Everybody loves Marcus sound, except me?

[Blueszilla]

Really...check out his early Miles Davis stuff-
We Want Miles & Star People
Both are examples of "chromatic finger Funk".
...and this Brecker Brothers album, Straphangin'.

Thanks, saved me the time to say the same.

Perhaps you guys who think his tone is bad or he slaps too much, should drop him an email or a letter letting him know. Tell him how to change his strings or alter his technique so he can get your attention so you'll be a fan. I'm sure he'll be very open to your suggestions.

 

[Tandrew]

Just wanted to throw in Weldon Irvine- The Sisters, Marcus gets a unique slap tone on Blue in Green, although it may be hit or miss for the listeners. I love slap and I def. agree sometimes I love his tone sometimes I don't. Marcus is an excellent musician thats the bottom line. I just feel bad for the person who mentioned his lack of fingerstyle playing, I was like Oh jeez. I thought this was kinda cool for what it is....

 

[Korladis]

There are as many different tone preferences as there are bassists.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Here's some nice fretless playing from Marcus with solo included.

 

[Intenzity]

He is also a product of his time - more powerful active electronics, having to cut through mixes with syth bass/doubled key board bass parts, having to get an upright sound from an electric, all of those things were/are not issues for players in other genres or in previous eras to the extent they were when he was coming up in the 70's and especially the 80's where new technology changed the way music was being recorded and the kinds of sounds being used (synths, sampling etc.). His sound in large part represents that change and takes the bass into that era with a very definitive uniquely identifiable sound.

Marcus also plays finger style a LOT, you knuckleheads. Check out his soloing on Sanborns live album, (yes he slaps right after) and on a lot of ballads he plays huge, fat, thick, giant, dinosaurs **** sized notes that fill up the bottom like no one else.

And you should really do your research about the guy and get the full spectrum of his playing. I dont think some of the statements written really grasp the level of musicianship we are talking about here and the level and number of people who think, yea actually his tone is ****ing great. People like Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, the list is beyond ridiculous and would be pages long...how many of those guys say "Hey call that canadian guy that does those crazy time signatures, thats the sound I want on my record!". Uh, no one does.

His solo albums of the 2000's are just one aspect, he was being recorded for 20 years before those came out in virtually every style of music there is. Sure, he slaps on them but he plays finger style a lot also.

I know a lot of people think Geddy/Claypool/Feildy/<insert dude here> have great tone. I am probably not the first, nor will I be the last to say, actually they really don't. They have a sound sure, but there are very few players who are as recorded as Marcus is, forget about just on bass, on ANY instrument, and that is record producers and artists voting with their checkbooks and their art, which says a lot more about what the people who do it for a living in the music business (A.k.a your potential future employers) think a good bass tone should sound like.

Okay end of rant.

More samples:
- Live with Sanborn (also playing a song...he wrote)

 

[drden]

i take my bass tone with mids, thank you.

What are you talking about?? His bass still sounds like a jazz bass, mids and all, just cause he's got a little glass on there doesn't mean he's scooped everything else out of there.

I don't really like marcus's solo work too much, but the tone is mostly good, IMHO, it gets a little bright at times, but other than that it's a nice sound. Sounds like a jazz bass with passive pickups. Hm, no joke. Nice and clunky for lack of a better term to describe a jazz bass.

Still a little hi fi for what I want out of my jazz, but then again I'm not marcus.

 

[Altitude]

What are you talking about?? His bass still sounds like a jazz bass, mids and all, just cause he's got a little glass on there doesn't mean he's scooped everything else out of there.

I don't really like marcus's solo work too much, but the tone is mostly good, IMHO, it gets a little bright at times, but other than that it's a nice sound. Sounds like a jazz bass with passive pickups. Hm, no joke. Nice and clunky for lack of a better term to describe a jazz bass.

Still a little hi fi for what I want out of my jazz, but then again I'm not marcus.

I agree. IMO, there are guys who get a much more hi-fi, scooped tone out of their J than Marcus does.

[hijack]
On the previous comments about Mark King - I've been a huge fan for 20 years, although I can tell that most of the good songwriting in Level 42 came out of the guys who are not there anymore. I've come to the conclusion that Mark King is not a bass player, at least not in the same way we normally define ourselves and our role in ensembles. Here is why:

• He normally has synth support underneath whatever he is playing, more so in the '80s and '90s than now
• He plays ornamentally and not in a way to lay a foundation for the music - and does so on purpose and to good result
• He does indeed use a tone that is not conducive to the result most of us look for in filling our role as a bass player.

I still love his playing, but I look at it differently than Marcus', or just about anyone else's.
[/hijack]

 

[Godbody]

I do love the brightness of his sig bass, and I think its an instrument that would fit well in a band setting. Marcus as a sideman = great. The rest of his 'tone' or solo style is what I would expect from a soloist; lots of people don't care for it.

But in a more traditional setting, he sounds excellent.

 

[Blueszilla]

I do love the brightness of his sig bass, and I think its an instrument that would fit well in a band setting. Marcus as a sideman = great. The rest of his 'tone' or solo style is what I would expect from a soloist; lots of people don't care for it.

But in a more traditional setting, he sounds excellent.

This is a good view, I hadn't thought of it this way and I agree. I think MM is a great musician, but the more I think about it, it's his playing in an ensemble (especially with Miles) that I really enjoy. I'll take his musicality in the context of a band, Miles' band, over his showmanship approach, which he is very good at. I understand why he does that and I don't dislike it, but it's not necessarily my bag either.

 

[SkylineFiver]

Donald Fagen's "Night Fly" was played with a pick...No?

 

[Buogon]

Marcus makes a good living with his tone and style that's all that matters.

 

[hands5]

I hear you man. To me, it seems as though he doesn't really know much about fingerstyle, which is my favorite style of playing. Plus, as mentioned above, slap and pop does get boring fast.

Well check out the Donald Fagen Night Flight lp ( which he's actually playing on the title track ) Lenny White's Streamline lp and listen to the "12 bars from Mars" track and a lot of his recordings with the Jamaica Boys which he's doing some serious overhand playing, this to include his fretless work also

 

[phxlbrmpf]

What are you talking about?? His bass still sounds like a jazz bass, mids and all, just cause he's got a little glass on there doesn't mean he's scooped everything else out of there.

I don't really like marcus's solo work too much, but the tone is mostly good, IMHO, it gets a little bright at times, but other than that it's a nice sound. Sounds like a jazz bass with passive pickups. Hm, no joke. Nice and clunky for lack of a better term to describe a jazz bass.

Still a little hi fi for what I want out of my jazz, but then again I'm not marcus.

I agree here, Marcus seems to dial in more mids than pretty much any other famous "slapper". It's pretty much my favorite slap tone and has just the right ratio of brightness and "thump" to my ears.

 

[Buogon]

I agree here, Marcus seems to dial in more mids than pretty much any other famous "slapper". It's pretty much my favorite slap tone and has just the right ratio of brightness and "thump" to my ears.

Adding mids is what makes you cut through better, from the other frequencies from other instruments . Your notes can be heard a lot better and less boomy and muddy.

 

[allexcosta]

To me, it seems as though he doesn't really know much about fingerstyle(...)

 

[JimmyM]

I'm totally behind whatever Marcus wants to do. He is a brilliant player and a heck of a nice guy. But his sound is nothing I care to emulate. But that's OK because I'm me and Marcus is Marcus and never would I tell him that he should change his tone to suit me. Definitely not my thing, though it doesn't stop me from enjoying his playing.

 

[kirkm24]

I agree. IMO, there are guys who get a much more hi-fi, scooped tone out of their J than Marcus does.

[hijack]
On the previous comments about Mark King - I've been a huge fan for 20 years, although I can tell that most of the good songwriting in Level 42 came out of the guys who are not there anymore. I've come to the conclusion that Mark King is not a bass player, at least not in the same way we normally define ourselves and our role in ensembles. Here is why:

• He normally has synth support underneath whatever he is playing, more so in the '80s and '90s than now
• He plays ornamentally and not in a way to lay a foundation for the music - and does so on purpose and to good result
• He does indeed use a tone that is not conducive to the result most of us look for in filling our role as a bass player.

I still love his playing, but I look at it differently than Marcus', or just about anyone else's.
[/hijack]

I agree wholeheartedly with these comments about Mark King. I love Level 42 because they have great songs but I don't like Mark King's bass playing per se in that he is really assuming a different role than a bass player. I think his playing is more about filling in space up top. To me, he is more of a percussionist who plays percussion on a bass guitar if that makes sense. It works and sounds good with what he is doing but solely on his own, I'm not so sure I would like it... that being said, I love Level 42's music collectively.

As far as Marcus goes, well I think he's a great player but I have no interest in playing like him personally. I'm a finger style, groove guy that occasionally slaps and pops for flavoring. I'd rather aspire to be Jamerson or Palladino than Marcus but that's just what I like and what I want to do.

 

[BassXgirl]

Agreed. I smell an "I Don't Like Marcus Miller's Bass Tone Club" coming on.

I smell a bad idea.

And to the guy who thinks Marcus doesn't know fingerstyle? Wow!
I think allexcosta had the best response to that little diddy of a comment. LOL!

Marcus is no one-trick pony. Anyone who thinks he is obviously doesn't know much about him.

We don't have to all like the same tones and styles. That would make the bass world pretty dull if we did. You are selling him ( AND possibly yourself) short to form an opinion of his tone if you haven't heard him in different situations.

Just saying you don't like his tone is like saying you don't like that ONE color Piccaso painted with. Just like Piccaso, Marcus has MANY colors.

 

[Rudreax]

Personally I love his tone, but honestly I can't see how some people cannot see that someone cannot like him for whatever reason.

 

[Richard Sabines]

Personally I love his tone, but honestly I can't see how some people cannot see that someone cannot like him for whatever reason.

Totally agree.

I started this thread to see if there are some other people like me who doesnt like the marcus typical style, sound or whatever you want to call it. Im realizing that almost everybody loves marcus sound, so thats it. Please relax and calm down people, and dont start to defend him please, thats not the point of this one.