Adam Clayton vs. Mike Mills

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U2Man

U2Man

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Who's the better bass player? Who's most important to the band he's in?

Please vote. :sexywink:
 
um, I just looked through the other ones. I didn't see any kind of nasty argument in any of them. :confused:

Just look at my Larry vs. Selway thread. No arguing at all :shrug:

I think we should be able to have a mature discussion about the positive and negative aspects of two big bass players in two big bands without arguing and enjoy that.
 
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Mills beats Adam IMO...I think they're pretty comparable bassists, but Mike Mills adds to REM vocally whereas Adam doesn't (Your Blue Room notwithstanding).

I like these threads...we need an Edge one.
 
Based on my experiences, Mike Mills is a lot friendlier than Adam. As for their playing... I like 'em both. :shrug:
 
Well, living in Athens, I see Mike Mills more often than I see some of my own friends. He's always willing to stop for pictures and he's always smiling and seems really happy.

When I saw Adam before the second ZooTv show in Atlanta, he just waved to us in a sort of nonchalant manor and drove away on the back of a golf cart.
 
U2dork said:
Well, living in Athens, I see Mike Mills more often than I see some of my own friends. He's always willing to stop for pictures and he's always smiling and seems really happy.
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:shocked:
 
Eh, it's not really a big deal. It's not any different than someone living and Dublin and seeing the U2 guys at the local pub or someone in LA spotting a celeb. at a restaurant.

The local folk generally leave them alone and most of the college kids have no idea who REM are anyway.
 
U2dork said:
Eh, it's not really a big deal. It's not any different than someone living and Dublin and seeing the U2 guys at the local pub or someone in LA spotting a celeb. at a restaurant.

The local folk generally leave them alone and most of the college kids have no idea who REM are anyway.
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Have you asked him if there's a new record soon? :drool:
 
I'll tell you what.
I LOVE Adam and his work is amazing.
However, all GREAT REM songs have one key ingredient: Mike Mills backing vocals.
He's great.
 
Well, I'm not a big REM fan, but I'd have to say Mills contributes much more to REM than Adam does to U2. So I'll join with the "Mills > Adam" sentiment.
 
Who's the better bass player?

Well, they're pretty comparible, but Adam has more signature riffs, you can tell the song by the bassline, "New Year's Day," "With or Without You." The one thing I see again and again about Adam's playing is that, virtuoso or not, his lines "fit" the songs, plays exactly what is needed for a song.

Adam has a better bass tone, but that's a personal preference.

Who's most important to the band he's in?

Well, I don't know much of R.E.M's history, but I'm gonna assume Adam pushed harder for U2 to "make it" booking their early gigs, meeting people, seeking out advice, being the first manager and all.

Better bass player: draw.

More important to the band: Adam
 
CTU2fan said:


I like these threads...we need an Edge one.
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I'm pretty sure there was an Edge vs David Gilmour one a while back. The results were kind of stupid, if I remember correctly. But anyway, I haven't listened to very many REM albums so I can't really comment on who is the better bass player.
 
Better Bass Player: Adam because it seems like so many songs that have defined the records have great bass playing.
Adam's bass in Lemon :drool: I sometimes find myself humming his work in public.

More Important To The Band: I'm not sure really. A tie I guess.

Who's cooler: :adam: The early eighties afro will always win it for him.
 
Adam is great when he puts his mind to it the POP album has some very nice work by Adam and I havent heard anything comparable from Mike Mills.
 
As a bass player they are pretty equal.

Overall contribution Mills wins due to his amazing backup vocals and the fact that he also plays guitar every once in awhile.

But Adam wins in the best dressed and cool factor...
 
Screwtape2 said:


Yeah, but can Mike Mills do this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XArklQ-NK80
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:hmm: Adam has employed "pop and slap," finger-style bass (to some bassists, the only way to play a bass) as well as use a pick.

Does Mike Mills use all 3 styles of playing in the same song?

Check out live versions of "Gloria", Adam starts out with a pick, towards the middle uses his fingers, "pop and slap" for the solo, then fingers till the end.

Funnily enough, I heard "Man on the Moon" earlier tonight. Mills' work was a bit buried in the mix at times.

Well now I'm gonna go "pop" in my Pop album.

:drool:
 
I agree with U2dork, I met Mike Mills after their concert here in 95 and he was luuuurrrvvveelllyyy :drool:

And as for the who is cooler thing, those Nudie suits...... :drool: :drool:
 
It's funny, I've run across probably a dozen people over the years who've met Mike Mills, and every one said he was very nice. Stipe, on the other hand, not so much...
 
I'll leave the question who is better at bass to musicians here, as for contribution to the band, I think being the first manager beats handing over some vocal harmonies.
 
CTU2fan said:
It's funny, I've run across probably a dozen people over the years who've met Mike Mills, and every one said he was very nice. Stipe, on the other hand, not so much...
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I stood across the street from Mills once, waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street. A couple of girls came up to him to have their picture taken and he obliged. The girls left happy and he was still smiling several minutes later when the light finally changed and I passed him crossing the street.

I've never spoken to Stipe, but I've heard he can be quite snotty. Then there's the stories about his -uh- interesting aroma (I didn't notice). I've also heard he has a bit of a wicked sense of humor. A friend of a friend was throwing a party and Stipe showed up. Throughout the evening he would go up and offer a stick of gum to people. Now, who wouldn't take a stick of gum from Michael Stipe, right? Turns out the gum was the trick kind that turns your mouth black. :giggle:

And since I seem to be sharing all of my REM stories in this thread, I once stepped out in front of Bill Barry's Land Cruiser while I at the bank and he almost hit me. I looked up and saw a giant eyebrow glaring at me from behind the wheel.
 
He's the only one I've never seen around town. That's probably because he doesn't really live here anymore. I think he stays out in California most of the time now.
 
GibsonGirl said:


I'm pretty sure there was an Edge vs David Gilmour one a while back. The results were kind of stupid, if I remember correctly.
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So mayby The Edge vs Jon Buckland perhaps? :hmm: Strangely they sound very alike...
 
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