
By the way, I can only listen to select Jaco songs. Stanley was puttin' up da funk, and although that's my bag, I can honestly say IMO..
Jaco's stuff was harder to play than Stanley's if you didn't know anything about music theory.
His bass playing just seems kinda scatterbrained to me.
(putting up abestos wall)
Play the chords to Donna Lee on a piano and his solo at the same time.
Then you'll appreciate what he's doing over the changes more, I promise you..
Don't judge all of Jaco's recordings by just the fusion. Give Joni Mitchells "Mingus" a listen. It always seemed to me that Joni Mitchells studio recordings required him to be more restrained. Listen to the studio version of "Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" as opposed to the live version on "Shadows and Light".
Much more in the pocket and each note seemed so well thought out. It is one of the all time great rhythm section tracks.
Much more in the pocket and each note seemed so well thought out. It is one of the all time great rhythm section tracks.
I sometimes wonder if Jaco would be revered as the demi-god that he is if it wasn't for the tragedy in his story, and his pre-mature death. Jaco's influence is un-deniable but if he was still alive today he would not be keeping up with the likes of Bona, Garrison, Caron etc etc. Jaco's career was over before his life was taken. He suffered from mental disease and related physical ailments. Would you employ an egotistical maniac that would more than likely take an impromptu distorted guitar like solo in the midddle of your ballad?
That said, I am relatively young and I pay respect where respect is due. Jaco made a huge contribution to the role of modern bassplaying. I just wonder how high his star would shine if he was still alive....
That said, I am relatively young and I pay respect where respect is due. Jaco made a huge contribution to the role of modern bassplaying. I just wonder how high his star would shine if he was still alive....
I like Jaco, but I don't have any of his solo work. I prefer what he did with Weather Report and Joni Mitchell. But I think that's because, as a bass player, my whole thing is ensemble work. I admire the chops of Jaco, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke and others, but I really don't want to hear a bass player noodling for 20 minutes, anymore than I want to hear a 25-minute drum solo or 10 minutes of Van Halen pyrotechnics. My idea of a great bass player is embodied in McCartney and Tony Levin. TL has chops galore, but he is a true ensemble player who picks his spots and always plays melodically. Same for PM, who may not have TL's chops but tosses off wonderful, well-thought-out, melodic basslines that always fit the song, even far back as "All My Loving."
its a shame the way he died, he chose the wrong matial-arts trained bouncer to pick a bone with
+1
I'm certainly no prize of the bass world, but it really makes me sad when I hear kids idolizing an artist like Fieldy. IMO, the only thing he brought to to bass world is that horrible, clickety-clack "slap" tone.
It's kind of like Rolling Stone calling Kurt Cobain the #2 underrated guitarist of all time. For all of the hits he wrote, I'm not sure it's possible to underrate him when it comes to playing ability.
Though I havent given him an extensive listen (mostly just the well known songs) the only one that I actually enjoy is Teentown, I find most of his other lines and songs almost completely unremarkable.
Maybe its just the music that its situated in though.
Maybe its just the music that its situated in though.
I love Jaco, but I regret much of his influence on the electric bass- I've always considered fretless as a novelty( or effect), and not worthy of being the state of the art as it became through the 80's. I always thought most ordinary players should avoid electric fretless, and if they really must- get schooled on upright first. I listen to some recordings included with some of the bass method books out there- and am amazed at how dated this particular sound is.
I couldn't put it any better myself. The one album I have with Jaco (it's an Ian Hunter album) has a bass solo that is fast and forgetable at best. Even Jack Bruce followed the songs on his own solo material, rather than show off his bass skills. Songs For a Tailor shows Jack Bruce mostly as a songwriter and pianist more than a bassist.
o o metaphor time!!
ok i'm not sure if anyone here is into the xgames...
but i'll just assume those of you who are arguing against jaco are....
(no stereotype.. i'm just hoping you are familiar with them)
ok so a few years ago someone did the first backflip on a motorcycle
EVER.
it was a revolutionary trick, and won him the gold medal. At the time no one else could do this, no one else even ATTEMPTED it
now flash forward to the most recent xgames
you would have no chance of medaling today if you didn't do at least one backflip
and barely chancing that if you didn't add some kind of other crazy trick in along with it
now not to say the guy who did it originally is better than the guys who are doing it today, but where would they be now if he hadn't done it first? ...catching my drift?
ok i'm not sure if anyone here is into the xgames...
but i'll just assume those of you who are arguing against jaco are....
(no stereotype.. i'm just hoping you are familiar with them)
ok so a few years ago someone did the first backflip on a motorcycle
EVER.
it was a revolutionary trick, and won him the gold medal. At the time no one else could do this, no one else even ATTEMPTED it
now flash forward to the most recent xgames
you would have no chance of medaling today if you didn't do at least one backflip
and barely chancing that if you didn't add some kind of other crazy trick in along with it
now not to say the guy who did it originally is better than the guys who are doing it today, but where would they be now if he hadn't done it first? ...catching my drift?
One has to keep in mind when Jaco played. Primarily, it was the 70s up to the mid 80s or so. In the 70s, very few bass players were doing what he did the way he did it (fretless, staccato lines, lots of mwah and midrange honk, etc.). The fact that he could play solos that sounded a lot like what a horn player would do but on bass is what made him a unique player. If you think what he did was easy, try playing Teen Town on a fretless and in tune. If you not primarily a fretless player (I'm not) you'll find, I think, that it isn't easy and requires a lot of practice and skill.
I don't get most of the new generation (Fieldy, Mark Hoppus, Pete Wentz, you name them). To me, slapping, popping, tapping are a lot of wankery if not impressive (for the record, I'm not a master of any of those techniques, but I'm trying, and I can certainly respect and admire those who have mastered them - anyone want to give me lessons?). Yet, everytime I go into a GC, every young player I hear is doing just that. Most of them can't play a major scale when asked, however. To each his/her own, I guess.
I guess what really confuses me these days (for the record, I'm 45) is the amount of importance placed on image over substance. Sure, image is a big part of any performer's draw; Elvis wore gold suits for example. But I should think there would be some chops to back it up. Jimmy Page wore huge bell bottoms with dragons embroidered on them in "The Song Remains The Same" movie, but he could play. Bootsy Collins wore some really interesting stuff, but he could really get funky. Pete Wentz? Other than combing his hair over his face, I don't hear much that inspires musical confidence. And that guy has a signature bass.
For me, Jaco is and remains a primary influence. It's interesting that over 20 years after his death, people are still talking about him, love him or hate him. My guess is that 20 years from now no one will know who Pete Wentz was, or care, but that, of course, is my opinion. We all have them and we all know that they, uhh, don't smell too good.
My two cents,
Alan
I don't get most of the new generation (Fieldy, Mark Hoppus, Pete Wentz, you name them). To me, slapping, popping, tapping are a lot of wankery if not impressive (for the record, I'm not a master of any of those techniques, but I'm trying, and I can certainly respect and admire those who have mastered them - anyone want to give me lessons?). Yet, everytime I go into a GC, every young player I hear is doing just that. Most of them can't play a major scale when asked, however. To each his/her own, I guess.
I guess what really confuses me these days (for the record, I'm 45) is the amount of importance placed on image over substance. Sure, image is a big part of any performer's draw; Elvis wore gold suits for example. But I should think there would be some chops to back it up. Jimmy Page wore huge bell bottoms with dragons embroidered on them in "The Song Remains The Same" movie, but he could play. Bootsy Collins wore some really interesting stuff, but he could really get funky. Pete Wentz? Other than combing his hair over his face, I don't hear much that inspires musical confidence. And that guy has a signature bass.
For me, Jaco is and remains a primary influence. It's interesting that over 20 years after his death, people are still talking about him, love him or hate him. My guess is that 20 years from now no one will know who Pete Wentz was, or care, but that, of course, is my opinion. We all have them and we all know that they, uhh, don't smell too good.
My two cents,
Alan
im gonna give the classic example, of people like me, of which there arent many.
im 15. i play in hardcore bands, ive played bass for a long time, taken a couple years of lessons, can read music, and do a bit of teaching.
and most of all JACO IS GOD.
then again, im weird, and listen to classical music by choice, and one of my two favorite artists are Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan.
but i can tell you the string gauges of tony iommi's sg.
then again, im weird.
im 15. i play in hardcore bands, ive played bass for a long time, taken a couple years of lessons, can read music, and do a bit of teaching.
and most of all JACO IS GOD.
then again, im weird, and listen to classical music by choice, and one of my two favorite artists are Cab Calloway and Louis Jordan.
but i can tell you the string gauges of tony iommi's sg.
then again, im weird.
A guy I used to work with doing programming support when asked a question like that would say.... Some day when you grow up you will understand what I've been telling you. In this case you will eventually understand why Jaco is a milestone in history of bass playing.
I never accepted him as my personal savior either, but he doesn't sound random to me, and whether he's overhyped or not doesn't change what he played. For those who don't care much about his playing, do you like anything in that genre or is it all pretty blah and random sounding to you? Return To Forever for example had the other big fusion bass avatar, Stanley Clark, with a whole different approach. Any of that work for you? Cool if not, but not liking Jaco the fusion figurehead is different from not liking Jaco the musician. Of course, if you don't know the difference between metonymy and syndoche the discussion is pointless.
rockstarbassist
Inactive
I'll take Jamerson thanks. 
Now that is bass!
Also, if I'm in the mood for that that kinda music, I'll take Wooten w/ the Flecktones anyday, sorry.
Now that is bass!
Also, if I'm in the mood for that that kinda music, I'll take Wooten w/ the Flecktones anyday, sorry.
that kinda music, I'll take Wooten w/ the Flecktones anyday, sorry.
ok, jaco and victor are NOT the same kinda music.
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