― Uri Frendimein (Uri Frendimein), Saturday, 10 June 2006 03:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marmot 4-Tay (marmotwolof), Saturday, 10 June 2006 03:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Candice DeLorenzo (divifold), Saturday, 10 June 2006 03:10 (seventeen years ago) link
― shorty (shorty), Saturday, 10 June 2006 03:13 (seventeen years ago) link
Cliff Burton's always had a place in my heart, too.
― vartman (novaheat), Saturday, 10 June 2006 04:41 (seventeen years ago) link
― musically (musically), Saturday, 10 June 2006 04:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― JohnFoxxsJuno (JohnFoxxsJuno), Saturday, 10 June 2006 08:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― Sweat Loaf (Sweat Loaf), Saturday, 10 June 2006 13:27 (seventeen years ago) link
― StanM (StanM), Saturday, 10 June 2006 13:39 (seventeen years ago) link
― bob smelser (monsterforaday), Saturday, 10 June 2006 14:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― chap who would dare to be a nerd, not a geek (chap), Saturday, 10 June 2006 14:46 (seventeen years ago) link
alsoSteve HarrisPhil Lesh
― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Saturday, 10 June 2006 17:56 (seventeen years ago) link
Me too. I wish I could find a bassist like that.
But I think bass guitars are pretty bland in general, especially the way lots of people play them. I like tuba and contrabass.
― Steve Schneeberg (Steve Goldberg), Saturday, 10 June 2006 18:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― Patrick South (Patrick South), Saturday, 10 June 2006 18:26 (seventeen years ago) link
JJ Burnel - Stranglers
― musicjohn73 (musicjohn73), Sunday, 11 June 2006 14:24 (seventeen years ago) link
― sknybrg (sknybrg), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 03:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 03:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― nicky lo-fi (nicky lo-fi), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 04:18 (seventeen years ago) link
ihttp://chrissquire.com/images/imgAwaken.jpg
― timmy tannin (pompous), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 05:47 (seventeen years ago) link
― steve ketchup (steve ketchup), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 14:32 (seventeen years ago) link
Jack BruceStanley ClarkeJaco PastoriusBootsyLarry GrahamJames McNew
― J Arthur Rank (Quin Tillian), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 16:13 (seventeen years ago) link
― LC (Damian), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 16:27 (seventeen years ago) link
question didn't say nothin' about bass guitar, just bass...hell, lets see a list of sousaphone blowers...
― sknybrg (sknybrg), Thursday, 15 June 2006 03:23 (seventeen years ago) link
no idea who's my favorite, but i heard the lou reed live of martial law that was dropped on the us politics thread and i thought "oh man, that bass sound is so notably consistent with reed's new sensations album, gotta be the same guy?" fernando saunders, a frequent reed player. taking recommends.
https://youtu.be/vqY2apae6Nk
― blather rinse repeat 2020 (Hunt3r), Monday, 16 March 2020 18:11 (four years ago) link
lol I *hate* his sound, def where I get off the Reed solo discography
― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 March 2020 18:21 (four years ago) link
Bohannon!
― brimstead, Monday, 16 March 2020 18:35 (four years ago) link
He's like Mr. Fretless B..
One of my favorite bass albums that no one talks about is Sam Phillips' "Martinis & Bikinis," where duties are divided between Jerry Scheff, Colin Moulding and Larry Taylor. Focus on the playing here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrfI5KGdas
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 18:44 (four years ago) link
(Saunders is Mr. Fretless, that is.)
And oops, that Waits track is awesome but it's Greg Cohen and not what I was talking about. I meant to post this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC27yRuE6yo
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 18:45 (four years ago) link
And even then, I think I meant to post *this* one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezJKEWzSWYY
The bass runs on the chorus are so cool.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link
I tend to not really pick favorite instrumentalists/rank people but wth we're all trapped at home now why not
Pete Thomas (I really don't have much time for EC these days but every time I hear one of his basslines I'm like "holy shit, this guy improves every song he plays on")Paul McCartneyBootsy CollinsRobbie ShakespeareFamily Man BarrettJohn Paul JonesLarry GrahamRon CarterMani
― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 March 2020 18:57 (four years ago) link
these all strike me as boring/conventional picks but whatever
Those are all great, though I never understood the love for Mani. Or that band entirely, tbh, so maybe that's it.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 18:59 (four years ago) link
tbc Mani is also on some great Primal Scream records
― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:00 (four years ago) link
Yeah, to the extent I've ever listened to, like, "Xterminator," I don't recall the bass ever sticking out, as much as people love Mani.
The other day I heard "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" on the radio, and listened to the bass, which was surprisingly awesome. (I'm not going to link to it.) Turns out the bassist (who I think stuck with George Michael for years) was a Detroit dude mentored by James Jamerson!
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:01 (four years ago) link
I mean this one daaaaaamn, such a riff and such a great song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmf_uVKE9tU
― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:03 (four years ago) link
overdriven sound (not "song" although it is a great song too)
― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:04 (four years ago) link
Does sound cool. Essentially squelchy bass as sequencer. Kind of like cool Curve bass parts.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:05 (four years ago) link
let's see some others
Pino Palladino (just for those D'Angelo records)Carol Kaye
I admit I'm a guy that prioritizes riffs and melodies over playing a lot of complicated runs or whatever
― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:08 (four years ago) link
Jenny Lee Lindberg, for one.
― ☮️ (peace, man), Monday, 16 March 2020 19:10 (four years ago) link
I love the dude playing on this whole album but especially this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c349vvwjkXo
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:16 (four years ago) link
Holger Czukay, Bootsy, Tina Weymouth, Larry Graham, Rick Danko... off the top of my head.
― God gave toilets rolls to you, gave toilet rolls to you (Tom D.), Monday, 16 March 2020 19:20 (four years ago) link
The other day I heard "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" on the radio, and listened to the bass, which was surprisingly awesome. (I'm not going to link to it.) Turns out the bassist (who I think stuck with George Michael for years) was a Detroit dude mentored by James Jamerson!― Josh in Chicago, maandag 16 maart 2020 20:01
― Josh in Chicago, maandag 16 maart 2020 20:01
― No mean feat. DaBaby (breastcrawl), Monday, 16 March 2020 19:22 (four years ago) link
someone i mentioned on my blog lately is a guy name of Abraham Laboriel, who i mostly know from his solos on the '76 henry mancini record "Cop Show Themes". really quality stuff tho.
― Kate (rushomancy), Monday, 16 March 2020 19:22 (four years ago) link
His son is McCartney's now longtime drummer (among many credits). Musical family!
Speaking of Robbie Shakespeare, check him out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8q1J3CyDU8
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:26 (four years ago) link
v.uncool pick in 2020 but Eric Avery still really special ime
another even more uncool pick but I have come to really appreciate roger waters bein the plodding yin to gilmour's virtuosic yang
― umsworth (emsworth), Monday, 16 March 2020 19:42 (four years ago) link
feel like the members don't really get singled out much, Fugazi was such a unit, but Joe Lally is great
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 16 March 2020 19:50 (four years ago) link
shout out to Naomi Yang
― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 March 2020 19:50 (four years ago) link
Deon Estus (George Michael’s bass player) is a great pick, so slept on. “One More Try” is unimaginable without him - such a sparse production that it’s almost a duet between vocal melody and bass countermelody.
― thewufs, Monday, 16 March 2020 20:08 (four years ago) link
Tracy Wormworth doesn't get as much recognition as she deserves imho. The basslines for 'Christmas Wrapping' and 'I Know What Boys Like' are amazing for instance.
She's got this lovely percolating feel but it's not too showy, like Norman Watt Roy or a funkier Pete Thomas, total joy to listen to.
― Maresn3st, Tuesday, 17 March 2020 11:44 (four years ago) link
Whoops, *Bruce* Thomas
― Maresn3st, Tuesday, 17 March 2020 11:46 (four years ago) link
I can't believe only one person in the thread has mentioned Mingus! Obviously his role as a band leader was more prominent than as a bass player, but he was pretty great instrumentalist too. Just listen to "Original Faubus Fables" or "Haitian Fight Song", for example.Besides him, I guess my top 5 would consist of Meshell Ndegeocello, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Bernard Edwards (of Chic), Janice Johnson (of A Taste of Honey), and Buster Williams.
― Tuomas, Wednesday, 18 March 2020 15:33 (four years ago) link
Mingus is all-time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzGj_-5FGT8
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 18 March 2020 15:35 (four years ago) link
While we're at it, I can't believe Tuomas is the first person in the thread to mention Bernard Edwards.
― God gave toilets rolls to you, gave toilet rolls to you (Tom D.), Wednesday, 18 March 2020 15:36 (four years ago) link
hell yeah Bernard Edwards and of course Larry Graham
I really like Barnaby Stradling's playing on the 00s Eliza Carthy records
― love will keep us apart (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 18 March 2020 15:36 (four years ago) link
I can't believe only one person in the thread has mentioned Mingus!
i mean, shit, i always feel like anytime we do "best [instrument] players" ever, there's like 50-100 midcentury jazz players that are better than any of the rock ppl
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 18 March 2020 15:46 (four years ago) link
Yeah ums but - "favorite" is not the same as "best."
The best instrumentalists are usually not my favorites
My favorite instrumentalists are not virtuosi
Taste is a mystery and de gustibus etc.
― love will keep us apart (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 18 March 2020 15:53 (four years ago) link
Yeah, I hadn't really been considering jazz bassists, because there are sooooooo many.
But fusion ... there's Percy Jones, I love his work in Brand X and Eno. Oh, and Nathan East is a beast.
But yeah, of course Edwards, and Bootsy, and Graham, and Verdine White.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 18 March 2020 16:27 (four years ago) link
Nathan East is one of my personal heroes and I bought three Yamaha basses mainly because of him
― love will keep us apart (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 18 March 2020 16:32 (four years ago) link
I'm a big fan of Doug McCombs, *not* for Tortoise (snooze) but for his work in Eleventh Dream Day.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 18 March 2020 16:34 (four years ago) link
James Hornsey of The Clientele is pretty special - subtle, melodic, pushes the songs forward rhythmically in a very unique way
― umsworth (emsworth), Thursday, 19 March 2020 08:00 (four years ago) link
James fucking Jamerson
― brimstead, Thursday, 19 March 2020 17:11 (four years ago) link
Sara LeeTina WeymouthMeshell Ndegeocello
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 19 March 2020 17:32 (four years ago) link
John McVie, man.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 19 March 2020 17:40 (four years ago) link
Jah WobbleGeezer ButlerBundy BrownBoris Gardiner
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Thursday, 19 March 2020 18:09 (four years ago) link
Is it safe to say that Bernard Edwards is responsible for creating the most influential and memorable bassline of all time?
In any case, him, obv.
― daavid, Thursday, 19 March 2020 18:46 (four years ago) link
maybe
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 19 March 2020 18:50 (four years ago) link
No.
― God gave toilets rolls to you, gave toilet rolls to you (Tom D.), Thursday, 19 March 2020 18:55 (four years ago) link
Mike Oldfield on those early Kevin Ayers records.McCartney up until the early eighties.Herbie FlowersDave Richmond for his work on Melody Nelson.
― Torei, Thursday, 19 March 2020 19:29 (four years ago) link
I can't think of a more famous/immediately recognizable bassline myself but granted I'm not trying too hard
xps
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 19 March 2020 19:38 (four years ago) link
Most-sampled or most-imitated is probably not the same as most famous / immediately recognizable.
Like, I think loads of people would recognize the bass parts of "Money" or "The Joker" pretty quickly - which is not to say those are good. Just recognizable. Ditto "Day Tripper" and "Come Together."
― love will keep us apart (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 19 March 2020 19:46 (four years ago) link
Or Under Pressure, or Billie Jean ... But sure, Good Times (if that's the one you mean) is pretty recognizable if only because of "Rapper's Delight."
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 19 March 2020 20:14 (four years ago) link
...and "Another One Bites The Dust"!
― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 19 March 2020 20:18 (four years ago) link
i gave a customary dad-car-lecture to my 15 y/o on that bassline with forced listens across iterations, and the conclusion was unanimous: it’s awesome.
― blather rinse repeat 2020 (Hunt3r), Thursday, 19 March 2020 20:22 (four years ago) link
We should have a list of least awesome baselines. Like "Runnin' with the Devil."
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 19 March 2020 20:26 (four years ago) link
I actually just walked into the kitchen to find my kid, and I told him about this argument over what the most memorable baseline is and his immediate response was “it’s got to be _another one bites the dust_.”
😰 *looks over to Usage Panel*
― blather rinse repeat 2020 (Hunt3r), Thursday, 19 March 2020 20:34 (four years ago) link
Hell, the bassline to Barney Miller is about as recognisable as Good Times.
As much as I like his music I can't agree with Mike Oldfield as a 'good' bass player while he was in The Whole World, technically yeah but he overplays all the time, like a guitarist who is slumming it, mind you he wrote some wicked bass parts for his solo stuff.
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 19 March 2020 23:00 (four years ago) link
― Josh in Chicago
roger waters to thread
― Kate (rushomancy), Thursday, 19 March 2020 23:07 (four years ago) link
Greg Norton too, I know Dü are sacred cows but he was a bad bass player.
― Maresn3st, Thursday, 19 March 2020 23:14 (four years ago) link
A few years ago in work, chatting with my team about music and someone mentioned The Who. A guy in my team, not a big music fan and not really part of the conversation says "My uncle is in The Who". "Yeah sure" was the general response, we asked him his uncle's name: "Pino". I hadn't heard of him and had to Google him.
― nate woolls, Thursday, 19 March 2020 23:27 (four years ago) link
Pino is fantastic
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 19 March 2020 23:55 (four years ago) link
it's funny, Norton is really great now, he had this mathy jazz group with a NY jazz guy and his new power pop thing is really tight
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 19 March 2020 23:59 (four years ago) link
He stopped jumping around as much I think :)
― Maresn3st, Friday, 20 March 2020 00:01 (four years ago) link
i remember seeing the Replacements reunion and Tommy and Paul were so pro and I realized oh yeah these guys have like 30 years more practice
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 20 March 2020 00:40 (four years ago) link
some favorites i haven’t seen mentioned:
johnny dyanicecil mcbeewillie dixonandrew bodnarjimmy blantonchuck rainey
― budo jeru, Friday, 20 March 2020 01:33 (four years ago) link
pino did some great work with d'angelo too
― Kate (rushomancy), Friday, 20 March 2020 01:34 (four years ago) link
CHRIS SQUIRE
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 20 March 2020 01:45 (four years ago) link
yes!
― budo jeru, Friday, 20 March 2020 01:48 (four years ago) link
Tony Levin
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Friday, 20 March 2020 02:19 (four years ago) link
i was thinking of levin as the only often fretless guy i was aware of, then looked and heard about chapman stick and decided i should stay in my lane which is like pit row.
― blather rinse repeat 2020 (Hunt3r), Friday, 20 March 2020 02:23 (four years ago) link
He has plenty of incredible fretted bass parts as well
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Friday, 20 March 2020 02:38 (four years ago) link
https://www.fretlessbass.com/levin-tony/ He big-ups Pino, but also Carles Benavent, who I don't know. Chick Corea guy?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 20 March 2020 03:27 (four years ago) link
Kinda nuts to see him do this while talking:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6wEAzKVhWE
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 20 March 2020 03:33 (four years ago) link
There's so much sick playing on the King Crimson concert videos from the 80s.
― Mario Meatwagon (Moodles), Friday, 20 March 2020 03:48 (four years ago) link
Now it's Friday and I've finally had a beer...
Ric GrechAndy Fraser
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Friday, 20 March 2020 20:24 (four years ago) link
Keith Olsen from the Music Machine, who passed away a week and a half ago. (Became famous producer.)
― timellison, Friday, 20 March 2020 21:15 (four years ago) link
Chris Hillman
Top Ten in roughly chronological order:
Jimmy BlantonCharles MingusOscar PettifordJames JamersonScott LaFaroPaul McCartneyJohn EntwistleRon CarterBootsy CollinsLarry Graham
― birdistheword, Friday, 20 March 2020 22:57 (four years ago) link
Oh snap, you know who I just learned about? Jimmy Johnson! Played a lot with James Taylor, but may be best known as the guy who helped create the 5-string bass. You'd think James Taylor would be the wrong place for some bass virtuoso, but I guess he goes along with the likes of Nathan East as incredible dudes anchoring bland acts. Anyway, his credits range from Roger Waters to Alan Holdsworth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IxDJcBZvA8
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 1 June 2020 17:23 (three years ago) link
wow I never thought about who invented the 5 string
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 1 June 2020 21:07 (three years ago) link