Who's Overrated? Who's Underrated?

[dls119]

Just my personal opinion. I like a lot of the "overrated" bassists, but I could stand hearing a lot less about Flea and Billy Sheehan and I would like to hear more of Jason Newsted, Geezer (although he seems to be in a bit of a revival at the moment) and John Paul Jones.

 

[B-Mac]

1st as musician i dont like to critic another musician,even worst another bassist so i just want to talk about who i think have been overexposed and who dont

overrated

1. Victor Wooten
2. Michael Manring
3. Geddy Lee

underrated

1. Robbie Shakespeare
2. Aston Family Man Barrett
3. Jason Newsted, yeah him, he is even better than Cliff Burton ok its just my opinion

I realize this is an old post, but after seeing VW at the Keswick in Glenside, PA on December 15, 2017 I cannot in any way, shape or form say that he is overrated or overexposed. He is so good that he is scary. I watched from the 4th row and was simply amazed. He even played Stanley better than Stanley....(Lopsy Lu and School Days)

He played his Fodera basses, an upright, bowed one of his Fodera's that had huge cut aways on either side of the strings and also played with a pick besides fingers, thumb, slapping and tapping.

To me SC was always at the top of the list, but VW is up there with him after I saw this show. My opinion was always based on the stuff he did with Bela Fleck which I always thought of as a gimmick band. This performance on December 15, 2017 however was no gimmick.

 

[B-Mac]

Musicality and technical skill - combined makes for the full effect. Not just one or the other, IMO.

Underrated: Paul Jackson (Headhunters), Carol Kaye, Mike Bitts (innocence mission)

Overrated: John Patitucci, Fieldy and I hate to say it, but to a certain extent, Geddy Lee

Mike Bitts is awesome. He's my teacher and I go to see him play in many different bands in the Lancaster County area. He is the go-to-bassist in Lancaster County. Rock, Blues, Funk, Jazz, Avant-garde, Musicals... four string, 5 string, fretless, upright. In fact he pretty much plays upright only in Innocence Mission any more. Plus he is the most unassuming musician you'd ever meet. I am so lucky to have him as my teacher. I wish I started with him 4 teachers ago. I'd be so much more ahead now.

 

[B-Mac]

Musicality and technical skill - combined makes for the full effect. Not just one or the other, IMO.

Underrated: Paul Jackson (Headhunters), Carol Kaye, Mike Bitts (innocence mission)

Overrated: John Patitucci, Fieldy and I hate to say it, but to a certain extent, Geddy Lee

Mike Bitts on new Innocence Mission release
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[B-Mac]

Musicality and technical skill - combined makes for the full effect. Not just one or the other, IMO.

Underrated: Paul Jackson (Headhunters), Carol Kaye, Mike Bitts (innocence mission)

Overrated: John Patitucci, Fieldy and I hate to say it, but to a certain extent, Geddy Lee

Mike Bitts

If you’re into the music of Genesis from Abacab to earlier...

My bass teacher will be playing May 17, 2019 at the Whitacker Center in Harrisburg, PA

THE GENESIS SHOW

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[Bortglomd]

IMHO, the most overrated of all time would be Verdine White.

Underrated would be Jerry Scheff

 

[RichardW]

Underrated: Peter Quaife. First bass player for the Kinks.

Overrated: me.

 

[IamGroot]

If you only play slap on every bass solo, you are probably overrated.

PS. Marcus Miller is one gifted musician. But he went over to the dark side and never returned.

Add Blo de Tiger to the overrated list while you are at it.

 

[IMMusicRulz]

I can think of quite a few under rated bassists.
Danny Klein of the J. Geils band
Dougie Thomson of Supertramp
And John Wetton from Asia

Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee and Chris Squire are all overrated bassists but they’re all still good.

 

[P. Aaron]

Just found this John Wetton pic on FB's Detroit Rock Scene page.

 

[mcdeepend]

Just like Jaco is just limited to fans of fusion/jazz? Pardon me, but everyone in the R&B world copies James Jamerson, not Jaco. And rock is the widest genre of music in existence, you can't influence more musicians than that. Again, whoever told you this information is dead wrong. Just because some bassist in the genres you mentioned might be influenced by Jaco, it's not even close to being most of them. You really are not getting Mr. Entwistle's magnitude. The man you quoted spoke facts. Yes, alot of people might play with a burpy tone, but how much of them play roundwounds, or basses with active electronics? Just so you know, Jaco used the strings that Entwistle designed, and I think that says a lot.


Jaco is an excellent virtuoso player, just not close to the four the man you quoted mentioned. They're really the people that changed the game, and it isn't about opinions, it's facts. Jaco did influence a bunch of people, just not even close to the people these guys influenced. I don't know why this is so hard to understand, why does Jaco has to be so damn important? Please, write me a list with his accomplishments. Matter of fact, forget it as you didn't even read what the former guy wrote, which was supposed to end it all.



You really have no idea what you're talking about. By the way, there's nothing special about John Paul Jones, nor Pino Palladino who tried to replace him and can't even approximate the Ox's sound nor technique. Marcus Miller is a copycat period, he doesn't deserve any place, anywhere. Jamerson sharers the spot with Entwistle. Wouldn't it hurt to check some history before you make such an inane comment? I'm defending Entwistle, and he's not even my favorite bassist, not even close in the list. I just have a lot of respect for a man that revolutionized the bass world like he did. Jaco? Pfft. He didn't do anything new, just developed very well something old. Entwistle, like Jamerson and Graham are people who rbought something completely new to the table.


I won't continue as I am really getting impatient with the incompetence of some. This is not a matter of taste, it's a matter of facts. Get your facts straight, then you can join the conversation.

Sooo, can we all just agree this ☝ is THE most wack comment ever posted on TB? I mean, seriously… it’s a whole thread closer ‍

 

[Ujin B]

An underrated bassist? I think Matt Freeman of Rancid is underrated. If he were in another kind of band (not a punk band) i think he would have more recognition.

 

[mrSaxonAcres]

I read through all 23 dang pages and was surprised that some of these names only got 1 mention apiece, at best:

Underrated:
Billy Cox, Band of Gypsys (Jimi Hendrix)
Tom Hamilton, Aerosmith
Roger Glover, Deep Purple (mk. II)
Joe Bouchard, Blue Oyster Cult
Holger Czukay, CAN
Eric Wilson, Sublime
Frank Bello, Anthrax
Steve DiGorgio, Death / Sadus / etc.

Overrated - not going to name names, but I think these things are overrated in general:
Slapping
Extended techniques
Speed for speed's sake

I'm not sure where dudes like David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) and such are considered. There's not a lot of discussion of metal, writ large. Either you're into it and know the players, or you don't like it / don't get it and it might as well be noise. Ironically, you can say the same thing about jazz! (I love both, btw).

 

[Low-Five]

^ Love me some Tom Hamilton and Frank Bello.

 

[mrSaxonAcres]

^ Love me some Tom Hamilton and Frank Bello.

Tom is SO underrated (edit: originally said overrated! Ah!!). It's strange that Duff McKagan gets props frequently enough, but if you study both dudes' approaches, Duff is kinda a poor man's Tom Hamilton. That's not a knock on Duff - great player. But I think Tom has got more creativity and groove.

 

[JesterR]

Underrated:
Juan Alderete
Pino Palladino

Overrated:
Slap-sport guys
Sting

 

[Michedelic]

Sooo, can we all just agree this ☝ is THE most wack comment ever posted on TB? I mean, seriously… it’s a whole thread closer ‍

Yeah, but that post is 13 years old, and the poster has gone away, so it’s of little importance. Not that I keep track of such things, but I’m sure there’s been equal absurdities since then.