The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.
I wanted to play drums and if I didn't play drums, I wouldn't make music and drums are the foundation for what I do.
I don't want to be a lead player. I don't want to shred and play fast licks. I just want to be the best rhythm section ever.
I don't look at my instrument as having one specific role; I was raised to go as far as you can. But Raphael Saadiq hated my bass. He told me to throw it away. And playing in Snoop's band, there was a time when my bass was more annoying to everyone than helpful. They would get on my case: 'Can you make your bass sound like more of a bass?'
It is not I that am drawing, it is this thing at the end of my hand.
If the spirit comes through in a Madame George type of song, that's what the spirit says. You have very little to do with it. You're like an instrument for what's coming through.
There are a lot of cases where I'm using, if not an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar more as a rhythm instrument. Rather than blasting away, I use it to create more of an acoustic feel.
In 'Boondien' I worked with a band where everyone had their own instrument to play.
My guitar playing touches so many different areas of the form, but the important thing is what it represents across the form.
It was pretty radical to go from the Eagles to being the only melodic instrument. You have to play a certain way. It's like the Who. It was a great kick in the pants for me to get my chops up and to improvise a little more.
To me, my guitar has always been my orchestra.
I see man more as an instrument or an agent more than anything else.
For me, I think the only danger is being too much in love with guitar playing. The MUSIC is the most important thing, and the guitar is only the instrument.
I had my first 'Survivor Series' in 1991 and I was fortunate enough to be an instrumental part of the shows I was on.
The bass is just the crayon that I picked out of the box. I'd probably be writing similar stuff if I played guitar or trumpet. The pictures I want to draw I do with this crayon I chose, which is the bass.
States are … instruments at the service of their peoples, and not vice versa.
The more a man acts on his own, the more he develops himself. In large associations he is too prone to become merely an instrument.
The guitar has become a textural instrument rather than a lead instrument. And I think that's probably a good thing.
Conductors do not know how the oboe does its work, but they know what the oboe should contribute.
Being a bass player in a band without a drummer for seven, eight years has been kind of weird.
