bassaddik Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 i don't mean to offend Claypool fans, but i left a Communist country to come here, and dammitt, i will excercise my freedom of speech!! This last issue was such a disappointment. I personally think there are a half dozen more talented bassists here in town than Les. Everytime i have heard him play, i have found him to be sloppy.... what's the big deal? go ahead, fire away!!! Praise ye the LORD. ....praise him with stringed instruments and organs... Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. excerpt from- Psalm 150 visit me at: www.adriangarcia.net for His glory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnb Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 I quit reading Bassplayer years ago for very similar reasons. So "I feel your pain". I'll buy Bassplayer when they put Jimmy Johnson on the cover and Anthony Jackson gets another column. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Hey! I have a great idea. Let's only put people on the cover of the magazine that absolutely, positively EVERY-FRIGGIN'-BODY agrees is a great bassist and worthy of a cover story. Now, we've officially eliminated Les Claypool, and, based on previous threads, Jaco and Melissa Van der Aulf. So, if you have someone in mind that you think would stink up the cover of PBM, let's post that suggestion here! I nominate Sid Viscious (deceased). Yeah, and those product reviews and the whole "Woodshed" section really suck, too! And the Working Stiffs section, man, that has to go. (Can you FEEL the sarcasm?) Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 I still get Bass Player. Some of it I don't like, but I do like enough to keep getting it. To answer your question, No we don't need another Les Claypool cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnb Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 There is no shortage of fine bass players on this planet, I would just like to see some new faces, some people I don't know about that play their asses off. In lieu of the "name" player on the cover just to sell magazine how about improving the content. What am I saying? Good content never sells magazine. Now Flea, he sells magazines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 I like the mag, but I agree.... they could have found better than Les Claypool.... why don't they do some of our own lowdowners... I nominate in no particular order, (even tho they don't have the wanker appeal....) Michael Dimin, Ed Friedland or Steve Lawson... It was nice to see Amy in the last issue, even if it was way in the back.... Just a grumpy old man sounding off.... Rock on.... BCR's homepage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 P Bass Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 When I got my copy this month I felt the same way. It wasn't that long ago that Les was on the cover. The guy totally blows me away, but there is a very large and diverse bass community out there; Maybe we should pay respect to some guys off the beaten path (not that Claypool is a household name, but in these parts there is a certain reverence to his name). "Start listening to music!". -Jeremy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Originally posted by Raven: I nominate in no particular order, (even tho they don't have the wanker appeal....) Michael Dimin, Ed Friedland or Steve Lawson... Well, thanks for the vote, but since my picture gets printed every issue in the back, I doubt I'll ever rate a cover. But who says I ain't a wanker? Steve Lawson? He's a bleedin' wanker! Dimin? A wanker! www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbroni Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 I just recently saw Primus. He and they were brilliant. Better than ever. For the longest time I was over him, just tired of the whole bass player with a guitar players mentality a musical masterbater. Something was different with them (Primus) this time, they seemed to me to be reaching within a bit more. I was excited it was so entertaining, they put on a show. He's been off doing the Jamband thing, which I'm hip to anyway, but I think its done him some good. Its a loose kind of music, Primus after a while gets old cause it doesn't breathe. But those cats are tight together as a band so maybe they'll grow a bit. Oh! and Adrian Belew sat in that made it even more interesting. Gotta go though cookin some pork tenderloins on the grill with some hickory wood chips and some sweet potatoes with infused barbecue. I agree with you on BP mag cover thing though. Lets get some new guys on the cover. Together all sing their different songs in union - the Uni-verse. My Current Project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 I like Les Claypool. However, when I saw him on the cover I thought that it wasn't that long ago when he last graced the cover. It would be nice to see some less heralded but highly active fellahs on the cover. I enjoy reading BP. Sure, I enjoy some issues more than others, but I regularly find a few things in each issue that grab my attention. I still want to see an issue w/ a feature like the one where various builders did a roundtable -- Sadowsky, Tobias, and others -- but this time I'd want to hear from some of the smaller builders -- folks like Chris Stambaugh, Fred Bolton, Chris Benavente, and, of course, Carey Nordstrand. Or else a similar roundtable that includes amp and/or cab builders discussing bass amplification. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hags2k Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Well, I don't really have any beef about Les gracing the cover again, but I was a bit disappointed with this issue as a whole. It seems there just wasn't as much cool stuff as other recent issues (and I'm really sad I didn't pick up a copy of the one with Rhonda Smith on the cover, if only so I could pinup some of those pics in my new apartment ). It could be that this was just a "slow" month. It happens every now and then for any kind of specialized magazine. There was plenty of good stuff, though, and I always really dig Ed's woodshed columns. Speaking of Ed's woodshed columns, I just want to say that the "Slow Blues" column from a few months back is becoming one of my favorites. I've reread it quite a few times, and found it terribly interesting and informative. Keep up the good work, Ed! Your methods of explanation and exuberance are incredibly appealing, and it's so nice to have good advice on fundamentals that a novice like myself can really grab a hold of. Thanks! unkownroadband.com - step into the unkown :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 I feel your pain, Adrian. Les's picture must sell magazines. I hope it does so that the people who have only have heard of him will hear about the many bass players who are so much more versatile, more accomplished, and actually play cleanly. I notice that Mr. Claypool himself admits to reading articles where his playing is described as sloppy, but he doesn't understand why people think that. Or maybe he's just defending himself. By the way, Les, if you're reading this, I may have met you 25 or so years ago at Greg Huth's wedding--he introduced me to a bunch of people saying I was his bass teacher. I think his older brother Todd played in an early version of Primus. Most of my favorites have been on the cover of the magazine. It's time for someone new. And there once was an article in Guitar Player responding to "why is Jimi Hendrix on the cover so often" which stated that when he is on the cover, they sell twice as many copies at the newsstand. So in some ways, I don't care who's on the cover, but I want to make sure the insides of the magazine are keeping up to date. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gord -B Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Primus Sucks! Derek Smalls: It's like fire and ice, basically. I feel my role in the band is to be somewhere in the middle of that, kind of like lukewarm water. http://www.myspace.com/gordonbache Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikmag Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Im a huge claypool fan and managed to see Claypool's bucket of bernie brains live (you would know about it if you read the article). But i dont think that they really needed him again. they didnt bring too much new stuff, at least with the CCBBB record not coming out till september. We distort. You abide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 I let my Bass Player Magazine subscription expire nearly two years ago because I got tired of reading articles that were better suited for Guitar World or People Magazine. Around the same time I encountered an issue for the UKs Guitarist magazine, and found a level of maturity in this and other UK-Euro periodicals that US journalists can stand to learn a few lessons from. And, sorry to say, I listen to BBC World News more often than CNN or MSNBC if I want to get the story behind US headlines. Enough US-bashing, I know this isn't a political forum. On the central topic, I don't mind reading about Les now and then, but I'd rather see articles about the NEXT Les Claypool - specifically all of you, my brothers and sisters. YOU are the real story in what's happening to music today and tomorrow, not the Backstreet Boys or the mono-named celebrity-de-jour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Maybe the "working stiffs" section should always include one of us LDL members. I guess we'd need to be proactive, though, and submit our own names -- at least those of us who are busy gigging. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Originally posted by Gord -B: Primus Sucks! But, the theme music to South Park!!!! That song ROCKS! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinn Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 There are definitely a few faces I've grown weary of seeing on BP covers and Les is one of them. Geddy is another. As others have noted, this is what finally drove me to cancel my subscription. Now before I get flamed, I have NOTHING against either of these gentlemen and recognize they are both highly innovative bassists. It's just that too much exposure to anything causes me to get burned out on it and there are so many other great players who have gotten little if any ink in the leading zine for our chosen instrument. Having said that, I understand why BP does it - these faces sell copies, just as Clapton and Van Halen have for Guitar Player for all these decades. Nowdays I just check the newstand regularly and buy those few issues each year that really interest me. My bands: http://www.myspace.com/aimlowkidmusic http://www.myspace.com/bobfrankandjohnmurry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Lawson Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Well, thanks for the vote, but since my picture gets printed every issue in the back, I doubt I'll ever rate a cover. But who says I ain't a wanker? Steve Lawson? He's a bleedin' wanker! Dimin? A wanker! LOL - that's going on my press quotes list... I think BP has to balance talent with mass appeal - if they put me on the cover, they'd get lots of short-sighted Rush fans buying it and being very disappointed, but wouldn't get a whole lot of people walking into Barnes And Noble saying 'hey! cool! Steve Lawson on the cover!' - there'd be some, but not quite as many as they're going to get for Les... It's a difficult balance, which for my money they had best in the mid 90s, when they were able to put people like Charlie Haden and Mick Karn on the cover, but times change, publishers change... heck, the whole magazine world has shifted since then. I think Bill Leigh does a great job. and FWIW, if we were picking kick-ass players with plenty to say about the instrument, Ed would be pretty close to the top of that list. Now when are you going to do that frikkin solo CD????? I'm on album #5 since we met, Ed, and you're matching me book for CD - maybe we should swap for a year! cheers Steve www.stevelawson.net StevieLand - go on, you know you want to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Originally posted by Fred the bass player: Enough US-bashing, I know this isn't a political forum. On the central topic, I don't mind reading about Les now and then, but I'd rather see articles about the NEXT Les Claypool - specifically all of you, my brothers and sisters. YOU are the real story in what's happening to music today and tomorrow, not the Backstreet Boys or the mono-named celebrity-de-jour. If it's about me, it's a damned short article. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower8 Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Honestly, I don't care who's on the cover, if the content is good. I liked Primus back in the day, and I enjoyed the Claypool article in this issue. If his face sells more magazines, that's fine with me, because that means that people out there are getting exposed to alot of the other stuff inside the mag (like ClatterAmy in the Geezer issue). All that being said, it's nice when they introduce us to "new" people on the cover, and perhaps there should be a limit on the number of times one person can appear on the cover. Then again, Geddy is my favorite, and I'd buy any issue with him on the cover (see? it works. though, it's a moot point, since I subscribe.) Still, they can also introduce us to new people inside the magazine was well. "Tea & Cake, or Death!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 No, we don't need another Les cover. But if one more Les cover works out to one Mick Karn or Duck Dunn or a "lesser-known" player who gets their own cover, it seems like a small price to pay. And there's a whole magazine inside too. Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Originally posted by Steve Lawson: ...and FWIW, if we were picking kick-ass players with plenty to say about the instrument, Ed would be pretty close to the top of that list. Now when are you going to do that frikkin solo CD????? I'm on album #5 since we met, Ed, and you're matching me book for CD - maybe we should swap for a year! Thanks Steve, from one wanker to the other, I 'preciate it, know wut Ah mean? I thank yew dew!" Yeah, solo CD, that's right.... uhm... let's see...I have two more book projects in the line up for this year, so it may have to be backburner again! My latest musical endeavor is a classic country band "Big In Vegas" with my wife singing. We do old Patsy, Buck, Merle, Ray Price...GOOD country, not that Achey Breaky stuff. I'm having a blast singing Merle tunes and playing triads. Originally posted by hags2k: Speaking of Ed's woodshed columns, I just want to say that the "Slow Blues" column from a few months back is becoming one of my favorites. I've reread it quite a few times, and found it terribly interesting and informative. Keep up the good work, Ed! Your methods of explanation and exuberance are incredibly appealing, and it's so nice to have good advice on fundamentals that a novice like myself can really grab a hold of. Thanks!Thanks hags2k! I'm keeping the Groove Of The Month thing going with new styles. I'm starting to llok at more world stuff because I'm having trouble thinking of more American grooves. I'm always open to suggestions.... And the last year or two of GOTMC columns have been compiled into Bass Grooves. The book includes a CD with the styles (and drum programs) demonstrated. Hey Steve, it just occured to me that I've put out 4 solo cds this year! All my books come with a CD that I play all the instruments on, okay, the tunes are only 8 bars long, but..... www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Lawson Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Hey Steve, it just occured to me that I've put out 4 solo cds this year! All my books come with a CD that I play all the instruments on, okay, the tunes are only 8 bars long, but..... that may just be a record - I know there was a hardcore punk band in the late 80s that put out an LP that had 101 tracks on it, but you might beat them if they count the versions without bass in there as well... And, thinking about it, I've actually released 8 CDs, if you include the three bonus CDs that have come with advanced orders of my last three CDs... Steve www.stevelawson.net StevieLand - go on, you know you want to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubes Rock Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 All I will lend to this topic is that I wanna see more "Gear Closeups" articles. I like to see what kind of toys the pros use. Sometimes I am amazed at the simplicity of the rquipment that even the biggest players use. I wanna see more of what equipment these guys are using on stage. Don't drink and drive. Get high and fly there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jode Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 I re-purchased Sailing The Seas Of Cheese a while back, and I had a thought that kind of relates here: Maybe BP put Les Claypool on the cover to remind all these lame-o nu-metal bands where they stole EVERY FUCKIN' ONE OF THEIR LICKS!! I can't listen to Primus anymore without hearing a bunch of Slipknot, Godsmack, and other silliness in the back of my head. Primus, plus a totally unnecessary DJ, plus a walloping dose of self-pity and childish emotional self-indulgence, minus any trace of humor or fun, equals nu-metal. Add a chick lead singer, and you have Evanescence. I'll take Wynonna and her Big Brown Beaver over "SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" any day. I think maybe they're all so pissed off because it's been over a decade and they still haven't cut a song as good as "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" yet. Anyone here old like me who remembers back when rock music used to be fun? Maybe Bass Player remembers, and that's why Les is on the cover yet again. Primus sucks, but nu-metal swallows. "I had to have something, and it wasn't there. I couldn't go down the street and buy it, so I built it." Les Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 I don't think it's really that big a deal. I mean, if we really wanted to examine the topic, why not mention Geddy Lee being on the cover of Bass Guitar that's on newstands right now? He's had his share of covers too. Les has definitely pushed some of the boundaries, but I can't say that I think he's on the leading edge of things today. But I really think magazine covers subjects are chosen more for marketing value than innovation. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dimin Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Originally posted by Raven: I like the mag, but I agree.... they could have found better than Les Claypool.... why don't they do some of our own lowdowners... I nominate in no particular order, (even tho they don't have the wanker appeal....) Michael Dimin, Ed Friedland or Steve Lawson... It was nice to see Amy in the last issue, even if it was way in the back.... Just a grumpy old man sounding off.... Rock on....I am sorry, but I must agree with Mr. Friedland -I am a wanker, a damn wanker and proud to be so. I wank from morning till late until the evening. I wank at home, on the road and even while visitng the grandparents and great grandparents in the nursing home. I am a wanker and proud of it. ... oh, you're talking about music ... sorry Anyway, thanks for the notice. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Dimin Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 ooh, ooh, ooh ... The WANT Tour, featuring a few good bassists and a sh** load of loopers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc taz Posted August 24, 2004 Share Posted August 24, 2004 Originally posted by Raven: I like the mag, but I agree.... they could have found better than Les Claypool.... why don't they do some of our own lowdowners... I nominate in no particular order, (even tho they don't have the wanker appeal....) Michael Dimin, Ed Friedland or Steve Lawson... It was nice to see Amy in the last issue, even if it was way in the back.... Just a grumpy old man sounding off.... Rock on....Yes, I say Clatter should be on the cover. Both of 'em. And no, I'm not old, but I am a bit grumpy. Personally, I want the humble John Myung on the cover! Yeah, he may not be everyone's fave, but he works as hard as anyone, and more importantly, lives for it. I could imagine him playing anywhere, anytime, even without the big record contract from Elektra. sevenstring.org profile my flickr page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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