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dr wu23
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Topic: Chris Squire's Place in Electric Bass History Posted: July 03 2015 at 13:34 |
Triceratopsoil wrote:
One of the top 10 prog rock bassists of all time, not one of the top 10 electric bassists of all time
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^this....there are bass players I like better but for prog he was right there in the top tier.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
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Rednight
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Posted: July 03 2015 at 10:59 |
Squire once said in an interview that on many performances, his bass seemed to play itself.
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"It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno
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uduwudu
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Posted: July 03 2015 at 07:40 |
The greatest and most influential prog bassist of all time. Technique-wise so much of what he played demanded plectrum use. His bass did so much more than support the drums - although Mr Multitasker did that. It was his use of harmony and pitch that drove Yes. Sort of Noel Redding but without the frustrated guitarist mind set. For the CD (record) ABWH was not a Yes sound without Mr Squire. He could say a lot with a lot, or like with the climax of Starship Trooper, one note. An essential part of the Yes sound and a fine appreciation of how to fit a deep sounding instrument at a higher pitch (than usual) among instruments that were chiefly in a higher pitch anyway. Missed, but hardly forgotten.
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Roj
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Posted: July 03 2015 at 03:15 |
I can't say he was the greatest and most innovative bassist in all spheres of music, but when it comes to progressive rock, in my view he clearly was. I can't begin to describe how influential he was.
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Libor10
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Posted: July 02 2015 at 07:15 |
CHS is in my rank among 3 best players of all time. He, Entwistle and Wetton (well, Geddy Lee could be there too). But Chris playing bass in those old days (especially in 70's) was extraordinal and different to other bass players. In fact and to be true I love his playing the most... Don't even mention his contributing to Yes songs and vocals... I couldn't get up from that sad message about his passing... :-((
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NutterAlert
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Joined: June 07 2005
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Posted: July 02 2015 at 03:08 |
wow, harsh judge person who placed him average...anything but i'd have thought. Shame he was not part of the Amon Duul commune in 70s as he would have added something to their early epics.
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fudgenuts64
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Location: NY
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Posted: July 02 2015 at 02:52 |
Second only to Jon Camp but even then Chris pretty much influenced his style.
Edited by fudgenuts64 - July 02 2015 at 02:52
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sublime220
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Joined: January 21 2015
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 21:43 |
Top 3
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There is no dark side in the moon, really... Matter of fact, it's all dark...
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Komandant Shamal
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 20:31 |
i voted for "One of the Top 10 of All Time".
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irrelevant
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 10:25 |
Top 10
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Triceratopsoil
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Location: Canada
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Posted: July 01 2015 at 00:07 |
One of the top 10 prog rock bassists of all time, not one of the top 10 electric bassists of all time
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Hercules
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 14 2007
Location: Near York UK
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Points: 7024
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 17:37 |
I asked my stepson, who is a really exceptional bass player who drives me nuts by playing Roundabout and YYZ all the time:
"He isn't technically quite as good as Geddy Lee, who I rate the best af all, and possibly not quite as good as John Entwistle or Tony Levin. Amongst non-prog bassists, Victor Wootton is possibly as good as anyone and Flea is excellent. But no-one is much above Chris Squire technically and his greatest achievement was that he revolutionised the way the bass was played as an instrument. Listening to Close to the Edge or Roundabout, he's not just playing a rhythm like everyone else did before, but a complex melody. I can also do that in my bands, but he set the precedent."
So he's possibly not the very best prog bass player of all time (though close), but he is the most innovative of all. So no choice quite fits.
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A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.
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verslibre
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 17:28 |
progmatic wrote:
Perhaps McCartney is more influential, but my brain has a hard time accepting anyone's argument that Sir Paul's bass playing outshines Mr. Squire. |
Squire smokes that guy. I guess most everybody here will be shocked, but I've never thought of Paul as some kind of mindblowing bass player, certainly not compared to the likes of Squire, Clarke, Pastorius, Lee, Bogert, Graham, and on and on and on.
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cemego
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Joined: January 18 2010
Location: Philadelphia PA
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 17:24 |
in no order. my favorites are:
chris squire percy jones john wetton ron carter tony levin alan spenner geddy lee colin edwin jaco pastorius jah wobble
i think thats all :)
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listen to streaming stuff! no commercials!
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Michael678
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 11:36 |
to me he's the most innovative in the world of prog; there's still a huge argument for the general world of music too!! Geddy and John (Entwistle AND Wetton to a certain extent) are also huge contenders for me. i probably should've chose the Top 3 choice but oh well!!
UPDATE: nvm that actually; NOW one of the Top 3 if you ask me!!
Edited by Michael678 - July 03 2015 at 08:08
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Progrockdude
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tszirmay
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 10:42 |
Mick Karn, Entwhistle, Pastorius and Squire are lighting it up in heaven , rumbling thunder together. Listening to the lines in Hold Out Your Hand and Parallels. Devastating!
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I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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Flight123
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 09:24 |
It seems a little churlish to reduce Squire's contribution to a poll. He was a leading innovator in bass playing and undoubtedly belongs to a small elite group of players. Aside from the bass playing, he also made a huge contribution to the development of the whole prog genre.
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Formentera Lady
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 09:18 |
Voted top 10. But the question of the OP is difficult to answer... place in all of electric bass history? Not a ranking of personal favourites? The first I cannot answer. My personal top 3 would be Greg Lake, John Wetton and Stanley Clarke.
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Manuel
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 07:10 |
Certainly among the top 10 in skills, and among the top 5 in being influential.
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sleeper
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
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Posted: June 30 2015 at 06:03 |
One of the best without doubt, though personally I wouldn't put him top 10.
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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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