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Victor Wooten is second teir skill wise now

Eh, if I close my eyes and put my head down on a table, sudden bursts of high pitched metal on metal sounds are all the same.

Wooten is no better than this dude. Saying you are groovy for so long that not only you believe it, but others start believing it as well, doesn't mean it is true. Saying you have soul and others don't, doesn't mean you do.

Grinding inorganic tones all sound like dying machinery. These guys are all one trick ponies; fast twangy playing. That's it. The only differences are the scales chosen to play from and how often the backing drummer hits the snare drum compared to the bass drum.

Perhaps a painting of solid black over a white canvas is striking at first, and its simple contrast is enjoyable; but, the viewer will eventually long for something more to view. Variations of hues and tints, complimenting and clashing colors or different works need to be available to balance simple striking visual contrast. Without the plays between the many alternate manners of simple and complex , everything ends up as just shadows on a cave wall and are incomparable in their consistency.

Just like the visual arts, the arts of sound must vary. Musicians should create a complete sound experience, maybe note all at once, but over a span of the intended experience. Provide variations in tone and timbre. Utilize different techniques to produce different sound, not to produce the same sound a different way. Fill the sonic space with alternative experiences in that audible texture of your notes and silence.


One constant volume, at one constant pitch, at one constant rhythm right into my ear does not make for a pleasing listening experience. It just makes for white noise, regardless of what the creator of that noise says it is supposed to be.
 
What's the difference?

Between musician and bass player.

Nervermind :rollno:

My point is that I don't hear anything 'musical' in this guys playing. It sounds like he's playing bass just to be technical or whatever. No groove, no progression, no feel... just woodshedding. some people are into that I guess... I'm certainly not.

I dont even listen to Victor anymore either... it's all a bit much for my ears. But at least his endeavors are musical and always have a groove with some feel and a progression that takes you somewhere emotionally.

As a player... Victor is just far more musical to me than this guy.
 
FloridaThump said:
I saw this guy in the Cannon Club in Okinawa in 1989. His band was the George Masaki Project and he was very good live. Not really my style of music/playing but he is talented w/o a doubt. Really hard to understand the hyper-criticism of him by some on here. The guy is just plain good even if his playing isn't your cup of tea.

Victor is American, most TB users are Americans, some might get touchy if you compare some foreigner to the national hero. While I'm sure Victor is a better bass player / musician, I'm a bit surprised the amount of negative vibe to this guy which actually reminds me more of Sheehan than Victor.
 
Ive actually posted a vid of masaki before you did. No doubt hes a really good player, but to think hes anywhere near wooten.... then no offense, you dont know much about playing bass.

His 'bass solo' was horrible aswell, zero taste wankfest
 
Yeah....
In terms of technicality? No, there are more than a few Technical Death Metal bassist that could seriously run circles around this guy.

Musicality wise? :p:D:p:D:p:D:p:D:p:D:p:D

He's got chops, but really doesn't stand out at all in either camps.

BTW I love bass wankery, but even I can hardly sit through an entire Sheehan video, boooooooooring.

Oh yeah,
and BTWx2:
Yngwie rocks.
 
I seriously doubt that. Of course, I am also American so take that as you will ;).

I'm quite sure that if Victor were from some abandon place in Mongolia most American TB users will give this guy a bit more slack.

Personally I admire people who can play that fast, they have some gift. But otherwise, I find them a bit boring, bass wankery some say. Well, yes, and that is why I can't watch Billy Sheehan as well. Playing a major scale in 0.2sec is impressive, but boring.
Victor on the other hand is interesting and quite unique.
 

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