"Favourite" vs. "Best"

[EdHunter]

Just wondering to see how the players you consider to be your favourites stack up against those you consider to have the most outright skill and ability.
Here's mine:

Favourite:
1. Steve Harris
2. Geezer Butler
3. John Entwistle
4. Cliff Burton
5. Geddy Lee

Best:
1. Les Claypool
2. Jaco Pastorius
3. John Entwistle
4. Victor Wooten
5. James Jamerson

Let the lists begin!

[Hoover]

^^^ needs to get out more

[JimmyM]

my favorites and best lists are the same.

[Daveomd]

Bests usually aren't my favorites. I would rather hear a player with idiosyncracies and flaws who are creative and unique over technically perfect players. In other words give me Entwistle, Geddy, Phil Lesh,Jack Casady,etc. over Pattitucci,Myung and those guys. And I'm not just a rock guy. I love Miles Davis and his splatted notes and Coltrane's abrasive tone too.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by Daveomd

I would rather hear a player with idiosyncracies and flaws who are creative and unique over technically perfect players.

Excluding the perfect players part (there really are none), who says you can't have both great technical ability and unique creativity?

[Daveomd]

I'm sure you can have both, maybe I just like it a little rough around the edges. Sort of like talking to someone who has a perfect command of language but is a bit challenged in the personality dept. compared to a not-so-refined person who has tons of charisma and may be just a bit on the loose cannon side. You know, just a hair of danger in their playing.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by Daveomd

I'm sure you can have both, maybe I just like it a little rough around the edges. Sort of like talking to someone who has a perfect command of language but is a bit challenged in the personality dept. compared to a not-so-refined person who has tons of charisma and may be just a bit on the loose cannon side. You know, just a hair of danger in their playing.

I can dig that . As for the part in bold, I feel like I've seen this exact comparison in some movie or another...

[crustychef]

That's why Les Claypool is my favorite. He is an excellent showman, technically proficient but not super clean and by no means is he the best. I just love what he does and how he goes about doing it. Been a fan since 91', back when I played tenor sax, long before I played bass. I also really love Tina Weymouth. She plays just enough to fit what the band needs.