Line Out - Comments on The Other Half of the Rhythm Section http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th Continuing the thread of this post from last week, I present the question to you, dear Line Out reader: Who are the best bass players working today? Or your favorites from the past? Note: All references to Flea will be... Copyright 2008 Mon, 19 Jun 2006 17:02:47 -0800 Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:34:29 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by who do you love? Just to get these out of the way, here are some of the biggest bass playing names in rock history:

Paul McCartney
John Entwhistle
Sting
Brian Ritchie
Danny Oleson

]]> who do you love? http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c371974 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c371974 Mon, 19 Jun 2006 18:07:38 -0800 Comment by josh kim deal. she is a genius

]]> josh http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c372080 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c372080 Mon, 19 Jun 2006 18:40:48 -0800 Comment by redfem oh for heaven's sake, suzi fucking quatro...
patricia morrison...and johnette napolitano, donna dresch.....the list goes on.

]]> redfem http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c372592 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c372592 Mon, 19 Jun 2006 21:09:28 -0800 Comment by rich_creamery_murder Adding to the list with a hearty "hell yeah" to Entwistle (The Who), Brian Ritchie (Violent Femmes), Kim Deal (Pixies) Sting's inviolable work in the Police and McCartney's undeniable Beatles bassmanship...

Carol Kaye (everyone from the Beach Boys to Zappa to Henry Mancini and on and on) because you must give props to the female pioneer into the 1950s male-dominated world of session musicians and one of the most diverse and hardest working bassist EVER; Gail Ann Dorsey (most notable as Bowie's touring bassist for the last decade) is rock solid; Fred Thomas (James Brown's bassist for 30+ years) gave us a lot during his years with JB and is probably the most sampled bassist today beacuse of it; James Jamerson was the house bassist for Motown Records from 1959 to 1972 and that says it all; Charles Mingus; Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order) continues to crank his lead bass stylings; Rick Danko (The Band), RIP, had an incredible melodic sensibility and root sensitivity; Chris Squire (Yes) is indisputably prog rock's heavy metal shredder, no joke; few musics rely on bass as much as reggae does and Aston "Familyman" Barrett was the bubbling bassman for Bob Marley and has worked with almost every notable reggae artist there is; Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith) gave us some of the best boogie-band swagger available in "Walk This Way"; John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) is a penultimate musician and the bassist's bassist; Bootsy Collins (James Brown, Parliament/Funkadelic) - the bassist responsible for the wickedly relentless bass work of "Sex Machine" and "Super Bad" needs no further explanation. Les Claypool has to be mentioned just because he takes the concept of freak bass to different levels all the time.

The list goes on and on, but a special shoutout is necessary to anyone who deftly handles the bass seat in a solid hard-working power-trio.

]]> rich_creamery_murder http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376330 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376330 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:25:12 -0800 Comment by denise Peter Hook is the first person that came into my head. That's my vote!

]]> denise http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376589 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376589 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 09:21:59 -0800 Comment by * If you are to believe the mouth-breathing, ponytail-sporting, kilt-wearing, D&D afficianados in the Stranger's forums then there is only one bassist. He walks on salt-water. His voice calms crying babies. His fingers so versitile he can pick a lock with his pinky.

His name: Geddy Lee.

]]> * http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376593 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376593 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 09:22:55 -0800 Comment by segal I have to second many of Rich_Creamery's choices: Bootsy, McCartney, Jamerson, Mingus, Squire, JP Jones. Spot-on.

Here are some more:
Larry Graham (Sly & the Family Stone) So goddamn FUNKY.
Holger Czukay (Can) Meister of minimalist-groove repetition.
Dave Allen (Gang of Four) Incredibly propulsive, oddly funky, and memorably tuneful.
Squarepusher (Squarepusher) The Jaco Pastorius of drum & bass.
Charlie Haden: Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry's bassist of choice. 'Nuff said.

]]> segal http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376751 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376751 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:16:53 -0800 Comment by redfem how could i forget, billy talbot. i am so sorry, oh great and powerful mr. young.

]]> redfem http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376765 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376765 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:19:40 -0800 Comment by DC I would have to say that my favorite bass players of late are Tonio Rubio (Serge Gainsbourg)and Mel Schacher(Grand Funk Railroad).

]]> DC http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376797 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376797 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:27:32 -0800 Comment by segal Oh, and Carol Kaye's work on David Axelrod's LPs. Phenomenal.

]]> segal http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376891 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376891 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 12:15:19 -0800 Comment by Eric Say what you will about Rancid, but Matt Freeman is an absolute superstar on the bass guitar.

]]> Eric http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376917 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376917 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:26:33 -0800 Comment by 98117 I second (or third) the Jamerson and Mingus choices. Mingus was quite the piano player too.

Dave Holland is also incredible.

There's a little-known bass player named Todd Sickafoose who is a wonderfully creative player. He's currently backing Ani DiFranco which doesn't excite me, but he also plays with some of the hardest hitting jazz/avant garde players around.

I've recently found some really tasty bits in Jeff Ament's playing. I've been pleasantly surprised.

I love these posts! Drummers, bassists.... what's next? I have opinions.

]]> 98117 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376957 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376957 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 14:21:12 -0800 Comment by 98117 ....oh, and Trevor Dunn. Listen to Dead Goons on the first Mr. Bungle album if you have doubts.

]]> 98117 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376963 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c376963 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 14:29:10 -0800 Comment by Paulus Geezer Butler

Ron Carter

]]> Paulus http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c377193 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c377193 Tue, 20 Jun 2006 15:43:14 -0800 Comment by Phil OM/Sleep bassist Al Cisneros. The bass/drums duo OM is a mindblowingly addictive and trance-inducing offshoot of the stoner-metal band Sleep.

]]> Phil http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c378356 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c378356 Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:34:43 -0800 Comment by Jayd Roger Waters, in the early Floyd years, was 1/2 of the best rhythm section in psychedelia.

]]> Jayd http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c379587 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c379587 Thu, 22 Jun 2006 15:40:54 -0800 Comment by Gary My favorites have tended to be lyrical players, but within the context of good songs. My faves:

Bruce Thomas (The Attractions)

Pete Donnelly (The Figgs)

Graham Maby (Joe Jackson, They Might be Giants, etc.)

Sting in the early Police Recordings

]]> Gary http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c380599 http://lineout.thestranger.com/2006/06/the_other_half_of_th#c380599 Fri, 23 Jun 2006 14:34:29 -0800