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Who plays harder lines while singing: Les Claypool or Geddy Lee?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
From what I have seen lately, Professor Spalding (she is on the faculty at Harvard) has moved away from bass guitar and back to her first love. I am glad I can watch old videos of her killing it on fretless bass guitar.
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You are entitled to your own opinion. However, I didn't say "He has Geddy dead to rights".
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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Geddy in particular wrote bass parts that moved very much together with the vocal melodies, which made it easier to pull off. Sing and envision the bass parts in your head:
"You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice…"
"Big Money goes around the world…"
"Living in the limelight, the universal dream…"
So Ged cheated just a little but it's OK because the results were so great.
I'll vote Mark King.
"You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice…"
"Big Money goes around the world…"
"Living in the limelight, the universal dream…"
So Ged cheated just a little but it's OK because the results were so great.
I'll vote Mark King.
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How could you leave Debra Killings off this list. I know she isn't well known outside of the Gospel And hip-hop R&B world but she is really good
And look at me forgetting about my own avatar . Janice Marie Johnson of a Taste of Honay.
Jance Marie Johnson of a taste of honey handled lead vocals, bass playing and dancing !!
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Well Esperanza definitely looks best doing it, and has the best voice.
But as far as Geddy vs Les? Les's playing is so unorthodox and rhythmic in the way he slaps and he plays patterns as much as he plays bass lines, so it's almost more comparable to playing drums and singing as it is comparable to how Geddy plays and sings. For this reason it's hard to compare but I may lean towards thinking Geddy is doing more difficult parts. However just because Les has a unique style doesn't mean he can't also do what Geddy can do. We have all seen Les cover Black Sabbath and Rush songs while singing them so clearly he can do that too. It's like John Mayer, if you only ever listened to his pop songs you might not know how good he is, I'm sure Les and Geddy are both better than we even know.
But as far as Geddy vs Les? Les's playing is so unorthodox and rhythmic in the way he slaps and he plays patterns as much as he plays bass lines, so it's almost more comparable to playing drums and singing as it is comparable to how Geddy plays and sings. For this reason it's hard to compare but I may lean towards thinking Geddy is doing more difficult parts. However just because Les has a unique style doesn't mean he can't also do what Geddy can do. We have all seen Les cover Black Sabbath and Rush songs while singing them so clearly he can do that too. It's like John Mayer, if you only ever listened to his pop songs you might not know how good he is, I'm sure Les and Geddy are both better than we even know.
Here's a Mark King take. Not my favorite Level 42 song by any means, but listen to how contrapuntal the bass line and melody are in the verse. This is a challenging bass part to play elegantly if you aren't also singing, but add in the vocal and it's just silly hard.
He takes some time off later in the tune by moving to a simpler thumb part, ironically to add energy to the song by simplifying. Pretty interesting.
He takes some time off later in the tune by moving to a simpler thumb part, ironically to add energy to the song by simplifying. Pretty interesting.
Les Claypool sings?
(Srsly I can't even sing over a whole note, so they're all terrific as far as I'm concerned.)
(Srsly I can't even sing over a whole note, so they're all terrific as far as I'm concerned.)
Les' basslines are harder, I like Geddy's more, but the legit singer is Mark King, who has that rare voice you can recognize even in a group of backup singers (his voice cuts through EVERYTHING) and also plays slamming bass lines as well.
Rush fan from day one but I know what their weaknesses are: lyrics and the singing thereof.
Rush fan from day one but I know what their weaknesses are: lyrics and the singing thereof.
I'm going with "I like Rush and Primus, lyrics and singing included, and remain amazed that those guys can do what they do."
Agree about Sting, too.
Agree about Sting, too.
In the 90's when Claypool came out with Tommy the Cat ... everyone was floored by it
I've only listened to a handful of geddy and claypool stuff. no idea who the third person is, but I'd have to say Geddy of the two I know because claypool seems to structure his songs so that he is singing during the more basic parts or in some songs singing while no bass is being played and Geddy lee seems to do that LESS. that being said, while I respect the raw talent, I don't really find any of it that interesting.
