Bass is certainly an integral part of the rock music genre. Def Leppard’s Rick Savage recently explained its importance in a band. Over the course of his 45-year-long tenure, Rick Savage has not just proven to be one tight player, but also an accomplished songwriter.
Rick Savage opens up on Bass
As the bassist tells Bass Player in a new interview, Def Leppard certainly knows how to value his contributions. However, he does admit that a lot of musicians out there don’t give the bass as much as a second glance:
“The bass player is the glue and has an observation point that encompasses all sides of the band. You’re the bridge between the rhythm and the melody. From that viewpoint, you can see things a lot clearer – and without you the whole thing will fall apart.
“Certainly not in our band, but I do get the impression that in a lot of groups the guitar players are mainly focused on guitars and don’t really venture beyond that, because… well, they’re guitar players and all about playing guitar! Singers can be very much the same way: They front the band and mainly focus on lyrics and melodies.”
Savage then went on to explain that he considers Sting to be among his favorite bassists exactly because he’s the complete opposite of the trend described above:
“And actually, some of my favorite bass players are the ones who sing, like Sting, who totally gets it. His bass parts will be in sympathy with his vocal lines, because he’s the one doing both. I love that – it’s always about the song.”
Def Leppard’s latest studio album “Diamond Star Halos” is out now.
