adam clayton

[yertle-the-turtle]

adam clayton is a no-talent wanker riding on the coat-tails of the rest of the band. boo!









ok. before you start flaming me, i was just being silly. i read that in some idiotic review, so I thought it might be appropriate to highlight his underratedness as a bassist. what do you think are adam's best basslines, though (or your favourites)? mine are new year's day and three sunrises.

 

[HelloAngel]

*waits for Salome

 

[The_acrobat]

Adam isn't just about the bass lines. He's just a state of mind. He's just a modest dressing, glasses wearing, cigarette smoking man who doesn't get too excited about anything. I think fans like him because he seems so down to earth. His bass has many layers to it's personality, and really gives the mood to the music.

My favorite bass performances by Adam are "If God will send his angels" and "Stay".

 

[AcrobatMan]

1) mission impossible soundtrack
2) indian summer sky
3) new years day
4) do you feel loved
5) in god's country

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Adam isn't just about the bass lines. He's just a state of mind. He's just a modest dressing, glasses wearing, cigarette smoking man who doesn't get too excited about anything. I think fans like him because he seems so down to earth. His bass has many layers to it's personality, and really gives the mood to the music.

My favorite bass performances by Adam are "If God will send his angels" and "Stay".

spot on

 

[gav6519]

adams actually the coolest member of u2!
best bassline is by far: Bullet the blue sky

 

[what a bomb!]

Can't believe no one has mention the bass in Bad yet! shame on you!

 

[FelipeVox]

Adam?? He?s one of the best bassists of the world!!!
Don?t be fooled by his boring face, he plays as well as Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) or other bassists...

Of course the most talented is Bono, but Adam comes after him... and so Edge, and so Larry (which is not bad, but is not a *great* drummer).

Best basslines:

In God?s Country
WOWY
Do You Feel Loved
Pride

etc

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

oy, i can't believe someone actually said that, especially since it was adam who really got them discovered, or at least helped them get a proper manager and a real record label.

anyway, i think he really would rather focus his attentions onstage to just playing and not running around and singing backup. if you just focus on the music, that alone will tell you what a great and underrated bass player he is.

 

[The_acrobat]

]

Of course the most talented is Bono, but Adam comes after him... and so Edge, and so Larry (which is not bad, but is not a *great* drummer).

Myself a guitarist, I can honestly tell you that Edge is the most talented member of U2. The things he has done are so innovative and superior to any solo Keith Richards ever pulled out of his ass. It's just that guitar solos get more recognition than Edge's style. However, Bono is a talented lyricist and a great singer, and is right up there as well.

But Adam always seems to find the perfect bass line to fit the mood of the song. He is by far the coolest member of U2, and the funny thing is that I think he knows that. The way he just stands there with a slight smirk on his face, slightly hunched over and pointing his noise in the air. Bono goes to great extents to be the coolest member of U2, but Adam takes the title without even trying.

 

[BAW]

Bad
In God's Country
WOWY


and I don't know if I would call it his best, heavy is probably a better word, but I thought I was getting kicked in the chest during Elevation (the song) in Vegas...I don't know if it was just because of where I was standing but it was pretty powerful

 

[Dorian Gray]

Gone
LNOE
Lemon
In a little while (listen to the bass during the chorus... fantastic)

Edit: I almost forgot Do You Feel Loved!

 

[PopTart Pamela]

Adam, by far, is the COOLEST member of the band.
For me, best bass line is Bad, particularly on WAIA - just glorious!
also IGWSHA
Love his moments on R&H video

My daughter has a guitar playing friend, who says that The Edge plays the bass lines on some U2 tracks, and he can tell which ones. She is yet to tell me which songs. Personally I find that hard to believe.

Go Adam!!

Pamela

Air bass guitar is BEST!

 

[Jack In The Box]

I'm obsessed with Adam

my favorites basslines, with no specific order:
Gone
Do You Feel Loved
Please
Exit
Endless Deep
Twilight
An Cat Dubh
Ultraviolet
Mofo
Indian Summer Sky
Love Comes Tumbling
With Or Without You
New Year's Day of course
etc.

 

[Salome]

*waits for Salome

yesh!!!!!!


U2 = Adam Clayton

he is the musical brains behind the band
(you really thought Edge figured out how Pride should sound? )


+ he is the only sexy U2 member




thank you

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I knew you'd have more than your usual two words to say, lol.

 

[Zoomerang96]

adam is probably my favourite member of the band.

most of the bass lines he comes up with are memorable, which is quite a feet for a bass player.

i particularly enjoy mofo, with or without you, and please to name but a few.

 

[ILuvLarryMullen]

Sure Adam doesn't often play difficult bass lines, but what he does do (which is the most important thing) is fit the song, which any musician can tell you is essential. He also creates some pretty catchy lines. I've heard some people say that all his bass lines are simple, which is not true at all.

My favorites are:
Two Hearts Beat as One
One
Mysterious Ways
Gone (not easy at all)
Stay
Please
Elevation
Stories For Boys
New Years Day (my favorite one to play)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
Exit (really easy, but I really enjoy playing it for some reason)
Ultraviolet
Even Better Than the Real Thing
The Fly
...I'm sure there's others, but i just can't think of them...and I think that is plenty enough favorites anyways

 

[cujo]

i particularly enjoy mofo, with or without you, and please to name but a few.

It's funny that you mention With Or Without You... it is usually the main target of criticism towards the rhythm section. Adam's playing has been compared to the chugging style of a lot of early punk and new wave bands. That song particularly highlights the heavy and fast bass... in a slow song.

Most of this criticism is unfounded though... if you take a look at his progression from early material, to recent compositions... you can see he is definitely an underrated component of the band.

Vague enough for you?

 

[Zoomerang96]

nope, i understand what youre saying and i agree with it.

 

[celia]

U2 wouldn't be U2 without any one of the members! they are all important in different ways to the band!

Adam is great!

 

[Diemen]

Adam?? He?s one of the best bassists of the world!!!
Don?t be fooled by his boring face, he plays as well as Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) or other bassists...

Um.....no. Flea can play circles around Adam. But that's not the point. Adam is a great musician, and in the context of U2, he is the perfect bassist. Not many people can work with something so simple and make it so memorable (New Years Day, With Or Without You), and also use some really melodic and wandering basslines that help make a good song great (Gloria, Bad).

 

[adamswildhoney]

U2 wouldn't be U2 without any one of the members! they are all important in different ways to the band!

Adam is great!

 

[FelipeVox]

So... there?s another cool bassline you?ve forgot:
The Hands That Built America

the bassline is like another song... great

 

[Swan269]

just watch Gone on the DVD and you will see how good he is.

 

[Jack In The Box]

So... there?s another cool bassline you?ve forgot:
The Hands That Built America

the bassline is like another song... great

I agree

 

[pFitz80]

I can't believe no one's mentioned this- Boomerang has by far the best bassline in my opinion! Try playing it at high volume with the base cranked up all the way.

 

[Mister]

My favourite basslines are Please, Lemon, Silver and Gold, Exit, WOWOY

If I'm not wrong, I remember Adam commenting about that Edge made most of the bass lines for Achtung Baby.

somethin like this...

"Maybe I'm not the best bass player in the band but I am the f*cking bass player..."

 

[Angela Harlem]

Yes. You are all correct.

 

[jick]

My 5-year old nephew can write the bassline to With Or Without You.

Adam is the only U2 member to miss a gig.

Adam is the only U2 member involved in a drug bust (marijuana back in the 80's). In short, he is the only confirmed junkie.

Adam ditched U2 in the studio in the War sessions, hence it was Edge who did the bassline of "40". Up to this day, Adam either cannot learn or refuses to play the bass of "40" - Edge does it while Adam does his irritating sounding guitar sound.

Listen to Please, album version in POP, Adam's bassline is in the wrong key - notice how they really lowered the volume levels of the bassline for this song - because it was in the wrong key! (Of course they fixed that in the single version and the bass line is much more prominent)

Adam is the only non-Christian in U2.

Adam is the most dispensible member of U2. Anyone can play his basslines but no one can imitate Bono's voice, or copy Edge's unique signature style, or Larry's disciplined drumming.

So much for this thread about Adam. Maybe we should start a thread on Paul McGuinness, he has probably done more for U2 than Adam ever did and ever will.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP