Seminal 'bass' albums

[Twanger]

Assuming this is completely personal, I'd like to add:

 

Don't shoot me - Elton John. Dee Murray's playing is what made me want to play bass.

Place Vendome - MJQ and the swingle singers. Percy Heath's bass is perfectly judged.

Charles Mingus - The clown. Particularly Haitian fight song.

Sting - on the first two Police albums

Roger Glover - Made in Japan

Bakithi Kumalo - Graceland.

 

For me, it's not the whizz bangery of it all. It's what the bass player contributes to the song that counts.

 

 

[lowdown]

54 minutes ago, Twanger said:

Place Vendome - MJQ and the swingle singers.

 

 

Great album.

 

[Chewie]

On 12/19/2017 at 15:15, Barking Spiders said:

Sulk by the Associates - not every track has bass but each one that does is a peach

Penthouse and Pavement by Heaven 17 - just 4 tracks on the Pavement side but each with some great funky chops

+ 2 for Rattus Norvegicus - every bass line a gem 

Now Do You Wanta Dance by Graham Central Station - arguably the heaviest grooves from Larry Graham esp Earthquake

Lexicon of Love  by ABC - chock full of tasteful funky lines esp 4 Ever 2 Gether, Valentin'es Day Show Me.

Songs in the Key of Life -this has Sir Duke and I Wish. What more do you need?

Graceland - I b ought this mainly for the bass on Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al and Diamonds..

Totally agree with Penthouse and Pavement............

[Chewie]

I was mad into Talking Heads..... still am now......... the movie of Stop Making Sense was the first production which made me cry with joy.

I didn't know what was going on........!!  It still gets me on my feet now.

I know it's not a seminal bass album but It changed my life.

Corny but true.

[Chewie]

On top of that, I got a new flat mate in the late 80's and he was like "You're alright Chewie, but you need to get into this....." and he dropped me a couple of Budgie albums.  Bandolier & In For The Kill......... Man, that was a seminal moment.   Burke Shelley's voice and his P-bass........ Life changer......

 

[geoham]

I love some of the suggestions above, but I’ll put something forward that’s a bit more modern - Side Pony, by Lake Street Dive.

There’s not been much made in years that’s excited me from a bass perspective, but I love what Bridget Kearney does with a double bass on this record. A distinctive sound and great playing that suits the songs.

George

Edited December 21, 2017 by geoham

[Johnny Wishbone]

13 hours ago, Chewie said:

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

 

It isn't - It's Deon Estus.

Edited December 21, 2017 by Johnny Wishbone

[Chewie]

3 minutes ago, Johnny Wishbone said:

It isn't - It's Deon Estus.

Thank The Lord!!!!!!!!!

[la bam]

20 minutes ago, Johnny Wishbone said:

It isn't - It's Deon Estus.

Massively under rated player.

Looking back i cant remember any wham songs that werent pop classics that have lasted the test of time so far!

[Chewie]

7 minutes ago, la bam said:

Massively under rated player.

Looking back i cant remember any wham songs that werent pop classics that have lasted the test of time so far!

I'm going to look him up right now.......!

This site is an education.........

[interpol52]

Interpol - Antics

Sugar - Copper Blue

[Japhet]

Aja and The Royal Scam- Steely Dan (or pretty much anything with Chuck Rainey on it).

Edited December 21, 2017 by Japhet

[fleabag]

Amen Japhet.  As the owner of 6 SD albums, gotta agree

Not so obvious maybe is Mike Howletts work on Steve Hillage's Fish Rising if you can get round the hippy thang, its all in there

Mike really kicks in at 8:38 if you cant wait

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by fleabag

[Krysbass]

Simple Minds - New Gold Dream - Derek Forbes.

[tauzero]

18 hours ago, Chewie said:

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

Possibly because it isn't? He's credited for guitar.

[tauzero]

There's some excellent bass playing on the early Kate Bush albums.

[Woodinblack]

33 minutes ago, tauzero said:

There's some excellent bass playing on the early Kate Bush albums.

Theres good playing on all the albums - Del Palmer on the earlier ones, John Giblin for the later fretless stuff.

[fleabag]

Bush and Palmer were an item at one point in her career

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, fleabag said:

Bush and Palmer were an item at one point in her career

Yes, quite a bit of it. And he's the guy on the Dreaming album cover

[super al]

10 hours ago, Chewie said:

I was mad into Talking Heads..... still am now......... the movie of Stop Making Sense was the first production which made me cry with joy.

I didn't know what was going on........!!  It still gets me on my feet now.

I know it's not a seminal bass album but It changed my life.

Corny but true.

I recorded both Stop Making Sense and True Stories off the telly when I was a kid. T.S. is a strange thing but S.M.S. is, by far, my favourite live recording. Should be a seminal bass album, it's a dirty funk thang! 

Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and D.B.'s solo stuff all great to me. I even enjoyed listening to Yes Please! by the Mondays the other night (Frantz n Weymouth producing)

Stanley's School Days made me go "Wow, this guy can play a bit" 

 

[Owen]

Dawnsionara by Endaf Emlyn. It will be on spotify somewhere. Early Pino back when he was all ours in Wales. We knew he was the bomb. Here is his solo off the album 

 

[TheGreek]

Chewie beat me to it...Talking Heads - "Stop making sense"

80s classic Terrance Trent D'Arby

Just about anything from Ozric Tentacles/ Japan/ Sly & Robbie/ Black Uhuru.

[pst62]

Bowie - The Spiders from Mars era.

Uriah Heep  - Gary Thain & Trevor Bolder era's.

Hawkwind - Lemmy era.

Eddie and the Hot Rods - Life On The Line / Thriller.

Gillan - Mr Universe / Glory Road.

The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette / The Black Album / Strawberries.

The Jam - All albums.

Toyah - Sheep Farming in Barnet.

The Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus / No More Heroes / Black & White / The Raven.

Rush - All The World's A Stage / Hemisphere's / Permanent Waves / Moving Pictures / Signals.

Japan - Adolescent Sex / Quiet Life.

Talk Talk - The Party's Over / It's My Life / The Colour of Spring.

Kings of Leon - All albums yeah some song are stinky poo, but the lad brings the four string to the fore in a way I like. 

 

[arthurhenry]

On 12/19/2017 at 16:05, 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?

Completely agree and would include the next album, Benefit. John Glascock's playing on Songs From The Wood is exceptional and makes it a seminal bass album for me.

[Hobbayne]

The Jam - Setting Sons. Bruce Foxtons' plectrum powered basslines inspired me to pick up the bass.