Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

rickenbrother wrote:I don't think Gene Simmons was so bad. I enjoy many of his bass lines, playing them are fun. He sang lead and backing vocals and played his bass well at the same time.

And he certainly held down the "business end" side of things amazingly well.

Arguably beyond compare.

rickenbrother wrote:I don't think Gene Simmons was so bad. I enjoy many of his bass lines, playing them are fun. He sang lead and backing vocals and played his bass well at the same time.

Agreed, and while I've never been a big fan of his playing, he must be doing something right - you'd be hard pressed to name another player who has made more money by playing bass than Gene, with Macca or JPJ being the possible exceptions.

rickenbrother wrote:I don't think Gene Simmons was so bad. I enjoy many of his bass lines, playing them are fun. He sang lead and backing vocals and played his bass well at the same time.

Anyone who can sing and play bass well is alright in my books too Joey.

Jaco Pastorius (+"treble bass" and slap bass in general.)

mikko wrote:and slap bass in general.)

That's a style that gets way overused in my opinion. Every time I go to the bass section of a music store, that's all I hear...who can slap faster with more notes than who! Sounds like some undernourished guy wearing too much bling falling marble stairs. It's even worse at the NAMM show. It's a refreshing change to go to the RIC booth and know I won't have to hear that! I like a little slap bass used sometimes as an accent in a song, not the whole song. I was trying out an amp at the last winter NAMM, playing bass normally. One of the guys who worked the booth came up to me and said, "Nice to hear you play normal bass lines, it's a nice change from all the helicopter bassists we get most of the day!" I thought the "Helicopter bassist" remark aimed at over achieving slap bassists was amusing.

My least favourite bass players are all those great musicians that make me look like the hack I am....

rickenbrother wrote:

mikko wrote:and slap bass in general.)

It's a refreshing change to go to the RIC booth and know I won't have to hear that!

I guess you haven't been around when I'm there.

s4001 wrote:

rickenbrother wrote:

mikko wrote:and slap bass in general.)

It's a refreshing change to go to the RIC booth and know I won't have to hear that!

I guess you haven't been around when I'm there.

Yes I have, plenty of times, but you were never plugged into a 500+ watt amp with the tweeter on 11!

winston wrote:Anyone who can sing and play bass well is alright in my books too Joey.

...More in the defense of Gene Simmons. Like what Gene Simmons and KISS and their act are or not, they put over 100% of their effort to put on shows that are sonically and visually fun...and while few of the bands or acts that some of your favorite bassists were playing for were making things difficult for their opening acts, Gene Simmons and KISS were helping many of the new bands that opened for them.
And he has the same last name as John Simmons!

i would have to say bassists that i have been disappointed by,from previously hearing other people's buildup/opininon of...the winner would be Les Claypool,but like some others have noted,not so much the bass work (he obviously has skill) but from the music his band(S) produce. just not my cuppa at all. have to say the same about the fleck tones/vic wooten,and MOST jazz rock fusion....however i love stan clarke,alf johnson,and jaco,(i'm not that fond of his work w/ms mitchell,but thats probably because i stopped listening to her when she went in that jazz direction) also i agree that guy in metal-lick-a looks ridiculous....but like most music of that genre,i completely tune out (or off) when i run across it.....i mean if you can't stand the music,you are not gonna listen to what the bass player is doing.....

Jaco. I don't get the fascination and i probably never will...

And Gene Simmons.

Lemmy - sorry I don't get the music although I'd love to own an LK signiture bass

winston wrote:

rickenbrother wrote:I don't think Gene Simmons was so bad. I enjoy many of his bass lines, playing them are fun. He sang lead and backing vocals and played his bass well at the same time.

Anyone who can sing and play bass well is alright in my books too Joey.

Amen to that. I didn't like KISS at first when I was a kid because all the stoner kids liked them, and most of those kids came across as idiots to me, but after listening to their songs I thought they had some really cool material, so I was going to like them anyway. ha.

I really appreciate Gene Simmons' intelligence, personality, and business success, as well as musical ability, and ditto what Brian, and Joey, said!

just_bassics wrote:Least favorite bassist? Not worth answering.

Least favorite RRF thread? Probably this one...

I must agree. I would have a hard time coming up with a "least favorite" for any instrumentalist...(except for a classical music situation). Now, start one about vocalists and about composers and I think we would have a Thread.

I find it amusing that the names listed in this thread are the same names listed in "favorite bassists" threads.

yeah,just by different people!