Battle of the 80's bassists: 1982 - Steve Harris Vs John Taylor

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

It's 1982.
Heavy Metal super-band Iron Maiden drops their classic number of the beast whose songs ride on the backbone of Steve Harris's full length tube socks + spandex brand of rock fury.

Meanwhile the band that has the most famous taken-from a movie name gets every kid in the world to seek out prints by Nagel and to don mauve suits with spiked hair with their seminal album Rio. All the while teen idol John Taylor messes up their minds with his basstacular shenanigans.

So - who is the better Brit bassist?

[vi5]

1. Depends on your standards for bass.....

For speed, agility, and precision on the instrument, nobody is going to beat Steve Harris. Nobody.

But if your taste in bassists revolves more around locking into a groove with the drummer and providing a more solid backbone for the music then Taylor is the preferable player here.

Normally I'm more inclined towards the latter, but I can always appreciate the former.

Interesting you chose these two bands because from 1981-1983 Duran were my favorite band and from '83-'86 I discovered metal and was a Maiden freak. So both bands have a place in my heart.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

2. An astute observation

it is true - it is a comparison between two different genres so its a bit unfair. But if you had to choose one "Bassist of the Year" who'd it be?

[vi5]

4. It's 1982? I think then it's got to be Taylor by an inch...

I had just started playing guitar the year before so I wasn't musically astute enough to grasp the full genius of Harris. And I also don't think I got # of the Beast until a year after it came out, closer to Piece of Mind.

So if you're pinning me down for that year, I'll go with Taylor.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Then The Answer Is Tony Levin

He can do both, as well or better than anyone i've ever heard. Also, a Stick player, and is a true master at that.

Listen to his fretless bass playing on "I Don't Remember" off the third Peter Gabriel album. UNBELIEVABLE! And his stick playing on any of the Crimson albums of the mid to late 80's (Discipline, Beat, Three of a Perfect Pair) is incredible.

For me, he's the best because he does all the flashy, articulated stuff, and can also lock into a groove for as long as the song goes on.
The Professor

[bbernardini]

3. Neither one...the bassist from Kajagoogoo!

Say what you will about the band or its name or its music, but the guy can play! He's in John Paul Jones' band...I think that says it all. I'll like to see the other two play Chapman Stick.

[Beware the Beast Man]

5. Steve Harris, bar none

That bass run he does near the end of "Run to the Hills" is amazing. Very underrated player.

[Township75]

6. Harris...

he wrote almost all of Maiden's songs, and is super fast on his bass

[testing123]

7. Steve Harris

Duran Duran against Iron Maiden you've got to be kidding right?

[Maestro]

9. Actually

Geddy Lee from Rush blows them both away and John Taylor technically was a very good bassist. Steve Harris and John Taylor were very different bassists in fact and both good in their own right. Let's see...I'm going with Steve Harris though only because I could never put DD over IM.

[southpaw]

10. Taylor by a mile!

Harris plays an excellent fast, aggressive heavy metal style and his bass playing is the signature of Iron Maiden, but he seems one dimensional compared to John Taylor.

Taylor can be funky, groovy, agressive, poppy, slimy (when he grabs the fretless... "Arena" version of "The Chauffeur")...

Love John Taylor... One of my all time favorite bassists.

[AntiCoup2K4]

11. If the problem is comparing two different genres of music .....

...then maybe you should get the Neurotic Outsiders CD. This was the odd hybrid of Duff & Matt from GNR, Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols, and yes believe it or not, John Taylor on bass.

Musical result, oddly enough, sounds like a mixture of GNR and the Pistols. But not at all like Duran Duran, which is fortunate in this case. Great musical performances from all members, Taylor included.

I actually prefer this album to the Velvet Revolver CD. Wish they would have stuck around for more. :(

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

12. kick