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Best punk bassist ever

#64
Paul Simonon of the Clash. The cover of London Calling is the one of the most iconic photographs of any bassist ever, smashing his P bass. Listen to the song "the magnificent seven", a punk song that grooves or the piano part to "rock the casbah" which he came up with. Also Bruce Foxton of the Jam, if you consider that at all punk.
 
#65
franzkafka said:
No, I think he was pretty much right. I don't get how lifestyle choices like a job or a house come into it, but in terms of the music itself, punk never seemed like a talent contest. Punk is whatever you made it, like D. Boon said. I just thought people had a better sense than to make it a competition based on musicial virtuosity.
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I don't agree. A lot of punk bands were founded by kids who barely knew how to play, but learned to play and came up with better and better songs.

I know: I lived it, although not in the 70s but rather early 80s. I started as a punk rocker and evolved from there.

Punk has no real definition as far as what it is supposed to sound like. Yes, a good punk song can just be loud and full or distortion, simple and short, with only 2 or 3 patterns repeating itself. It can also be a lot more complex.

I started by just playing the root note like a robot, because the band I started in just needed a guy to do just that at the bass and I sort of happened to be walking by. After a year I was studying chords and arpeggios and experimenting with that new technique called slapping.

I named Paul Gray, bassist of Eddie and the Hot Rods and then The Damned (where he was at his best, in my opinion), and to me this is the perfect example of a great bassist playing unseemingly complex bass lines.

I think that Paul Gray is the James Jamerson of punk rock.

You need to get your hands on some Damned albums from 80-83, and listen. Simonon and all the other guys listed are waaay behind both in the technique and intelligence of these lines.

Punk rock can be very complex. So yes, there were and are very talented punk rockers out there and asking this question, to me, makes perfect sense.
 
#69
I have two things to contribute to this thread.

1- I'm a big fan of Chris #2 from Anti-Flag, yes I know he plays a lot but I like it. The songs are more about the bass than guitar and that makes me smiley.

2- Punk and super duper use of an envelope filter or autowah. Like........ wait..... what?
 
#70
My top ten:

#1 Daryl Jenifer
#2 Norwood Fisher
#3 John Entwistle
#4 Paul Simonon
#5 Mike Watt
#6 Jerry Caiafa
#6 Tina Weymouth
#7 Arthur Kane
#8 Richard Hell
#9 Dave Alexander
#10 Michael Davis

Sorry gang but I still consider MC5 and The Who as early punk (Teenage Wasteland and Kick Out the Jams).
 
#74
NickInMesa said:
I don't agree. A lot of punk bands were founded by kids who barely knew how to play, but learned to play and came up with better and better songs.

I know: I lived it, although not in the 70s but rather early 80s. I started as a punk rocker and evolved from there.

Punk has no real definition as far as what it is supposed to sound like. Yes, a good punk song can just be loud and full or distortion, simple and short, with only 2 or 3 patterns repeating itself. It can also be a lot more complex.

I started by just playing the root note like a robot, because the band I started in just needed a guy to do just that at the bass and I sort of happened to be walking by. After a year I was studying chords and arpeggios and experimenting with that new technique called slapping.

I named Paul Gray, bassist of Eddie and the Hot Rods and then The Damned (where he was at his best, in my opinion), and to me this is the perfect example of a great bassist playing unseemingly complex bass lines.

I think that Paul Gray is the James Jamerson of punk rock.

You need to get your hands on some Damned albums from 80-83, and listen. Simonon and all the other guys listed are waaay behind both in the technique and intelligence of these lines.

Punk rock can be very complex. So yes, there were and are very talented punk rockers out there and asking this question, to me, makes perfect sense.
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I think we are kind of agreeing though. The good thing about punk, well, in an idealized sense, is that it you start off with less of a predestined starting point, partly because you can start off simple.

Also in an idealized sense, the question of a "best" is irrelavent. It's all subjective, and beyond that, to try to quantify music trivializes the whole thing. It takes away from all musicians because it tries to define something inherently undefinable.To me, that goes for all genres, but especially in punk.

And Paul Gray is such a obscure choice. I do enjoy what he did though.

I don't know, though. I never "lived it". I'm 18. I play what could probably be described best as progressive math metal. Still, I don't think this takes anything away from my argument. I love punk, always have. I guess the simplest thing I can say is I wouldn't be here right now without punk rock.
 
#75
138BASS said:
Somebody fishing for compliments?? I don't think it's very punk of someone to label themselves as the "best" of anything, and honestly I wouldn't call either song in those vids punk. but that's just my opinion. still, decent playing, just not punk.
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that's exactly what I was thinking. okay bassist, now where's the punk.

i_got_a_mohawk said:
Hardcore is a branch of punk, just like ska etc etc etc.
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I oughta smack you.
 

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