Your Bass Playing God.

[Pilgrim]

Following on from the 'Your Drumming God' thread (mine is John 'Bonzo' Bonham of Led Zeppelin, by the way) here's a thread for the often-overlooked bass players of the world.

My personal favourite is John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. Not just a great bass player, but a brilliant arranger, composer and session musician, who contributed much towards Led Zeppelin's later releases.

A very close second would be Jack Bruce, of Cream, Manfred Mann and the Graham Bond Organisation. Very gifted and contributed a great deal to the success of Cream in particular.

Who do you fancy?

 

[tangerinedream]

I'll probably get slaughtered for saying I like Jah Wobbles bass on 'metal box' a lot. He's not a god of mine, but that was my initial reaction. I worked out how to play bass properly the other month (it's all in a relaxed wrist ) and now I want one. As I have two guitars I never play, I think a bass would be a ridiculous purchase, but fame may yet come calling and I too could be a 'sleeper bloke'

 

[nick1181]

The guy from Tackhead. Far fucking out.

I thought the guy from Giant Sand was pretty good as well.

Oh, and Debs from MBV obviously.

 

[rednblack]

bootsy collins of course, started out as a scab (the cunt ) in james' browns backing band before teaming up with george clinton and parliament/funkadelic

cool as fuck despite his early scabberry

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Bernard Edwards of Chic (R.I.P)- for being such an anti-muso.

 

[newharper]

Dave Holland.

His work with Miles Davis alone would imo give him that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Holland

 

[Louloubelle]

can't choose between Robbie Shakespeare and Bootsy Collins
both gods of bass as far as I'm concerned

 

[peppery]

Jack Bruce when he was in cream

 

[WasGeri]

The guy from Tackhead. Far fucking out.

Doug Wimbish.

Seconded!

Also Kim Deal.

 

[pk]

I'd go with Doug Wimbish, deffo.

Technically, and in spite of the music, Level 42's Mark King is the best bassist I ever heard.

 

[maya]

-Charles Mingus.
but he's dead...

 

[kained&able]

mat freeman from rancid does some mighty fine bass lines. rob trujilo from metallica is stupidly good as well. can't believe he finger picks everything.


dave

 

[nathansears]

Willie Dixon or Donald "Duck" Dunn

 

[dirtysanta]

My personal favourite is John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. Not just a great bass player, but a brilliant arranger, composer and session musician, who contributed much towards Led Zeppelin's later releases.
?

absolutely. I cant add to that. Hes my biggest influence. The Lemon Song is a masterclass in how to play great bass.

Others are me, cos im shit hot John Entwhistle, Bootsy Collins, Flea, Jack Bruce, Bill WYman (dont knock him, great rhythm keeper always overlooked in these sort of polls) Jerry Scheff (Elvis' bass player in his latter years) and of course Mani, one of best groove bass players of recent times.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Me'Shell NdegéOcello
If you haven't heard her, make it your business to do so.

 

[spanglychild]

That guy from Suicidal Tendencies who plays a six-stringer. Really cool funkiness when they give him a chance. Oh, and my little brother who's just taken up the bass I don't think he yet realises that he has to teach me to play

 

[BadlyDrawnGirl]

#1 bassing god: JJ burnel from The Stranglers:

Sure, the man himself is a bit of a twat - but he created black magic like no other before or since back there between 1976 and 1979.

#2 bassing god(dess): another vote for Kim Deal:

Incredibly wound tension between dark pantherish pacing and sudden 1,000,000 volt explosions of rabid white noise - and she made it sound easy.

 

[Sunspots]

Same as before.

 

[milesy]

craig logan

 

[Signal 11]

Lemmy.

 

[Louis MacNeice]

Lemmy.

Surely Lemmy has his own category...something like best four stringed guitarist?

Cheers - Louis Mac

 

[butchersapron]

Brian Gibson from lightning bolt. 3 bass strings and one guitar string. And the best band on the planet.

 

[easy g]

at the moment it is Al Cisneros from Om (and ex Sleep)

a fucking powerhouse

 

[Sunspots]

Brian Gibson from lightning bolt.

Al Cisneros from Om (and ex Sleep)

a fucking powerhouse

Can't argue with either of those. Both incredible.

 

[stavros]

I thought Me'Shell NdegéOcello was just a vocalist, but then I've only ever heard her on Basement Jaxx stuff.

How about Tom Jenkinson, aka Squarepusher. Some of his stuff is so warped he must lose fingers doing it.

 

[wake_up]

Don't claim to know much about bass but I think Anthony Jackson is awesome

 

[JE:5]

Les Claypool from Primus.

 

[Jo/Joe]

Claypool was great in Tom Waits' live band last year. As was Brain on drums.

 

[boha]

either scott reeder, ex-kyuss or eric avery from janes addiction (especially for three days).

 

[Negativland]

My top three are:

Bootsy
Holger Czukay
Steve Hanley

I want a bass my guitar will pop but not slap