Ace Of Bass (Best Bass Players)

[red indian]

Dear oh dear........

....dont know why I bother sometimes. All of you, just go out and buy "Oscar Peterson at the Sal Playel, Paris" (the late seventies) and just listen to Niels Henning Orsted Pedderson. Listen, and think how fantastic he is, and then, think to your selves, "fuck me! he's playing a bloody upright!!!! thats just not possible!!! pastorious cant do that on a plank!........the man rules.

 

[red indian]

oh and BTW.........

....can you get me a copy? someone nicked mine about ten years ago.

 

[red indian]

Hey mods........

.....are you going to pull any of my posts in here because i dissagree?.....you pulled one of my posts recently because I AGREED with the thread creator.

 

[maniactickler]

My votes for geezer butler from sabbath. that guy is top of the line to me.

 

[Dave2112]

Re: Hey mods........

.....are you going to pull any of my posts in here because i dissagree?.....you pulled one of my posts recently because I AGREED with the thread creator.

No, I edited half of this thread when it degenerated into a back-and-forth bitchfest. Many posts fell, not just yours. After awhile, rather than pick through every sentence trying to find salvagable lines, I just put the whole thing back on topic. If arguements start in threads, the chance is good that a lot will be cut, so my suggestion is not to put anything of value in with a flame post as the whole thing will probably be toast. I don't have the time to proofread flame wars.

That being said (and in general, not just directed at one person by any means)...I think a lot of these "Who's the Best" threads are really "who do you like best" threads when it comes down to it. At a certain level of talent, it becomes a matter of taste. True, Jaco couldn't play the things he does on Pedderson's upright, it's two completely different styles of play. Not just from an artistic standpoint, but a physical one as well. I've played upright as well as electric and the two are very different animals.

I feel your pain, Red, when someone decides that Nikki Sixx was the world's greatest bass player...but people will have thier opinions. I think a wide range of music appreciation is essential to being able to make comparisons and not just pick your faves. I remember the day I stopped reading "Circus" when I was teenager (an American rock mag)...the reader's poll voted Tommy Lee of Motley Crue the award for best keyboardist because he played a three-chord 4/4 C/G/F piano line for thirty seconds in that god-awful "Home Sweet Home" piece of crap. Pop culture will crowd around its darlings of the moment.

True art remains, and in a class of folks like Pedderson, Lee, Squire, Pastorius, Clarke and Hamm...there are no bad talents. Just different styles.

One last thing (meant in good spirits, of course)...you asked if anyone had heard of so-and-so, or if anyone listened to so-and-so. Well, have you heard Stu Hamm's "Radio Free Albumuth"? Rarely is a bassist the lead player in a band (Rush and Primus maybe), and these instrumentals are nothing short of astonishing. Hamm plays the "Peanuts" theme on one bass, left hand slapping out the bass line while the right hand taps the melody in full chordal mode. I've played bass since I was 11 and consider myself above-average...and I will never be able to do that. That's talent, regardless of the genre.

Now, let's all go back to being happy that we even appreciate music and the arts enough to care. 😎

 

[red indian]

Ok Dave......

....thanks for the heads up. Remind me not to post after a skin full of wife beater!

I will see if i can get the album you mention.

 

[featherfingers]

I agree with Dave. When I wrote the thread heading my intention was to hear about other people's favorite bass players, so in hindsight I guess this should have been called "Favorite Bass Players". I'm always open to learning about people I may not have heard play bass, or guitar, etc. Now, no one has yet mentioned (or maybe they have) Rick Danko of "The Band". His bass playing is one reason why I love "Music From Big Pink". He gets funky with it at times. Listen to "This Wheel's On Fire", you'll see what I mean.

 

[kyle]

Anyone ever heard les claypool?

 

[Dave2112]

Not only have I heard of Les, I was witness to one of the greatest bass oddyseys in history (well, the history of rock, anyway)...

In '92, I saw Rush at the Binghamton Arena and Primus was the opener (Roll the Bones tour, the last one they did with an opening act). Anyhooo, shortly after Neil Peart's drum solo, Les Claypool appears onstage and he and Geddy Lee start doing the "dueling banjos" thing from Deliverance with bass guitars! Gaddy was doing his thing down low and all fusion, while Les was doing chordal things up high on a six-string bass. It was really something to see.

I love the bassline in Primus' "Wynonna's Big Brown Beaver". Classic.

 

[intense tickler]

bass players

my this thread is too good to be true!! bass playing and tickling my favs!! As ive been a fretless bassist and songwriter for some years now i need to say that as far as electric bass is concerned James Jamerson and Jaco Pastories not only played brilliantly but invented the laungage or electric bass. The other important mention is of course Larry Graham whos thumb style popping is imitated to death to this day. But it is truly Jaco who really stood the bass world on its ears and opened up the possiblites of the bass being a melodic intrument with growls and doublestops and chords as well as harmonics. For rock music special mentions to Paul Mcartney and John Entwhistle, Mcartney for his melodisim and Entwhistle for his mindboggling typewriter style speed playing. The first great upright player was Jimmy Blanton whom even Jaco owes a depth to all the way up to Ray Brown and Ron Carter. At one time the bass was considered and "easy instrument" or a 4 string guitar and in many circles of rock players who dont really understand harmony it can be. But true musicians really know that electric bass has evoloved into an art as if you need to play any kind of music one need to understand theory and harmony well.

 

[featherfingers]

I agree, Intense Tickler. Listen to any classic Motown or Beatles track and imagine it without the bass lines... the bass truly holds everything together. In many cases, the bass makes the song, too. Imagine "I Was Made To Love Her", by Stevie Wonder, without Jamerson's bass playing. It wouldn't have been as big a hit without it. Another favorite bassist, and even Rockers have got to agree...Bernard Edwards of "Chic". He helped make Disco tolerable.

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

I forgot someone......and he's a major bass player:

John Glascock from Jethro Tull. He played bass with them from the early 70s up until his unfortunate passing in 1980. Check out his opening solo on "Hunting Girl" from Songs From the Wood.


Drew

 

[Indy_JC]

Lotsa good ones

Many good ones listed. Don't forget:
Steve Harris (neck in neck with Geddy as my fav)
John Paul Jones
and the obscure:Bob Daisley- he played bass on the Dio fronted Rainbow albums and many others. Check out the cut Snake Charmer.

 

[bass]

ok time for me to give my two cents on this matter... not saying im proving anyone wrong or saying anything like that.. just my opinions...

first of all, most, not all, of the bass players i read mentioned here are pretty good.. jaco of course, billy sheehan, claypool, stu hamm, etc... the peanuts theme that stu hamm plays, i used to be able to play.. but it is definately really hard..

second of all, i was appalled to see that nobody mentioned VICTOR WOOTEN of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. that man can play some bass. listen to "classical thump" to hear him wail on that. he definately deserves some recognition.

third of all, i noticed that not many people were into metal. there arent that many metal bass players that i would say are noteworthy or exceptional.. but ryknow of mudvayne (or whatever he is called now) is quite the player.. very innovative.. not so much on their most recent cd (spare a few riffs in a few songs) but on their first cd LD50 he was tearing it up ("Internal Primates Forever", "Severed", etc etc) so i definately say he should get some recognition in this thread also.

and also, no one mentioned FLEA of RHCP. they have lost all their funkiness nowadays, but Flea used to tear it up.

im a guitar player myself, but i started out on bass, so i thought id throw in my opinions.. peace

 

[featherfingers]

I never really got into heavy metal. I'm not knocking it, but I've always loved classic rock and soul music. Does anyone remember Klaus Voorman? He was a friend of The Beatles long before they made it big. He became quite a bass player along the way. He can be heard on a lot of John Lennon And George Harrison solo albums, plus early Manfred Mann, I believe.

 

[intense tickler]

Hi I just want to say your correct Bass, none of us mentioned Victor Wooten who is indeed one of the finest electric bassist to emerge in years. Other mentions should be Micheal Manring with his fretless bass altered tunings and great chops and Jeff Berlin with his be bop style playing and beautiful tone on a fretted bass. Back to upright there is the great Oscar Pettiford who not only defined bebop bass in the 40s and 50s but also was a fine cello player also and Scott Laflaro who waxed sides with pianist Bill Evans and was an equal soloist with the pianist. I to am not much of a heavy metal fan as they to me tend to play with plectrums and sound more like frustrated guitar players and that is more of a "bass guitar sound" rather than an "electric bass sound" and sound more like frustrated guitar players and lets face it heavy metal is a guitar players medium. I agree feather that "I was made to love her" is a bass tour de force some amazing bass playing and if you listen to the Beatles "Dear Prudence" or "Lovely Rita" Mcartney is on the money. Also special mention should be given to Jack Cassidy of the Jefferson Airplane on "Somebody to love" and lets not forget studio ace (though he plays with a pick lol) Anthony Jackson on the Ojays hit "For the love of money" that is some funky assed playing and makes the whole song. Oh and just one more bassist people never mention is the late Ronnie Lane with Rod Stewart and the Faces. I love the way he walks his bass through "twistin the night away" as Stewarts untrained post modern brillant rock and roll yelps sings over the stones styled sloppy playing of the Faces its just fantastic, a much diffrent version from Sam Cooks, sort of rock and roll cosmic.

 

[featherfingers]

Hey, Intense, "Dear Prudence" was the song that inspired me to learn the bass in the first place. Another bassist who played all over the fretboard yet didn't sound clumsy was Tim Bogert of Vanilla Fudge. Listen to their version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and you'll see what I mean.

 

[b0xr]

Ive always been partial to Jack Bruce

 

[intense tickler]

tim bogert

Yes I recall hearing that song and vanilla fudge was the first "white group" with motown records. I do recall Tims playing during the bridge of the song where he plays the root and the 5th and sliding up to the 6th of the chord beautifully. well enough technical crap.

 

[tk42]

Jaco Pastorius, Stanley Clark, Charles Mingus...
Jack Bruce, Chris Squire, John Glascock...
lotsa good ones were already mentioned.

so, what's about "The Ox" - R.I.P., my first influence 1967
And who knows Stefan Lessard ?

others:
Glenn Cornick, Tina Weymouth, Roger Waters, Mark Sandman....

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

I forgot about Glenn Cornick, some cool bass playing from him on the first 3 Jethro Tull records.


Drew

 

[GuitarPeteTklr]

Dave 2112, Ya Stole My Thunder, Bro!

So...yes...I have to agree with Dave's picks...and add:

Baba Elephante

and...who ever that cat was that played six string for "Level 42." Some guys just have a natural flair for the thick strings...he's one of them IMHO.

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

Well, I don't think he's in any "best-of" catagory, but I'd give Adam Clayton of U2 a mention.

(I just saw the video for "New Year's Day" from the Red Rocks concert a little while ago.)


Drew

 

[intense tickler]

bassist

Guitar Pete that was Mark King with Level 42, but there is one rock bassist who invented the 8 string bass (sort of like a 12 string guitar) and that was Tom Peterson of Cheap Trick. Listen to their song "Gonna raise Hell" and tho Tom is not the most technical of players he gets a really ballsy sound that is great.

 

[terorizer]

The Jacos, the Oscar Pettifords, the Ron Carters, Stanley Clarkes of course. Definitely Jamerson. One guy I absolutely love is Paul S Denman of Sade and Sweetback fame. He really doesn't do anything to blow your mind (though they stretch out and play a bit more on some of the numbers live), but the band is so tight and he anchors it all with his bass. Then again, typically, the bass playing is the last thing most people notice.