Someone who plays bass and on the side uses their car to transport some passengers from point A to B...what's not to get?!
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Uber bassists- I don't get it.
- Thread starter Paulabass
- Start date
IMHO you should listen to what you like and ignore the rest. I personally love listening to Victor Wooten, but I rarely do. I think I appreciate the musicality, nuance, and just overall mastery of the instrument he demonstrates, but the tunes don't stick in my head where I want to listen to them over and over again. I believe his sense of time and ability to back phrase is second to none. His fluidity in integrating various plucking and slap techniques is also very note worthy, especially since I have always enjoyed slap.
Now Mark King is totally different. I have probably listened to Level 42's Running in the Family and World Machine more than any other CDs. But when Mark solos I don't find his playing anywhere near as impressive, sophisticated, or subtle as Victor's. In fact I usually can't stand to listen because much of it is what I call mindless wankery. Fast and intense attacks on the bass that have little creative thought. IMHO his solos are often just a super speed regurgitation of his signature licks, so it's a bit like playing etudes really fast. Furthermore, I honestly don't think Mark's slap technique is all that sophisticated and he has a fairly limited vocabulary in caparison to what players like Victor Wooten or Bill Buddha Dickens can do.
In all honesty, many of the players that TalkBass members rave about as virtuosos are actually quite sloppy, and their solos fall more in line with what Mark King does with a solo rather than Victor Wooten. Now don't get me wrong, I think Mark King is an incredible musician and fans love his solos. In my mind his solos have something in common with lighting an instrument on fire and bashing it to bits on stage; basically pyrotechnics. Unfortunately I just find this sort of musicianship either distasteful or humorous.
Stanley Clarke was one of my early heroes and I consider him a virtuoso, but when I listen to his later solos I get the impression he is bored and has lost his inspiration. He can actually play quite musically, but he falls back on mindless wankery and pyrotechnics quite a bit as well.
I also used to listened to John Patitucci quite a bit. He's another player I think has incredible time and the ability to back phrase really well, but ultimately I am really not an authentic jazzer and never felt a great bond with the music he plays. I listened mostly to study and learn.
Keep in mind....All of the above is IMHO so YMMV. No offense is intended and I don't infer that I am better than anyone.
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Paula came back and gave youtube as an example from where she viewed those artists. YouTube is about making that money so their platform will put the "wankery" first to increase views and push commercials. Really you need to scroll down the list to find good supportive music from some of these artists. Here's a guy who if searched on YT all his "out there" works come up first but if you look deeper:
….but if you start at the top of the list you might see this:
….but if you start at the top of the list you might see this:
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Jaco is one of my heroes too but man, I still cannot listen to his rendition of Donna Lee!
'Virtuosos' is pretty subjective. Often it is associated with the mastering of techniques or with the speed you can play notes with that technique, but imo that is not 'virtuoses'. Thats the result of practice, determination, muscle memory, physical anatomy, time and efffort. 'Virtuosos' is the natural talent to place (fill in) the right notes at the right places and the talent to not play notes where silence says more, For me thats the most difficult and challenging part of making music. It's a skill/talent that relies more on the spiritual side of our being than the ratio.
I clicked on this thread with the understanding I'd read about bass players who do contract taxi-ing of people via a phone app, typically from an airport to a hotel
...I want a refund!!
...I want a refund!!
No. Just search the TB threads and you’ll find there are many bassists who share your preferences, and many who don’t.
Some people like some things and other people like other things.
P or J?
Flats or rounds?
Tort or ANY other color?
Class D or class A B or C?
Slap or finger style?
Covers or originals?
Stick below the 12th fret or not?
Virtuoso bassists or simpletons?
Being the 342nd person to post one of the above topics for discussion yet again, or being the 343rd?
I bought a large bag of these "heirloom" carrots for the first time about a month ago, and they had excellent flavor. I'd buy again, but they aren't always available.
This is funny, I know none of them (Phil Lesh, Chris Squire, John Entwhistle, Chris Hillman, Timothy Schmitt) but I practice and play Bass because of Bassists and musicians like ( you call them hi tech, I call them best Bass players(and I keep it in my head)) Alain Caron, Adam Nitti, Steve Bailey, Les Claypool, hadrien feraud, Janek Gwizdala, Tony Grey, John Patitucci, Richard Bona, Bunny Brunel....................
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Uber bassists- I don't get it.
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I thought it was going to be about a new brand of basses called Uber.
I am the only one who wouldn't group Les Claypool with the usual suspects? I mean, I love the guy and I love his playing, probably more so than the other usual suspects, but I can't really place him there. Maybe it's because I feel that even his solo stuff or things like Duo de Twang aren't the typical, well, "wankery"...
Dunno, maybe I'm wrong on this.
Dunno, maybe I'm wrong on this.
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,222
- 45,001
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
But that's true of all music. Steely Dan - are they ever proficient but for me what rigid contrived music. Abba - perfect soulless music. The list of people who play simply and put me to sleep is endless- they even play songs- crap - but could be called songs.
It has nothing to do with those artists you named. You simply revealed what you don't like/understand - whatever - you don't reach for those records as they do nothing for you. Fair enough but that's about you not them.
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I like cats who deliver primarily br00tal energy but also explore technical zones. Example: Martini > Fodera-style
It has been said about complaining about something you already don't like.
Is like a man buying a Tampon and then complaining it doesn't fit.
It was never meant for you.
Is like a man buying a Tampon and then complaining it doesn't fit.
It was never meant for you.
