i've never understood why so many rock bands have their bass players playing the root notes so often. it may have initially been out of a lack of training, but it became stylistic and trying to do something else with a bass ended up really frowned upon. bass solos continue to be ridiculed...

but, a good bass counterpoint can really elevate an otherwise ok rock song to something sublime by adding something more complex on the bottom end. it's really constant in the history of art-rock from the beatles through floyd, bowie, joy division, nirvana...

given how important it is, and how obvious it's importance is, it's really just kind of head-scratching how it is that so many musicians just ignore it, or merely use it to beef up the guitars.