Why all the Duff bashing?

[ianm76]

Ok, so I was a bit off, and combined multiple comments, but here's the main ones,

"Matt and I worked hard to create much more of a groove (on Contraband), and I played deeper in the pocket than I've ever played. Our job was to create the foundation, so we said, 'Okay, let's make the best f**kin foundation we can.'"

"In Guns, it was easier to play fills and runs because of the way Axl sang. We wrote the music without him and he put his lyrics on later. Scott is more involved, and he found brilliant parts for vocals in places we couldn't have imagined. So I'm underplaying, letting him do his thing."

-From Guitar World's Bass Guitar, June/July 2004.

 

[pbass6811]

I think this is bs , if the bass player was not good enough to the extent that the whole albums bass parts had to be redone then surely the band would have parted ways with him , especially seeing as axl is not the type to mess around when it comes to firing his band members.
I hear these kind of rumours all the time about various bands band members not having played on their albums.

I hear it a lot, as well! It happened to Tony Levin on Peter Gabriel's "Shock The Monkey", and Tony Levin is a much better bassist than Duff! Why couldn't it have happened? And why would Steve Bailey make that up? Not saying he didn't, but why would he? Again, I will stand up and say that I think Duff is ok...I like his playing.

 

[BassManDan101]

duff is IMHO a very good bass player. He's great in the way his lines are very cool, catchy and simple. He can be solid (It's So Easy), he can be funky (Rocket Queen, Locomotive) he can be creative (Pretty Tied Up, Sweet Child O' Mine) and he could (back in the day) do all this with a fair amount vodka in his bloodstream. I challenge most bassists to play Mr. Brownstone at full speed, especially under the influence of alot of BOOZE and with you're bass at your knees! (Not that it's condonable). He also looks badass.

 

[gjbassist]

I like Duff just fine!

 

[selowitch]

Duff McKagan is definitely a good bassist. A good example his supportive play with a few good fills would be Paradise City. I personally don't play with a pick very often, but he definitely shows there how that technique can be used effectively.

 

[kawika5150]

Love the bassline on Rocket Queen.

 

[lowendgenerator]

IMO Duff McKagan is one of the best, if not THE best bass player to come out of LA in the 1980s butt-rock scene. When everyone else was pedaling 8th notes on the A string, Duff took it in a completely different direction and made the bass noticeable. Could you imagine if, let's say, Bobby Dahl from Poison pushed his root note banality all over AFD? *shudder*

So he doesn't slap, play a funky looking bass made from something out of the rainforest, or endorse anything boutique. He's solid as hell, and I think that scares some of the million-note-per-minute crowd.

#completelybiased