Gene Simmons on Ronnie Wood:

“In my estimation he’s a far better bass player than he is a guitar player.”

[www.guitarworld.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-11-21 14:30 by bv.

How could he leave out Bill Wyman?

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RisingStone
“In my estimation he’s a far better bass player than he is a guitar player.”

[www.guitarworld.com]

Hear "Break the Spell" on "Steel Wheels".

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RobertJohnson

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RisingStone
“In my estimation he’s a far better bass player than he is a guitar player.”

[www.guitarworld.com]

Hear "Break the Spell" on "Steel Wheels".

Exactly my thoughts: "Break the spell" features wonderful bassplaying.

So does Gene hit the mark or not?

FTR —

“In the absence of Bill, Ronnie is also on bass, but unfortunately he cannot stop himself from trying to play too many notes, coming up with a riff that may be ideal for a rhythm guitar, but is certainly not right for a bass.”

[rollingstonesdata.com]

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RisingStone
So does Gene hit the mark or not?

FTR —

“In the absence of Bill, Ronnie is also on bass, but unfortunately he cannot stop himself from trying to play too many notes, coming up with a riff that may be ideal for a rhythm guitar, but is certainly not right for a bass.”

[rollingstonesdata.com]

Bill said that about Keith and Mick Taylor, too

I haven't heard anyone (including Bill) top Keith's bass on the studio version of JJF, though.

Interesting to know that Gimmons was so inspired and influenced by Ronnie's Jeff Beck Group bass-playing. But in a way that makes sense when one listens Kiss records (not that I willingly do that, but one of my best friends is a huge Kiss fan, so I cannot escape that).

But Gene's general views about bass playing also makes it clear why Bill Wyman did not make his list. Bill's playing generally isn't that melodically distinctive, doing guitar-like its little one man show one can hum to, like Gene's favourite Macca do, but just minimically serves the song as an integral part of rhythm section.

For a band like Kiss, Ronnie could be a better bass player than a guitar player, but with the Stones it is the opposite.

- Doxa



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2024-11-20 15:36 by Doxa.

Little known is the fact that Ronnie Wood once did a slide guitar overdub for Gene Simmons first solo album at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles in 1978. The story is told by Ernie Selgado (RW's studio hand during the Gimme Some Neck-sessions) in Rob Chapman's New Barbarians-book on page 43. (The story also says that RW did a contribution to The Cars Candy-O, same place but one week later).

N

Ronnie Wood has more talent in his slide than anything Gene Simmons has ever done or ever will do. Simmons is not a bass player, he just stands on stage with a bass. Kiss was basically an overinflated Beach Boys balloon - the show was only on stage, not in the studio.

Which is blaringly obvious considering how awful Kiss' albums are.

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DandelionPowderman

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RisingStone
So does Gene hit the mark or not?

FTR —

“In the absence of Bill, Ronnie is also on bass, but unfortunately he cannot stop himself from trying to play too many notes, coming up with a riff that may be ideal for a rhythm guitar, but is certainly not right for a bass.”

[rollingstonesdata.com]

Bill said that about Keith and Mick Taylor, too

I haven't heard anyone (including Bill) top Keith's bass on the studio version of JJF, though.

Keith’sbassonJjFlash is great, but it sounds like a guitar.Bill’s bass playing was unique and gave the roll in their music with Charley

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Taylor1

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DandelionPowderman

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RisingStone
So does Gene hit the mark or not?

FTR —

“In the absence of Bill, Ronnie is also on bass, but unfortunately he cannot stop himself from trying to play too many notes, coming up with a riff that may be ideal for a rhythm guitar, but is certainly not right for a bass.”

[rollingstonesdata.com]

Bill said that about Keith and Mick Taylor, too

I haven't heard anyone (including Bill) top Keith's bass on the studio version of JJF, though.

Keith’sbassonJjFlash is great, but it sounds like a guitar.Bill’s bass playing was unique and gave the roll in their music with Charley

I disagree (on both counts). The drive and swing of the studio version has never been matched, imo. And it's no overplaying on JJF. There is on other songs, though.

Keith Taylor and Wood play bass like a guitar.The genius of Bill is that he moves the song brilliantly in a unique and subtle way

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Taylor1
Keith Taylor and Wood play bass like a guitar.The genius of Bill is that he moves the song brilliantly in a unique and subtle way

Brilliantly? Naw....

Mr Simmons is an even bigger gobshite than our Keith...

...but with a lot less room to comment !

I really do not care what one of the least talented bass players on the music scene, one who needs session players to play his parts in the studio, has to say about anything.

Mathijs

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More Hot Rocks

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Taylor1
Keith Taylor and Wood play bass like a guitar.The genius of Bill is that he moves the song brilliantly in a unique and subtle way

Brilliantly? Naw....

Yes

[www.youtube.com]

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WorriedAboutYou
[www.youtube.com]

Frigging awful.

Mathijs

Simmons claim to fame is he dated Cher.

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Mathijs

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WorriedAboutYou
[www.youtube.com]

Frigging awful.

Mathijs

agree

bill and ronnie could play bass better then that with there feet



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-11-21 21:14 by ProfessorWolf.

Gene Simmons - not a fan

Listen to Bill Wyman bass playing on things like Get Yer Ya’s Out and tell me there was ever greater bass playing on a rock record

Woods bass on Hold on to your hat - brilliant. Keith and Charlie is doing the same thing over and over - Ron is not. He´s really finding ways to play that song...

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Bjorn
Woods bass on Hold on to your hat - brilliant. Keith and Charlie is doing the same thing over and over - Ron is not. He´s really finding ways to play that song...

Hold On To Your Hat is a dumb song. It's as bad as anything on DIRTY WORK. Mick would come up with better rocking songs in 1993 for his solo album but this track is loud senseless dead filler. Ronnie's bass playing is the only good thing about the tune.

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ProfessorWolf

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Mathijs

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WorriedAboutYou
[www.youtube.com]

Frigging awful.

Mathijs

agree

bill and ronnie could play bass better then that with there feet

That's embarrassing. I believe he understands he's not the greatest bassist, so why hold it up to a microscope with a "solo"? What's the point?

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Taylor1
Listen to Bill Wyman bass playing on things like Get Yer Ya’s Out and tell me there was ever greater bass playing on a rock record

I think his playing on any of the 1981-82 live recordings is amazing. YAYAS is awesome but STILL LIFE etc is a bit more audible in distinction - you can really hear how Wyman makes the songs heave and roll.

Bill's bass lines often have some really interesting counterpoint ..but the thing that adds the "roll" and makes it swing is the way that Bill, Keith and Charlie each feel the timing.

Just a magical accident really.

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Taylor1
Listen to Bill Wyman bass playing on things like Get Yer Ya’s Out and tell me there was ever greater bass playing on a rock record

Love Bill, but also love Bill Black, Willie Dixon, Phil Chen, Robbie Shakespeare, Paul Simonon, Pino Palladino, Sting, Doug Whimbish, Flea, not to mention the obvious ones Jack Bruce, John Paul Jones, Macca etc etc etc.

And I limited the list to "classic" rock only, keeping reggae, soul, funk, jazz, fusion, etc. out of it.


C

I always hate it when people compare musicians. It's obvious that each of them plays differently, but if you play a song and it sounds fantastic, it means you did a good job, another bass player would have done it differently, maybe worse, maybe better.
Bill is a great bass player, but for some songs, maybe he wouldn't have been so incisive.

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WorriedAboutYou
[www.youtube.com]

Reminds me of one of those mash up videos.