It's not about keeping it simple or trying to be clever, it's about the right bassline at the right time. As mentioned, some low end pyrotechnics will destroy the likes of an AC/DC number (I've seen it done) and my mind is forever scarred by a Stingray player I saw a long time ago who thought his popping and slapping through even the most tender of ballads was acceptable. Depending on your drummer and how your guitarist plays there can be a need for the bass to be a bit more expansive, but it has to fit in with how your band mates play. I, for one, feel physically ill every time I'm exposed to the combination of 'mediocre drummer-flashy bass player' - don't these people listen to their band mates? There is, perhaps, a self-imposed pressure to leave the punters under no doubt that one is capable of more than just some decent basslines, that a bassist can do widdly widdly and tapping too but remember this, Adam Clayton is richer and has [i]pl[/i]ucked more beautiful women than all of us put together so who, I ask, can really say what is right or wrong?