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Thoughts on Roger Waters as a Bass Player
- Thread starter Pow R Tosh
- Start date
Floyd has a few iconic bass lines (no matter who played them):
-Money
-One of these days
-Hey You (fretless intro)
Can you think of any others? Maybe list them here...
-Money
-One of these days
-Hey You (fretless intro)
Can you think of any others? Maybe list them here...
I love Roger’s bass tone on Several Species, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t nail it
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
that fretless part was played by Gilmour in the studio as was the fretless part for Hey You
The Pink Floyd Songs That David Gilmour Played Bass Instead of Roger Waters - Rock Celebrities
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
In an interview with Rock Compact Disc Magazine in 1992, Gilmour stated that he thinks that Roger Waters didn’t want to improve himself. David generally wanted to take control over to get it done better and faster and he also claimed that he played bass half of the time in their records. However, Rogers would still get all the credits for Gilmour’s work and even thank him for it.
Gilmour’s opinion about Rogers, as stated in 1992, is as follows:
“He had developed his own limited or very simple style. He was never very keen on improving himself as a bass player, and half the time I would play bass on the records because I would tend to do it quicker. Right back to those early records; I mean, at least half the bass on all recorded output is me anyway.
Well, I think it’s been said, but it’s certainly not something we go around advertising. Rog used to come in and say, ‘Thank you very much’ to me once in a while for winning him bass-playing polls.”
Gilmour’s opinion about Rogers, as stated in 1992, is as follows:
“He had developed his own limited or very simple style. He was never very keen on improving himself as a bass player, and half the time I would play bass on the records because I would tend to do it quicker. Right back to those early records; I mean, at least half the bass on all recorded output is me anyway.
Well, I think it’s been said, but it’s certainly not something we go around advertising. Rog used to come in and say, ‘Thank you very much’ to me once in a while for winning him bass-playing polls.”
I wouldn't be surprised if Gilmour was in an uncharitable mood in 1992.
Gilmour has done a lot of work to refactor Pink Floyd as an expansive-sounding symphonic band. Harmonically basic but with epic guitar parts, vast synth and keyboard parts, etc. In Gilmour world the lyrics are just a perfunctory tack-on element to the sound of Pink Floyd.
Rather like George Lucas doctoring the old Star Wars films, Gilmour had a hand in that joyless, slushy reworking of Obscured by Clouds that was included in the Early Years box. He also applied slushy modulation effects to the 1969 Zabriski Point material in that box, which is definitely historic revisionism at its worst. Gilmour is keen to revisit the historic material if he can rework it to demonstrate that his glassy guitar tone was always an important element of the mix, then before he really started using that tone. Simply doctor the source material!
Gilmour has done a lot of work to refactor Pink Floyd as an expansive-sounding symphonic band. Harmonically basic but with epic guitar parts, vast synth and keyboard parts, etc. In Gilmour world the lyrics are just a perfunctory tack-on element to the sound of Pink Floyd.
Rather like George Lucas doctoring the old Star Wars films, Gilmour had a hand in that joyless, slushy reworking of Obscured by Clouds that was included in the Early Years box. He also applied slushy modulation effects to the 1969 Zabriski Point material in that box, which is definitely historic revisionism at its worst. Gilmour is keen to revisit the historic material if he can rework it to demonstrate that his glassy guitar tone was always an important element of the mix, then before he really started using that tone. Simply doctor the source material!
One of the more advanced Floyd bass lines. I like it! Especially the octaves part from 10:14. But I have my doubts if it is really fretless or just a fretted bass with a flanger or chorus. Doesn’t sound overly fretless to me.
You can isolate the bass on the new 5.1 mix of Animals. It's a fretted bass.
Waters was inventive early on though the jamming freak out period. His parts became more simplistic as time went on but they served the song and are still fairly interesting. His music was the first I learned on bass (Money being #1 and In the Flesh at #2) but I don't see a need to slag on him. My opinion is prog bands need a member that's slightly less intricate then the others to keep it from being a sterile wank fest. Roger was usually that support instrument and he played what the songs needed that band. Listen to Dry Floyd with Guy Pratt. I love Pratt but even he knows to not overplay all that stuff anymore like he was asked to do back in 1987. Also, I don't think Gilmour played as much as people are giving him credit for because if he did there would be a lot more examples of busy playing. When he did he ususally just played what was needed, copping Waters. Sheep is a good example of Gilmour just playing what Waters did live back in 74. But Waters could stretch out when needed such as when he played fretless on A Pillow Of Winds from Meddle.
Your assessment of Waters overlooks the fact that he, along with Barrett in their early days, was the main creative force in the band. Not that Gilmour was a lesser character, to be sure, but the conceptual mind was arguably Waters. That some people find him obnoxious is irrelevant. And less is more as regards bass playing in a band like Pink Floyd. In Careful With That Axe, Eugene the bassline is just octaves and this is exactly what the track needs. All Pink Floyd members are irreplaceable.
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Hmmmm…. I thought Guy Pratt replaced him quite handily on bass after his departure. His recent antics and wet blanket persona hasn’t changed my opinion of the the guy one iota: A Brilliant Jerk.
Being a low key person myself, I see your point. Waters is quite outspoken about certain issues, about which he's right or not. No disrespect for Guy Pratt but pretty much any bass player can play Waters' basslines but only he came up with them as with, for example, the entire Dark Side of the Moon album. There's no comparison here. By the way, I wear a GILMOUR 63 ACADEMY t-shirt, I like Dave too!
On a side note, I went through some Pink Floyd albums last night: Animals, Atom Heart Mother, The Wall, DSOM, Meddle, Ummagumma. The output of the band is literally epoch-defining.
According to David Gilmour, Waters was lazy and often wouldn't play his parts in the studio.
So my thoughts on Waters the bassist are that David Gilmour is a pretty decent studio bassist.
Words can't describe what I think of Waters the man because they aren't allowed here
So my thoughts on Waters the bassist are that David Gilmour is a pretty decent studio bassist.
Words can't describe what I think of Waters the man because they aren't allowed here
All of that notwithstanding, Waters was one of the greatest songwriters/composers of the 20th century. I'm fully capable of compartmentalizing. Roman Polansky made great movies. Michael Jackson was a pop genius, etc...
