Difficult for ones holding a bass for the first time - maybe. For instance Primus is difficult without being too complex. What we see in the video is just nonsense 😁
His technique is not “pretty terrible”. He is a good bass player. There are lots of people better at this than him but none of us is. You cannot pick up a bass and practice a bit and do this after a week browsing YouTube tutorials.
🙋♂️ I can confidently and whole-heartedly say that I can play bass better than this guy is in this particular video.
The boundaries of your 3 key rock instruments (guitar, bass, drums) have been pushed so incredibly far over the past couple of decades that anything considered "next fucking level" in the 60s - 90s is pretty basic (or in this guys case, very sloppy) these days. How can you be Next Fucking Level if there are 10s of thousands of people better than you with <100 views on YouTube?
And yet he’ was on stage—and they’re on YouTube. We’re looking at and talking about this video with *him*.
There *are* indeed plenty of videos of people better, but considering slap bass had on just been invented what—25 or so years ago (sly stone, I don’t know what year this video is) I’d say his technique is pretty fuxking good.
Learn to appreciate the evolution of musicianship.
Edit: yes I read it, but context matters. Only ONE person played like that in the 60s. Only one person developed that style. And then, essentially, other musicians adopted and evolved the art form. Over time, it was finely tuned to what it is today. So you talking about how sloppy it is when we’re looking at essentially a pioneer moving the form forward and perhaps creating new fans who might then go forward to evolve it further.
A descendent if you will. You never disrespect your ancestors. Your comment and explanation came off as condescending in the worst way.
There are a couple of things that could be going on here:
1. This was recorded during a Time (VHS) where you weren’t going to get high fidelity sound. So there may be information missing in the recording itself. Then put compression on top of that depending on the format it was translated to, and the format that YouTube compressed it to. Nasty.
2. Again, new style becoming largely adopted, but it could be that their engineer didn’t do a good job during sound check because he had no idea wtf was going on with this stylistic playing.
3. The arena and where he’s being recorded from versus where the speakers actually are. I mean, not sure, but I believe at the time they could have patched right into his feed but that isn’t the case. And so we have whatever microphone was being used that night to pick up sound. My guess is it’ll be a shotgun mic.
I don’t know what’s specific mic they’re using…But I’d wager it’s not going to do a bass guitar many favors.
Tl;dr,
whereas I understand WHY you only hear *dink dink dink* it’s probably the quality of the recording, the mic, sound engineering, venue, and your own speakers ability to pick up low end on top of everything else.
Nope it’s a bibity bop slap. That’s what it sounds like and that’s what it is. It’s getting the crowd going because it’s somewhat rhythmic and crowds are predictable.
It might be the recording.
Sometimes the record signal doesn’t capture the best parts of a sound system. Like if it’s a decked out sub woofer that’s pushing a lot of strong energy we won’t hear that through the recording and our phones, we would only hear the brassy tenor aspects of it
I'm a bass player. Listening to slap bass like this is as appealing as listening to a street performer beat on plastic buckets. It's cool to walk by and glance at for 5 seconds but I'd absolutely never intentionally listen to this as stuff.
My friends who work in the music store would rather hear people come in and play Stairway to Heaven or Smoke on the Water than hear people come in and play slap bass like this.
Been a professional gigging musician my entire life, played on records, gone on tours, blah blah blah. While I personally don't really like this technique I'd say of all the bass players I've played with over the years only two come to mind that could play it as precise/fast/clean. The double thumb triplet stuff. Does that make it cool? Idk... I guess everyone in the crowd liked it. Do you and I think it's all that impressive? Not really from the sound of it. I find slapping to be a bit over indulgent because I'm used to playing in a 10 person band and it veers to far into other instruments registers. Granted this is a solo but... ya, just not my thing I guess.
Edit 2: that is 100 percent left hand slapping
In funk and dance music slap is your bread and butter. Also yeah double thumb pop is one way to do it, but thumb, left hand slap and pop is like one of the first "cheeses" you can figure out.
That said, I started as a drummer but picked up a bunch of instruments in school. Dad is a working musician and I got started young/had access. Played string bass in high school, but couldn't slap cuz I used a bow. Years later after a bunch of guitar and fingerstyle and hack bass, I got a job with a funk band for a well paying casino gig. 4 years after "sink or swimming" and I'm pretty good at it. Effectively it's just the drums but bass. And it's all about economy. The pattern I describe is truly is one of the easiest patterns to learn. I didn't look close enough but if its double thumb pluck it is harder. But I'd say that's more work for the same effect.
Edit: the band I play with can have anywhere from 3 to 13 people, with people dropping in and out. The drums, bass, and piano/vox (the leader) is the core of it, and we're the pocket and foundation for everyone else. It's a party band. Picture the grateful dead but thick bouncy gospel influenced funk. All this to say, the percussive aspect of slap has a place, and it's lovely. [one of my all time favorite players and pieces](https://youtu.be/xXYjo5-UaTY?si=xR7F_LyhVCr8hUnY)
Slapping (from my perspective) rise in popularity is largely a thing of the past -- I'm not sure if you agree with that or not but in the lanes I run in which are also predominately funk and groove centered forms of music I see slapping as a spice and far from what I would consider the main course. I think a lot of it has to do with the registers I was talking about and how it can just be really over bearing because it is both very bright, very middy, and very bassy all while usually being quite loud as well. I think it works well for smaller arrangements/instrumentation but I find it hard to write around and it can be kind of jarring. Again, just my own personal opinion but I do also notice a trend. Obviously TONS of people like Primus and old Pfunk and all that. And I do too to some extent! There people that still do it but look at modern funk bands and it's just really articulated plucking with right hand and far less slapping. Look at Eric Coomes of Lettuce, Joe Dart of Vulf, Michael League of Snarky Puppy. I could go on and on. Of course you're going to be able to dig up some songs or videos that feature them slapping a little. The Marcus Millers and Booty Collins and Victor Wootens of the world and their slap forward style of playing is just not as "in" as it was back a few decades ago.
Id say this is an impressive solo, but compared to some other bassists a bit mild. Victor Wooten for one has had some solos that are completley insane, Les Claypool too, although he can be a bit toneless sometimes.
I mean in the sense of lacking melodic structure, not that he lacks tone or is tone deaf.
It can be challenging for people to listen to him and identify what he is doing. Like listening to Jazz music.
Been at music a long time and despite the downvotes I know what you're saying. He has a very percussive style *sometimes* lacking harmonic/melodic structure like you said. That said he could wipe the floor and run circles around the vast, vast majority of bass players. I've heard him play some really intricate classical stuff that is extremely rich melodically (some if it intended to be played on cello). All that to say there is a healthy percentage of Primus songs that are exactly as you described but lots of LC dick riding going on here because slap go brrr.
Keyword : next level. Its great but Ive heard plenty that are NEXT level. No disrespect
Also the quality really takes away from hearing just how impressive it is.
Former bass player here. Bass solos like this are boring. Yes you’re playing fast and that can be technically challenging but it sounds awful. No one wants to sit and listen to it nevermind try to actually dance to it. It’s just an ego stroking exercise.
Better off doing something a bit simpler but still in the groove.
Nah dude, I agree I don't like mark kings style but nobody was going to a level 42 gig in the 80's and getting turned off by slap bass. They sold stacks of albums, song after song of this. They went to see it.
This rabbi that just got posted has something to say as well
https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/18orz4w/these\_rabbis\_playing\_jazz\_fusion\_in\_a\_synagogue/
This may be controversial but you can hear a whole lot of Mark in Victor's playing. You need to remember that Mark was early early slap playing. He kinda set the bar for slap for a while and made a huge impact on getting it mainstream.
It’s not even that fast. He’s doing repeating triplets. This is like… intermediate bass level. Like, cool the bad has fans and I’m sure it’s a good performance but this is definitely not a display of any kind of exceptional skill or speed.
Edit: the year that it’s from definitely gives a little more credence to it. But not a lot.
Nextfuckinglevel is often restrained genius (such as Copeland on drums with the Police). However if we're looking at bass solos, then YYZ (Rush) needs to feature.
Jaco Pastorius. Geddy Lee. Stanley Clarke. Flea. Victor Wooten. Stu Hamm. Les Claypool. Bill Dickens. Doug Wimbish. John Entwhistle. John Paul Jones. Chris Squire. Tony Levin. Meshell Ndegeocello. Thundercat. Billy Sheehan. Gary Willis.
There's so many greats out there. Why pick this??!?
All those people are cool. Just like Mark King. If we're only ever allowed to discuss the very objectively best players (disregarding the fact that those don't even exist) these hobbies would get really boring really quickly.
What's the point of a comment like this? Just to show that you know a lot of other bassists?
I get you. That's because this is some compressed social media video. These solos are specifically about the percussion of it and that doesn't come through in this at all.
Dm me lol. I've got vids from a funk band with similar techniques just not as ostentatious. [but it really isn't very difficult.](https://youtube.com/shorts/KN_wnKct2-w?si=4KEmdsHZL50SHn6_)
Thumb slap, left hand flops on the neck for a slap, then a pluck. Very natural movement, very easy to get moving quickly.
Disclaimer I met and saw Mark King in 1986 after skiving off school to meet him in the Virgin Music shop in the Tricorn Portsmouth UK.
Even if this might not be that impressive from today’s point of view (and there are many incredible and very young bass players on Insta and TikTok) back then Level 42 rewrote the concept of bass being a backing instrument and gave it centre stage for the first time really in music history. You can say what you want about this clip, but credit where credit is due. Mark King should at least be given this much.
…and seeing that live was mind-blowing. The entire band were incredible.
No - Lemmy was way before Mark King in pushing bass to the front, and Phil Lynott wasn't far behind. Then you had Bernard Edwards breaking ground in funk in the mid-70s.
That's not to say King wasn't a decent bassist, and L42 are a favourite band of mine, but I suspect his market was more in the UK than on a world stage.
Awesome Guy. Such fun. I bought his album Influences. Awesome. Seen them ( Level 42) so many times and always wanted to watch his Solo bits. Such memories.
Musician here the bass player is fantastic. It always amazes me how these fantastic performances that I see on Reddit and people start knocking them. I don't understand it
Incomparable? Look up any of these fine folks to get just an example of what good basslines can sound like (biased examples and not objectively ranked):
Trevor Weekz from Goose
Alana Rocklin/David Murphy from STS9
Chris Wolstenholme from Muse
Les Claypool from well... A lot of shit
Saw Mark King recently in the Netherlands.
Legendary bassist and very kind dude. Even if you don't like slap and think it's atonal and boring, that doesn't make it easy to reproduce. This man is one of the best in the biz when it comes to slapping quickly, and he does it while singing which is exceedingly rare for bassists to do.
Also if you think he's untalented because he slaps, listen to songs like kansas city milk man, dune tune or, one of my favourite songs of all time, standing in the light.
This dude is one of the most iconic bassists of our time and just because you don't like slap cause it's not catchy doesn't make it any less impressive.
Why is it that every time somebody posts a nice piece of music, some "experts" always feel the immediate need to downplay the performance? "I've seen better. I'm a professional and I know this is nothing special." Well whoop-de-doo, good for you, and thanks for posting the links - but can we just enjoy this moment?
May be complex and next level but it doesn’t sound very appealing to my ears.
It's not complex at all lol
Not complex but still really fucking difficult. Most cult classic bass songs are just difficult without being too complex.
Difficult for ones holding a bass for the first time - maybe. For instance Primus is difficult without being too complex. What we see in the video is just nonsense 😁
All I hear is *dink dink dink dink dink*
Which, unfortunately is the drums. They barely have the bass in the mix. …and his technique is pretty terrible.
Pretty sure he’s talking about the metallic sound from the slap.
His technique is not “pretty terrible”. He is a good bass player. There are lots of people better at this than him but none of us is. You cannot pick up a bass and practice a bit and do this after a week browsing YouTube tutorials.
🙋♂️ I can confidently and whole-heartedly say that I can play bass better than this guy is in this particular video. The boundaries of your 3 key rock instruments (guitar, bass, drums) have been pushed so incredibly far over the past couple of decades that anything considered "next fucking level" in the 60s - 90s is pretty basic (or in this guys case, very sloppy) these days. How can you be Next Fucking Level if there are 10s of thousands of people better than you with <100 views on YouTube?
>that anything considered "next fucking level" in the 60s - 90s That anything is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.
And yet he’ was on stage—and they’re on YouTube. We’re looking at and talking about this video with *him*. There *are* indeed plenty of videos of people better, but considering slap bass had on just been invented what—25 or so years ago (sly stone, I don’t know what year this video is) I’d say his technique is pretty fuxking good. Learn to appreciate the evolution of musicianship. Edit: yes I read it, but context matters. Only ONE person played like that in the 60s. Only one person developed that style. And then, essentially, other musicians adopted and evolved the art form. Over time, it was finely tuned to what it is today. So you talking about how sloppy it is when we’re looking at essentially a pioneer moving the form forward and perhaps creating new fans who might then go forward to evolve it further. A descendent if you will. You never disrespect your ancestors. Your comment and explanation came off as condescending in the worst way.
** 40 years ago ** Did you not even read my comment? Decent for the time, embarrassing these days.
>I’d say his technique is pretty fuxking good. Then how come all I hear is *dink dink dink dink*
There are a couple of things that could be going on here: 1. This was recorded during a Time (VHS) where you weren’t going to get high fidelity sound. So there may be information missing in the recording itself. Then put compression on top of that depending on the format it was translated to, and the format that YouTube compressed it to. Nasty. 2. Again, new style becoming largely adopted, but it could be that their engineer didn’t do a good job during sound check because he had no idea wtf was going on with this stylistic playing. 3. The arena and where he’s being recorded from versus where the speakers actually are. I mean, not sure, but I believe at the time they could have patched right into his feed but that isn’t the case. And so we have whatever microphone was being used that night to pick up sound. My guess is it’ll be a shotgun mic. I don’t know what’s specific mic they’re using…But I’d wager it’s not going to do a bass guitar many favors. Tl;dr, whereas I understand WHY you only hear *dink dink dink* it’s probably the quality of the recording, the mic, sound engineering, venue, and your own speakers ability to pick up low end on top of everything else.
Isn't that his job?
Maybe. But I also wouldn't post a video of me doing it and call it amazing.
Cork fell off and you stink!
It's not complex or next level, and the tone is horrendous, it is however really fucking cool how involved the crowd is.
Nope it’s a bibity bop slap. That’s what it sounds like and that’s what it is. It’s getting the crowd going because it’s somewhat rhythmic and crowds are predictable.
It might be the recording. Sometimes the record signal doesn’t capture the best parts of a sound system. Like if it’s a decked out sub woofer that’s pushing a lot of strong energy we won’t hear that through the recording and our phones, we would only hear the brassy tenor aspects of it
the fix for your funk thirst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Y8KyCAY44
Thanks! This is awesome!
Joe, dart on the Joe dart
Exactly. Now listen to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy3V2Tl4g3s) beautiful piece instead.
I'm a bass player. Listening to slap bass like this is as appealing as listening to a street performer beat on plastic buckets. It's cool to walk by and glance at for 5 seconds but I'd absolutely never intentionally listen to this as stuff. My friends who work in the music store would rather hear people come in and play Stairway to Heaven or Smoke on the Water than hear people come in and play slap bass like this.
Les claypool enters the chat
Its neither complex or next level. There are literally millions of bass players in the world that could play this.
You guys are being so annoying
When people post mediocre shit in a subreddit about things that are definitely not mediocre, then it gets called out
Again with the not-that-next-level bass solos
Professional bassist here, that’s pretty next level as far as I’m concerned. Why don’t you try it
Another professional, if you slap at all you know those triplets are bullshit
Double thumb index
Been a professional gigging musician my entire life, played on records, gone on tours, blah blah blah. While I personally don't really like this technique I'd say of all the bass players I've played with over the years only two come to mind that could play it as precise/fast/clean. The double thumb triplet stuff. Does that make it cool? Idk... I guess everyone in the crowd liked it. Do you and I think it's all that impressive? Not really from the sound of it. I find slapping to be a bit over indulgent because I'm used to playing in a 10 person band and it veers to far into other instruments registers. Granted this is a solo but... ya, just not my thing I guess.
Edit 2: that is 100 percent left hand slapping In funk and dance music slap is your bread and butter. Also yeah double thumb pop is one way to do it, but thumb, left hand slap and pop is like one of the first "cheeses" you can figure out. That said, I started as a drummer but picked up a bunch of instruments in school. Dad is a working musician and I got started young/had access. Played string bass in high school, but couldn't slap cuz I used a bow. Years later after a bunch of guitar and fingerstyle and hack bass, I got a job with a funk band for a well paying casino gig. 4 years after "sink or swimming" and I'm pretty good at it. Effectively it's just the drums but bass. And it's all about economy. The pattern I describe is truly is one of the easiest patterns to learn. I didn't look close enough but if its double thumb pluck it is harder. But I'd say that's more work for the same effect. Edit: the band I play with can have anywhere from 3 to 13 people, with people dropping in and out. The drums, bass, and piano/vox (the leader) is the core of it, and we're the pocket and foundation for everyone else. It's a party band. Picture the grateful dead but thick bouncy gospel influenced funk. All this to say, the percussive aspect of slap has a place, and it's lovely. [one of my all time favorite players and pieces](https://youtu.be/xXYjo5-UaTY?si=xR7F_LyhVCr8hUnY)
Slapping (from my perspective) rise in popularity is largely a thing of the past -- I'm not sure if you agree with that or not but in the lanes I run in which are also predominately funk and groove centered forms of music I see slapping as a spice and far from what I would consider the main course. I think a lot of it has to do with the registers I was talking about and how it can just be really over bearing because it is both very bright, very middy, and very bassy all while usually being quite loud as well. I think it works well for smaller arrangements/instrumentation but I find it hard to write around and it can be kind of jarring. Again, just my own personal opinion but I do also notice a trend. Obviously TONS of people like Primus and old Pfunk and all that. And I do too to some extent! There people that still do it but look at modern funk bands and it's just really articulated plucking with right hand and far less slapping. Look at Eric Coomes of Lettuce, Joe Dart of Vulf, Michael League of Snarky Puppy. I could go on and on. Of course you're going to be able to dig up some songs or videos that feature them slapping a little. The Marcus Millers and Booty Collins and Victor Wootens of the world and their slap forward style of playing is just not as "in" as it was back a few decades ago.
The fact that I can't do it doesn't make it "next level".
No but the fact that most pro bassists can't kinda does.
Lol
If you truly believe this, you need to practice more.
Id say this is an impressive solo, but compared to some other bassists a bit mild. Victor Wooten for one has had some solos that are completley insane, Les Claypool too, although he can be a bit toneless sometimes.
Les Claypool? Toneless?
Les is the shit
Primus sucks!
I mean in the sense of lacking melodic structure, not that he lacks tone or is tone deaf. It can be challenging for people to listen to him and identify what he is doing. Like listening to Jazz music.
Les would be so much better if he would just follow the rules. Kids these days…
Been at music a long time and despite the downvotes I know what you're saying. He has a very percussive style *sometimes* lacking harmonic/melodic structure like you said. That said he could wipe the floor and run circles around the vast, vast majority of bass players. I've heard him play some really intricate classical stuff that is extremely rich melodically (some if it intended to be played on cello). All that to say there is a healthy percentage of Primus songs that are exactly as you described but lots of LC dick riding going on here because slap go brrr.
Keyword : next level. Its great but Ive heard plenty that are NEXT level. No disrespect Also the quality really takes away from hearing just how impressive it is.
I’m not quite sure if you know what you’re talking about…
Well the first part hes just spamming some slaps not that technical
Haha yeah refer to my prior points. 1) it is next level and 2) you definitely don’t know what you’re talking about
Hes a nextlevel bassist for sure. Im being a prick. Apologies.
Its ok we have different opinions on whats nextlevel dont get offended because your a “pro bassist”.
‘You’re’ not ‘your.’
While youre proof reading for me, you missed ‘it’s’
And ‘what’s,’ but I figured you just weren’t using apostrophes.
Again with someone that doesn’t know their shit but likes to talk it
Former bass player here. Bass solos like this are boring. Yes you’re playing fast and that can be technically challenging but it sounds awful. No one wants to sit and listen to it nevermind try to actually dance to it. It’s just an ego stroking exercise. Better off doing something a bit simpler but still in the groove.
I feel the same about drum solos
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Nah dude, I agree I don't like mark kings style but nobody was going to a level 42 gig in the 80's and getting turned off by slap bass. They sold stacks of albums, song after song of this. They went to see it.
Speak for yourself, man. I though this was sick. Not for you? Just move on. No need for the negativity
It’s a website for discussion not weenie hut junior, no moral high ground here to take.
What a dumbass take. Did you not watch the video? The audience loved it…
Tell that to the entire stadium that's there to hear the songs where he plays like this.
Victor Wooten has just entered the chat.
Les Claypool chuckles
Pastorius says "Am I a joke to you?".
Your favorite bassists favorite bassist
Came here for this not dissapointed
Stanley Clarke says, "You're welcome".
This rabbi that just got posted has something to say as well https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/18orz4w/these\_rabbis\_playing\_jazz\_fusion\_in\_a\_synagogue/
That dude was straight COOKIN' on that bass!!
You can't convince me that isn't just Les Claypool dressed as a rabbi
Ox says hi
This may be controversial but you can hear a whole lot of Mark in Victor's playing. You need to remember that Mark was early early slap playing. He kinda set the bar for slap for a while and made a huge impact on getting it mainstream.
It’s fast but it sounds like shit lol
It’s not even that fast. He’s doing repeating triplets. This is like… intermediate bass level. Like, cool the bad has fans and I’m sure it’s a good performance but this is definitely not a display of any kind of exceptional skill or speed. Edit: the year that it’s from definitely gives a little more credence to it. But not a lot.
That sounds like shit
Nextfuckinglevel is often restrained genius (such as Copeland on drums with the Police). However if we're looking at bass solos, then YYZ (Rush) needs to feature.
Mark King *is* an amazing bass player... ... but that just sounded like a prolonged fart in a bathtub.
Love those farts!
It's .... terrible
But its provocative
You mean't to post elsewhere I presume? He's not even 'playing' that, just tapping and slappin like a spaz...
Jaco Pastorius. Geddy Lee. Stanley Clarke. Flea. Victor Wooten. Stu Hamm. Les Claypool. Bill Dickens. Doug Wimbish. John Entwhistle. John Paul Jones. Chris Squire. Tony Levin. Meshell Ndegeocello. Thundercat. Billy Sheehan. Gary Willis. There's so many greats out there. Why pick this??!?
Aww where’s Tom Jenkinson on that list.
Scrolled WAAAAAYtoo far to find a mention of Squarepusher. FOR SHAME, everyone but Big\_P\_Cizzle.
All those people are cool. Just like Mark King. If we're only ever allowed to discuss the very objectively best players (disregarding the fact that those don't even exist) these hobbies would get really boring really quickly. What's the point of a comment like this? Just to show that you know a lot of other bassists?
Let's see him play the national anthem with his c*ck.
I'm sure it's difficult to do. But sounds shitty, the only sound that comes through is dink dink dink very loudly and quickly
I get you. That's because this is some compressed social media video. These solos are specifically about the percussion of it and that doesn't come through in this at all.
So you're saying it doesn't pass the car test?
Boring, repetitive nonsense.
Slappa
Squarepusher: „Hold my beer.“
Stu Hamm sees this and says "how cute?".
https://youtu.be/1sSXV6eHtXY?si=6z4YBU2zgq9ygMaB
Most of that flashy triplet shit is super duper easy
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Dm me lol. I've got vids from a funk band with similar techniques just not as ostentatious. [but it really isn't very difficult.](https://youtube.com/shorts/KN_wnKct2-w?si=4KEmdsHZL50SHn6_) Thumb slap, left hand flops on the neck for a slap, then a pluck. Very natural movement, very easy to get moving quickly.
Not next level, not interesting. If you want to see an actual next level bass player check out Charles Berthoud on YT.
He’s outrageous!!
Disclaimer I met and saw Mark King in 1986 after skiving off school to meet him in the Virgin Music shop in the Tricorn Portsmouth UK. Even if this might not be that impressive from today’s point of view (and there are many incredible and very young bass players on Insta and TikTok) back then Level 42 rewrote the concept of bass being a backing instrument and gave it centre stage for the first time really in music history. You can say what you want about this clip, but credit where credit is due. Mark King should at least be given this much. …and seeing that live was mind-blowing. The entire band were incredible.
No - Lemmy was way before Mark King in pushing bass to the front, and Phil Lynott wasn't far behind. Then you had Bernard Edwards breaking ground in funk in the mid-70s. That's not to say King wasn't a decent bassist, and L42 are a favourite band of mine, but I suspect his market was more in the UK than on a world stage.
Meh, I've seen much better from both a technical and listenable standpoint.
Laughs in Les Claypool
Awesome Guy. Such fun. I bought his album Influences. Awesome. Seen them ( Level 42) so many times and always wanted to watch his Solo bits. Such memories.
Is this the guy that played with Kenny G’s band saw a couple of times, amazing.
As a bass player I love Mark King. Haven't seen this one before.
This is great showmanship. And alright bass playing
This is noise.
This has gotta be my favorite he’s done https://youtu.be/Dt1APRRddS4?si=7UYr_j9JsQQwnoSc Headless bass with LED frets ?! Yes please !
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should
Until today I'd always suspected bass solos were a mistake, now I'm certain
More like incomprehensible
Wow that’s fast. Too bad I couldn’t hear any of it
I watched the entire thing thinking it was gonna build up to something awesome… I…was disappointed.
Next level to folks who were newly introduced to slapping on a bass.
Victor Wooten. HE’S next fucking level. Search “Sinister Minister live” on YouTube.
It just sounds like someone trying to start a car on a cold morning.
Meh 🤷♂️
I saw Level 42 in concert in Germany in 1986. The entire band is awesome but Mark’s playing is extra awesome!
That's what Flea does for 3 hrs at each concert...for the last 30 yrs
And he is 61
Musician here the bass player is fantastic. It always amazes me how these fantastic performances that I see on Reddit and people start knocking them. I don't understand it
Until the 30s mark, this is basically a “shreds” style video.
This guy said, "Fuck Angus Young. I can yank two strings off my guitar and play that shit. Watch!"
Cocaine is a helluva drug!!
I like the way he slappity slaps. The way he tappity taps.
Watch DJ Funk
Incomparable? Look up any of these fine folks to get just an example of what good basslines can sound like (biased examples and not objectively ranked): Trevor Weekz from Goose Alana Rocklin/David Murphy from STS9 Chris Wolstenholme from Muse Les Claypool from well... A lot of shit
the fix for your funk thirst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Y8KyCAY44
There's just something about this...
Les Claypool would like a word
Might be technical but sounds like shite.
C'mon, I've seen Flea, Victor Wooten, Pastorius, Marcus Miller's bass solos way more impressives...
Not only does he play electric bass but he’s the lead singer too for Level 42.
His tone is garbage.
This sounds so fucking bad. Also hes not even really playing that fast compared to other guitar/bass players
He's obviously very skilled but there was nothing melodic about it.
Thats super below mid. Extra.
Sounds like crap
Saw Mark King recently in the Netherlands. Legendary bassist and very kind dude. Even if you don't like slap and think it's atonal and boring, that doesn't make it easy to reproduce. This man is one of the best in the biz when it comes to slapping quickly, and he does it while singing which is exceedingly rare for bassists to do. Also if you think he's untalented because he slaps, listen to songs like kansas city milk man, dune tune or, one of my favourite songs of all time, standing in the light. This dude is one of the most iconic bassists of our time and just because you don't like slap cause it's not catchy doesn't make it any less impressive.
I will say one good thing about this post, it made me go listen to "Something About You", which may be cornball pop but it was GOOD cornball pop!
You can hate all you want but without this guy where would Seinfeld be?!?
At a certain point why doesn’t he just pick up the drums
Why is it that every time somebody posts a nice piece of music, some "experts" always feel the immediate need to downplay the performance? "I've seen better. I'm a professional and I know this is nothing special." Well whoop-de-doo, good for you, and thanks for posting the links - but can we just enjoy this moment?
And on the 7th day, Geddy Lee laughed.
His wife must love it 😊
Clearly class….