greatest bass players (or basslines) ever

swears

swears

preppy-kei
The "Sleng Teng" bassline. (Which I've heard was actually a keyboard preset.)
And "Wood Beez" by Scritti Politti.
 
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dubversion

Guest
tate said:
ESG

From the post-hardcore (US-style) world, since no dissensians are going to say much about these bands :) :

David Wm Sims - Scratch Acid, Jesus Lizard, monster tone, monster player
Fred Erskine - Hoover, Crownhate Ruin, June of 44, many more, one of the finest
Kim Coletta - Jawbox, incredible tone
Bob Weston - Volcano Suns, Shellac, tapes for Burma these days, great guy
Tom Zaluckyj - Tar
David Pajo - Slint, Tortoise, all of that. Bundy Brown probably goes here too.
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I'd second Bob Weston, no question. Shellac are probably my favourite 'rock' band, and all three of them are consummate musicians. Little machines fuelled by bitterness, I think I described them once when really drunk :) Albini describing the members as 'Mass / Velocity / Time' rather than bass / guitar / drums was interesting..

I'm far from knowledgeable about jazz (and quite happy that way) but I remember the first time - as a teenager - that I heard Astral Weeks and Richard Davis' bass on that, it made no fucking sense but slowly I came to realise it was just astonishing
 
L

low band

Well-known member
Andy Rourke's bass playing for the Smiths was good.

i love Paul Simonon's bass on Mustapha Dance by the Clash.

Kevin Saunderson of course.
 
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dubversion

Guest
i know what the WORST bassline ever is..

whoever the twunt is who played on Omar's There's Nothing Like This. On a record which stands at the very top of the mountain of filth that makes up most modern British soul music, the bassline still manages to make itself especially obvious as being utter utter toilet. I can see the smug, "i'm really FEELIN' this" grin on that bastard's face whenever i hear it.

Horrible
 
M

martin

----
dubversion said:
i know what the WORST bassline ever is..

whoever the twunt is who played on Omar's There's Nothing Like This. On a record which stands at the very top of the mountain of filth that makes up most modern British soul music, the bassline still manages to make itself especially obvious as being utter utter toilet. I can see the smug, "i'm really FEELIN' this" grin on that bastard's face whenever i hear it.

Horrible
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I can't stand the bassline to Groove Armada's "At the River" - if a bassline was ever SMUG and suffocating, that's it. It's so cloying....I feel like Care Bears have ejaculated in my ears every time I hear it (which, thank God, isn't often).
 
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gumdrops

Well-known member
dubversion said:
i know what the WORST bassline ever is..

whoever the twunt is who played on Omar's There's Nothing Like This. On a record which stands at the very top of the mountain of filth that makes up most modern British soul music, the bassline still manages to make itself especially obvious as being utter utter toilet. I can see the smug, "i'm really FEELIN' this" grin on that bastard's face whenever i hear it.

Horrible
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are you joking? thats a great bassline! its basically a rework of the ohio players heaven must be like this. if youre looking to make an example of horrid 'classy' smoove wine bar cocktail brit soul/funk there are much worse examples...
 
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dubversion

Guest
gumdrops said:
are you joking? thats a great bassline! its basically a rework of the ohio players heaven must be like this. if youre looking to make an example of horrid 'classy' smoove wine bar cocktail brit soul/funk there are much worse examples...
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If there are, I hope never to hear them. Everything about that song makes me want to start shooting the hostages.
 
john eden

john eden

male pale and stale
Rotterdam Termination Source - "Poing"

Now, there's a bassline.

And what about that DJ Scud and Nomex track where the bassline consisted of a recording of Eurostar whizzing through a south london train station?
 
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STN

STN

sou'wester
I can't help feeling that 'Peaches' by the Stranglers merits mention. I'm sure PiL are worth bringing up too.

My personal favourite is probably 'Go Deh Natty Dread' by Barrington Spence or maybe 'I Want to be a Machine' by Ultravox!.
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
Oh, and 'Hand of Doom' by Black Sabbath.

Has anyone ever heard that Manowar tune 'William's Tale'? It's Joey DeMaio playing the William Tell Overture as a bass solo. I'm sure it's really technically impressive and really hard to do and everything but it sounds fucking laughable. The bassline to 'Death Tone' is pretty good though.

I think Paul Chambers bassline to 'So What' deserves to be in here too, even if it is somewhat marred by the sound of a thousand Jacob's Creek bottles being opened in halls of residence across the land.
 
T

tate

Brown Sugar
I forgot to mention Jaco Pastorius. His parts for Joni, and also on the first Metheny album, Bright Size Life, were achingly lyrical. Sad to lose him so early.
 
T

the undisputed truth

Banned
First person I thought of was Jaco Pastorius and was wondering if i didn't mention him how long would it take before he was...

...37 posts and 785 hits

shameful...
 
D

dubversion

Guest
Afraid for me Jaco Pastorius represents everything i DON'T like in a bassline :(
 
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