Seminal 'bass' albums

[discreet]

As far as mid-20th century pop/rock goes... Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The bass was mixed front and centre on this album at a time when McCartney had been  influenced by James Jamerson, a man whose name he wasn't to know until some years later.

[dudewheresmybass]

For me,

master of puppets. The playbook on thrash bass, and fuzz tones. The next step from geezer IMO 

blood sugar sex magik. Consistently great work- some totally leftfield, but consistently tuneful and influential

number of the beast. Steve really hits his stride here, the tunes are mostly written on bass and it shows 😉

Control denied. Steve digiorgio really pushing the envelope on fretless playing in an extreme style. Death jazz if you will 😉

Blues brothers ost. A superb intro to duck Dunns playing. Just beautiful. 

Any of the Oscar Peterson albums with Ray brown on bass. Sublime

Who's next. Great arrangements and mind blowing playing

 

 

 

[bazzbass]

14 hours ago, mikel said:

Stand Up. Jethro Tull. The best of Glen Cornick and Clive Bunker as the rhythm section. Living in the Past, a single recorded at the same time, is a melodic bass masterclass from Glen and its in 5/4 time. Whats not to like?

what a great bassline on Living in the Past, LEGENDARY MELODIC BASS

 

I'll add Yes - Fragile  it is the album that made me ask "what is making THAT sound?" That's the bass.

"Then I wanna learn bass" 

[Bolo]

I forgot Robert Trujillo's benchmark work!

Suicidal Tendencies- Art of Rebellion

Infectious Grooves - the plague that makes your booty move

[Marc S]

10 hours ago, Bass Fumbler said:

+ three for Rattus. Also consider Euroman Cometh by JJ Burnel, fantastic grindy bass lines, guaranteed to rattle your speakers!

Freddie Laker, show them what to do!

Edited December 20, 2017 by Marc S

[Bass Fumbler]

16 minutes ago, Marc S said:

Freddie Laker, show them what to do!

Don't forget young Jan Palak, he burnt a torch against the Warsaw Pact!

Edited December 20, 2017 by Bass Fumbler

[chris_b]

Some more for you. . . .

Charlie Mingus, Oh Yeah and Ah Um.

Randy Joe Hobbs, hot bass on the live Roadwork album by Edgar Winter's White Trash.

Max Bennett and Shuggie Otis, bassists on Zappa's Hot Rats. Also Max Bennett with the LA Express

Roscoe Beck, cracking bass lines on any of the Robben Ford and the Blue Line albums.

Anything by Will Lee.

[Marc S]

12 minutes ago, Bass Fumbler said:

Don't forget young Jan Palak, he burnt a torch against the Warsaw Pact!

"Je Suis descendant de Charlemagne...." - we could go on quoting, eh Bass Fumbler?
Now I have that catchy bass line to "Euroman" rattling through my brain! lol
I'd forgotten that Brian James and Lew Lewis were on this album...

Edited December 20, 2017 by Marc S

[Bass Fumbler]

You got me with the french quote Marc, I wouldn't even attempt to write that down but still an album I regularly listen to.

[Yank]

Any Bob Marley album with "Family Man" Barrett.

[Japhet]

Anything with Mick Karn on it. Totally unique player.

[Tradfusion]

Showing my age here but for me the album that really got me listening to the bass was Level 42's debut and self titled album from 1981... still love it after all these years... followed closely by New Gold Dream by Simple Minds in 1982, great tone and playing by Derek Forbes and more importantly most of the lines were simple enough to play along with for a young newbie at the time... I could go on all day but finally I think I need to mention Tin Drum by Japan from 1981...  Mick Karn weaving and diving on the Wal fretless... enough said!! 

[jazzmanb]

23 hours ago, Marc S said:

I loved the JJ Burnel sound, and his bass on the Stranglers first album "Rattus Norvegicus" was what first made me listen to the bass guitar
So that's my contribution - not necessarily my fave album these days, but it's what got me into bass

Agree

i think if you had the above with

Moving pictures Rush

Rage against the machine 1ST ALBUM

rhcp Californication

Tool 10,000 Days

Japan Best of

Led zep 11

Grace jones Island life

Any decent Disco compilation

You'd be a better play at the end of it all

[jazzmanb]

3 hours ago, Tradfusion said:

Showing my age here but for me the album that really got me listening to the bass was Level 42's debut and self titled album from 1981... still love it after all these years... followed closely by New Gold Dream by Simple Minds in 1982, great tone and playing by Derek Forbes and more importantly most of the lines were simple enough to play along with for a young newbie at the time... I could go on all day but finally I think I need to mention Tin Drum by Japan from 1981...  Mick Karn weaving and diving on the Wal fretless... enough said!! 

good shout,great time for bass players,Japan,duran duran,talk talk,blue nile,pino etc

[Crawford13]

Wow we are on page 2 and no one has said Jaco Pastorius by Jaco Pastorius yet...

i would also put in Voodoo by D’Angelo - Pino’s playing on this is insane.

i would also throw in American Elm - Janek Gwizdala, the more I listen to this album the more I realise that the bass in just an instrument, and it doesn’t restrict what musical choices we have to make.

[steantval]

Free - Fire and Water

Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride

[Leonard Smalls]

Seminal bass albums?

All the Bootsy's Rubber Band albums. And the one that this is off

 

[spongebob]

For rock bass, I'd think the first 6 Grand Funk Railroad albums should be on any bass list.

Thumping low end really high in the mix (as it should be). Those Terry Knight-produced albums still sound amazing to my ears.

[upside downer]

Influences when I were a lad were Jah Wobble's rumblings on Public Image Ltd's Metal Box and Klaus Flouride's clumping and clanking on The Dead Kennedys' Plastic Surgery Disasters. Seminal for me, anyhow.

[la bam]

For me geezer on the first black sabbath album.

and mani on the first stone roses album.

Edited December 20, 2017 by la bam

[Chewie]

Definitely BSSM by RHCP although I also love the underestimated One Hot Minute.........

Emergency On Planet Earth

Betty Davis and They Say I'm Different by Betty Davis..........

Dad Man Cat by Corduroy

Fantastic by Wham!   I still can't accept that's Andrew Ridgeley!!

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

Anything with Tina Weymouth........

 

 

 

[kendall]

Metallica - And Justice For All.

So much discussion about the bass on this one.

[jonnybass]

Donny Hathaway live with Willie weeks on bass. Great tunes, groves and tone...whole band are great.

[NancyJohnson]

Japan - Obscure Alternatives

This is the one for me.  After a teen dalliance with a lot if US and Canuck rock, things did an about face and Mick Karn bought things home.

The album is so varied; rock, cod-reggae, Satie, top 40...what he played launched a brace if copyists and opened my eyes to what could be done on the instrument.

Sure other great albums followed by different artistes, but this us the one for me.

[bartelby]

On 12/19/2017 at 22:26, rushbo said:

fIREHOSE: "Ragin' Full On" (Mike Watt)

Good call!

I'd expand that to the rest of fIREHOSE, Minutemen and, pretty much all, subsequent Watt related output.