Favourite Billy Sheehan and Tony Levin Lines?

[Circus]

I want to hear more by these bassists, and want to learn some of their best stuff, did a quick search and did not find much. Wasn't sure if this should be recordings or bassists, so here it is! What are you favourite billy sheehan and tony levin bass lines?

 

[Dynna]

Billy Sheehan- David Lee Roth's "Eat 'Em and Smile". My favorite line on the album? The bass break on Yankee Rose. But make sure you check out Elephant Gun too.

 

[IAMERICCOCHRANE]

Tony Levin= Elephant talk - King Crimson

 

[James Hart]

for Tony, "Secret World Live" from Pete Gabriel is a great example of his live presence and tone. "So" is the normal starting point for the PG/TL stuff. I really dig the latest studio effort from PG "Up". I really thought it would be bigger then it is/was.

You want chops.... Liquid Tension Experiment 1 and/or 2 is a great place to see Tony cut loose in a Progressive chop blowing setting

If I had to pick a favorite line (or 2)... I think "Red Rain" from "So" or "Digging in the Dirt" from "Us" (or both on "Secret World Live") would be my picks.

Tony's biggest talent is the ability to write the best possible line to fit the tune... his lines when heard alone seem to be a completely different tune, but perfectly intersect and move Pete's stuff

Invalid Link Removed has a couple videos online from PG.... as does his own website http://www.petergabriel.com/

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I'm going to have to go with Tony Levin's bassline for King Crimson's "One Time". It's only two notes; I-IV. But it's just so right.

His bassline for Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" is pretty damn hot too, but loses out because it's got too many notes.

 

[liquid-dream-ex]

When it comes to Sheehan, you should get some of his niacin stuff, it'S just amazing, imho.

For Tony Levin... Paradygm shift of Liquid tension experiment is incredibly grooving.

 

[Ian Perge]

His bassline for Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" is pretty damn hot too, but loses out because it's got too many notes.

Come now, doesn't the Super Nappy Bass make up for the pure shreading in that song?

 

[Blazer]

Levin: Robby Robertson's "Somewhere down the crazy river" he plays a crazy fretless part on that song adding a second melody to the main melody of the song.

Sheehan: Mr. Big's "Just take my heart when you go" On this one Sheehan doesn't have his trademark concrete mixer tone. He apparently used a Yamaha Six string TRB bass and adds some really nifty solos on the C string of that bass, utilising the Piezo to good effect.

 

[hieronymous]

For Billy Sheehan, I always liked the Talas album Sink Your Teeth Into That, especially "NV43345" (his unaccompanied bass solo). Not sure how easy it is to find these days.

And for Tony Levin, definitely King Crimson's Discipline - the 4/4 bass line over the 7/8 guitars (I think?) in "Thela Hun Ginjeet"!

 

[Philbiker]

I'm a fan of Tony Levin's line on "Sleepless" .

But my favorite Levin bassline of all is the song "Vrooom". The groovy part grooves like a bitch and the high melodic parts are just so beautiful it sends shivvers down my spine.

I spent some time learning it one day... It's way more complicated than it sounds.

 

[NV43345]

Here are some of the Billy Sheehan songs we do in our set.

From Mr.Big:
Addicted to that rush
Green tinted sixties mind
Merciless

we also do an acoustic set that includes I'm the one who wants to be with you,that I play my ABG on.We also do a
Piano(keyboard) vesion of Just take my heart that I play
fretless six string on.

From Talas
High speed on ice
NV43345 with my own garbage thrown in.

we used to do Daddy brother little boy,and I played the
parts with a makita hand held drill with wooden dowels
with triangle pics screwed on them,It was a blast.

 

[corinpills]

For Tony Levin, I'd say check out all his work with Peter Gabriel ("Don't Give Up" is a genius part) and add the Robbie Robertson stuff, King Crimson and John Lennon. Love that guy.

 

[Atshen]

Levin's line on "Sledgehammer" is classic. It just makes the song.

 

[FUNKonthewall]

"Osmosis" is a really smooth Levin line from Liquid Tension Experiment that compliments the eclectic percussion and the volume swells from the guitar quite well. Heh, sounds like i'm writing a review for a magazine or something.

 

[jcburn]

Levin - Paradigm Shift
Sheehan - (What else?!)Shyboy and Temperamental

 

[Dr. Cheese]

For Tony Levin, I like his Peter Gabriel stuff like Sledgehammer, In Your Eyes, and Digging in the Dirt. For Billy Sheehan, I really liked Shy Boy and Elephant Gun, both of which were on David lee Roth albums.

 

[Circus]

Wow thanks for all the replies guys, I thought at least 1 person was going to give me the, go listen to it all yourself and stop being so lazy! Thanks, I'm off to learn!

 

[adam on bass]

Billy Sheehan -
DLR's Eat'em and Smile and Skyscraper, they rocked. Wish that line up was still going.
DLR, Vai, Sheehan and Bissonette = WOW

 

[Starrchild]

Levin's line on "Sledgehammer" is classic. It just makes the song.

+1

 

[LajoieT]

While Sheehan did some FANTASTIC playing just about everywhere, Talas, DLR, MR. Big, Niacin, and a LOT of other side projects, I think the stuff he did on Macalpine's Debut, Edge of Insanity, were his best. No place In Time is one of my favorite of his tracks and Agrionia is great too. The whole album is great for decent yet tastefull Sheehan playing, It wasn't his album and I'm not sure how much of the music is his or how much was Tony telling him what to play, but IMO it is a great album for it's bass playing.