Flea names his pick for "the greatest rock bass player" of all time

6,139 Views | 90 Replies | Last: 5 mo ago by ABattJudd
Know Your Enemy
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Aggie Therapist said:

Know Your Enemy said:

Aggie Therapist said:

wangus12 said:

All I know is that its definitely not Paul
This might be, for the first time ever, where everyone on TexAgs agrees on something.


I wouldn't name him as the best bass player but he is way better than most people give him credit for. My vote would be John Paul Jones.
I pinned you for a Rex Brown type of guy.

Lol, Rex is a legend in his own mind. I've hung out with him a few times and he's living in a fantasy land with regards to his importance in music history. He talks a ton of **** for somebody that's about 120 pounds soaking wet and riddled with health problems.
Know Your Enemy
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well_endowed_ag said:

It's a pet peeve of mine when somebody makes a "best of" musicians list, and the top of the list is populated by musicians who are clearly not the best, but the creator of the list feels like they deserve credit because the bands they were in were super popular or influential.

If you're going to make a "best of" list or name a "best" musician on a particular instrument, then actually name the best musician(s). Maybe Paul McCartney is the most influential bassist of all time, but that's a different list. He's clearly not the best. Flea himself is far better.

I guess it depends how you define "best" then. To me that doesn't mean who can play the fastest. I gravitate towards players who have more feel and write cool bass lines that compliment the songs. Same for other instruments. Just because death metal guys can play faster than everyone wlse doesn't make them better in my opinion. Being an innovator also scores a ton of points for me.
Aust Ag
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well_endowed_ag said:

It's a pet peeve of mine when somebody makes a "best of" musicians list, and the top of the list is populated by musicians who are clearly not the best, but the creator of the list feels like they deserve credit because the bands they were in were super popular or influential.

If you're going to make a "best of" list or name a "best" musician on a particular instrument, then actually name the best musician(s). Maybe Paul McCartney is the most influential bassist of all time, but that's a different list. He's clearly not the best. Flea himself is far better.
Very high on an "Influential" list for sure. I know he is highly thought of among musicians though for his work in The Beatles, like Geezer Butler . I can listen to that bass line in Paperback Writer all day. Come Together is a sneaky good bass line throughout. Doesn't always have to be all over the place.

I'm sure Flea has his reasons, probably many we haven't even thought of.
Cliff.Booth
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Colin from Radiohead writes great bass parts.
Tanya 93
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Jeff Ament
Lathspell
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well_endowed_ag said:

It's a pet peeve of mine when somebody makes a "best of" musicians list, and the top of the list is populated by musicians who are clearly not the best, but the creator of the list feels like they deserve credit because the bands they were in were super popular or influential.

If you're going to make a "best of" list or name a "best" musician on a particular instrument, then actually name the best musician(s). Maybe Paul McCartney is the most influential bassist of all time, but that's a different list. He's clearly not the best. Flea himself is far better.
Kind of disagree with you, here. If you are saying "Best" without qualifying how you are discerning "Best", then it is very subjective.

If someone is technically better at playing an instrument over someone else, but the other person has written better songs, why is the one who is technically more proficient the Better of the two? I would argue that the one who writes the better music is better. To me, it can be the difference between a drummer who overplays fills and doesn't sit in the pocket and plays just the right thing.

Now, if you want to have a ranking of the most technically proficient, then say so.
Aggie Therapist
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Know Your Enemy said:

Aggie Therapist said:

Know Your Enemy said:

Aggie Therapist said:

wangus12 said:

All I know is that its definitely not Paul
This might be, for the first time ever, where everyone on TexAgs agrees on something.


I wouldn't name him as the best bass player but he is way better than most people give him credit for. My vote would be John Paul Jones.
I pinned you for a Rex Brown type of guy.

Lol, Rex is a legend in his own mind. I've hung out with him a few times and he's living in a fantasy land with regards to his importance in music history. He talks a ton of **** for somebody that's about 120 pounds soaking wet and riddled with health problems.


Well that's unfortunate to know. I thought he would be a bit more humble.

I could probably go interview 100 people and ask them who Rex Brown is and 2 would know him
maroon barchetta
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I don't know Rex Brown
Houston Lee
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Aggie Therapist said:

Flea names his pick for "the greatest rock bass player" of all time (msn.com)

"Paul McCartney"

What say you TexAgs?

There are many great rock bass players out there but I'm going with Cliff Burton.

(Incoming Rock vs Heavy Metal debate)
100% Paul McCartney
The Marksman
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Flea is being modest; it's him
Know Your Enemy
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Aggie Therapist said:

Know Your Enemy said:

Aggie Therapist said:

Know Your Enemy said:

Aggie Therapist said:

wangus12 said:

All I know is that its definitely not Paul
This might be, for the first time ever, where everyone on TexAgs agrees on something.


I wouldn't name him as the best bass player but he is way better than most people give him credit for. My vote would be John Paul Jones.
I pinned you for a Rex Brown type of guy.

Lol, Rex is a legend in his own mind. I've hung out with him a few times and he's living in a fantasy land with regards to his importance in music history. He talks a ton of **** for somebody that's about 120 pounds soaking wet and riddled with health problems.


Well that's unfortunate to know. I thought he would be a bit more humble.

I could probably go interview 100 people and ask them who Rex Brown is and 2 would know him

He was cool to me because I was with a lifelong friend of his but he talked all kinds of **** about how he would kick Vinnie Paul's ass. Stuff like that. I just bit my tongue. Vinnie is twice his size and made a living beating things with sticks. He would have destroyed Rex in a brawl. I went to a HS with a ton of Italians and in my experience the smaller they are the more **** they talk. Rex fit that same mold. But his ego was already out of control before this "Pantera" thing they're doing now. Even when he was struggling to pay his bills. I've been told that they even excluded him from some of the band meetings as this was being planned. They knew he'd do as he was told in order to be included.
maroon barchetta
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Geddy loved McCartney and Jack Bruce and The Ox and John Paul Jones and especially Chris Squire. Tons of younger bass players love Geddy.

He also praised Jeff Berlin.

Jaco is not a rock bassist but is considered by many to be Top 5.

Billy Sheehan
Victor Wooten (not really rock)
Stu Ham

There is no "best". Not on any instrument. There are just great musicians that bring different things to the table and are great at what they do.
Know Your Enemy
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One guy I love that most people don't know was Allen Woody. His work on the early Gov't Mule albums is incredible. If I was to play bass I would want to get as close to his tone as possible.
ABATTBQ11
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Unpopular opinion, but the Beatles aren't that great
ElephantRider
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ABATTBQ11 said:

Unpopular opinion, but the Beatles aren't that great

I second that.
maroon barchetta
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Must be why they failed and didn't influence any other musicians.
PatAg
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Aggie Therapist said:

Flea names his pick for "the greatest rock bass player" of all time (msn.com)

"Paul McCartney"

What say you TexAgs?

There are many great rock bass players out there but I'm going with Cliff Burton.

(Incoming Rock vs Heavy Metal debate)
Flea played bass on The Mars Volta's Deloused in the Comatorium?
Aggie Therapist
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ElephantRider said:

ABATTBQ11 said:

Unpopular opinion, but the Beatles aren't that great

I second that.


I third that. Just doesn't move the needle for me.

Taylor Swift has done more for music than the Beatles ever did.
Belton Ag
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Aggie Therapist said:

ElephantRider said:

ABATTBQ11 said:

Unpopular opinion, but the Beatles aren't that great

I second that.


I third that. Just doesn't move the needle for me.

Taylor Swift has done more for music than the Beatles ever did.
Aggie Therapist
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I'm here to deliver great content for you Belton
AR_Ag95
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Brian Earl Spilner
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Aggie Therapist said:

ElephantRider said:

ABATTBQ11 said:

Unpopular opinion, but the Beatles aren't that great

I second that.


I third that. Just doesn't move the needle for me.

Taylor Swift has done more for music than the Beatles ever did.


oragator
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I knew he would say Paul before I opened the thread. Paul basically defined it for the genre, everyone is some form of derivative from him. I would bet in that context a lot of bassists feel similarly.

MGS
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AR_Ag95 said:



Not even in Metallica's top 2
SoulSlaveAG2005
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John Myung get my votez
Aggie Therapist
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Paul and Tay Tay are friends.

Just a wild guess here, but he is probably a big influence for her. And he shows his support of her talents as well! I think most music critics are idiots and overly cynical of the arts. Talented musicians enjoy the presence of other talented musicians. Why fans feel the need to be in one camp or "how can you like the Beatles and Taylor Swift" is beyond me.



MookieBlaylock
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I always had a hankering for the bass of Anthony Michael Hall - carried VH
Brian Earl Spilner
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The hell are you talking about? You're the one who said she's done more for music than the Beatles. You're the one that claimed a camp.
TXAG 05
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Brian Earl Spilner said:

The hell are you talking about? You're the one who said she's done more for music than the Beatles. You're the one that claimed a camp.


Pretty sure he was joking about that
P.H. Dexippus
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Post removed:
by user
Aggie Therapist
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If you couldn't pick up the sarcasm in a post that says "Taylor Swift is more influential than The Beatles" than I don't know what to tell you…..

Aggie Therapist
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I've started numerous threads here focused on musical discussion and a lot of based out of the genre of metal yet you only appear on the Taylor Swift ones.

Is that your bit? Going around the boards and being hyper fixated on negativity towards other users with different tastes than you?
fixer
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Flea--generational talent. Technical skill, songwriting, creativity, literally everything he does is damn good or better.
John Myung--technical skill off the charts.
Les Claypool--technical skill and uh yeah creativity.
Cliff Burton--songwriting, creativity, and skill. Cliff was on track to be the Flea of metal.
deadhead aggie
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any love for Chris Squire of Yes?

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