Best British Bassist

[hookys6stringbass]

[quote name='steantval' post='366491' date='Dec 30 2008, 07:38 PM']Peter Hook a total dickhead, looks and plays bass like a total t*at.[/quote]

Been doing it for 30 years tho - how should you look and play bass??

[supabock]

Subjective i know, but i reckon, laurence cottle

[wesfinn]

[quote name='crez5150' post='366195' date='Dec 30 2008, 02:16 PM']What about that bloke who was in Bros?? [/quote]

don't be dissing Mr Logan jay!

[buff]

Stan stammer, peter hook, adam clayton

[hookys6stringbass]

[quote name='buff' post='635770' date='Oct 25 2009, 12:01 AM']Stan stammer, peter hook, adam clayton[/quote]
All off the above esp hooky and Stan whom i've seen tooooooo many times to recalllllllllll

Edited October 25, 2009 by hookys6stringbass

[doctorbass]

Norman Watt Roy at the top of my list followed closely by Andy Fraser.

Mark Bedford is very underrated I think.

What about Noel Redding? Folkestone boy!

[jakenewmanbass]

It's totally subjective as people will simply put their favourite, so I'll try to be objective.
I would say our most accomplished bassist is Dave Holland because he is an artist that will transcend popular culture in the historical sense. The fact that he was a Miles Davis band member and the sheer volume of the worlds great jazz players he has accompanied to me elevate him above even someone as loved as Entwhistle (whom I also really dig) but not only from a status perspective, but as a craftsman too. There is no-one to touch his ability on these shores.
I'm sure some would say I lack objectivity because I like jazz, but I love all kinds of music equally and I have a very firm belief in fair minded appraisal.

[marcus bell]

mark king
paul williams
george anderson

[BB2000]

There's Dave Holland, and then there's everyone else. Of the others I've always enjoyed Dave Markee's playing.

[kets]

Has anyone mentioned Mo Foster yet? Another awesome bassist, wrote that amazing seventeen wattss book as well. Top stuff!

[johnmarley]

I'd say Dave Holland myself because he plays on some of my favourite albums like Bitches Brew by Miles Davis and Angel Song by Kenny Wheeler. You have to love Steve Harris though don't you...

[KevB]

Sorry not to have replied earlier. It's taken this long to stop laughing at Entwhistle, Bruce ansd Squire being listed as 'also-rans'...

Edited October 26, 2009 by KevB

[Bilbo]

Just to stir things up, I will offer some opinions (I have several) - I think Cottle is overated! What I hear is a man who has learned 1,000 licks off other people and who puts them together to create something, errr, the same. I was impressed with his technique at the early stages of hearing but, once I got past that, there was not a lot of him in there, just losts of other people. I would rather Steve Swallow (yes, I know he's not British) anyday, even though he has half the technique.

I also think Gwizdala is a relative lightweight compared to some of the real greats. His playing is not yet fully formed and he could be a lot better before he is done. I love his work ethic and hope it pays dividends but, so far, IMO, he's a work in progress. His work is ok but not brilliant but I think the important word is 'yet'

Back to the posts on why someone is 'one of the best': I think it has to do with the old 'can anyone do it or is it a fresh and original sound'? Chris Squire is an absolute gem in that his whole concept is uinique to him and noone else has ever really taken his concept and moved it on. Mike Rutherford, however, is a player who I consider to be completely replaceable in Genesis - his songwriting role is another matter but his playing? Could be anyone most of the time. I actually think his contribution to teh success of Genesis was his arranging skills and the fact that he could play guitar, bass, bass pedals and backing vocals. It was all of it, not just the bass playing.

Never been an Entwhistle fan because I have never been a Who fan - I have always been someone who can't seperate the player from the songs they play. As Ox has only ever really been The Who's bass player, I was never really listening.

I agree with Jake (again), Dave Holland has done so much with so many people as well as under his own name, he has to be up there with the best.

[Rich]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='636792' date='Oct 26 2009, 11:23 AM']Just to stir things up[/quote]
What, you? surely not! :lol:

[Bilbo]

[quote name='Rich' post='636833' date='Oct 26 2009, 12:38 PM']What, you? surely not! :lol:[/quote]

I know. It looks bad, doesn't it? I just think that so much of what this business is about is shallow posturing and not 'the real deal'. It therefore looks like I am dissing everything when I am actually a great supporter and staunch advocate of great music, whatever form it takes. I actually think I am tBBC in sheep's clothing....

I mean, Steve Harris? Ok, if you're 13!

[purpleblob]

My oh my, just read this thread from start to finish (that's a good fifteen minutes of my life gone forever ).

How can anyone truly answer such an open question ? What does "best" really mean ? Is it most influential, greatest technique, most albums played on, what about multi-talented (i.e. song writer or multi instrumentalist) ... ? So much appears to depend upon ones own musical taste and thus any view is too easily skewed by one's musical preferences.

But not wishing to look like too much of a stick in the mud, here's my 2p worth, I put forward one name to be lauded as the best...

[b]Mr John Paul Jones [/b]

JPJ pretty much fulfills all criteria for being the best. He's a talented musician. A bassist who's legacy transcends the decades. A multi instrumentalist in one of the most influential bands ever. Need I say more (oh and yes, my view is skewed by my love of Led Zep ).

By the way, how the hell is Chris Squire an "also ran" when Sting, Lemmy, John Taylor for crying out loud (assuming it's the John Taylor I know) are in the top ten, that's not just subjective it's madness

Edited October 26, 2009 by purpleblob

[funkypenguin]

Gwizdala, Palladino and Entwhistle get my vote

[Bill W]

Just read the post from start to finish feeew! wile listening to jimmy nails first album Growing up in public ,with Guy Pratt playing some wonderful bass lines and co writing most of the songs yet he hardly gets a mention he also has been known to play for pink Floyd he's in my top ten

[4 Strings]

Glad to see Norman Watt-Roy get so much support through this thread, he is absolutely fabulous. If you want to check him out go onto the Wilko Johnson website and go and catch him in Wilko's band for the price of a couple of pints in your local small venue. Watching Norman is an experience every bass player should be subjected to. He doesn't stop playing the whole night through, and I mean playing, not accompanying. He is an extension of his Jazz bass, every pluck of harmonics, every nuance and chord is expressed through his body. You have to go and see him to understand, if you haven't already.

Not the best the country has produced in all history, perhaps (I'm sure players can do certain things better) but so entertaining, so musical, such a player.

Surprised there's so few supporters of Mark King, one of the most influential the UK has produced.

Overall, legend status, John Entwhislte.

[jacko]

Music is an art form, not a competition. We're all going to have our own preferences so there's no real way we can say one player is better than the other.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='jacko' post='651830' date='Nov 11 2009, 05:56 PM']Music is an art form, not a competition. We're all going to have our own preferences so there's no real way we can say one player is better than the other.[/quote]

Disagree.... We can all argue over Christopher Isherwood vs Norman Mailer or Shakespeare vs Brecht but noone is going to say Jeffery Archer is a better novelist or Victoria Wood a better playwrite. There are obviously sujective elements to it but it is perfectly defensible to argue that a is better than b. Otherwise everything is great and it most certainly is not.

Am I the only one here who sees the value in debate? Some folk seem to think the only 'cool' space to be in is to live and let live and agree that everything is brilliant. Serene but BORING

Maybe its a Welsh thing?

[urb]

Dave Holland, Tom Jenkinson, Laurence Cottle, John Entwistle - they've my faves - all of them amazing in their own way.

[Marvin]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='651953' date='Nov 11 2009, 08:25 PM']Disagree.... We can all argue over Christopher Isherwood vs Norman Mailer or Shakespeare vs Brecht but noone is going to say Jeffery Archer is a better novelist or Victoria Wood a better playwrite. There are obviously sujective elements to it but it is perfectly defensible to argue that a is better than b. Otherwise everything is great and it most certainly is not.

Am I the only one here who sees the value in debate? Some folk seem to think the only 'cool' space to be in is to live and let live and agree that everything is brilliant. Serene but BORING

Maybe its a Welsh thing? [/quote]
Some people see a fence and will always want to sit on it I'm afraid

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='BassBus' post='369310' date='Jan 3 2009, 03:51 PM']I can't believe no-one has mentioned

[size=7] [color="#FF0000"]MIKE RUTHERFORD[/color][/size][size=7]!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [/size][/quote]

I heard this recently from the deep dark 70s, there's some scary bass playing......

[jacko]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='651953' date='Nov 11 2009, 08:25 PM']but noone is going to say Jeffery Archer is a better novelist or Victoria Wood a better playwrite.[/quote]

Why not? Just because you think isherwood and mailer are better doesn't mean anyone else will neccessarilly agree with you. What one person thinks is good another person will think is pish as sure as eggs are eggs. like I said, music is not a competetive sport so there can be no winners or losers, only participants. Ok... I may have a preference for a certain player but it certainly doesn't mean that person is any better than someone who's music I don't like..

If the thread had been entitled 'favourite british bassist' then I think the discussion would be a whole lot more valid (although I have to say my favourite changes from day to day depending on mood and what I've been listening to).