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Posts: 201
Location: Vernon, CT | Since I also played a P-Bass in and after college in addition to my Ovation Tornado in several garage and several decent rock bands just wondering what people's input on bass players might be. Still play bass 9that same bass) and of course all my Ovations and Fenders. We have done the guitar thing why not the bass thing. My top ten (living or dead) and not necessarily in order are John Entwistle, Jack Bruce, Paul McCartney, Sting, Giddy Lee, Michael Anthony, Ron Wood, John Paul Jones, Tom Hamilton and Dusty Hill. Of course there are others too. Play On!
John L.
Custom Legend 1779-USA
Legend 1777-LX
Std. Balladeer 1771-KX
Std. Balladeer 1771
Tornado (1970)
Takamine 12 String
Martin D16GT
Fender P-Bass (1975)
Fender 50th Anniversary Strat-
Fender Nashville Tele- |
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Posts: 6202
Location: Phoenix AZ | CHRIS SQUIRE. Nobody else even comes close. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Entwistle for me.
I am a big Who fan. Entwistle played a driving "lead bass". If his talent was not enough, he also managed to hold his bandmates together. There is a DVD out of one of the John's last shows. They put a small video camera on the headstock aimed it down the fretboard.
Chris Squire of "Yes" is also fantastic. |
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Posts: 1180
Location: Vermont USA | Bass players I would have to say Jack Bruce and Victor Wooton, Barry Oakly (Allman Bros. band).
There are many, many more I cant even begin to name them.
Paul |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | In listening to old records of the past I was always amazed at how melodic Paul McCartney's bass playing was.
My favorites however are:
John Entwistle
Chris Squire
Stanley Clarke
Victor Wooten
Felix Pappalardi (of Mountain)
Also noticed while looking at the other lists that most of the bass players listed would be what I considered to be "lead playing bassist". |
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Location: Tennessee | You can't go wrong liking any of the above mentioned greats.
I always liked Lonnie Turner's playing, both his session work with folks like Albert King and his many years with the Steve Miller Band. Also, Gerald Johnson who played many years for Dave Mason and also Steve Miller. Finally, Carl Radle. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | I can't list any favorites, but can say that the bass player is the most overlooked member of most bands even though he (or she) is the most important part of a good sound, exceeding the drummer IMHO. I would encourage kids who want to work and make money to learn to play the bass well and you will be employed more often than Chet Atkins if he was still alive.
One of my favorites is Mack McNally, who shows up on a lot of country CDs or albums and played bass on the BeeGees "One Night Only" videotape, one of the best sounding videos I have ever heard.
Bailey |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | James Jamerson |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | BB King said that without the "guitar bass" there'd be no rock n' roll. |
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Location: Charlotte NC | Originally posted by Bailey:
I can't list any favorites, but can say that the bass player is the most overlooked member of most bands even though he (or she) is the most important part of a good sound, exceeding the drummer IMHO. I would encourage kids who want to work and make money to learn to play the bass well and you will be employed more often than Chet Atkins if he was still alive.
Being primarily a bass player now, I'll have to second that. As a long time guitar player, I was always having to compete against a crowd of guitar players for any open position from a garage band to a church praise band. Band leaders had their pick of the litter. I took up bass three years ago and now play in three different bands and turn down offers for others. Because the bass (other than solo work) is primarily an in the background, non glory part of the rhythm section, there is a shortage of skilled players. It's one of those instruments you don't notice...UNTIL IT'S MISSING!
I'll add Marcus Miller, Roscoe Beck and Gary Willis to the list. |
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Posts: 623
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Though my faves would probably be Paul McCartney, Geddy, and John Paul Jones... Flea of the Chili Peppers is incredible...though I'm not really a fan of the band.
Those come to mind quickly.
Johnny |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Macca
Jaco
Jonesy
Squire
Greg Lake
Jon Camp
Mike Rutherford
Carl Radle
Leland Sklar
John Wetton
Nathan East
(no particular order) |
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Location: SoCal | Joe Osborne, Carol Kaye |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Phil Lesh
Jack Casady
:cool: |
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Location: Indiana | My faves in no particular order:
John Entwistle
John Paul Jones
Dave Hope
Geddy Lee
Leon Medica
Chris Squire
Paul McCartney
Nathan East
Greg Lake
Dean Felber
These are just my faves. Doesn't mean I think they are the best.
Bill |
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Posts: 181
Location: Queens, NY | For someone like myself, who can't walk and chew gum at the same time, I especially admire great bassists who sing too!
Geddy Lee
Doug Pinnick (King's X)
Jack Bruce
Great bassists who don't sing.
John Entwistle
Chris Squire
John Paul Jones
Terrence (Geezer) Butler (Black Sabbath) |
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Location: Tennessee | My favorite bassist to watch is Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads and the Tom Tom Club.
I know, I know ... but she can REALLY play! |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Paul Wag
Is that Jack Casady of the Merry Pranksters who drove the bus? |
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Location: Vernon, CT | Bet you'd like to check under Tina's G string and get down to bassics!!!!(SMILE)
John L. |
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Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | well, Sue would have to be my favorite bassist
but Jaco Pastorious runs a tight second
stanley Clarke
entwistle
graham from sly and the family stone |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Is that Jack Casady of the Merry Pranksters who drove the bus?
Bailey, that was Neal Cassady :cool:
Jack Casady was friends I'm sure as he hails from Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna....
:D :D |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | One I forgot:
John Kahn
:cool: |
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Location: South Portland, ME | The late Allen Woody and of course Ralph Santoro who plays bass in our band... |
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Location: Madison, Wisconsin | Anybody remember Dick Kniss? |
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Location: Scotland | Nick Lowe, killer bass player & a great songwriter, if I could have written any song in the entire history of pop music it would have been "What's so Funny 'Bout Peace Love & Understanding"
Stone, I'm with you on Tina Weymouth, my buddy Bruce Martin plays with the TomTom Club and he knows she is a monster musician. |
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Location: Charlotte NC | How about who is the best looking bass player/newscaster? My vote goes for Jennifer York! :D
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Location: Tennessee | How about the best looking bass player/telecaster?
Sheryl Crow! |
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Wellllll, OK.
:eek: |
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Location: South Portland, ME | Paul is absolutely correct, I found several old Garcia acoustic shows on the net, just Jerry and John Kahn and his bass work is astounding. |
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Location: NoVa / Richmond, VA | john myung
victor wooten
geddy lee |
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Posts: 14
Location: Ca | I was going to add Chris Squire and Jack Casady to the original list, but several people beat me to it.
Squire, especially, is and was one of the most inovative bassists. Just listen to his parts on Yes' Fragile album not to mention Yes' latest, Magnification, which sadly is already out of print though it is only 3.5 years old.
Guy |
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Posts: 2487
| Yeah Chris Squire!
I am not an expert concerning musicians past or present, But I know that this time around, while working on songs as primarily a bass player, I know what songs are the toughest for me to play. So with the limited list of Bass musicians I have tried to copy it would look somthing like this;
Chris Squire
Chris Squire
Chris Squire
Chris Squire, Who by the way has a fantastic voice and sings all the time! Just try to play Heart of the Sunrise, Tempus Fugit or his solo work in Hold Out Your Hand! I have learned these and just figured out "Does it really Happen" ! This guy is a workout every time! Then try and sing what he sings in these songs! There is no one like him on a bass guitar! and that is a Fact. I have a towel I use to wipe the sweat with after playing his songs. He is a TASK! The guy's I am working with can't believe I can play his stuff! I can't believe it either! It takes everything I have do to get through a song.
Just listen to any YES music and follow the bass line you will see many of the songs are completely bass driven! The guitar work of Steve Howe is unbelievable but very often it seems to accompany the bass and does not drive the song!
John Entwistle
Geddy Lee
Paul M.
Sting
Now the list is filled with great bassists but I have not tried music from guy's like
Stanley Clark
Victor Wooten
Flea etc. etc.and on & on
But That photo of Sheryl Crow has me rethinking the whole thing!
Randy |
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March 2004
Posts: 52
Location: Iowa | John Entwistle
Tony Levin
Larry Graham
Chris Squire
James Jameson
Jack Bruce
Geddy Lee
That should do it. |
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October 2004
Posts: 48
Location: State College, PA | Like a bunch already metioned (and whom I'll metion below), but my single number one favorite is, without doubt, Rick Danko of the Band. Listen closely to him sometime (or dig out Last Waltz - truly the greatest Rock & Roll movie ever made). Look at all the english he puts on his notes - it's a rare note he's not doing something to, either on the way in or on the way to the next one. Magnificent - and not easy to make up - it really just has to be inside you.
Beyond him, I've got to mention Jack Bruce, Felix Papilardi, John Entwistle, and let's not forget Phil Lesh. All of these guys did a whole lot of note shaping.
I believe it was Hendrix doing the bass track on 1983, A Merman I shall Turn to Be. Take another listen to that if you haven't heard it in a while...
Finally, the list is not complete without Charlie Mingus.
Of the above, I've seen Danko, Bruce, Lesh and Mingus. Shook hands and had a picture with Rick Danko and got the chance to thank him personally for the thirty five-plus years I've been listening closely to every note he played.
A couple of months later he ws dead.
Said it earlier in another thread - go see folks when you can....
Thanks -
Michael
State College, PA |
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June 2004
Posts: 365
Location: NC | I guess if I had a say the one who comes to mind was once voted as the top rock bassist back in the 80's when MTV was compiling who would make the best damn group ever assembled..........that person was Mark King of the group Level 42 which some of you may have heard of. They were one of my most favorite 80's bands.
He could hit a lick on the bass I must say!
:) |
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Top Ten Bassists (Rock, Country, Jazz, etc.)