Your opinion on Les Claypool

[Stephen Soto]

Originally posted by Mojo-Man
Les looks at the bass his own way.
He is out there!
I like some of his stuff.
Be yourself, Dig everybody

Totally man.
I was talking to my friends about going to see Primus, and I'm taking like the biggest fans I know (Tyler Hole too ). And we were kind of talking about how crazy Les is, and he was saying that at Ozzfest 98' or whatever, he didn't know who they were, and after this death metal band came one, Primus did. And he said he was far away, and he said he thought there was this kinda skinny guy with a mustache and weird hat, that sang about cat's and sh*t. lol.

 

[xolin]

Oh...My love for Primus has just doubled...on the tour de fromage (coming to TO which i already got tix for) they are gonna play one set with some random stuff and their new stuff...then they will play the entire Sailing The Seas Of Cheese Album (their best studio album imo)! I love this album...i wanted them to play a lot from it..BUT THE WHOLE THING...F'n, eh, man!

Les is great, gotta meet him after show...anyone else goin to TO...ill be with my brother

 

[john turner]

his fretless intonation is not the best, but his playing is fun and so is his music.

 

[xolin]

Originally posted by john turner
his fretless intonation is not the best, but his playing is fun and so is his music.

True...but i play all his stuff on a fretted...so its fine by me! plus its not like he has perfect pitch (you've heard em sing ). I like his fretless stuff too, but ive seen live vids of him and he is rarely on the spot with that stuff, but it sounds great anyway...its all about the song man...not the technique...and he sure knows how to make a song (hendrix is similar, blah, blah, read primus in to post...)

 

[arambass]

intonation..........kinda important dont yall think?

 

[soupy112]

he inspired me to start playing bass, then there obviously is something to him. Hope that statment didn't sound the wrong way, it is just that I had pretty much no interest in music before I heard this man's absurd acts of dexterity on what I thought was a boring instrument. Then I heard 'To Defy the Laws of Tradition.' The Rest is history.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he has shaped the music industry in a unique way no one else of today has.

 

[xolin]

Originally posted by arambass
intonation..........kinda important dont yall think?

Yeah, well...considering he does a lot of slinding and hammer ons it doesnt make a huge difference (he still hits the correct notes if he gets them, but he misses some sometimes, not a big deal as it is not necessary in some parts of his songs). I dont see why it would be a big deal anyway, I'm not saying his bass isnt properly intonated, its just he doesnt always get it perfect on fretless cuz he goes fast and is sloppy.

I still believe that he is probably one of the best bass leads/musicians. He can right a song with bass as its centre like no one else. I mean there are some amazing songs with bass leads (i like marcus a lot) but a lot of others are just flashy or are just used as a component of a bigger musical undertaking. Claypool can make a whole song based on bass and express anything he wants with it...as i previously said...hendrix could do it with a guitar, and claypool with a bass (although its not the blues or anything ).

Well...i read this over and dont see my point...so here it is: Primus Sucks!

 

[Stephen Soto]

Originally posted by xolin
Well...i read this over and dont see my point...so here it is: Primus Sucks!

Yeah man, they do . But I think I know the point that you were trying to make... Les Claypool is the sh*t.

 

[artistanbul]

I like him. He's fun. Nice player. Probably a better player potentially. But that's the route he chose and who are we to criticise him of that. I don't understand people you know, a good comedy almost never makes it to top moveis of all the time. that's the reason. honest...

Not my favorite. But sure is one of them.

 

[sambass]

well, i didnt read all the other posts. so my opinion is that he is the ****ing man. inventive as hell, goofy fun excellent entertainer and bassist.

 

[groove machine]

Saw Primus in HI & after that got interested in getting a 6. Also got into Stanley Clarke after reading he was 1 of Les Claypools`s influences.

 

[NYBassMan]

Now lets start off by saying that i'm not your regular 14 year old just started playing bass wannabe yelling "OH MY GOD...LES IS GOD" couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact I'm 23. HAHAHA. No seriously....Les Claypool is right up there with my top 5 guys. In this order they are


1. Larry Graham- for being the first man to lay a thumb down on the bass.

2. Victor Wooten- his technique, and style

3. Tony Levin- Absolute Power, commanding the instrument

4. Les Claypool- for his originality..and still fronting the only BASS fronted band..mine will make number 2 as soon as it gets out to the public.

5. John Patitucci- Blessed with the most holy of 6 string knowledge and ability. ALL HAIL JP.



As I feel that i may have gayed out at the end of the thread..lol...i'm done

TONY

 

[scoogamooga]

He is a great player, that simple. He's sloppy? Hardly. He is original, and to be original, you have to break rules, and the best way to break rules, is to not know the rules. Is his music fun to listen to? Yes it is. And that is enough for me.

 

[Matt Till]

Originally posted by scoogamooga
the best way to break rules, is to not know the rules.

no, no, no. The best way to break the rules, is to learn the rules first. The best abstract artists are know it alls, who know what makes music tick and how to make it tock instead. Claypool can play non Claypooly (I've heard examples), but why should he. Claypool could be a kick ass normal bassist, but instead... he's Les Claypool.

 

[Wrong Robot]

Exactly.

what's that old adage I believe Ghandi said it..."Learn the Rules, so that you can break them properly"

 

[Joe Turski]

Originally posted by Wrong Robot
Exactly.

what's that old adage I believe Ghandi said it..."Learn the Rules, so that you can break them properly"

Anywhere but here at TB.....right?!

 

[Wrong Robot]

Originally posted by Slow Turkish guyi
Anywhere but here at TB.....right?!

no, it does apply here, it's just subtle and requires more thought.

 

[Joe Turski]

Originally posted by Wong Blowbot
no, it does apply here, it's just subtle and requires more thought.

OK, I see what you mean!!

 

[Stephen Soto]

Ah man... When I saw them in Santa Cruz (Primus), the crowd broke the baracade right in the middle of Groundhog's Day, before the heavier part... And they did this like, 15 minute jam that was cool as hell.
You could kinda tell that they made it up on the spot. Les was ALL over the neck, it was insane. He played SOOOOOOOO fast too, there were a few times in that jam where the crown, and I, just kinda stopped at dropped jaws.
I didn't really appreciate him as much until I saw Primus live, he's insane.

 

[Instrument Pimp]

Personally, I think the simple fact that Les created a band with a lead bass makes him very original, and if you add in the fact of how hard/crazy most of his riffs are, it lists him at or near the top of the list for any bass player of his genre or similar genres. I've spent hours and hours learning his riffs by ear, and it's very satisfactory. And I find most of his sloppiness appealing, although I'll admit that there are a few songs where he goes over the top, and then I can't even tell which noise is the bass and which is the drums... The one other thing that nobody's mentioned is the fact that even though he's a lead bass, he leaves solos to the other members of his band. I've known bands where all of the solos belong to one instrument in the band, and it gets monotonous...