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Harris,Lee,Simmons

#41
Originally posted by acesclone
I am a guitarist of 25 years experience and didn't really pick up bass until my current gig. I really like bass players whose lines stick in your face as much as the guitar players. I am not a big fan of the AC/DC school of basslines(although anything else in their music would ruin it. I have a lot of respect for Cliff Williams for holding back). I am also not a fan of the "I'm just as flashy as EVH" school of basslines either. To me the bass players that play as important a part in the bands sound as any other member:

Gene Simmons
Geddy
Steve Harris
Geezer Butler
JP Jones
Paul Mac
Boz Burrell
Phil Lynott
Mel Schacher(GREATLY underrated)

Help me guys......
Click to expand...

......hum, John Entwistle ?!?!?!? ....
 
#43
Originally posted by acesclone
Gene Simmons DOES have a lot of GREAT bass lines....and he played them all until the 80's. He is very McCartney influenced. If you want to hear the best of Gene check out the first 3 records(KISS, Hotter then HELL, Dressed to Kill) and ALIVE! I love running bass lines. Gene gets no respect from people who either know nothing about KISS OR hate the image.
Click to expand...

I like the bass work on KISS records. However, I think there is serious doubt that Gene wrote and/or played the lines in the studio. Hasn't Frehley claimed that he played bass on the first three records? And doesn't the bass on Alive sounded dubbed, especially on "Black Diamond" and other tracks?

Gene does tear it up on "Lick It Up," though. :hmm:
 
#44
Originally posted by acesclone
I am a guitarist of 25 years experience and didn't really pick up bass until my current gig. I really like bass players whose lines stick in your face as much as the guitar players. I am not a big fan of the AC/DC school of basslines(although anything else in their music would ruin it. I have a lot of respect for Cliff Williams for holding back). I am also not a fan of the "I'm just as flashy as EVH" school of basslines either. To me the bass players that play as important a part in the bands sound as any other member:

Gene Simmons
Geddy
Steve Harris
Geezer Butler
JP Jones
Paul Mac
Boz Burrell
Phil Lynott
Mel Schacher(GREATLY underrated)

Help me guys......
Click to expand...

In keeping with your "tasty but not flashy" list (which would explain the exclusion of Entwistle, althiugh he could be quite tasty in the studio), here are my additions:

Greg Ridley (Spooky Tooth, Humble Pie)
Carl Radle (Derek & The Dominos, Eric Clapton)
Bruce Foxton (The Jam)
Sting (Police)
Paul Simenon (The Clash)
Lee Dornan (Iron Butterfly)
John Wetton (Family, King Crimson, UK, Uriah Heep, Asia)
Ron Wood (Rod Stewart early solo...also played more Stones bass ("Emotional Rescue," etc.) than you'd think)

Mel Schacher, along with Ridley, is the Great Lost Bassist of 70s rock. Great, great stuff from those two.
 
#47
This thread is about my 3 primary influences, the three guys that made me want to pick up a bass in the first place. I won't even bother rattling off Rush and Maiden songs for suggestions, since there are so many good ones listed already.

However.

There are some GREAT basslines that came out of KISS's early years - Deuce, 100,000 Years, Watching You, Ladies In Waiting, She, Parasite, Love Theme, Goin' Blind... I could go on and on. A couple of songs with fantastic basslines that don't come from that period are 'Escape From The Island' off their horrific concept album, Music From The Elder, and 'What Happened In The Darkness' from the Wicked Lester LP (Gene and Paul's pre-KISS band).

I think the reason people keep bagging on Gene's ability (particularly in this thread) is that KISS was never a bass-dominant band - in their prime they were very bluesy and the bass was a little more overt, but the bass has never been as key to the overall sound as it was with Maiden and in particular, Rush.

In any case, these 3 guys are the holy trinity for me, and I naturally commend anyone looking to delve deeper into their sounds and techniques. Great topic, Ibanizian!

-72
 
#48
I like the bass work on KISS records. However, I think there is serious doubt that Gene wrote and/or played the lines in the studio. Hasn't Frehley claimed that he played bass on the first three records? And doesn't the bass on Alive sounded dubbed, especially on "Black Diamond" and other tracks?

For the first 8 records the KISS members did play their own parts. Except for a few unusual exceptions. ALIVE! has a lot of overdubs from ALL the instruments. I LOVE ACE and he has always been my favorite member of KISS but if he said that he is talking out of his a**. He DID do a lot of the bass lines for his OWN tunes later. If you are so inclined you can read a who played what in KISS at this Invalid Link Removed

should clear some of this up.
 

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