He, well, created the instrument as it is used in modern pop music. His finest monument may be heard in the lonely, mournful yet funky bassline to the song "Inner City Blues" by Marvin Gaye on the classic album What's Going On. Artistry on a higher level than most musicians can even imagine.
Just about every bassline Andy Rourke ever laid down with the Smiths. In particular: This Charming Man, The Queen is Dead, These Things take Time, Hand in Glove, Headmaster Ritual, There is a Light that never goes out,
Oh well.
It's not always about pyrotechnics or blazing speed - crafting out a melodic line that compliments the song well without overtaking it is a great skill. " There Is a Light" has always been one of my "gold standards" of crafting basslines (back when I played in bands and wrote originals) and if someone said that I was in that ballpark I'd have been mighty honored.
Well, with only 4 strings you can come up with some crazy combinations. If you can pluck notes with all the digits on your right hand you're golden as far as I see it.If you can do that there are more notes available to you than you could possibly stick into any song. Then you have to mentally cull the herd of notes down to whatever feels right at the time, and to re-empahasize,you have one more digit than strings, so why let that kind of firepower go to waste? You've got a finger there unemployed, just begging to go to work.So the evolutionary thing became to drop the pick and use your fingers more,thus more syncopated,complex rhythms IMO.(With all due respect to any bowed bass players )
When I was in boot camp I'd been playing guitar for maybe 5 years and had barely touched a bass and guitarwise I had barely learned the difference between a Telecaster, Strat, SG, ES, etc.. There was this African (I can't remember the country he was originally from or the dude's name) bass player in my company that played some song that remains unknown on the bass during a Sunday church service, which was the only sanity break allowed because it was the only place that had instruments that you could at least listen to and sniff from afar.
His playing and voice might have been magnified by the circumstances, but I swear I've never seen a bass/vocal performance like it.
Anyway,nothing worse than having to hear a 4/4 musical dinosaur telling you you're doing it wrong is what I alluded to earlier.I can play bass pretty well in a pinch.I just can't stand doing the "count on your fingers " type of playing .
Bass today is not your father's bass. . . it has evolved with some of the most complex harmonics, etc. . .
I must add that my brother-in-law, having toured with Savoy Brown and worked studio stuff for many, is one helluva damn fine bassist. He's always been fun to jam with. . .
Well, with only 4 strings you can come up with some crazy combinations. If you can pluck notes with all the digits on your right hand you're golden as far as I see it. If you can do that there are more notes available to you than you could possibly stick into any song. Then you have to mentally cull the herd of notes down to whatever feels right at the time, and to re-empahasize, you have one more digit than strings, so why let that kind of firepower go to waste? You've got a finger there unemployed, just begging to go to work. So the evolutionary thing became to drop the pick and use your fingers more, thus more syncopated, complex rhythms IMO. (With all due respect to any bowed bass players )
When I was in boot camp I'd been playing guitar for maybe 5 years and had barely touched a bass and guitarwise I had barely learned the difference between a Telecaster, Strat, SG, ES, etc. . There was this African (I can't remember the country he was originally from or the dude's name) bass player in my company that played some song that remains unknown on the bass during a Sunday church service, which was the only sanity break allowed because it was the only place that had instruments that you could at least listen to and sniff from afar.
His playing and voice might have been magnified by the circumstances, but I swear I've never seen a bass/vocal performance like it.
Anyway, nothing worse than having to hear a 4/4 musical dinosaur telling you you're doing it wrong is what I alluded to earlier. I can play bass pretty well in a pinch. I just can't stand doing the "count on your fingers " type of playing .
Stanley Clarke is insane. . . jaw dropping bass lines. Marcus Miller, Doug Johns, Victer Wooten. . . they can carry the bottom as well as anyone today, oh, and Craig Pilo. . . *and of course, leaving some others out. . . *
I'm primarily a guitarist and I've put as much time into learning vocals, so I just never had the time to delve that deeply into bass and hence have no clue who any of those guys are.
In that genre and during that time I'd say it was him and Stanley Clark.
Lots of great bass payers through the years but I can't think bass without thinking James Jamerson. I'm a total hack on the bass though and have no clue what it's all about.
I just look at it like it's the lower 4 strings of a guitar , which I have been told is wrong, so very, very wrong.
Bass today is not your father's bass...it has evolved with some of the most complex harmonics, etc...
I must add that my brother-in-law, having toured with Savoy Brown and worked studio stuff for many, is one helluva damn fine bassist. He's always been fun to jam with...
In that genre and during that time I'd say it was him and Stanley Clark.
Lots of great bass payers through the years but I can't think bass without thinking James Jamerson. I'm a total hack on the bass though and have no clue what it's all about.
Stanley Clarke is insane...jaw dropping bass lines. Marcus Miller, Doug Johns, Victor Wooten...they can carry the bottom as well as anyone today, oh, and Craig Pilo...*and of course, leaving some others out...*
yea, he sure did. . . abject poverty. . . and beaten to death, age 35. . . still, considered by many as the best bassist, ever. . . he has my vote on that.
In that genre and during that time I'd say it was him and Stanley Clark.
Lots of great bass payers through the years but I can't think bass without thinking James Jamerson. I'm a total hack on the bass though and have no clue what it's all about.
I just look at it like it's the lower 4 strings of a guitar , which I have been told is wrong, so very, very wrong.
us gemini's....
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