Personally, I love Flea.
I think he's a great bass player. Perhaps not the best that ever lived, but that isn't why Flea is so cool anyways.
Flea is just an interesting character. The fact that many of the younger folks look up to him is great. He's like a spokesperson for bass players. His style is accessible and fun, both to play and to listen too. He also has an attractive, likeable persona.
I think we should appreciate Flea's status as a member of a popular band that has been around for a while, and as a talented bass player.
Speaking from the viewpoint of a teenager, I can say that it is difficult to relate to legendary bass players like Jaco, because he was from another generation. You don't see too many articles in Rolling Stone or Spin about Rocco Prestia, or Marcus Miller, or Larry Graham. Obviously, this does not in any way reflect upon their contributions to bass, but it shows that their music sounded sweetest to a different generation.
When I discovered Flea, it was amazing. I had heard Chili Peppers songs on the radio for years, but I had never paid any attention to bass. Only later on when I started bass did I learn that all I had to do to get in on bass was listen a little harder to those hit songs that were already so familiar. I didn't have to go to my teacher and have him say "Ok, so-and-so plays bass really well, so listen to some of their stuff", and have to acclimate to something totally foreign to me. It was like suddenly finding out a neighbor that you've known your whole life is a practicing physician, just as your wife is going in to labor.
If Flea is the reason you started playing bass, fantastic. I'm sure that using Flea as a jumping off point will allow you to develop a deeper appreciation for the instrument as you learn more.
I think he's a great bass player. Perhaps not the best that ever lived, but that isn't why Flea is so cool anyways.
Flea is just an interesting character. The fact that many of the younger folks look up to him is great. He's like a spokesperson for bass players. His style is accessible and fun, both to play and to listen too. He also has an attractive, likeable persona.
I think we should appreciate Flea's status as a member of a popular band that has been around for a while, and as a talented bass player.
Speaking from the viewpoint of a teenager, I can say that it is difficult to relate to legendary bass players like Jaco, because he was from another generation. You don't see too many articles in Rolling Stone or Spin about Rocco Prestia, or Marcus Miller, or Larry Graham. Obviously, this does not in any way reflect upon their contributions to bass, but it shows that their music sounded sweetest to a different generation.
When I discovered Flea, it was amazing. I had heard Chili Peppers songs on the radio for years, but I had never paid any attention to bass. Only later on when I started bass did I learn that all I had to do to get in on bass was listen a little harder to those hit songs that were already so familiar. I didn't have to go to my teacher and have him say "Ok, so-and-so plays bass really well, so listen to some of their stuff", and have to acclimate to something totally foreign to me. It was like suddenly finding out a neighbor that you've known your whole life is a practicing physician, just as your wife is going in to labor.
If Flea is the reason you started playing bass, fantastic. I'm sure that using Flea as a jumping off point will allow you to develop a deeper appreciation for the instrument as you learn more.
