Why were older basslines so much more interesting?

[Stub Mandrel]

I've just put my bass down after a play through of Keep On Running.

 

IMHO it's a great piece of music with a driving bassline featuring good syncopation and memorable riffs. Despite few 'blue' notes it manages to convey a great sense of movement.

 

Other great examples: Heard it on the Grapevine, Sunny Afternoon, Jean Genie... but even some superficially simple songs contain subtle little details. 

 

It's not Beethoven, but it's way more complex than most modern 'pop' music. When waiting to go on, I often quietly play along to the DJ/Jukebox and you can crack many modern songs =very quickly. Why have the basslines of popular music become so basic (excuse the pun)?

 

Is it just that old-school bass players had a bit more theory knowledge? Or just that modern music is so dance oriented the bass has just become an extension of the kick drum?

[Woodinblack]

As I am sure you are aware, it is because all this modern music is just boom boom boom and you don't need a good bass for that

 

Or maybe it is because older music was made by fewer people, who happened to be good, like all the motown song were actually only played by small numbers of musicians, with a large output, whereas in the 80s there was a much larger democracy of players, some good, some bad, and a large number of them only playing the bass because they were the worst guitarist. Then of course, music died in the 90s, and it was just whatever the TB303 put out

 

[ghostwheel]

I'd really like to know what do you think about these two, @Stub Mandrel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU0P4DjnK8w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q_PUIp2XbE

[Beedster]

10 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Is it just that old-school bass players had a bit more theory knowledge? Or just that modern music is so dance oriented the bass has just become an extension of the kick drum?

 

It's because you're listening to thw wrong modern music 👍

 

I have a playlist call 'Great basslines' that are tracks that I hear on the radio, usually tracks that I'd not heard before, and usually by artists that surprise me, e.g., Olivia Rodrigo, Harry Styles, Billy Eilish etc. There is some great bass playing out there 👍