OK Already, We Know Who You Like - Why? What About Them Inspires You?

[Twocan]

For me, I don't have a favorite bass player. Over the years certain characteristics of bassists have inspired me. I've never wanted to sound "just like" any of them, but have tried to use the "how would _____ make this work?" theory to fit into different situations and vary my approach.

It's common for TB'ers to list their "influences" and favorite players. What is it about each of them that appeals to you?

Here's mine:
Pino Palladino's subtlety and versatility
Bakithi Kumalo's distinctiveness
Flea's boldness
Les Claypool's innovation
Adam Clayton's restraint

[Unrepresented]

This almost reads like my profile:

I dig Geezer's groove that almost forsakes Iommi's guitar riffs entirely in the name of continued rhythmic bounce (I need to do more of this).

I dig Matt Freeman's grind and punch. He has focused clarity in his tone that easily stays at the front of the mix despite very loud competition.

I dig Bruce Thomas' melodicism. He doesn't hesitate to throw down his "rhythm instrument" shackles and provide countermelodies, leads, and everything inbetween while still holding down the bottom end. He has IMO flawless playing, of all my bass playing heroes, he's the one who actually brings a degree of professionalism to his playing.

Tim C's refusal to limit himself to the standard sonic template. He distorts, filters, delays, octaves, and modulates his tone into something entirely outside the common notion of "what bass is."

I like to think that I'm not ripping any of these artists off, but I will admit to being inspired at times by each of their playing.

[tycobb73]

McCartney, Entwhistle, Crow, Burton. The songs are good and the bass fits the song. I never got into any of the shredders because the song as a whole doesn't sound good. You don't go driving in your car and crank a Wooten tune.

[Thunderthumbs73]

Originally Posted by tycobb73

You don't go driving in your car and crank a Wooten tune.

I'm sure some bassists do. And maybe some of them aren't even bassists. Or musicians. I think ya gotta give Wooten a little more credit than only appealing to a very certain type of bassist.

[standupright]

Originally Posted by tycobb73

McCartney, Entwhistle, Crow, Burton. The songs are good and the bass fits the song. I never got into any of the shredders because the song as a whole doesn't sound good. You don't go driving in your car and crank a Wooten tune.

Originally Posted by Thunderthumbs73

I'm sure some bassists do. And maybe some of them aren't even bassists. Or musicians. I think ya gotta give Wooten a little more credit than only appealing to a very certain type of bassist.

yep....sure do.

[JTE]

A. Jack Bruce- "Sure, the bass has a traditional function it needs to fulfill. But that doesn't mean one HAS to use the traditional way of fulfilling that function." His improvisational reinterpretation of every thing he plays every time he plays it inspires me to be more musical.

B. Duck Dunn- Lock with the drummer, play cool sounding stuff that catches the ear without drawing attention to the bass line, and always sound good.

C. Jaco Pastorious- Oh, you thought the bass couldn't do this? Well, I'm doing it! And at least until his disease got bad, he was always musical. All the stuff with Joni Mitchell is so inspirational because it's just great music supporting the singer.

D. Emory Gordy, Jr.- He's on all the early Emmylou Harris recordings, and because I listened to her a lot, he's got to have slipped in. The sound, his approach to all kinds of musics, and touch are always in the back of my head.

E. Freebo- On the earliest Bonnie Raitt albums (WAY before Don Was succeeded in helping her become well-known, I first saw Freebo and Bonnie around 1972). His fretless playing is still the ultimate cornerstone of what fretless should sound like to me. He plays wonderfully sympathetic lines to Raitt's slide guitar and voice, he gets funky (as in real funk, not the athletic slap 'n' pop funk), and he's funny.

F. Leland Sklar- If he'd not played anything other than "Doctor, My Eyes" by Jackson Brown, he'd be on of my main influences. His versatility, his prodigious chops combined with his impeccable sense of when to NOT use his chops, and his consistently great sound over decades of different gear are why he's one of the influences.

G. Carl Radle- Again, because I listened to a LOT of Clapton with Carl in the band. Derrick & The Dominoes and the post-heroin Eric Clapton bands. What Carl plays on "Let It Rain" from EC's first solo album is just wonderful!! And to NOT mimic the guitar part on "Cocaine" is genius.

H. Jamerson- Because, like Mozart, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis, it's simply right.

John

[Thunderthumbs73]

Originally Posted by JTE

A. Jack Bruce- "Sure, the bass has a traditional function it needs to fulfill. But that doesn't mean one HAS to use the traditional way of fulfilling that function." His improvisational reinterpretation of every thing he plays every time he plays it inspires me to be more musical.

B. Duck Dunn- Lock with the drummer, play cool sounding stuff that catches the ear without drawing attention to the bass line, and always sound good.

C. Jaco Pastorious- Oh, you thought the bass couldn't do this? Well, I'm doing it! And at least until his disease got bad, he was always musical. All the stuff with Joni Mitchell is so inspirational because it's just great music supporting the singer.

F. Leland Sklar- If he'd not played anything other than "Doctor, My Eyes" by Jackson Brown, he'd be on of my main influences. His versatility, his prodigious chops combined with his impeccable sense of when to NOT use his chops, and his consistently great sound over decades of different gear are why he's one of the influences.

G. Carl Radle- Again, because I listened to a LOT of Clapton with Carl in the band. Derrick & The Dominoes and the post-heroin Eric Clapton bands. What Carl plays on "Let It Rain" from EC's first solo album is just wonderful!! And to NOT mimic the guitar part on "Cocaine" is genius.

John

I think this is excellent, succinct analysis all-around, particularly with your last point about Radle. Lee is perhaps my favorite non-singing bassist, and favorite bassist out of the ones you have mentioned.

[PhiDeck]

Originally Posted by JTE

G. Carl Radle- Again, because I listened to a LOT of Clapton with Carl in the band. Derrick & The Dominoes and the post-heroin Eric Clapton bands.

John,
In light of your signature, you may be interested to know that it's Derek and the Dominos.

[Greevus]

I heard "Murders In the Rue Morgue" by Iron Maiden and I was mesmerized. It was EVERYTHING I had ever imagined about a bass in a band/song context--playing runs high on the neck, Edgar A. Poe imagery, and very aggressive punkish right hand technique. It was like Geezer on speed when metal was sort of beginning to be boring. Steve Harris was just so colorful and adventurous as far as intros and breaks, and playing all over the neck. His licks/fills were very Sabbathy, but instead of being jazzy/funky, they were just in your face. I wasn't into slapping/popping, so Maiden was the **** for me.

About the same time I heard Cronos of Venom doing the blackest, biggest slides from Hell and his bass was just thunderously booming. Huge influence.

Yet another was Joey DeMaio of Manowar on their first LP "Battle Hymns". He was a pick player and did the same sort of intros/licks as Maiden, but with distortion, slides, and chords. It was the banging chords and leads he did that got me excited.

Billy Sheen on Talas's "Sink Your Teeth Into That" did the NV43345 bass solo that simply blew my mind at the time. He was the Van Halen of bass. I stole a few licks from him, but he more set the bar for shredding. He also had the crazy bi-amped tone that you could hear every single noise on his bass.

Of course "Anesthesia" by Cliff Burton made me erect and you HAD to play with a wah wah and distortion. It was like a bass lead SONG!

And everything about Geezer and Sabbath ruled. The intro to "NIB" and the intro licks in "War Pigs" were some faves. "Heaven and Hell" gallop was great.

[Mike M.]

Really haven't done much listening in the past years. But as far as years past:

Jaco. His playing just always struck me as the ultimate in being uninhibited and what you can do if you know how to bust loose. Which I had more of that "screw it" attitude.

Sir Paul. The guy always seemed to play the right note at the right time with the right feel. I like how one person said it...he always seems to have that 'bounce' in his playing.

Don't know his name, never met him but I heard some local guy last summer who's playing blew me away. The guy played with such authority and with such confidence. Rock solid playing but at the same time had a good touch of funk in there. Didn't do any slapping but when he laid down the funk and started grooving it was incredable. Had a tone that hit you like a sledge hammer as well.

Wish I got his name and number. I could learn a lot from this guy.

[zmoney682]

Matt Freeman - his contagious almost walking basslines always pop out in Rancid's songs, he is not the most technical person on earth, but that's why I love him, he's a punk that can ride the bass's fret board like a pro surfer, a rare breed

John Entwhistle - Do i really need to dig into this? His solo on "My Generation" made me want to be a bassist, he also adds the perfect fills and great lines...

Dane Poppin - no one knows this guy, he is a very creative bassist in the hardcore scene with great lines, another rare breed.

Andy Rourke - LOVE his ****ing tone, fills, and another guy with great, almost walking, bass lines

Matt Rubano - creative, rhythmic, bassist that likes to **** with tones, very talented man another rare breed for the punk/modern-punk scene.

[Nashrakh]

Tom Vanlaer - one of the guys that made me realize how awesome a P with flats sound when played with a pick, also this guys has some wicked licks. He knows when to place them and holds it down when necessary, but play melodically at the same time. If I had to pick a single one bass player that inspired me the most, it's him.

[JTE]

Originally Posted by PhiDeck

John,
In light of your signature, you may be interested to know that it's Derek and the Dominos.

Ah, hoist by my own pertard!!! And I even deated the spelling...

Thanks, I appreciate the correction.

John

[DHowardAir]

Originally Posted by JTE

A. Jack Bruce- "Sure, the bass has a traditional function it needs to fulfill. But that doesn't mean one HAS to use the traditional way of fulfilling that function." His improvisational reinterpretation of every thing he plays every time he plays it inspires me to be more musical.

B. Duck Dunn- Lock with the drummer, play cool sounding stuff that catches the ear without drawing attention to the bass line, and always sound good.

C. Jaco Pastorious- Oh, you thought the bass couldn't do this? Well, I'm doing it! And at least until his disease got bad, he was always musical. All the stuff with Joni Mitchell is so inspirational because it's just great music supporting the singer.

D. Emory Gordy, Jr.- He's on all the early Emmylou Harris recordings, and because I listened to her a lot, he's got to have slipped in. The sound, his approach to all kinds of musics, and touch are always in the back of my head.

E. Freebo- On the earliest Bonnie Raitt albums (WAY before Don Was succeeded in helping her become well-known, I first saw Freebo and Bonnie around 1972). His fretless playing is still the ultimate cornerstone of what fretless should sound like to me. He plays wonderfully sympathetic lines to Raitt's slide guitar and voice, he gets funky (as in real funk, not the athletic slap 'n' pop funk), and he's funny.

F. Leland Sklar- If he'd not played anything other than "Doctor, My Eyes" by Jackson Brown, he'd be on of my main influences. His versatility, his prodigious chops combined with his impeccable sense of when to NOT use his chops, and his consistently great sound over decades of different gear are why he's one of the influences.

G. Carl Radle- Again, because I listened to a LOT of Clapton with Carl in the band. Derrick & The Dominoes and the post-heroin Eric Clapton bands. What Carl plays on "Let It Rain" from EC's first solo album is just wonderful!! And to NOT mimic the guitar part on "Cocaine" is genius.

H. Jamerson- Because, like Mozart, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis, it's simply right.

John

What you wrote about my fellow Tulsan, the late Carl Radle is deeply appreciated by those of us locally that TRULY loved his work/art. Jamerson was the perfect low ender to play 'clean up' with :-)

You have great taste in music. Bravo! Bravo! If you get time, go check my post on the"1968 Carl Radle Tele-P Bass" that I posted a while back. He was a musician and a gentleman.

Thank you.

[Pearly Gator]

In addition to the greats already mention, I submit Carol Kaye to the list. Her groove was the makings of countless hits. Genius descants and counter melodies, too.

[JimmyM]

i dig darcy from smashing pumpkins because she once wore a see thru top on saturday night live.

i dig scare-oline with big john bates because she plays upright in bikinis.

i dig julie slick because her bass playing sounds gnarly and angry but she has sweet eyes and looks good in black.

i dig nikki sixx because he was a real pretty girl at one time.

i dig jaco pastorius because someone told me that was cool to say around other bass players.

[JTE]

I LOVE the way JimmyM cuts right to the core.

[s_mcsleazy]

ok people have already summrised what i would have said about freeman

so

jj burnell: his tone blew me away 1st time i heard it and his style is verry hard to replicate

joe lally: his style is so perfect and added a whole new dimention to fugazi... and considering without joe they would have already had like 22 dimentions its just outstanding

michelle mae: shes got a style that matches her looks... sexy and groovy

[jarrhead]

I like..

Arif Mirabdolbaghi's surfy ideas.
Dan Briggs' stray from the guitar, presence, ability to be heard just by note choice, and everything about that dude.

[countrybassist]

Originally Posted by JTE

A. Jack Bruce- "Sure, the bass has a traditional function it needs to fulfill. But that doesn't mean one HAS to use the traditional way of fulfilling that function." His improvisational reinterpretation of every thing he plays every time he plays it inspires me to be more musical.

B. Duck Dunn- Lock with the drummer, play cool sounding stuff that catches the ear without drawing attention to the bass line, and always sound good.

C. Jaco Pastorious- Oh, you thought the bass couldn't do this? Well, I'm doing it! And at least until his disease got bad, he was always musical. All the stuff with Joni Mitchell is so inspirational because it's just great music supporting the singer.

D. Emory Gordy, Jr.- He's on all the early Emmylou Harris recordings, and because I listened to her a lot, he's got to have slipped in. The sound, his approach to all kinds of musics, and touch are always in the back of my head.

E. Freebo- On the earliest Bonnie Raitt albums (WAY before Don Was succeeded in helping her become well-known, I first saw Freebo and Bonnie around 1972). His fretless playing is still the ultimate cornerstone of what fretless should sound like to me. He plays wonderfully sympathetic lines to Raitt's slide guitar and voice, he gets funky (as in real funk, not the athletic slap 'n' pop funk), and he's funny.

F. Leland Sklar- If he'd not played anything other than "Doctor, My Eyes" by Jackson Brown, he'd be on of my main influences. His versatility, his prodigious chops combined with his impeccable sense of when to NOT use his chops, and his consistently great sound over decades of different gear are why he's one of the influences.

G. Carl Radle- Again, because I listened to a LOT of Clapton with Carl in the band. Derrick & The Dominoes and the post-heroin Eric Clapton bands. What Carl plays on "Let It Rain" from EC's first solo album is just wonderful!! And to NOT mimic the guitar part on "Cocaine" is genius.

H. Jamerson- Because, like Mozart, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis, it's simply right.

John

This is an excellent list that I'm going to add Dave Pomeroy to.