Greatest Rock Bassist

[SoxFan]

I'm excluding session players and non-rock guys for the sake of space, but feel free to mention them.

[Capn Sunshine]

1. Stanley Clarke

Bass line as melody.
Entwhistle, much the same, his texture and subtext was like four players in one.

[Sebastian Doyle]

25. Stanley's usually a jazz guy, but he did briefly play in one rock n roll band

called the New Barbarians. You might recognize some of the other guys in the band too....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUm7rFLQiHQ

[MiddleFingerMom]

2. Without a doubt.... Victor Wooten.

.
Bass player for another tops in his instrument-of-choice, banjoist Bela Fleck.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FvXUVHECwM&feature=related
.

[Bennyboy]

3. Phil Lesh....70 and still MELTING FACES!

Go see FURTHUR and you will be blown away. Phil took the bas and made it something all totally his own.

[progressoid]

27. Jeez, he's 70?

Where did the time go?

[Bennyboy]

48. FURTHUR is amazing!

Go to archive.org and all the tour is there. Everyone is a gem. Every one is blazing....Radio City coming up. Go see em if you can. it is THE GRATEFUL DEAD experience.

[TZ]

4. I bet most people here know who

I voted for!:)

[taterguy]

5. John Paul Jones deserves a mention

Not as good as the Ox though.

But that's just my not so humble opinion.

[MrScorpio]

6. Stanley Clarke, no doubt about it

[OmahaBlueDog]

7. Despite being a huge Zep fan, I have to go with Chris Squire

He's a gifted bassist who was called upon to play some very challenging music. "Roundabout" alone should win him this title.

[blm]

45. Off that list I voted Squire, too...for sheer musicianship.

.

[SoxFan]

8. Hooky

My vote goes to Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order. While he isn't a virtuoso like some of the others, his use of the bass guitar as a melodic as well as a rhythmic instrument is breathtaking. Listen to "Love Will Tear Us Apart" or "Ceremony" to see what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUcv7UMW4Ck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLWni7-2NXw

[blm]

9. Mother's Finest.... Jerry "Wyzard" Seay

.

[flvegan]

10. Tim Commerford (RATM, etc)

Kickass bassist, makes some of his own gear, vegan.

What's more to love?

[Rhythm]

11. Robert Trujillo

Former bassist for Suicidal Tendencies / Infectious Grooves
Current bassist for Metallica (which i barely forgive him for, but he's only because he's that good)

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/9480747/Robert+Trujillo+1058734310587346large.jpg

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

[Tikki]

12. Dee Dee's work has been the foundation...

for many bassist's going from there...


Tikki

[Aristus]

13. John Giblin. A highly accomplished session player.

Incredible. Not a show-off. Just providing what is needed with skill, verve, and dash...

[MrSlayer]

14. John Paul Jones

[Kat45]

28. +1

[DevonRex]

42. +2.

That man can play anything and everything.

[Crabby Appleton]

15. James Jamerson & Bob Babbitt -- Motown

session bassists.

[jobycom]

17. James Jamerson, no question. nt

[old mark]

23. James Jamerson, fo sho - I stole more from him, Jack Bruce, Casaday

and Entwhistle than from everybody else, but JJ was the top of the heap.

Honorable mention to the late Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers.
Studio player- Carol Kaye the great creator for the LA Wrecking Crew.


mark

[Tuesday Afternoon]

16. my brother. n/t

[MilesColtrane]

18. I have to go with McCartney.

...only because I don't consider Jamerson a rock bassist, and he's the guy Paul got his shit from.

[hayu_lol]

19. One of the greats...jazz

double-bassist Eddie Safranski

1918-1974

Wasn't anything this guy couldn't do...better.

[kwassa]

20. Bruce Thomas, of Elvis Costello and the Attractions

always great and complex bass lines.

[gmoney]

21. +1

Too bad he and "The Big Wheel" didn't get along. Elvis hasn't been the same since The Attractions were disbanded-ish.

[abq e streeter]

22. Matt Freeman of Rancid was incredible last time I saw them

Gary Tallent of the E Street Band is pretty damn underrated . For funky soul though , Jamerson was the man.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

24. The Ox

The proof can be found on "The Real Me" from "Quadrophenia."

:toast:

[GoCubsGo]

35. +1

And, "Boris the Spider".

[EndersDame]

26. Richard Hell of the Voidoids and Johnny Thunder's band

[Radical Activist]

29. Bootsy Collins

He basically invented his own style of playing bass. I put him up there with Entwistle and John Paul Jones.

[bamacrat]

30. Christ Novocelic

[LostInAnomie]

31. William Murderface

[bluesbassman]

32. Geezer Butler

Black Sabbath's sound due in part to Butler's thundering, blazingly fast bass lines.

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/20880261/Geezer+Butler+Geezer_Butler_May_2007_01_opt.jpg

[guitar man]

33. Jim Strader

Over the years it seems I've always heard the best and brightest playing in a club somewhere away from the limelight. Tulsa is a great place to find such talent. Jim was hands down the best bass player I ever heard anywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQJTB772v4U

Rip Jim :(

[Zorro]

34. Felix Pappalardi

[SteppingRazor]

36. Three that aren't on the list that sprang immediately to mind:

Victor Wooten of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes

Bootsy Collins of P-Funk.

[guitar man]

39. amen to that

Those guys are all monsters

You could add George Porter Jr from The Meters and Rocco Prestia from Tower of Power to the list too ;)

[edbermac]

37. McCartney very underrated as a bass player.

Gets his due as a singer and songwriter but rarely commented upon for his bass guitar playing.

[LynneSin]

38. HOW COULD YOU NOT HAVE JOHN PAUL JONES

Why do you make baby jesus cry?

[DevonRex]

41. I know. I'm in genuine WTFery mode now.

:crazy:

[DevonRex]

40. John Paul Jones, of course. He fit perfectly between Bohnam and Page.

He can play that base like a lead guitar. I especially love his blues base.

[NoGOPZone]

43. No session players? OK, can't vote for Jamerson, then either Mel Schacher,

Mark Andes, or Carl Radle.

[abq e streeter]

44. Phenomenal already, and only 23 years old----Tal Wilkenfeld

[Chemical Bill]

52. +1

[RT Atlanta]

46. Berry Oakley - Allman Brothers

[RT Atlanta]

47. Billy Cox - Gypsy Sun & Rainbows/Hendrix Cry of Love Band

[Locrian]

49. Carol Kaye

>>I'm excluding session players and non-rock guys for the sake of space, but feel free to mention them.

OK - not a "Rock Bassist" but one of the greats:



http://www.carolkaye.com/www/biography/index.htm


And no bass thread is complete w/o mention of Micki Steele:




http://www.mickisteele.net/index.html

[geardaddy]

50. What about Sid?

[auburngrad82]

51. Jako Pastorius nt

[AngryAmish]

53. Frank JOhnson

[JanMichael]

54. Les!!!! nt.

[jmowreader]

55. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden

Most bass players treat the instrument as a low-register guitar. Harris plays it as a rhythm instrument--basically a drum with strings.

[Mendocino]

56. James Jamerson, Charles Mingus, Richard Davis

as for rock I think Chris Hillman and Rick Danko are very underated.

[martymar64]

57. I voted "other" for Graham Maby

Mostly associated with Joe Jackson. He is an incredible bass player. Listen to the Joe Jackson album "Look Sharp", it has a whole shitload of classic songs, Sunday Paper, Is She Really Going Out with Him, Got the Time. Maby plays the bass as a lead instrument through that whole album.

[Lucy Goosey]

58. Gene Simmons!!1!11!!!!!!!

Okay no, just kidding.

I would say Pastorius if we're counting him as rock.

Otherwise, Jones. And Entwhistle. And Dee Dee deserves an honorable mention.

Okay, Jones if I have to pick one.