Barking Spiders

One of THE great bass albums, as are the next four. SZ was a hard act to follow but IMO Nick Fyffe pulled it off nicely.

I like bass when it's upfront in the mix but still holding down bottom end e.g. Jamiroquai, Associates, Level 42, Primus, New Model Army and early Stranglers. I'm afraid bass led stuff by the likes Wootten, Manring etc bores the tits off me. All very skilful but so what?

A long time ago I went down the Melody Maker ads route , ended up in bands where there was no friendship and soon baled out. If I'm not playing with mates or at least good acquaintances whom I can have a beer with I'd rather not be in band at all.

In my time I've been in many bands with good players I didn't like, including some gifted guitarists who were utter bellends, and a few with a good bunch of blokes who were at best moderate players. I'd rather be with the latter type any day of the week. When performing you can always make up for what you may lack in proficiency with stage presence and being fun. So, if these guys are good to be around stay with them and work with them improving as players

Agree with lots of the recs so far esp 80s stuff like Passions, Martha & The Muffins, Vapors.. Havent read all posts but I'll add The Race by Yello - their one top 20 hit #7 Dr Mabuse and Duel by Propaganda. both got into the 20s Closest Thing to Heaven -the Kane Gang's only top 20 effort The Politics of Dancing by ReFlex Just Be Good To Me - SOS Band

My 15W Marshall keyboard amp is great for both bass and guitar. Had it for 20 years. A solid piece of hardware that's had loads of use and is still going strong

Listen to Sound of The 60s on Radio 2 on Saturday mornings and you get to understand why The Beatles got the praise and adulation they did.

My first I got from some kid at school for about £30 back in 80s. It was short scale Gibson EB copy with no brand on the headstock. It was my only bass for the next dozen years and was used in more gigs than any others I've owned. I tried customising it but buggered it up right royally

Cripes. Never could stand Keane but this ain't half bad at all, certainly way better than anything else I've heard from the mainstream/chartland this year

If there's a great bass line it always sticks out for me though it doesn't necessarily for non players I know. But as I also play drums and guitars I'm equally attuned to a tasty lick or groove. But it's the overall song really and how all the sounds fit together and build up and break down. I've tried listening to stuff I don't normally bother with, just for the bass - like prog, metal and jazz fusion - but if the song sucks then that's enough to make me dive for the off switch.

Bit surprised there's no mention of Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks score nor Thomas Newman's for American Beauty. Gabriel Yared's theme for Betty Blue is the mutts nuts as are John Barry' original Bond score for Dr No and Ennio M's for Sergio Leone's spag westerns.

I've been living in Leamington at weekends for a coupla years and nip into BD several times a year a have always found Mark and the lads who work there very civil and helpful even though what I spend there won't get them high fiving. In fact they've tended to recommend products to me that are much better value than what I've originally gone in for. Way better than 99% of other guitar shops I've visited.

Ive heard of him but not his music. Actually I think Ritter basses might be about the most expensive, with three grand being at the low end and some having sold for up £10k!

Yeah but if you let others know in good time that you might have to leave early, cancel etc surely that's common decency. I'd agree that suddenly walking out of a rehearsal saying you've got to go somewhere etc is out of order

Ha, I'm actually one of those people that's said quite a few of these things especially about not having time to practise, not wanting to do more an x number of gigs per whatever an having to leave early to see a girlfriend etc. Which is why I've always ended to bale out early after realising others are often a damn sight more serious about being in a band then me. It should be fun playing in bands and not be like school lessons. Maybe many peeps in bands should lighten up and not give such a hard time to blokes who have a lot on their plates.

Weren't keyboards used to play the bass lines on the Seinfeld theme and Thomas Dolby's Hyperactive?

Being more than partial to Afrobeat, Makossa and playing the djembe this has led me to recently finding out about lots of top players from various genres who come from West Africa e.g. Richard Bona, Armand Sabal Lecco, Noel Ekwabi, Etienne M'bappe. Cameroon is where its' at. Check out some Makossa stuff.

I really liked Police stuff up to Synchronicity but, as with so many UK bands who start to crack the US, they morphed into stadium-rock. Out when the reggae touches an the spare production and then it all got a bit over produced. I don't get the anti-Sting stuff at all. So he's pro-environment. When's that ever been a crime, other than in Trumpworld?

Is Julian Crampton on the bass?

Also have to add the trio of tracks off Sulk by The Associates with Michael Dempsey on top of his game -Club Country Party Fears 2, Skipping. And from the great No Rest For The Wicked by New Model Army - Stuart Morrow's playing is similarly upfront and busy. Honestly any bass player worth his salt needs to hear this album esp the tracks Frightened, Ambition, My Country and No Rest. Pick style doesn't get any better

..and you were blessed with one specific musical talent , knowing what you know now would you have playing the bass as your thing? Mebbe you'd have rather been a great songwriter or melodica virtuoso. I wish I'd been given superb set of pipes with a 6 octave range plus the frontman charisma of a Freddie Mercury or Dave Lee Roth.

A coupla tracks by Shriekback - All Lined Up and My Spine Is The Bassline - when the elastic crunching bass lines first come in. I Get High On You by Sly Stone -the dominant bassline that drives the whole tune The Rats Rally segment from Down In The Sewer by The Stranglers, the galloping bass

I've had GAS for a long time but I tend to go for long periods without it raising it's ugly head and then blam! I just have to remind myself I'm not making a living from playing music and the GAS passes over...till the next time

On balance it seems there's not much love for BGM on BC. Have to admit I don't bother with the stuff at the front with bassists from prog metal bands I've never hear of nor the tutorials at the back. Just the main interviews and kit reviews. They sure do need to bring back the section on classic bass albums but expand it to cover less heralded albums with great bass. Maybe also a series on Unsung Heroes.

I only ever liked gigging with dance oriented bands at outdoor festivals, preferably daytime/evening slots. Hated the whole dingy pub/club thing. Likewise I now only ever go to see bands at festivals, particularly after a couple of trips to the dive that is the 02 in Oxford.