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Someone please explain all the love for Steve Harris
- Thread starter Yonni
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- harris steve harris
wintremute
mediocrity at its finest
- Oct 16, 2014
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- 29,551
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- Endorsing Artist: Langstrom Carrot Farms
Then let me sum it up for you:
Me: I don’t understand why SH always features so high in “Greatest bass player polls?”
ALL: He’s not just a bass player, he is a stylist and bandleader and driving force behind the band and a new style of metal.
Many recommendations and challenges followed.
Me: Well maybe I need to know more. Let’s make 10 May Iron Maiden Day.
...
Everyone spends the day listening to Maiden
...
Me: I liked more if that than I expected too.
ALL: Good for you.
Good natured banter followed
The End.
And you got to drink some Trooper, too! I was really worried when I found out they were doing that beer. That much branding typically can indicate subpar quality. But, IMO, they hit it out of the park. In an age (at least in America) of mass market saturation Iron Maiden and Robinson’s produced a solid, quality, traditional British ale. Up the irons!
f
Do you really not understand that ALL of these type of polls are based on popularity and have NOTHING to do with ability? REALLY???
I really do understand that, REALLY!!! That wasn’t the question.
Your question was:
The answer was in my post, "ALL of these type of polls are based on popularity and have NOTHING to do with ability"
You're Welcome.
I think popularity has a lot to do with it but also more than just technical skills there are things like performance, song writing longevity/number of albums and so on
But still it does seem to be a popular poll
But still it does seem to be a popular poll
Technically he's not the greatest. But he inspired many many kids to pick up the bass in the early to mid 80s.
When I was 12, I had no idea who Jaco was. But I did love Maiden. And that led me to playing bass bc he was the leader and So out front on the records. Thru my bass lessons, I learned about Jaco, McCartney etc. in 1986, I would've NEVER bought a Beatles album... except that wanting to be Steve led me to it.
It's very akin to Ace Frehley. For guys of a certain age bracket, he's the dude who made you wanna play. When I was a kid, I had to be able to play The Trooper and For Whom The Bell Tolls to get into any band around here
Jaco he ain't. But a guy who inspired millions, absolutely.
When I was 12, I had no idea who Jaco was. But I did love Maiden. And that led me to playing bass bc he was the leader and So out front on the records. Thru my bass lessons, I learned about Jaco, McCartney etc. in 1986, I would've NEVER bought a Beatles album... except that wanting to be Steve led me to it.
It's very akin to Ace Frehley. For guys of a certain age bracket, he's the dude who made you wanna play. When I was a kid, I had to be able to play The Trooper and For Whom The Bell Tolls to get into any band around here
Jaco he ain't. But a guy who inspired millions, absolutely.
Well, lists being lists, you know ... Hearing "Wrathchild" and the rest of "Killers" for the first time was life-changing for me; had never heard anything like it before. So aggressive. Then I learned that the bassist was the primary songwriter, another unique thing about Maiden. And when they rolled out "Number of the Beast," "Piece of Mind" and the rest of their 80s albums, the legend was confirmed. So brilliant. \m/
Polls aside, it all comes down to opinion. And no one's opinion is much better than anyone else's. Experts, obviously, stand out when they provide empirical data to back up what they're saying.
I love Steve Harris. I love Maiden. I've moved on from heavy metal and widened my expanse more than a bit, but from a compositional standpoint, Maiden has always been far above average and have continued to evolve throughout their career. When I was getting into music in the mid-1980s, I could actually hear the bass on Maiden's albums and that meant a lot. It stood out as a compositional tool rather than just holding down the low end. Steve's techniques were beyond typical, too. And that their songs weren't all about love and ladies and cars was fantastic - again, expanded horizons. And learning to play those songs? That's cutting your teeth in a big way. For me, lately, Steve's use of chords has kept rearing its head in my own writing. I do it a lot and it comes from listening to Maiden as an influence. It's in my DNA as a player and I'm proud of that link.
I guess a good thing to do would be this: Think of the other names folks have listed, like Geddy, Jamerson, etc. and think about what they might say about Steve and his playing (and Maiden). There's your answer.
I totally understand how some don't get it, or don't like Steve, but to just write him or the band off is absurd.
I love Steve Harris. I love Maiden. I've moved on from heavy metal and widened my expanse more than a bit, but from a compositional standpoint, Maiden has always been far above average and have continued to evolve throughout their career. When I was getting into music in the mid-1980s, I could actually hear the bass on Maiden's albums and that meant a lot. It stood out as a compositional tool rather than just holding down the low end. Steve's techniques were beyond typical, too. And that their songs weren't all about love and ladies and cars was fantastic - again, expanded horizons. And learning to play those songs? That's cutting your teeth in a big way. For me, lately, Steve's use of chords has kept rearing its head in my own writing. I do it a lot and it comes from listening to Maiden as an influence. It's in my DNA as a player and I'm proud of that link.
I guess a good thing to do would be this: Think of the other names folks have listed, like Geddy, Jamerson, etc. and think about what they might say about Steve and his playing (and Maiden). There's your answer.
I totally understand how some don't get it, or don't like Steve, but to just write him or the band off is absurd.
I will grant you the guy is right up there for his technical proficiency and all his dexterity, quickness, and abilility to write some very good riffs which let’s face it—ARE basically Iron Maiden. But to me all his playing sounds formulaic and pretty much the same from song to song. They are all derivative of the same scales just layered in in different speeds, textures, and orders of progression. But to me the truly great bass players are the ones who can immerse themselves into totally different styles and progressions, so much to the point where you could barely recognize their playing other than maybe a signature sound. That is basically the ability to immerse themselves into something outside their comfort zone. I’m sorry, but while Harris is very good at what he does, I don’t think he would be much stepping out of his same ages old element. And to me there are a LOT of other bass players who can and deservedly should be ranked higher. Yeah—Steve is no doubt right up there for a popularity contest, but as some others have already attested—I don’t think that should determine how great they are. And not picking on him, there are a lot of others that applies to equally.
wintremute
mediocrity at its finest
- Oct 16, 2014
- 6,942
- 29,551
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Langstrom Carrot Farms
I would just like to add that steve got me to play bass guitar 20 years ago and has been my idol ever since.
IMO one thing that set's him apart from every other bass player I've every heard or seen is that his right hand technique and his tone is the most unique of them all.
I've been chasing his tone and been trying to replicate his technique from the beginning and never got closer maybe 80%. In addition, I've never seen anybody be able to copy his right hand technique or his tone 100%.
People might have gotten close, like I have (IMO) but not as close as to other unique bass players' technique and tone (thinking Geddy).
Furthermore, his dedication to iron maiden and music is just a great overall life lesson.
He'll always by my number one.
IMO one thing that set's him apart from every other bass player I've every heard or seen is that his right hand technique and his tone is the most unique of them all.
I've been chasing his tone and been trying to replicate his technique from the beginning and never got closer maybe 80%. In addition, I've never seen anybody be able to copy his right hand technique or his tone 100%.
People might have gotten close, like I have (IMO) but not as close as to other unique bass players' technique and tone (thinking Geddy).
Furthermore, his dedication to iron maiden and music is just a great overall life lesson.
He'll always by my number one.
As an aside what’s up with the wristbands? I was watching that Ed Friedland review of the SH signature bass where he tried to play The Trouper (?) and says “Tendinitis city man!”. That makes me wonder if Steve uses the wristbands for support given the way he plays? Anyone ever heard him mention them in interviews? I’m asking as I have a slight tendinitis just know and thought it might help.
