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Who's the better slapper: Flea or Les Claypool?

#45
Well, let' assume, for even the shortest of moments, that Talkbass represents a parallel world where one bassist can be decidedly better than another.

In this world, the level of advancement in any techniques that the player uses can be measured and added together, and his ability to compliment the music he plays can be assessed objectively with no thought of which type of music might be most pleasing to any one individual. Qualities such as originality, creativity, or in the most extreme cases actual innovation, are also factors to add to the equation.

In this world I firmly believe that Les Claypool is by far the superior bassist.

But this isn't the case in this universe and especially not on Talkbass, so I guess I will vote for a big bowl of carrot soup.

Martin
 
#50
Kwesi said:
Since when does Les Claypool even make music? I thought all those albums were just him fornicating with his bass with some kind of band behind him :D.
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Kinda like a meth and pork binge while wearing a banana hammock in the Arctic .

Les Does more than root --> octave hammer and plucks.
Don't get me wrong flea does some great work especially with Omar, but the guy's slapping leaves a lot to be desired.
 
#51
Tupac said:
I'd have to say Flea. Some of Claypool's songs are just flat out ridiculously difficult, but he doesn't have the funk Flea has. Also, Blackeyed Blond is my favorite slap riff ever.
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With these two I never got the impression that they did stuff others couldn't do and equally I would not be able to say which one of the two is "better".
I think it is more that it is the choices they make which sets them apart.
 
#58
To me Les Claypool is the man between the two. He is more original, he plays stuff that you don't expect and put effect to be more wacky and leaves you with a ... "How the F... did he do that?" On the other hand, Flea is just a cliché of funk/rock/pop but at least 20 years ago the energy made them entertaining now ... he is a pop cliché and not a good one.
 
#60
Claypool sort of whacks the bass and whatever notes come out are what they are. A lot of what he does amounts to technical parlor tricks, and I don't find it to be musical. Primus' music is designed to serve Claypool's playing and I can hardly imagine him in any other musical context.

Flea's playing serves the Peppers' music. He does what the song requires, including laying out. When he writes a featured bassline, it might end up iconic (bust a move), and others have sought him out for this reason.

To my ears, Flea is the better musician.
 

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