Thoughts on Pino Palladino

[Honch]

My thoughts?
He should do whatever he wants to. It's a bit like Darryl Jones lasting live stints with the Stones. An accomplished jazz-fusion player who've played with Miles. How far out, and apart ain't that? Miles <-> Stones. Pino can do whatever he likes by now, not having to prove anything to anyone. I agree though that the Who as such should call it a day long time ago. Pino's not a suitable replacement, but neither was Kenney Jones at the drums, replacing Moon. It's just a duo doing cache in tours, with select backing musicians.

Once - actually during the 80s - there was this crackdown on fretless, because EVERYONE (and I actually mean literally everyone) was trying to get on the Jaco bandwagon, and capitalize and copying him. It was around 1980 it was becoming sort of OK for any musicians TO SOUND JUST EXACTLY LIKE ANOTHER. However, 2 examples of this was the exception to the rule. Both based in Britain. One was Pino Palladino, who could play the fretless in a way that it sounded not like a fretless, by not glissing, and gliding all of the time, with wide vibratos. The other was Mick Karn, who definitely not had Jaco as a role model too.

Whatever Pinos carreer move is, even if he retires completely, I am totally Ok with. The music from way back is still there. Even if/when he dies. Just like Jacos. Pino could even start to play accordeon if he likes... the reason or rationale behind it I couldn't care less about.

 

[Honch]

Frankly I haven't really looked up until now - between this post and the last - of what the guy looks like. I have always read his name on record cd sleeves, and then forgot about it. I wouldn't recognize him if I passed him on the streets... It's the music only, by me.

 

[TJH3113]

OP, this is the post I was quoting.

My bad, I assumed the statement was coming from you.

 

[Honch]

But OTOH could you think of Mark King swapping out towards fretless?

 

[Honch]

And a deadringer lookalike for french OG swimmer Alain Bernard. Maybe Pino is a closet swimmer and goes out like a man on the streets at night...moonshines as...

It seems that Alain could very well be thumbing, and thumping the bass... ;-)

 

[obimark]

No offense to Pino but he is not the right choice to fill in for Entwistle. Their styles are night and day. Pino's style does not have the raw aggression and forcefullness that Entwistle had. Entwistle put it best "I can make ANY band sound like the WHO". Not only that but Entwistle was a bit of a bad-*** and Pino- not at all. So image wise it is all wrong as well.

If you had seen the Who live with Entwistle you can bet your bottom dollar you would have heard his bass LOUD and clear on every song. It actually might have been ALL you heard on some songs.

Basically "the Who" need to show some dignity and hang it up. They ain't "the who" anymore.

 

[pedroims]

He is a pro and he will play what the producer tell him to play, it is hard to imagine Pino telling the artist or the producer: listen boy, I am Pino and I have to have my tone in the record.

 

[TJH3113]

Sorry you were offended, I was merely quoting what someone else had already said.

I also pointed you towards a variety of other musical acts you seemed not be aware he had worked with and suggested an alternate reason as to why he primarily plays fretted basses now.

He didn't abandon fretless bass playing, the commercial music industry did; he just happens to be one of the most adaptable session players in history, so much so that when he is referenced in a session now it's almost certainly going to be for his P bass vibe.

Well, it was a fairly offensive statement, don't you think? I'm sorry I assumed that the quote was yours.

I definitely agree with the changing landscape of commercial music and the use of fretless bass. It did become pretty ubiquitous at one point and, of course, he had to adapt when the demands changed.

I don't follow the guy closely and I'm not sure if I mentioned in in my original post, but the only non-fretless material of his that I'm familiar with was with John Mayer and NIN. My opinion of that material that I have heard was that it was fairly pedestrian sounding. Very good, but pedestrian and not nearly as identifiable as being "Pino" as his fretless work was. Apparently, his devoted followers can immediately identify his playing whether it is on a fretless or a washtub bass.

 

[hsech]

Was it a problem with his performance or just a bad mix? If it's the mix you can't really put it on Pino, but if it were me playing with The Who (or any other iconic group) I'd probably be a little reluctant to really be myself very much. Ox left some very big and very particular shoes to fill, so I'd be more concerned with blending in and staying true to the band's style rather than expressing my own voice. Maybe Pino was just reigning it in a bit because of that.

 

[Fxpmusic]

Can't blame the artist for wanting to change. I wouldn't say he sounds like any other bass player. With The Who, he's hired to do a job and fill John's shoes... We'd be all whining if he was laying behind the beat there. As much as I love fretless (play it myself) I'm a biggest fan of his fretted work. His feel and timing is ridiculous. I've heard several big session guys including Tim Lefebvre talking about them "trying to do Pino" and butchering it. I think some of his coolest sh%t is with D'Angelo.

 

[cnltb]

P.P and the Who;
Is he or isn't he the right person for this gig?
He wouldn't have had the gig for the time he has if he wasn't.
As to giving up his initial 'voice' on fretless in favour of sounding like just any other bassist;
I don't think he has done that and I don't think he sounds like just any other bassist.
It is worth while to avoid being type cast as just a fretless player since there is not as much demand for it; a consideration worth making if you are to feed a family.

I doubt he would/will say 'no' to fretless jobs if/when they were/are offered to him.

 

[maxschrek]

Two different things - his performance and the mix. Mix was terrible though. I'm not in a position to critique his performance, his success as a sought after session player speaks for his abilities. That being said, I don't think he was the best choice to "replace" Entwistle. They got a drummer who plays similarly to Moon in Zak Starkey so why not try and match up the bass end at least a little bit.

I agree, while Pino is a monster player, I thought him a rather odd choice for The Who. Honestly, I was surprised they didn't ask Chris Squire.

 

[willbassyeah]

My thought on pino,

He is 58 but he still make himself relevant.

He plays for (last 5 years)
John Mayer trio
Adele 21 album
Nine inch nails
Tori Kelly
Simon and garfunkel
Keith Richards

Now you know you should stop practicing Wooten stuff and just learn Pino lines if you want to have a job

 

[Honch]

Frankly, isn't anyone a bad fit for the Who?

I can't even think that Zak Starkey is the right replacement for moonie, as well as Simon Phillips and Kenney Jones wasn't. You can never get anyone close, and if you would find one, people would go "he's just copying Entwhistles/Moon styles, he has nothing of his own...".

I know of one thing for sure. Entwhistle did have understudies ready for droppin in at the drop of a hat. Understudy means that a couple of available bassists made sure they knew the material beforehand, and got paid to learn it, and if the call came, they would be there on the next plane. It's only the frontmen, and major anchormens of the bands, that doesn't have understudies, like vocalists or so. If Daltrey died they would cancel the tour. If Ozzie died too, in Sabbath. But definitely not their original drummer, Bill Ward, which had replacements as spare tires in the background. And which tours with them now. Which means those understudies can't do anything more than local session work, in which they can call off at the drop of a hat.

I've heard that, Roger and Pete loves "easily rehearsed people" and memory men. That's why they got Phillips and Pino in the first place. Having the skills to be very adaptive and change honed in things at the snap of the fingers, and remember it forever. Better playing it safe, in the pocket, to the bone, than sorry.

 

[Honch]

I can't help of thinking of Simon Phillips as the "dead drummers" replacement. He jumped right in on tour with ToTo after Porcaro died*, and actually became a permanent member. And then later on with the Who** (and during is time with Toto), although Kenney Jones came in between (who's still alive and kickin').

* didn't was any understudy but kicked right in.
** or was it prior to that?

 

[EriktheRed]

Thoughts on Pino Palladino

Here's a few:

1) He's awesome.
2) He's awesome.
3) Did i mention he's awesome?

 

[FlatwoundFunk]

This is wrong, and on the record disprovable. Roger Daltrey has multiple times stated that Kenny Jones was the wrong choice to replace Keith Moon. And yet, they recorded two studio albums and one live album (that they all disavowed) with him.

So, yes, The Who has made bad decisions wrt personnel. Just because they decided to do it doesn't mean they were smart in doing so.

Yes, Pino was the same type of choice.

No Sir, you provided another layer for my statement.

A "member" making such statements (although disrespectful on it's own account) is different than non-members making such public accounts. And your insertions are funny to me because he was good enough at time of choosing and recording but not on later accounts? From your statement, it sounds to me like he was more an scapegoat than anything.

My point was that they (The Who) have the right to choose any musicians they want. We can "Monday Morning Quarterback" all we want, but ultimately it's their choice. And they've seemed to do just fine with the decisions they've made thus far without our help.
FF

 

[Jamvan]

Too much pontificating. Not enough listening. So there's this:

 

[TJH3113]

Now you know you should stop practicing Wooten stuff and just learn Pino lines if you want to have a job

True. And Monet should have been painting houses.

 

[scowboy]

I'm a huge Entwistle fan and I saw The Who on the second show after his death. Pino did his job and filled some of the biggest bass shoes of the time. I could not really even think about seeing them without JE but we already had the tickets; the show was raw with emotion for me and many others I'm sure. Fast forward later in that same year and I got to see the Who again while on a business trip in Grand Rapids, MI. That night Pete was on fire! He played better than I've ever heard or seen. They played "Reign" and he just killed. Pino was there playing his "ass off" as they say but he was so unbelievably low in the mix that it was almost a total loss. I respect Pino's lo-fi sound but I wish he'd kick it up a notch. If you here Pete talk about John he always talks about John's harmonics, Pino has the total opposite effect in the Who.

I've also seen PSP live at Yoshi's in Oakland and I was sitting about 10' from him and he played a lot of fretless. I could hear him well and I was thunderstruck by him and Simon Phillips together.

Pino is the man. He deserves all the accolades he gets but in general I wish I could hear him more on everything he plays on.

My final thoughts on the Who without JE. I wish surviving members of the Who would do a rotating roster of bass players. Incredible bass players who like many of us worshiped JE. Could you imagine a tour where they did strings of shows with say Geddy Lee, Les Claypool and Billy Sheehan? I will also say I'm intrigued about hearing Tal Wilkenfeld with the Who.

Just for the sake of total fantasy thinking about the Who after John Entwistle:
I also had this other fantasy some time ago where they used Rush as their backup band as all the guys in Rush are huge Who fans. Could you imagine Geddy on Bass, Neil in the drum chair and Alex playing guitar with Pete Townshend? I think that would be bad to the bone.