# Lemmy's bass skills **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131 "2007-03-23T04:18:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/1 "2007-03-23T04:18:54Z")
Not really inspired by the [Willie Nelson thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=413454), since I’ve been meaning to ask this for a while and just never got around to it. So we know that Motorhead is one of the Best. Bands. Evar., and Lemmy was also the bass player for Hawkwind when they were at their best, but how are his skills as a bassist regarded? ---
**Author:** ![Andrew\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/da6949/32.png) [@Andrew\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrew_Bird)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/2 "2007-03-23T04:24:23Z")
You don’t question, God. Lemmy has a special place in Hell for you. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/3 "2007-03-23T04:41:55Z")
Lemmy’s bass skills are hard to qualify. Technically, he is not very flashy or innvative or complicated, but he has great tone, aggression and groove, His sound is very distinctive. He can play a few licks or ramp up an intro and you know it’s him. It wouldn’t sound like Motorhead without Lemmy’s bass. I guess you can say that his bass playing is kind of like his singing. It’s raw, untrained, harsh and aggressive but it’s also somehow unique and great and definitive of the band. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/4 "2007-03-23T04:44:43Z")
Very few people play lead bass. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/5 "2007-03-23T04:46:33Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] Very few people play lead bass. [/QUOTE] Good way to put it. Lemmy plays an alpha bass. Very unusual. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/6 "2007-03-23T05:00:19Z")
I totally expected this to be about fishing. I’ve no idea why, since I know who Lemmy is and don’t go bass fishing all that much. I just thought, “Wow! Bass fishing _and_ music? Total renaissance man!” ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/7 "2007-03-23T10:44:03Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] Very few people play lead bass. [/QUOTE] I’d say the most characterist part of Lemmy’s style is that he spends a good deal of time playing chords\*, rhythym bassist maybe? He’s very good at being Lemmy. Would Motorhead work with Jaco Pastorius on bass? \*E ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/8 "2007-03-23T13:00:18Z")
There’s a show on the Food Network called Ace of Cakes, and whenever I see it’s on I have to sing “THE ACE OF CAKES!!! THE ACE OF CAKES!!!” y’know, like Lemmy. He rocks. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/9 "2007-03-23T16:11:08Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] Very few people play lead bass. [/QUOTE] Good point. > [@Andrew Bird](#): > > You don’t question, God. Excellent comma usage, but watch the tone or get ready for a smiting. ---
**Author:** ![guppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@guppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guppy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/10 "2007-03-23T16:39:16Z")
I think it’s perfect for Motorhead. Virtuosos (or virtuosic playing) have no place in certain styles of music, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemmys-bass-skills/397131/11 "2007-03-24T02:15:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Andrew Bird > BANNED Hmm. Apparently I work in mysterious ways.