I know the answer to this is inevitable, since this is a New Order message board, but I've recently been thinking of Hooky saying that Simon copied his bassline from DNE and used it for "Inbetween days." True, they do sound similar, but, although I haven't seen New Order really live, aside from 316 and various other live clips, and I've seen the Cure twice live, they sound like two different bass players. If I have to listen to them both live, I'd probably choose Simon over Hooky, since his sound is clearer and from what I've heard of NO live, Hooky's bass can sound muddy on some songs. On the albums, however, Simon never does anything like Hooky does on TPK, but, in NO, Hooky has no "competition" from the other guitarists, whether it's Barney or Barney and Gillian. In the Cure, Simon, for a while, had both Porl Thompson and Robert Smith to play with, and, thus, although he had his solos, none of it really matched what Porl could do. Thus, he seems to be "just" the bass player for some of their songs. Simon has had some good solos, like "End" and "Cold," but, on the albums, he's not as up front as Hooky. On the albums, I think Hooky seems like the better player, although after listening to live versions of some NO songs, like TPK, Round and Round, and TLU, Hooky's bass really doesn't have the same clarity as on the albums. With the Cure, when I've seen them in concert or on Trilogy, Simon's bass still has the same clarity or, in some cases like the songs off Disintegration, sounds better.
Hooky vs. Simon Gallup
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But the bigger question is (and it's not REALLY a question, as it's rhetorical), doesn't Simon's new midlife-crisis mohawk look TERRIBLE? Bad hairstyling has never been a trademark of The Cure....
Originally posted by His Holiness, The Pope But the bigger question is (and it's not REALLY a question, as it's rhetorical), doesn't Simon's new midlife-crisis mohawk look TERRIBLE? Bad hairstyling has never been a trademark of The Cure....
It is pretty bad. At the HFS festival, he didn't have it. I kind of wish he had the same hair as he did during the Wish Tour. Although, he still plays bass well, no matter.
basically, at least half of all cure songs sound like remixes of shadowplay--simon gallup or no.
Oh god, not this old chestnut again - the question on everyone's lips now is, will New Order sign to a metal record label and have their next album produced by Ross Robinson?
And have you seen the state of Smith on Johnathon Ross the other night?
The stuff of nightmares surely! 
I think Cure vs. NO threads deserve their own forum. Call it "InBetween DayDreams Never End..." or "Everything's Gone Forest Green"
--Sam
friday I'm in loveless....
Hooks wins for me, he made me want to play bass with it hanging around my ankles and slashing through the music, Mr.Gallop I thought was 'just'! the cures best bass player.
I can't see the need for any comparisons at all. It's not as if they are trying to achieve the same sound or effect. Both are commonly using custom-made Eccleshall basses, but different backline, and both use their instrument differently to fulfil different roles in the songs they play. In Between Days is actually nothing like Dreams Never End, it just reminds you of it because of the high chiming bass riff. It's possibly closer to Ceremony if anything !
Originally posted by Detweiler 3.63 I can't see the need for any comparisons at all. It's not as if they are trying to achieve the same sound or effect. Both are commonly using custom-made Eccleshall basses, but different backline, and both use their instrument differently to fulfil different roles in the songs they play. In Between Days is actually nothing like Dreams Never End, it just reminds you of it because of the high chiming bass riff. It's possibly closer to Ceremony if anything !
I do realize that they really sound nothing alike, although I've heard on this site that Simon apparently copied Hooky, but I personally don't see much similarity between them. They're both good bass players, although I personally would rather listen to Simon live.
Originally posted by This blue-eyed boy that wants to be On the albums, I think Hooky seems like the better player, although after listening to live versions of some NO songs, like TPK, Round and Round, and TLU, Hooky's bass really doesn't have the same clarity as on the albums. With the Cure, when I've seen them in concert or on Trilogy, Simon's bass still has the same clarity or, in some cases like the songs off Disintegration, sounds better.
Clarity has a lot more to do with how well the bass is mixed than how well it's played. Also, Gallup plays his bass pretty clean most of the time, whereas Hooky runs his through lots of chorus and an overdriven tube amp, and, as has been pointed out, they play in different registers most of the time.
Gallup is the more conventional (or consistent) bass player, but Hooky, who is more of a lead guitarist than a bassist in the traditional sense, is the more interesting imo. He's also more fun to watch.
