I think you'd have to put Sir Paul McCartney onto this list, not because he was super-proficient, but because he expanded the roll of the bass into carrying the melody line as well, as evidenced many times on Sergeant Pepper. John Lennon called him one of the most influential bassists of the sixties and seventies, and I think John was right. I was also thinking of the bassists who weren't in rock. For folk music, there as Dick Kniss, who played with Peter, Paul, and Mary. I was listening to a compilation of their music and was struck by the smoothness and expressiveness of the bass for the first time. His contribution to their sound was invaluable. And even though I don't know much about jazz, I know that Charles Mingus is at or near the top of everybody's list of the best jazz bassists. His collaboration with Joni Mitchell back in the day was a classic.
Whilst I tend more towards blues/jazz for my favourite musicians, the bass-player award has to go to Lemmy
When I was a teeny I liked JJ Burnel. A couple of years later I became pals with a session musician - 'Oh, those guys were always off doing their damned heroin...' he said 'My gosh...no...golly..' I said. JJ's pretty sexy if you like French kung fu type existentialists. I think he's 86 years old. ... Then a couple of years after it was all Joy Division bass lines - my guitarist pal banged them out into my face with his bass. He was bored shitless with JD basslines. 'Play it again, again, again!' Once upon a time, eh...
John Entwistle of The Who. The greatest rock bassist in history. And a guy nobody ever mentions on lists of best bassists, but is still great: Mike Rutherford of Genesis And another nobody mentions: Carl Radle. Listen to Derek and the Dominoes' "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?"
All essentially 'suspect.' Genesis especially subversive in a beardy geriatric sense. Or even first principles. One would always thump the 'Genesis chap' necessarily.
I'm a card-carrying beardy geriatric. 70s rock rules! Oh, I forgot to mention Chris Squire of Yes. A very innovative bassist. Modern bass kinda sucks. Too much slapping, not enough thumping.
In that appearance above they were clearly mucking around with JJ miming Hugh Cornwell's vocals etc. It's actually Jet Black the drummer who is an octogenarian, recently turning 80. 'Golden Brown' their biggest hit was allegedly about heroin.
I didn't appreciate bass until I fell in love with blink-182. Mark's bass playing in this song is also incredible in my opinion. It's a shame he simplifies some of it live. Easy to see/hear in this really good cover. That pink bass is sooo sick. Nostalgia.
I rarely play my bass, though I did plug it in today. I have no aptitude for it. I play it like I would a guitar, and that's not what it was designed for. Maybe one day when I dont have to work for a living I'll take lessons for it, but that ain't happening any time soon.
Has anybody mentioned Bakithi Kumalo yet? Go listen to the Graceland album, and you'll hear some jaw-dropping fretless bass.
*blinks* none of you said Les Claypool? Seriously? I was coming here to say Esperanza Spalding but I guess I'll name two
