Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Top 5 bassists


Recommended Posts

So difficult just to do 5. There was a similar thread a while back for your top 10 and that was difficult enough. Anyhow my 5 at the mo:

J J Burnel
Andy Rourke
Norman Watt-Roy
Joe Dart
Paz Lenchantin

With honourable mentions to Horace Panter, Dave Holland (should really be in the 5) and Krist Novoselic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me it would have to be...

Geddy Lee (I love so many things about Rush but Geddy's playing on the albums between 1980 and 1995 is just sublime for me)

Phil Lynott (probably my fave band and if I had to choose he would be equal first with Geddy)

Abraham Laboriel (first got into him through his Christian jazz/funk band, Koinonia, and then discovered he had played on a whole other range of tunes I loved)

Kelly Groucutt (from ELO. Been such a fan of the band since the mid 70s and Kelly's playing has given me so much enjoyment over that time)

Barry Devlin (from Horslips. Another band I have loved since they first released The Tain back in the 70s. Again, he's on the list on the basis of the amount of joy his playing has given me over the years)


Honourable mentions (& should really be on that top five list too...): Chris Squire, Lee Sklar, John Gustafson, John G Perry, Neil Murray, John Wetton, Jamerson/Babbitt/Dunn... the list goes on...

Edited by TrevorR
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although not particularly a fan myself, I'm really surprised that no-one has mentioned Vic Wooten. Love the Flecktones though. Maybe he does too many DVDs and clinics and not enough proper playing ;)

Anyway, here's my 5 (at the moment)

Alain Carron
Dave La Rue
Nicolas Fiszman
Kim Stone
Lee Sklar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John Entwistle would be my favorite bass player of all time and my biggest single influence. Followed in no particular order by:
Glenn Hughes - particularly his playing and tone on the Feel album.
Bobby Vega - everything about his playing just makes me smile.
Steve Harris - Still the only bass player alive who can do the machine gun pose with his bass and not look like a monumental bellend.
Geddy Lee - because this:-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without giving it too much thought

Justin Chancellor
Jeff Caxide
Geezer Butler
Paul Turner
Bernie Edwards

Edit:
Upon greater reflection, Alex Webster, Rex Brown, Troy Sanders, Martin Mendez, Shawn Malone, Stuart Zender, Caleb Schofield and Juan Alderette could all easily make the list too depending on my mood.

Edited by Graham
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1465253563' post='3066624']
Without giving it too much thought

Justin Chancellor
Jeff Caxide
Geezer Butler
Paul Turner
Bernie Edwards

Edit:
Upon greater reflection, Alex Webster, Rex Brown, Troy Sanders, Martin Mendez, Shawn Malone, Stuart Zender, Caleb Schofield and Juan Alderette could all easily make the list too depending on my mood.
[/quote]

i could probs come up with another 10, was gonna put a honourable mention bit at the end of the video but figured it was better being short and just sticking to 5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1465226878' post='3066300']


There is something special about her at the beginning of the Tom Tom Club

https://youtu.be/XIW4skg3Ceo
[/quote]
The special thing is that she is hot? And can play too

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1465302392' post='3066908']
The special thing is that she is hot? And can play too
[/quote]

And that has nothing at all to do with why I have Paz Lenchantin in my list, no no not at all!! Erm and in my avatar pic.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Top of my list has to be Jimmy Johnson, incredible player and a great friend.

then my earliest influence - Chris Squire.

Then the two guys who shared duties on Rickie Lee Jones’ debut – red callender and Willie Weeks
And at the guy I’m listening to the most right now – John Myung

Dozens of others that I love listening to but very few that push themselves ahead of the band

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1465232875' post='3066367']
Cliff burton
Jason newsted
[b]Justin Chancellor[/b]
Steve Harris
[b]Alex Webster[/b]
[/quote]

A couple of minor tweaks to the above covers it for me... good call tho Megallica,

Edited by kendall
Link to comment
Share on other sites

John Entwistle
Geddy Lee
Chris Squire
Geezer Butler
John Deacon

Honourable mentions: JPJ, Rex Brown, Cliff Burton, Jim Lea, John Wetton, Macca, Colin Hodgkinson, Mark Bedford, Dave Hope, Roger Glover, Martin Turner, Jack Casady, Lemmy, Doug Pinnick, Eddie Jackson, Jack Bruce, Andy Fraser, Felix Pappalardi.

Edited by Cosmo Valdemar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

great idea!

John Entwistle - massive inspiration, only reason I started playing
Paul McCartney - really love his melodic lines, studying them teaches you a lot!
Jack Casady - I love the way he plays, so much groove

I don't really have a 4 or 5 to be honest, I like Jack Bruce, the few stuff I know of Chris Squire. Bill Wyman I quite like too, but the household names you get on these forums like Stanley Clarke, Mark King etc I just haven't heard enough, so I don't want to chuck them in for the sake of it. I haven't paid enough individual attention to other bassists, which I ought to, I'll like one or two lines from Andy Fraser as an example, but I wouldn't have studied him enough to give an informed opinion like I can about someone like Entwistle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Difficult... top five as in most influential? Favourite players or best from a technical point of view? I could do three lists in that case! :D

Assuming it is a combination of favourites (with respect to tone, note choices and style) and most influential... and in no particular order:

Geddy Lee
Jean-Jacques Burnel
Bruce Thomas
Tony Wall
Mark King
Bruce Foxton (yes, I know that's 6!).

I am very much a child of the late seventies/early eighties!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1465392145' post='3067781']
Difficult... top five as in most influential? Favourite players or best from a technical point of view? I could do three lists in that case! :D

Assuming it is a combination of favourites (with respect to tone, note choices and style) and most influential... and in no particular order:

Geddy Lee
Jean-Jacques Burnel
Bruce Thomas
Tony Wall
Mark King
Bruce Foxton (yes, I know that's 6!).

I am very much a child of the late seventies/early eighties!
[/quote]

inspired you to play! as skill full is way to subjective!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andy Fraser - Early Free stuff caught my imagination.
Lee Sklar - the all round professional.
Juan Nelson - Funk and Groove personified.
Bob Babbitt - Overshadowed by Jameson but every bit as influential.
Michelle N'degeOcello - Fabulous.

P.S. Bobby Vega - Coolest dude out there.

Edited by Japhet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pino (everything he does)
Roscoe Beck (his work with Robben Ford and Eric Johnson)
Tony Levin (with Peter Gabriel especially, but his solo work too)
Chris Childs (best known for being Thunder's bassist, but I've seen him in other bands where he shone even more. Nice bloke too)
Chuck Rainey (mainly with Steely Dan)

And probably in that order too. However, like many others, my list goes beyond this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...