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Fender Adam Clayton CS Sig P Bass

#121
Dark Horse said:
Why do you think he's a lame player ? Because he doesn't play complicated bass lines ?

He plays exactly what the song needs, and his playing is a huge part of making U2 sound the way they do. With all the effects that Edge uses, Adam and Larry's job is to hold down the bottom end and glue it all together... and it works.

I'm not a huge U2 fan or anything, but to say someone is "lame" because he plays "exactly what is needed" is immature and honestly, pretty ignorant.

If the song NEEDS 3 notes, you shouldn't play 4. Music isn't about showing off - it's about "expression". Just like all paintings don't need to be "complex" to connect with people, all musicians don't need to play "complex parts" to connect.
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I'm calling a hold on this one. It's like a chicken and egg thing: it's "exactly what is needed" because that is the sound created and associated with U2. Clayton was not hired because he could play bass. They were all pals who decided to form a band and he became the bass player.

It could easily have been another person, a different player, maybe someone who played more notes but still sounded cool within the overall band vibe.

Let's say they still made it huge (and who's to say they would not have, we're just speculating). Then it would be said that bassist plays 'exactly what's needed'.

Clayton plays simple lines because he had to start that way as a newbie. The band took off and the sound remained....

My .02....
 
#122
w_xander said:
Actually, one of the most unique things about this band is that from the very beginning they all agreed that everything would be equally split. So Bono/Edge don't get any bigger piece of the pie than Adam or Larry.
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I thought I had heard that once about U2 but couldn't remember for sure.

Personally, among the AC signature models: I liked the Lakland a LOT, the Warwick is a little too "out there" for me (though I suspect it sounds amazing), and as for this P-Bass... well sorry but I just don't go for it at all. And this is from a guy whose main player has been a P-Bass since the early 80s.
 
#124
Sadowsky said:
I really don't understand the criticism of Adam here.
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But Roger, this is TB - where everyone has better chops than Victor, better tone than Marcus, more experience than Stanley, and they are 6'4" and handsome to boot :D

Lots of reasons that people criticize. Usually it is because there are two ways to elevate one's self, and by far the easiest route is trying to tear down others.

fwiw I'm not a huge U2 fan but they have been at the top of the music heap multiple times and endure to this day. Plenty of people make it "big" but few have staying power. Those that stick around generally have a lot going for them, typically a great work ethic combined with talent and some degree of luck. I've never copped an AC bass line (never had to cover any of their stuff on bass), but I can hum a number of their tunes which means they are doing something right. Bottom line is that we can learn something from pretty much any player out there, and I don't begrudge AC any fame and fortune. He's out there doing it and that's what counts.
 
#127
Sadowsky said:
I really don't understand the criticism of Adam here. Adam, like many of us, loves to own and play a lot of basses. I was in the studio with him a few months ago and he had Laklands, vintage Fenders, Warwick, Sadowsky and a few others I don't remember. My personal instincts are that the companies approach Adam to do a signature model, not the other way around. I have known Adam since 1994 and this conversation has never come up.....so I really don't think Adam is going around asking for endorsements from everyone.

I know that for myself, I would never expect a player to play any one model or brand on an exclusive basis.

Roger
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I was lucky enough to finally meet him last weekend after being a [gasp!] U2 fan for the last 30 years, and a fan of his playing in particular. And I have to say this this guy is the most unassuming and genuinely polite people (even forgetting the "rock star" part - and I've definitely met my share of those over the years) I've ever had the pleasure to meet.

He seems to be solely focused on serving the band as a whole, not going off on some 45-minute-long bass riff to serve his own "ego". So, it would make sense that he would choose his brand of instrument based upon the sound that it can produce in the direct context of the sound the band is trying to achieve, not because of an endorsement deal.

- Wendy
 
#128
w_xander said:
The whole reason for the new gear was because of a flood at their studios three or four years back and a whole slew of his gear was completely destroyed. So he's just been having to go in and replace pretty much everything.

As for memorable tracks - have a listen to "Breathe", "Stand-Up Comedy" or "Please". Simplistic? Perhaps. But fitting in the context of the band and that kind of Rastafarian mentality of his playing - a little like freeform jazz - the precision not to be precise. That counterbalances perfectly to Larry's near military timing.
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Please stop trying to speak in rational, factual terms. That just won't do:D
 
#129
dvh said:
I'm calling a hold on this one. It's like a chicken and egg thing: it's "exactly what is needed" because that is the sound created and associated with U2. Clayton was not hired because he could play bass. They were all pals who decided to form a band and he became the bass player.

It could easily have been another person, a different player, maybe someone who played more notes but still sounded cool within the overall band vibe.

Let's say they still made it huge (and who's to say they would not have, we're just speculating). Then it would be said that bassist plays 'exactly what's needed'.

Clayton plays simple lines because he had to start that way as a newbie. The band took off and the sound remained....

My .02....
Click to expand...


Actually, older U2 songs typically had more complex bass lines. Sure, they weren't "Jaco", but there was more going on than in the albums before "Joshua Tree".

I'll give you a challenge.... since you think his bass parts aren't integral to the song.... write new bass lines for the songs, record them and post them. You can get the "play along" software....let's see if you (or anyone else) can come up with "better" bass lines for U2 songs.

See, the reason that they ARE the perfect bass lines for the song is BECAUSE Adam has been a huge part of forming the sound of U2. His simple bass lines are a conscious decision to glue down the bottom end with Larry because of the way The Edge and Bono treat the song. One of the things you learn with doing a lot of production work is that everything needs to have "space" to be effective... more active bass lines, in most cases, would clash and take away from what The Edge and Bono do.

Yes, a race car can have a fancy paint job, but it still has to have a good engine and tires, otherwise it will lose the race.
 
#132
jaywa said:
I thought I had heard that once about U2 but couldn't remember for sure.

Personally, among the AC signature models: I liked the Lakland a LOT, the Warwick is a little too "out there" for me (though I suspect it sounds amazing), and as for this P-Bass... well sorry but I just don't go for it at all. And this is from a guy whose main player has been a P-Bass since the early 80s.
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Oh, I totally understand that! I would agree that's it's probably a little too flashy for an every-day kind of situation, but well, you've heard it here already - it's a stadium kind of bass.

Actually, have to admit the Reverso's grown on me since I first saw it. I thought it was pretty ugly at first look. They did a new finish for him for the 2011 shows - candy-apple red that is stunning onstage.

Bono & crew ROCK Commonwealth Stadium - iNews880.com

So I wonder when Fender's going to rock out a copy of the Purple one he's been using on the Crazy remix they've been playing. ;)

- Wendy
 
#135
dvh said:
I'm calling a hold on this one. It's like a chicken and egg thing: it's "exactly what is needed" because that is the sound created and associated with U2. Clayton was not hired because he could play bass. They were all pals who decided to form a band and he became the bass player.

It could easily have been another person, a different player, maybe someone who played more notes but still sounded cool within the overall band vibe.

Let's say they still made it huge (and who's to say they would not have, we're just speculating). Then it would be said that bassist plays 'exactly what's needed'.

Clayton plays simple lines because he had to start that way as a newbie. The band took off and the sound remained....

My .02....
Click to expand...

It could easily have been another singer or guitar player. Who knows. This kind of speculative criticism is pointless.

Ditto the "newbie" thing. Most bands start off that way. If your style clicks, why change it? Because you can? Yah, good luck with that. You'll be playing gigs with puppet shows in a heartbeat.




dvh said:
Playing root notes on an overly used progression? Sorry.

I don't have a dislike for Clayton but I think the accolades are silly.
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You're putting me in the awkward position of defending U2.


What's wrong with playing root notes over an (in your opinion) "overly used progression" if it's done well. You make it sound like he just re-wrote "Happy Birthday To You". Which is not the case.
 
#136
Sadowsky said:
I really don't understand the criticism of Adam here. Adam, like many of us, loves to own and play a lot of basses. I was in the studio with him a few months ago and he had Laklands, vintage Fenders, Warwick, Sadowsky and a few others I don't remember. My personal instincts are that the companies approach Adam to do a signature model, not the other way around. I have known Adam since 1994 and this conversation has never come up.....so I really don't think Adam is going around asking for endorsements from everyone.

I know that for myself, I would never expect a player to play any one model or brand on an exclusive basis.

Roger
Click to expand...

Mr. Sadowsky,

As the MAIN INSTIGATOR of "Clayton has lame basslines", maybe we could move the topic a bit (in light of all the die hard defenders).

What is in a 'deal' like this for the Signer? Perhaps you could shed some insight.

I see that Clayton's autograph adorns an included certificate. Is that worth something like $1,000 to him? Muliplied by 60 instruments/certificates, this could yield $60,000 that then may be 'donated' to a charity - which is a good thing.

This, 'special offer instrument', is obviously marketed to 'collectors' and NOT players. Don't think we'll see Flea thumping on this in his next stadium tour.

By the way, I never made ANY insinuations as to the type of person Clayton is. I even own a couple U2 albums.

And we all know, Clayton included, that this type of success is 99.999999% luck.
 
#139
I love how questions and comments regarding the actual bass are being ignored and drowned out because of the argument over the person whose name is on the instrument. I feel like I'm in another Gene Simmons thread :D
 
#140
Stick_Player said:
What is in a 'deal' like this for the Signer? Perhaps you could shed some insight.

I see that Clayton's autograph adorns an included certificate. Is that worth something like $1,000 to him? Muliplied by 60 instruments/certificates, this could yield $60,000 that then may be 'donated' to a charity - which is a good thing.
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What is this, a jealousy thing with you?? What concern is it of yours how much money he gets and what he does with it?? Jesus...












Stick_Player said:
And we all know, Clayton included, that this type of success is 99.999999% luck.
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"We" all most definitely DON'T know that. What you're saying is, in fact, complete nonsense. Luck has little to do with it in the case of this band. They wrote fresh, catchy, music at a time where music taste and culture was in a state of change. They mostly got to where they were through good songwriting and musicianship.
 

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