Best grunge bass player

[Bassgrinder77]

+1. Dirt and Sap too. Mike Starr had really good lines and great Spector tone.
Inez is very different but also really good. I love his dirty tone on Tripod.

Facelift has some great lines in it. It's a grunge album where the bass really sticks out too I think.

 

[jellew]

Alice in chains ftw! only grunge I know that is a bit tricky to play, therefore best grunge bass player, or players.

 

[Alcyon]

The Melvins and Earth are lumped into the grunge category, more because they are from the scene, so my vote: JOE PRESTON!

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Coolest picture ever!

 

[johnnycat42]

Is that to imply grunge bassists don't have talent? Gotta love having a closed mind.




The Melvins and Earth are lumped into the grunge category, more because they are from the scene, so my vote: JOE PRESTON!

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In the more traditional sense, I love Ben Shepard's playing with Soundgarden.

What a cool poster.!!!! Ripped off straight from Paul Stanley's solo album poster in KISS. Beautiful and so so funny!!!

As for Bassists: Inez, Starr, Ament, DeLeo, and Eddie Jackson do it for me when it comes to that scene.

 

[The_Basstard]

DeLeo is really good. Don't know if it counts in the Grunge genre but I will throw Kim Deal with The Pixies out there . Nothing fancy but super solid pocket grooves.

 

[Krause]

All of them mentioned are great at what they do.

I also would have to throw Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth on that list. She always carried some of their songs while the guitars did nothing but feedback. She never played anything to fancy but continued a tight groove with the drummer.

And what about Melissa Auf Der Maur of Hole and Smashing Pumpkins. She is a great bass player, HOT and from Canada.

 

[agreatheight]

Ament - Rats
DeLeo - Plush
Starr - Would?

Oh yeah!

 

[NineSpine]

To those who felt the need to come in here and bash grunge: I'll take someone who can write a good song and play from the heart over pretentious noodling and discussions about polyrhythms any day.

And my vote stays in the Soundgarden camp.

 

[RONQUITO]

Most definitely DeLeo.

 

[skulletwhip]

I really like Ben Sheppard.

Also if Failure counted as a grunge band, Greg Edwards.

 

[JohNLA]

DeLeo is really good. Don't know if it counts in the Grunge genre but I will throw Kim Deal with The Pixies out there . Nothing fancy but super solid pocket grooves.

+1 Kim writes some great hooks and since Cobain said he was copying the Pixies when writing for Nirvana. You could say the Pixies invented grunge

 

[pedroims]

How many grunge bands have existed ? 10? then you have my 10 best bass players

 

[jollygiantchris]

Ben Shepard - his playing on the entire album Down on the Upside is perfect

 

[skulletwhip]

How many grunge bands have existed ? 10? then you have my 10 best bass players

yes. exactly 10. good job.

 

[Bassgrinder77]

Doods! ALL the grunge bass players were DAMN GOOD. That's what hit me over the head in the the early 90's - awesome bass and drum grooves and singers who didn't sound like shemales. It was like Holy Sh*t! Rock isn't dead!

I really like Ben Sheppard.

Also if Failure counted as a grunge band, Greg Edwards.

 

[elcamino72]

Mike Inez or Kris Novaselic

2 of my favorite bands... 2 of my favorite bassists...... Lithium and Rain when i day have 2 of my favorite basslines...

 

[chanson]

I'm gonna say Jeff Ament. His playing is just so tasty and fits perfectly into the music. He doesn't over simplify or over complicate his lines. Robert DeLeo definetely grooves better than Ament, but I just can't get enough of Ament.

 

[That guy there]

I agree with DeLeo & Ament but I also have to add James Atkins from Hammerbox. Everybody from that band was massively talented.

The Jeff Ament story about handing out the backstage passes at a Green River show is true, but there is a backstory to it. Some record execs booked a show for Green River and paid for them to come to LA. Ament gave them the majority of the passes cause they had done all that work but Mark Arm thought the execs should have stayed out in the crowd and watched the show. This whole thing went down when Sub Pop wasn't paying anybody because they weren't making any money and Green River was looking to sign with somebody who paid because their albums were selling.

On a side note, Mark Arm later said that Pearl Jam were way cooler tour mates than Nirvana.

 

[Audiophage]

Ament, by miles. Mostly for his versatility and melodicism, and the sheer fact that Pearl Jam are still relevant now.

I'm sorry but Pearl Jam were never relevant. Some of Ament's lines are tasty, yes, but overall I don't really care for their music as much as say Green River, or Mother Love Bone.

Krist Novoselic and Mike Inez have done some of my favorite bass work within the "grunge" genre.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Shepard - Most unique
Inez - Most talented
DeLeo - Best lines