Best Bass Albums

[roller]

Amen, Merc!!!

Toy Matinee. They only put out the one the record. Guy Pratt is phenomenal throughout.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow. Phil Chen's flatwounds were only 11 years old when that album was recorded. If he still has the same strings, they are 55 years old now.

45 year old strings!!

 

[Richland123]

Here are a few off the top of my head.

Peter Mars Cowling on this Pat Travers band album.



James Dewar on Bridge Of Sighs



Hellmut Hattler - Bassball



Chuck Rainey (all but track 3 with Walter Becker) - Steely Dan - Aja





Steely Dan - Aja - YouTube



Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory



Yes - Fragile

 

[NOVAX]

 

[PrinceByTor]

Let’s see... here’s some that people probably haven’t mentioned yet.

Jethro Tull - Stand Up, Songs From the Wood, Heavy Horses. Glenn Cornick and John Glascock show off their chops on those.
BTO-BTOII, Not Fragile, Four Wheel Drive, and Head On. CF Turner brought the thunder on those albums.
Trio of Doom-Trio of Doom - Jaco Pastorius shows off well.
Joni Mitchell - Hejira. Another Jaco tour d force.
Mr. Big - Bump ahead. Billy Sheehan at his best.

 

[andykeating]

Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

 

[Hachimitsu]

Somebody already mentioned it, but Donny Hathaway - LIVE

Willie Weeks is fantastic...


Incredible bass solo on the last track Voices Inside.

 

[maxschrek]

Lots of great stuff mentioned above. I'd add this:

 

[jamro217]

Any Tower Of Power with Rocco Prestia (and David Garibaldi on drums).
Tapestry - Carole King. Charles Larkey is so smooth and tasteful. This is how it should be done.

 

[SirMjac28]

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[djaxup]

Rollins Band - End of Silence

Black Sabbath - Paranoid and/or Black Sabbath

Living Colour - Stain

Alice In Chains - Dirt and/or Jar of Flies

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Greatest Hits

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Tool - Aenima and/or Lateralus

Tori Amos - Under the Pink

Edit: Gah, can’t believe I forgot The Cure - Disintegration!

I wish I could like this post several times.

I'd add The Pixies - basically any album

 

[CATFISHMcC0Y]

Earthtones by bahamas. Pino and James Gadson. oh yes

 

[Highs&Lows]

Some albums with great and unique bass playing:

Don Blackman - Don Blackman (Barry Johnson on Bass)
Paul Simon - Graceland (Bakithi Kumalo on Bass)
Paco de Lucia - Solo quiero caminar (Carles Benavent on Bass)

 

[RichT]

A couple of albums which spring to mind with some sublime playing which combines technical virtuosity and beautiful groove to absolutely serve the songs. Interesting that up until now I had no idea who the respective bassists were until I Googled it.

Jamiroquai - Emergency On Planet Earth

Zero 7 - Simple Things

 

[dbsfgyd1]

There are a couple that really impressed me, but the absolute best is The Joker by The Steve Miller Band. Gerald Johnson is absolutely phenomenal. Bad Company's debut has some great fretless work by Boz Burrell. Innocence Ballet by Alfie Zappacosta showcases some fantastic work by Etric Lyons. Any of the Climax Blues Band's stuff from the '70's with Derek Holt is great. Artificial Paradise by The Guess Who is loaded with tasty bass lines from Bill Wallace. The Little River Band's Diamantina Cocktail and Sleeper Catcher were high points for George McArdle. Pops Popwell was really funky on the Crusaders' Those Southern Knights. Jerry Jemmott on King Curtis Live At Fillmore West is another must have.

Great list. I was a huge Climax Blues Band fan. Pops Popwell next to Jack Bruce and John Entwhistle (yeah I know odd collection ) was a serious influence and one of the few reasons I can cover some smooth jazz.

 

[dirtychinchilla]

Audioslave - Audioslave

 

[Tampabass]

Stanley Clarke -- "Journey to Love"
Jaco Pastorius -- "Jaco Pastorius"

 

[bass12]

My overall favourite would probably be "A Physical Presence" by Level 42.

 

[slapshot]

+1 for Bridge of Sighs

 

[PrinceByTor]

Thought of another great one: Azteca’s Pyramid of the Moon album.