Favorite Bass Album

[Ron Berenato]

In an attempt to broaden my horizons, I've been looking into albums that the bassist just kills on. I'm not talking about "Bass" albums like Marcus Millers' THE SUN DON'T LIE (which is fantastic by the way) or any Jaco record, but albums done by bands whose own bass player really stands out or sets a new standard like Geddy Lee on any Rush album (but specifically Hemispheres if I had to name one).

Being a Memphis bassist, I am currently revisiting the two BLUES BROTHERS albums currently on iTunes. Duck Dunn is the epitome of the Memphis/Stax sound. His playing throughout these live recordings is groovin' and full of soul. Jamerson was the king of Motown soul, but Duck was THE MAN in Memphis. I just can't get enough of listening to this guy, and it's given me a new focus for my stagnant playing style.

What's your favorite bass player performance in a band album?

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Nate Watts with Stevie Wonder. Songs in The Key of Life and every album after

Bernard Edwards with Chic

Louis Johnson with Brothers Johnson Look out for #1, & on Michael Jackson Thriller and Off The Wall

Paul S Denman with Sade Diamond Life & all the Sade albums

Pino Palladino on DAngelo Voodoo album

Tina Weymouth with Talking Heads & TomTom Club

Larry Graham with Sly and Family Stone & Graham Central Station

Allen McGreir with Teena Marie

Aaron Mills with Cameo

Jaco with Joni Mitchell especially Hejira and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter

Joseph Lucky Scott Curtis Mayfield Superfly Soundtrack

Carol Kaye on countless songs and albums .

James Jamerson was Motown .

Fred Hammond Pages Of Life

Micheal League with Snarky Puppy

Joe Dart with Vulfpeck

Sharay Reed with Corey Henry and the Funk Apostles

 

[Fun Size Nick]

Any Steely Dan record! Lots of incredible work by Chuck Rainey in particular. Also Donald Fagen's solo stuff - The Nightfly is like an R&B session hero showcase: Rainey, Marcus Miller, Will Lee, Anthony Jackson and Abe Laboriel! Morph the Cat has Freddie Washington killing it on every track.

Agreed on those Blues Brothers albums - the film was one of my formative exposures to great R&B played by great musicians.

 

[filmtex]

Legend - Bob Marley, featuring Aston "Family Man" Barrett on bass and his brother Carlton "Carly" Barrett on drums. Second longest run on the Billboard charts (over 500 weeks) second only to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and continues to sell between 3,00 and 5,00 copies a week in the US. IMHO Aston is right there in the pocket with Donald "Duck" Dunn, James Jamerson and Tommy Shannon.

 

[Ron Berenato]

Any Steely Dan record! Lots of incredible work by Chuck Rainey in particular. Also Donald Fagen's solo stuff - The Nightfly is like an R&B session hero showcase: Rainey, Marcus Miller, Will Lee, Anthony Jackson and Abe Laboriel! Morph the Cat has Freddie Washington killing it on every track.

Agreed on those Blues Brothers albums - the film was one of my formative exposures to great R&B played by great musicians.

Cool. I met Chuck Rainey once and he is an extremely nice guy.

 

[andawun]

Some of my faves: Gary Thain: Uriah Heep Live, Mars Cowling: Pat Travers Live, Jerry "Wyzard" Seay: Mother's Finest Live, Tommy Shannon: SRV In Step. Will Ainsworth: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Ledbetter Heights.

 

[Asylum-49]

Dirt by Alice in Chains; I've always found the basslines by Mike Starr on this album to be exemplary.

Appetite for Destruction by Guns n' Roses; the way Duff writing and finds the right tone and space to fit the rest of the band is noting short of phenomenal.

 

[Asylum-49]

Also Tim Commerford on any RATM, Audioslave or Prophets of Rage album.

 

[FenderHotRod]

Andy Hess on Gov't Mule albums Deja Voodoo and High and Mighty.

 

[Fishlips]

Anything Bob Stroger has done...check him out on Otis Redding Live ...DAYUM!

 

[stuntbass77]

Nate Watts with Stevie Wonder. Songs in The Key of Life and every album after

Bernard Edwards with Chic

Louis Johnson with Brothers Johnson Look out for #1, & on Michael Jackson Thriller and Off The Wall

Paul S Denman with Sade Diamond Life & all the Sade albums

Pino Palladino on DAngelo Voodoo album

Tina Weymouth with Talking Heads & TomTom Club

Larry Graham with Sly and Family Stone & Graham Central Station

Allen McGreir with Teena Marie

Aaron Mills with Cameo

Jaco with Joni Mitchell especially Hejira and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter

Joseph Lucky Scott Curtis Mayfield Superfly Soundtrack

Carol Kaye on countless songs and albums .

James Jamerson was Motown .

Fred Hammond Pages Of Life

Micheal League with Snarky Puppy

Joe Dart with Vulfpeck

Sharay Reed with Corey Henry and the Funk Apostles

You stole my list

 

[fretter]

Black Sabbath - s/t

 

[ppiluk]

John Klingberg who played on the Van Morrison album. The basslines on this album are amazing!

 

[Jeff Scott]

Zawinul Syndicate World Tour CD

Here is a live excerpt:

 

[dougjwray]

Jack Bruce on all the Cream albums, as well as on "Harmony Row" (his greatest solo album, IMO).

 

[Bassa Nova]

John Klingberg who played on the Van Morrison album. The basslines on this album are amazing!

Same here. Great playing plus the bass is so forward in the mix. There is quote somewhere from Ronnie Lane about how he was so blown away by Klingberg when he heard the Moondance album.

 

[maturanesa]

Tribal Tech - Face First

 

[Farseer]

Rush-Permanent Waves. Unbelievable what Peart and Lee do on this album. It blows my mind that people can actually write this stuff.

 

[Ron Berenato]

Rush-Permanent Waves. Unbelievable what Peart and Lee do on this album. It blows my mind that people can actually write this stuff.

Yeah . . I almost feel like excluding Geddy from this thread because he's so freaking awesome. It's fair to say that ANYTHING he played bass on is completely over the top great.

 

[Relayer71]

Rush-Permanent Waves. Unbelievable what Peart and Lee do on this album. It blows my mind that people can actually write this stuff.

I third this! Permanent Waves & Moving Pictures are peak Rush/Geddy for me.

I can't pick just one album, though.

Along with those two, I'd probably put any Yes album from Yes to Going For The One (Relayer is my favorite Yes album but more to do with Steve Howe, though Squire was incredible as ever).