Simple question, Newsted or Trujillo? Reasons why ??

[baxter_x]

Hard to choose, but Rob is a fantastic bass player. He has pretty much everything: precision, skill, groove, technique.....
Also, since he joined Metallica, we can clearly hear the bass and he brings a more massive tone to the band.

 

[punchdrunk]

Jason. He simply sounded better. He was also much more concise and a helluva lot less sloppy.
That being stated, I believe we all know that Metallica notwithstanding, James needs to write an outlaw country album already.

 

[WaldoNova]

I've always admired the fact that Jason has not uttered a single negative word about Metallica after leaving them. I'm sure he could justify a few true and harsh stories of his stay in the band but he takes the high road and enjoys the financial freedom his involvement created.

I know you can't hear the bass on AJFA but there are plenty of albums where you can hear Jason loud and clear.

Rob came into the band when they decided to be more true to their roots and they've created some good tunes.

I can't choose between them and I'm sure they both have enjoyed the fruits of their labor. Financially there's probably not a better paying gig for a bassist.

 

[ElectricBass72]

The Black album has been overplayed bigtime. Only Metallica I like to listen to is.... first four albums, the Garage Days EP and Death Magnetic. Load, Reload and St. Anger are sub-par, IMO.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I felt like picking some brains today have some fun. Simply just tell us why you prefer 1 over the other. Or why you love both. Any opinion allowed. Please refrain from putting down either bassplayer. Let's keep it positive. For me personally I always loved newsted. I loved his stage presence , the man never stopped windmilling his hair on stage. And he played that 5 string like he was fighting for his life. Passion gets me. Trujillo also has alot of passion for his craft. But Jason is my fav personaly.

Trujillo. Was that a real question?

 

[rtslinger]

If I was to chose Newsted, he was the total package played well, great voice and rock star stage presence.
I wish someone with ba//s would have mix him better live and on the albums, considering Cliff was up front and in your face, How was it the right the decision to have Jason buried in the mix live and otherwise? I was a fan of their music before Cliff past and not so much after because the bass went away even on older songs live. Even on the hall of fame
gig he was lower give me a break this says it all listen to how low he is compare to Rob when they check the levels

 

[Dincrest]

Two different animals whose non-Metallica material I prefer to their Metallica material. I think anything Jason and Rob did outside of Metallica is superior to the stuff they did within Metallica.

Both are monster players who can throw down on stage... but I feel like Jason is more of a "bassist's bassist" who can play more deeply in the pocket. That's the kind of bassist who gets more steady work in most any musical context.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

I felt like picking some brains today have some fun. Simply just tell us why you prefer 1 over the other. Or why you love both. Any opinion allowed. Please refrain from putting down either bassplayer. Let's keep it positive. For me personally I always loved newsted. I loved his stage presence , the man never stopped windmilling his hair on stage. And he played that 5 string like he was fighting for his life. Passion gets me. Trujillo also has alot of passion for his craft. But Jason is my fav personaly.

Rob.
Cause punk rock.

 

[WG Plum]

Jason, but they're both excellent.

 

[comatosedragon]

Newsted is the guy I’d want for my band, if I were Metallica. Dude can sing!

Came in here just to say that.

Jason Newsted is the better fit for Metallica. Especially with his background vocals.

 

[Todd Hamby]

I think And Justice For All proved that they really have bass at all as an afterthought.

 

[vinlander]

Saw Newsted live in Montreal for the Justice and Black tour, my young self at the time was quite impressed.
The fact Newsted played in Voivod which is not exactly an incompetent band, speaks volume.
It doesn't take anything away from Trujillo, so basically they both are great!

 

[marko138]

I love both of them, but for me it's Rob. I love his style and his presence. And the guy plays every bass on earth during a live set.

 

[thebreakman]

I'd have to go with Trujillo. I think he's a better all around bassist. Newstead is a very good player but, I just think he's limited. If I'm not mistaken, Jason only plays with a pick and not that anything is wrong with that but, I think that limits him.

 

[ColoRADoKT]

If I'm not mistaken, Jason only plays with a pick and not that anything is wrong with that but, I think that limits him.

so you're one of thoooose guys.

lol jk. I don't think pick vs. fingers has limited jason OR rob OR cliff in context of Metallica. What's limited any/all of the above is James & Lars.

 

[NoiseNinja]

If I was to chose Newsted, he was the total package played well, great voice and rock star stage presence.
I wish someone with ba//s would have mix him better live and on the albums, considering Cliff was up front and in your face, How was it the right the decision to have Jason buried in the mix live and otherwise? I was a fan of their music before Cliff past and not so much after because the bass went away even on older songs live. Even on the hall of fame
gig he was lower give me a break this says it all listen to how low he is compare to Rob when they check the levels

Damn that was fast and speeding up faster and then kind of wavering a bit up and down in tempo, then almost down to normal tempo after the melodic breakdown, and then speeding up again and generally being all over, and overall just being a really poor performance from everyone involved, also both Rob's and Jason's bass tone sounded like a wet fart in a blanket.

You got a point though regarding Rob's bass being mixed noticeable higher than Jason's, but I'd argue that with that kind of poopie show what does it really matter, it's not like more or less wet fart, no matter how well that wet fart hypothetically had been played, could have saved that derailed train wreck of a performance.

And to actually answer the question of the OP:

Rob is probably the more technically proficient player of the two, though both are no slouches on a bass, but yes, as many has noted Rob does seem somewhat malplaced in Metalica to me, whereas Jason seemed to fit in absolutely perfectly.

Though overall I rarely listen to Metalica anymore, but if I do it's material from either the 3 Cliff albums, or from "...and justice for all", which I actually think was a great album, despite the complete lack of bass, the last great album they made, and after the Black Album it pretty much all went downhill, kept on rolling further down that hill, and never came back.

 

[mattattack187]

IMO Jason was the best fit for Metallica and probably the most skilled player they've had for that type of music.

 

[Dincrest]

Jason can, and does, play with his fingers.

Yes, we've primarily seen him as a pickstyle player, but he can use fingers.

Ergo, him being proficient at both pickstyle and fingerstyle playing only opens him up to more gigs. He can do smooth fingerstyle on quieter music or throttle down with a pick in a punk band.

He may not have a signature/stand-out style like Rob or Cliff did, but he's a bassist's bassist who can get steady work in most any musical context.

 

[Challanger2]

Jason hands down, at least for Metallica.

I think Rob is the better bass player technique wise, but in terms of fitting in with Metallica for the big picture, Jason wins IMO.

Jason playing with a pick leads to a much better live tone that cuts through and carries the mix, where Rob playing finger style tends to get pretty lost in the sound. Go listen to some live videos of holier than thou for example, during the bass “solo” part for a few bars Jason’s playing with a pick sounds monstrous while every video I’ve ever watched of Rob playing it has had absolutely no bass presence or punch. I’m a big believer in being proficient in both pick and finger style playing and choosing based on the band/sound, and playing with a pick 100% suits Metallica better.

Also, not exactly related to bass but still important is backing vocals. Jason was an absolute monster at backing vocals and he even used to sing a whole verse on creeping death live. Rob’s backing vocals have definitely gotten better over the years but I still don’t think they’d let him carry a verse on creeping death, for example.

The way I’d describe the difference is if I was putting together a generic band where I don’t know what genre we’d be playing I’d pick Rob, but it I had to pick the perfect bassist for Metallica it’s be Jason.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Jason hands down, at least for Metallica.

I think Rob is the better bass player technique wise, but in terms of fitting in with Metallica for the big picture, Jason wins IMO.

Jason playing with a pick leads to a much better live tone that cuts through and carries the mix, where Rob playing finger style tends to get pretty lost in the sound. Go listen to some live videos of holier than thou for example, during the bass “solo” part for a few bars Jason’s playing with a pick sounds monstrous while every video I’ve ever watched of Rob playing it has had absolutely no bass presence or punch. I’m a big believer in being proficient in both pick and finger style playing and choosing based on the band/sound, and playing with a pick 100% suits Metallica better.

Also, not exactly related to bass but still important is backing vocals. Jason was an absolute monster at backing vocals and he even used to sing a whole verse on creeping death live. Rob’s backing vocals have definitely gotten better over the years but I still don’t think they’d let him carry a verse on creeping death, for example.

The way I’d describe the difference is if I was putting together a generic band where I don’t know what genre we’d be playing I’d pick Rob, but it I had to pick the perfect bassist for Metallica it’s be Jason.

But the question didn't include 'for Metallica' so I excluded it from my responses .
Newsted in F&J was fantastic.

I have a thorn in my side about Lars attitude, and their treatment of members over the years .

Rob and Jason are both great guys by all accounts.