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Most Underrated Bassists

#221
shawn2000 said:
Love Graham Maby, one of my all time favorites. Excellent!

Hate to burst your bubble on Mr. Sheehan, but the bass work on the early Boston records was done by Tom Scholz! Crazy, eh? And he is quite good.

I'll add one more. Colin Moulding from XTC. Listen to the bassline for Mayor of Simpleton, the guy is super.
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YES!!! Right on the money, brother...Graham and Colin were amazing and time seems to have let them slip through the cracks...

I gotta say here...John Paul Jones, underrated? He's great, don't get me wrong, but he was in one of the biggest bands of all freakin time...what's so underrated about that? AND...nearly every bass player I've ever talked to says, "you know, I think JPJ is really underrated." If nearly EVERYONE says that, it must not be true, right? Dudes from Stadium bands are prolly 'rated' just fine...Billy Sheehan? Really? You mean the guy who was in like every issue of Bass Player magazine for 20 years? Overrated? Let's have some imagination here people! Willie Weeks? Yep...underrated, in that he rules :) Mary Huff? Underrated. Robert DeLeo? COME ON!!! Of course he's good, but EVERYONE knows that!
 
#224
Colin Moulding of XTC is an excellent bass player. Certainly under rated. So smooth yet I can hardly follow or anticipate what he is doing. When someone can think/play so out of the ordinary but still make it fit, it's a gift.

I would also nominate David J of Bauhaus. Very bass-centered music. Creating the main melody in many of the songs.
 
#225
sammyfallen said:
I never could get into municipal waste. They are a straight copy of DRI (IMO of course) We even played quite a few gigs with thmein this area. Nice guys but not my cup of tea...
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Speaking of DRI I think John Menor was their best bass player. Really great finger picked lines on Definition and the one before that( I can't remember the name). Not only are the lines great but they're really forward in the mix for that type of music.
 
#226
dukeorock said:
YES!!! Right on the money, brother...Graham and Colin were amazing and time seems to have let them slip through the cracks...

I gotta say here...John Paul Jones, underrated? He's great, don't get me wrong, but he was in one of the biggest bands of all freakin time...what's so underrated about that? AND...nearly every bass player I've ever talked to says, "you know, I think JPJ is really underrated." If nearly EVERYONE says that, it must not be true, right? Dudes from Stadium bands are prolly 'rated' just fine...Billy Sheehan? Really? You mean the guy who was in like every issue of Bass Player magazine for 20 years? Overrated? Let's have some imagination here people! Willie Weeks? Yep...underrated, in that he rules :) Mary Huff? Underrated. Robert DeLeo? COME ON!!! Of course he's good, but EVERYONE knows that!
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I can see where you'recoming from with jpj. It's easy to see and hear that he's a great bassist but I think he's really underrated as a musician in general. He just has a lot of strengths as a musician that a casual listener and even other musicians either cannot or will not recognize. That's why I think he's underrated, but I can still understand your point.
 
#228
Gord_oh said:
ill say it. Pete Wentz.
the newer stuff from Fall Out Boy, not so much.
but their first two albums had some really decent bass lines, actual lines.
once they started to get more fame is when his stuff got boring.

YouTube - Fall Out Boy: Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
2:12, better than playing root notes like he does now.

doesnt matter much anyway, they are no longer.
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Oddly enough, I agree. :hiding:
He showed what he could do on Calm Before the Storm.
Than the next 2 albums it got boring (With the exception of Dance Dance)
Folie a Deux, his lines were still easy but he actually had lines in the verses then he plays roots in the chorus'.
His new project. the Black Cards. He actually seems to have lines again. Check "Dr. Jekyll and Mr Fame."
The only problem he has really is that damn bass strumming of his. But as of late, he dropped it and is actually playing near the bridge/over the pick ups, so he's slightly getting better now.
 
#235
are

Barry Adamson (Magazine and solo)

John Taylor (Duran Duran) though other bassists seem to appreciate him

John Wetton (at least from his King Crimson days - Asia not so much - he used to be a bone-eating monster of a player with KC)

Bill MacCormick (used to play w/Phil Manzanera back in the day - best P-bass tone I've ever heard and a subtle and tasteful player)

edited to add John Illsley of Dire Straits. Great subtle groove player who had a perfect sense of when to push it a bit or pull back on the reins.
 
#236
Roger Waters comes to mind.

After learning bass I went back to listen to Floyd again and I notice that Waters is very disciplined and plays what he needs to, not more, even though I know from live recordings that he is capable of being flashier when he wants. For the kind of mellow mood Floyd was conveying, though, Roger always seems to show self-control.
 
#237
Tal Wilkenfeld, tasteful, musical, toneful. I've only heard what she's done with Jeff Beck and her solo album so far.

Peter Cetera (early Chicago) also tasteful, musical, toneful and sang some really difficult harmonies at the same time.

The guy in Atlanta Rhythm Section, what's his name?

Berry Oakley. I don't know that anybody outside of the bass world, and guitar world too, ever acknowledged how effective he was playing off Duane and Dickey. Some of those long jams that got recorded show me how he really knew counterpoint with the guitars. And that tone on the intro to Les Brers in A Minor, OMG!
 
#240
rwindle said:
Tal Wilkenfeld, tasteful, musical, toneful. I've only heard what she's done with Jeff Beck and her solo album so far.

Peter Cetera (early Chicago) also tasteful, musical, toneful and sang some really difficult harmonies at the same time.

The guy in Atlanta Rhythm Section, what's his name?

Berry Oakley. I don't know that anybody outside of the bass world, and guitar world too, ever acknowledged how effective he was playing off Duane and Dickey. Some of those long jams that got recorded show me how he really knew counterpoint with the guitars. And that tone on the intro to Les Brers in A Minor, OMG!
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Paul Goddard is his name. And, as far as guitarists go, Barry Bailey is surely the most under-rated of all time.
 

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