Bass Guitar Magazine Top 40 Bass Lines

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Mike Brooks' post='344527' date='Dec 3 2008, 06:36 PM']Hi guys (and girls),
The five string basses were scored by both Adrian and I, Stuart was unavailable to take part due to work commitments. There was no bias, of the basses we were supplied with, the GB won hands down, simple as that. No alterior motives. If those of us who write for the mag weren't allowed to review stuff we owned, I wouldn't be able to review most of the stuff that comes our way. The fact I have a bass collection is due to the work I do and what I need the basses to do, which doesn't (and shouldn't) prevent me from offering a fair, unbiased opinion on gear for review. If anything, it gives me an insight into the basses, amps and pedals.

Cheers,
Mike[/quote]

There you go. Surely if there was bias, no reviewer in the world could review a Fender?

Edited December 3, 2008 by EBS_freak

[Mike Brooks]

Well put squire!

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='Mike Brooks' post='344547' date='Dec 3 2008, 06:46 PM']Well put squire![/quote]
Or a Squire?


*gets coat*

[XB26354]

How about a top 100 list with no ranking (i.e., the 100 favourite bass lines without giving any particular one preference)? To say there is a "best" of anything in music is totally ridiculous as everyone has their own opinions, however classic bass lines like Good Times etc. are worth including for the younger generation who didn't grow up with these songs and may not have heard them. Kind of like 100 things to do before you're [s]dead[/s], sorry 30, except for bass

[Bassman101]

Okay, i know its sad and stuff, but comon, i know that most of you under 20 have played cant stop!


DONT LIE!

should be somewere on that list!

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Mike Brooks' post='344547' date='Dec 3 2008, 06:46 PM']Well put squire![/quote]

Why thanks Mike.

[L1zz1e]

Im glad other people were a little disappointed by this supposed top 40.. my other half and I were having a bet on who would be no.1... Jaco? Palladino? Bernard Edwards? Jamerson? Levin? Apparently not...

Cancel the subscription.. Bass Player is better anyways =0P hehe x

[The Funk]

[quote name='The Funk' post='342240' date='Dec 1 2008, 06:58 PM']Crap list.[/quote]


[quote name='EBS_freak' post='342641' date='Dec 2 2008, 09:10 AM']Say what you see he he![/quote]

Nothing to add really. Not only is it a crap list, it's utterly pointless too.

Now, a list of 10 songs which changed bass playing forever, with reasoned discussion from Magazine hacks, famous players and readers alike + transcriptions + a free CD, that'd be something worth doing, buying and hanging onto.

[skankdelvar]

Consumer publishing: a thankless task.

[ednaplate]

There is a good tab of 'Murder On The Dancefloor' which is quite funky although there appears to be an extra bar at the end of the second chorus which might be a cut and paste error. I've listened to the track a few times along with the tab and I'm sure it's wrong. I've really only skipped over the rest of the content.

It definitely needs more tabs and maybe a playalong CD with gear soundbites a la Guitarist or Guitar Techniques.

[Stuart Clayton]

[quote name='ednaplate' post='362346' date='Dec 23 2008, 08:55 PM']There is a good tab of 'Murder On The Dancefloor' which is quite funky although there appears to be an extra bar at the end of the second chorus which might be a cut and paste error. I've listened to the track a few times along with the tab and I'm sure it's wrong. I've really only skipped over the rest of the content.

It definitely needs more tabs and maybe a playalong CD with gear soundbites a la Guitarist or Guitar Techniques.[/quote]

You're right. I did the transcription, and there is indeed a cut and paste error. The last bar of the top line on page 85 doesn't need to be there.

Hands up!

Cheers
Stu

[Golchen]

I never understand why everyone has to get on their high-horse over these lists. At the end of the day it's 40 interesting bass lines and I for one as a newbie(ish) to bass playing find it very interesting. I guarantee that if any one of you 'complainers' out there published your own personal top 40 list there would be 100's of bassists out there calling it crap.

And furthermore, it's never going to work if a mag picks 40 totally obscure album tracks with great bass playing, so they go for numbers that are good AND a lot of people have heard them. They have obviously taken into account the inclusion of a fair few genres as well.

I say instead of just fanning the flames, why not put the fire out and discuss great bass lines that 'we' would include on a list of great basslines.

[ednaplate]

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='362531' date='Dec 24 2008, 09:09 AM']You're right. I did the transcription, and there is indeed a cut and paste error. The last bar of the top line on page 85 doesn't need to be there.

Hands up!

Cheers
Stu[/quote]


As it's Christmas I forgive you. Group hugs all round.

[Deep Thought]

I don't have a lot of time for lists like this as a rule, but a list that puts The Stranglers at No.1 is all right with me!! Get in!!!!

[Rich]

[quote name='L1zz1e' post='345259' date='Dec 4 2008, 12:26 PM']Cancel the subscription.. Bass Player is better anyways =0P hehe x[/quote]
Yup, BP is miles better... [i]if[/i] you like page after page of adverts, overly longwinded interviews, reviews of kit you're never likely to see (and if you do, it'll be twice the cost shown in the review) and almost no reviews of the kit we [u]do[/u] get on this side of the pond... nah thanks, give me BGM any day.

[quote name='Golchen' post='362582' date='Dec 24 2008, 09:48 AM']I never understand why everyone has to get on their high-horse over these lists. At the end of the day it's 40 interesting bass lines and I for one as a newbie(ish) to bass playing find it very interesting. I guarantee that if any one of you 'complainers' out there published your own personal top 40 list there would be 100's of bassists out there calling it crap.[/quote]
Absolutely totally and utterly agreed.
The only mistake they made with this 'Top 40' is to give them a ranking. If, as XB26354 suggested above, the list had been an un-numbered 'Essential' list, there would have been little argument. Although there would still be complaints along the lines of "why no Bros songs? Ken was an awesome player, etc etc" because you can't please all the people and so on.

[stevie]

[quote name='SJA' post='342976' date='Dec 2 2008, 01:19 PM']Zakk Wylde's response to the Rolling Stone top 100 guitarists list was pretty funny-
[url="http://www.sleazegrinder.com/jeffzakkwylde.htm"]http://www.sleazegrinder.com/jeffzakkwylde.htm[/url][/quote]

That's a great interview!

[johnnylager]

[quote name='SJA' post='342976' date='Dec 2 2008, 01:19 PM']Zakk Wylde's response to the Rolling Stone top 100 guitarists list was pretty funny-
[url="http://www.sleazegrinder.com/jeffzakkwylde.htm"]http://www.sleazegrinder.com/jeffzakkwylde.htm[/url][/quote]
A vocabulary similar to my own. I never knew Zakk Wylde was Pompey.

And why no Bros songs? Ken was an awesome player.

[6stringbassist]

I can see loads on there I personally wouldn't have in my list, the no.1 for a start, a bit of joke really that beating 'Teen town' or 'School days'.

And 'Ace of spades', come on !.

Maybe the idea behind the list is to get people talking about it.

I personally think that Bass player magazine is far better, where does the 'full of adverts' thing come from ?.
It's a commercial magazine, so there are adverts to pay for it, but I really don't think that they're out of proportion.
The gear reviews are really good and infomative, I can't think of any gear that they've reviewed that hasn't found it's way over here, thanks to the internet and international magazines.

I used to subscribe to BGM, but didn't bother to renew my subscription, I personally didn't find the reviews, interviews or features at all interesting.
The list above just about sums the magazine up.

[WHUFC BASS]

I've never given polls like this any credence. You can't really, what is good for one person my not float another person's boat. I wouldn't let it get to you, I remember a guitarist poll that put Kirk Hammett ahead of Django Reinhardt. Two totally opposite end of the spectrum players who in my opinion would be like comparing apples to oranges.

[Rich]

I was just looking at this Top 40 feature again earlier (gotta have something to read on the bog, right?) and noticed summat I hadn't seen before. They'd got several personal top 10s off some contributors and name players... one of them was from Alan Davey, the ex-Hawkwind [s]Lemmy wannabe[/s] bassist, and he'd put [i]one of his own basslines [/i]in his top 10.
Bloody hell. What sort of titanic ego does it take to rate your own work like that?

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='Rich' post='449073' date='Mar 29 2009, 10:58 PM']I was just looking at this Top 40 feature again earlier (gotta have something to read on the bog, right?) and noticed summat I hadn't seen before. They'd got several personal top 10s off some contributors and name players... one of them was from Alan Davey, the ex-Hawkwind [s]Lemmy wannabe[/s] bassist, and he'd put [i]one of his own basslines [/i]in his top 10.
Bloody hell. What sort of titanic ego does it take to rate your own work like that?[/quote]

I know. Brilliant isn't it?! You would have thought somebody would have politely said to Alan... "c'mon Alan... think about it..."

[lowdown]

[quote name='Rich' post='449073' date='Mar 29 2009, 10:58 PM']one of them was from Alan Davey, the ex-Hawkwind [s]Lemmy wannabe[/s] bassist, and he'd put [i]one of his own basslines [/i]in his top 10.
Bloody hell. What sort of titanic ego does it take to rate your own work like that?[/quote]

And with one that sunk without a trace as well.


Garry

Edited March 30, 2009 by lowdown