This may break the youtube rules but dude, you HAVE to witness this

[Raiven]

Watch these videos and tell me it isn't the worse display of "amazing" bassists ever. Seriously, this ruins EVERY redeeming feature about these people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCvxmIOMHl8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F1J-E7cmh0

[Akira]

Too. Many. Bassists. Playing. At. Once.

Yeah, that didn't work. Muddy and gross.

[Raiven]

It is just HORRIBLE.

And seriously, Bill Dickens ftl

[WhoDidTheElf]

Some of the grooves were nice, but it seemed like it was the "how much can bill dickens wank show".

[British Kid]

i couldn't contain my laughter during the endish of the first one.

:lol:

[BenJammin]

Ungh. Bill Dickens = gross to listen to. Everybody else was pretty cool.

[sr800bkBassist]

i like the first 20 seconds.

then it turns into a big mush of humming and pings.

[HaVIC5]

Before Bill Dickens *** rapes his bass with his thumb, his fingerstyle solo is pretty good.

[BenJammin]

Before Bill Dickens *** rapes his bass with his thumb, his fingerstyle solo is pretty good.

Yeah. I was enjoying that, and it was all "CLACKITYCLACKCLACKCLACKTHUDTHUD
CLACKLOOKATMEI'MBILLDICKENSCLACKCLACK."

I stand by it.

[Wintermute]

Bill Dickens fingerstyle solo was genero-jazz. I found myself ignoring it in favour of Steve Bailey's nice fretless groove underneath it. I do love Steve Bailey. His background grooving was more ear catching than Dickens' rapid shred.

And then Dickens started... uh.... slapping? No.

That wasn't even pretend music. It was just ****ing horrible. It was literally a grown man hitting a bass. How does anyone think that's good?

[JodyLecompte]

I was about to mention that I didnt even pay attention to the way it sounded out of being purely appalled by his technique...

[HaVIC5]

Bill Dickens fingerstyle solo was genero-jazz. I found myself ignoring it in favour of Steve Bailey's nice fretless groove underneath it. I do love Steve Bailey. His background grooving was more ear catching than Dickens' rapid shred.

How was it "genero-jazz"? How is playing fast on a bass any different than playing fast on a horn?

[EADG]

It wasn't that bad... what about that video where Wooten detunes his strings to slack and just hits them randomly for 5 minutes?

[Wintermute]

How was it "genero-jazz"? How is playing fast on a bass any different than playing fast on a horn?

I think you've misunderstood me here - playing fast on a bass is no different to playing fast on a horn. I'm not attacking fast playing. But his fast playing in particular completely failed to hold my interest. It was... just playing fast. I wasn't feeling it.

[HaVIC5]

Gotcha. Granted, the fingerstyle portion of his solo wasn't contoured in any meaningful way, but it still had potential.

[Wintermute]

True, it did have potential. It proves he can do more than make noises.

I honestly wonder why he does that... I don't think I've talked to anyone yet who really likes it, or is impressed by it. It just sounds like a bass being hit by a rake.

Hey ho.

[EADG]

How was it "genero-jazz"? How is playing fast on a bass any different than playing fast on a horn?


In one scenario, you are playing a bass, and in another you are playing a horn.

They also sound different due to the natural timbre of the instruments.



Uhh

Need I go on?

[HaVIC5]

In one scenario, you are playing a bass, and in another you are playing a horn.

They also sound different due to the natural timbre of the instruments.



Uhh

Need I go on?
I say this phrase a lot because a lot of time automatically equate playing fast with wankery. If a sax player plays fast, he's getting into the solo, if a bass player plays fast, he's wanking. Granted, Bill Dickens was wanking supreme with the slap.

[sr800bkBassist]

what was up with that guy going "BEE DOO DOO DOO LOLOLOLOLODA!"?

[JodyLecompte]

Otiel scats.

Its kind of cool he can do it but I think he needs to put that particular trick back in the bag

[iamreprogramed]

It wasn't that bad... what about that video where Wooten detunes his strings to slack and just hits them randomly for 5 minutes?

what video was that from?

[JodyLecompte]

Adam: Personally, I think the timbre of a woodwind/brass instrument simply lends itsself to playing fast more so than a bass, but thats just my opinion.

I understand where your coming from, because being against fast playing is the new thing on MX the last few months, but theres also a group of people like myself that just genuinly don't dig fast playing so much.

Pino Palidino FTW.

[BenJammin]

Fast is awesome when it sounds good. And I know what sounds good is a personal thing, but that most definitely did not sound good.

[Damage]

Once it really started going, I thought the first part had some of the most bitchin grooves ever, with the exception of Bill Dickens's slap fest. I really do like his playing, taken in doses. The second part I didn't like at all.

[mastrrbasser]

i remember i said bad thign about bill dickens playing once a long time ago, and everybody was like "no, you're so wrong about the clickity clacking"



i like the video when they're playing happy birthday for bill dickens, and billy sheehan had a solo, and he was doing his typical shredding in E, when the song wasn't even that key. It was a cool groove, and sheehan was crapping all over it with his shredding and neck bending.

[HaVIC5]

Adam: Personally, I think the timbre of a woodwind/brass instrument simply lends itsself to playing fast more so than a bass, but thats just my opinion.

I understand where your coming from, because being against fast playing is the new thing on MX the last few months, but theres also a group of people like myself that just genuinly don't dig fast playing so much.

Pino Palidino FTW.
When I say that, I mean it as a guage of musicality. Meaning, the term "wanking" is an insult to a person's appreciation for musical form and substance, not the timbre of the instrument. If a person played John Coltrane's solo on "Countdown" on bass (provided a mortal man could play it on bass), people would call it "mindless wankery". But since Coltrane played it on the saxaphone, it's "amazing".

BTW, if anybody wants to take a stab at it and prove me wrong, here it is: http://www.lucaspickford.com/transcount.html The BPM on it is approx 280.

[EADG]

I say this phrase a lot because a lot of time automatically equate playing fast with wankery. If a sax player plays fast, he's getting into the solo, if a bass player plays fast, he's wanking. Granted, Bill Dickens was wanking supreme with the slap.


I know. I'm just being an idiot.

[EADG]

what video was that from?


One of the Bass Day videos, 98 maybe. Search Victor Wooten on Youtube and you'll find it eventually.

[Damage]

When I say that, I mean it as a guage of musicality. Meaning, the term "wanking" is an insult to a person's appreciation for musical form and substance, not the timbre of the instrument. If a person played John Coltrane's solo on "Countdown" on bass (provided a mortal man could play it on bass), people would call it "mindless wankery". But since Coltrane played it on the saxaphone, it's "amazing".

I'd argue that it's because the sax is a generally more expressive instrument. Not to knock the bass, it's just that it's a groove instrument, rather than a vocal or lyrical instrument.

[HaVIC5]

It's all in what you put into the instrument. You'd be suprised how emotive and lyrical you can get with some vibrato and a little dirt in your plucking. Besides, Countdown is hardly a study in lyrical performance.

[Damage]

It's all in what you put into the instrument. You'd be suprised how emotive and lyrical you can get with some vibrato and a little dirt in your plucking. Besides, Countdown is hardly a study in lyrical performance.

Well, I know the bass can be very expressive, but I wouldn't compare it to a sax in that respect.

[HaVIC5]

Well, OK, then let's compare it to an instrument like the organ. Organists like Joey DeFranceso can create the most expressive and emotional solos you'll ever hear. Organs don't even have dynamic control. If you hit a note real soft, it'll sound exactly the same and at the same volume as if you hit a note real hard. With your sort of logic, organ's can't be expressive at all, and everything played on one can't be work listening to. If somebody plays a lot of notes on an organ, it's just wank, nothing more.

Really, it's all in WHO is playing the instrument that matters as far as expression goes.

[Damage]

Well, OK, then let's compare it to an instrument like the organ. Organists like Joey DeFranceso can create the most expressive and emotional solos you'll ever hear. Organs don't even have dynamic control. If you hit a note real soft, it'll sound exactly the same and at the same volume as if you hit a note real hard. With your sort of logic, organ's can't be expressive at all, and everything played on one can't be work listening to. If somebody plays a lot of notes on an organ, it's just wank, nothing more.

Really, it's all in WHO is playing the instrument that matters as far as expression goes.

I definitely get what you're saying, but what I probably should have said is a saxophone lends itself to being expressive more than bass guitar does.

[EADG]

I definitely get what you're saying, but what I probably should have said is a saxophone lends itself to being expressive more than bass guitar does.


Not necessarily. Look at how many solo bass artists there are out there.. Victor Wooten and George Smed for example have cds where every song is just done with one track of bass. I've never seen a sax player do that.

[Damage]

Not necessarily. Look at how many solo bass artists there are out there.. Victor Wooten and George Smed for example have cds where every song is just done with one track of bass. I've never seen a sax player do that.

I'm not saying bass is not as good an instrument, or any less intriguing, I'm just saying the nature of the saxophone makes lines generally more lyrical and vocal. It's just a different animal. By the same token, I wouldn't argue that a sax lends well to laying down a groove.

[sr800bkBassist]

I'm not saying bass is not as good an instrument, or any less intriguing, I'm just saying the nature of the saxophone makes lines generally more lyrical and vocal. It's just a different animal. By the same token, I wouldn't argue that a sax lends well to laying down a groove.
i agree.

if you try to get a bass to fill in a sax's role, sure it's possible, but the sax would handle it better. same way if the sax tried to fill a bass role.

[thelowsoundofbass]

I usually like bill's slapping, but that just sounded bad. Finger style solo was cool.

lowsound

[studmuffin]

four "bass" players and nobody's playing a bass line. :rolleyes:

[skingle]

I actually enjoyed some of that. Steve bailey was pretty good i thought. Bill Dickens slap really was pretty terrible though.

[Machines]

Wow... Steve Bailey really does have no dress sense.

And yes - it was a bit of a mess, too many people trying to take the lead.

[Soulfly666]

Otiel scats.

Its kind of cool he can do it but I think he needs to put that particular trick back in the bag

I thought it was kind of funny when he hit a note that was too high for him to sing, and then when he was done, he had this look of embarrassment on his face.

As for Bill Dicken's solo, I thought the fingerstyle portion of it was pretty decent, but as soon as he started slapping....well, you all know the rest. :p

[sheephead]

A few points i get from this video -
- Bill's slapping is far from tasteful
- victor was laying down the bassline for the most part whoever said none of them were.
- Bill's fingerstyle reminds me of Tom & Jerry!
- Bill makes a better door than a window... poor Oteil didn't get to join in the fun banging basses bit!

[Akira]

What I got from Bill's slapping was a sense of him saying "Hey Wooten, I can play fast too. Bitch."

[thelowsoundofbass]

What I got from Bill's slapping was a sense of him saying "Hey Wooten, I can play fast too. Bitch."
Wooten can play fast AND clean. I could maybe almost play as fast as what bill was playing, and it would sound like a bunch of clanking, then I would have to shoot myself for recording it and letting it get on the internet. If he could play that fast and clean it would be impressive.

lowsound

[Left Shoe]

Wooten can play fast AND clean. I could maybe almost play as fast as what bill was playing, and it would sound like a bunch of clanking, then I would have to shoot myself for recording it and letting it get on the internet. If he could play that fast and clean it would be impressive.

lowsound
you let wankering for sade out on the internet, i dont think that recording will make you kill yourself

[Akira]

Wooten can play fast AND clean. I could maybe almost play as fast as what bill was playing, and it would sound like a bunch of clanking, then I would have to shoot myself for recording it and letting it get on the internet. If he could play that fast and clean it would be impressive.

lowsound
I didn't say Wooten's playing isn't clean. I was just saying it felt like he was trying his hardest to DT like Vic, when really his fingerstyle sounds better.

[thelowsoundofbass]

you let wankering sade out on the internet, i dont think that recording will make you kill yourself
That is just funny now, and you could actually make out notes on that recording. His slap is usually a lot cleaner than what it was in that video, but there is just sounded like he was smacking his strings randomly.

lowsound

[thelowsoundofbass]

I didn't say Wooten's playing isn't clean. I was just saying it felt like he was trying his hardest to DT like Vic, when really his fingerstyle sounds better.
I was agreeing with you, I was saying that wooten is a better slapper than bill.

lowsound

[Dot.]

Yeah. I was enjoying that, and it was all "CLACKITYCLACKCLACKCLACKTHUDTHUD
CLACKLOOKATMEI'MBILLDICKENSCLACKCLACK."

I stand by it.


^lol

[katana_manatee]

I can understand what Damage means and I more or less agree with him but at the same time I wouldn't call fast playing on a bass wankery.

I think there are a number of reasons why people might not enjoy listening to fast playing on a bass compared to some other instruments but mainly I think it is to do with the timbre and range of a standard bass. The notes in lower registers are closer together in terms of frequency, considering if you jump an octave you double the frequency so naturally the jumps get bigger all the time.

At lower frequencies if you play very fast it is harder to pick out each seperate note since the wave of each note doesn't "blossom" so well due to the size of the waves, you get less sonic information in a period of time than you would at higher frequencies.

At higher frequencies this is far less of a problem so you can clearly hear the notes when played fast as long as they are articulated properly.

This is a very general explanation and nowadays with more erbs on the scene dealing in even higher frequencies, soloing is beginning to sound much sweeter at higher tempos.

[mastrrbasser]

you let wankering for sade out on the internet, i dont think that recording will make you kill yourself

i want to hear that again. Can you post it lowsound?

[JodyLecompte]

I think the main reason this video was so bad, is becuase they were all too manly for a key call.

[Afrokid]

so many bassist and not a good bassline?...thats a no no in my book.

[HaVIC5]

I thought Steve Baily was laying down some pretty tasty lines, actually.

[ebe9]

I loved it.................right ut to the part where Bill tried to be Victor.

Until then it was a great mix, the fretless sound, the slap/pop and then the high soloing.

[mastrrbasser]

i'm looking for the video with sheehan. it will make you puke.



http://www.billthebuddhadickens.com/page.php?20


he "doesn't know what key they're playing in" and proceeds to **** all over it.

he does some alright stuff during the beginning, but then he starts shredding. it's bad.

[irishslappop]

ug, the whole thing was just not a good idea. and then dickens started to....do his thing....and...well........it got even worse. what exsactly WAS he doing?

[mastrrbasser]

ug, the whole thing was just not a good idea. and then dickens started to....do his thing....and...well........it got even worse. what exsactly WAS he doing?



he was going so fast i couldn't tell. If you put it in slow motion you can see him destroying his bass, and flipping off victor wooten. He then proceeds to take his pants off and **** on otiel.



....the aristocrats.

[irishslappop]

all these videos are just a huge jumble of notes, how could anyone think the video mastrrbasser posted sounds good? seriously, at first i want to go to sleep, then i acually listen as hear how much it sucks, then i just turn it off.

[mastrrbasser]

all these videos are just a huge jumble of notes, how could anyone think the video mastrrbasser posted sounds good? seriously, at first i want to go to sleep, then i acually listen as hear how much it sucks, then i just turn it off.


that video is a pile of crap. i mean it's alright in the beginning when they're just playing happy birthday. a little boring, yes, but bad? i can live with it. Then sheehan comes in and makes me want to unload an AK on the stage.

[irishslappop]

well with the bad video quality, like...6 basses that, fundamentally, sound close to the same, and sheehan, it reckon it would feel nice to throw some type of explosive, shrapnel throwing device between dickens and sheehan.

[mastrrbasser]

deffinately. I just want to hear them play bass in a band situation. I love wootens playing, but i want to hear him in a band setting that's not rediculously technical. Bela fleck and VTT get boring after a while.

[irishslappop]

i want to see dickens play in a reggae band :lol: that would be a disaster of the worst kind.

[mastrrbasser]

i want to see dickens play in a reggae band :lol: that would be a disaster of the worst kind.



dum+ts+da bum+ts+da bum.......CLICKREOIFJSDIOPUFHSD9UIPG9UAWERHTUIP342 QTR-893YRV798-ERG9H53QTOIUH35UIPGREWCLICKCLICKCLICK.


that's my rough interpretation.

[irishslappop]

these videos just go to show that solos bassists, for the most part, are really just.....SOLO bassists.

[Akira]

these videos just go to show that solos bassists, for the most part, are really just.....SOLO bassists.
No, it shows that when put together, solo bassists like to show off. It says nothing about how well they play in a rhythm section.

[HaVIC5]

i want to see dickens play in a reggae band :lol: that would be a disaster of the worst kind.
Bill Dickens has an extremely large number of sessions under his belt, and he's in high demand. He likely has played his fair share of reggae recordings. He's just showing off here.

these videos just go to show that solos bassists, for the most part, are really just.....SOLO bassists.

Yeah, since Oteil Burbridge obviously doesn't play with the Allman Brothers Band at all, and neither does Vic Wooten with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. They totally dominate either band and nobody really knows anything about anybody else in the band. I mean, you might as well call Allman Brothers Band the Oteil Burbridge band, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten and the Wootones.

[mastrrbasser]

Bill Dickens has an extremely large number of sessions under his belt, and he's in high demand. He likely has played his fair share of reggae recordings. He's just showing off here.



Yeah, since Oteil Burbridge obviously doesn't play with the Allman Brothers Band at all, and neither does Vic Wooten with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. They totally dominate either band and nobody really knows anything about anybody else in the band. I mean, you might as well call Allman Brothers Band the Oteil Burbridge band, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten and the Wootones.


i thought he played in the allman brother band, but i wasn't sure if he did or not, so i kept my mouth shut to not sound like an idiot. damn i would have been right. his scatting does get old though. it's a great skill, he can hum out any bassline he wnats and figure it out instantly i bet, but hearing him scat gets annoying.

[katana_manatee]

i thought he played in the allman brother band, but i wasn't sure if he did or not, so i kept my mouth shut to not sound like an idiot. damn i would have been right. his scatting does get old though. it's a great skill, he can hum out any bassline he wnats and figure it out instantly i bet, but hearing him scat gets annoying.

Oteil does, your sarcasm detector must be faulty.

[stevensonmat2]

Youd think something like that could have a little drumming to help it along... <_< >_>

[Package Keeper]

I have slow *** dial up so I haven't seen the video but it sounds like a bass free for all with too much masterbating at one time? Am I close? When orchestrated right the bass can sound amazing in itself. I have a song called Angels Kiss that contains about 9 bass parts in certain areas, 5 at the least, but it's all bass. I've always believed melody should come first. Even in wank off situations.

Listen to An Angels Kiss here:
http://www.myspace.com/georgesmed

[museic]

yes that was horrid.. i liked steve baileys fretless playing.. that was pretty cool.. and wootens percusive lines were ok but i really cannot stand dickens playing. i didnt even like his fingerstyle stuff.

[HaVIC5]

deffinately. I just want to hear them play bass in a band situation. I love wootens playing, but i want to hear him in a band setting that's not rediculously technical. Bela fleck and VTT get boring after a while.
Since when was Bela Fleck ridiculously technical?

[Jody LeCompte]

The Flecktones are just too weird for me.

[irishslappop]

They totally dominate either band and nobody really knows anything about anybody else in the band. I mean, you might as well call Allman Brothers Band the Oteil Burbridge band, and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor Wooten and the Wootones.
thats kind of my point......

[HaVIC5]

thats kind of my point......
....

Yes. Nobody has ever heard of BELA FLECK of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. There is no way he's not the star of the show. Go see them live, he's obviously the one in control.

[e p]

I find the Flecktones sometimes just a tad cheesy (understatement), but I will agree that it was amazing to see them live. They know how to play and entertain at the same time.

[HaVIC5]

I find the Flecktones sometimes just a tad cheesy (understatement), but I will agree that it was amazing to see them live. They know how to play and entertain at the same time.
You see, I find the Flecktones' approach to their music very smart. They have a very "cheesy" sound at times to appeal to the contemporary jazz market, which is a huge cash cow, but play it in a musical manner. Of course, other times they go off into insanity, but to balance the two appeases both the musical laymen and the musically seasoned. Not to mention, it brings lots of money.

[BassVirtuoso]

Bill Dickens slapped his bass for 20 seconds let's bitch about it.

[mastrrbasser]

Oteil does, your sarcasm detector must be faulty.


i know. I THOUGHT he played in the allman brother band, and havic confirmed it. I read the sarcasm just fine, i should have clarified a bit better though.

[mastrrbasser]

Since when was Bela Fleck ridiculously technical?


they get pretty technical at times, and sometimes i would rather hear a simple groove than the complex grooves they do sometimes. Flight of the cosmic hippo is ace though.

[HaVIC5]

Bill Dickens slapped his bass for 20 seconds let's bitch about it.
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