Cliff Burton vs. Geezer Butler: Bass Solos

a reply to: Bybyots

I was just listening to 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' by Harrison and Clapton when you posted that.

It'd be wrong to have a base player thread and not mention Bootsy.

Another base playing legend.

murricuh?

originally posted by: Makingoodtime
murricuh?

Good idea!

m.youtube.com...

originally posted by: gortex
It'd be wrong to have a base player thread and not mention Bootsy.

Another base playing legend.

Oh were going the funky route.

In that case you better
m.youtube.com...

Cause
m.youtube.com...

a reply to: Makingoodtime

murricuh?

There are no politics in metal.

Don't make me kick out your teeth with my Docs.

K?

originally posted by: Bybyots

Hi ATS,

I don't often find myself at an impasse when it comes to being an art critic; I know what I like, and I'm usually a giant snob about it.

Yet today I find myself in a quandary: Whose bass solo is better? Geezer Butler's Basically, or Cliff Burton's Anesthesia (pulling teeth) from KILL EM' ALL?

Which is "better"?

Should any comparison be made at all?

What do you think, Metal Heads?

As a bass player, this is a question I've wrestled with in one fashion or another for many years. It's almost an unfair comparison when you get down to the nitty gritty. Before joining Black Sabbath, Geezer had never played bass so he approached the instrument from the perspective of a frustrated guitar player and in that he created the template for playing bass in a metal band. What I mean by that is other than a handful of groundbreaking bass players like Jack Bruce and John Entwistle, bass was almost a secondary percussion instrument that followed the kick and hi hat. Geezer cranked up the gain and doubled a lot of the guitar rhythms and played some of the greatest bass fills ever put to tape.

On the opposite side of that, Cliff was a diligent student who took classical music lessons in a time when bass players were almost exclusively from a jazz background if they studied music. While this certainly set him apart stylistically, the biggest impact his classical training had was much more far reaching because Cliff Burton was the one who is most directly responsible for the guitar harmonies that Hetfield and Hammet(and consequently Metallica) complex time signatures and multiple key changes are famous for. It all stemmed from the classical music.

For me, it's difficult if not impossible to say one is better than the other. They both had a profound impact on music in general and specifically some of the key aspects of modern metal can be traced directly back to these two. Add in the fact that Cliff accomplished all of this by the ripe old age of 24 whereas Geezer had the luck of living a full life but didn't really continue to innovate on the instrument as much as simply perfect the craft that he had initiated. Who knows what Cliff would have gone on to accomplish had Kirk been the one to draw for the bunk Cliff ended up sleeping in and survived the bus accident.

Again. I can't really pick one or the other as the better bass player. Each in their own way revolutionized the genre as a whole and elevated it with their contributions. As someone else mentioned earlier, I'd go a little farther outside this box and prop up John Entwistle if I had to pick someone that I thought was the best overall bass player with Jack Bruce as a close second.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Completely off topic but have you seen the tribute to George Harrison with the insane lead played by Prince? Holy $#!

I can't pick one. I like them both. I'm also fond of:
Primus

Dream Theater

Stu Hamm


Who's the best? I don't know. I only know what I like. Music is subjective, anyway. To each his own.

No Jaco yet?



Or Wooten?

a reply to: TycoonBarnaby

Beat ya to both several posts earlier.
Even threw in a Miller for extra value and quality

Awesome thread! Loving the vids! Though I love Geezer Butler, I'd have to go with Cliff Burton.

So many talented bassists out there!

I'm surprised nobody has nominated this guy yet. I thought we had some real bassists here on ats.

this guy in my opinion is the greatest rock bass player of all time. Solid chops, unique style and an innovative live performance.

I personally feel this guy probably gets more women then all of those previously mentioned bass players combined.

Listening to him changed my life.

Pretty sweet solo:
m.youtube.com...

Interview:
m.youtube.com...

Playing live:
m.youtube.com...

Music video of his band:
m.youtube.com...

Thank you all for your comments and criticism.

I have decided that I like both bass solos for different reasons, but if I had to listen to one right now it would be Geezer doing the Basically intro to NIB.

Since we are on to favorites. Aside from the aforementioned "Gods" of bass.

I would like to share my favorite bass player (outside of ATS): Carlos Dengler,





Please to rock your nuts off.

I'm a gonna guess no one here has heard the solo section from Freewill.



Got Geddy?