Who is the greatest bass guitarist of them all?

[Seeking Serenity]

Poll question: Who is the greatest bass guitarist of them all?

Very simple question: Of all of the people who have picked up a bass guitar since its invention back in the day, who is the greatest to ever play?

Here's a hint:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5mFVo55bKQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkKeZ1z8zGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L7XiZlalvs

[ghostsofgiants]

1. I dunno about the greatest, but my favourite is probably Peter Hook.

[Tektonik]

10. agreed

[ghostsofgiants]

46. Joe Lally deserves a mention as well.

[harmonicon]

definitely one of the best, and most original

[charlie and algernon]

2. Green John Entwistle kicks the ass of Red John Entwistle anyday!

[BrotherBuzz]

3. Frank DeNunzio, Sr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc4yoIwGqOc

[Seeking Serenity]

9. That's good stuff, but he's playing a bass violin

Not a bass guitar.

You're disqualified.

[BrotherBuzz]

14. LOL, OK

[DS1]

4. file name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZDdrUi1HzI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nJG4_--lnQ&feature=related

[rocktivity]

86. I interviewed Les Claypool a while back

I ask all bass players if they're converted guitar players or had always preferred bass. Les says he's a member of the latter group--"guitars have always sounded too wimpy to me!"

:headbang:
rocknation

[regularguy]

5. Jaco:

[Seeking Serenity]

7. I just knew someone would come along and name Jaco Pastorius.

Bound to happen.

[regularguy]

12. Well you did say Bass....

Actually electric bass is the only instrument I can think of where one person just simply blows everyone else away...Of course YMMV and all that.

[Eurobabe]

6. Me, on Guitar Hero

:rofl:

[tismyself]

27. oh, well then

in that case, ME doing a stupendous air guitar rendition of Temptation Eyes, drunk off my arse with my favorite bartender!

[av8rdave]

8. You left out Geddy Lee!

Although Entwhistle was awesome

[Seeking Serenity]

17. Could you tell I have a favourite? (n/t)

[av8rdave]

24. I have this vague sense that you do!

Only got to see him live once - awesome!

[Bigleaf]

33. I agree. Ged has my vote.

[MissMillie]

11. Chris Squire

very cool stuff

[kaiden]

13. Bootsy Collins is pretty damned good.

[Dr Fate]

15. You may be right-John Entwistle is probably the best- but Carol Kaye is my favorite.

Paul McCartney plays pretty neat too.

[old mark]

19. Glad to find someone else who knows her work.

She still plays and teaches, has a great website, and she is a great lady. I got a very nice personal email from her, and it is one of my treasured posessions.
Somewhere, I have one of her method books that is nearly 50 years old. She is one of the pioneers of electric bass and a real innovator.

mark

[Fire Walk With Me]

58. There's some great footage of her in the limited-release "Wrecking Crew" documentary.

WOW.

[old mark]

16. Other: Depends on my mood at the time.

I have been a bass player for almost 50 years, and I like an awful lot of different music, hence a lot of different bassists. Such as:
Roy Estrada (Orejon)
Jack Cassidy
Jack Bruce
Berry Oakley
Carol Kaye
Flea
Glenway McTear
DeeDee Ramone
Willy Dixon

Maybe a few hundred more.
Entwhistle was a great innovator and a real musician, but there have been a lot of great bassists in rock music, and I can't pin down 1 as the all time best.

mark

[Dr Fate]

22. VERY cool list. n/t

n/t

[Seeking Serenity]

23. I hear you. I just have a fav (like it wasn't noticeable)

I also like Chris Squire, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, McCartney (when he's on it), etc.

But Entwistle was the innovator that made it all possible. As Townshend said, "He had the power to change the (flippin') instrument."

[harmonicon]

74. good call on DeeDee Ramone

He wouldn't have immediately come to mind, but I think you're right. His bass playing largely defined what would become a major feature of punk music.

[Rambis]

18. Phil Lesh

:hippie:

[Seeking Serenity]

20. Damn hippies!

:silly:

[Rambis]

30. One of my favourite lines from silver streak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwaJMo-YGPU

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

32. Seconded

[Bennyboy]

83. Thirded.

Phil floors me with his lead bass playing.

Also add Jaco, Mike Gordon (Phish)Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Entwhistle, Rob Derhak (Moe)Bobby Vega (Zero, legendry bassist in the SF area)Rob Wasserman,Duck Dunn (Booker T and the MGs and Motown fame)

[carlyhippy]

21. Brian Wheat of Tesla

not to mention he is the hottest bass player ever.

[tismyself]

25. Jonas Hellborg & Victor Wooten

These guys tie for #1 to my ears, even though they are very different.

[johnnie]

26. Overend Watts

Of course

[keroro gunsou]

28. cliff burton

of metallica. 'nuff said.

[Jamastiene]

60. My pick too.

Cliff was a master. RIP Cliff.

[enigmatic]

29. Jaco Pastorius

http://www.jacopastorius.com/

[Paladin]

31. Whover Did The Bass Line On Tom Petty's "Woman In Love" (n/t)

[Sebastian Doyle]

65. That would be legendary Stax Records "house bassist" Donald Duck Dunn

Which I didn't know until just now. I was trying to remember whether it was Ron Blair or Howie Epstein who played on that album. It was Ron, but not on that song.

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

[Paladin]

73. THAT'S The Name!

I looked for about 10 minutes on the Net, trying to get the details of the personnel on that song, and I couldn't find anything to refresh my memory. I knew it was an outsider.

As I recall, Duck was part of the band in "The Blues Brothers."

Thanks.

[Mendocino]

34. James Jamerson

The backbone of Motown.

[mikeytherat]

40. See my post below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8154709&mesg_id=8154955

mikey_the_rat

[leftofthedial]

35. Roy Huskey, Jr.

[Zodiak]

36. LOL....Entwistle is good, I'll give you that

But the best? Not even close.

Here is what I would throw out for contention:

Stanley Clarke
Chuck Mingus
Jaco Pastorius
Les Claypool
Victor Wooten

As far as ROCK bass players:

Steve Harris
Cliff Burton
Dave Ellefson
Geddy Lee
John Entwistle
Flea
P-Nut
Chris Squire
John Myung

Not to mention the chapman stick player in King Crimson or the bass player for the Dixie Dregs ca. 1980

There are a bunch that I neglected to mention that are true greats....Geezer Butler, Tony Choi, Robert Trujillo, Bobby Sheehan, Billy Sheehan, Jason Scheff, and John Taylor.



If one looks for great bass players, you will find them, but few are on the radio.

[BurtWorm]

37. Billy Bass

[Crowman1979]

38. Geddy Lee

Mainly because I've listened to a lot of music from the canadian band "Rush" not satan's spawn.

[mikeytherat]

39. James Jamerson

http://www.bassland.net/jamerson.html

This contest is now officially over.

mikey_the_rat

(me on stage)

[harmonicon]

77. ooh.... nice bass!

How do you like it? What's it compare to? I haven't played much bass in the last 10 years, but I used to play a lot, even semi-pro. I've been thinking of getting a new fretted bass, and am pretty set on a Rickenacker, but the G&L's seem nice, though I haven't played one. I also thought that a Music Man would be good, but I found it to be incredibly uncomfortable to play.

[sniffa]

41. Jerry Only

He's a terrible front man though.

[ghostsofgiants]

42. He's better than Michale Graves at least.

[sniffa]

43. Graves was awful

No charisma What.so.ever. :eyes:

[ghostsofgiants]

45. Anti-charisma even. Did you see him on The Daily Show when they did a piece on "Conservative punks"?

[sniffa]

48. I did not actually.

Some of the songs he did with the Misfits were great ("Hunting Humans" "Scream" even "American Psycho" and to a much, much lesser degree, "Hell Night") but seeing him do them live kill it.

[ghostsofgiants]

49. Yeah, I actually dig some of the tracks from American Psycho and Famous Monsters.

But that dude is 110% douche.

[sniffa]

50. Yeah he is

Last I heard, he was off fighting in Iraq.

[PittPoliSci]

67. yes, he is an asshole.

but danzig is not any less a douche!

i'd still take "Hell Night" any day of the week over "Skulls"

blaaaaaah....

[PittPoliSci]

66. i always get shit on because i like graves more than danzig.

please, feel free to keep on shittin' on!

[Sebastian Doyle]

84. How does he even get away with calling it "The Misfits" anymore

With Robo and Dez in his band, it's more Black Flag than it is the Misfits.

Given a choice between Doyle playing Misfits songs with Danzig or Jerry singing bad 50's covers with half of Black Flag, I think I gotta go with Glenn & Doyle.

[liberalitch]

44. The are many greats.... John Paul Jones, Chris Squire..... Peter Hook....

Just to name a few

[MilesColtrane]

47. .

[TrogL]

51. Greg Lake

[Greyskye]

52. Another vote for Victor Wooten!

Wooten bass solo, starts slow, but watch out! So many styles demonstrated here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dWb-aCWR8U
Wooten has won the "Bass Player of the Year" award from Bass Player magazine three times in a row, and was the first person to win the award more than once. (wikipedia)

And when he plays with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - holy crap!

Edit - wow - I'd never seen this one before, fun!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vdJvHE8qxA&feature=related

Edit #2, I've gone down the YouTube rabbit hole. Here is some great concert footage of a Wooten Base solo -> Amazing Grace instrumental -> Bass solo -> Amazing Grace reprise. (And the crowd goes wild) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHTA8VZGoMs&feature=related

OK, I'm going to stop cruising YouTube now. :)

[tismyself]

56. Heh!

Damn You Tube, it will get you, won't it? When Buckingham Palace or whoever first put on the Royal Chanel, I spent all night watching it.

Back to Wooten though - a friend took me to see him, half of the show was him playing solo, during the other half he played with a couple others that I honestly can not remember. There were moments where Wooten bought tears to my eyes.

But! Do try to see Hellborg if you ever get the chance, he is wonderful. Whereas Wooten becomes one with his guitar, Hellborg... ahh, I'm loosing vocabulary here... well, he just goes completely transcendental.

[Greyskye]

87. Thanks for the recommend

OK, I checked out Hellborg - that dude's got some chops! :thumbsup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVI5GhtllYM

I've never seen Wooten solo live, but have seen him with the Flecktones. That was simply an amazing show all around.

[Redneck Socialist]

88. Ah crap. responded to the wrong post.

:-(

[Orsino]

53. Entwistle may not be the best...

...but is probably the greatest.

[realisticphish]

54. Les Claypool

not everyone's thing, I understand that, but he's my favorite by far.

[Forkboy]

55. Rob Wright of Nomeansno works for me. The guy fucking jams.

The drummer, John Wright, is no slouch either.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4eY59blvSM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mj9FhrlEh0&feature=related

[Aristus]

57. John Giblin.

Great unsung session bassist.

[britpopper]

59. FLEA!!!!

...nuff said

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

61. I'd have to go with Stanley Clarke

He's one of the great innovators of electric bass guitar. I think bass players have played differently after Clarke. He's also a magical monster on the upright acoustic base. If you've never heard this guy, his solos on bass will take your breath away.

Here's a paragraph from wikipedia listing some of his incredible honors from the music world:

"In October 2006 Clarke was honored with Bass Player magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award. Bass greats Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten presented the award at a ceremony at New York City's Millennium Broadway Hotel. A multi Grammy award winner, Stanley was the very first “Jazzman of the Year” for Rolling Stone magazine, won Music Award - Best Bassist from Playboy magazine for 10 straight years, and is a member of Guitar Player magazine's “Gallery of Greats”. He was honored with the key to the city of Philadelphia and put his hands in cement as a 1999 inductee into Hollywood's “Rock Walk” on Sunset Boulevard. Clarke has won every Reader's Poll and Critic's Poll out there. In 2004 he was featured in Los Angeles magazine as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People."

[Sebastian Doyle]

63. Here's Stanley with some friends of his in 1979

You might recognize a couple of these guys at least.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9e_GTxqgPY

[LeftyFingerPop]

62. Phillip Chapman Lesh. n/t

[bluesbassman]

64. Are you kidding me? bluesbassman of course!

No, seriously I grovel at the feet of Entwistle and Butler as the greatest rock bassists. Clarke and Pasorius for Jazz/fusion. Roscoe Beck and Tommy Shannon for the blues.

[NoGOPZone]

68. Entwhistle was BY FAR rock's best bassist

Why? Because from about 1971 on, he was pretty close to being a one person rhythm section once Moon decided drums weren't necessarily for keeping a steady beat.

[maveric]

69. Leon Lyons

Formerly of "Ten Years After". Was the fastest and most exciting bassist I've ever seen live.

[RetroLounge]

70. Maybe not the best, but mad props to Jack Bruce

:hi:

RL

[NNadir]

71. Bass guitarist? The tragic figure of Jaco Pastorius, hands down. It's not even close.

Now if you wanted to discuss another bass <em>player</em>, I might answer differently.

[Tikki]

72. Entwistle....three of my other favorites...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SXWgC0SLCA
Suzi Quatro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JJ7oGHwMTI
Nick Lowe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-p_kgA0VUo
John Doe


Tikki

[Bleeding Cubbie Blue]

75. Depending on the mood...

either Jaco Pastorius or Les Claypool.

[Norwood]

76. Les Claypool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5XeVLJeMdE

Come on thats just too bad ass for words!

Edited to add another link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0EmTvgUILQ&NR=1

[Dystopian]

90. He is awesome!

And I love Oysterhead....
:loveya:
Shadow of a Man is my favorite....my life, though.:(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgz5tEbwmGM


peace~

[Burma Jones]

78. Stanley Clarke

[harmonicon]

79. I've been thinking about this....

and there are far too many to name.

[PeaceNikki]

80. Brian Ritchie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSnLdYBdeHg&feature=rec-fresh

[Sebastian Doyle]

81. Sid Vicious!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O00nr0FS7-g :crazy:

[Lucy Goosey]

82. Pastorius. A case could also be made for Jamerson or even McCartney...

Entwhistle? He's OK, I guess. ;)

[Tikki]

85. This guy is responsible for thousands of young ones picking up the bass and...

writing songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP4rQVQRqdo

RIP Dee Dee...

Tikki

[Redneck Socialist]

89. If you want to break it down by genre, I'd toss in Steve Harris

He's the bass player for Iron Maiden. One of the best metal bassist going imnsho.

:headbang:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgqxQmAbTBc

[tigereye]

91. Tony Levin or

maybe the Edge for electric bass/rock-type. I don't deny Entwhistle had great skill.



Jazz guys, frankly, are probably the best.