arthurhenry Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 My keyboard player is only into bands with keyboards and doesn't enjoy anything else. So do you have to hear bass guitar to enjoy a particular band or piece of music? It's not essential for me, though I find it harder to make an emotional connection with music without bass. Eg. could never get into Jeff Beck's Guitar shop album - all keyboard bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartelby Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 If it's good music it's good music. I don't care what it's played on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 (edited) [quote name='arthurhenry' post='1244589' date='May 25 2011, 06:38 PM']My keyboard player is only into bands with keyboards and doesn't enjoy anything else. So do you have to hear bass guitar to enjoy a particular band or piece of music? It's not essential for me, though I find it harder to make an emotional connection with music without bass. Eg. could never get into Jeff Beck's Guitar shop album - [b]all keyboard bass.[/b][/quote] Stevie Wonder - don't get any better then that. So a 'like' here. Edited May 25, 2011 by lowdown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I think Guitar Shop is a great album. Soulive are great and they don't have a bass guitar,Steve Gadd's last album used Organ bass,loads of Michael Jackson' stuff was Synth bass. There is bass there,it's just not played on upright or bass guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 The Doors never used a bass player, all the bass parts were done on the organ but still a marvellous band nonetheless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='bartelby' post='1244590' date='May 25 2011, 06:39 PM']If it's good music it's good music. I don't care what it's played on.[/quote] plus the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1244594' date='May 25 2011, 06:43 PM']I think Guitar Shop is a great album. Soulive are great and they don't have a bass guitar,Steve Gadd's last album used Organ bass,loads of Michael Jackson' stuff was Synth bass. There is bass there,it's just not played on upright or bass guitar.[/quote] Which particular Micheal Jackson stuff are you referring to Dod.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rOB Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 White Stripes. admitedly not to everyone's taste but I really like some of their stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='bartelby' post='1244590' date='May 25 2011, 06:39 PM']If it's good music it's good music. I don't care what it's played on.[/quote] I agree but I do tend to lean towards music with a good rhythm section, can be synth bass and electric drums as long as it grooves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky L Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 There 99.99999999999% of the time always a bass line in there somewhere, not necessarily played on a bass, but there will be a bass thang going on. I don't think you can say that about any other instrument (or instrument sound) in popular recording. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='bartelby' post='1244590' date='May 25 2011, 06:39 PM']If it's good music it's good music. I don't care what it's played on.[/quote] +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPBassman Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 (edited) I couldnt close the musical spectrum down myself. I do have tendencies to over analyse tracks though. My wife hates my replaying habits in the car, she reckons I kill tracks for her by what I call audio learning. Edited May 25, 2011 by CPBassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munkonthehill Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Hobbayne' post='1244610' date='May 25 2011, 06:57 PM']The Doors never used a bass player, all the bass parts were done on the organ but still a marvellous band nonetheless![/quote] massive fan of the doors also. But they use bassists in their recordings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eight Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I don't need to hear a bass to like something; but I do like it a little more if there's some cool basswork on there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Hobbayne' post='1244610' date='May 25 2011, 06:57 PM']The Doors never used a bass player, all the bass parts were done on the organ but still a marvellous band nonetheless![/quote] This is only true of their live performances..The studio albums had sessions players on bass.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I love Tangerine Dream; no bass. There are probably loads of dance & trance acts that I like that don't use bass too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Good music is good music, doesn't matter what instrumentation is being used. There is always going to be something nice about listening to a good bass performance on a track though, it's part of the reason I like listening to Motown tunes. [quote name='TheGreek' post='1244674' date='May 25 2011, 07:39 PM']This is only true of their live performances..The studio albums had sessions players on bass..[/quote] As far as I was aware The Doors used both bass and Rhodes bass for live and studio didn't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='Hobbayne' post='1244610' date='May 25 2011, 06:57 PM']The Doors never used a bass player, all the bass parts were done on the organ but still a marvellous band nonetheless![/quote] The Doors used many session bassists on their albums including: Larry Knechtel Douglas Lubahn Kerry Magness Leroy Vinnegar Harvey Brooks Lonnie Mack Ray Neapolitan Jerry Scheff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 [quote name='bubinga5' post='1244613' date='May 25 2011, 06:59 PM']Which particular Micheal Jackson stuff are you referring to Dod.?[/quote] All those cool Greg Phillanganes synth bass parts....PYT,most of Bad and Dangerous,Alex Al's awesome synth pat on the live version of 'Jam'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMech Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 The early stuff of The Black Keys was just guitar and drums, and it worked perfectly well. For their last couple of albums they've had a studio bassist though, and the output is equally brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 Whilst I would agree with the principle of if it sounds good, I don't care either way, but many a time I've seen a band play live or heard music of a band playing without one, it often sounds odd or not quite right if the bass isn't there imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I's a bit of a Jarre freak, and I like loads of acoustic stuff. So... nah. There doesn't have to be bass. BUT... when it coms to The Black Keys, White Stripes, etc.. I'd rather hear them with a bass. Never liked the Doors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 A good song with a good arrangement. It doesn't matter what the instruments are so long as the overall effect sounds good. Of my 5 all-time favourite albums: One doesn't have any bass guitar on it at all - all the bass is produced by synthesisers. One if it does have any bass guitar on it then it comes from loops sampled from other records. One has has bass guitar on only two out of the 10 tracks on the album (one of which is played by Pino Paladino). They are the weakest two tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin7 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 I tend to like music which is bass-driven such as Cream's music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 (edited) When I thought about this question I realised I don't clock the bass on a large % of the records I listen to. A lot of the basslines in the songs I like are pretty basic and could be played in most bass players sleep. You could substitute it with a keyboard or an organ and nobody would notice. There are exceptions of course such as James Jamerson with his sublime groove and Paul McCartney with his melodic playing where the bass is way up in the mix. Tom Waits early stuff comes to mind too with Jim Hughart on double bass (and sometimes no other instrument except possibly a saxaphone). These songs wouldn't be half as good without a bass player playing a real live bass guitar/DB. So the answer is..........maybe? Edited May 25, 2011 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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