I always thought Rob’s ability was kinda wasted in Metallica. I love their music but what he is actually capable of in terms of his playing is definitely broader in range. His playing in ST and IG was nothing short of phenomenal.
I really like fieldy, i dont care about his image or personality, his playing was perfect for korn in my opinion, there was a lot of ‘extra’ percussion in nu metal (Slipknot obviously, sampled drums with real drums etc) and his style was like an extra drummer, also rick beato did a korn breakdown not long ago where he points out that the guitars in korn were very mid heavy and the bass tone rounds it out perfectly, when i first heard korn he was one of the first bass players i heard that you could hear what he was doing pretty much all the time, so i like him, but obviously if thats the opposite of what you like in a bass player then you don’t like him
@@iamgribs the whole thing about nu-metal is that it has a very percussive sound and heavy hiphop influence. so he's actually perfect for the band/genre
@@heygek2769 oh yeah. They more or less were the first nu metal band. Bridging altrock, rap and grunge into metal. Love it or hate it, they had a sound all their own. Including fieldy
Rodney McG is #1 4 Me I think Ian Hill is ALOT like Cliff Williams from ACDC Keeps the rhythm plays steady and takes a cut of the loot without anyone knowing who He is, I bet Him and Cliff could go to the pub across the street and sit and have a drink then walk back across and play a stadium without ever being noticed. IMHO that's the right way to do it.
Jesus could play bass for Metallica and people would hate him cause he isn't Cliff Burton. It makes no sense to be negative about either Jason or Robert because they don't sound like Cliff. If they sounded like Cliff they would just complain they were copying Cliff. Ian Hill does his job and plays to the need of the song and the band.... to do anything else is douche baggery
No idea why anyone would consider slapping and popping on bass a "gimmic" . its a style on its own merit. And not easy to do if your doing it right. In my opinion i think its cool when a musician blends styles in certain kinds if music. Thats how we get new genras of music
Fun fact: There is a slap-bass section in the tech-death tune "Insomniac" by Blotted Science (Ron Jarzombek) featuring Alex Webster on bass. How cool is that? It's about two minutes into this track... here's the link: ruclips.net/video/KAORYvwSfbs/видео.html
Ian Hill's bass lines work for Judas Priest. In the same way Roger Waters worked for Floyd. It's not about how amazing your skills are, its about the music and the emotions it conveys.
People who diss Ian Hill don't know that the most striking notes are the single notes - just listen to Billy Gould's playing. Ian Hill would probably have benefitted from being more upfront in the mix on Priest albums to bring that impact..
Oh yes, his Alembic tone was monstrous. The sound he got from his Sadowskys isn't half bad either but that piano-like Alembic... oh hell yes. I'm very fortunate to have an Essence 5 as my main weapon and can't imagine myself without it. It is THE sound.
@@jakeyell Oh, I fully agree with you there. Just saying he might possibly have been the 1 bassist they wouldn't have hated. However, maybe not, since Trujillo is hated for his non-metal pedigree despite being an excellent bassist.
Some people are just never satisfied. Never really understood the hatred of any of the artists. Maybe they aren't exactly your cup of tea, but thats the beauty of music. If you don't like something, you don't have to listen.
Ian Hill is an awesome bass player. He's like a human metronome, tight AF. His simple bass lines helped create JP's sound. If he flooded any song with scales or fat bass lines it would have interrupted everything and JP wouldn't be JP. He held down the foundation so the guitars would be shining up front.
Ian Hill was a big influence on me, he played interesting parts on early Priest records, but when Roger Glover was their producer , he told him to play less so the guitars would stand out more, and it appears he listened to his advice. He can play, and support the rhythm section, but he fell into a narrow role early on and got stuck in that role I think.
Ian Hill was amazing on their first three albums. He would play lots of harmonies with Rob Halford's vocals too. The first one that comes to mind is in "Victim of Changes" off of Sad Wings of Destiny.
Jason is such a legend...i was so happy when he joined the Canadian prog-thrash superheroes Voivod...I firmly believe that a lot of players are misjudged cause they re low in the mix. Listeners think that somebody is low cause his playing sucks.Of course that is wrong most of the times, bass players just accept being low in the mix cause they have no ego, they play for the band and for the music and not for themselves. Same with volume wars we discussed a few days ago. Bass players always hate volume wars with fellow guitar players.Bass is always underestimated, yet is always there, supporting, helping. I send a lot of love and respect to all my fellow bass players around, take great pride in what you do guys !
Very good point - if someone chooses to play bass they're by nature choosing a part in a band that supports others (unless you're Les Claypool). If you're playing with musicians who appreciate the possibilities of the bass then you're lucky; a good sound engineer will know how to find you a spot in the mix so that you don't have to engage in the volume wars, which I agree most of us want to avoid altogether..
Ian Hill's, same as Cliff William's, playing is difficult to appreciate for non-musicians.. for musicians, especially bassists, it is about laying a steady low end of the song, about strong discipline and is often more difficult to play simply than flashy, just because you have to control yourself. For non-musicians, as you said, it's 'Oh, he's playing simply because he can't play flashy.' Which is seldom the case. Both Ian Hill and Cliff Williams are huge influence for countless of bassists and no one can deny that. And although I tend to play more flashy (sometimes too flashy), I respect them both tremendously. They deserve that.
I’m currently playing in a Country band currently and It’s hard to play simply. You have to choose carefully each note you play, and really tie in rhythmically or the whole song will fall apart. So Ian is a team player that puts the song over his ego.
Cliff Williams is also very good at dropping thirds and fifths into his transitions instead of playing the exact notes as the guitars do in their progressions. Something that not everyone notices.
As I understand it; Mr. Hill was taught to play upright bass by his father, who was a jazz musician. It's easy to forget that Judas Priest were initially a progressive blues band (I think it was K.K.Downing who said this.) If you listen to their early material you can hear a lot of experimentation by all the band members.
I don't understand "hating" on musicians. If I don't like a player, I just listen to some other music. There's too much out there to hear it all anyway, so just find something you like and leave those who play what you don't like alone. And I'm glad you addressed the appearance factor. No matter what, how a person on stage looks matters. Some can win over those who don't like the look, but you can't avoid being judged on it.
Really great topic! I love all the mentioned players (except Fieldy, who I don´t know very well...yet). Please do a part 2. One of my choices for a future episode would be Tom Araya.
I'm thinking a part 2 should happen. Great suggestion on Tom. I almost added him, but he's odd in that he gets heat for his playing, but it's kind of overshadowed by the love he gets as a front man. It's interesting. I'll put him on the list. Thanks!
I´m pretty undecided on Tom. His playing on the first two albums is great. The bass on all other albums is good too, but not as up front. I´m really not sure if it´s even him or Kerry or Jeff. Live it´s really nothing special, as he concentrates on singing.
Rob has a large variety of music on his resume. And has more talent than 99.9% of those who are criticizing his style. He has played everything from classical, to bluegrass, to metal. GREAT bass player!!! Most people are just hating because THEY aren't in their place up on that stage. IMO, no one has filled the shoes of Burton. His creativity, style, and his Jeckyl/Hyde tones were second to none. He could go from a beautiful, warm tone one second, to an onslaught of mid range screaming distortion and wah the next. Love, and MISS that guy!!!
Exactly - people who do tapping on bass are angry because Ian Hill made it to legendary status by doing simple bass lines that work for the song. That there is the difference between technical self-congratulatory 'virtuosity' and musicianship.
Man, RT was one of my inspirations back in the late 80's/early 90's from his playing in Infectious. It isn't that I don't like him in Metallica so much as I feel like his massive funk talent is just wasted. I think he could do so much to bring some fresh life to the band, but instead he seems content to just ride the pony.
Hard to argue with the dough he's probably making, though? Look at Eric Singer in Kiss - killer double kick drummer, but he simplifies his playing and literally dresses like someone else because Gene and Paul made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Rob probably has no choice in the matter.
@@Andyanddiana467 yep. I'd be more than content plucking along for that kind of money and a signature deal with Warwick. I'll have to be content with my day job and disability pay, because the next great thing on the metal scene is not likely in my future 😂
1) Newsted rules. I think anyone who thinks otherwise is just butthurt for some inexplicable reason. Check out either And Justice for Jason or some of the playthroughs of that album The Bass Channel has done. His basslines are awesome! 2) Ian Hill rules. Getting lost in the mix isn't necessarily his fault. Go listen to the Firepower album...on point playing, good tone, and you can hear it! 3) Fieldy...meh. Yes I hate the scooped clicky tone, but at least he found his own unique sound which largely defined the sound of that whole band. As for the whole image thing, that seems like the last thing anyone should care about, even though people are obsessed with these things (I find bagging on somebody's image quite distasteful). 4) Trujillo - dunno? Have to admit I've almost not payed attention to Metallica very much since Load came out. That said, I did listen to Hardwired quite a bit for about a month after it came out (since then it's dropped off my playlist because I found it boring after that). Bass tone definitely pretty lost.
Been a fan of Rob Trujillo for a long time. Mainly pre Metallica, I think that's where his huge talent really shows. Some of his bass lines for Infectious Grooves are epic. Wasn't shocked at all when he got the Metallica job, very few can hold a candle to him.
If you watch the older live videos of Judas Priest , Ian Hill played finger style , and played some good Bass lines . Their song style changed a little bit toward straight ahead metal . He changed his style to fit the songs better . At least , thats how I see it .
Newsted was and is my favorite Metallica bass player because when I was a kid and started to listen Metal "And Justice for all" came just out. After many times I listened to it I later got "Kill em all". Because I already got used to AJFA Burton's sound and style wasn't the original bass sound and style for me which made me love Metallica. Still after so many years AJFA is my favorite Metallica album and Newsted my favorite Metallica bassist. I thought I would see Joey DeMaio in the list because he is either loved or hated (there is no middle ground) for his playing style and presentation on and off stage. I am in the camp of people who love DeMaio and his work. Thank you for the great content you put out.
Actually, Jason played in Voivod for some time after Metallica. Speaking of Voivod. What about Blacky? He had very unique style in the genre... maybe it's time to do a episode on him ;)
Only reason why I’m not a fan of Trujillo in Metallica’s albums is that I can’t hear him. Love him as a bassist but he needs to be turned up in the mixes. A possible replacement for Cliff could be Steve DiGiorgio for no other reason than it’d be cool to see what he’d add to the band
I was thinking of Billy Sheehan, but just for the audition videos. It would have been interesting to see bass players that could actually pull of the tune. Because of course with whom they brought in, only Trujillo could play the parts. They already knew they would get him.
John Myung is also way down in the mix. RT has always been a fave, I see Infectious Grooves as a funk/metal hybrid, and RT is so skilled a slap bassist that he was almost the front guy in that band. Not to mention he also toured with Ozzy and Zakk Wylde
If you go back to Ride the Lightning and MoP, Cliff was very much buried in the mix on a lot of the songs as well, except when the song was designed to be bass driven like Orion and For whom the Bell Tolls. Earlier albums and the Black album production had bass louderin the mix.
Unfortunately, Lars and James get the final say on everything and they prefer the bass way down in the mix. I mean, when Rick Rubin produces your album and it STILL isn't a good mix? That's a red flag that the egos got involved. ESPECIALLY Lars. I'm a bassist and a massive Metallica fanboy, but this is the unfortunate truth about the band. The old records can be blamed on low budget studios and production as well.
I love Ian Hill and can always hear his bass lines in the mixes. I played British Steel all the way through recently in honor of the album's 4oth. anniversary and thoroughly enjoyed doing it. I don't think he deserves the hate. His lines may be simple, but they are effective. He doesn't have to do super complex things to get it done. I see him the same way as another favorite of mine, Peter Baltes, another bass player that just punches you in the face with hard, heavy and driving bass lines. I like that a lot more than too much technical wankery where it's actually not needed.
I might be odd man out, but I don't care for the mush sound of Burton; prefer the pick sound of Newsted. And Trujillo? The guy has more personality than the rest of the band combined.
I don’t know why Trujillo gets any hate. He’s more proficient than most, and just as “Metal”. Sure he played in ST & IG, but those were Metal. He also played in Black Label Society’s early years, as you can seem him playing on BLS’s first live DVD. He also Played with Ozzy. So, he’s Metal to me, all the way!
Jason Newstead’s lines were amazing when he played with Voïvod! His tone was definitely cutting through the mix and a couple of his lines were in fact soloed or were introducing a couple of songs!
I really wish Jason's brief gig with Ozzy Osbourne had worked out as well. But between Jason's commitment to Voivod, Ozzy dealing with Sharon's cancer and his own painkiller addictions and later on with the ATV accident that nearly killed him, it wasn't destined to happen. I sure wish they at least recorded an album like they had teased about in late 2003. It would've probably been awesome.
Jason Newsted is one of my favorite bass players, being a pick player myself, his sound and style is something that added a lot to Metallica, he rightfully earned his place in the band after Cliff (bass god) passed away, ... on Fieldy, I have no good or bad comments, Robert is also a great player but I find it hard to see him as a "real" member of the band, no hate or anything like that, there's this thing that don't fully make him a click into the band, dont know exactly how to put it in words, well, those my comments for the video, keep up the good work Rodney! bass is life!
I saw Megadeth and Judas Priest on the same bill back in the 90's (Testament opened) for the Rust in Piece/Painkiller albums respectively. For the Judas Priest headline, the 2 guitarists and Rob were all out front, with the lights shining on them. The drummer was well lit as well. The Ian Hill was kinda shoved in a dark corner of the stage by the drum riser only getting light if a guitarist or Rob was by him, which was like almost never. If the guitarists and Rob ever claimed the ramps, Ian was able to come out from his corner, but still didn't receive much light. He looked like he was doing a very good job, just seemed very unfortunate. It almost seemed as if he was being treated as a hired hand than a founding member. I honestly had never gotten much into Judas Priest so didn't really know much about him. I appreciate you "giving him some light" in this video.
I saw that same tour! What a killer! Ian seems to select that himself though. I've seen him on a number tours, and it seems like he's happy to root himself to the ground and just kind of rock out in his spot. To each their own, I guess.
Yeah, I guess if he's not a spotlight dude and chooses to hang out in the dark corner that's alright. Lol. Just didn't want it to necessarily be a decision he wasn't part of. Yeah killer tour. Chuck Billy from Testament blew me away with his building shaking "OBEY!" in "Disciples of the Watch"
Great video Rodney! I don’t have much to say except I can agree with everything you said, Jason was the bass player for Metallica when I was growing up so to me he was the original bass player, I didn’t even know about Cliff till I got Cliff em all then learned about him, I have always loved Jason! And fieldy has never been my kinda of player and never got into korn but then we’re all facts that you said, and with Robert you are completely right! And I see people missing Jason more now that Robert is in the band I don’t think Robert is the best fit for the band. I can’t discredit what he has done but he’s in the shadow of Metallica and is just there he doesn’t have his own voice in the band, if Robert left Metallica who would be perfect for the band?? Damn that’s a killer question Rodney!! Ok so I had to sit on this question. I remember when the tryouts were happening and I wanted to try out so bad! But I was only 19 and in Florida. But I think their best move would have brought someone in who was not known, just some random dude that was not established in the music scene yet.
Paul Barker left Ministry in 2003, the year Trujillo joined Metallica. That would be a dream band for me sound-wise but I don't think the personalities would have jived
When I see movie like this, I know why I subscribed :) Another very interesting topic. I noticed hate on Rob and Ian from JP. In Rob case I think people don't like his "not 100% true metal" look :) He's a great bass player and for me, this is at the first place. In Ian case he's playing very simple lines but this is what JP needs with 2 best heavy metal guitarist in a band. I heard couple of their shows with isolated bass tracks and oh boy - in some cases virtuosity isn't about playing arpeggios for the whole song, but to stick to the drums and play the whole show with every note nailed.
There's not really a good replacement for cliff because he was so groundbreaking and unique. Those are big shoes to fill, but Brandon Michael from allegaeon is my current favorite metal bassist, and pretty much a new gold standard bassist. He's well super well rounded in style and composition, from playing multie genres, fluent in all techniques, and as a bassist and metal head who also plays any genre for experience, it has been a very long time to see a metal bassist as inspiring, and step out of "follow the guitar" box as well as he has. Just my personal opinion. Dude needs recognition anyway!
Jason Newsted was one of the big reasons why I switched to bass and I always name him as a major influence. The pick playing drew me to his tone, and I still prefer his live attitude.
I’ve always dug Trujillo as a player prior to his current gig, never been a big Metallica fan. I appreciate good slap. It can be chintzy if it’s just octave pops. Since the tragic passing of Burton, I don’t think it would really matter who plays bass for them. They went a divergent direction after Burton where the bass isn’t going to be a prominent presence in their sound. Perhaps Ian Hill would be a great fit?
I know he's not a metal bassist, but I've found Les Claypool falls into the "love him or hate him" category. I personally really dig many of his riffs, some of which are pretty heavy. Your gimmicky/novelty comment brought him to mind.
Ian Hill, Jason Newsted and Dave Ellefson are the best bass player in metal to me because of their solid basslines. I don't really like Korn but I reckon that Fieldy has an interesting percussive sound.
I wasn't crazy about Trujillo at first because of the image thing but he came off great in Some Kind of Monster. Then he does the Jaco documentary, which was fantastic. I still hate the crab walk and think his playing would be helped by not having his bass around his knees (listen to Billy) but I like him. Nikki Sixx, I hate.
I think that really good bassists tend to branch into lots of styles of music where the bass is a much bigger part of the music. As you correctly point out, most of the time guitarists in metal have their tone scooped, which really buries the bass guitar in the mix. Plus, its the drums and guitars that are the instrumental focal point, pretty exclusively, in metal. My point is, that bassists who only ever have played metal have to be a bit masochistic and keep their egos in check. They aren't going to get much attention unless they DO stick out, in which case it's generally hate.
I expected Joey de Maio of Manowar to be on this list. Although a good bass player, the bass is too loud at their actual live shows (the live recordings are OK). But the main reason is probably his stage-persona, making him look like a douche.
The reason pros give guys like Ian Hill and Cliff Williams props is because pros know from their own experience that’s there’s more to good bass playing than just flashy shops.
1. Jason Newsted did get a lot of flak early on and it was undeserved. He simply got a raw end of the deal, having to fill really big shoes. And yes, the fact his bass was turned way down making it basically unaudible at "...And Justice For All" was a really dick move especially on Ulrich's part. I think Newsted's a really solid player who simply finds his role to be more supportive than up front. 2. I've never heard any hate directed towards Ian Hill, to be honest. A bit like Newsted (even more so), he simply feels comfortable laying down a solid founation for the guitars and especially Rob Halford's voice to shine. And he does it just fine. No reason to hate. 3. Fieldy is a completely other matter. The guy definitely can play, no doubt about that, but his tone... UGH. I think it's the ugliest bass sound not only in metal but overall. As for his style - he just rocks what's most comfortable for him, and if he digs that look I couldn't care less about his background. But the tone... Yes. It's fugly and don't even try to change my mind because you won't. 4. As for Robert Trujillo - he's a monster player, full stop. A great bassist who can pull off both the funk-metal stuff of the early 90s and full on rocking just as well. Is he the perfect fit for Metallica? Hard to tell, but I've never been much of a fan so I'll better let those who like the band more than I do decide ;-)
In the case of Ian Hill I wouldn't be surprised if the band forced him to dumb down his parts as much as he has. It's happened to me when I've played bass in bands before and it's a big reason why I started focusing more on guitar. Not a great feeling :/
Good points to all. I would also like to add to Jason Newsted that the Justice mix incident didn't help his stance. I think if the bass was better mixed on Justice, more people would have accepted his place in the band. Love them or hate them, every Jason Met album after Justice has slamming bass presence and tone. Live, Trujillo and Newsted both stand out and add to the songs what they can't (or don't) seem to capture on a recording.
Im not going to talking crap about anyone obviously they are better musician than me and most also they must be doing something right that fits the band and supports the music as well if not they would be replaced so Like it or hate they fit somehow but I believe having your own thing is what is all about Bc if you copy everything you are nothing original. Most ppl don't like change good or bad. It's just the way it is. See to just bc you don't like their sound doesn't mean they suck it's just not your taste IMO but how am I to judge I'm just a drummer what the hell do I know🤘😎
Big Cliff Burton-fan here! But also a bass-player who appreciates a pick-player like Jason Newsted. For the replacement of Jason I would've picked either Duff McKagan, Lemmy (RIP), or Justin Chancellor. Truhillo is also badass, but his playing is less likely to stand out and gets pushed back in the mix. Cliff never would've let them get away with that. Replacement for him that I'd like to see would be Chris Wolstenholme. He certainly will not get lost in the mix!
Something about Newsteads attitude that I never liked and with age and time its seem to have gotten worse. I dont like any if his original music. Imo Jason was a metal player through and through. Cliff wasn't. Cliff Burton was his own musician. When Cliff was in Metallica the band followed him and his lead. I think Metallica was lost when Cliff passed and you can tell by the music they wrote after ward. Just my opinion
I think you're right. The music almost sounded as if Metallica went with song writers after Cliff past. And then they went back to their own writing with Garage Inc which was all juvenile sounding to me. Also the totally different frequencies for the bass mix , a lot more boosted 60 and 80 freqs. Which I like and would have loved to hear cliffs busier bass lines with that hi fi bass sound. Newsted was too simple for me. And cliff was too hard for me to hear sometimes in the older albums
ooh great video. listen to Voivod with newstead, sweet stuff. the Korn guy is a trujillo copycat except not as good and sadly the best part of Korn. RobTujillo....my feelings about him are not he cant stand in the light with metallica, its that he is the only light left in metallica. he is way too good to be in metallica.
I remember Fieldy being ridiculed for saying, I believe in Bass Player Magazine ages ago for saying "why would i want to play some BS scale that someone came up with 300 years ago" LOL.that didnt help
I can't speak for the rest of them, but fieldy is all percussive dead notes and maybe like 2 or 3 notes... He has a great tone that cut through the mix. And matched well with the drums.... Is he an amazing bassist... No not really, but he's made more money i ever saw and has his own technique. So now more power to him... Robert Trujillo?!?!?!? Hated??? Oh no no.... Anyone that hates him is jealous.... He's up there with claypool and flea.... Listen to infectious grooves and see how much of that your can play tight, same syncopation, and endurance.....
Fieldy works in the Korn sound, regardless if me or anyone else actually likes that sound. His tone itself though is just gross sounding, and not in a cool way.
Ian really showed up in the mix live and in a lot of Priest's older stuff he matched the guitar lines in turn around and the ending of phrases. As far as rhythm section roles go, Priest's wasn't much different than ACDC in that regard, the bass was just buried in the mix.
You asked who would be a good fit for Metallica for bass. I think I have to go quote Newsted on this. He once said that after he came to friendly terms with the band after his leaving, that he felt that he was the bass player needed for Metallica at his time in the band, but that Trujillo is the bass player they need now. Personally I like Jason better but simce he influenced me immensely to become a bass player, I am biased. That said, for the Metallica bassists, people need to stop comparing the current oone to the ones of the past. They are who and what they are, their styles are different and let us just celebrate the band and the music they are making. I may not like all the music but I still love the band.
I don't get how Trujillo can take any hit. You can only be angered that he kind of waste is skills if you followed him with suicidal and infectious. But he played with Ozzy Osbourne also, and that's where Metallica realised it would be a seemless fit, because he knows how to adjust musically. Would have been fun to have Les Claypool audition again, and goof around in the video 😆
I think metal bassists get hate just because of the style of metal music. Oddly enough the really standout guys more than likely are playing or listening to other styles of music whatever it be.
I disagree with Newstead being on this list. I don't recall myself or any of my friends having any hate towards him. Saw him on the Justice tour and we instantly loved him. No he's not Cliff but Cliff can't play anymore so Jason, although a different style player, was quite a presence onstage. Fieldy's hate isn't fair but is understandable. I stopped listening to Korn when Head left so I can't comment about anything after that but Fieldy's so called slap technique is more percussion than actually playing bass. He was a major part of Korn's authentic sound back in the day. Whether he's a good bassist or not is hard to say cause I never heard him actually play the bass. The only hate I can see Trujillo getting is he's not Jason. He's a beast onstage and an amazing bassist. Blows Jason away. I'd understand possible hate if Jason was booted but he wasn't. He left and they were forced to replace him.
Ian, Fieldy, Jason and Rob are all amazing Players. Not being in front in the mix can fall on the producers' shoulders or the band leader. Bottom line is what does the track call for. As far as tone that is purely a personal preference of the individual artist. I myself believe Korn would not be the same without Fieldy! They are known for making great music with really ugly sounds which is what makes them original. I don't know about anyone else, but I've never been able to tell how someone is dressed by just listening to their music and could care less what they wear or how they look. Jason and Rob are both incredibly talented and helped with the evolution of Metallica. When Jason joined, he brought a youthful energy that was needed not to mention his great backing vocals as well as his undeniable Bass skills. Like Jason Rob also brings a new energy to Metallica and his originality/style is who he is. Rob's playing style is closer to Cliff's but still not a clone or copy by any means. His Prior band credits as well as Jason's speak for themselves. Bottom line in my opinion is they are all extremely talented individuals who will go down in music history as being at the top of their field.
I think Fieldy made Korn, especially on the first album... I always thought their guitar players were gimmiky and low talent. In their Metallica cover, he plays a solo (almost) - not the guitars. He plays his bass like it's a percussion instrument and the scooped mids with the grindy tone is the Korn sound.
Well let's get one thing straight Cliff is Cliff there is no one that can replace him with that said Jason and Rob are amazing players with there own styles if you ever had caught Metallica live when Jason was there then you know what he's all about as far as Rob I've seen him tear it up with suicidal tendencies and when he was with OZZY OSBOURNE oh forgot to MENTION he was with OZZY OSBOURNE that's as metal as you can get don't care if the play with a pick , fingers or slap as long as it sounds good that's all that matters 🤘
Hey Rodney, if you do a part 2 of this series of videos can you add Paulo Xisto from sepultura? Some People hate him because his technic on bass is terrible, if anyone have another reason to hate him, please leave this reason answering me on my comment, have a good day!
Metallica torpedoed Jason on And Justice... by completely leaving him out of the mix and buried by the kick drum. I thought his sound was good on Garage Days. Here was phenomenal in F and J.
@@RodneyMcG 100% the tone I was thinking of. I remember when Cliff died and the anticipation of hearing Jason contribute. That album gave me hope but Justice, while a great album, set the tone for how he was going to be treated. Even though Cliff wasn't super prominent in the mix all of the time, Jason was flat out non-existent on that album
Newsted for me was always THE Metallica bassist - best fit visually, strong presence on stage and killer (backing) vocals, crushing powerful tone, not to mention that he paid his dues on the road at the times when Metallica was the biggest band in the world. I love the fact that Newsted wasn't trying to emulate Burton's playing, he simply did his own thing.
OMG! Haters on Robert? He is brilliant bass player. I never thought that metal people were so narrow minded. Sad. Maybe people should get their head out of their asses. There are no such thing as proper metal. Influences should come from all kinds of music otherwise it will get stuck and not move forward.
Fieldy has literally said he doesn't like bass. He also can't even explain how he play his own songs. His lessons are hilariously bad. I don't care about image.
I think they are all great. In regards on Jason, Rob is that they started as metal guys (Rob really is not a real metal head at all hahahaha) Maybe they got old and are just playing metal cuz of the money they are making. The Korn dude is like a Hip Hop dude playing nu metal and his tone is not even close like Billy from Faith no More.
I can't believe nobody is asking about the make and model of the head behind you. Or did I miss the conversation? I haven't missed a video since February lol so I'm pretty sure.
For all these players, the one I reject the most is Trujillo. Why? He insist on singing on stage without learning some singing technique, he plays burton basslines so simplified and silly it bothers everyone...
I don't understand why there is so much hate for Trujillo. People seem to have forgotten he had a long stint with both Ozzy and Black Label Society. It pisses me off today that people in the genre have come to have such high expectations from bands and their individual members. What they should sound like, whether the way they dress is acceptable for the type of music they play. I'm young but old enough to remember the days when the metal genre wasn't about any of that. It wasn't about how you looked. It used to be about encouraging individuality. Then people started to be about having a bigger wallet chain than the other guy. There are great bands out there but I do feel that the genre has become abit too fashionable these days.
@@RodneyMcG why did they turn his bass off on or lower his bsss on in justice for all and if u watch the vid with them and Rob u could see lars and kirk saying how way better they're now looking into the camera sarcastically. Jason's job wasn't to be cliff is was to be Jason and he rocked it! They were looking for that
There's a bunch of stories behind that. The engineer says they demanded more and more bass in the guitars, and they kept pushing the bass out. Others said they were angry about losing Cliff and took it out on Jason.
I'm not a huge Trujillo fan, but his playing is phenomenal. The internet trolls would NEVER diss any of these guys if they were in the same room with them. They'd be in awe of their success and simply be jealous, which is where this all stems from. I'm not in to Fieldy's playing at all, but congrats to him for being hyper successful.
All of these bass players are playing for very prominent bands, if their style of playing was a problem I’m sure the band would have gotten rid of them. In Ian Hills defense his role is to lay down the low end and tie in the drums to the guitars and he accomplishes that. I’m not convinced that Tipton and Downing want a bass player that’s gonna steal the limelight from the guitars. Just my 2 cents.
Do you think any of their bass players asked for a shrink to help play on these albums? Probably should have... Cliff Burton would've punch each one of them in their dicklickers if they said " we should hire a shrink to help us finish Ride the Lightning...". Phhhh
I always thought Rob’s ability was kinda wasted in Metallica. I love their music but what he is actually capable of in terms of his playing is definitely broader in range.
His playing in ST and IG was nothing short of phenomenal.
Yeah he's up there in a just like retirement he gets easy playing
I really like fieldy, i dont care about his image or personality, his playing was perfect for korn in my opinion, there was a lot of ‘extra’ percussion in nu metal (Slipknot obviously, sampled drums with real drums etc) and his style was like an extra drummer, also rick beato did a korn breakdown not long ago where he points out that the guitars in korn were very mid heavy and the bass tone rounds it out perfectly, when i first heard korn he was one of the first bass players i heard that you could hear what he was doing pretty much all the time, so i like him, but obviously if thats the opposite of what you like in a bass player then you don’t like him
He definitely helped define the sound, love it or hate it.
Honestly he's just doing what is right for the band's style, that's the point.
@@iamgribs the whole thing about nu-metal is that it has a very percussive sound and heavy hiphop influence. so he's actually perfect for the band/genre
@@heygek2769 oh yeah. They more or less were the first nu metal band. Bridging altrock, rap and grunge into metal. Love it or hate it, they had a sound all their own. Including fieldy
Slipknot sampled drums? On which albums? I never heard of this information which probably isn't true.
Rodney McG is #1 4 Me
I think Ian Hill is ALOT like Cliff Williams from ACDC Keeps the rhythm plays steady and takes a cut of the loot without anyone knowing who He is, I bet Him and Cliff could go to the pub across the street and sit and have a drink then walk back across and play a stadium without ever being noticed.
IMHO that's the right way to do it.
Jesus could play bass for Metallica and people would hate him cause he isn't Cliff Burton. It makes no sense to be negative about either Jason or Robert because they don't sound like Cliff. If they sounded like Cliff they would just complain they were copying Cliff.
Ian Hill does his job and plays to the need of the song and the band.... to do anything else is douche baggery
No idea why anyone would consider slapping and popping on bass a "gimmic" . its a style on its own merit. And not easy to do if your doing it right. In my opinion i think its cool when a musician blends styles in certain kinds if music. Thats how we get new genras of music
I agree it's not a gimmick it's done for a reason and it can work really well in heavy music eg mudvayne
Fun fact: There is a slap-bass section in the tech-death tune "Insomniac" by Blotted Science (Ron Jarzombek) featuring Alex Webster on bass. How cool is that?
It's about two minutes into this track... here's the link:
ruclips.net/video/KAORYvwSfbs/видео.html
Ian Hill's bass lines work for Judas Priest. In the same way Roger Waters worked for Floyd. It's not about how amazing your skills are, its about the music and the emotions it conveys.
Exactly
@jon scott Bingo!
People who diss Ian Hill don't know that the most striking notes are the single notes - just listen to Billy Gould's playing. Ian Hill would probably have benefitted from being more upfront in the mix on Priest albums to bring that impact..
Jason's live tone was un-fucking-believable. Bell clear thunder, Alembic with a pick.
His bass solos were cool too. Not extremely intricate, but very fast, aggressive and punchy and they got the crowds roaring.
Oh yes, his Alembic tone was monstrous. The sound he got from his Sadowskys isn't half bad either but that piano-like Alembic... oh hell yes. I'm very fortunate to have an Essence 5 as my main weapon and can't imagine myself without it. It is THE sound.
It doesn’t matter who became the bassist for Metallica post-Cliff; they would have been hated no matter what.
A lot of truth in that
IDK, it would've been interesting if Les Claypool had gelled with the band when he auditioned for the part.
@@illegal_space_alien: I'm glad he didn't. His career is much more interesting for not having played with them...
@@jakeyell Oh, I fully agree with you there. Just saying he might possibly have been the 1 bassist they wouldn't have hated. However, maybe not, since Trujillo is hated for his non-metal pedigree despite being an excellent bassist.
I don't see Les Claypool beeing hated.
But he wouldn't fit I guess. 😆
Some people are just never satisfied. Never really understood the hatred of any of the artists. Maybe they aren't exactly your cup of tea, but thats the beauty of music. If you don't like something, you don't have to listen.
Exactly!
@@RodneyMcG of topic entirely, but if you get the chance check out Spiritbox- Blessed Be. Let me know what you think Sir. Appreciate ya!
Will do!
T.J. Meechan very well said
Never Satisfied is also a Judas Priest song, and I think that song encapsulates a lot of what has been said in this video. We are never satisfied!
Ian Hill is an awesome bass player. He's like a human metronome, tight AF. His simple bass lines helped create JP's sound. If he flooded any song with scales or fat bass lines it would have interrupted everything and JP wouldn't be JP. He held down the foundation so the guitars would be shining up front.
I LOVE Jason - he's my favorite Metallica bassist. Love his tone and approach.
I also like Rob and Cliff’s styles, both are distinct but powerful 🌋
Jason did have the best tone
Agreed. Jason was one of my biggest influence. Still one of my top 3 bass players
While I'm strictly a finger player, he and Ellefson are the two I think of as pick-playing done right. Just listen to Metalshock and Chosen Ones!
I would say that Fieldy is central to the sound of Korn. His sound is sitting around those guitars very much like Dave Elefson in Megadeth.
You can like it or hate it, but it is defining. Totally right.
Ian Hill was a big influence on me, he played interesting parts on early Priest records, but when Roger Glover was their producer , he told him to play less so the guitars would stand out more, and it appears he listened to his advice. He can play, and support the rhythm section, but he fell into a narrow role early on and got stuck in that role I think.
Yeah, early on you can really hear him. He does what's right for him though, so no hate here!
He playing with his finger also, m.ruclips.net/video/Wvlq1F-X6Ko/видео.html#menu
Ian Hill was amazing on their first three albums. He would play lots of harmonies with Rob Halford's vocals too. The first one that comes to mind is in "Victim of Changes" off of Sad Wings of Destiny.
My all time favorite is Tyrant!
He was also surprisingly good on "Jugulator", "Demolition" and "Nostradamus".
Jason is such a legend...i was so happy when he joined the Canadian prog-thrash superheroes Voivod...I firmly believe that a lot of players are misjudged cause they re low in the mix. Listeners think that somebody is low cause his playing sucks.Of course that is wrong most of the times, bass players just accept being low in the mix cause they have no ego, they play for the band and for the music and not for themselves. Same with volume wars we discussed a few days ago. Bass players always hate volume wars with fellow guitar players.Bass is always underestimated, yet is always there, supporting, helping. I send a lot of love and respect to all my fellow bass players around, take great pride in what you do guys !
Good points.
Very good point - if someone chooses to play bass they're by nature choosing a part in a band that supports others (unless you're Les Claypool). If you're playing with musicians who appreciate the possibilities of the bass then you're lucky; a good sound engineer will know how to find you a spot in the mix so that you don't have to engage in the volume wars, which I agree most of us want to avoid altogether..
Ian Hill's, same as Cliff William's, playing is difficult to appreciate for non-musicians.. for musicians, especially bassists, it is about laying a steady low end of the song, about strong discipline and is often more difficult to play simply than flashy, just because you have to control yourself. For non-musicians, as you said, it's 'Oh, he's playing simply because he can't play flashy.' Which is seldom the case.
Both Ian Hill and Cliff Williams are huge influence for countless of bassists and no one can deny that. And although I tend to play more flashy (sometimes too flashy), I respect them both tremendously. They deserve that.
I’m currently playing in a Country band currently and It’s hard to play simply. You have to choose carefully each note you play, and really tie in rhythmically or the whole song will fall apart. So Ian is a team player that puts the song over his ego.
Cliff Williams is also very good at dropping thirds and fifths into his transitions instead of playing the exact notes as the guitars do in their progressions. Something that not everyone notices.
As I understand it; Mr. Hill was taught to play upright bass by his father, who was a jazz musician. It's easy to forget that Judas Priest were initially a progressive blues band (I think it was K.K.Downing who said this.) If you listen to their early material you can hear a lot of experimentation by all the band members.
Awesome commentary
I don't understand "hating" on musicians. If I don't like a player, I just listen to some other music. There's too much out there to hear it all anyway, so just find something you like and leave those who play what you don't like alone. And I'm glad you addressed the appearance factor. No matter what, how a person on stage looks matters. Some can win over those who don't like the look, but you can't avoid being judged on it.
Really great topic! I love all the mentioned players (except Fieldy, who I don´t know very well...yet). Please do a part 2. One of my choices for a future episode would be Tom Araya.
I'm thinking a part 2 should happen. Great suggestion on Tom. I almost added him, but he's odd in that he gets heat for his playing, but it's kind of overshadowed by the love he gets as a front man. It's interesting. I'll put him on the list. Thanks!
I´m pretty undecided on Tom. His playing on the first two albums is great. The bass on all other albums is good too, but not as up front. I´m really not sure if it´s even him or Kerry or Jeff. Live it´s really nothing special, as he concentrates on singing.
There is that rumor that he doesn't do the albums
Rob has a large variety of music on his resume. And has more talent than 99.9% of those who are criticizing his style. He has played everything from classical, to bluegrass, to metal. GREAT bass player!!!
Most people are just hating because THEY aren't in their place up on that stage.
IMO, no one has filled the shoes of Burton. His creativity, style, and his Jeckyl/Hyde tones were second to none. He could go from a beautiful, warm tone one second, to an onslaught of mid range screaming distortion and wah the next. Love, and MISS that guy!!!
Exactly - people who do tapping on bass are angry because Ian Hill made it to legendary status by doing simple bass lines that work for the song. That there is the difference between technical self-congratulatory 'virtuosity' and musicianship.
People also hate Trujiillo for the "crabwalk" on stage, it was a stage thing that didn't catch on.
Man, RT was one of my inspirations back in the late 80's/early 90's from his playing in Infectious. It isn't that I don't like him in Metallica so much as I feel like his massive funk talent is just wasted. I think he could do so much to bring some fresh life to the band, but instead he seems content to just ride the pony.
Hard to argue with the dough he's probably making, though? Look at Eric Singer in Kiss - killer double kick drummer, but he simplifies his playing and literally dresses like someone else because Gene and Paul made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Rob probably has no choice in the matter.
@@Andyanddiana467 yep. I'd be more than content plucking along for that kind of money and a signature deal with Warwick. I'll have to be content with my day job and disability pay, because the next great thing on the metal scene is not likely in my future 😂
I love both Jason and Rob, big influences for me as a bass player. 💙
I liked Rob's work, but wasn't really influenced by him. I think Jason is one of the best pick players in metal though.
@@RodneyMcG he's a beast yeah
Ian Hill's bass playing influenced me a lot because straight and simple doesn't mean bad. Especially in heavy metal which is mostly ostinato-based.
1) Newsted rules. I think anyone who thinks otherwise is just butthurt for some inexplicable reason. Check out either And Justice for Jason or some of the playthroughs of that album The Bass Channel has done. His basslines are awesome!
2) Ian Hill rules. Getting lost in the mix isn't necessarily his fault. Go listen to the Firepower album...on point playing, good tone, and you can hear it!
3) Fieldy...meh. Yes I hate the scooped clicky tone, but at least he found his own unique sound which largely defined the sound of that whole band. As for the whole image thing, that seems like the last thing anyone should care about, even though people are obsessed with these things (I find bagging on somebody's image quite distasteful).
4) Trujillo - dunno? Have to admit I've almost not payed attention to Metallica very much since Load came out. That said, I did listen to Hardwired quite a bit for about a month after it came out (since then it's dropped off my playlist because I found it boring after that). Bass tone definitely pretty lost.
Solid points!
Been a fan of Rob Trujillo for a long time. Mainly pre Metallica, I think that's where his huge talent really shows. Some of his bass lines for Infectious Grooves are epic. Wasn't shocked at all when he got the Metallica job, very few can hold a candle to him.
If you watch the older live videos of Judas Priest , Ian Hill played finger style , and played some good Bass lines . Their song style changed a little bit toward straight ahead metal . He changed his style to fit the songs better . At least , thats how I see it .
Good observation
Newsted was and is my favorite Metallica bass player because when I was a kid and started to listen Metal "And Justice for all" came just out. After many times I listened to it I later got "Kill em all". Because I already got used to AJFA Burton's sound and style wasn't the original bass sound and style for me which made me love Metallica. Still after so many years AJFA is my favorite Metallica album and Newsted my favorite Metallica bassist.
I thought I would see Joey DeMaio in the list because he is either loved or hated (there is no middle ground) for his playing style and presentation on and off stage. I am in the camp of people who love DeMaio and his work.
Thank you for the great content you put out.
Thanks a lot for the input! Joey is a great idea for part 2.
Actually, Jason played in Voivod for some time after Metallica. Speaking of Voivod. What about Blacky? He had very unique style in the genre... maybe it's time to do a episode on him ;)
I love Newsted, especially his solo album and EP. Still means much more to me than all his former employers did after his departure :)
Robert was phenomenal in Infectious Grooves and Suicidal Tendencies.
To me he shines in those bands. In Metallica he's almost a bird with clipped wings...
Only reason why I’m not a fan of Trujillo in Metallica’s albums is that I can’t hear him. Love him as a bassist but he needs to be turned up in the mixes. A possible replacement for Cliff could be Steve DiGiorgio for no other reason than it’d be cool to see what he’d add to the band
I was thinking of Billy Sheehan, but just for the audition videos.
It would have been interesting to see bass players that could actually pull of the tune.
Because of course with whom they brought in, only Trujillo could play the parts.
They already knew they would get him.
John Myung is also way down in the mix. RT has always been a fave, I see Infectious Grooves as a funk/metal hybrid, and RT is so skilled a slap bassist that he was almost the front guy in that band. Not to mention he also toured with Ozzy and Zakk Wylde
If you go back to Ride the Lightning and MoP, Cliff was very much buried in the mix on a lot of the songs as well, except when the song was designed to be bass driven like Orion and For whom the Bell Tolls. Earlier albums and the Black album production had bass louderin the mix.
Unfortunately, Lars and James get the final say on everything and they prefer the bass way down in the mix. I mean, when Rick Rubin produces your album and it STILL isn't a good mix? That's a red flag that the egos got involved. ESPECIALLY Lars. I'm a bassist and a massive Metallica fanboy, but this is the unfortunate truth about the band. The old records can be blamed on low budget studios and production as well.
@@cjbrewer3843 Too bad Rubin's solution on Death Magnetic was to turn everything up louder.
I love Ian Hill and can always hear his bass lines in the mixes. I played British Steel all the way through recently in honor of the album's 4oth. anniversary and thoroughly enjoyed doing it. I don't think he deserves the hate. His lines may be simple, but they are effective. He doesn't have to do super complex things to get it done. I see him the same way as another favorite of mine, Peter Baltes, another bass player that just punches you in the face with hard, heavy and driving bass lines. I like that a lot more than too much technical wankery where it's actually not needed.
I might be odd man out, but I don't care for the mush sound of Burton; prefer the pick sound of Newsted. And Trujillo? The guy has more personality than the rest of the band combined.
That's the thing. Totally different takes on the same players. I've always understood preferences, but some people go nuts with the hating.
True that!
I don’t know why Trujillo gets any hate. He’s more proficient than most, and just as “Metal”. Sure he played in ST & IG, but those were Metal. He also played in Black Label Society’s early years, as you can seem him playing on BLS’s first live DVD. He also Played with Ozzy. So, he’s Metal to me, all the way!
Yeah, I think it just comes down to image at that point.
Jason Newstead’s lines were amazing when he played with Voïvod! His tone was definitely cutting through the mix and a couple of his lines were in fact soloed or were introducing a couple of songs!
Yeah, joining Voivod was an excellent move
I really wish Jason's brief gig with Ozzy Osbourne had worked out as well. But between Jason's commitment to Voivod, Ozzy dealing with Sharon's cancer and his own painkiller addictions and later on with the ATV accident that nearly killed him, it wasn't destined to happen. I sure wish they at least recorded an album like they had teased about in late 2003. It would've probably been awesome.
Jason Newsted is one of my favorite bass players, being a pick player myself, his sound and style is something that added a lot to Metallica, he rightfully earned his place in the band after Cliff (bass god) passed away, ... on Fieldy, I have no good or bad comments, Robert is also a great player but I find it hard to see him as a "real" member of the band, no hate or anything like that, there's this thing that don't fully make him a click into the band, dont know exactly how to put it in words, well, those my comments for the video, keep up the good work Rodney! bass is life!
Well said. Bass is life! Thanks for checking it out!
I saw Megadeth and Judas Priest on the same bill back in the 90's (Testament opened) for the Rust in Piece/Painkiller albums respectively. For the Judas Priest headline, the 2 guitarists and Rob were all out front, with the lights shining on them. The drummer was well lit as well. The Ian Hill was kinda shoved in a dark corner of the stage by the drum riser only getting light if a guitarist or Rob was by him, which was like almost never. If the guitarists and Rob ever claimed the ramps, Ian was able to come out from his corner, but still didn't receive much light. He looked like he was doing a very good job, just seemed very unfortunate. It almost seemed as if he was being treated as a hired hand than a founding member. I honestly had never gotten much into Judas Priest so didn't really know much about him. I appreciate you "giving him some light" in this video.
I saw that same tour! What a killer! Ian seems to select that himself though. I've seen him on a number tours, and it seems like he's happy to root himself to the ground and just kind of rock out in his spot. To each their own, I guess.
Yeah, I guess if he's not a spotlight dude and chooses to hang out in the dark corner that's alright. Lol. Just didn't want it to necessarily be a decision he wasn't part of. Yeah killer tour. Chuck Billy from Testament blew me away with his building shaking "OBEY!" in "Disciples of the Watch"
Yes! One of the best metal tours ever. What a line up!
Great video Rodney! I don’t have much to say except I can agree with everything you said, Jason was the bass player for Metallica when I was growing up so to me he was the original bass player, I didn’t even know about Cliff till I got Cliff em all then learned about him, I have always loved Jason! And fieldy has never been my kinda of player and never got into korn but then we’re all facts that you said, and with Robert you are completely right! And I see people missing Jason more now that Robert is in the band I don’t think Robert is the best fit for the band. I can’t discredit what he has done but he’s in the shadow of Metallica and is just there he doesn’t have his own voice in the band, if Robert left Metallica who would be perfect for the band?? Damn that’s a killer question Rodney!! Ok so I had to sit on this question. I remember when the tryouts were happening and I wanted to try out so bad! But I was only 19 and in Florida. But I think their best move would have brought someone in who was not known, just some random dude that was not established in the music scene yet.
Paul Barker left Ministry in 2003, the year Trujillo joined Metallica. That would be a dream band for me sound-wise but I don't think the personalities would have jived
You never know, Trujillo seemed like an odd fit to me, and yet, here we are!
When I see movie like this, I know why I subscribed :) Another very interesting topic. I noticed hate on Rob and Ian from JP. In Rob case I think people don't like his "not 100% true metal" look :) He's a great bass player and for me, this is at the first place. In Ian case he's playing very simple lines but this is what JP needs with 2 best heavy metal guitarist in a band. I heard couple of their shows with isolated bass tracks and oh boy - in some cases
virtuosity isn't about playing arpeggios for the whole song, but to stick to the drums and play the whole show with every note nailed.
That's the great thing about bass, it doesn't have to be the same for everyone.
There's not really a good replacement for cliff because he was so groundbreaking and unique. Those are big shoes to fill, but Brandon Michael from allegaeon is my current favorite metal bassist, and pretty much a new gold standard bassist. He's well super well rounded in style and composition, from playing multie genres, fluent in all techniques, and as a bassist and metal head who also plays any genre for experience, it has been a very long time to see a metal bassist as inspiring, and step out of "follow the guitar" box as well as he has. Just my personal opinion. Dude needs recognition anyway!
Jason Newsted was one of the big reasons why I switched to bass and I always name him as a major influence. The pick playing drew me to his tone, and I still prefer his live attitude.
He was a force of nature live, no doubt!
I’ve always dug Trujillo as a player prior to his current gig, never been a big Metallica fan. I appreciate good slap. It can be chintzy if it’s just octave pops. Since the tragic passing of Burton, I don’t think it would really matter who plays bass for them. They went a divergent direction after Burton where the bass isn’t going to be a prominent presence in their sound. Perhaps Ian Hill would be a great fit?
I know he's not a metal bassist, but I've found Les Claypool falls into the "love him or hate him" category. I personally really dig many of his riffs, some of which are pretty heavy. Your gimmicky/novelty comment brought him to mind.
Yeah, definitely divisive, but not really metal, so he didn't make the list.
Ian Hill, Jason Newsted and Dave Ellefson are the best bass player in metal to me because of their solid basslines.
I don't really like Korn but I reckon that Fieldy has an interesting percussive sound.
I wasn't crazy about Trujillo at first because of the image thing but he came off great in Some Kind of Monster. Then he does the Jaco documentary, which was fantastic. I still hate the crab walk and think his playing would be helped by not having his bass around his knees (listen to Billy) but I like him.
Nikki Sixx, I hate.
Always liked RT, don't like the Crab. There's vid available from when he had a more 'standard' stage presence.
I think that really good bassists tend to branch into lots of styles of music where the bass is a much bigger part of the music. As you correctly point out, most of the time guitarists in metal have their tone scooped, which really buries the bass guitar in the mix. Plus, its the drums and guitars that are the instrumental focal point, pretty exclusively, in metal. My point is, that bassists who only ever have played metal have to be a bit masochistic and keep their egos in check. They aren't going to get much attention unless they DO stick out, in which case it's generally hate.
I expected Joey de Maio of Manowar to be on this list.
Although a good bass player, the bass is too loud at their actual live shows (the live recordings are OK).
But the main reason is probably his stage-persona, making him look like a douche.
I think he will be in part 2
The reason pros give guys like Ian Hill and Cliff Williams props is because pros know from their own experience that’s there’s more to good bass playing than just flashy shops.
1. Jason Newsted did get a lot of flak early on and it was undeserved. He simply got a raw end of the deal, having to fill really big shoes. And yes, the fact his bass was turned way down making it basically unaudible at "...And Justice For All" was a really dick move especially on Ulrich's part. I think Newsted's a really solid player who simply finds his role to be more supportive than up front.
2. I've never heard any hate directed towards Ian Hill, to be honest. A bit like Newsted (even more so), he simply feels comfortable laying down a solid founation for the guitars and especially Rob Halford's voice to shine. And he does it just fine. No reason to hate.
3. Fieldy is a completely other matter. The guy definitely can play, no doubt about that, but his tone... UGH. I think it's the ugliest bass sound not only in metal but overall. As for his style - he just rocks what's most comfortable for him, and if he digs that look I couldn't care less about his background. But the tone... Yes. It's fugly and don't even try to change my mind because you won't.
4. As for Robert Trujillo - he's a monster player, full stop. A great bassist who can pull off both the funk-metal stuff of the early 90s and full on rocking just as well. Is he the perfect fit for Metallica? Hard to tell, but I've never been much of a fan so I'll better let those who like the band more than I do decide ;-)
In the case of Ian Hill I wouldn't be surprised if the band forced him to dumb down his parts as much as he has. It's happened to me when I've played bass in bands before and it's a big reason why I started focusing more on guitar. Not a great feeling :/
Quite possible
It will never happen, but it would be interesting to see Dave Ellefson in Metallica.
Good points to all. I would also like to add to Jason Newsted that the Justice mix incident didn't help his stance. I think if the bass was better mixed on Justice, more people would have accepted his place in the band. Love them or hate them, every Jason Met album after Justice has slamming bass presence and tone. Live, Trujillo and Newsted both stand out and add to the songs what they can't (or don't) seem to capture on a recording.
Im not going to talking crap about anyone obviously they are better musician than me and most also they must be doing something right that fits the band and supports the music as well if not they would be replaced so Like it or hate they fit somehow but I believe having your own thing is what is all about Bc if you copy everything you are nothing original. Most ppl don't like change good or bad. It's just the way it is. See to just bc you don't like their sound doesn't mean they suck it's just not your taste IMO but how am I to judge I'm just a drummer what the hell do I know🤘😎
Big Cliff Burton-fan here! But also a bass-player who appreciates a pick-player like Jason Newsted. For the replacement of Jason I would've picked either Duff McKagan, Lemmy (RIP), or Justin Chancellor. Truhillo is also badass, but his playing is less likely to stand out and gets pushed back in the mix. Cliff never would've let them get away with that. Replacement for him that I'd like to see would be Chris Wolstenholme. He certainly will not get lost in the mix!
Really interesting choices! Thanks for posting them!
Jason got me into bass playing and metal, saw Metallica play King Nothing on Jools Holland and that was that.
I would have loved to see Joey Vera in Metallica. Even the dude that played in The Cult, Chris Wyse.
Rob did some great classic rock playing with Ozzy, I think he is just a very versatile player.
Very true
Maybe the correct answer is Metallica is a ghost band that died with Cliff (I know that's mostly a jazz thing but I think it applies here)
Something about Newsteads attitude that I never liked and with age and time its seem to have gotten worse. I dont like any if his original music. Imo Jason was a metal player through and through. Cliff wasn't. Cliff Burton was his own musician. When Cliff was in Metallica the band followed him and his lead. I think Metallica was lost when Cliff passed and you can tell by the music they wrote after ward. Just my opinion
I think you're right. The music almost sounded as if Metallica went with song writers after Cliff past. And then they went back to their own writing with Garage Inc which was all juvenile sounding to me. Also the totally different frequencies for the bass mix , a lot more boosted 60 and 80 freqs. Which I like and would have loved to hear cliffs busier bass lines with that hi fi bass sound. Newsted was too simple for me. And cliff was too hard for me to hear sometimes in the older albums
They don’t hate me ... because nobody knows me ... :-)
Yet.........😉
I don't know you and I hate you...
Happy now? :)
mehmet rasim inceoglu Thanks Mister ......Damned - now I am alive „Yes“
ooh great video. listen to Voivod with newstead, sweet stuff. the Korn guy is a trujillo copycat except not as good and sadly the best part of Korn.
RobTujillo....my feelings about him are not he cant stand in the light with metallica, its that he is the only light left in metallica. he is way too good to be in metallica.
I remember Fieldy being ridiculed for saying, I believe in Bass Player Magazine ages ago for saying "why would i want to play some BS scale that someone came up with 300 years ago" LOL.that didnt help
i think newstead was just perfect for metallica they just bullied him so much for not being someone he's not
True.
I can't speak for the rest of them, but fieldy is all percussive dead notes and maybe like 2 or 3 notes... He has a great tone that cut through the mix. And matched well with the drums.... Is he an amazing bassist... No not really, but he's made more money i ever saw and has his own technique. So now more power to him... Robert Trujillo?!?!?!? Hated??? Oh no no.... Anyone that hates him is jealous.... He's up there with claypool and flea.... Listen to infectious grooves and see how much of that your can play tight, same syncopation, and endurance.....
Fieldy works in the Korn sound, regardless if me or anyone else actually likes that sound. His tone itself though is just gross sounding, and not in a cool way.
Ian really showed up in the mix live and in a lot of Priest's older stuff he matched the guitar lines in turn around and the ending of phrases. As far as rhythm section roles go, Priest's wasn't much different than ACDC in that regard, the bass was just buried in the mix.
Agreed. He was a much larger presence in the early material.
You asked who would be a good fit for Metallica for bass. I think I have to go quote Newsted on this. He once said that after he came to friendly terms with the band after his leaving, that he felt that he was the bass player needed for Metallica at his time in the band, but that Trujillo is the bass player they need now.
Personally I like Jason better but simce he influenced me immensely to become a bass player, I am biased.
That said, for the Metallica bassists, people need to stop comparing the current oone to the ones of the past. They are who and what they are, their styles are different and let us just celebrate the band and the music they are making. I may not like all the music but I still love the band.
I don't get how Trujillo can take any hit.
You can only be angered that he kind of waste is skills if you followed him with suicidal and infectious.
But he played with Ozzy Osbourne also, and that's where Metallica realised it would be a seemless fit, because he knows how to adjust musically.
Would have been fun to have Les Claypool audition again, and goof around in the video 😆
I think metal bassists get hate just because of the style of metal music. Oddly enough the really standout guys more than likely are playing or listening to other styles of music whatever it be.
Fieldy is original. I dig the clicky sound.
Jason has amazing tone.
Undeniable
I dunno about the getting lost in the mix alot of players I know only want to be heard when they choose too.im kind of in this boat myself
I disagree with Newstead being on this list. I don't recall myself or any of my friends having any hate towards him. Saw him on the Justice tour and we instantly loved him. No he's not Cliff but Cliff can't play anymore so Jason, although a different style player, was quite a presence onstage.
Fieldy's hate isn't fair but is understandable. I stopped listening to Korn when Head left so I can't comment about anything after that but Fieldy's so called slap technique is more percussion than actually playing bass. He was a major part of Korn's authentic sound back in the day. Whether he's a good bassist or not is hard to say cause I never heard him actually play the bass.
The only hate I can see Trujillo getting is he's not Jason. He's a beast onstage and an amazing bassist. Blows Jason away. I'd understand possible hate if Jason was booted but he wasn't. He left and they were forced to replace him.
Ian, Fieldy, Jason and Rob are all amazing Players. Not being in front in the mix can fall on the producers' shoulders or the band leader. Bottom line is what does the track call for. As far as tone that is purely a personal preference of the individual artist. I myself believe Korn would not be the same without Fieldy! They are known for making great music with really ugly sounds which is what makes them original. I don't know about anyone else, but I've never been able to tell how someone is dressed by just listening to their music and could care less what they wear or how they look. Jason and Rob are both incredibly talented and helped with the evolution of Metallica. When Jason joined, he brought a youthful energy that was needed not to mention his great backing vocals as well as his undeniable Bass skills. Like Jason Rob also brings a new energy to Metallica and his originality/style is who he is. Rob's playing style is closer to Cliff's but still not a clone or copy by any means. His Prior band credits as well as Jason's speak for themselves. Bottom line in my opinion is they are all extremely talented individuals who will go down in music history as being at the top of their field.
I think Fieldy made Korn, especially on the first album... I always thought their guitar players were gimmiky and low talent. In their Metallica cover, he plays a solo (almost) - not the guitars. He plays his bass like it's a percussion instrument and the scooped mids with the grindy tone is the Korn sound.
Well let's get one thing straight Cliff is Cliff there is no one that can replace him with that said Jason and Rob are amazing players with there own styles if you ever had caught Metallica live when Jason was there then you know what he's all about as far as Rob I've seen him tear it up with suicidal tendencies and when he was with OZZY OSBOURNE oh forgot to MENTION he was with OZZY OSBOURNE that's as metal as you can get don't care if the play with a pick , fingers or slap as long as it sounds good that's all that matters 🤘
Hey Rodney, if you do a part 2 of this series of videos can you add Paulo Xisto from sepultura? Some People hate him because his technic on bass is terrible, if anyone have another reason to hate him, please leave this reason answering me on my comment, have a good day!
I'll look into that, and keep it in mind if i revisit it. Thanks!
Metallica torpedoed Jason on And Justice... by completely leaving him out of the mix and buried by the kick drum. I thought his sound was good on Garage Days. Here was phenomenal in F and J.
He had a great tone on Garage. The intro to Crash Course In Brain Surgery is a classic grindy metal bass tone.
@@RodneyMcG 100% the tone I was thinking of. I remember when Cliff died and the anticipation of hearing Jason contribute. That album gave me hope but Justice, while a great album, set the tone for how he was going to be treated. Even though Cliff wasn't super prominent in the mix all of the time, Jason was flat out non-existent on that album
Newsted for me was always THE Metallica bassist - best fit visually, strong presence on stage and killer (backing) vocals, crushing powerful tone, not to mention that he paid his dues on the road at the times when Metallica was the biggest band in the world. I love the fact that Newsted wasn't trying to emulate Burton's playing, he simply did his own thing.
OMG! Haters on Robert? He is brilliant bass player. I never thought that metal people were so narrow minded. Sad. Maybe people should get their head out of their asses. There are no such thing as proper metal. Influences should come from all kinds of music otherwise it will get stuck and not move forward.
If you actual listen to fieldy's bass lines, they kinda amazing
I think for a bassist to fit metallica they should change metallica...
Newsted is one of my favorites
A wise choice
Fieldy has literally said he doesn't like bass. He also can't even explain how he play his own songs. His lessons are hilariously bad. I don't care about image.
Dogs barking, caravan keeps going/ All these guys are great players.
I think they are all great. In regards on Jason, Rob is that they started as metal guys (Rob really is not a real metal head at all hahahaha) Maybe they got old and are just playing metal cuz of the money they are making. The Korn dude is like a Hip Hop dude playing nu metal and his tone is not even close like Billy from Faith no More.
By the way! Ian is a pocket GOD!!!
I can't believe nobody is asking about the make and model of the head behind you. Or did I miss the conversation? I haven't missed a video since February lol so I'm pretty sure.
Covered it in the current Metal Bass Monday 😉
Damn man Fieldy does the 80% of the work in Korn he's a god
Hater's gonna hate!
Trujilio is great, he can play guitar better then kirk n james also lol
Truth!
I bet Rob plays drums better than Lars 😈😂
@@imdidi5695 Anyone can play drums better than Lars :)
What u funny that's a joke but still hate metallica
Trujillo is under rated. A guy who could pull off that gig is another under rated player and largely under the radar, Joey Vera from Armored Saint.
Fieldy is already starting to come out the hater arc
Funny how time vindicates
For all these players, the one I reject the most is Trujillo. Why? He insist on singing on stage without learning some singing technique, he plays burton basslines so simplified and silly it bothers everyone...
I don't understand why there is so much hate for Trujillo. People seem to have forgotten he had a long stint with both Ozzy and Black Label Society. It pisses me off today that people in the genre have come to have such high expectations from bands and their individual members. What they should sound like, whether the way they dress is acceptable for the type of music they play. I'm young but old enough to remember the days when the metal genre wasn't about any of that. It wasn't about how you looked. It used to be about encouraging individuality. Then people started to be about having a bigger wallet chain than the other guy. There are great bands out there but I do feel that the genre has become abit too fashionable these days.
Well stated
The problem wasn't Jason... it was the members of metallica
Facts
@@RodneyMcG why did they turn his bass off on or lower his bsss on in justice for all and if u watch the vid with them and Rob u could see lars and kirk saying how way better they're now looking into the camera sarcastically. Jason's job wasn't to be cliff is was to be Jason and he rocked it! They were looking for that
There's a bunch of stories behind that. The engineer says they demanded more and more bass in the guitars, and they kept pushing the bass out. Others said they were angry about losing Cliff and took it out on Jason.
Jason Newsted are the best metal bass player ever !!
Jason got a raw deal man, listen to his audition recordings and holy fuck
No doubt about it.
I'm not a huge Trujillo fan, but his playing is phenomenal. The internet trolls would NEVER diss any of these guys if they were in the same room with them. They'd be in awe of their success and simply be jealous, which is where this all stems from. I'm not in to Fieldy's playing at all, but congrats to him for being hyper successful.
Totally agree. Lots of drama from keyboard warriors and haters.
Never heard anyone putting hate on newsted at all. Only point of interest is that they liked cliff or robert alot more
All of these bass players are playing for very prominent bands, if their style of playing was a problem I’m sure the band would have gotten rid of them. In Ian Hills defense his role is to lay down the low end and tie in the drums to the guitars and he accomplishes that. I’m not convinced that Tipton and Downing want a bass player that’s gonna steal the limelight from the guitars. Just my 2 cents.
Fieldy gots me into bass world. sooo
Many don't like his style, but he did inspire a lot of players
Don't blame the bass players... Blame Metallisuck
Do you think any of their bass players asked for a shrink to help play on these albums? Probably should have... Cliff Burton would've punch each one of them in their dicklickers if they said " we should hire a shrink to help us finish Ride the Lightning...". Phhhh