Annoying Twit

A number of example bands that I thought about came down to a tie between the bassist and the drummer. E.g. 801 (Manzanera, Eno, Wetton, Phillips if I remember correctly), and The Attractions (including Elvis Costello). I'd also agree with the comments above (including TimR) about musicians who are very technically skilled but lack some sort of musicality. Phil Manzanera isn't technically fantastic, but often what he plays is just so tasteful and right for the song. (I'd still rate Wetton as a musician over him, just). Brian Eno is limited as a musician, but is innately very musical). Robert Fripp is a musician for whom I don't find his solo music that involving, but he seems to come alive when he collaborates with other musicians, such as Bowie, Eno, or Sylvian. Similar for Percy Jones. I really enjoy his playing with other artists, but when I listen to Brand X, I appreciate the technical prowess of the playing, but the music doesn't grab me. Pat Methany has less technically complex music, but it's far more musical. But, this is a difference in compositional ability, rather than technical prowess.

I played one of these, and I am now convinced by the ebanol fretboard. I thought it felt really nice.

Distance Selling Regulations. Among other rights, they give the consumer the right to return goods bought at a distance (e.g. online) for a full refund including the outward carriage costs, providing that the consumer notifies the seller that they wish to return under the DSRs within seven days. I.e. you can buy a bass, and if you don't like it, you can return it within seven days. You will most likely have to pay the return postage however. http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/distance-selling-regulations

[quote name='Panamonte' timestamp='1398777991' post='2437495'] Probably false, given that both of them were already in demand session musicians when they first met. But to address the OP, the original question ignores the fact that bands are all about the musical relationship that exists among the players, so the notion of trying identify one member as being a 'better' musician than the others misses the point entirely. I think there's another thread about bands being more than the sum of their parts and I certainly believe that all the bands whose music I enjoy demonstrate a creative synergy that can't be laid at the door of one individual. [/quote] I don't think there is any incompatibility between bands being about the musical relationships between the players, and discussing whether there are any bands where the bass player is the best musician (by some subjective measure). What makes a band great (or not so great) isn't just one factor, but a combination of a lot of factors. No one that I've noticed is disputing that. However, I don't think that makes it impossible or unreasonable to single out one factor for separate discussion. We can talk about what (e.g.) makes a person someone's favourite member of a band, and that may not be instrumental prowess. Another thread might talk about bass players who are great songwriters, or bands where the bass player is the main songwriter. Another thread might talk about bass players who are the most physically attractive members of their bands (count me out of this one ). I.e. this thread 'ignoring' other important factors doesn't mean that this thread or I as the OP don't consider them important. Just that this thread was started to discuss one aspect of bass players in bands in particular.

I'm mentally predicting this will go for £200. And if it does, IMHO it will be well worth that. Anything £150 and under will be a bargain. If I bid on it and won it for that, my new running shoes budget would be £-230. That's taking the negative budget a bit too far

Ah, outbid already. But I knew that would happen. My budget for a fretless bass is currently -£80. Note: that's a negative sign. But, I've bought the bicycle and bits that I needed to, and now a fretless bass is the next personal purchase. I recently had a go on a Squier VM Jazz fretless, and really liked it., particularly the ebanol fretboard Then there's a the possibility of a Japanese bass like a Westone Thunder. Or, there's whatever might turn up over the next few months while personal purchase budget builds up.

Yoko Ono's "Rising". It's a good album, but not exactly middle of the road.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1398619866' post='2435823'] . . . can anyone think of examples where a successful band has split up and one (or more) of the members have gone on to become even more successful than the original band? My first thought was the Peter Green incarnation of Fleetwood Mac that was reinvented as a 'west coast' band and hugely successful, but it's not really an example of one band member going on to a highly successful career. My second thought was Phil Collins out of Genesis. It be argued that he was more successful than Genesis, in a 'top 10 pop' sort of way. Any other suggestions? [/quote] Beyonce. Robert Palmer. Heck, probably Elkie Brooks as well. How many people know of Vinegar Joe nowdays? George Michael. Wham were big, GM was bigger, I think. Does Crowded House count as Neil Finn formed the band after Split Enz split up? Peter Gabriel became more successful than Gabriel era Genesis, but probably not more than Collins era Genesis. Bachman-Turner Overdrive was by some measures more successful than Bachman era Guess Who. Burton Cummings had some massive hits after Guess Who broke up, but I'm not sure I'd classify this as more successful as his hitmaking solo career was short. Neil Young was more successful than Buffalo Springfield. CSN&Y confuse the issue a bit, however. Jeff Lynne led ELO was more successful than The Move. Bob Mould is probably more successful than Husker Du. Again, Sugar confuses things here. Norman Cook of The Housemartins. His Fatboy Slim persona was definitely more successful than The Housemartins.

[quote name='Colonel36' timestamp='1398673906' post='2436292'] I'm not sure that's true about Lennon, as it may have been Jasper Carrott that invented that Ringo quote. [/quote] It sounds like the kind of thing that Lennon would have said, but there's [url=http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=75;t=001306;p=1]no real evidence that he did say it[/url]. If it was said, it was much more likely to have been Lennon's snarky and often cruel humour than an honest evaluation. However, it was clearly untrue. Listen to McCartney's drumming on songs such as "Back in the USSR" and his first solo album "McCartney". IMHO he's nowhere near being as good as Ringo.

[quote name='Panamonte' timestamp='1398670468' post='2436262'] 'Better' than everyone else in the J.B.s? Really????? [/quote] I'm not too familiar with James Brown's music. But of what I've heard of BC era JBs sounded like most of the players were playing good stuff, but BC was a cut above. I personally am not including JB himself as I'm thinking of instrumental prowess, and hence aren't including vocalists. It could easily be that there are other tracks I haven't heard of where the other musicians get their chance to shine. Jimmy Page is really rated as a guitarist, and so is John Bonham as a drummer. The bar is so high for that band, that JPJ could easily be doing truly outstanding work, but still be subjectively and unscientifically outclassed by his bandmates. But I'm not really a fan of Led Zep. Except for "Houses of the Holy" and to a lesser extent LZ4, which I think are great. BTW: What prompted me to start this thread was hearing the age old joke 'What do you call a guy who hangs around with musicians? A (usually) drummer." retold as "What do you call a guy who hangs around with musicians? A bass guitarist." It got me thinking about how it's sometimes the bassist who is one of if not the most musical people in a band.

Yes, it's highly subjective. But any attempt to make the original question objective would quite likely stifle a whole lot of interpretations of the question that might be interesting discussions in themselves. E.g. do we give people votes for playing multiple instruments (e.g. John Paul Jones) or should it be for their bass playing. I prefer to hear a wider variety of interpretations of the question. As to whether or not the question is 'barking', I see that there is some interesting discussion on musicianship, so there may be some proof in the pudding. On-topic: Bootsy Collins in any band he's ever played in? Would Peter Hook be the bass player who has the least difficulty in out-classing his bandmates. Although it could be said that all of New Order rate as 'simple but effective'.

I thought it looked a bit normal for a 'Clement' bass, but I'm not familiar with the history of the brand It looks expensive, not cheap, now.

I'd on my phone and can't copy ebay addresses (or don't know how). But, isn't the Clement bass on for £275 a bargain?

In which bands wad/is the bass player the best musician in the band? John Lennon acknowledged Paul McCartney ad comparatively the best Nasser while he said the rest of the Beatles weren't outstanding. Mick Karn in Japan might be another example. Any mokre?

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1398498037' post='2434633'] Is the seller our own BigRedX? [/quote] http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stretcher-used-by-Dick-Venom-The-Terrortones-in-the-StickyPants-Trance-Video-/191039260707?pt=UK_Music_Music_Memorabilia_LE&hash=item2c7ad3c823

Waiting outside Peterborough station, holding a copy of "Bass Guitar for Dummies" so that I could be recognised.

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1398465728' post='2434536'] I don't get the whole 'Reissued' schtick. I own(ed) one of these basses. Did Vintage stop making them for a few years? Can you really claim to reissue a design that belongs to another builder? [/quote] The 'reissued' bit is marketing BS. But from what I've heard (you have direct experience), it's a reasonable bass, and well worth the £50.

Nothing exceptional or particularly newsworthy here. But this seems to be a decent chunk of bass for £50 if it's the model I'm thinking of. [url="http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/vintage-reissued-bass-guitar/1058560220"]http://www.gumtree.c...itar/1058560220[/url] Personally I'd prefer one of these for £50 than a Sue Ryder even brand new for £60 which is what they were blown out for.

Some nice looking Westones with very low starting bids, no reserves that I can see, and reasonable postage on the natural one. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Electric-Bass-Guitar-/251515064923?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item3a8f77525b http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westone-1A-Thunder-Bass-/281319540022?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item417ff38536

Sold for £102. Serious bargain.

I don't think anyone here is saying that it's nasty. However, it isn't the most sought after bass there is, nor does a sunburst Jazz make the owner stand out from the crowd.

Surely overpriced. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Second-Hand-Vantage-Bass-/191149341484?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2c81637b2c

Thanks. BTW: There may have been a misunderstanding. By "PJ Sound' I meant "Percy Jones" sound, mainly referring to the composition/improvisation rather than the actual bass sound. I'm wondering if you thought I meant "Precision Jazz" pickup sound when you mention the £80 bass.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1398421016' post='2433886'] Indeed, you [i]could[/i] do this. But I'm hearing a straight octave-up into some distortion on the videos above, a sound I got tired of very quickly. [/quote] Ah, I was talking about the technique in general. When I tried it myself, I used two pitch shifters, that had considerable flexibility in terms of frequency.