A bass album that really affected you?

[Ricky 4000]

6 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

The first two Bauhaus albums were (I was going to say influential, perhaps not the right word) eye-openers for me in a kind of ‘sonic palette’ way, what was actually possible with guitar, bass and drums. Excellent albums and a great live band especially around the time of Mask.

I too liked Bauhaus, though I don't understand why 80% of the songs was about Najinsky the ballet dancer... 

[casapete]

This. Changed my world and entered my subconscious from quite an early age, only for me to realise later how much I'd taken notice of the basslines. Only wish I could play 'em!

 

[Frank Blank]

I’m not a fan of slap bass, it always sounds dry and mechanical to me, then again my experience of it is very limited, Mark King and some Primus, I have never heard Stanley Clarke nor do I really have any idea who is considered a good slap player. That being said it might also be because one of my very first experiences of slap bass has never been surpassed, the playing of John Wilson on Heaven 17’s brilliant album Penthouse and Pavement. Someone on BC mentioned him the other day, possibly on this thread and I remembered seeing something on a documentary about him. Anyway here is some interesting info about the making of the album with a bit about John Wilson, he doesn’t seem to be playing now, such a shame, brilliant playing...
 

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Frank Blank

[NikNik]

13 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

I’m not a fan of slap bass, it always sounds dry and mechanical to me, then again my experience of it is limited to Mark King and some Primus, I have never heard Stanley Clarke nor do I really have any idea who is considered a good slap player. That being said it might also be because one of my very first experiences of slap bass has never been surpassed, the playing of John Wilson on Heaven 17’s brilliant album Penthouse and Pavement. Someone on BC mentioned him the other day, possibly on this thread and I remembered seeing something on a documentary about him. Anyway here is some interesting info about the making of the album with a bit about John Wilson, he doesn’t seem to be playing now, such a shame, brilliant playing...
 

 

Have to say, liked the album immensely,  liked JW's style, but found his sound on that album very sterile. 

[Frank Blank]

1 minute ago, NikNik said:

Have to say, liked the album immensely,  liked JW's style, but found his sound on that album very sterile. 

Strange how different people hear things, one of the reasons I love the bass on that album is because, to me, the bass sounds organic and a bit rough, the very opposite of the sterility I hear in other slap players. I’m trying to think of the aural equivalent of horses for courses...

[drTStingray]

1960s - Schhh - Ten Years After

1970s - Blam - Brothers Johnson

1980s - No Parlez - Paul Young

1990s - Rage Against The Machine

2000s - Canned Heat - Jamiroquy

2010s - The Beautiful Game - Vulfpeck

No videos uploaded to prevent the app from crashing - I could have picked at least three or four per decade up until the latest decade - not sure what that's saying about the role of bass in music more recently.... 

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by drTStingray

[4000]

3 hours ago, NikNik said:

WITC was an awesome tune and I loved that bassline. I recall the promo vid where the bassist had a Wal and a Trace rig and thought the tone was ace. Wasn't so sure about his shorts, though.....

He has one of my favourite tones. The clarity and yet growl he gets are amazing. 

 

[Frank Blank]

46 minutes ago, 4000 said:

He has one of my favourite tones. The clarity and yet growl he gets are amazing. 

 

Damn, how did I forget Bow Wow Wow and the brilliant Leigh Gorman, along with Dave Barbarossa, surely one of the best rhythm sections ever. More slap bass that I’d forgotten I loved! Another great band live.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Frank Blank

[BrunoBass]

Not bass albums in the virtuosic sense, but this one made me want to pick up a bass guitar when I was a kiddie...

[BrunoBass]

...and this one taught me how bass could be melodic and counter melodic whilst still preserving my maxim that ‘the song comes first’. 

[4000]

1 hour ago, Frank Blank said:

Damn, how did I forget Bow Wow Wow and the brilliant Leigh Gorman, along with Dave Barbarossa, surely one of the best rhythm sections ever. More slap bass that I’d forgotten I loved! Another great band live.

One of the most underrated rhythm sections in popular music IMO. And yes, fab live, back n the day.

[Frank Blank]

Just now, 4000 said:

One of the most underrated rhythm sections in popular music IMO. And yes, fab live, back n the day.

Absolutely right on the money.

[rogerstodge]

On 23/09/2019 at 23:24, Frank Blank said:

None of them strictly ‘bass albums' but certainly the most influential in a bass sense for me...

 

+1 for Black and White

[Frank Blank]

Just now, rogerstodge said:

+1 for Black and White

An absolutely cracker, what a sound, everything about it is sinister and unpleasant. Perfect.

[rogerstodge]

6 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

An absolutely cracker, what a sound, everything about it is sinister and unpleasant. Perfect.

Spot on Frank, have you listened to the Raven?

[Frank Blank]

19 minutes ago, rogerstodge said:

Spot on Frank, have you listened to the Raven?

I certainly have, I’ve been a huge fan for many years, I love all their albums up until ‘10’. The Stranglers have been a constant throughout, they hit me at just the right time so their music never ages or diminishes in potency for me, proper. I think Baroque Bordello is possibly my top track from The Raven, I have the record with the prismatic cover, almost as treasured as my copy of Meninblack (my favourite Stranglers album) signed by Hugh Cornwell.

[sykilz]

As an aspiring 14 year old metal bassist first picking up the instrument it was down to two guys in 1984 for me, after listening to the albums The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden and Ride the Lightning by Metallica. To my innocent little ears they showed me that 'Metal' bass doesn't have to be all thudding root notes, it could make the music bounce and gallop and groove and grind and energise the whole bands sound. I feel so lucky to have been around at a time when so much iconic music was being made.

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by sykilz

[D.A. Smalls]

40 minutes ago, sykilz said:

As an aspiring 14 year old metal bassist first picking up the instrument it was down to two guys in 1984 for me, after listening to the albums The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden and Ride the Lightning by Metallica. To my innocent little ears they showed me that 'Metal' bass doesn't have to be all thudding root notes, it could make the music bounce and gallop and groove and grind and energise the whole bands sound. I feel so lucky to have been around at a time when so much iconic music was being made.

 

Totally with you on this, Cliff Burton and Steve Harris, plus Dave Ellefson were inspiring. It felt like they were taking on the guitarists at their own game. “Peace sells...” - what an iconic bass intro.

[MrDaveTheBass]

Regatta De Blanc was the album that turned me from a guitarist into a bass player. (That, plus Outlandos D'Amour and Zenyatta Mondatta). I bought "The Police Complete" manuscript book to learn the guitar parts, and ended up learning the basslines instead.

[Bleat]

Probably these 3 for me as a "bass player".

2112 showed me how upfront and melodic bass can be, Back In Black taught me the importance of great timing and  being a solid part of the rhythm section, Power and The Glory showed me how to combine the 2 things....and IMO not a weak track to be found on any of those albums.

[Skybone]

One of my favourite albums features very prominent basslines...

Hawkwind: Space Ritual

Lord of Light is a particular highlight.

[Lfalex v1.1]

4 that I feel influenced my decision to take up bass...

Nilsson Schmilson - Harry Nilsson (Herbie Flowers & Klaus Voorman)

I'm the Man - Joe Jackson (Graham Maby)

So - Peter Gabriel (Larry Fast and Tony Levin)

Graceland - Paul Simon (Bagkithi Kumalo)

 

In all 4, the bass is often central to the song, and at very least quite to the fore in the mix. And all of the playing, whilst diverse, is excellent and generally tasteful.

I don't think I really registered how much they influenced my choice of instrument until I look back.

Shame I can't play like those guys though!! 

[pst62]

On 25/09/2019 at 19:52, Frank Blank said:

Damn, how did I forget Bow Wow Wow and the brilliant Leigh Gorman, along with Dave Barbarossa, surely one of the best rhythm sections ever. More slap bass that I’d forgotten I loved! Another great band live.

Some naughty lines going on in here too! IIRC he played with a pick?

 

[FinnDave]

5 hours ago, Skybone said:

One of my favourite albums features very prominent basslines...

Hawkwind: Space Ritual

Lord of Light is a particular highlight.

Down through the night is my bass fav on SR.

[Frank Blank]

43 minutes ago, pst62 said:

Some naughty lines going on in here too! IIRC he played with a pick?

Blimey, really? I saw them twice and never noticed, then again I was very, very drunk.