Melodic bass players.

[stevecaronna]

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd and Dennis Dunaway with Alice Cooper.

 

[bassliner50]

Listen to Chris Hilman with the early "Byrds".

 

[bassliner50]

Lyrical bassists = melodic bassists.

 

[cazclocker]

I would add John McVie from Fleetwood Mac.

 

[Relayer71]

Geddy Lee, of course!

But another player who comes to mind for me is Andy Metcalfe of Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians.

What an amazing (and ridiculously underappreciated (or barely noticed?)) bassist.

Just check out his playing on the tracks Chinese Bones, Winchester, Ride or Lysander.

 

[silvertone]

"But another player who comes to mind for me is Andy Metcalfe of Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians (and The Soft Boys before).
What an amazing (and ridiculously underappreciated (or barely noticed?) bassist)."

Andy Metcalfe is also a very fine bluegrass flatpicker.
I've jammed with him at Rockygrass Academy in Lyon's, CO.
He's a got a wicked and very sarcastic sense of humor too.

 

[brumebat]

Peter Hook


Simon Gallup


Justin Chancellor


Martin Mendez

 

[Alexlotl]

Doug Yule's playing on the Velvets' 3rd & 4th albums (plus the VU bits) is great melodic stuff.

 

[Burwabit]

Flea

 

[Farseer]

+1 for oteil

 

[rtav]

Gotta go with Sir Paul, John Deacon, Chris Squire, Jon Camp, and Michael Rutherford

 

[Volunteerk9]

So no one has mentioned Geddy, he is one of the most melodic players out there!

I tried to hit the Like button twice but it wouldn't let me.

Chancellor
Taylor
Harris
Myung comes to mind as well.

Ive edited this 3 times already. I think they all are!

 

[bass12]

Bobby Watson. His part on "Rock With You" kills me every time.

 

[CJL]

I would add John McVie from Fleetwood Mac.

+1 for John McVie

Would also add Dean Dinning from Toad the Wet Sprocket

 

[stevecaronna]

Ron Wood wrote the bass line in Maggie May, just wondering if that counts.
That is one of my favorite bass lines.

 

[HolmeBass]

+1 on Family Man Barrett. His lines and subhooks define many of BMW's songs.

 

[SasquatchDude]

As much of a JPJ fan as I am, I generally think of him as more of a grooving, laying down the funk -type player (Ramble On is an exception, to be sure).

My vote goes to Dee Murray... listening to his seamless walking lines on Elton John's ballads made me realize a glaring weakness in my own skill set the other day.

 

[d-dave]

Geezer, Geddy, Jamerson, JPJ, Jack Bruce, Steve Harris

A bassist who I enjoyed in the early/mid 90's - Robert DeLeo. Listen to Plush - Stone Temple Pilots again. Any of their stuff really. He's not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but always did a good job of being melodic in the pocket.

 

[Deleted member 284617]

They aren't playing in widely-popular music, but I absolutely love the styles of Dominic Lapointe and Evan Brewer.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Ron Wood wrote the bass line in Maggie May, just wondering if that counts.
That is one of my favorite bass lines.

Pretty sure he also did emotional rescue, and all the other Stones songs with cool bass lines.