Decent bass playing by a non-bassist?

[Annoying Twit]

There is a lot of criticism given to players of other instruments who decide to play bass. Much of it justified IMHO. But I quite enjoyed Steve Winwood's playing on "Empty Pages" from the Traffic album "John Barleycorn must die". A bit loose, but it fits the late 60s/early 70s vibe of the album. In my very humble opinion. Not that it's flashy or virtuoso playing, but IMHO it just works.

Anyone else agree or disagree?

[url="http://www.we7.com/#/song/Traffic/Empty-Pages+2"]http://www.we7.com/#/song/Traffic/Empty-Pages+2[/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgyJt-MgaIg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgyJt-MgaIg[/url]

Edited June 24, 2010 by Annoying Twit

[risingson]

I think this is pretty interesting, because as far as I'm concerned, Paul McCartney sounds like a guitarist on a bass a lot of the time. This is not a criticism, on the contrary I think it gives the instrument a unique slant when someone who translates their skills from a separate instrument onto another, and as far as I'm concerned, thats what made McCartney so widely imitated and admired. I don't buy the whole 'guitarist can't play bass' or vice versa, I think it's irrelevant... if you have a musical talent then generally, applying it to an instrument regardless of your level of skill on the given instrument is interesting to hear. John Lennon said 'he was an artist... you give me a tuba and I could get you something out of it'.

I do think multi-instrumentalists can spread themselves too thin and never achieve technical proficiency on one particular instrument, but actually, it's the musicality of it all that concerns me. I'd much prefer to listen to a well written song than a bunch of musicians with technical proficiency but no real soul.

[Golchen]

I think that bassists need to get off their pedestal and also knock the guitard chip off their shoulder.

[arthurhenry]

Tom Scholz's bass playing on the first two Boston albums is outstanding and unless my ears are very much mistaken it's all played finger style.

[bubinga5]

bad tone but i guess its the recording...Prince on a warwick..

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb7HIMRpH1Q&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb7HIMRpH1Q...feature=related[/url]

prince slapping

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELyFLNUbPN0&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELyFLNUbPN0...feature=related[/url]

Edited June 24, 2010 by bubinga5

[Ian Savage]

Wasn't Hendrix a bass player originally, or have I made that up?

And Ginger (the band's guitarist/frontman) apparently played a lot of bass on mid-era Wildhearts albums, mainly due to the actual bassist being a smackhead.

[Huw Foster]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='876657' date='Jun 24 2010, 05:38 PM']Wasn't Hendrix a bass player originally, or have I made that up? [/quote]
Not quite - Noel Redding was a guitarist, but was encouraged to play bass for the Experience.

Good call on Prince - he's just too good at everything though. Alphabet St. = WHAT THE HELL.

Daniel Gildenlöw of Pain of Salvation is an accomplished singer/guitarist, but he played most of the bass on their last two albums. I reckon he could've done a worse job!

[Golchen]

I have a Sammy Hagar solo album on vinyl. Sammy palys all the guitars and Eddie van Halen does all the bass! I honestly can't recall what the bass playing sounds like now as I haven't had a turntable rigged up for over a decade now ....

[SJA]

Steve Stevens on Billy Idol's "flesh for fantasy"

and the bassline on Alannah Myles' "black velvet" was done on a keyboard (hence the unusual note choices in the fills).

Edited June 24, 2010 by SJA

[Chris2112]

Joe Satriani has played a lot of bass parts on his records over the years and he has done some fantastic lines. IIRC, this song has Joe on the bass and he really gives it some groove. Incredible piece of music too.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_77Q9bSjPoc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_77Q9bSjPoc[/url]

[RhysP]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='876657' date='Jun 24 2010, 05:38 PM']Wasn't Hendrix a bass player originally, or have I made that up? [/quote]
I remember reading an interview with Lemmy where he said that Hendrix actually played a lot of the bass on his albums, not Noel Redding.

[discreet]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' post='876374' date='Jun 24 2010, 01:29 PM']Anyone else agree or disagree?[/quote]

Agree absolutely. He plays [i]all[/i] the instruments on his eponymous first solo album, and the album [i]Arc Of A Diver[/i].
Both these albums feature some great grooves and excellent playing. Class act!

Been listening a lot recently to [i]Crossing The Line[/i], the live version:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImB33H02zVo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImB33H02zVo[/url]

Sweeet.

[RhysP]

[quote name='discreet' post='876697' date='Jun 24 2010, 06:23 PM']Agree absolutely. He plays [i]all[/i] the instruments on his eponymous first solo album, and the album [i]Arc Of A Diver[/i].
Both these albums feature some great grooves and excellent playing. Class act![/quote]
+1

[arthurhenry]

Ian Anderson's bass playing on Jethro Tull's Stormwatch is well worth a listen. Tull's brilliant bass player John Glascock was in ill health at the time and only played on a couple of tracks. Naturally, the bass is very high in the mix.

[JamieBenzies]

[quote name='RhysP' post='876696' date='Jun 24 2010, 06:22 PM']I remember reading an interview with Lemmy where he said that Hendrix actually played a lot of the bass on his albums, not Noel Redding.[/quote]

I'm not much of a Hendrix fan but I do recall this bit about him, he played almost all the bass in studio recordings and in fact he played very tastefully, again nothing too flashy but exactly what was required of the music. I think Noel Redding was his live bass player, and to be honest I think he butchers some really great songs, especially in the woodstock videos I saw a while back... if that is him...

Edited June 24, 2010 by benzies123

[gjones]

The Stones 'Sympathy for The Devil' has Keef playing on bass. Bill Wyman is relegated to maracas.

[pete.young]

Walter Becker on Kamakiriad.

[RhysP]

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='876807' date='Jun 24 2010, 08:16 PM']Ian Anderson's bass playing on Jethro Tull's Stormwatch is well worth a listen.[/quote]
I'd agree with that, his playing is excellent, especially on "A stitch in time". I thought it was Dave Pegg when I first heard it.

[witterth]

[quote name='gjones' post='876880' date='Jun 24 2010, 09:39 PM']The Stones 'Sympathy for The Devil' has Keef playing on bass. Bill Wyman is relegated to maracas.[/quote]
True but wasnt "vituoso" playing was It?
Keef?.....Gaahh!!
Bill, if allowed, could have done,the what?8 to 16 notes required...in fact, so could a trained gibbon

"oowwh oowwh oowwh, the funky gibbon,....the funky gibbon"
the goodies, circa 1974

[TomKent]

I agree with the fact that guitarists can play bass, because as a guitarist myself I can play.. ish! However, what many guitarists lack is the idea of space and playing roots and not twiddling around the 9th fret playing a fast pentatonic riff constantly when it's wildly out of context when playing bass, but that's just a practice and experience thing.

[witterth]

[quote name='TomKent' post='877009' date='Jun 25 2010, 12:08 AM']I agree with the fact that guitarists can play bass, because as a guitarist myself I can play.. ish! However, what many guitarists lack is the idea of space and playing roots and not twiddling around the 9th fret playing a fast pentatonic riff constantly when it's wildly out of context when playing bass, but that's just a practice and experience thing.[/quote]

You're spot on there T, in fact there's a whole thread dedicated to the fact bass playing is context specific and best left to the experts, who have disipline and patience, and that chaps who are guitar players first just dont quite "get it". cant remember its title though.

"context specific and best left to the experts, who have disipline and patience"
hhmmm sounds like Im talking about bomb defusal dosen't it?
god I really can be an ars£/tw@t at times

Edited June 25, 2010 by witterth

[chris_b]

On the Aretha Franklin album Young, Gifted and Black Eric Gale played bass on Don't Play That Song For Me. He did a great job, playing a very musical and rhythmical line. That's why he was the guitarist of choice for about 20 years in the New York session world.

This isn't him but it's his bass line.

[SJA]

more Stones ones- Mick Taylor on tumbling dice,
Ron Wood on Emotional rescue (quite guitar-ish though)

Edited June 25, 2010 by SJA