Claypool hits notes. He has a feel that creates a texture and it does groove. That song is nothing like the drivel that Dickens was putting forth in the youtube video from the Ampeg booth. I wonder if you turned up his metronome by 10bpm if he would have fallen apart. It sounded like he might, that he was pushing his limits. Now, if he wasn't, that's just as bad because sounding like you are shouldn't be anyone's goal. Personally, I enjoy listening to Vic Wooten. He plays as fast as one could hope, but never sounds like he's pushing it. He always seems to be in control and placing each note where he wants it rather than just trying to fit it in before the next one.
You can groove while slapping. While it might be good practice to slap as fast as you possibly can, it is hard for most of us to listen to. Take that technique and be creative. If you're playing audible notes, then say something with the notes. If you're just creating percussive hits, then throwing in a skipped beat here and there will make the piece a lot more interesting than straight 16ths at 200bpm. When notes are combined with percussive hits, slap can create some really interesting grooves.
Musician and technician are two separate things. You can be one or the other, or both. Of the possible combinations, a technician who isn't a musician will be the hardest for me to listen to. Well, next to someone who is neither a technician nor a musician, but that goes without saying.
-bob
