Hi Ben,,I don't know if he " Qualifies" as a" Legend", but he did bring the bass into the spotlight. With his left handed playing and the cool violin style bass he played, people took notice. He may not be the most fancy, or experienced player..but he did bring the bass up from the " Back of the bus". I enjoy the lines he wrote, and they were simple, but music was more simple then...as were the songs they wrote... Besides he has a cute butt. xoxox

I bet you're right...I bet I can't convince you.
Here's a story instead.


I was fortunate enough to study at the Banff
School Of Fine Arts and learn from bassist Don
Thompson, a world class jazz bassist who has
played with too many huge names to mention. I got
my notification that I was accepted a week or so
before classes began. I had just come off a six
month R&B tour, and my jazz chops were so rusted
over that I was terrified.


Don did me the great honour of coming and watching
an entire gig I did. From the front table.
Needless to say, I was very nervous.


I saw Don in the hall the next day. I started
apologising for my rusty technique. He said "I
didn't notice your chops, and that tells me two
things. You didn't have too little. And you didn't
have too much."


I was relieved at the time, but it took me a
decade to truly understand the compliment...Hey, I
was young and dumb, and I hadn't figured out that
nobody but other bass players really gives a
boiled monkey's buttocks about your chops. And
even then, only young bassists. The mature guys
are much more interested in how you served the
song.


It's about one's musicianship. Otherwise, one is a
sophisticated communications device with no
interesting message to transmit.


As for Paul, I find lines like "Come Together" are
innovative, melodic and utterly suited to the
song.


He is a "musical" bassist, not a chops monster.
His technique is adequate to his expression. I
have been listening to Paul for thirty years, and
I've never even noticed his technique, nor cared.
The day I think I can create five percent of the
melodic, lyrical bass lines that Paul McCartney
has, I'll know I've become a musician. Not just a
bass player.

I agree!! It's impossible to convince someone of something they are adamant about not be convinced about!!?? Well, it makes sense to me!! You are right about Paul, he was also a front man, which is rare in bass players. Most of them are hidden behind all the guitar/keyboard/banjo/tamborine/flute/pennywhistle players, to the left or right of the drum kit in the very back, in the dark.... He doesn't overplay on any of the songs that come to my mind at this time of night..just enough, in just the right place, a perfect fit. Who cares that he uses a pick? I use a pick on some of our songs. Does that make me any " Less" of a bass player?? I think not.I'll compare calouses any day with any one of you!! There....... I feel better now..xoxox

Kerry, this is an excellent response. Although I am not convinced of his legendary status I have a new understanding of what he is all about. I am not admitting defeat, nor am I becoming a McCartney fan. I am merely sick and tired of one-eyed Beatle fans claiming that he is something that he is clearly not.

A master of songs he may be, but not a master of the bass guitar.

Hi Ben !! What " Makes" a master? Millions of people knowing your songs? Your music being played on millions of radios/t.v's. /home stereos? Everyone knowing who you are? Countless bands learning your songs because they are requested almost every gig? I can only wish one day my originals will be so lucky. :0)

Lesa, this is my opinion and not the word of god, so I'm very much open to critisism and new ideas.

I consider a master of songs as someone who has the ability to write or play something that triggers a response in the listeners brain that represents a form of pleasure. This is what McCartney may be good at.

A master of the Bass Guitar is:
- Someone who has perhaps studied it for many years.

- Someone who was born with a sort of rhythm, timing and sense of 'groove' that others only dream about.

- Someone who displays technical perfection - not so much in a traditional sense, but in a way that allows them to play to their maximum ability.

- Someone with a great understanding of what music is and how it works.

It's pretty much the same as with any instrument.

PS. Thanks for all your interest Lesa

Hi Ben!! We are all intiltled to our opinions that's for sure.. :o) In fact, none of my " Hero's" play bass...Elton John, Beethoven..both piano players, but what they did do was inspire me to learn music, to be a part of what they did.....xoxox

Ben-
IMO, McCartney hits on 3 of the 4 parameters you've decreed as what makes a "master of the bass guitar"(excluding the "years of study" notion; BTW, it's not the quantity of time studied, it's the quality of time studied).
Anyway, I've always viewed McCartney as a musician...who plays piano, bass, drums, guitar, voice, etc. Truth be told, I'd rather be a "master" musician than a "master" bassist(and I almost slipped as I typed that...! ;-)

Ben,
I agree completely. I always felt that he'd rather be playing guitar than bass. So let him take his stupid pick and play a guitar. He won't be missed by the bass world.
Joey

I'd miss him!!! And I play with a pick sometimes...I'm sure you know he started out as the guitar player,..then became the bass player because no one else could/would do the job...He also plays a decent piano, and he is cute!! XOXO