Bass Oriented Music???
 

OK, I don't spend a ton of time on here and I may be posting in the wrong area, but I'm looking for music recordings that are bass oriented. Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what I want, but as both a guitar and bass player, I find it hard to find recordings where bass is prominent the way that guitar playing is.

Here are some of my favorite bass players, so you can get an idea of the styles of playing I like:

Sting (with the Police)
Geddy Lee (with Rush)
Justin Chancellor (with Tool)

I think that the most salient element which is shared by all three of these guys in their playing that I am drawn to is that they create a space in their music which is distinctly occupied by the bass as opposed to the bass sitting in the background simply supporting the rhythm.

I don't mean to pigeonhole this request in rock music by the way because I like all kinds of music. These are just the three guys who come to mind.

Anyway, please suggest music to me based on my above comments . . .

Greetings from the North,

Here's a couple.........

Heat Wave - Martha & The Vandellas - James Jamerson

Penny Lane - Beatles - Macca

Mayor of Simpleton - XTC - Colin Moulding


Rezdog

The who. Nuff' said.

Rush
Primus
Police
Weather Report
Return to Forever
Bob Marley
Tool
Anything Motown
Sly and the family Stone
James Brown
Bela Fleck/Flecktones
Sublime
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Fishbone
Iron Maiden
Clutch
Rage against the Machine
etc.

ANYTHING feat. Les Claypool. i.e.:

Primus
Sausage
Les Claypool and the Holy Mackerel
Les Claypool
Oysterhead
Les Claypool's Frog Brigade
Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains

Other good stuff off the beaten path:

Attention Deficit
Ohm:
At War With Self
(all 3 feature amazing fretless bass playing)

Victor Wooten - "A Show Of Hands"
Brian Bromberg - "Wood", "Metal"
Medeski, Martin & Wood - "Last Chance To Dance Trance (Perhaps)"
Michael Manring - "Thonk", "Soliloquy"
Billy Sheehan - "Compression", "Cosmic Troubador"
Niacin
Stanley Clarke - "School Days"
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - "Greatest Songs of the 20th Century"
Weather Report - "Heavy Weather", "Mysterious Traveller", "Black Market"
Jaco Pastorius - "Jaco", "Word Of Mouth"
Joni Mitchell - "Hejira", "Shadows & Light"
Yes - "The Yes Album", "Close To The Edge", "Fragile", "Relayer", "Drama"
The Who - "Who's Next", "Live At Leeds", "Who Are You"
John Entwistle
Tower Of Power
Govt Mule - "Govt Mule", "Dose", "Life Before Insanity", "The Deep End (Vol 1 & Vol 2)
Bob Marley & The Wailers - "Kaya", "Uprising"
UB40 - "Rat In The Kitchen"
Primus
Cream
Clatter

Om


there is only a bass and drums ;)

There are a whole lot of great bass players from this era and genre (by which I mean the guitar-oriented side of new wave). Check out these albums for starters: XTC's "Black Sea"
and Elvis Costello's "Armed Forces"

Strap on headphones and listen to The Who do the song The Real Me. Really. Do it.

:bassist:

Good picks.

Also Joe Jackson's Look Sharp and I'm The Man from the same era.

+1 What a bass line!

Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories

70's prog with bass lines that almost put Chris Squire to shame

^Him ;)

I'm surprised no one has said it yet (unless someone did say it, in which case I'm still surprised but I'm also wrong :D)

You might check out Mike Watt and Kira in Dos. Just two basses. That is all.

Funny but the Beatles and any Motown music. Bass is in the drivers seat.

+1.

I would add Elvis' Get Happy album too but Bruce Thomas was good on all the old EC stuff.

I'd like to second Bruce Thomas' work with the Attractions and Colin Moulding with XTC. Brilliant playing. I would also add Graham Maby from genre of players from Joe Jackson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rmNAE7ZCEs

I also find some of the bass lines from of Montreal interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFGnN...eature=mh_lolz

Listen to prog! Almost every prog-rock band have lot of space to offer for their bassists and its not rare that bass plays the lead melody for parts of the song.

For something a bit different than the previous offerings, check out almost any song from With Love and Squalor by We Are Scientists.

One thing to note is that this "space" you are talking about is often found in 3 piece bands...in general, adding another guitar or a keyboard to a 3 piece will fill in some of the space that could have been filled by a bass fill/lead/etc. Obviously, this isn't always the case, but I personally like riffy bass better when its a part of a 3 piece.

I know none of these are new but I have become fixated on these bass forward songs.
Budgie - Breadfan http://youtu.be/orYr_dVnb48
This recording of Terry Callier - You Gonna Miss your Candyman - http://youtu.be/_ZS4UxsE66U
The ever posted Hot Tuna - Mann's Fate http://youtu.be/cJ0onxQIY_w

These guys are new as far as I know:
I have been way into this crazy French Band. Maybe not completely bass forward. - Fish Bone Rocket (NOT the band Fishbone) The whole album is fun. At least check out these tracks.
J'aime pas les gens http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjsMY...E0240916250CF4
Niveau Zero - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwMYu...E0240916250CF4