Question for Bass players

[rabies]

I know a bass player. He is convinced (though he has never heard) that any bass player from the band 'Iron Maiden' cannot possibly be any good (he listens to Jaco, Yes, other bands with reknown bass players..and plays a lot of upright).

I got 1 shot to convince him otherwise. What 1 Iron Maiden song should I send him that showcases Steve's bass ability? Which song makes you bass players go.. 'ooohh.. Steve is King!'?

 

[Mr. Hyde]

I don't think you can convince someone of something if they have a closed mind to the idea to begin with. I've always believed in this: Don't knock it unless you can play it...If you can play it...Don't knock it unless you could have written it.

Maiden is a different style...maybe it would be better if you could get the guy to try and convince you why his opinion is true. Ask him to show you how easy Maiden's bass lines are by recording himself playing one of them.

 

[Mr. Hyde]

...Maybe Ghengis Khan would give this guy a different opinion.

 

[Eddies cellmate]

Tell him to knock off his Jazz/swing/progressive attitude. If he doesn't realize that there's a million ways to skin the cat, he'll never get out of his own way as a player. If there was anything that Jaco should've taught him, it's open-mindedness.

As for Maiden, I'd tell him to learn some Maiden tunes (note-for-note of course) and find out for himself...let him choose which, there's valuable lessons and technique in every single one of them. If he's as enlightened as he seems to think he is, he should see that immediately.

 

[rabies]

Hey guys,

I think I gave you the wrong impression. He is a very, very open minded guy. He listened to a couple of our tracks and was quite impressed with what we accomplish given the nature of how we work. He does a lot of home recordig projects himself..using pro-tools.

He is an all-around musician..and it shows when you talk to him. He listened to total eclipse and gave me great feedback on the mix and such. Then somehow...it was mentioned how he may even like to contribute some keys or bass for us ..and asked what we normally played. I told him IM..which is not his cup of tea per se...but he would still do it. I told him..maybe keys then..cause IM bass parts are mega hard. He, rightfully, told me..if they are anything like the total eclipse mix I gave him..it can't be that hard. Total Eclipse is a pretty easy song. I told him most IM songs are much, much harder..but he contends that he can play Jaco..so he seriously doubts Steve does stuff that he cannot do..but now he is curious...

..hence the one shot I have to give him an IM original and let him listen to what steve is all about. I mostly challenged him..it was not mostly about him scoffing IM...though certainly he kinda did..

ok..that was a long ass explanation...

 

[Constantine]

There are several songs that gets my attention when Steve is playing. Rime, Phantom, Invaders, Quest for fire......

Personally speaking I feel that Sign Of The Cross gets my hair on end. Perhaps one of Steve's best written song, and best bass playing.

I love Jacos playing not only solo but with Weather Report. I feel that no one will ever play like Jaco, he re-invented how bass playing is done.

Steve is a great bass player but an even better song writter.

take care
Constantine

 

[Medsy]

Wow..hard choice.....

Early maiden..... I like DRIFTER for the melodic ' walking ' feel...... and its cool refrain section. Have a listen to it...steve goes nuts...!!!! In fact....the whole iron maiden album is bass special.

TNOTB has a good running too...playing the intro with fingers is a pretty mean feat.

Modern Maiden.....Rime (LIVE) has definately gotta be one.....

 

[Eddies cellmate]

Understood Rabs.

I'm not sure if I could narrow it down to any one song. Harris's stuff tends to flow from song to song over an entire album. I'm not sure that he'd really get your point from just one song.

I guess it's just a question of where he's coming from as a player. If he has experience with very straight ahead rhythm driven music like Maiden, then I guess he'd find Harris easy enough to play. If he doesn't have that sort of experience, then he's gonna find that it's harder than it seems.

I'm not sure that being experienced with Jaco-type tunes would really prepare a player to handle Maiden-type metal tunes. Stylistically, they're worlds apart.

Technically speaking, Jaco's stuff is superior, but like any style of music, it's all in how much a player can adapt to feel the groove of what's going on. I guess it's more a question of 'feel' than it is of technique.

This reminds me of a band I threw together in high school years ago. We were doing shows at the schools several times a year, and as one show was approaching, I was having a hard time rounding up my usual bandmates, especially a drummer. To make a long story short, we recruited a Jazz drummer we knew, who wanted to give the Metal/Rock stuff we were doing a try. He did a great job learning the songs, and he technically had no trouble performing them. However, no matter how much "coaching" we did with him, he just couldn't sound like a Rock drummer. He'd play the parts perfectly, with good timing, etc, but he just couldn't get the "feel" down. He'd play the parts too stiffly. He'd not accent his cymbal crashes, etc correctly. No matter what we did with him, he couldn't help but sound like just what he was: a Jazz drummer playing Rock music.

Now, I'm not saying that that has anything to do with your friend, this discussion just reminded me of that.

Anyway, please let your friend kow that we'd be happy to have him, and I for one would'nt mind stretching out and doing some other stuff if that's what he'd be into. Although, if he's on the bass, I won't be of much use to him.

 

[Eddies cellmate]

Oh, and Medsy... Nice to see 'ya!!!!

 

[Eddy]

Genghis Khan or Phantom Of The Opera...