Sting Appreciation - as a bassist

[wateroftyne]

I really like him - right up until Mercury Falling. Everything since sounds like 'blippy blop laptop records' to me.

Fave album - Soul Cages

Fave Lines - I Burn For You, If I Ever Lose My Faith in You, Secret Journey... I could go on but I won't.

A mate of mine did a tour with him over Christmas, and ended up hob-nobbing with Springsteen & co. at a party in his New York apartment. The swine.

[Marvin]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='936442' date='Aug 25 2010, 09:34 PM']Fave album - Soul Cages[/quote]

I used to really like that one, even bought it on the day of release. But I can't stand it now, it always sounds whiny to me. Just my opinion.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Marvin' post='936456' date='Aug 25 2010, 09:38 PM']I used to really like that one, even bought it on the day of release. But I can't stand it now, it always sounds whiny to me. Just my opinion.[/quote]
Fairy nuff. It was a hard one for him to write, and it's pretty introspective.

[Stag]

I really like The Police and a lot of his solo stuff. Some of the tracks on Ten Summoners Tales are really excellent jazzy numbers with some lovely underpinning lines.

[Marvin]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='936458' date='Aug 25 2010, 09:39 PM']Fairy nuff. It was a hard one for him to write, and it's pretty introspective.[/quote]
I want to like it, occasionally I'll pop it on but then after the first few tracks I reach for the stop button. Still looks good on the CD shelve though I suppose

[Low End Bee]

Just for me and Guzzi.

Wearing Copeland's outsize shades due to hairspray in the minces accident in the dressing room.

[lonestar]

[quote name='silddx' post='936207' date='Aug 25 2010, 06:04 PM']Umm, it's not a competition

That Jaco song is not something I would ever want to hear again. Only the drums and voice make it funky. If I wanted to hear bass like that I would choose Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, which is much more listen-able, and a really good song.

It's Just Jaco showing off again, which is what he nearly always does. That's not a song, its a bass idea with music and vocal around it. The only thing I liked about it is that drum drop which makes the music lurch beautifully. That's it for me. Otherwise I would just switch off.[/quote]
+1 for Rhytm stick!
I like a lot ofweather report but some of my favourite Jaco is on Joni Mitchell's Hejira album.

[risingson]

[quote name='deathpanda' post='936178' date='Aug 25 2010, 05:32 PM']hate to always defend Jaco, but I'd love to see Sting write a song like this



not meaning to sound disrespectful to Sting, I actually quite like most of his stuff, but Jaco was as good a songwriter as any.[/quote]

Sting and Jaco Pastorius are completely different players and writers, alike in no way I can think of in particular apart from some of their vague jazz sensibilities. Sting is a massively talented writer, by the same logic you could probably argue that Jaco could have never written 'Seven Days'. If you're a jazz fan then you should listen closer to Stings solo stuff... Vinnie Colaiuta, Darryl Jones, Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride... some of the best jazz musicians to ever live all under 3 or 4 albums.

[deathpanda]

[quote name='risingson' post='936611' date='Aug 25 2010, 11:51 PM']Sting and Jaco Pastorius are completely different players and writers, alike in no way I can think of in particular apart from some of their vague jazz sensibilities. Sting is a massively talented writer, by the same logic you could probably argue that Jaco could have never written 'Seven Days'. If you're a jazz fan then you should listen closer to Stings solo stuff... Vinnie Colaiuta, Darryl Jones, Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride... some of the best jazz musicians to ever live all under 3 or 4 albums.[/quote]

I'm a fan of almost anything (with a shred of integrity, of course), and grew up listening to more Sting than Jaco. I have nothing but respect for the dude, but I was just trying to put across the point that I think Jaco was just as good a song writer. not better or worse, that's impossible to define, but I just don't agree with notion that Jaco was merely an "instrument operator". that's the only thing I took issue with...

moving on though... I will give his solo albums a listen and no doubt I'll probably like the f*** out of them.

[risingson]

[quote name='deathpanda' post='936632' date='Aug 26 2010, 12:08 AM']I'm a fan of almost anything (with a shred of integrity, of course), and grew up listening to more Sting than Jaco. I have nothing but respect for the dude, but I was just trying to put across the point that I think Jaco was just as good a song writer. not better or worse, that's impossible to define, but I just don't agree with notion that Jaco was merely an "instrument operator". that's the only thing I took issue with...[/quote]

Good man, I must have missed the 'instrument operator' part, thats a bit daft! Both extraordinary musicians as far as I'm concerned.

[xilddx]

[quote name='deathpanda' post='936632' date='Aug 26 2010, 12:08 AM']I'm a fan of almost anything (with a shred of integrity, of course), and grew up listening to more Sting than Jaco. I have nothing but respect for the dude, but I was just trying to put across the point that I think Jaco was just as good a song writer. not better or worse, that's impossible to define, but I just don't agree with notion that Jaco was merely an "instrument operator". that's the only thing I took issue with...

moving on though... I will give his solo albums a listen and no doubt I'll probably like the f*** out of them.[/quote]
I'm afraid that Jaco number you posted was pretty much proof to me that Jaco was nowhere near being a songwriter in the artistic sense of the word, and nowhere near Sting in terms of songwriting. For Jaco, it was all about the bass.

Sorry mate, not disrespecting you or anything.

[risingson]

[quote name='silddx' post='936642' date='Aug 26 2010, 12:14 AM']I'm afraid that Jaco number you posted was pretty much proof to me that Jaco was nowhere near being a songwriter in the artistic sense of the word, and nowhere near Sting in terms of songwriting. For Jaco, it was all about the bass.

Sorry mate, not disrespecting you or anything.[/quote]

It's still horses for courses, I find it hard pitting two great musicians with differing levels of technical ability and completely different target demographics against each other. I prefer to listen to Sting but maybe someone else might prefer listening to the director's cut of 'Donna Lee' (should it exist... I reckon it does). It's all a bit irrelevant if you ask me, I'm sure if you asked Sting I reckon he'd say the same thing.

[xilddx]

[quote name='risingson' post='936644' date='Aug 26 2010, 12:19 AM']It's still horses for courses, I find it hard pitting two great musicians with differing levels of technical ability and completely different target demographics against each other. I prefer to listen to Sting but maybe someone else might prefer listening to the director's cut of 'Donna Lee' (should it exist... I reckon it does). It's all a bit irrelevant if you ask me, I'm sure if you asked Sting I reckon he'd say the same thing.[/quote]
Agreed, but we're not talking about Shergar here

[risingson]

[quote name='silddx' post='936656' date='Aug 26 2010, 12:36 AM']Agreed, but we're not talking about Shergar here [/quote]

Well quite, although I hear Sting likes to keep a pocketful of sugarcubes in the off chance he or Trudy get peckish

[wombatboter]

[quote name='Stag' post='936503' date='Aug 25 2010, 10:06 PM']I really like The Police and a lot of his solo stuff. Some of the tracks on Ten Summoners Tales are really excellent jazzy numbers with some lovely underpinning lines.[/quote]

There used to be a time that I played that album every day for weeks and weeks... There isn't a bad song on it.
Me and a drummer used to share a car when we drove to gigs and everytime we put that cd on which led to a lot of airdrumming (the splashes in "Seven Days", etc..). It became such a habit that one time we got into the car and said "we can not listen to it agàin, let's listen to something else" but after a couple of miles listening to another band we looked at eachother, laughed and put the Sting-cd back in the player. The drummer died years ago suddenly of a heart-attack (great musician and a joy to play with) but I still do the airdrumming when I'm in my car when I put that cd on.
Had the pleasure to see Sting during a tv-show over here in Belgium fifteen years ago when we shared the same corridor with dressing rooms and he walked a couple of times passed me (I was too shy to say anything).
Great musician but the new albums don't do it anymore for me (I noticed that the first three songs were always excellent and then it went down to the hill)

[lonestar]

[quote name='risingson' post='936660' date='Aug 26 2010, 01:00 AM']Well quite, although I hear Sting likes to keep a pocketful of sugarcubes in the off chance he or Trudy get peckish [/quote]

mmm tantric sugar

[lonestar]

[quote name='risingson' post='936660' date='Aug 26 2010, 01:00 AM']Well quite, although I hear Sting likes to keep a pocketful of sugarcubes in the off chance he or Trudy get peckish [/quote]

mmm tantric sugar

[blamelouis]

I'm a BIG Sting/Police fan .

Shadows in the rain - love that bassline , the use of space with summers expensive tonal colours constantly changing the line ahhh musical heaven especially live .
Deadend job - great pumping bassline.

[Wil]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='936526' date='Aug 25 2010, 10:20 PM']

Just for me and Guzzi.

Wearing Copeland's outsize shades due to hairspray in the minces accident in the dressing room.[/quote]

Whenever I see this video I come to the conclusion that The Police were pretty much the coolest band ever.

[nomis]

i love the police as a band, amazing song writers,

sting isnt the most technical bass player but he knows when to play and when to shut up!

sign of a good player!

[Spoombung]

To get to Sting's bass playing you have to get past his silly, high-pitched voice and cod - Jamaican accent ...and I'm not prepred to do that, I'm afraid.

[peteb]

Re. the Sting / Jaco comparisons

I'm sure that Sting would be the first to be embarrassed to be compared to Jaco as a bass player – different stratosphere mate!

Jaco composed some nice pieces of music (Portrait of Tracy, etc) but there is no doubt that Sting is a far better pop/rock songwriter – the Police were one of THE great singles bands……

[xilddx]

[quote name='Spoombung' post='937908' date='Aug 27 2010, 10:51 AM']To get to Sting's bass playing you have to get past his silly, high-pitched voice and cod - Jamaican accent ...and I'm not prepred to do that, I'm afraid.[/quote]
I love his voice, and it's better than ever now. I've always loved his voice.

[xilddx]

[quote name='peteb' post='938099' date='Aug 27 2010, 02:08 PM']Re. the Sting / Jaco comparisons

I'm sure that Sting would be the first to be embarrassed to be compared to Jaco as a bass player – different stratosphere mate!

Jaco composed some nice pieces of music (Portrait of Tracy, etc) but there is no doubt that Sting is a far better pop/rock songwriter – the Police were one of THE great singles bands……[/quote]
Well said Pete.

[risingson]

[quote name='peteb' post='938099' date='Aug 27 2010, 02:08 PM']Re. the Sting / Jaco comparisons

I'm sure that Sting would be the first to be embarrassed to be compared to Jaco as a bass player – different stratosphere mate!

Jaco composed some nice pieces of music (Portrait of Tracy, etc) but there is no doubt that Sting is a far better pop/rock songwriter – the Police were one of THE great singles bands……[/quote]

+1

[quote]To get to Sting's bass playing you have to get past his silly, high-pitched voice and cod - Jamaican accent ...and I'm not prepred to do that, I'm afraid.[/quote]

Pete Townshend said a similar thing. I reckon he's got one of the best voices in popular music though.