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Punk Bass

#23
kenfxj said:
As an old-timer let me mention Bruce Thomas (Elvis & The Attractions), Bruce Foxton (The Jam) and Graham Maby (Joe Jackson).

Maybe not what would be considered "punk" nowadays but back then they fit right in.
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YES!

I LOVE Graham Maby and Bruce Foxton. Most of those 70's powerpop bands all had very crisp bassists (who seemed to either play Ric 4001's or Fender P's, haha)... the Jags, Paul Collin's Beat, The Pointed Sticks, Nick Lowe, Crash Street Kids, The Rubinoos, The Records, off Broadway, Bram Tchaikovski... LOVE that stuff.


To the OP... punk (all forms of) has some incredible bassists:

Karl Alvarez (The Descendents/All)
Joe Keller (The Ergs/Nightbirds)
Rob Wright (Nomeansno)
Vern Rumsey (Unwound/Blonde Redhead)
Mike Watt (The Minutemen)
Kathy Valentine (The Go-Gos)
Sammy (Teengenerate)
Chris Houston (Forgotten Rebles)


...the lists can go on and on...
 
#24
The myth that punk musicians can't play their instruments or that punk bass players just thump along to the root of the guitar chord is ridiculous. I think punk bassists have more involved lines played with a lot more "giddyup" than metal players.

Some of my favorites:

Paul Simonon of The Clash
Mike Dirnt of Green Day
Chris #2 from Anti-Flag
Matt Freeman from Rancid
Roger from Less Than Jake

And I don't think he's been mentioned on this thread yet but Bruce Foxton from The Jam is amazing. Great basslines... very tasteful but always active and involved and gave a lot of life to those songs. The Jam are arguably one of the great punk bands of all time.
 
#27
nocontrols said:
The myth that punk musicians can't play their instruments or that punk bass players just thump along to the root of the guitar chord is ridiculous. I think punk bassists have more involved lines played with a lot more "giddyup" than metal players.

Some of my favorites:

Paul Simonon of The Clash
Mike Dirnt of Green Day
Chris #2 from Anti-Flag
Matt Freeman from Rancid
Roger from Less Than Jake

And I don't think he's been mentioned on this thread yet but Bruce Foxton from The Jam is amazing. Great basslines... very tasteful but always active and involved and gave a lot of life to those songs. The Jam are arguably one of the great punk bands of all time.
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Played both genres, and couldn't agree more, I think often you are given more space and room, to write bass parts in punk, were in a lot, not all, but a lot of metal, the bass is just beefing up the guitar sound. just My Opinion.
 
#28
sonic assassin said:
try streetlight manifesto. pete likes to hang out in the back of a reaaaally complicated and dense mix, but with the right system, you hear how incredible he is.
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Great band, incredible bassist. I'm sure anyone can learn alot from him - I know I did. IMO he can overdo songs a bit, but generally he sits in the pocket perfectly while busting out all kinds of magic :bassist: Also I think the guy from Frenzal Rhomb can play pretty rapidly if that's what you're after, but I haven't listened to him so much. Rancid bassist is great too - in fact, you better be following up all the previous posts, there are some great names being mentioned :cool:
 
#29
jay tay said:
Played both genres, and couldn't agree more, I think often you are given more space and room, to write bass parts in punk, were in a lot, not all, but a lot of metal, the bass is just beefing up the guitar sound. just My Opinion.
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I agree wholeheartedly. You described it perfectly and, yes, I've played both, also.

Oh and before I forget, I'll go ahead and list Joe Lally from Fugazi in this category. Who among us can resist "Waiting Room"?
 
#30
kenfxj said:
As an old-timer let me mention Bruce Thomas (Elvis & The Attractions), Bruce Foxton (The Jam) and Graham Maby (Joe Jackson).

Maybe not what would be considered "punk" nowadays but back then they fit right in.
Click to expand...

And they dressed better, too!

Also, I apologize that I didn't notice you listed Bruce Foxton before I did. Mea culpa. He WAS brilliant and tremendously underrated.
 
#31
There've been so many great ones throughout the years--funny, considering some people believe the definition of punk is not being able to play your instrument.:smug:

There were great ones before him, but Watt was (forgive the cliche) a game-changer to me. He and the Minutemen didn't give a damn about convention, they careened across styles and created something new and eye-opening. And Watt's always been a really good songwriter, too.

Other favorites: Simonon, Flouride, Jenifer, Burnel, Cris Kirkwood from the Meat Puppets, Lally, Freeman, Roger from LTJ. I really need to listen to NoMeansNo more, I've pretty much missed out on them.
kenfxj said:
As an old-timer let me mention Bruce Thomas (Elvis & The Attractions), Bruce Foxton (The Jam) and Graham Maby (Joe Jackson).

Maybe not what would be considered "punk" nowadays but back then they fit right in.
Click to expand...
All great players I've listened to quite a bit. Since we're stretching the definition of punk a whole lot, Colin Moulding of XTC fits in with this group, too.
 
#37
Staunch said:
+7843

Conversation over, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Rob Wright rules the universe of punk bassosity.
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I agree!! I sound like a broken record on these forums, but Rob is amazing. Ever hear his Mr. Wrong Fights the System 7"? Its just bass and vocal. The two songs are available on the reissue of Wrong as bonus tracks.

Somebody I know once said Nomeansno is the King Crimson of punk rock.
 

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