Great bass lines in punk

[Barking Spiders]

Were The Stranglers a punk band, seeing as they were older than most punk bands and that they could actually play their instruments? They like Ian Dury, XTC, Elvis C and other not-really-punk bands just happened to have formed around the same time as the Damned, Pistols etc. 

 

[Skybone]

Got to second the respect for Paul Gray, superbly tasteful player.

Phil from Subhumans & Jasper from Citizen Fish

Grant from Rudimentary Peni

 

[PaulWarning]

8 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

Were The Stranglers a punk band, seeing as they were older than most punk bands and that they could actually play their instruments? They like Ian Dury, XTC, Elvis C and other not-really-punk bands just happened to have formed around the same time as the Damned, Pistols etc. 

 

Stranglers had a punk attitude, at least for the first 3 albums, but had keyboards which was different, lots of punk bands could play at first because they'd been around for a few years, saw which way the wind was blowing and changed to punk, the Clash and Stiff Little Fingers for instance, it was a couple of years later that the people who couldn't really play jumped on the bandwagon (I know I was one of them 😂) but I agree a lot of 'punk' bands got labelled as punk because they happened to be around at the same time

[Lozz196]

12 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

Were The Stranglers a punk band, seeing as they were older than most punk bands and that they could actually play their instruments? They like Ian Dury, XTC, Elvis C and other not-really-punk bands just happened to have formed around the same time as the Damned, Pistols etc. 

 

Well I’d class them as punk as for me it was more about attitude and energy than a specific formula at start. Later on it did become very set, but look at the early punk bands, Pistols, Clash, Damned, Buzzcocks, Stranglers, X Ray Spex, they’re all very different in sound.

[SteveXFR]

1 minute ago, PaulWarning said:

Stranglers had a punk attitude, at least for the first 3 albums, but had keyboards which was different, lots of punk bands could play at first because they'd been around for a few years, saw which way the wind was blowing and changed to punk, the Clash and Stiff Little Fingers for instance, it was a couple of years later that the people who couldn't really play jumped on the bandwagon (I know I was one of them 😂) but I agree a lot of 'punk' bands got labelled as punk because they happened to be around at the same time

Two of the stranglers drink at my mates local where its over £5 a pint. That's not punk. 

[Bassman68]

If New Model Army can be classed as Punk, then the bassline to ‘No rest’ is one of my faves?

[Stub Mandrel]

Any questions?

[Stub Mandrel]

Flanged bass - it's almost prog 🙂

[TheLowDown]

I thought it was usually just root notes in punk. Because punk is so busy for the bass to be audible, it doesn't benefit from having anything more than that, and could probably do away with the bass altogether and just have down tuned guitars.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by TheLowDown

[el borracho]

This has always been one of my favourite bass lines - bass intro as well

 

[Phil_T]

If you venture into ska-punk there's some incredible bass lines to have a go at if you have the ability. A few bands that I can think of:

Suicide Machines

Choking Victim 

Leftover Crack

Catch 22

Rancid

[PaulWarning]

9 minutes ago, el borracho said:

This has always been one of my favourite bass lines - bass intro as well

 

some versions of Love Song as well

 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by PaulWarning

[pqs]

I've always liked White Mice by The Modettes just wish I could find a tab for it.

 

[Nail Soup]

5 hours ago, MrCrane said:

Jane Munro of the Au Pairs came up with a few interesting lines.

I finally got round to getting the Au Pairs back catalogue compilation  a couple of weeks ago and came to exactly the same conclusion.

In fact I listed to the whole double CD and thought how great it all was.... until very near the end when suddenly there were a few frankly awful songs.

I checked out the sleeve notes........... they were recorded after Jane left.

And shortly before the band packed up for good.

[doomed]

Take your pick from anything by Subhumans/Culture Shock/Citizen Fish

Also 2 Sick Monkeys, no guitars, just a bass and drums.

 

[SteveXFR]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Any questions?

Holy stinky poo I forgot about that song. That's awesome. 

[SteveXFR]

Were there any punk bassists who didn't use a P or J bass? 

[Cat Burrito]

1 minute ago, SteveXFR said:

Were there any punk bassists who didn't use a P or J bass? 

Tony James (Gen X) used Thunderbirds and Ric 4001s. Steve Severin used a Musicman. Those three basses seemed pretty popular too.

[Old Man Riva]

40 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

Tony James (Gen X) used Thunderbirds and Ric 4001s. Steve Severin used a Musicman. Those three basses seemed pretty popular too.

I think that Paul Gray used a Rickenbacker and an Overwater (Thunderbird style), and Algy Ward used a Thunderbird.

(Paul Gray used a Thunderbird in UFO...)

[Old Man Riva]

18 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

it's the all downstrokes (I think) that kill me, same with Bruce Foxton, you can do it up and down but it's not the same

Totally agree. I used to sit and try and work the parts out, but could never manage to get them to sound as fluid and ‘nailed’ as Segs. The downstrokes were key to tracks like Babylon’s Buring and Demolition Dancing (brilliant interplay with Paul Fox’s guitar on that), and I just couldn’t master them.

As for Society... don’t get me started!

11 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I was fortunate enough a few years back to play the Babylon’s Burning bass. We were in the dressing room and I was drooling over it so Segs said I could have a go on it, very decent chap, and very very decent bass.

That’s great! Was/is it a 60s or 70s? In a previous life many years ago I did some work with Ruffy and he was one of the nicest people I’ve met. Also one of the funniest - like being in a room with Tommy Cooper!

When I first met him it didn’t take long for it to become clear that I was a bit of fan (to say the least). He was chuffed to bits (though took the p##s mercilessly - “you’ll be after my inside leg measurement next!”) and was kind enough to spend hours indulging me and talking about the band.

A really lovely guy, and a fabulous drummer... 

[Lozz196]

Think it was a 60s though whichever it had “had a life” to say the least.

[Maude]

3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Any questions?

Yeah, why at one point did they have a bassist called Flea who wasn't Flea?  Confused me when I was young. 🤔😁

[Maude]

3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Flanged bass - it's almost prog 🙂

I love 999. Always felt they were underrated, kind of looked at as not punk enough, yet they wrote some great tunes and could definitely play. 

[steve1879]

Rancid have been mentioned a few times here, but check out Operation Ivy. Matt Freeman’s lines in Op Ivy are fantastic.

Also, listen to Todd Kowalski’s playing in Propagandhi. The bass playing on their last album Victory Lap is incredible! In particular on Failed Imagineer, Adventures in Zoochosis and Lower Order. 
 

[PaulWarning]

7 hours ago, TheLowDown said:

I thought it was usually just root notes in punk. Because punk is so busy for the bass to be audible, it doesn't benefit from having anything more than that, and could probably do away with the bass altogether and just have down tuned guitars.

 

 

I was hoping someone else would answer this, but they haven't and  I've had a few pints now,.

Can't make up my mind whether it's trolling or ignorance