Best John Myung's Solo..

[ToT-147]

I don't know if this has ever been in any poll, but I think it would be nice to know opinions (votes, commentaries) about JM's solos.. Obviously I wouldn't do this kind of poll about JP's solos, or JR's, they're too many.. But this it can be handled..

I counted six solos (sadly he stopped doing them, since SFAM ).. If you think some of these don't qualify to be bass solos, then just don't vote for it..

Just in case, I'm referring precisely to these solos:

YJ 3:32 - 3:46
TKH 7:43 - 8:14
Mp1 5:35 - 5:46
Erotomania 6:21 - 6:36
ToT 12:06 - 12:18
TDoE 3:07 - 3:20
MB 0:00 - 2:12
ACoS 9:06 - 9:27

If I'm missing some, please let me know!..

[Cable]

Ytsejam. It has some good space for the notes at the beginning of it, vs. ones like Metropolis and TDOE that are balls to the wall from the get-go. Not that there is anything wrong with that. As a bassist, I love anytime he has one.

[YtseJamittaja]

Metropolis. No question. Dat slap.

[Zyzzyva17]

I voted Metropolis, but my favorite Myung moment is the beginning of Medicate.

[rumborak]

You know, I actually find it hard to vote. It's a shame really, but JM's choice on many of these solos to play them with heavy distortion means you can't really tell what he's playing. The TDOE solo, who knows what he's actually playing.

[TheCountOfNYC]

The Dance of Eternity without a doubt. He's usually a very reserved player (well in relation to the rest of the band) so the one instance where he plays a completely batshit crazy part really stand out. Also, I grew up listening to Metallica and Cliff Burton is my all time favorite bassist so naturally I'm drawn to parts like that.

[sneakyblueberry]

Moon Bubbles

/thread

[Dellers]

The Dance of Eternity without a doubt. He's usually a very reserved player (well in relation to the rest of the band) so the one instance where he plays a completely batshit crazy part really stand out. Also, I grew up listening to Metallica and Cliff Burton is my all time favorite bassist so naturally I'm drawn to parts like that.

I have a completely opposite opinion. To me that solo is just a mess of notes. Exactly what I feel about Cliff Burton solos as well, and he's actually my least favorite bass player of all time. Perhaps the only bass player that I actively dislike because of complete lack of what I'd call tasty bass. As a bass player I just can't relate to that kind of playing. Nothing inherently wrong with it, but I'd rather play things like that on guitar since it'd sound less messy (not that it'd be more interesting on a guitar, just sound better). I guess I'm a more groovy kind of bass player, with cleaner tone and less notes competing with each other. Less is more etc.

[BlobVanDam]

You know, I actually find it hard to vote. It's a shame really, but JM's choice on many of these solos to play them with heavy distortion means you can't really tell what he's playing. The TDOE solo, who knows what he's actually playing.

It always sounds a little fumbled to me, at least live. Too much distortion.

I go with Metropolis. IaW has that really clean bubbly bass sound, so you can hear the technique and notes a lot clearer, and to me that's *the* JM bass solo.

[Dublagent66]

Metropolis. No question. Dat slap.

Yep, that's JM's signature solo.

[Setlist Scotty]

Moon Bubbles

Ha! I thought of that too! Another one would be the intro to Bombay Vindaloo, altho I don't know if that counts as a bass solo.

[CharlesPL]

Metropolis Pt. 1

[ToT-147]

Moon Bubbles

Added..

Another one would be the intro to Bombay Vindaloo, altho I don't know if that counts as a bass solo.

No, I think it doesn't.. Neither the intro of Panic Attack, for example, or A Rite of Passage..

[?]

The Killing Hand

It's pretty subtle and underrated, but I love how melodic it is.

[Prog Snob]

Moon Bubbles

Ha! I thought of that too! Another one would be the intro to Bombay Vindaloo, altho I don't know if that counts as a bass solo.

Moon Bubbles definitely

[nattmorker]

Solar groove is alao pretty good. I love every bass solo he's made, i wish he had more of them.

[hefdaddy42]

Ytse Jam

[sneakyblueberry]

Moon Bubbles

Ha! I thought of that too! Another one would be the intro to Bombay Vindaloo, altho I don't know if that counts as a bass solo.

Moon Bubbles definitely

o/

Myung getting his Jaco on.  And Petrucci's solo is amazing. 

[wolfking]

The first one I thought of was the small one in ACOS, I think it's during Carpe Diem.  Not really a solo, more like a fill but I always loved that one.

[ToT-147]

The first one I thought of was the small one in ACOS, I think it's during Carpe Diem.  Not really a solo, more like a fill but I always loved that one.

Yeah, is not exactly a solo, but it's in the same vein that the ones in TKH, Erotomania and Trial, so... I added it..

[wolfking]

Cool mate.

[RaiseTheKnife]

If I know my Metropolis, then the midsection of Outcry has a bass solo.

[SuperTaco]

Damn, I need to revote.

The Ytse Jam bass solo still gives me goosebumps. I'll go with that.

[erwinrafael]

That thing he did at the start of Medicate in Octavarium is my fav, but it's not really a solo, right?

[RoeDent]

Where's Scarred? From 0:05-0:26. He plays the whole thing there, including the chords.

[JediKnight1969]

Metropolis Pt. 1. Without a shadow of doubt.

[BlobVanDam]

That thing he did at the start of Medicate in Octavarium is my fav, but it's not really a solo, right?

I'd just call that a groovy riff, but it's awesome regardless of what it's called.

[ToT-147]

That thing he did at the start of Medicate in Octavarium is my fav, but it's not really a solo, right?

Where's Scarred? From 0:05-0:26. He plays the whole thing there, including the chords.

From my point of view, those two are not solos.. They're chord progressions, riffs or phrasings that kicks off a section, like these parts: Learning to Live (right before first verse), Caught in a Web (after instrumental part), New Millenium (beginning), Blind Faith (beginning) and Breaking All Illusions (before first verse), etc...

All these parts (along with the already mentioned Scarred and Medicate) usually have the guitar and the keyboard doing not only a certain variation of notes, but also the main melody in that part (or even in the whole song).. In the quoted examples, that role belongs to the bass; that's the only difference...

And regarding the fact that playing the whole thing is doing a solo, he has the beginning of Panic Attack and A Rite of Passage's, and two times throughout Enigma Machine, where he's the only one playing and where he's obviously not doing any solo..

[BlobVanDam]

Unaccompanied or prominent bass does not make it a solo, is basically the lesson here.

[RaiseTheKnife]

Unaccompanied or prominent bass does not make it a solo, is basically the lesson here.

I concur with TOT and Blob.

[erwinrafael]

That thing he did at the start of Medicate in Octavarium is my fav, but it's not really a solo, right?

I'd just call that a groovy riff, but it's awesome regardless of what it's called.

Yep, that's what I thought too. However, I don't think it's really that much different from the ToT and ACoS "solos" in the poll.

[ToT-147]

That thing he did at the start of Medicate in Octavarium is my fav, but it's not really a solo, right?

I'd just call that a groovy riff, but it's awesome regardless of what it's called.

Yep, that's what I thought too. However, I don't think it's really that much different from the ToT and ACoS "solos" in the poll.

What makes it different from those two is that JM continues doing that in the whole verse (with a slight variation).. And then he repeats it for the second verse.. The other two, yeah, they're not genuine solos, they're more like fills as someone said before.. But, in spite of not having more JM's solos than the obvious ones, I added them.. The one in Medicate it's neither a solo nor a fill.. And if is placed in the poll, then, again, it would have to be a lot of others like it..

[wolfking]

That thing he did at the start of Medicate in Octavarium is my fav, but it's not really a solo, right?

I'd just call that a groovy riff, but it's awesome regardless of what it's called.

Yep, that's what I thought too. However, I don't think it's really that much different from the ToT and ACoS "solos" in the poll.

They actually are.  Those ones are repeated sets of notes in sequence, being riffs, the others are short solos.  I can understand about Metropolis, but under the circumstance, it's a solo.

[mimipetrucci]

hmmmm i think

Dance of eternity- 3:08-3:20

Metropolis- 5:36-5:46

Panic attack-5:00-5:42

Ytse jam-3:39-3:45

[ToT-147]

Panic attack-5:00-5:42

There's no other solo than JR's and JP's in that section..