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best bass lines in punk

#21
Originally posted by bassman1185


Dude, if you said that to my face I'd hit you. Whether or not you like punk, unless you're unbelievably narrow-minded, you have to admit that there are some really good bassists and bass lines in punk. MxPx's bassist, Mike Herrara, is great, and so is Matt Freeman from Rancid. Guys like these are the reason a lot of kids start bass. I know Mike was one of the reasons I started. Listen to "The Theme Fiasco" by MxPx and then say that punk has no musicianship.
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So I'm narrow minded :rolleyes: - punk is mean to be about poor musicianship and energy over finesse. If you show me a good bassist, then that person is by definition not a punk bassist!!

Anyway I don't ahve to admit anything and I have no intention of listening to any obscure bands like those you mention, there's too many better things I could be doing!

Oh Yeah - go on then hit me - can't can you - nyah, nyah! :D
 
#22
bruce, what's your deal here? first of all, you come into a nice little thread in which we are discussing music that we like, and you slag off the entire genre and insult our intelligence and taste. that's bad form.

second, you make uninformed generalizations and refuse to take contrary evidence into account.

so are you just trying to get our collective goat here? you remind me of my little sister who does stuff like this just to annoy me. if there are better things you can be doing, why don't you go do them? i respect you as a reasonably intelligent and usually upstanding member of TB, but honestly, i'm surprised at this.
 
#23
Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
"best bass lines in punk"

NO - the best basslines are in any other type of music than punk, which by definition is not about musicianship. So the best basslines are in Jazz, Rock, Reggae, Afro Cuban, Classical ..etc etc.

Anything but punk! ;)
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I don't care if you don't like punk or think it isn't really musical, but have some respect man, you can't deny that some bassists in punk are really good.
 
#24
"bruce, what's your deal here? "

You misunderstand me completely and put words into my mouth - I'm not slagging off a whole genre. I like "punk" and played in bands and was a big fan of punk in the late 70s, when I saw bands like the Clash, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Damned, Stranglers, Buzzcocks etc. etc.

What I am saying though, was that punk in the UK was characterised by an attitude that anybody could do it and that anybody could get up on stage and play fast 3 minute songs without knowing anything about music and in fact it was a reaction against bands that made a virtue of their musicianship.

So in any of the punk clubs I frequented then, to say you were a good musician would have probably got you beaten up and thrown out! Punk was about energy and not playing solos or anything flash, as a reaction to bands like Yes and Genesis who were at the time putting out magnum opuses that they wanted people to treat almost as "Classical Music" - so the audience would stare at the band in reverent awe of their musicianship and skill.

Punk in the UK said Bollocks to this - we just want to jump around and have fast energetic music, that allows us to be on the same level as the band - so the band aren't some great musos who we can never aspire to emulating - but just ordinary people like us.

It was this attitude in the UK that got me into bands and on stage - instead of standing staring in awe at Yes and Chris Squire I was jumping on stage with Banshees and the Stranglers. So the idea was that you didn't have to be a good guitarist or bass player as long as you had songs and energy - sort of JUST DO IT!

Also Punk to me is all about Disrespect - lets not put anybody on a pedestal and pay them too much respect - anybody can do it - that's what punk means to me.
 
#25
interesting points, bruce. i guess it just goes to show how much punk has evolved. sorry about the misunderstanding, i just took issue with your statement that punk by definition is about a lack of musicianship, because punk these days seems to defy definition. it is true that punk is about disrespect, because the new groups certainly don't respect the punk rule that says you can't be a good musician.
 
#26
Bruce, if punk had stayed the way it was in the 70's, then yes, you would be correct. However, everything has changed since then. Yes, there are still some oldschool bands left, I in one right now, all we do is play fast songs with no solos or anything. However, we can play solos if we want to, but I find it a lot of fun to just leave it as an intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus and an abbrupt end. I know you had reason behind those initial posts, but to the rest of us, it looks like punk bashing. Many of us now take pride in the fact that we can be musicians and play punk music. There are MANY good punk bands out there that have talent. I mean, seriously, listen to Maxwell Murder by Rancid and tell me that Matt Freeman doesnt have chops, cause I would disagree until the day I die.

*exhales*
 
#27
bruce there is one "punk" band you would like the musicianship in. they are called catch 22. listen any song off there cd "keasby nights". the reason i wrote "punk" is because they are a mixture of punk, jazz, and a little ska. and there bass player (on the first cd) is super rad (hey thats an aquabats song). i would strongly suggest that everyone here dl their songs walking away, keasby nights, and dear sergio.
 
#28
I think I agree with Bruce on this one. Punk is anti elitist and antiestablishment. So when you say what's "best" you are going against what the style is all about.

Perhaps we would do better asking if any body has some tabs to our favorate avant gard tune.

jc
 
#30
...rockinjc mentioned The Stranglers...

Well jc (I'm jc too!!!!) how about "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)"???? The beginning not that impressive, then first chorus first really cool progressions then, well when it gets to the synth solo and on, the bass progressions (arpeggios?) are just asskickin' material. Everytime I listen to that song I jump and flip around. Primo bassic stuff, man!
 
#32
Originally posted by SuperDuck

(ok, Dick's Automotive by the Rugburns is 8 minutes, but it's still only two chords),
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THAT"S IT!!!!!! I used to hear this song all the time on the mainstream alternative radio--- before alternative was totally mainstream, and they could consider playing 8-minute songs---in San Francisco, about 5-7 years ago. Lately (like for the last year), I've been racking my brains trying to remember it, or enough lyrics to do a web search, and was absolutely failing.
 
#33
Okay, firstly, I gotta say, THIS PARTICULAR THREAD has gone way off what it was meant for i'd say. Riots have started because some idiot stated that punk had rubbish bass lines. Thats not what this site is about. Its about sharing USEFUL comments, and if so CONSTRUCTIVE critisism.
Okay i feel better now, so I will get on with the thread.

Best bass line in punk is so hard people! TOO MANY punk lines around, that all sound funky! If I had to choose a bass line though, it would have to be Hit Or Miss by New Found Glory. Its so addicitive, you just can't stop playing it. Also Long View By Green Day is pretty cool. Both these bass lines are simple, and very very good. Try them if you haven't already!
 
#34
Originally posted by c-ba55


THAT"S IT!!!!!! I used to hear this song all the time on the mainstream alternative radio--- before alternative was totally mainstream, and they could consider playing 8-minute songs---in San Francisco, about 5-7 years ago. Lately (like for the last year), I've been racking my brains trying to remember it, or enough lyrics to do a web search, and was absolutely failing.
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My work here is done. :D
 
#35
Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield


So I'm narrow minded :rolleyes: - punk is mean to be about poor musicianship and energy over finesse. If you show me a good bassist, then that person is by definition not a punk bassist!
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Hmmm...ever heard of Mike Watt? An incredible bassist who would be happy to say that he's a punk. His work with the Minutemen, fIREHOSE and his own projects reveal that he's never been afraid to be a great musician (he gets better on every album) and he has finesse, energy, creativity, and taste in equal proportions. Granted, Mike is the exception to the rule, a shining shaft of gold when all around is dark.

I think the reason I never got into punk was because someone played me the Minutemen, Minor Threat, and the Circle Jerks. The Minutemen had all the fire, anger, and energy of the other bands, AND they weren't afraid to be good musicians who took their art seriously and honed their craft. Most other punk I heard after that struck me as boring and willfully ignorant-what's the point of keeping yourself at a training-wheel level skill level for the rest of your life? I appreciate the punk do-it-yourself aesthetic (but where does that leave the prefab Sex Pistols?) Why be afraid to develop your skill at something you're passionate about to the point where you're actually good at it? That's being as much of a robot as a corporate 9 to 5er, IMO.
 
#36
Originally posted by Rockinjc
I think I agree with Bruce on this one. Punk is anti elitist and antiestablishment. So when you say what's "best" you are going against what the style is all about.

Perhaps we would do better asking if any body has some tabs to our favorate avant gard tune.

jc
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Thank you for summarising exactly what I meant in one line! ;)

I suppose my view is that I wouldn't call anything "punk" that doesn't hold true to the statement that Rockinjc phrases so well. My view is that as soon as somebody starts to develop their musical skills is when they stop being "punk" and move into rock/pop/"indie"/alternative rock or whatever term you want to use.

All we have on the internet and discussion forums like this are words - so my point is that you have to get this right. So if you don't agree with what defines a whole genre of music, then how can you decide what is included in that genre?

So I could say that Jaco Pastorious's track "punk jazz" is the best punk bassline, becuase it mentions the word punk - but that's clearly ridiculous!
You have to have some idea of what it is that makes a style of music what it is - so what is Punk? That's what I'm saying here.

To me in the UK, nearly all the US bands mentioned in this thread are just not "punk" at all and I can't see that they fit into this description, as RockinJc says!
 
#37
I'm going choose to ignore all of the derogitory comments hanging like a thin mist over this subject whenever it is raised, and say my favorite punk lines.

- total immortal (AFI version, the offspring cover was weak)
- black lung, axiom, and journey to the end of east bay by rancid
- the decline by NOFX (an amazing song, if you haven't heard it yet, hear it.)
-society by pennywise
 

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