Awesome Entwistle video

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:47 pm

"Jaco and the other flash guys mean nothing"

Jaco was way above the flash players. He was a born natural, with a way of thinking about the bass and it's possibilities, that many can't accept or perhaps it is that many can't grasp the significance of what he did on our chosen instrument. To me, "flash" players would include the likes of Victor Wooten and Bill Dickens. I agree that some of his music was over the top, but to me, Jaco's melodic interplay with Joni Mitchell was the high point in his playing; Jaco turned the bass into a voice.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 6:04 pm

He is to bass what Jimi is to lead guitar.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:30 pm

How about Ron Wood? Played bass with the Jeff Beck group. On Beckola he was unbelievable, had the best rock bass sound I've ever heard bar none and he played the hell out of that Tele bass. I thought he should have stayed on bass. He used Transonics at some part of his career BTW. If you like heavy twangy rock round wound bass played with a pick that stands out that album is a must have. I think he played with more feeling and melody than many other big time players and could have been a top all time player if he had stuck to bass.
Jaco was in a class of his own, I still remember listening to that Joanie Michell stuff when it first came out, also that big Weather Report hit, Byrdland; when he played melodically he was unbelievable. I have his first CD, I find it kind of boring but fascinating at the same time, especially the overtone stuff he did, was way ahead of his time and an unbelievable prodigy, imagine what he could have done if he hadn't have been a drug addict-alcoholic?
Yes and I forgot Mingus, he was phenomenal in many ways, unbelievable composer also.

ratso · Post by **ratso** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:48 pm

Love the basscam in that video. Cool Effect!

bobcat · Post by **bobcat** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 10:42 pm

I wouldn't consider Wooten a flash player, per se. Yes, a lot of what he does is solely to impress, but he's a really incredibly groovester when he's with the Flecktones. I'm really not a fan of his solo stuff: it's way too much about "how difficult can I make this piece?" He needs Bela and Futureman to back him up, and THEN he really shines.

Jaco was amazing. Period. Charles Mingus is a great bassist too. I wouldn't say he's brilliant (he is a brilliant songwriter though . . . one of the best ever), but he's definitely up there in terms of sheer feeling and ability.

Yeah, if you look at rock bass playing, you've really got two people who kind of started a chain reaction: Entwistle and McCartney. The vast majority of great bassists since then have cited at least one of these two as a primary influence. I guess you could also include Jack Bruce, as well, but for the most part, the Who and the Beatles shaped rock bass playing like no others.

Note: I don't consider soul, R&B, and funk to be "rock", really. They're closely related, but not, I feel, the same. If they were the same, Jamerson would be in that group as well.

tomg · Post by **tomg** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:30 am

RE: Berry Oakley

Not much of an Allman Brothers fan, but I do like Berry Oakley's playing. The bass line on Rambling Man is one of my favorite rock bass lines.

I'd also add a nod to Leon Wilkerson from Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sort of like the little brother of Berry Oakley.

Oh and let's not forget Bob Babbitt. My all time favorite bass line is on the Gladys Knight version of Midnight Train To Georgia. It's perfect.

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 3:24 am

Bob,

I'll throw a vote for Ron Wood! His bass playing is far better than anything he's done on guitar. Very tasty!
I thought he played a Jazz Bass though? I also read somewhere years ago that Beck insisted that the bass players in his band played Jazz Basses.

iamthebassman · Post by **iamthebassman** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 4:08 am

FWIW every shot I've seen of him playing bass he had a Telecaster Bass. They were all live, he may have used something else on record.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:02 am

Berry Oakley was great but I don't think he played on that song, Lamar Williams played the majority of that album, Oakley having died during the recording of it only played on two songs. I'm not positive though, whoever played it was great though.

pekka · Post by **pekka** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:06 am

There's a pic of Wood playing a Jazz on stage in the booklet of "Beckology".

jmh · Post by **jmh** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:34 am

Bobcat wrote:
|"Yeah, if you look at rock bass playing, you've really got two people who kind of started a chain reaction: Entwistle and |McCartney. The vast majority of great bassists since then have cited at least one of these two as a primary influence. I |guess you could also include Jack Bruce, as well, but for the most part, the Who and the Beatles shaped rock bass playing |like no others.

|Note: I don't consider soul, R&B, and funk to be "rock", really. They're closely related, but not, I feel, the same. If they |were the same, Jamerson would be in that group as well."

I agree. If I had to pick three, it would be Jamerson, McCartney, and Entwistle for their influences and originality.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:07 pm

I feel McCartney had much more influence on bass playing as a whole. I would also be willing to bet that Mac had a lot of influence on Entwistle. Mac was really the first to play melodic bass and bring it out of the background and also was much more visible during the mid 60's at least here in The States. The Who were just another good band until maybe the Tommy era. The came unto their own in the late 60's, early 70's. They didn't really influence many poeple until then, they were a niche band, hard rock, The Beatles played many different styles and Mac was very good at them all. The Kinks for example were much bigger and much more well known during the mid 60's than The Who were. I love the Who, don't get me wrong and also think Entwistle was great, one of the best, just kind of one dimensional, he had a certain style and stuck to it, he was a great bombastic hard rock player just like the band he came from.

charlyg · Post by **charlyg** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:24 pm

No one knows what it’s like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes

No one knows what it’s like
To be hated
To be fated
To telling only lies

But my dreams
They aren’t as empty
As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That’s never free

CharlyG aka lyricman (alter ego)

teeder · Post by **teeder** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:12 am

Thanks Pekka! For a couple minutes I thought I was loosing it. (again)!

studiotwosession · Post by **studiotwosession** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:49 am

>>...Adam Clayton; when I was younger and more technique obsessed I thought he was hopeless. But take away any of his lines from most U2 songs, and there's hardly anything else left.<<

Well, that's not exactly saying a lot for either the bass playing or the rest of the band, eh? The two bands that have done the most to eliminate everything but the simplest, least groove driven bass playing in pop, by way of influence on many bands that followed them, are U2 and the Pixies.