I never agreed with the bashing of Gene Simmons or Michael Anthony's bass playing so I am going to say they are under-rated. I can't think of anyone who I think is over-rated. I'm cool with any bass player who gets some recognition! 
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underated overrated bassists
- Thread starter crj14525
- Start date
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
Underrated (=deserving of a lot more recognition) Ken Filiano, Wilbur Ware, Scott Thunes and Tom Fowler
Overrated: i really dont care that there are lame ass bass players out there making tons of money and getting all the chicks. Good for them.
Overrated: i really dont care that there are lame ass bass players out there making tons of money and getting all the chicks. Good for them.
Under-rated: Dick Lovgren(work with meshuggah and with the Nica group), Christian McBride(as an electric bassist and a double bassist),Steve DiGiorgio(big time underapreciated, hypnotic basslines with plenty of mwah from his many fretless basses, and really any of the bassists for Death), ect.
Over-rated: Rob Trujillio,Dave Elefson, Frank Bello, jason newstead, marcus miller(just a little bit I personally don't love his playing),ect.
Over-rated: Rob Trujillio,Dave Elefson, Frank Bello, jason newstead, marcus miller(just a little bit I personally don't love his playing),ect.
Under-rated: Arif Mirabdolbaghi of Protest the Hero. Man, that guy can play, and he can play pretty darn well! His technique is impeccable. Testament songs: Hair-Trigger, Dunsel, The Divine Suicide of K.
I think Justin Chancellor of Tool needs a little more love too. He brought "effects-driven" bass playing to the forefront, and proves playing with a pick doesn't make you less of a bassist. Testament songs: The Pot (Solo), Schism (Bridge), Right in Two (Intro), Jambi (Delay Riff)
I've got no beef with most bassists, so I wouldn't call any over-rated.
Why the Flea hate?
He's not over-rated. He just comes off as over-rated 'cause of all the little teenagers drooling over his slap playing. Despite the fact that he has some tasty slap licks, he has done a lot in the world of bass playing. His palette of techniques is so vast, it's great. Simple chord melodies like Hey, to aggressive slap like Nobody Weird Like Me. In my book, he's one of the guys who brought bass playing to the forefront along with Lee of Rush, Harris of Maiden, and a few others. He and Charles Mingus changed my view of bass playing.
I think Justin Chancellor of Tool needs a little more love too. He brought "effects-driven" bass playing to the forefront, and proves playing with a pick doesn't make you less of a bassist. Testament songs: The Pot (Solo), Schism (Bridge), Right in Two (Intro), Jambi (Delay Riff)
I've got no beef with most bassists, so I wouldn't call any over-rated.
Why the Flea hate?
He's not over-rated. He just comes off as over-rated 'cause of all the little teenagers drooling over his slap playing. Despite the fact that he has some tasty slap licks, he has done a lot in the world of bass playing. His palette of techniques is so vast, it's great. Simple chord melodies like Hey, to aggressive slap like Nobody Weird Like Me. In my book, he's one of the guys who brought bass playing to the forefront along with Lee of Rush, Harris of Maiden, and a few others. He and Charles Mingus changed my view of bass playing.Jaco is great but I can get bored with him pretty quick. Steve Harris on the other hand I could listen to all day. There is Something to be said for keeping the song in mind.
Then again I do prefer metal to jazz.
Then again I do prefer metal to jazz.
jaco is TIMELESS.bored or not,you have to admit it,he changed the role of bass in music(especially jazz and fusion ofc),one of the first to bring extreme rhytmic passages to a song(okonkole y trompa anyone?)...
it's like,maybe you can play his lines-but try to invent something like that...no way man.now,he's not GOD or anything,but i kinda think of him like charlie parker of bass...you know,jazz sax playing is hardly divided on PRE and POST c.parker era...and i DO find c.parker,mostly unlistenable(big jazz fan me),but no one ever played like him,before or after...and any time a new player emerges-he/she is constantly being compared to c.parker.
same thing with jaco,so i think he should be respected as a godfather of electric fretless bass.you may like him,find him boring,overrated,whatever.but show the man respect he deserves..
btw,i was growing up on metal,and have to say-steve digiorgio...highly underrated...
oh and,steve harris?? are you nuts? the man's been riding that E MINOR scale for,like,50 years....man,there ARE other notes,you know?
Off topic, but. I recently heard that the great Jaco Pastorius was using Harke stuff.
Do you have info on what he used w the Harke name plate?
Jaco was a consummate player.
Considering he wrote over 90% of Iron Maiden's songs and is the de facto leader of the band, I think he knows about "other notes."
More on topic, I think Cliff Burton isn't...underrated, or overrated, but really...mis-rated. People take note of Anesthesia, Orion, the flashy soloing, but look at the bass tracks for Fade to Black (actually kind of reminds of McCartney there), Ride the Lightning (especially right after "flash before my eyes"), and just the fact that he didn't follow the guitars constantly. He did his own thing, and was a mile ahead of the rest of Metallica in quite a few ways. Disclaimer: Recently read his biography. Good stuff.
Overrated...I'll give the dubious honor to Les Claypool, as I'm not a big fan of slap bass, and honestly have yet to see a good example of this godly playing I hear about. Plus he uses a whammy bar, which doesn't make much sense in my mind.
I can't think of any overrated bassists because most of the names that pop into my head get shot down a minute later: "You haven't listened to him/her enough," (Jaco) "You just don't like the style personally," (Les Claypool) or, "Actually, Flea's work on "Soul To Squeeze" and on the Chili's mellower stuff in general, is pretty cool." (so Flea is neither over nor under in my eyes!) So, overrated? I don't even know!
Of course, there are the ones who ARE really popular, but-to me- it's for a good reason...i.e. Sting, who some might argue is overrated...regardless, he is still one of my personal favorites.
Then there are the bassists who aren't necessarily OVERrated but who *I* can't really figure out why people think they're so great, i.e. Gene Simmons, Cliff Burton, but then again I'm not a metal/heavy rawwwk! type fan, so I'm inherently biased.
Underrated, well that's easier...Tina Weymouth (Tom Tom Club/Talking Heads), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Mick Karn (Japan), David J (Bauhaus), Simon Gallup (The Cure), Paul Simonon (The Clash), Martyn Casey (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds), Mark King (Level 42), Aimee Mann (Til Tuesday). Incidentally, all some of my favorites and my influences...go figure!
Of course, there are the ones who ARE really popular, but-to me- it's for a good reason...i.e. Sting, who some might argue is overrated...regardless, he is still one of my personal favorites.
Then there are the bassists who aren't necessarily OVERrated but who *I* can't really figure out why people think they're so great, i.e. Gene Simmons, Cliff Burton, but then again I'm not a metal/heavy rawwwk! type fan, so I'm inherently biased.
Underrated, well that's easier...Tina Weymouth (Tom Tom Club/Talking Heads), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Mick Karn (Japan), David J (Bauhaus), Simon Gallup (The Cure), Paul Simonon (The Clash), Martyn Casey (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds), Mark King (Level 42), Aimee Mann (Til Tuesday). Incidentally, all some of my favorites and my influences...go figure!
Great respect for Jaco. Just not my cup of tea. Also not calling Steve Harris the greatest bass player to walk the earth. Just saying he is an incredibly effective song supporting bass player. In the same manner as Cliff Burton was, with these guys it's more than just soloing it really is about the song. And don't forget the energy these guys brought to the music.
underrated: Ben Kenney of Incubus (not my favorite band but guy has some nice chops)
overrated: cant think of anyone off the top of my head
overrated: cant think of anyone off the top of my head
ok.name me 5(and only 5) songs by IRON MAIDEN that are NOT in the key of "E".....can you? don't think so...
now,i like S.Harris,always did,but he's not a revolutionist or anything,not quite like jaco,or Jameson and so on.
oh,and Claypool-matter of taste.it's not slap rlly so much as 'flamenco strumming',plus he's one hell of a drummer,and plusPLUS-try playing all that **** he plays and sing at the same time....no way...
Alright, Let's see how many I can dredge up...Fear of the Dark, in D minor and F# minor; Revolution, A minor; Aces High, apparently in every key (admittedly E minor at one point); those are all I can find without actually listening to every song and learning key. (my ear isn't there yet)
good pick.i'd say weekend warrior(if i remember right),and at least one song from the 'somewhere in time'
but that's exactly my point-iron maiden have,like,16 albums,isn't it said to only have few songs in some other key than E minor?
and,btw,i think it's the greatest guitar duo (murray/smith),asside hanneman/king,so it's even WORSE in my opinion.
loopmantra said:
Lol just cuz he plays his open E string doesn't mean he is in the key of E that's like saying if I play and only play an open E I'm playing in E harmonic m,#5,b11...it doesn't make sence, Steve Harris is a good bass player and does his job in his specific niche, he is a time keeper and punches his way through to the front of the mix, with the stuff the guitars are playing over the drums and vocals, you need a bassist who is part metronom or else everyone will be everywhere...its funny but I'm not even a maiden fan lol id rather do more with bass playing but sometimes a bassist who makes simple groove that holds the group together and doesn't do much flashy is the one that gets hired.
