Which do you think album helped define what bass playing is and should be?
What album made you pick it up and start those first few plucks?
Was it a Heavy Weather? Close to the edge? Blea Fleck & the Flecktones?

For me it was Zep two...The Lemon Song! Later on it was Jaco's first solo album..two words..Donna Lee!

Hi,
For me it was "Live at Leeds" by The Who.

Rgds

I was already playing bass, but Geddy's playng on Rush's "A Farewell to Kings" really inspired me.

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Paul

well for me it was Black Sabbath's PARANOID album that got me going and i think Iron Man was just THE SONG that i wanted to play in the begining. hasn't really changed, i still play all the sabbath i can.....

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"Don't let those empty people try and interfere with your mind, just live your life and leave them all behind!"--Black Sabbath

You guys don't laugh to hard at this one.....My first real influence on the bass was from TWISTED SISTER!!!!!!!!! http://talkbass.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif After that it was Gene Simmons from Kiss. And then I discovered Rush. After that it was Heavy Weather. Some history!
Chris

I leaned some BTO (Not Fragile) and Sabbath (I think it was the album Black Sabbath), but nothing that had the kind of impact that "Cinderella Man" or "Xanadu" then my brother got 2112 and I forgot all about any other players until I figured out that you don't get many gigs if all you know is Rush basslines...so i learned the keyboards too. http://talkbass.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Paul

Hey Jaco fans!...everybody seems to mention HEAVY WEATHER; do give a listen(or a re-visit)to Weather Report's NIGHT PASSAGE & the self-titled WEATHER REPORT cds. IMO, these are a step above HW. Too, Jaco's playing on "Barbary Coast"(from BLACK MARKET)...funk-ay! Also, MR. GONE's "Punk Jazz"-Jaco with Tony Williams on that one,...bad!.
I started "playing"(?) in '72; I'm guessing it was McCartney, Led Zep, Sly Stone, Santana, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Yes,...whatever a typical, long-haired 14-year old was into at that time.
About 3-4 years later, Jaco's debut; Stanley Clarke's SECOND solo album("Lopsy Lu"); Jamerson's Motown stuff; Rainey's playing with Quincy Jones & Steely Dan; The Brothers Johnson's LOOKIN' OUT FOR #1; Will Lee with The Breckers;...on & on & on.
Later...

Well Elvis had me playin' air guitar since I can remember but when I started playing bass I was into rock/hard rock but there weren't specifically any bass players. But not long after I stared taking lessons I got David Lee Roth's "Eat 'Em and Smile" with Billy Sheehan and I immediately took the songs to my teacher but to no avail. Since then It's gone mostly by style:

"Mingus Ah Um" for jazz
anything by P-Funk
and Stanley Clarke or Jaco for fusion

I started wanting to play after hearing the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" album (voted #1 bass album of all time in one of the mags!!)

I didn't really get around to actually playing until about 6 years after it though!

Faith No More did some good stuff aswell - simple, but effective (or so I thought)!

I saw TM Stevens live 3 years ago. WOW !!! Such a power, such a groove, all in one. I knew as good as nothing related to bass before, but, after the show, I was convicted : I want to make THIS too. I had the chance to hang out for a while with him after the show, and this man is great !

Two weeks later, another concert, this time it was Skunk Anansie. Pretty good bass stuff, too. Another meeting with the bassist Cass Lewis after that show.

It was a sign. I bought a bass one week later !

Harry Connick Jr. "She" Album

As a bass player I am a firm believer in the bass being a blend in and complement type accompaning (sp?) instrument.

This album is pretty bass heavy. I am not a huge fan of Big band music, and this album is more pop meets jazz. i like to turn tha bass up on the stereo, and close my eyes and listen. It has some cool solos on it too. If you do not like typical Harry, check it out! It is different.

bass isin't just for support anymore.....case in point...PRIMUS..Les Claypool..but that is not my only influence..I'm way too old to be that closed minded http://talkbass.com/ubb/smile.gif I've been moved by every low end sound I ever heard..bass or otherwise...it's all good http://talkbass.com/ubb/smile.gif

red hot chili peppers and victor wooten are my inspirations

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Player:
I was already playing bass, but Geddy's playng on Rush's "A Farewell to Kings" really inspired me.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
and who could forget hemispheres

Rush started the draw, then I started listening to more music and eventually every thing excited me especcially Stu Hamm's techniques live.

Les Claypool of PRIMUS on the "Antipop" CD is really out there with some great bass lines and leads. Sounds like he is having a lot of fun to me playing, writing tunes and singing with the band.

I remember reading in guitar player interview many years ago a review of a bassist(I cant remember whom.it was before B.P.mag.)that said Jack Bruce was the first player to play something other than "chug-a-lug" bass.He made particular mention of Cream's rendition of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads"
Although I concer with that opinion,I dont mind chug-a-luging(on bass) once in a while,especially if thats what you call Willie Dixon or J.Jamerson et al inspired lines.

Steve Harris

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I havent been playing that long but 311's album "Music" inspired me, the song "Feels so Good" in particular.

The Police-Walking on the Moon. A perfect example of how Sting's lines are so appropriate, and this case, simple.

I've always liked bass, since I was a kid. I could always here it clearly. Les Claypool of Primus made me want a bass. Geddy Lee is the god of rhythm. Hell, Les's 4 string HAS Geddy's signature on it. Those two are my ideal players.

"I can't never stop working hard." - Bootsy

Laugh all you want, but the Muppett Show Album, which I got when I was seven. It's as musical and creative as Pet Sounds or Sgt. Pepper and a heckuva lot more fun. Music still holds up today!

Will C.

BigW-...Floyd & Animal are one helluva rhythm section! http://www.talkbass.com/ubb/smile.gif

Geddy Lee and Chris Squire were my first big influences back in the late '70's. I love Tony Levin's work with Peter Gabriel. One of my all-time favorite and most influential bassists is Aston "Family Man" Barrett, who was the bassist and musical director for Bob Marley and the Wailers.

i don't have an album but i do know of a video that inspired me. I was watching tv one night and i came opon pbs. Not something i usually watch but my mom was there and she made me. They were playing a tape of a live Harry Belafonte concert. At that point and time he had a bass player named richard bona(a named i leaned 3 years later). He played a solo spot singing and playing chords and melodies on bass. I was just begining to play and this was an eye opener to me.

Hey fellow Jaco fans and 'philes', please check out some of Jerry Jemmott's work with Aretha, BB King and especially King Curtis. This guy is awesome and doesn't get the attention that he deserves, IMO. It's rewarding to trace the roots back of a guy like Jaco to those who inspired him.

"I'm just an imitator myself, man. I'm just doing a very bad imitation on the bass of Jerry Jemmott..."

Jaco, (Guitar Player '84)

right on man! i own a copy of B.B. King's 69' album "completely well". I bought it just to hear jerry jemmott. I am really excited to get the live king curtis album he did at the fillmore.

"Led Zeppelin II", it defines why we do what we do. The definitive bass album of all times. The very guts of rock.

sting!!
he is the man, write the songs geniously!
no doubt...ten summoners tale!! mercury falling...

Jazz Hole

Anybody heard a CD by The Jazz Hole called ...and the feeling goes around.

I've had it a couple of years and the more I listen the more I like.

Bass players are Scott Colley, Freddie Cash and Carl Turner. I dont know any of these players outside this particular CD and the earlier Jazz Hole CD but I highly recommend anybody to check it out. I guess you would categorise it as modern hip hop jazz. Excellent.

Sean Middleton

I think the albums and players that got me playing originally were Goodbye Cream - mainly because I was terrible at picking lines out by ear and with that I could wind it onto the left side (I think) and get rid of Clapton, just listening to Jack and Ginger! :o) Then Fragile by Yes came along, and Frontline by Koinonia - Abe Laboriel was the man for a few years.

After that it was a best of Weather Report, and a Stu Hamm album that I was into at school, then Bill Evans live with Scott Lafaro.

More recently, I got Thonk by Michael Manring about 5 years ago and it changed the way I thought about the instrument. I wouldn't be doing solo bass stuff now if I hadn't heard that CD then. a couple of years ago I got Tony Levin's 'From The Caves OF The Iron Mountain', which showed me that Improv didn't have to be 'chops' heavy...

Oh, another early influence was Doug Pinnick, on King's X 'Out OF The Silent Planet' - serious RAWK bass! :o)

cheers

Steve

The one that REALLY inspired me the most...
School Days...Stanley Clarke

The Ten Sumoners Tales VCD is quite amazing. Although I don’t think Sting is the best Bass player in the world I do think he has a tremendous gift for melody, something like the beetles. I never listen to the Beetles particularly regularly but recognise that to be that prolific with such sweet melodies is talent indeed. In the case of Sting I do listen regularly and the guy just has a gift. Not the same sort of gift that Marcus Miller or Stanley Clark has (technique) but a melodic gift. This is not to say that Sting isn’t a gifted player. I love the 7/8 tunes on Ten Summoners Tales. Its beautiful to play complex rhythms and make them melodic at the same time, few are able to achieve it. Yep Sting is damn good. I have to say though my favourite bass album is Marcus Millers The Sun……..

don juan's reckless daughter by joni mitchell

Yes - Fragile

There were two albums for me. "Mirror" by Graham Central Station and "Modern Man" by Stanley Clarke both records conviced me I had to play bass.

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Keep it Funky

Jamiroquai- "Return of the Space Cowboy". A very funky bass playing album. I don't know how big Jamiroquai are elsewhere in the world, but I'm sure any Brits here will back me up in praising Stuart Zender.

Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine are what got me started. After I started 311 also joined my list. My fav albums are Californication, Rage's Fire (self-titled) album, Evil Empire, and Soundsystem.

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High Lord Peatroosio has spoken.

[This message has been edited by Peatroosio (edited June 03, 2000).]

Although I'm now really into Jaco and Victor Wooten and Oteil (like I say in many of my posts) I was inspired to pick up my bass because of Cliff Burton. When I was 13 years old, I went back and listened to Anaesthesia (Pulling Teeth) on the Kill em All album. I had never heard a bass solo before, and although it sounds like a distorted guitar solo, it was original, aggressive, and sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. The bass became very mysterious and intriguing to me, and I decided that one day I would become an inspirational bass player myself. (Just my fantasy when I was 13 http://www.talkbass.com/ubb/smile.gif) Back in those days, I was really into heavy stuff like Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer. I heard this Megadeth song called "Take no Prisoners" on the "Rust in Peace" album, and there's this little break where it's just the bass on it's own, just before it jumps into this all out thrash groove. Although the break couldn't be more than 3 seconds, it was the coolest thing to me. I then decided that I was going to play bass. And what a trip it's been and contiuing to be, taking me to places that I never knew to exist.

Incidentally, can anyone relate to me or know the Megadeth song I'm talking about?

&gt;Although I concer with that opinion,I dont mind chug-a-luging(on bass) once in a while,especially if thats what you call Willie Dixon or J.Jamerson et al inspired lines

I would never consider Jamerson a chug-a-lug bassist. Damn, he was almost as busy as Jack Bruce.

I started playing bass at about the same time Stu Hamm and John Patitucci stepped into the limelight. No coincidence there.

I don't know that any one album could define what bass playing is or should be, but the first album which made me listen to the Bass was Live Cream.

Something about talking about Jaco just gts me boiling and I have to go and listen to heavy Weather.
Well thats where I'm headin now.

Although this has been mentioned several times, and I don't personally consider it the 'best', but from an R&B standpoint within a rock context, my vote is Zep II. Being a WASP it was Zep II and Sgt. Pepper's that did it for me.

I can remember back in 74 or so at about age 14, Zep II caught my attention 'immediatley'! I think that is what inspired me to want to play bass in the first place; the 'tightness' and chemistry of the two instruments of JPJ and Bonham took rock to another level that was not really fully explored as successfully. The rawness of sound with all the electric power of R&B, and even a bit melodic blues/jazz lines, combined with acid-rock was unique for its time.

More importantly, it really showed what potential a simple rock /R&B rhythm section had, and its impacts of how important it really is to its genre.

The only thing JPJ didn't do was, slap? Well, around this same period, I suppose Sly filled the gap for me.

P.S. While Zep got me started, Prince got me back (from a 20 yr. layoff). Go figure.

ispiring to me was the album by the minutemen called double nickels on the dime, it contains over 40 songs on one cd and is approximately 74 minutes long, it was the 2nd underground LP ever released, (it was made in response to husker du's zen arcade). the bass on double nickels on the dime is incredible, mike watt was an inspiration. him along with listening to the meat puppets and the bad brains made me pick up the bass

Jason Newsted (sorry guys). AND, the sweet simplicity of the EAGLES. You have got to love Lyin' Eyes.



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Excuse me while I tell you how I feel

Great stuff thanks...

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC!!! Actually all of the RHCP's albums are great bass albums, ever listen to "get up and jump"? it's on their self-titled CD. How about the funky-@$$ bass solo on "my lovely man" on BSSM? on napster, look up "rare bass solo" by the red hot chili peppers and you'll be amazed.....FLEA RULES!!! FLEA RULES!!! FLEA RULES!!! FLEA RULES!!! I WORSHIP FLEA!!!

I agree with BassIsBest Timothy B Shmidht (im not sure of the spelling) is a real melodic player it was his bass line in One of These Nights and Hotel Cal that gave me great inspiration. Gran Funk Railroad's Closer to home is a great line and Mel Shcaffer ( not sure of his spelling either) is still one of my favorite players. Stu Cook from Creedence was a great ispiration he was one of the most underated players of all time, and he played a RIC, Born on the buyou and Down on the Corner have monster lines.

If anyone else is a fan of Pino Paladino....you would have to check out his playing on "I,Assassin" by Gary Numan. One of the best, but least known bass flavored CDs ever recorded.

wooten.... A show of hands ...... ......Jaco......(self titled)........ ....primus.......rinoplasty(tommy the cat) singing and thumping........

Originally posted by Paul A
Hi,
For me it was "Live at Leeds" by The Who.

Rgds

Sorry man...got to disagree with you. "Live at Leeds" was only the second greatest bass album...try "Quadrophenia".

Actually...just giving you a hard time. Entwistle's playing on "Leeds" WAS amazing. He's always been better live than in the studio, although that theory might be tested when The Who starts recording their next CD in Entwistle's home studio in the spring.

For more influences of his, check out "Blues to the Bush". His jam on "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" and also on "My Wife" will blow you away! He said in an interview that to prepare for the current tour, he listened almost exclusively to "Leeds" except for songs not on that album. You can hear a lot of his playing ideas translate from one live album to the next.

When i begun to play bass I didn´t have a favourite album, but when I bought one of "Blue Öyster Cults" Best of albums(BÖC got kinda many "best of" albums) and heard songs like "The red and the black", "Burning for you", "Godzilla" and "Take me away now" I directly falled in love with it . The songs isn´t that hard to play but realy fun and I realy recomend you to buy this album.

P.S Pleas, could any one tip of the best RUSH album for bassist.

[Edited by Perka on 09-11-2000 at 11:15 AM]

Originally posted by King David
Harry Connick Jr. "She" Album

As a bass player I am a firm believer in the bass being a blend in and complement type accompaning (sp?) instrument.

This album is pretty bass heavy. I am not a huge fan of Big band music, and this album is more pop meets jazz. i like to turn tha bass up on the stereo, and close my eyes and listen. It has some cool solos on it too. If you do not like typical Harry, check it out! It is different.



Finally, someone who loves that album as much as I do. It's my desert island CD. I thought I was alone.

I started playing a lot when I was listening to The Offspring's "Ixnay On The Hombre" CD. It was just there when I started and it was simple. However, the very first song I ever learned was Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Yet again, simple and there.

Originally posted by jonn_
....primus.......rinoplasty(tommy the cat) singing and thumping........

HELL YEA. This is my present day inspiration.

Well, no-one's mentioned the first couple Peter Gabriel albums yet. It was the first album I heard that made me sit up and really listen to the bass (well, at least the first one in many years after Cream...). I became an instant Tony Levin fan.