Is there any hope for me?

[hsech]

Don't sell your stuff. I like Dusty Hill and that style of music myself. I have been playing both guitar and bass for 50 years and I think we just may be of the generation that gets into the old honky tonk style that ZZ Top plays on some of their music. Myself, I like old Motown, soul, and blues players. Nothing against the new stuff, but I wasn't raised on this newer stuff.

 

[friendlybass]

I was bassless for a minute, and bummed a buddy's fretless jazz for a desperately needed gig. The band who I was subbing for (a self proclaimed avant garde heavy rock group) said they'd prefer a fretless sound. I worked my butt off for that mwah sound for two weeks then hit the practice with their tracks in hand and parts prepped. They hated it. At the end of the rehearsal I'm just thumpin along.
Bad band? Yes.
What I learned? Average bear may also not enjoy jaco sounds.
I love ZZ Top as well. Keep thumping

 

[SheaNC]

Dusty Hill is cool

 

[God's Favorite Bass]

Like a lot of bassists, I cut my teeth on simple stuff that I liked and as I got more adept at deciphering bass lines I got busier but I play pretty much in power trios that have required such...but, I still love to play "basic bass" too and something doesn't have to be complex to groove and move. I would never stop playing because even the most basic reason, therapeutic value...can't be stressed enough. When was the last time you put on a bass and noodled around and took it off in a worse mood than when you put it on? When was the last time you were playing and thinking about some bill to pay, or some ass at work, or that car problem or ANYTHING when you were playing. There is something to be said for that.

 

[brnco]

ZZ Top is a 3 member song band. I personally admire how compact they sound for a three piece band. Really full sound. When I compare them with Jimi, SRV there is mostly guitar very present. Same for Cream. The all of them are great, but dont have that "band" sound.

For someone listening to black music like you do, is Jaco a name you should have a respect, but dont know why.

Duck Dunn, Jamerson, Rainey are the guys for blues & r&b players.

 

[Winfred]

"The left hand's for show. The right hand's for dough."

~ Dusty Hill



I'm kidding. I don't know if he said that. But he could have.

 

[obimark]

I love a bit of both- my current band goes from the classic ZZ Top tunes La Grange and Cheap Sunglasses to way more complicated lines like Working Man and I'M Your Captain. Keeps me on my toes.
I love to listen to Jaco at times, but have no desire to play like him as most of what he does, is not rooted in rock. It is Jazz changes type playing.

I think Marcus Miller is the greatest slapper bar none- but do not try to get up to his level of proficiency with it, as there is little to NO need for that type of playing in 99% of bands anyone would play in. His style works for him, because he has arranged the tunes to work with it, he does a bass solo, than the sax takes a solo, then the keyboard, then they play the unison riff, etc. Most bands you would play with it simply aren't arranged like that.

 

[Lobster11]

There is no hope for you... if your goal is to be the bassist in a Weather Report tribute band. Otherwise, I think you'll be OK.

 

[Eidolon0274]

Not at all. I much prefer the simple, laid back basslines as opposed the 70's white guy overly busy lines or all that tapping and chord stuff. To each his own.

Omg why he gotta be a white guy *** aahh. Just kidding.

Having been a huge hadrien/janek/garrison fan for 5 years now I find myself just wanting to play a bassline, something memorable. There is value in heavy chops fusion, but what does it for you changes and you just have to go with it

 

[lfmn16]

I've been listening specifically to Bass Players for over 50 years. Playing for two months. I just listened to Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers by ZZ Top on the way home. I decided that I like Dusty Hills playing more than I like Jaco Pastorious. Should I just quit and sell my stuff? Ancient of Days

There is a lot of ground in between. I don't know why you have to be one or the other.

I love to listen to Jaco and Victor, but I don't think you hear them in my playing.

 

[bssplr]

Dusty Hill is great, not flashy but if you had ever seen them live in the mid - late 70's Frank and Dusty were amazingly tight and the sound seemed so much larger than it should have been. Hard to explain but there were no 3 peice bands from that time that I saw that could hold a candle to thoese two sound wise.

 

[mtdkingstonheir]

Like what you like. Although I can agree that Jaco introduced a new kind of bass playing, I'm not a big fan. Lack of "flash" does not inherently make someone a "good" or "bad" bassist.

 

[bluesdogblues]

I've been listening specifically to Bass Players for over 50 years. Playing for two months. I just listened to Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers by ZZ Top on the way home. I decided that I like Dusty Hills playing more than I like Jaco Pastorious. Should I just quit and sell my stuff? Ancient of Days

I like them both I learn them both but I never intend to play like them both.

 

[danosix]

I've been listening specifically to Bass Players for over 50 years. Playing for two months. I just listened to Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers by ZZ Top on the way home. I decided that I like Dusty Hills playing more than I like Jaco Pastorious. Should I just quit and sell my stuff? Ancient of Days

I'll assume you're being tongue in cheek - but no you are not hopeless.
However, given you chose Dusty Hill, over say Jamerson, Jemmot, Dunn or Palledino, you are hhenseforth banned from TB.
Have a nice life.

 

[TripleDouble]

There's some live footage of Dusty/ZZ from 1980 on youtube that is just killer, pretty sure it's the Germany concert. Dusty is COOL, ZZ Top was amazing before they became the 80's version of themselves, and as far as ways to sell out/cash in, Eliminator is still pretty cool. I saw them in Concert as a lad in 1989-ish, it was a great show, they had go karts on stage! I like Jaco too though so there is hope for me.

 

[Crazy_Jake]

No harm in not worshipping at the "Jaco" altar. I for one agree with you. I find bass players like Dusty Hill, for example can say so much more musically with less notes then the "bass gods" such as Jaco or Victor. Saying more with less musically is a talent that is sorely lacking as a whole.

 

[Kustom_Thunder]

You like what you like. It's as simple as that and no reason to stop playing.

This

 

[Big Hoss]

Was Piet Mondrian any less of an artist than say Claude Monet?

Simplicity is an art itself and should not be overlooked. That is true in many forms of art, but nowhere so much as the art of bass playing. Nobody "scoots a boot" to fancy fills. But Dusty Hill's pumping bass lines get your feet moving, on the dance floor, and sadly for my early driving years and speeding tickets, on the gas pedal... (I blame Mr. Hill for that biggie going through Nevada...)

If you want to perfect the art of the hard driving straight root with some runs DO IT. Don't let anyone tell you that isn't good enough. Or somehow that isn't music... Those that do are fools and not worth the space in your mind or ear.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Geddy Lee's bass style, but then again, I also love Dusty Hill's style. And being a Texan myself, well... 'nuff said.

 

[Funk$tar]

I've been listening specifically to Bass Players for over 50 years. Playing for two months. I just listened to Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers by ZZ Top on the way home. I decided that I like Dusty Hills playing more than I like Jaco Pastorious. Should I just quit and sell my stuff? Ancient of Days

If every bassist were to like the same things then we wouldn't have all the wonderful bass players we do now. Don't be discouraged because you like something most bassists don't, that just means your not a clone and don't like what's "in" because everyone else likes it. Play what you want to play and listen to what you want to listen to, that happiness means a lot more to someone than fitting in and trying to be something or someone your not.

Plus to be honest, I'm not really into Jaco's music or playing either, I respect it, but I do not enjoy listening to it or playing it. I enjoy anything Funk, R&B, Soul, New-Wave, basically anything form the 80s over Jaco! He's awesome and a great bassist, but doesn't appeal to me. It doesn't matter that everyone else is inspired by his work, all that matters is what inspires me and gives me that drive to keep playing bass. That's all that should matter to you too, so don't put that bass down, pick it up and continue playin' my friend!

 

[themarshall]

zz top bass player is cool.

i like les claypool. i dislike when players always reference les as an inspiration yet no one plays like him.

Of course no one plays like him - that's part of the appeal. And "I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there."

He's definitely an (early) influence of mine but I'm about 15 years past the stage of trying to emulate him.