Geddy's Fender bass tone

[Necromancer]

QUOTE (melodic777 @ Oct 15 2006, 10:53 PM)

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 10:30 PM) QUOTE (Geds @ Oct 15 2006, 10:08 PM) Honest question, Random..... If you are SO bent over about TONE, and you don't think 4 strings is enough for a bass...... Why the hell aren't you a guitar player? I know this isn't for me, but I played bass because I had big hands and i really sucked at chording a little six string. Bass just suited my size more. But once I began to love bass, then I personally felt that too much bass could be a bad thing. I really don't care for the Steve Harris way of playing or even the guy from DT. I think it's too much and hurts the song. It's basically showing off and who needs it. I think most rockers realize that rock is guitar driven and we don't need excessive chording or soloing from Steve Harris or DeMaio from ManoWar. It winds up being bad. THAT i feel I know enough to comment on. Funny thing is that Myung only leaves the lower register when he has to jump up to add a voicing that accompanies the guitar or keys, sometimes to do unison work.   Nothing personal but if you knew more about how bass works in an ensemble, then you would know that Myung's use in the context of Dream Theater is right on. He is never too much and always is doing what the song needs, just like Geddy does for Rush.   I have yet to hear Myung do too much actually, I am always hoping he'll do more but he's got perfect balance in that project.   Guess you know more than Tom Kennedy of the Dave Weckl band too where he plays 4s and 5 string basses and is all over them. But then you also know more than Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorious, Vic Wooten, Jeff Berlin, Chris Squire and others.   I have been taught by my teacher that everything is in relation to the context of that given piece of music.   An example of an excellent player in many different contexts. Just listen to his different tracks and one includes Derek Sherinian's Moonbabies.   Berlin   Rufus Philpot I don't feel that I know more than anyone, i'm just stating who and what I like. My buddy Tick on here has been trying to get me into DT and I've honestly tried, but I think they are all too big on the showing off stuff and not about the songs.   When I played, I listened to anyone i could and i was blown away by Stanley Clarke, but just didn't get personally into that music or style of play. I like bass riffs and runs and holding together a good beat with the drums. I personally don't need the soloing and showing off. As much as I love bass, I find it better to listen to guitars show off than bass during a song.   Now an occassional solo, that's different.

[Necromancer]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 11:02 PM)

QUOTE (melodic777 @ Oct 15 2006, 10:53 PM) QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 10:30 PM) QUOTE (Geds @ Oct 15 2006, 10:08 PM) Honest question, Random..... If you are SO bent over about TONE, and you don't think 4 strings is enough for a bass...... Why the hell aren't you a guitar player? I know this isn't for me, but I played bass because I had big hands and i really sucked at chording a little six string. Bass just suited my size more. But once I began to love bass, then I personally felt that too much bass could be a bad thing. I really don't care for the Steve Harris way of playing or even the guy from DT. I think it's too much and hurts the song. It's basically showing off and who needs it. I think most rockers realize that rock is guitar driven and we don't need excessive chording or soloing from Steve Harris or DeMaio from ManoWar. It winds up being bad. THAT i feel I know enough to comment on. Funny thing is that Myung only leaves the lower register when he has to jump up to add a voicing that accompanies the guitar or keys, sometimes to do unison work.   Nothing personal but if you knew more about how bass works in an ensemble, then you would know that Myung's use in the context of Dream Theater is right on. He is never too much and always is doing what the song needs, just like Geddy does for Rush.   I have yet to hear Myung do too much actually, I am always hoping he'll do more but he's got perfect balance in that project.   Guess you know more than Tom Kennedy of the Dave Weckl band too where he plays 4s and 5 string basses and is all over them. But then you also know more than Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorious, Vic Wooten, Jeff Berlin, Chris Squire and others.   I have been taught by my teacher that everything is in relation to the context of that given piece of music.   An example of an excellent player in many different contexts. Just listen to his different tracks and one includes Derek Sherinian's Moonbabies.   Berlin   Rufus Philpot I don't feel that I know more than anyone, i'm just stating who and what I like. My buddy Tick on here has been trying to get me into DT and I've honestly tried, but I think they are all too big on the showing off stuff and not about the songs.   When I played, I listened to anyone i could and i was blown away by Stanley Clarke, but just didn't get personally into that music or style of play. I like bass riffs and runs and holding together a good beat with the drums. I personally don't need the soloing and showing off. As much as I love bass, I find it better to listen to guitars show off than bass during a song.   Now an occassional solo, that's different. I checked out all the links you posted and thought all were amazing. I've heard some of this stuff before, it's just not my cup of tea. In my days as a player, i admit I prolly couldn't even attempt this stuff, but also I never wanted to. Just not the type of bass playing i'm into.   While Geddy is my all-time fave, he and are not my fave kind of music. Heavy metal is, so I played more in a thrash vein and really got into players like Cliff and Tom Araya actually. These days I love the playing of Justin Chancellor of Tool and one of my all time faves just cuz his sound is so distorted and cool is Pete Steele of Type O Negative.   While I can listen to the stuff you linked for hours on end... i couldn't do it consistantly. It just bores me somehow after awhile.

[treeduck]

QUOTE (melodic777 @ Oct 15 2006, 09:25 PM)

so I guess given your theory, Victor Wooten shouldn't be allowed on his 5 string and Bill Buddha Dickens shouldn't play his 7 or 9 strings, Tommy Kennedy shouldn't be allowed his 5 string? I am bent on tone because iwhen it sucks ts like talking to a hot chick and she opens up her mouth and has horrible breath and the worst hoarse voice when I know the chords but I am not a guitarist, I just know how to connect the dots and play the tensions to make the music sound cool. And given your attempt at antagonizing me, I guess you contradict yourself because you are saying basically with more strings, why am I a melodic player when that is a guitarists job........well, why don't you write fan mail to Geddy and ask him what the hell he is thinking on YYZ or anything else where he steps up in the register. See, I have more strings than 4 because I do more than just play Rush songs. I double chords up top, solo across the range, as well as play low end grooves. Everyone can do what they want, there is no right or wrong way, but that's my way and that's the only way that I care about!

Dickens is great!! Saw him on youtube the other week, think it was a NAMM performance thing and whoaaa...

 

[melodic777]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 11:13 PM)

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 11:02 PM) QUOTE (melodic777 @ Oct 15 2006, 10:53 PM) QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 10:30 PM) QUOTE (Geds @ Oct 15 2006, 10:08 PM) Honest question, Random..... If you are SO bent over about TONE, and you don't think 4 strings is enough for a bass...... Why the hell aren't you a guitar player? I know this isn't for me, but I played bass because I had big hands and i really sucked at chording a little six string. Bass just suited my size more. But once I began to love bass, then I personally felt that too much bass could be a bad thing. I really don't care for the Steve Harris way of playing or even the guy from DT. I think it's too much and hurts the song. It's basically showing off and who needs it. I think most rockers realize that rock is guitar driven and we don't need excessive chording or soloing from Steve Harris or DeMaio from ManoWar. It winds up being bad. THAT i feel I know enough to comment on. Funny thing is that Myung only leaves the lower register when he has to jump up to add a voicing that accompanies the guitar or keys, sometimes to do unison work.   Nothing personal but if you knew more about how bass works in an ensemble, then you would know that Myung's use in the context of Dream Theater is right on. He is never too much and always is doing what the song needs, just like Geddy does for Rush.   I have yet to hear Myung do too much actually, I am always hoping he'll do more but he's got perfect balance in that project.   Guess you know more than Tom Kennedy of the Dave Weckl band too where he plays 4s and 5 string basses and is all over them. But then you also know more than Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorious, Vic Wooten, Jeff Berlin, Chris Squire and others.   I have been taught by my teacher that everything is in relation to the context of that given piece of music.   An example of an excellent player in many different contexts. Just listen to his different tracks and one includes Derek Sherinian's Moonbabies.   Berlin   Rufus Philpot I don't feel that I know more than anyone, i'm just stating who and what I like. My buddy Tick on here has been trying to get me into DT and I've honestly tried, but I think they are all too big on the showing off stuff and not about the songs.   When I played, I listened to anyone i could and i was blown away by Stanley Clarke, but just didn't get personally into that music or style of play. I like bass riffs and runs and holding together a good beat with the drums. I personally don't need the soloing and showing off. As much as I love bass, I find it better to listen to guitars show off than bass during a song.   Now an occassional solo, that's different. I checked out all the links you posted and thought all were amazing. I've heard some of this stuff before, it's just not my cup of tea. In my days as a player, i admit I prolly couldn't even attempt this stuff, but also I never wanted to. Just not the type of bass playing i'm into.   While Geddy is my all-time fave, he and are not my fave kind of music. Heavy metal is, so I played more in a thrash vein and really got into players like Cliff and Tom Araya actually. These days I love the playing of Justin Chancellor of Tool and one of my all time faves just cuz his sound is so distorted and cool is Pete Steele of Type O Negative.   While I can listen to the stuff you linked for hours on end... i couldn't do it consistantly. It just bores me somehow after awhile. Nice Bassline and while some may call it showing off, it is a properly, in context piece of art.   Oh, and don't think because people write intricate music that it means that is is "showing off". They just write music that way, they don't care about approval. Music is art, so who is anyone to judge and insert their own implication of what people are doing and why?   I look at it this way, was ALex showing off in La Villa? No, he was playing what was necessary.

[RUSHHEAD666]

QUOTE (melodic777 @ Oct 15 2006, 07:25 PM)

so I guess given your theory, Victor Wooten shouldn't be allowed on his 5 string and Bill Buddha Dickens shouldn't play his 7 or 9 strings, Tommy Kennedy shouldn't be allowed his 5 string? I am bent on tone because iwhen it sucks ts like talking to a hot chick and she opens up her mouth and has horrible breath and the worst hoarse voice when I know the chords but I am not a guitarist, I just know how to connect the dots and play the tensions to make the music sound cool. And given your attempt at antagonizing me, I guess you contradict yourself because you are saying basically with more strings, why am I a melodic player when that is a guitarists job........well, why don't you write fan mail to Geddy and ask him what the hell he is thinking on YYZ or anything else where he steps up in the register. See, I have more strings than 4 because I do more than just play Rush songs. I double chords up top, solo across the range, as well as play low end grooves. Everyone can do what they want, there is no right or wrong way, but that's my way and that's the only way that I care about!

I had the priviledge of seeing Mike Stern, Victor Wooten, and Dennis Chambers at Yoshi's in Oakland California several months ago. Absolutely an amazing gig. I have always dug Wooten's work with Bela Fleck but man, with Stern and Chambers my jaw was laying on the floor for most of the night. Personally as a drummer I could care "Les" how many strings a bass player uses. Just groove, jam, or funk it up!

 

I have seen a lot of bass solos in my life and I would have to say that Victor's was one of the best I had ever seen.

 

Jeff Berlin is another underrated bass player! Gee, the dude laid down tracks with Bruford and even Neil. "CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!" Jeff even thanks Geddy on all of his studio albums!

 

Sincerely,

 

"Joe Frazier"

[Necromancer]

QUOTE (melodic777 @ Oct 16 2006, 12:26 AM)

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 11:13 PM) QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 11:02 PM) QUOTE (melodic777 @ Oct 15 2006, 10:53 PM) QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 15 2006, 10:30 PM) QUOTE (Geds @ Oct 15 2006, 10:08 PM) Honest question, Random..... If you are SO bent over about TONE, and you don't think 4 strings is enough for a bass...... Why the hell aren't you a guitar player? I know this isn't for me, but I played bass because I had big hands and i really sucked at chording a little six string. Bass just suited my size more. But once I began to love bass, then I personally felt that too much bass could be a bad thing. I really don't care for the Steve Harris way of playing or even the guy from DT. I think it's too much and hurts the song. It's basically showing off and who needs it. I think most rockers realize that rock is guitar driven and we don't need excessive chording or soloing from Steve Harris or DeMaio from ManoWar. It winds up being bad. THAT i feel I know enough to comment on. Funny thing is that Myung only leaves the lower register when he has to jump up to add a voicing that accompanies the guitar or keys, sometimes to do unison work.   Nothing personal but if you knew more about how bass works in an ensemble, then you would know that Myung's use in the context of Dream Theater is right on. He is never too much and always is doing what the song needs, just like Geddy does for Rush.   I have yet to hear Myung do too much actually, I am always hoping he'll do more but he's got perfect balance in that project.   Guess you know more than Tom Kennedy of the Dave Weckl band too where he plays 4s and 5 string basses and is all over them. But then you also know more than Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorious, Vic Wooten, Jeff Berlin, Chris Squire and others.   I have been taught by my teacher that everything is in relation to the context of that given piece of music.   An example of an excellent player in many different contexts. Just listen to his different tracks and one includes Derek Sherinian's Moonbabies.   Berlin   Rufus Philpot I don't feel that I know more than anyone, i'm just stating who and what I like. My buddy Tick on here has been trying to get me into DT and I've honestly tried, but I think they are all too big on the showing off stuff and not about the songs.   When I played, I listened to anyone i could and i was blown away by Stanley Clarke, but just didn't get personally into that music or style of play. I like bass riffs and runs and holding together a good beat with the drums. I personally don't need the soloing and showing off. As much as I love bass, I find it better to listen to guitars show off than bass during a song.   Now an occassional solo, that's different. I checked out all the links you posted and thought all were amazing. I've heard some of this stuff before, it's just not my cup of tea. In my days as a player, i admit I prolly couldn't even attempt this stuff, but also I never wanted to. Just not the type of bass playing i'm into.   While Geddy is my all-time fave, he and are not my fave kind of music. Heavy metal is, so I played more in a thrash vein and really got into players like Cliff and Tom Araya actually. These days I love the playing of Justin Chancellor of Tool and one of my all time faves just cuz his sound is so distorted and cool is Pete Steele of Type O Negative.   While I can listen to the stuff you linked for hours on end... i couldn't do it consistantly. It just bores me somehow after awhile. Nice Bassline and while some may call it showing off, it is a properly, in context piece of art.   Oh, and don't think because people write intricate music that it means that is is "showing off". They just write music that way, they don't care about approval. Music is art, so who is anyone to judge and insert their own implication of what people are doing and why?   I look at it this way, was ALex showing off in La Villa? No, he was playing what was necessary. I think I was referring to mostly guys like Steve Harris and Joey DeMaio, but I also think the DT guy is a bit overdone. What fits is as much a matter of taste and subjectivity as tone I guess. You keep getting so worked up about differences of opinion that it's really hard to keep this up with you. I just PREFER less "intricate" stuff.   I mean, Geddy is obviously amazing and can do all kinds of intricate stuff, but he never seems to go overboard and "hog" the song. I feel some of these other guys are compensating for "only" being a bass player, so they show off.   I think bass has a role and too much sounds silly. IN METAL and HEAVY ROCK. I'm not saying stuff like Stanley Clarke and the other stuff you linked isn't amazing, cuz it is. Most definitely. But for my fave forms of music, rock and metal... too much sounds stupid. IN MY OPINION. Therefore i don't buy it or listen to much of it. The only overly intricate guy I like at this point is Justin Chancellor of Tool. But he hasn't bridged the gap into "showing off" as far as i'm concerned yet.

[Disco]

On the 'showing off' point there really is a range of reasonable opinions on this issue: one man's impressive gymnastics is another's self indulgence.

 

I'm reminded, though, of something I heard Dave Holland say once, he was playing in Miles Davis's live set up in the early 70s, I think it was, and playing ever more and intricate notes.

 

Miles simply said to him 'Remember you're a bass player'. Dave said it was powerful advice, that he refound the beauty of the bassist's role from it.

 

Disco

[Cygnalschick]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 16 2006, 11:09 AM)

The only overly intricate guy I like at this point is Justin Chancellor of Tool. But he hasn't bridged the gap into "showing off" as far as i'm concerned yet.

I agree that guy is amazing I read an article on him in Bass Player magazine, and he uses lots of effects in his playing. Very interesting. I love his use of the chimes, like in the song 'The Patient'. I'd like to learn some of his stuff!

[Necromancer]

QUOTE (Disco @ Oct 16 2006, 01:53 PM)

On the 'showing off' point there really is a range of reasonable opinions on this issue: one man's impressive gymnastics is another's self indulgence. I'm reminded, though, of something I heard Dave Holland say once, he was playing in Miles Davis's live set up in the early 70s, I think it was, and playing ever more and intricate notes. Miles simply said to him 'Remember you're a bass player'. Dave said it was powerful advice, that he refound the beauty of the bassist's role from it. Disco

 

[Necromancer]

QUOTE (Cygnalschick @ Oct 16 2006, 01:54 PM)

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 16 2006, 11:09 AM) The only overly intricate guy I like at this point is Justin Chancellor of Tool.  But he hasn't bridged the gap into "showing off" as far as i'm concerned yet.  I agree that guy is amazing I read an article on him in Bass Player magazine, and he uses lots of effects in his playing. Very interesting. I love his use of the chimes, like in the song 'The Patient'. I'd like to learn some of his stuff! I was wondering when you'd chime in here. Don't you have the Fender Jazz Geddy Lee model bass? What do you think of the perception that it has a horrible tone?

[Cygnalschick]

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Oct 16 2006, 11:57 AM)

I was wondering when you'd chime in here.  Don't you have the Fender Jazz Geddy Lee model bass?  What do you think of the perception that it has a horrible tone?

Yeah I've got the Geddy signature bass. As far as the tone, I absolutely love it. No complaints at all. But I haven't been playing long enough to try out other basses and compare it against them. Geddy's tone, to me, is one of the highlights of Rush's music. And I agree it would be great to bring back the Ric for a few tunes in the set.

 

But like I said, I haven't really been playing long enough to get into a real discussion about bass tones, etc. I do listen to lots of different styles of music, and have my favorites. I just know what I like when I hear it. And I'm CERTAINLY not going to come across like a know-it-all, like some people on here

[CeeJ]

3 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users):

CeeJ, Disco

 

 

I just came by to read...

 

I don't know about the difeerent basses and tones

but I do enjoy reading other opinions.

 

I also enjoy listening to Jazz which is LOTS

of BASS!!!

[circumstantial tree]

I don't know about you guys and gals, but I've found that plucking a rubber band gives a great bass sound.

[CeeJ]

QUOTE (circumstantial tree @ Oct 16 2006, 02:43 PM)

I don't know about you guys and gals, but I've found that plucking a rubber band gives a great bass sound.

 

I just went to try this...

 

Works pretty well!!!

 

Got to becareful though...

 

You can hurt yourself.

 

 

[Grace2Grace]

Rio: Big Money

 

Horrible Bass

 

Rio: Leave the Thing Alone

 

Great Bass

[GeddyRulz]

As a bass player who was inspired to take up the instrument because of the Ged Man, I'll say the only bass tone of his that I dislike is the Steinberger sound on Grace Under Pressure. Geddy's other choices in instruments all seemed to cut through the mix in a way that could be heard, apart from the other instruments. (Particularly the Rickenbacker, which has such a unique and grungy tone that it should be considered an instrument of its own, and not a "bass" exactly. You can easily make out the individual bass part on most Rush songs, but not so much with the Steinberger.

 

I can take or leave the red Wal and the Fender Jazz, but to me the best tone of Geddy's can be found with the black Wal and the Ric. And in concert, I wish Geddy would move back to amplifiers; his basslines don't cut through very well in live settings anymore, and I blame the house P.A. systems.

[Grace2Grace]

Sorry to n00b up your topic, but was the Ric the one used on GUP tour video? I thought it sounded great, but a little low.

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (Grace2Grace @ Oct 16 2006, 03:52 PM)

Sorry to n00b up your topic, but was the Ric the one used on GUP tour video? I thought it sounded great, but a little low.

He played a Steinberger for that one album and tour; the little "headless" bass without punch.

[treeduck]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Oct 16 2006, 04:14 PM)

QUOTE (Grace2Grace @ Oct 16 2006, 03:52 PM) Sorry to n00b up your topic, but was the Ric the one used on GUP tour video? I thought it sounded great, but a little low. He played a Steinberger for that one album and tour; the little "headless" bass without punch. Well I dunno about steinberger basses but Steinberger guitars are great and it was while using Steinbergers that Allan Holdsworth had his best tone...   The new ones are crap though and the company has been taken over by a korean company so if you want one you'll have to buy an 80s model for any kind of good quality instrument anyway...

[melodic777]

Rio, horrible DVD because the stupid crowd can't shut up and listen to the music.

 

Part of the blame goes to Rush for not mixing the crowd out of it a lot more. When I listen to YYZ, I'm sorry,a crowd that thinks they have to be annoyingly obnoxious to show respect. I'm so psyched for Brazilians who got to see Rush but it is almost as irritating as when you go to see a band play a show and a soft song comes on and some moron starts clapping to the beat, and gets his follower morons to start clapping.......all of the sudden, you don't hear music, you hear clapping and not just that, sometimes the pace of the song is supposed to cross the bar line and not be right on beat, but if they are loud enough, then it can be heard through in ear monitors and possibly drag the band right onto the click of the tempo, ruining the feeling of the part(s).

 

Sucks.

 

Rio was terrible, they shoulda just mixed the band out, and we coulda just watched the crowd instead, because in watching, I thought Rush was just a halftime show at a soccer game.

[melodic777]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Oct 16 2006, 04:50 PM)

As a bass player who was inspired to take up the instrument because of the Ged Man, I'll say the only bass tone of his that I dislike is the Steinberger sound on Grace Under Pressure. Geddy's other choices in instruments all seemed to cut through the mix in a way that could be heard, apart from the other instruments. (Particularly the Rickenbacker, which has such a unique and grungy tone that it should be considered an instrument of its own, and not a "bass" exactly. You can easily make out the individual bass part on most Rush songs, but not so much with the Steinberger. I can take or leave the red Wal and the Fender Jazz, but to me the best tone of Geddy's can be found with the black Wal and the Ric. And in concert, I wish Geddy would move back to amplifiers; his basslines don't cut through very well in live settings anymore, and I blame the house P.A. systems.

Its not that, because you use amps on stage for stage sound when you don't use in ear systems (lest you are a guitarist and utilize feedback so you have the amps on stage for when you need that feedback). When you have amps on stage for stage sound, you aren't supposed to "come out of the PA" otherwise known as being louder than the PA. So it would defeat the PA's purpose if GEddy was playing his cabs louder than the PA. I think part of it is the rig he uses, the bass electronics, and how it is processed. The other half is the sound guy not brining him up enough in the mix because they are a trio so he should be just as strong as the guitar to fill up the space. The mud is the bass choice and a shitty rig with bad volume levels essentially. I would be willing to bet on it!

 

Adding more stage sound would only make the stage and the front few rows even muddier

[Grace2Grace]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ Oct 16 2006, 05:14 PM)

QUOTE (Grace2Grace @ Oct 16 2006, 03:52 PM) Sorry to n00b up your topic, but was the Ric the one used on GUP tour video? I thought it sounded great, but a little low. He played a Steinberger for that one album and tour; the little "headless" bass without punch. Oh. What was the MPs verison of Limelight recored with?   And wow... some much hate for the Rio crowd. From what I hear Spanish (as in Spain) and South American crowds get like thatfor rock concerts. I think it's a little sad when the crowd can't be hear except for a few "pops" when a song starts.

[melodic777]

its sad if you're there to hear clapping, yelling, and hollering......

 

I go to concerts however, to enjoy the music and cheer between songs

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (Grace2Grace @ Oct 16 2006, 05:07 PM)

What was the MPs verison of Limelight recored with?

Most of the MP album was recorded with his Fender Jazz, and that song is probably no exception. I think it sounds great on the record, but using that bass live (as he does now) may be another story. I guess I'll defer to melodic777 and say it's a sub-par bass - at least in a live setting. On MP and even Counterparts, it sounded great.

 

For the MP tour, he played his Rickenbacker.

[Fridge]

I don't think it's fair to pick on the crowd in RiR. They were merely doing what crowds do: i.e making a noise and having a good time. I'm also puzzled as to how they could be described as "obnoxious"

 

Saying that I agree that it is a horrible DVD which i personally find unlistenable. maybe if they hadn't recorded in a burger van outside the venue it might have been a bit better......

 

Melodic, fwiw, I do agree with some of the things you say, and you are right on the money with regard to how tone etc is arrived at, but try and remember that appreciation is subjective. The Rush "sound" that we all fell in love with owes itself in part to Geddys bass, and I personally love the growling Ricky sound. I don't think it would have been suitable on Pow and HYF, but it is pretty versatile.

 

Also a little humility might not go amiss. From what I can gather, I don't think I'm quite as good a bass player as you, but I don't think I'm far off either, and some of the things that seem to concern you really do puzzle me. Try and remember that a band is really nothing more than a glorified juke box when all is said and done...Nobody really cares how good your chops are. Most audiences are drunk by 11 o clock anyway and just want to boogie.

 

Nowadays I play lead guitar in a pub covers band which is immensely enjoyable, and I always think: Why kill yourself learning this intricate song that nobody will dance to when you can knock out a classic three chorder and the place will be jumping?