NorthWriter
10-25-2006, 05:53 AM
So for my first topic I thought I'd talk about some of the great bass players in music today, or at least some of my influences.
A lot of people have mentioned how Paul McCartney was a very melodic bass player. I'm not disagreeing, and compared to bassists before him, he was extremely innovative in the way he played (listen to the bass line for "You Won't See Me" from Rubber Soul).
Another contemporary of his, James Jamerson, played with the Funk Brothers, which was more-or-less the "house band" of Motown during the 60s and 70s (more #1 hits than the Beatles, Elvis, and the Stones combined). Jamerson really influenced my dad's bass playing style, which was a big influence on my style.
As far as modern music, the first one to come to mind is John Stirrat of Wilco. Three songs at the top of my list are "A Shot In The Arm" from Summerteeth, "Handshake Drugs" from A Ghost Is Born, and "War On War" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I really like the way his bass playing anchors the songs, but he doesn't feel the need to stay down in the lower register. He meanders a little, but not at the expense of the song.
One other that I've really enjoyed is Victor Damiani, who played on Cake's album Fashion Nugget. He provided some of the tastiest bass parts in rock (in my humble opinion).
Finally, Robert Sledge, formerly of Ben Folds Five, completely changed my outlook on bass playing. He treated his bass more like a guitar (including the use of a distortion pedal) and helped me look at the bass as more than a piece of wood with only four strings. He helped me realize that there's a lot of potential in those four strings.
So what do you all think? Who do you like and why?
A lot of people have mentioned how Paul McCartney was a very melodic bass player. I'm not disagreeing, and compared to bassists before him, he was extremely innovative in the way he played (listen to the bass line for "You Won't See Me" from Rubber Soul).
Another contemporary of his, James Jamerson, played with the Funk Brothers, which was more-or-less the "house band" of Motown during the 60s and 70s (more #1 hits than the Beatles, Elvis, and the Stones combined). Jamerson really influenced my dad's bass playing style, which was a big influence on my style.
As far as modern music, the first one to come to mind is John Stirrat of Wilco. Three songs at the top of my list are "A Shot In The Arm" from Summerteeth, "Handshake Drugs" from A Ghost Is Born, and "War On War" from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I really like the way his bass playing anchors the songs, but he doesn't feel the need to stay down in the lower register. He meanders a little, but not at the expense of the song.
One other that I've really enjoyed is Victor Damiani, who played on Cake's album Fashion Nugget. He provided some of the tastiest bass parts in rock (in my humble opinion).
Finally, Robert Sledge, formerly of Ben Folds Five, completely changed my outlook on bass playing. He treated his bass more like a guitar (including the use of a distortion pedal) and helped me look at the bass as more than a piece of wood with only four strings. He helped me realize that there's a lot of potential in those four strings.
So what do you all think? Who do you like and why?