Vic Wooten / Les Claypool

[Rickenbacker]

Yes, it's another "vs" thread.

Both are monsters on bass. Both have "crazy", unconventional styles.

[notallwhowander]

Okay. The first shot is fired roughly 2:40 into song...



Claypool's response?

[rapidfirerob]

Victor, no contest.

[fictionmusic]

Claypool is hip, eccentric and grooving but I plump down firmly in the Wooten camp. Not only does he demonstrate killer chops on this outing, it's one of his compositions.

[SteveSly]

I have seen them both live and would say Wooten gets the nod here. Claypool is great, but overall Wooten is probably better.

Steve Sly

[davis]

I couldn't say which one is the better overall bassist, but I prefer Claypool's music, generally. though I don't care for Duo de Twang.

[trurl]

Like Les, like his band, like his music, but his bass playing is at least 75% total bullsh!t *lol* Vic, otoh, is just about the most badass player on the planet. To me that's a bit like asking who's better, Ler LaLonde or Alan Holdsworth That's not to say on any given day I wouldn't prefer hearing Seas Of Cheese to any given Vic Wooten shred-fest though.

[rcarlberg]

Agreed. Claypool is good at what he does but Wooten has a much broader palette.

[davis]

Now that this is settled, which one of them is bothered the most by free downloading of their work?

???

[wideopenears]

Claypool's a cool dude, or at least seems that way based on the interviews I've read, and the shows I've seen. And he, and Flea, did much to put bass in the spotlight for the general public, back in the late 80's/early 90's. He also listened heavily to Stanley Clarke coming up. I enjoy Primus, and much of Les's other projects as well. He's a unique voice on the instrument, no doubt.

But Victor Wooten is the most insanely gifted, technically accomplished, and seriously grooving bassist on earth right now, IMO. Everything he does is musical. I believe Victor could play anyone's stuff....including Claypool's, if he wanted to. Not to say he doesn't have his own thing--he most certainly does. But he's deep.....

[progholio]

this is kind of a comparing apples and grapefuits sort of thing -

if you like clinical chops and wanksmanship in a fusiony setting then Victor's your guy

if you like phat-assed grooves pumping out quirky avant-funk then it's Les

for me the groove always wins.

[No Pride]

Agreed. Claypool is good at what he does but Wooten has a much broader palette.

Basically what I was going to say.

this is kind of a comparing apples and grapefuits sort of thing -

if you like clinical chops and wanksmanship in a fusiony setting then Victor's your guy

if you like phat-assed grooves pumping out quirky avant-funk then it's Les

for me the groove always wins.

Yeah, but Vic can groove his ass off as well as do a bunch of things Les couldn't dream of doing.

I always feel a little guilty about participating in these "so-and-so vs. this-other-guy" threads. But if I was going to form another band and I had my pick of the litter of who would bass, Vic would unquestionably be my choice between the two. And my ultimate choice would be Gary Willis of Tribal Tech.

[dropforge]

this is kind of a comparing apples and grapefuits sort of thing -

if you like clinical chops and wanksmanship in a fusiony setting then Victor's your guy

if you like phat-assed grooves pumping out quirky avant-funk then it's Les

for me the groove always wins.

LOL! Vic doesn't groove since when? I think you need to check out more of his stuff. Referring to Vic as a wanker is high comedy!

[wideopenears]

A few years back, I went to see Mike Stern...with Victor Wooten on bass. about 1/2 into the set, Victor did a solo, two handed-two-part rendition of Caravan, which was impossible, and mind-blowing...he then stepped on a fuzz box, and proceeded to play pretty much the rest of the set, with some of the stankiest, dirty low-down funk grooves I'd ever heard....Mike and everyone else got grins a mile wide, and the whole thing kicked up a notch.

Victor brings it, in every respect. There's no better groove player out there, and trust me, I've heard a LOT of bass players.

[davis]

LOL! ... Referring to Vic as a wanker is high comedy!

Does 'wanker' mean the same thing in St. Louis as it does in southern California?

[progholio]

Does 'wanker' mean the same thing in St. Louis as it does in southern California?

"Wankery - Often used to describe the actions of some one playing a guitar, and to a lesser extent an electric bass.

Most times, Guitar/bass wankery is when a guitarist/bassist makes excessive use of soloing and techniques such as shrills, taps, slaps & pops, slides, bends, sweeps and the like to the point where its nothing but self satisfaction.

Since such self satisfaction is often said to come from showing off to people with the talents listed above, it has become widely known amongst guitarist/bassist as Wankery.
Some douche in Guitar Center was trying to impress people with some guitar wankery."


as sourced from the very reputable Urban Dictionary, i rest my case

[Dana5140]

[simon moon]

I enjoy them both, but Wooten is a much better player with a greater pallet at his command.

if you like clinical chops and wanksmanship in a fusiony setting then Victor's your guy

That doesn't describe any bass player named Victor Wooten that I know of.

I listen to quite a bit of fusion, and the vast majority of the fusion I know of does not fit the, "chops for chops sake" or "wankery" description. I put guys like Steve Vai much more in that category than fusion players.

[Dana5140]

I would love to see Claypool placed into a more "serious" musical format. I don't really care for a lot of Primus, with his weird singing and so on. I'd love to see him to do some straight fusion kind of stuff, and I think he would kill. When he does King Crimson, for example, it's great. As to Victor, he may be the most hugely talented bassist around- what he does is amazing. And he is as a person deeply spiritual.