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best bassist?
- Thread starter RJ Middleton
- Start date
Is there only one? I'll try and give a real answer.
Thinking very hard on it I'll say Geddy Lee. There is not a style he can't play, he's got groove yet can play as technically precise as anyone out there. I don't believe you could throw him into a situation that he couldn't adapt too. I can't think of a single bass player that I would say that about.
Not too mention that he is a brilliant song writer and a brilliant all around musician. Keys, pedals, vocals...keeping everything moving in a live situation. He is a total package.
If you had to disect it, Geddy would be the man who rates high in every category of bass player/musician. It seems that people like to argue that someone is one or the other. Well, he's definitely proven to be both.
Not too mention the most basic fact that the guy could write songs that became classics, commercially viable and appeal to the casual listener as well as the most hard core technical geeks out there. Usually bands that play the type of Music that Rush does, bores the piss out of the non musician, Yet Tom Sawyer comes on and everyone turns up the radio.
What other bass player has done that? Not only did it...but still fills up arenas after 40 years?
Is Rush my favorite band? No. Is Geddy my favorite bass player? No. But if we had to lay everything out on the table, one would be hard pressed to convince me he's not one of the greatest to ever plug in. The man fascinates me to no end as does his band Rush. Great technical players, regarded as the best by their peers, yet still able to write songs that almost everyone can agree on.
Very rare combination. It's usually one end of the spectrum or the other. Geddy is the only one I can truly think of that covers it all.
Thinking very hard on it I'll say Geddy Lee. There is not a style he can't play, he's got groove yet can play as technically precise as anyone out there. I don't believe you could throw him into a situation that he couldn't adapt too. I can't think of a single bass player that I would say that about.
Not too mention that he is a brilliant song writer and a brilliant all around musician. Keys, pedals, vocals...keeping everything moving in a live situation. He is a total package.
If you had to disect it, Geddy would be the man who rates high in every category of bass player/musician. It seems that people like to argue that someone is one or the other. Well, he's definitely proven to be both.
Not too mention the most basic fact that the guy could write songs that became classics, commercially viable and appeal to the casual listener as well as the most hard core technical geeks out there. Usually bands that play the type of Music that Rush does, bores the piss out of the non musician, Yet Tom Sawyer comes on and everyone turns up the radio.
What other bass player has done that? Not only did it...but still fills up arenas after 40 years?
Is Rush my favorite band? No. Is Geddy my favorite bass player? No. But if we had to lay everything out on the table, one would be hard pressed to convince me he's not one of the greatest to ever plug in. The man fascinates me to no end as does his band Rush. Great technical players, regarded as the best by their peers, yet still able to write songs that almost everyone can agree on.
Very rare combination. It's usually one end of the spectrum or the other. Geddy is the only one I can truly think of that covers it all.
I'll take "Questions naive bass players ask before they learn how much they don't know about music" for $200, Alex.
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Who is the best quarterback in the NFL? Who is the best goalie in the NHL? Who is the best heart surgeon? Who is the best carpenter?
Yeah, it's a silly question.
Yeah, it's a silly question.
That question will have only subjective answers. There isn't a "best" artist, period. Some artists are perceived as being better than others but even that's debatable.
Thank you all. I really don't deserve all of this, never really asked for it very much, but, who am I to refuse this wonderful consideration. I want to thank all of the people and stuff who made me so great. The pioneers of our art, the fans, my supportive framily, friends, all of the chix, and of course, Tort. Especially Tort! So, if you insist, again I say thanks. Sincerely LT131.
To be more constructive, OP, I would suggest you Google and read on Aesthetics, and outsider art.
Who's the better bassist, Klaus Flouride (DKs) or Victor Wooten? It really actually depends on who you ask.
One might concede that while Victor Wooten's mastery of the instrument and command of the musical language was impressive, The Dead Kennedys was their favorite band and of all time and thus Klaus is their favorite bass player of all time. So who is "better" in that scenario?
If the purpose of music is to be art, and evoke emotion in an ineffable way, then wouldn't the favorite bassist be "the best" for you? But maybe not if you analytically disassociate your "favorite" bassist from automatically being "the best".
You could instead try to be objective about who the best bassist is. I would consider who has the best speed, most fluidity, command of many styles of music, all while dropping a deep groove, showing a command of dynamics, the ability to accompany other players, and a cool and original musical contribution to the tune and band as a whole. Each of these a subjective judgement with no real criteria other than personal opinion to guide your evaluation.
(Full disclosure, I prefer Victor Wooten's playing and music to Klaus', while still totally respecting and enjoying both.)
So OP, is your favorite bassist automatically "the best"? Or are you looking to formulate some objective determination of who is "the best"?
And for me, not only will I not cop to trying to analyze who is the best "objectively", I can't even pick one favorite bass player! I can't. There are dozens of players who are all my "favorite" bassists.
Who's the better bassist, Klaus Flouride (DKs) or Victor Wooten? It really actually depends on who you ask.
One might concede that while Victor Wooten's mastery of the instrument and command of the musical language was impressive, The Dead Kennedys was their favorite band and of all time and thus Klaus is their favorite bass player of all time. So who is "better" in that scenario?
If the purpose of music is to be art, and evoke emotion in an ineffable way, then wouldn't the favorite bassist be "the best" for you? But maybe not if you analytically disassociate your "favorite" bassist from automatically being "the best".
You could instead try to be objective about who the best bassist is. I would consider who has the best speed, most fluidity, command of many styles of music, all while dropping a deep groove, showing a command of dynamics, the ability to accompany other players, and a cool and original musical contribution to the tune and band as a whole. Each of these a subjective judgement with no real criteria other than personal opinion to guide your evaluation.
(Full disclosure, I prefer Victor Wooten's playing and music to Klaus', while still totally respecting and enjoying both.)
So OP, is your favorite bassist automatically "the best"? Or are you looking to formulate some objective determination of who is "the best"?
And for me, not only will I not cop to trying to analyze who is the best "objectively", I can't even pick one favorite bass player! I can't. There are dozens of players who are all my "favorite" bassists.
At least in sports, there are championship trophies and MVP awards that exist as some sort of proof... but even those don't truly categorize the best and the worst. Is Draymond Green a better power forward than Karl Malone or Charles Barkley just because he has a ring? Not in my opinion. If I were putting together a team and could draft any of those three in their prime, I know who'd I'd select.
Asking who the best bassist is resembles asking about other best artists... actors, painters, directors... or carpenters. There's no "best"... just different levels or great and poor.
Agreed -- silly question.
Welcome to TB. The answer is undoubtedly Sid Vicious. Have a nice day.
The futility of this kind of endeavor is most apparent comparing pitchers and quarterbacks. So many stats, so much data, still no way to use it to definitively determine the best. Especially as any fan knows each player's play worked in a gestalt with his teammates, very much like being in a band.
Welcome to TB. In case you may not have noticed. The hornets net has been smacked. Mainly because there is no right answer and there are countless threads with countless arguments about the same. I'll be the first to introduce you to the search feature. I'm sure you will find dozens of discussions about the best bass player there. Subjects that may create a similar hurricane:
1) Best bass for (choose genre here)
2) Why Fender sucks
3) Why Fender is the greatest ever
4) Tort pick guards.... Just don't go there
5) Tuna noodle casserole and carrots
After a few days the last caution will make sense. Welcome to TB and rock the frets off that sucker........ Oh and the answer to your question..... Gary Thain.
1) Best bass for (choose genre here)
2) Why Fender sucks
3) Why Fender is the greatest ever
4) Tort pick guards.... Just don't go there
5) Tuna noodle casserole and carrots
After a few days the last caution will make sense. Welcome to TB and rock the frets off that sucker........ Oh and the answer to your question..... Gary Thain.
