Bassist autobiographies you recommend

[Aaron A]

As the title says: have you read any good autobiographies by bass players? There are threads on autobiographies but most are about bands or guitarists. I want to know specifically about bassists. It doesn't matter what the genre is as long as it's a good read and not just about the Mud Shark type shenanigans but offers some insight to the instrument, demands of a pro musician and dynamics of a band etc.

Phil Lesh, bassist with the Grateful Dead, wrote "Searching For The Sound" and it is an excellent autobiography. I wish he had expounded more on his thinking regarding his style of play, but the book is gripping, historical and fascinating. As no other bassist plays like Phil does, it is worth knowing the environment his playing grew up in.

 

[PaulF707]

Not exactly an 'autobiography' (although he claims some of it happened to him) - I thoroughly recommend 'The Music Lesson' by Victor L Wooten.
Very weird book, but has some great insight into music playing (mainly from a bass player's perspective, but applies to all players).
Some of it is available online here:
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I'm fairly sure he may have been 'on something' whilst writing parts of the book, but it's certainly worth a read

 

[Drucifer]

Not exactly an 'autobiography' (although he claims some of it happened to him) - I thoroughly recommend 'The Music Lesson' by Victor L Wooten.
Very weird book, but has some great insight into music playing (mainly from a bass player's perspective, but applies to all players).
Some of it is available online here:
Invalid Link Removed

I'm fairly sure he may have been 'on something' whilst writing parts of the book, but it's certainly worth a read

I enjoyed The Music Lesson immensely, and have recommended it to a couple of non-bass player musicians and they all loved it too, and thanked me for the recommendation.

 

[Yonni]

Phil Lesh, bassist with the Grateful Dead, wrote "Searching For The Sound" and it is an excellent autobiography. I wish he had expounded more on his thinking regarding his style of play, but the book is gripping, historical and fascinating. As no other bassist plays like Phil does, it is worth knowing the environment his playing grew up in.

Is this where we get Alembics from? I'm sure I read that they started out as a Grateful Dead side project.

 

[KeithC]

5 pages in and nobody has mentioned Jah Wobble's Memoirs of a Geezer, so I am here to put right the wrong. Not much about bass playing as such, but very interesting on his progression from a barely capable maker of noise to a talented and respected musician

 

[Enrique M]

Reviving a dead thread, as I just finished Geezer Butler's autobiography "Into the Void". Well written (or edited) going into a lot of Sabbath stories, without getting too side tracked. Plenty of drugs and rock and roll, plenty of interesting takes on life, and what his experiences were growing up and spending his entire adult life in Sabbath. Easy to read and fun too. Highly suggested, especially for Sabbath fans.

I see Geddy Lee has an autobiography coming out in November. Any other autobiographies come out since this thread last saw air worth mentioning?

 

[Yonni]

Reviving a dead thread, as I just finished Geezer Butler's autobiography "Into the Void". Well written (or edited) going into a lot of Sabbath stories, without getting too side tracked. Plenty of drugs and rock and roll, plenty of interesting takes on life, and what his experiences were growing up and spending his entire adult life in Sabbath. Easy to read and fun too. Highly suggested, especially for Sabbath fans.

I see Geddy Lee has an autobiography coming out in November. Any other autobiographies come out since this thread last saw air worth mentioning?

 

[Yonni]

I love Geddy Lee but Rush were the self-confessed least Rock n Roll band on tour. I expect lots of introspection and muso geekery but not so much of the sex n. Drugs.

I’ll still read it though just because I love all three of ‘em.

 

[Ooba Tooba]

https://www.amazon.com/Mike-Watt-Off-Bass/dp/0983581304

 

[jerry]

 

[markjazzbassist]

@jerry my man I will definitely be picking that up. Thank you so much.

 

[PolkaHero]

I just finished reading Jerry Scheff's book, got it through the local library.

https://www.amazon.com/Way-Down-Pla...sprefix=jerry+scheff+bass+book,aps,149&sr=8-1