Favorite bass albums and why?

[Funky Ghost]

11/17/70. Great example of musicians staying out of each other's sonic space.

Some of my favorite things Dee ever did.

 

[mattbass6945]

While listening to the songs from my high school years, I'm constantly reminded of how good a bass player Robert DeLeo is. He has a way of sneaking in some funky lines in what would otherwise be fairly straightforward rock songs.

 

[supershifter2]

early grand funk railroad

 

[NMTB]

I tried a thread like this a long time ago that went nowhere so I'll try again. What are your favorite albums to listen to when you want to just listen to some bass playing that really speaks to you?

For bass that "speaks to me" as the reason:

About The Young Idea: The Very Best Of The Jam:

Give 'Em Enough Rope - The Clash:


And "Songs From The Streets", particularly given the guitarist did all the bass:

 

[MycooLeeyun]

evan brewer is worth checking out

 

[Dr. Keebs]

Just to pick one out of the haystack, I'll go with Euphoria Mo(u)rning by Chris Cornell. Killer p bass tones, groovy tasty lines, hauntingly psychedelic depressing songs as only Chris could do.

 

[socialleper]

Victor Wooten's What Did He Say made me completely rethink the bass and what you can do with it. It is such a happy and experimental album. It is truly brilliant.
Of course Jaco's self titled album is a staple in bass.

 

[jamro217]

The Joker - The Steve Miller Band.
Innocence Ballet - Alfie Zappacosta.
Those Southern Knights - The Crusaders.
How To Beat the High Cost Of Living (movie soundtrack) - Hubert Laws and Earl Klugh.

 

[MaplePrecision]

I just listen to Zep's "The Lemon Song" JPJ always seemed to get it right, still does

Another favorite would have to be Iron Maiden self titled debut. It is just good playing on some great tunes.

 

[Paul Pops]

I tried a thread like this a long time ago that went nowhere so I'll try again. What are your favorite albums to listen to when you want to just listen to some bass playing that really speaks to you?

I'll go first. Space Cowboy and Traveling Without Moving by Jamiroquai. Zender plays some FUNKY lines on these albums, some jazzy lines etc. but he plays with articulation (ghosting, dynamics, bends/trills/slides, etc.) that is so deliberate and unique to him that it's like no other bass player could have been subbed in for him. Later Jamiroquai albums after Zender left have a lot of great, challenging bass lines, but IMO you could have slotted any other great player in there and it would have sounded exactly the same. He has a David Gilmore-esq quality to me in that way. Any accomplished player can do what he does, but not make it sound quite so special.

What albums do you turn on when you just want to appreciate some great bass playing?

Led Zeppelin I and II.
John Paul Jones bass playing is my style along with The Funk Brothers. My eras I guess.

 

[PMagers]

The first Violent Femmes album... Or the track Never Tell from Hallowed Ground, dirty acoustic greatness from Brian Ritchie.

 

[White Beard]

Violent Femmes Violent Femmes is a great one!

Mike Watt Contemplating the Engine Room is probably my all time favorite play along album, and that bass tone just screams "I'm Mike Watt and I'm gonna' piledrive bass into yer' ear like Don Muraco piledrives jobbronies on the mat."

The Who Who's Next is John Entwistle at his "who gives a frak" best. And the entire time (in concert footage) he looks so bored that he's making a shopping list in his head, "Let's see I'm going to need milk, eggs, bread, and probably some cocaine."

Built to Spill is Doug Martsch's showcase, but on Keep it Like a Secret, Brett Nelson just lays it down with a nice bright tone and arpeggio lines and never overshadows the guitar and is still there in just below the surface.

 

[Bob_Ross]

"Let's see I'm going to need milk, eggs, bread, and probably some cocaine."

I just laughed so hard that milk came out of my nose




...and I haven't drank milk in several decades.

 

[Paul Pops]

Zeppelin II

 

[Clark Dark]

War
Graham Central Station
Frankie Beverly & Maze
P-Funk thang
Average White Band
Santana
Mandrill
Cameo
Slave
Headhunters w/ Herbie Hancock
Cold Blood
Roberta Flack
Dianne Reeves

...many many more