It was replaced by synthesizers long time ago, bud. I know it sucks, lol.

Prince's influence?

Prince. Killed. Pop. Music.

it's on vacation with the cheesey sax solo somewhere in the carribean getting high with billy ocean
[Edited 7/22/09 0:24am]

What?

Nothing happened. YOU just keep listening to shitty r&b which uses keyboard bass or, even worse, cellphone tones.

For what it's worth, in hard rock and metal the bass is finally getting its dues in the sound mix on records.

I attribute this to improved recording techniques, the demise of vinyl (no longer having to worry about the needle jumping out of the groove! ) and just shifts in audio tastes/ fashions.


R&B and Hip Hop may not be bass-driven these days, but rock bass is doing OK.


Actually, I have always found bass to be strangely lacking in rap records. "Bass, how low can you go...?" Well, erm, where IS the damn bass on that record?!

Whatever Happened To 21st Century Popular Music?

Fixed.

rocknrolldave said:

What rock records can you not hear bass?

I'd suggest some Victor Wooten and Marcus Miller in your musical diet.

Graycap23 said:

i just caught them on the ThunderBass tour with Stanley Clarke. Stanley owned them both. though, i'm not saying Victor and Marcus didn't get down.

This goes back to the argument of people not really being musicians that are making "music". I noted that Prince used the Linn as an instrument, he didn't rely on it. The same goes for a synth or a computer. Use it as an enhancement, not as your only source of sound. Producers today and hip/hop and R&B "artists" have no talent in playing the radio, much less picking up a bass, or sitting at a piano to learn something about music. They sing a melody over a loop and call themselves a songwriter. It's no wonder that music programs in schools are suffering. Kids don't see the need for learning an instrument when they have a computer sitting at home and can learn how to loop a bass line from an old MJ song. 99% of people under 30 today would have no idea who Verdeen White is, or Bootsy Collins, or Larry Graham. I wish a great bass player like Randy Jackson would take his celebrity and use it to promote and further the cause of music in schools. Create a damn scholarship or fund for a local school's music program.

PFunkjazz said:

Bingo. There's still real and great and really great music out there. Hell, even a white boy like Jason Mraz or John Mayer are real musicians, but because they're not singing about booty shakin', being crunk, or whatthefuckeverpeoplearesingingabouttoday, they're ignored. The internet and computers have created an AHDH society. No one wants to sit and just listen to good music. Everything has to be HYPE or OFF THE HOOK, etc etc. Wham Bam. NEXT.

PFunkjazz said:

Relatively speaking, of course.

Some of the early Thrash Metal records, Metallica, Slayer..you can hardly pick out the basslines and the sound is overly thin and trebly.

It's not so much that the bass wasn't there before in Rock, just that I would say in a lot of cases it is more prominent these days, whereas with other types of music the trend has gone the other way.

All generalisations of course, but just my overview as I see it.

sinisterpentatonic said:

Stanley in the man.....

.....add some Meshell NDegeocello as well.
ASAP.

rocknrolldave said:

Yeah man I'm more like 60s blues rock and 70s prog rock so that shit always had groove.

PFunkjazz said:

Oh me too, to an extent I guess, but imagine how much more punch those records could've had with modern recording techniques

rocknrolldave said:

That's whenyou switch to funk.

I agree with above comments. If you listen to the crap that is on the radio, you're not going to hear a real bass guitar, as far as r/b goes. Listen to jazz, rock, etc. You will still find plenty of real bass on there. Otherwise, you might want to start building up your iPod/cd collection.

Timmy84 said:

Synths only successfully replaced horns & strings full-time (a Prince-inspired move of course). But bass guitars were still being used throughout the 20th century (outside of electro & techno).

But now it's gotten to the point where I can only hear a real bass guitar in rock and it isn't always a funk bass at all.

PFunkjazz said:

I don't listen to that rhythmless bullshit (r&b) in my house. But I can definitely hear that crap when some people are blasting it at high volume in their cars.

Graycap23 said:

True that. But we want Bootsy!!!

ernestsewell said:

I can't begin to tell you how many artists over the years have sample I Want You Back. And it's a shame that most of the fans of those artists have no idea that it was The Funk Brothers' James Jameson that played that world famous bassline.

TonyVanDam said:

I think Prince just had a great ear for what to take out without turning it into a formula... he took out the bass when it wasn't needed (When Doves Cry, Kiss)... unfortunately I think as with all musical ideas, you can't overdo it...

TonyVanDam said:

Can't 4get the MASTER Blaster.

TonyVanDam said:

Unfortunately Bootsy's not playing much bass and caters to that keyboard aesthetic I alluded to earlier.

TonyVanDam said:

Oh I've heard it too. Beyonce sampled MJ's "I Can't Help It" for her "Deja Vu". Beyonce and Will Smith have a lot in common. Catchy songs, but mostly rely on samples to fill the void on their albums.

Most, not all, of Beyonce's biggest hits have been based on someone else's song.

Lead singers and guitarists get all the sex, so that's what kids focus on when deciding what bandmember to be. Hell, even drummers get more action than bassists.

There, question answered.