Top 5 Bassists

If he didn't look and sing so much(his voice I mean) like John, I would so have to wonder. I'm trying to dig up the video of him playing with Cibo Matto, can't find it though. There's one where he's playing, but the girls are drowning out his bass(live show, and they're using a sampler, and it's even kind of hard to hear the drummer).

So I'm looking for the one I saw way back that made me Scooby. It's from 120 minutes I think. Cibo Matto with Sean Lennon(and the director or journalist, whatever, anyway, they made a point of showing Sean play bass, and he was really, surprisingly, good).

All I can find this morning are vids of him moping around. To be fair, beautifully moping around, but still moping.

Scooby? Does that mean it made you doo?

No. Made me do a double take, and that weird Scooby sound. Like, h-ru-h?

cray said:

...this thread is the most press that any bassists anywhere ever got.

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Well, considering there are a few Bass magazines out there, I don't think so.

C.bronco said:

Cliff Burton.
Yanno, I just heard that Robert Trujillo is going to play bass for Metallica.
Or is he the guy that replaced Jason Newstead?

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He joined the band 4 years ago.


1) Geddy Lee
2) Steve Harris
3) Cliff Burton
4) Geezer Butler
5) John Entwistle

Honourable mention: DeeDee Ramone

Geddy Lee
Billy Gould
Trevor Dunn
Steve Harris
Claypool

Shadow_Ferret said:

cray said:

...this thread is the most press that any bassists anywhere ever got.

Click to expand...

Well, considering there are a few Bass magazines out there, I don't think so.

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Back decades ago I recall hearing of Rickenbacker 4001's flying out the doors of musical instrument stores. There were a lot of bassists in popular bands playing it, but it seems the biggest influence was some guy singing silly love songs.

And how was...

John Taylor(Duran/Duran)

missed?

I know, it's cuz Duran/Duran inhabited that pretty-boy land, somewhere between pop and progress back in the 80's. That said, he comes up with some really good basslines, and isn't that what being the best bassman/basswoman's all about?

Now for something strange. Do you need a bass to come up with a good bassline? Do you need a bass to be a good bass player? Lee Rocker's the unofficial King of the Double-Slap-Bass(made up word, he plays the bass violin upright and it becomes a combo/bass-percussion instrument). It's not a bass guitar though. Then taking it even further into weirdness there are all these folks yelling at other folks that they're idiots for loving the bassline from Seven Nation Army, because there's no bass in the song. Oh really?

I know I'm nutty(But in a good way right? That fine line between madness and genius right? I'm walking the line, yeah? Humor me, we loonies can be dangerous. Just ask Kieth Moon's chaufer, the dead one.) But it seems to me, that Seven Nation Army does indeed have a bassline. The octave pedal drops the guitar down to bass and consequently it has a bassline.

Furthermore what about the it's not a bassline in The Joker by The Steve Miller Band? Tuning that 6th string so it's way low. It makes a kind of bassline. Somehow it fits into the song alongside the strumming/rythm guitar and lead guitar, it just fits. So arguably, on one song, Steve's playing bass, rythm, and lead guitar, all on one instrument. The man's a genius. Even if you don't like his music, gotta give him his propers.

NELSON!!!
STUART MORROW!!!
New Model Army

¡Toma!

*pokes head in*
*searches for references to Robbie Shakespeare, Mick Karn, Bootsy Collins, or Flea*
*shrugs*
*drags non-bass-playing butt away*

Nolita said:

And how was...

John Taylor(Duran/Duran)

missed?

I know, it's cuz Duran/Duran inhabited that pretty-boy land, somewhere between pop and progress back in the 80's. That said, he comes up with some really good basslines, and isn't that what being the best bassman/basswoman's all about?

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John Taylor is easily one of my favorites. Not only were his lines cool but Duran Duran were produced with John's bass pretty far out front. I like Duran Duran and John Taylor is great.

Cav Guy said:

1) Les Claypool - change that one to Rick Savage and
2) Steve Harris
3) Geezer Butler - changed to Rusy Sarzo and I'd buy this list.
4) Cliff Burton
5) Geddy Lee

My picks, anyhow. Anyone else?

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I like the way you think Cav Guy

Is this thread alive again? Here are my five:

Carol Kaye
Duck Dunn
Bootsy Collins
Family Man
Bakithi Kumalo

cray said:

...this thread is the most press that any bassists anywhere ever got.

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I've yet to see the movie "Standing in The Shadows of Motown" but perhaps the bassist who appears on the most hit songs, and certainly one of the musicians who got the least recognition for the work they did before that movie was made, is Motown bassist James Jamerson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Jamerson

Here's another "Legendary Unknown" bassist. Remember the bass line on the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations?"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Kaye

These threads are fun! They give my never-ending music-pondering a point -- not that it needs one.

John Paul Jones, Zep
Geezer Butler, Sabbath
Mike Starr, AiC
Mike Inez, AiC
Paz Lenchantin, APC & solo

Carlos D
Carlos D
Carlos D
Carlos D
Carlos D (Interpol)

You knew this was coming.

My pick? Rick Danko from The Band.

Bass players from New Model Army

Steve Harris and Stanley Clarke.

And what about Floyd from the Muppets?