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How good is Nikki Sixx as a bassplayer?

#43
Growls & agreatheight-
By that rationale, Ashley Simpson is a successful musician.

I think McDonald's 15-cent hamburgers and the 25-cent milkshakes made them a success...way back when.
;)
 
#45
JimK said:
Growls & agreatheight-
By that rationale, Ashley Simpson is a successful musician.
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All depends on how you define "successful." (Reminds me of Bill Gates saying to the Supreme court "It depends on what 'is' is.")

As for Ms. Simpson, successful (IMHO) yes. Good? Nope.
 
#46
BrandobBass If you think Nikki is cool than that is all that counts. Nikki is the reason why I picked up the bass along with Gene Simmons, he is definatley not Steve Harris, Billy Sheean, or Muzz Skillings, but when it comes to the whole package Bass Playing, Song Writing, Stage Show, Image there is not many if any who are cooler IMO.
If you enjoy the 80's metal genre of music and love bass that's in the pocket you might want to check out Rachel Bolan, Duff McKagen, and Cliff Williams which along with Nikki are some of the best that, that genre had to offer.
 
#49
HTML: 
Let's not confuse product and art here folks. 

MC, Kiss, etc. are a product. Tide is a product. Nikki Sixx is no more an artist than the guy who came up with Tide's last 'new and improved' formula. 

East, Hamm, Wooten, Clarke, etc. are artists. These guys would be bassists if they were broke. They'd pursue the boundaries of the bass even if they never got noticed for it. 

Mentioning Sixx, Simmons, etc in the same post with East, Wooten, etc is nauseating.

brianb

What an arrogant statment! Let me ask you if your sister or brother paints a picture is it not art? or is it only art when elitist artists say it's art, at which point by your standards the millions of people who play in bars playing Lynard Skinard or the painter who paints after work to relax would be irrelevant or by your definition non artists.
IMO anyone who plays an instrument can consider themselves an artist weather they have sold 0 records or 10 million records.
I personally hate Nickleback but I respect what Chad Kroger said in an interview when asked about all the press that said Nickleback sucks. His reply "No Nickleback doesn't suck 8 million people say Nickleback doesn't suck" which means he must be doing something right to sell 8 million albums
If Wooten or East sold 40 million throughout their career would it be product or art?
IMO all art is a form of product. People create art to be consumed by consumers much like the person who creates pottery or glass or stone sculptures to be purchased by consumers. You as a consumer have the right to like or dislike anything you want buy or don't buy, but I would argue that Wooten and East ect.. are just as much a product as Motley Crue and Kiss. You buy your albums I'll buy mine and we are consuming product.
Finally anyone who writes their own music can also be considered an artist and not only has Nikki written most of the music for Motley Crue he has also written for Meat Loaf, Saliva, Simple Plan and Trisha Yearwood.
 
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#52
canadian bass said:
What an arrogant statment! Let me ask you if your sister or brother paints a picture is it not art? or is it only art when elitist artists say it's art, at which point by your standards the millions of people who play in bars playing Lynard Skinard or the painter who paints after work to relax would be irrelevant or by your definition non artists.
IMO anyone who plays an instrument can consider themselves an artist weather they have sold 0 records or 10 million records.
I personally hate Nickleback but I respect what Chad Kroger said in an interview when asked about all the press that said Nickleback sucks. His reply "No Nickleback doesn't suck 8 million people say Nickleback doesn't suck" which means he must be doing something right to sell 8 million albums
If Wooten or East sold 40 million throughout their career would it be product or art?
IMO all art is a form of product. People create art to be consumed by consumers much like the person who creates pottery or glass or stone sculptures to be purchased by consumers. You as a consumer have the right to like or dislike anything you want buy or don't buy, but I would argue that Wooten and East ect.. are just as much a product as Motley Crue and Kiss. You buy your albums I'll buy mine and we are consuming product.
Finally anyone who writes their own music can also be considered an artist and not only has Nikki written most of the music for Motley Crue he has also written for Meat Loaf, Saliva, Simple Plan and Trisha Yearwood.
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Art is subjective. The end. Hating on so-called "elitist artists" is stupid, and just another tired form of the endless blame game. Success can be measured in terms of anything. Is a band successful when they sell 10 records or 10,000, or 10,000,000? Is a band successful when Rolling Stone recommends their album, or when Pitchfork Press gives them a 10/10, or when they have five #1 hits on the Hot 100? Is a band successful when the band themselves are proud of the music that they've made, or when the record execs tell them 'good job', or when they sell out stadiums? Now that we're done with how to measure success, how do we measure art? We don't. Because art is different to different people. It has nothing to do with "elitist artists" saying anything. Rolling Stone magazine says Rush suck. So do a lot of people I know. I don't think so. I think Rush make gorgeous, amazing, artful music. And that's all that matters. I think Van Halen are a terrible band. Tons of other people don't agree with me. They don't care about my opinion, and I don't care about theirs. Is Van Halen's music art? I would say no. They would say yes. Who's right? I have no freaking idea.

Art is not necessarily a product. Yes, everyone needs to eat, but people don't make art just to sell. I believe it usually goes like this: "Hey, I'm making music! I wanna make the best music I possibly can! If people buy my music, then I'll be able to make more music!" That is the thought process of an artist; when your goal is to make more music, and making money from it just enables you to do it even more. There is a huge difference between making money off your art so that you can make more art and making art so that you can make money. A person who writes power ballads to get rich is very different from a person who writes power ballads because he/she loves power ballads more than anything else. I don't play music to please other people. I do it to please myself; if other people happen to like it, I feel good that I can reach someone other than myself, but even if everyone in the world but me hates my music, I'll still be making it. That is the difference between product and art.
 
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#53
Suckbird said:
Isn't music about entertaining?

And shouldn't the ones who manages to entertain/please the most amount of people be considered the most talented musicians ??
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No. Music can be about entertaining. But that is not the ultimate purpose of music; it's completely up to whomever is making the music. Some people feel that it is their duty as musicians to play music that is entertaining. Some people feel that it is their duty to play music that they feel is 'good' music, whether people are entertained or not. I don't consider how "entertaining" I am particularly important when I play anything; I don't play to be entertaining. I play because I like to play. Am I a bad musician then? I have no idea, but it certainly has nothing to do with the level of entertainment I provide.
 
#54
I would like to clear the air and say that I am not an elitist hater what so ever. I respect Wooten for pushing the envolope but it really isn't my cup of tea though some elitist players that have impressed me and as a result have bought their music in one form or another are as follows Muzz Skillings, T.M Stevens, Doug Wimbish, Billy Sheean and Geddy Lee. I agree hating elitist players is stupid just as hating any bass player is stupid.
I agree art is subjective. I guesse what I was trying to say was IMO Nikki Sixx is no less an artist than any elite player listed. Like many he was influenced by someone and decided to pick up an instrument and follow a dream.
I just thought the comment about putting Nikki in the same sentence as Wooten was appuling to someone, was stupid. I mean why be elitist in the first place. If Wooten makes you happy good for you, if Nikki makes me happen than good for me it doesn't make anyone less of an artist.
 
#56
canadian bass said:
I would like to clear the air and say that I am not an elitist hater what so ever. I respect Wooten for pushing the envolope but it really isn't my cup of tea though some elitist players that have impressed me and as a result have bought their music in one form or another are as follows Muzz Skillings, T.M Stevens, Doug Wimbish, Billy Sheean and Geddy Lee. I agree hating elitist players is stupid just as hating any bass player is stupid.
I agree art is subjective. I guesse what I was trying to say was IMO Nikki Sixx is no less an artist than any elite player listed. Like many he was influenced by someone and decided to pick up an instrument and follow a dream.
I just thought the comment about putting Nikki in the same sentence as Wooten was appuling to someone, was stupid. I mean why be elitist in the first place. If Wooten makes you happy good for you, if Nikki makes me happen than good for me it doesn't make anyone less of an artist.
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Ah, okay, I misinterpreted what you said. I agree that with you that people should just listen to music they like, whether or not anyone else thinks it's art or not. Obviously, everyone should give some music a chance (I think anyone who's into music at all must at least hear "Abbey Road" once . . . but my grandma disagrees), but ultimately, it's up to each person to pick what they like and what they don't.
 
#58
bassguitarist08 said:
How can you say that??? I mean for the love of God "Girl Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)" has a Kick ASS Bass Line to it....at least in the beginning, and Crue are a great band...although most other songs are fairly easy..
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Sorry man, i didnt listen to that song. most of the crue songs i listened to hav simple basslines. but dont get my wrong NIkki Sixx is one of the reason i play bass.

i admire his vision and ambition!!! best hair ever
 
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#59
Nikki writes songs, plays bass, plays keyboards and plays guitar.
So I would say he is
1)a musician(more important)
2)a bassplayer(just happens bass is his instrument of choice)
Also, being jealous of someone's good fortune because "you"
may have more talent than the other guy is bad; mmmK.
Nikki laid down the line(probably many!) and they ruled the
rock world thanks to David Lee Roth leaving Van Halen!!!
 

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