John Paul Jones

D.J · #1 07-29-2004, 06:31 AM

What do you think guys about this legendary bassist?
He is one of my all time favourite players but i read on other forums he is not much appreciated cause some people says he followed most of the times Page's guitar lines.
I even heard he didn't play bass on "the Lemon Song"!!!
How is it possible? Do you know more about the bass on this song?

Kavorka · #2 07-29-2004, 06:46 AM

For me, he's an inspiration. I can't imagine Zep without him and think he was a large influence on their music and sound. Of course, in a band like that, each member is a strong contributor.

I-Love-Ratm · #3 07-29-2004, 07:14 AM

Where did you hear he didn't play on the Lemon Song?He did and its killer!

Fealach · #4 07-29-2004, 07:55 AM

I'd say he's one of the best, arguably the best, rock n roll bass players ever, not to mention his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and producer. Heard his solo releases? Check out Zooma if you can, IMO the best of them.

Hollow Man · #5 07-29-2004, 07:58 AM

I think he wrote a lot of great lines. The bass line to "Ramble On" is one of my favorites to play along with.

D.J · #6 07-29-2004, 12:52 PM

I hope all JPJ fans would argue his unbelievable skills here too:
http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/page...assguitar.html
I also think "Zooma" is awesome.

Mojo-Man · #7 07-29-2004, 01:48 PM

JPJ is one of the best.
Killer live and in studio.
Him,Jace Bruce, Felix Papalardi, Tim Bogart.
Fav 60's bassist.

HiFi · #8 07-29-2004, 01:48 PM

Even if JPJ did follow Jimmy Page's lines a lot, Page is considered such a great guitarist that it would be a feat in itself.

On the other hand, I would suspect that whoever said that JPJ followed Page too much, has never heard Zeppelin, and is repeating what they heard from someone else that had never heard Zeppelin.

JPJ is amazing. I went to GC a week or so ago and a guy in their was laying down the Lemon Song when JPJ goes nuts. One of the few times I have been glad that their was another player in the bass section.

Dr. Cheese · #9 07-29-2004, 01:49 PM

People who say John Paul Jones must not have really listened to him. He was a very creative bassist who came up with really wonderful lines that bassists at all levels can benefit from studying. As was mentioned, he is solid multi-instrumentalist, plus like Jimmy Page, he had a solid studio career in the UK before Led Zeppelin. Although Page and Bonham had a higher musical profile in Zep, especially on stage, JPJ was arguably the best musician in the group.

HiFi · #10 07-29-2004, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

JPJ was arguably the best musician in the group.

Yep.

JimK · #11 07-29-2004, 05:10 PM

Back when I read Circus magazine...

Jimmy Page called JPJ the 'real musical genius of Led Zeppelin'.

IMO, that sez a lot.

Whafrodamus · #12 07-29-2004, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fealach

I'd say he's one of the best, arguably the best, rock n roll bass players ever, not to mention his skills as a multi-instrumentalist and producer. Heard his solo releases? Check out Zooma if you can, IMO the best of them.

Eh, I've heard better rock bassists.. and I've some of his solo stuff, and in my opinion, it blows. For me, it's not up to snuff with other solo bassists who fill the sound spectrum in a better manner. He did do some good stuff with Zep, but I can see why Paige and Plant didn't invite him back on the most recent tour :-\ (Besides personal reasons)

charles21o7 · #13 07-29-2004, 07:33 PM

JPJs style , to me, is very unlike regular bass and more like piano style or organ or something, which i think is brilliant. He is the first and foremost reason I picked up a bass. And as to not being up to snuff with Page and Plant, Plant has since lost his famous primal wail , and Page cant play nowhere near like he once was. But last summer, I was in London and saw JPJ at a jazz club, and he was tearing it up even better than when he was in LZ ,I thought.

HiFi · #14 07-29-2004, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whafrodamus

Eh, I've heard better rock bassists.. and I've some of his solo stuff, and in my opinion, it blows. For me, it's not up to snuff with other solo bassists who fill the sound spectrum in a better manner. He did do some good stuff with Zep, but I can see why Paige and Plant didn't invite him back on the most recent tour :-\ (Besides personal reasons)

Name some of the rock bassists you feel are better. Not saying you're wrong but I'd like to see who you feel is better and how big the list is in your opinion.

Page and Plant didn't exclude him because of musical talent, and I thought that was fairly obvious. They just haven't got along since Bonham died.

xush · #15 07-29-2004, 09:28 PM

Yeah, I guess that depends on what 'better rock bassists' means.
There are certainly more 'wheedly-deedly' guys out there, but to me JPJ personifies 'taste.' Not chops, not licks (though he has that)- he exemplifies serving the music, and is massively creative.

something like that anyway, IMO.

KeithPas · #16 07-29-2004, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whafrodamus

Eh, I've heard better rock bassists.. and I've some of his solo stuff, and in my opinion, it blows. For me, it's not up to snuff with other solo bassists who fill the sound spectrum in a better manner. He did do some good stuff with Zep, but I can see why Paige and Plant didn't invite him back on the most recent tour :-\ (Besides personal reasons)

I saw that Rock and Roll hall of Fame show with Led Zepplin (less JPJ) and it sucked. Plant didn't sound good and Page was even sloppier than he was back in the day.

heath_the_great · #17 07-29-2004, 11:34 PM

i think JPJ is the all time No1....why should a bassist have to show off to be good? look at adam clayton?...JPJ is a great bassist and an even higher musician..ive never heard anyone play key's and pedal bass like him....and he is also the Genious behind Black Dog, not Jimmy Page....but he has the essence of a true bassist IMO, he played what needed to be played, he didnt exadurate, he didnt under play and is EXTREMELY under rated...right now im listening to No Quarter, Just about to put on Since Ive Been Loving You...what i think are Jonesey's best keys/pedal bass songs...and kashmir

the only reason JPJ didnt do anything Led Zep after bonham died is because he didnt want to do anything without bonham, just because they could never get another drummer like him....but he is THE rock bassist, the first song flea ever tried to learn was kashmir...but whoever says Billy Shehan is better than JPJ needs to have their heads examined

HiFi · #18 07-30-2004, 12:33 AM

xush · #19 07-30-2004, 09:05 AM

I'll be thinking of this thread fondly when we play No Quarter, Kashmir, and Immigrant Song tonight.

Funky Doctor · #20 07-30-2004, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D.J

What do you think guys about this legendary bassist?
He is one of my all time favourite players but i read on other forums he is not much appreciated cause some people says he followed most of the times Page's guitar lines.
I even heard he didn't play bass on "the Lemon Song"!!!
How is it possible? Do you know more about the bass on this song?

Man back in the day when I played guitar (thanks to Zeppelin) I was listening to The Lemon Song and thought, "wow, this is amazing, why arne't I playing that instrument?"

That song was seriously what got me into playing bass, even if it did take me 6 years to get of my butt and play one. JPJ is soooooooo good. He is the ultimate for me when it comes to showing off in really subtle way and supporting a rather great guitarist really well (even if Page was labelled sloppy, I still love his sloppy goodness).