I'm gonna come in on the "pro-Mike" side here. I used to think he just sucked, but as I matured as a person and player, I began to recognize that he was doing what was necessary to make the music work.
I think that some of his comments that have been brought up here are examples of how the written word can be easily misinterpreted. I read the same interviews, and got a totally different picture of where Mike was coming from. He seemed to be a very good musician (remember he was a damn good trumpet player before being a bassist) who's just doing the job that needs to be done. Yes, he pointed out that playing solid and simple things aren't as easy as they seem, but I didn't sense any hubris in the comment. Heck, even Miles Davis once said "Simple ain't easy". So true.
The comment about his solo and Stanley Clarke wasn't his opinion at all, he was merely relating the opinion of a music listener. And isn't that who we really play for anyhow? If something you or another musician plays moves a listener, we've done our job. The technical ability required or the asthetic sensibility of other musicians is of NO value to the average listener. And guess what, that's who pays your bills if you're a pro musician. Never forget that.
