Top 50 Bass Players

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by GodShifter, Jul 2, 2015.

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  1. old school

    old school Senior Member

    I think you just cleared up your answer when you called Jack Bruce dull. You have no understanding of Jack's style. Jack never plays his bass too blend in a song! Jack plays his bass as a lead instrument up front and carrying the song. The way you say Jack plays is not correct and I can see why you have trouble understanding Jack's style.
     
  2. weirdo12

    weirdo12 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto
    Yep totally - that is wrong. And Graham should be above Bootsy - that might not come across in my post
     
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  3. surf city soul

    surf city soul Well-Known Member

    Roger waters better than James jamerson!!! Cough, splutter.
     
  4. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    Roger Waters better than Alfred E. Neuman. Cough, barf, sell all basses for soy futures. I do like some of Waters' lines, but can we separate greatness in music from greatness in bass playing?
     
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  5. applebonkerz

    applebonkerz Senior Member

    Sunshine Of Your Love -- so what? It's a catchy riff that is mostly a repeat of what Clapton is also playing.
    N.S.U. I find the whole song dull -- not particularly Bruce's fault it's all of them -- but I usually either skip it totally or jump after a couple minutes.
    I'm So Glad has a few moments that stand out, but same deal -- I'm totally bored with the song long before they are ever finished playing it.

    It probably doesn't help Jack any that I've never particularly liked listening to Ginger Baker either the way I enjoy Keith Moon and Bill Ward's playing in their prime years.

    What's there not to understand about his style? He plays more like a lead instrument live than the studio recordings IMO, but maybe it's his playing, maybe it's the songs, maybe I just don't like Cream nearly as much as listening to The Who, but I'm bored more often than not. Ox is a lead instrument bassists and I'm much more entertained listening to him play counterpoint to Moon and Pete. Sorry I don't see/hear things the same way you do. Isn't variety of viewpoints the spice of life... :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2015
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  6. Tim1954

    Tim1954 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cincinnati, OH
    Much as I adore Jack Bruce, I'm not sure I can agree. I guess if we're judging bass like an Olympic Event or something, then yes.

    I mean, some of the stuff Jack Bruce did was just SO amazing, but if I were starting a band, I'd take Geezer every day and twice on Sunday. Butler does a lot of stuff that is quite simply genius, IMO. Some things he does I couldn't have even recognized until I became a better musician (I hope) myself. He has the rare ability to be capable of really moving, busy playing, but also to step back into that uniquely Sabs groove and lock like nothing I've ever heard. And if you want that sort of soloing, lead bass sound worked into the mix, he can pull that off as well. Listen to his work on "Die Young" or "TV Crimes" as a couple of the more obvious examples. That stuff is so intricate and tricky, yet never anything but musical. Astonishing.

    Mind you, had you said Jack Bruce was your favorite player until you discovered Geezer Butler, I could probably argue the other side, too. But I think Jack Bruce overplayed a lot more than Geezer and that's probably in part a result of the musical circumstances Bruce was in and what he believed was required of him. And I certainly am not limiting my analysis to Cream because Bruce had such amazing career and some of my favorite bass playing from him is on his early solo albums, West Bruce & Laing and so on, but he sometimes took Cream jams into areas which I'm not sure were worth much. Like they'd be in the middle of some passionate, intense and fire-breathing blues improvisation, and Bruce would suddenly hit a diminished note or something and try to take things elsewhere. Usually it ends up awkward until he finds his way out of it because Clapton wasn't seemingly interested in travelling too far into that direction.

    As a musician, Jack Bruce is met by few peer, IMO. Good piano player, singer, remarkable songwriter, etc.... I'd actually move him up and Geezer up in that poll. John Paul Jones would drop quite a few spots for me. Very good player, but a lot of his best stuff is a bit too derivative of James Jamerson, IMO, and some of his tones through the years left a lot to be desired. He also could sound sort of uninspired to my ears. Not on the early stuff, but as the years passed.

    Also, for me, Chris Squire HAS to be in the Top 5. And much as I love John Entwistle, not sure I wouldn't drop him a few spots. I might even put Squire at #1. He changed rock bass; period.
     
  7. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Great post. I might not always agree with you (often I find I do), but I love reading your perspective. I respect your opinion a lot.
     
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  8. Roger Thornhill

    Roger Thornhill Senior Member

    Location:
    Ilford, Essex, UK
    Richard Davis is a glaring omission too - not many bassists could be as versatile and play with the likes of Dolphy, Pharoah Sanders, Sarah Vaughan, Van Morrison, Laura Nyro, Paul Simon, and Bruce Springsteen.
     
  9. shinedaddy

    shinedaddy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Valley Village, Ca
    for overall talent, John Paul Jones is better than the whole lot of them...at least they got close when they said #2.
    Hell, he plays KEYBOARDS better than all these guys play bass, and then when he does pick up the bass, its perfect, every time...the true superstar of Led Zeppelin. I dont think any of these other guys can really top him

    any Andy Fraser really should beat out a lot of these guys too
     
  10. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia

    really, jack bruce who writes and sings his own material and also plays piano, cello, bass, guitar and harmonica can't top JPJ? i think he does since JPJ really relies on others to help create most of the material he writes
     
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  11. zipzorp

    zipzorp Senior Member

    Location:
    hollywood
    Dee Murray, Tom Petersson, Colin Moulding
     
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  12. shinedaddy

    shinedaddy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Valley Village, Ca
    bruce is a great bassist no doubt but he isnt GREAT on any of those other instruments...JPJ is an AMAZING keyboard player....and yes, his bass playing is better than jacks. not really a contest.....not to speak of the other instruments he plays too like the mandolin, the recorder, pedal steel etc...JPJ is #1 for sure....but if we just kept it to bass I still think he beats out the rest of these guys. however there are some virtuosos that are incredible but BORING

    Entwistle, Squire, Lee et al. ALL INSANELY GREAT...but JPJ is my guy for sure
     
  13. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia
    i think jack is really good at harmonica and piano and obviously cello since that was his original musical calling in life. i've never been amazed at anything JPJ did on bass or see him take a long solo to even guess what his actual skill level is
     
  14. Yannick

    Yannick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cologne, Germany
    No mention of Graham Maby yet? Or Tony Levin?

    Rob Malone also belongs on the list but he's from Ireland and stateside, hardly anybody knows what a great bassist he is.
     
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  15. R. Cat Conrad

    R. Cat Conrad Almost Famous

    Location:
    D/FW Metroplex
    Gary Thain (unique and woefully underrated bass player; tragic case of heroin addiction, early death)...



    This segment is worth watching. Gary's bass is the sound that made Uriah Heep (he often played lead with bass, much like John Entwhistle).

    :cheers:
    Cat
     
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  16. R. Cat Conrad

    R. Cat Conrad Almost Famous

    Location:
    D/FW Metroplex
    Another bass player worth considering among the best: Tal Wilkenfield...

     
  17. Matthew Tate

    Matthew Tate Forum Resident

    Location:
    Richmond, Virginia

    btw i know JPJ is a really great keyboard. how great is he? according to jack bruces book jack was asked to join led zeppelin pretty early on in the bands career as the bass player so JPJ could move over to just keyboards and other various instruments. guess that says all i need to know about JPJ actual bass playing compared to jacks
     
  18. RomanZ

    RomanZ Forum Resident

    Location:
    Warsaw
    I've never understood people's obsession with all these top <insert musician> ratings.
     
  19. Dave Hoos

    Dave Hoos Nothing is revealed

    I think I'd still choose Jack Bruce...unless I chose The Ox instead. They're plenty heavy. Plus they're simply better players.
     
  20. fsj

    fsj Forum Resident

    Clearly a disputable list! Just because they list it that way doesn't make it so.
     
  21. MHP

    MHP Lover of Rock ‘n Roll

    Location:
    DK
    To not include Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen aka NHØP, is laughable.
    No Paul Chambers either.
    Roger Waters isn't a bass-player, he is a songwriter playing bass and with a few exceptions, he never created anything groundbreaking on bass, which was not the point anyway. If we are talking about Waters, then he should be in the top amongst songwriters, not bass-players.
     
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  22. Echo

    Echo Forum Resident

    Very funny to read all the comments. How are you able to compare bass players other than saying he/she plays the bass guitar very well? Of course: I do have my own favourites (JJ Burnel, Simon Gallup, Jah Wobble, Robbie Shakespearre and especially Peter Hook), but that's more because my love for music started with post-punk and reggae dub.

    It's really silly to line them up and argue with eachother if X has to stand at position 47 or 48 :)
     
    Last edited: Jul 3, 2015
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  23. Dave Hoos

    Dave Hoos Nothing is revealed

    Probably. Actually, I think even the pig would think that the list sucks.
     
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  24. Dave Hoos

    Dave Hoos Nothing is revealed

    Each to his own, of course, but.....
    :bigeek::bigeek::bigeek:
     
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  25. ruben lopez

    ruben lopez Nunc Est Bibendum

    Location:
    Barcelona Spain
    No Rick Danko?:crazy:

    This list is pretty silly,everyone has their tastes,i favor feel and taste over technique.

    Danko,McCartney and Lesh,are way up there on my list.
    Can't stand Pastorius,Wooten and the like...to each his own.:shrug:
     
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