The Last Bass Outpost
Main Forums => The Bass Zone => Topic started by: Chaser001 on October 05, 2010, 11:29:03 AM
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What do you think of Flea? Do you like him or not? How would you rate his bass playing? Actually, I'd like to know this for personal reasons, although if I divulged them you'd understand perfectly why I'm suddenly wondering about such things. I won't be making any comments, though, for the personal reasons I've already mentioned. Any comments, good or bad, will be welcomed. And from my perspective, there really isn't a right or wrong answer. This isn't really so much about Flea as it is about me and somewhat of a bass-related dilemma that I find myself facing.
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if you are not going to air your situation i'll just say i don't slappers, any of them. to me it's not bass. it's all about the tone.
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I used to listen to a lot of 70's funk when I started to play bass so I like Flea. One of my favorite bass lines by him is on Young MC's "Bust A Move. Very simple, but funky.
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I don't mind saying I like Flea at all - While his playing isn't really my style ( and I wouldn't even attempt to try to cop it ) I can readily appreciate his talent and his skill at composing interesting bass parts, which by itself is also a skill.
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I enjoy his playing a lot. Sometimes it's a little busy for my taste, but who am I to judge?
I too slap, but in a much more old school way. FWIW, I still actively work at "improving" at this style.
In my opinion, it's a valid style...I'm not a rocket scientist at it, so I use it in a more sparingly and hopefully more simply and traditionally R & B-like manner than The Chili Peppers.
Funk is allowed in Ohio.
I will sit and watch a Chili Peppers video my son owns for my own fun every now and again...I would never do that with a "metal" band video.
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I'm on the fence with Flea. I have no doubt what his fingers can do, but there are times when I ask, "What the hell is he thinking?". One song, he's tight and fluid, the next, he's an epileptic in a rage. He's also used a number of basses, so if you're having a bass-related conflict, you might want to elaborate.
In short, my ears hear farts and flailing arms, or warm tones and structure. Never the two shall meet with Flea.
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I'm also very much on the fence with Flea. I have to say that I've always been interested in hard rock and that's always what I've played. Unlike some of you, I've never tried to be an accomplished bassist who can play anything in any situation. I've always just played what I loved. But I'm finding myself in a situation in which it might be to my advantage to cop Flea's style. First, I'll have to find out if I'm even capable of it. Second, I'll have to decide if I want to invest a lot of time and energy in music which isn't my preferred music. However, to elaborate on the details really would be foolish. Sometimes it's better to just keep things to yourself. This is one of those rare cases. These comments have already been helpful, though. I'd like to thank everyone for them. All things considered, it's probably to my advantage to not say much more. I'm really identifying with some of these comments, though. That's a good thing and it does help me.
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I don't find anything especially annoying or unappealing about his playing - but I've always found the RHCP to be very disturbing visually. Maybe that's what they're after, but they give me the creeps.
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I agree with the gives me the creeps sentiment.
Some lyrics are very disturbing, also.
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Flea comes up with some coool stuff! It would be FUN to figure some of it out.
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Not my cup of tea, but it does rhyme with Flea...
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Not sure what this new endeavor holds in store for you, but just make sure your rider stipulates an ample supply of tube socks!
I used to listen to a lot of 70's funk when I started to play bass so I like Flea. One of my favorite bass lines by him is on Young MC's "Bust A Move. Very simple, but funky.
I also enjoyed his more subtle/subdued playing - that Young MC bassline was good, stuff like RHCP's "Funky Crime" and "Special Secret Song..." comes to mind (although the songs themselves didn't age so well...), and this was kinda cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvSsPkXYk98
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Not sure what this new endeavor holds in store for you, but just make sure your rider stipulates an ample supply of tube socks!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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I never got the whole RHCP thing. most of the the time they sound like a really bad garage band. not good funk , not good rock. just what are they??? granted this is someone who will not listen to a band/artist if he has a dj on the stage with him to scratch.... so maybe i am stuck in some other music time zone. Flea has great chops, very little taste at times. i don't get it....
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I like what Flea does. He is interesting, musical and challenging as a bass player. I'm not sure if he worries about the fact that his playing doesn't fit very well into some of the more traditional stereotyping boxes. To be honest it doesn't bother me either. He is what he is and as a bassist he is musically interesting. I cant take a lot of RHCP songs in a row but I dont see anything wrong or disturbing with what they do. Like listening to Les Claypool or Geddy Lee, just take away from it what you want and ignore the rest.
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For kids like me who were starting to understand and enjoy cool not-for-kiddies music when Give It Away started playing worldwide, Flea has always been kind of a legend. Not particulary for his musical skill or talent, but because he was the bass player with an atittude that made kids pay atenttion to the bass as much as the guitar and guitar players.
Although his bass playing wasnt all that much inovative for the older audience, it was new for us kids who didnt know much about music history other than the last week MTV top ten list. So we were listening to Guns and Roses, Extreme, Skid Row and all the other rock bands who were playing everywhere at the time and they all had bass players that were just there to suport their guitar players solo, and then RHCP came and all we could see was this weird guy monkeying around and making weird noises with his bass. And not only that, those weird noises were actually a big part of the music, so much so that the cool kids at school that could play guitar just couldnt play the chords on their six strings and sing the words because it simply sucked without the bass sound.
So for us kids, to really know how to play the bass meant to be able to play like Flea, otherwise you are just another kid who plays bass because nobody else wanted to.
Anyway, my point is that even if your playing style is not like Flea, but you can play a RHCP tune just like he does, than a lot of people will almost instantly consider you to be a great bass player.
Edit: I dont know if what I said has anything to do with your dilema, but to try to clarify my pont a little more: one of my customers is a great bass player and makes a living out of it. He plays for bands that do all sorts of events like graduations, weddings and even live band karaoke. He told me that when he was starting to audition for gigs a couple of years ago, everytime people asked if he could play RHCP. At the time he couldnt (he was never much of a fan), and so couldnt pass the test. So after a while he decided to learn to play two RHCP songs, and never had a problem getting a gig since. Even if there isnt a RHCP song on the set list, if he can play RHCP, for them it means he can play anything.
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I think he's funny.
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And melodic. I don't care about his slapping style (or anybody's slapping style, that is playing percussion to me and I don't have favorite bongo players either), but I like his choice of notes when he plays a ballad. Under the bridge has a beautiful bass line throughout.
He's certainly an icon of modern bass playing.
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I don't listen to a lot of RHCP, however, most of the stuff I've heard that I've liked (there's 3 or 4 songs) has had some great bass hooks.
What I like about the band is that on the surface, they don't appear to take themselves too seriously.
I've also watched a few instructional videos done by Flea and he appears to be a genuine, somewhat well-spoken dude.
I don't slap, but I can listen to a song or two if it's done well...in my opinion, Flea does it well and with great energy.
Ack
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I think this would be a better question for Talk Bass if you are looking for an argument, as most people here are somewhat objective.
I don't think many here, myself included, can state he is not a very good bass player in many styles (slap & finger style / melodic). He also has written some great bass lines that are quite nice.
The music is a matter of taste as is his character "Donny"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p5R9mhYO3U&feature=related
He seems like a nice fellow.
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I think the live experience probably drew a lot of fans to those punk-funk bands like RHCP, Fishbone, Defunkt, Mr. Bungle... They were completely over the top with a really animated stage presence, mohawks, brass sections (in some cases), stage diving... Seeing that stuff as a kid is what turned me onto the older groups too - Funkadelic, Ohio Players, Cymande... I always love a good rhythm section, and plenty to be had there.
Speaking of, Mothers Milk had some great bass moments on it too. If Tower of Power took crack, it might sound like.... :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQh_89pLZ-E
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For kids like me who were starting to understand and enjoy cool not-for-kiddies music when Give It Away started playing worldwide, Flea has always been kind of a legend. Not particulary for his musical skill or talent, but because he was the bass player with an atittude that made kids pay atenttion to the bass as much as the guitar and guitar players.
Although his bass playing wasnt all that much inovative for the older audience, it was new for us kids who didnt know much about music history other than the last week MTV top ten list. So we were listening to Guns and Roses, Extreme, Skid Row and all the other rock bands who were playing everywhere at the time and they all had bass players that were just there to suport their guitar players solo, and then RHCP came and all we could see was this weird guy monkeying around and making weird noises with his bass. And not only that, those weird noises were actually a big part of the music, so much so that the cool kids at school that could play guitar just couldnt play the chords on their six strings and sing the words because it simply sucked without the bass sound.
So for us kids, to really know how to play the bass meant to be able to play like Flea, otherwise you are just another kid who plays bass because nobody else wanted to.
Anyway, my point is that even if your playing style is not like Flea, but you can play a RHCP tune just like he does, than a lot of people will almost instantly consider you to be a great bass player.
Edit: I dont know if what I said has anything to do with your dilema, but to try to clarify my pont a little more: one of my customers is a great bass player and makes a living out of it. He plays for bands that do all sorts of events like graduations, weddings and even live band karaoke. He told me that when he was starting to audition for gigs a couple of years ago, everytime people asked if he could play RHCP. At the time he couldnt (he was never much of a fan), and so couldnt pass the test. So after a while he decided to learn to play two RHCP songs, and never had a problem getting a gig since. Even if there isnt a RHCP song on the set list, if he can play RHCP, for them it means he can play anything.
Daniel, you have summed up the situation very well. Certainly, better than I could have done myself. Muito obrigado. However, many of these comments have been helpful. When I first started looking into this, I honestly didn't realize how good Flea was. Although it isn't my favorite genre, I have to agree with Uwe that Flea is a modern bass icon. Barklessdog, I've found an objective analysis here, and won't need to look elsewhere.
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I was a huge Flea fan in the late 80s/early 90s - when Mother's Milk came out. Those first 4 records are a blast! The first time I saw/heard them was on the Arsenio Hall show. They did Higher Ground and I was blown away. Here was a guy who had perfected what I had been trying to do for years - insert a funk/slap style into a rock band. I got into that style mostly by way of some of the jazz/fusion I was into. Stanley Clarke, Jeff beck's "Wired", Jean Luc Ponty, etc.... There was also the Brothers Johnson and Bootsy influence. I slapped like crazy for a number of years, but by about '98, had abandoned it completely. Got totally played out. Slapping had become the bass equivalent of 2 handed tapping/sweep picking on guitar. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................ I HAVE started to re-visit it a bit in the past year, jamming with a local funk/disco cover band from time to time. It has it's place, but SLAP DOES NOT EQUAL FUNK! ;D
Back to Flea...... He is a very dedicated and knowledgeable musician. He was an ace trumpet player in high school. He always seems to be pushing himself and exploring new territory, even going to pick style for some stuff. Besides the slap, he's a great fingerstyle player, and can be exceptionally melodic. I have nothing bad to say about his playing, although I pretty much lost interest in RHCP after "Blood Sugar...."
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I was a huge Flea fan in the late 80s/early 90s - when Mother's Milk came out. Those first 4 records are a blast! The first time I saw/heard them was on the Arsenio Hall show. They did Higher Ground and I was blown away. Here was a guy who had perfected what I had been trying to do for years - insert a funk/slap style into a rock band. I got into that style mostly by way of some of the jazz/fusion I was into. Stanley Clarke, Jeff beck's "Wired", Jean Luc Ponty, etc.... There was also the Brothers Johnson and Bootsy influence. I slapped like crazy for a number of years, but by about '98, had abandoned it completely. Got totally played out. Slapping had become the bass equivalent of 2 handed tapping/sweep picking on guitar. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................ I HAVE started to re-visit it a bit in the past year, jamming with a local funk/disco cover band from time to time. It has it's place, but SLAP DOES NOT EQUAL FUNK! ;D
Back to Flea...... He is a very dedicated and knowledgeable musician. He was an ace trumpet player in high school. He always seems to be pushing himself and exploring new territory, even going to pick style for some stuff. Besides the slap, he's a great fingerstyle player, and can be exceptionally melodic. I have nothing bad to say about his playing, although I pretty much lost interest in RHCP after "Blood Sugar...."
If you or anyone else can name the songs Flea used a pick on, or can move me in the direction where I can find out myself, that would be useful to me.
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You could argue the point that Flea's playing is extremely dirivative and that if you're turned on by that style, you should go to the source. For example, the Brothers Johnson, Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham and a whole host of others pioneered the style that Flea seems to have tapped into. That said, he's still a great player and really pulls it all together in crafting basslines that pay hommage to past masters. So I really like his playing ...... for much the same reason as I like Stevie Ray Vaughn.
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Flea was in Back To The Future...
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Flea's style seems to have a lot more punk/hardcore influence than has been mentioned here. His playing is as much about attitude as it is about musicianship. I also loved the early albums up through "Blood Sugar Sex Magic." But I also love "Californication" - that was kind of like a comeback for them, with John Frusciante (sp?) back in the fold, and to me it sounds like long-lost friends who have found each other again.
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I always liked the cover of their The Abbey Road EP. 8)
(http://i51.tinypic.com/34xjkly.jpg)
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Flea was in Back To The Future...
His mom is a theatrical agent. What surprised me about RHCP is the fact that I saw drummer Chad Smith back in my bar circuit days. He was the hot drummer for the big band in the Michigan club circuit, Toby Redd.
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A quick Google search found this at an Ultimate Guitar forum:
"Flea occasionally uses a pick; songs where he's used a pick have included Don't Forget Me, Parrallel Universe, Fortune Faded and part of Snow (Hey Oh)."
I stopped following RHCP by the time any of this stuff came out, so I can't confirm. I DO remember him on the cover of Bass Player mag with a headline reading "He plays with a pick!" among other things...
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A quick Google search found this at an Ultimate Guitar forum:
"Flea occasionally uses a pick; songs where he's used a pick have included Don't Forget Me, Parrallel Universe, Fortune Faded and part of Snow (Hey Oh)."
I stopped following RHCP by the time any of this stuff came out, so I can't confirm. I DO remember him on the cover of Bass Player mag with a headline reading "He plays with a pick!" among other things...
Thanks. It's possible I even have that Bass Player magazine. I will check.