Which Bassist "Made" a Band?

[Gyver]

Hmm, no one mentioned Mötley Crüe yet.

I agree, even though Nikki Sixx is generally not considered a great bass player, simply because he wrote most of the songs.

 

[Gyver]

I think we can add Bill Wyman to the list...

Interesting, as good as Darryl Jones is the Stones just don't have the same feel without Wyman's quirky playing.

 

[dogbrained]

The Animals would not have been what they were without Chas Chandler on bass.

 

[dalkowski]

Most good bands.

/thread

 

[India_Sierra]

For me, it would be Jeff Berlin in Bruford. I don't think the band would have ever been 'mediocre' simply because they boasted a roster of very talented players and composers but Jeff added the 'magic' that made it work for me. Whether it was contributing vocals and bass to tracks like 'the sliding floor' or even original compositions like 'Joe Frazier', or just providing great bass playing on every track he appeared on, he made it happen. They could have made it work with any number of great bassists but I think choosing Jeff really took it to the next level.

 

[96Brigadier]

I think I'd put it this way.

Given enough time and practice, plus adequate rehearsal, any of us could get up onstage to play bass with RHCP and the audience would still think it sounded like RHCP.

Uhhhh, you're missing something pretty fundamental, namely this:

If someone competent learned Flea's bass parts he could indeed reproduce them convincingly and the band would still sound like RHCP. However had Flea never existed these bass parts wouldn't have either.

 

[socialleper]

Iron Maiden. Steve Harris is the backbone of that band and it would have never existed had he not decided to play bass instead of drums.

I'm amazed it took until post 34 for someone to mention Steve Harris.
Not only is his tone and playing style the signature of the band, but it is his band. He is one one consistent member, he writes a lot of the music and lyrics, he produces a lot of the band's albums. He IS Iron Maiden.

I know Geezer Butler seems to go hand in hand with Steve a lot, but I'm going to stick by this one. Black Sabbath was successful without Ozzy. However, they were not successful without Geezer. Tony is the soul of the band, but he really needs Geezer with him to make his playing work. They are peanut butter and jelly.

Les Claypool is really the core of Primus. He is what people focus on, but he is also the driving force behind the band. Without him there isn't a Primus.

Geddy Lee in Rush. Neil Peart is definitely a draw for the band, but as the vocalist and with his playing style, Lee is really the one at the head of that trio. Personally, I pay zero attention to Alex Lifeson's playing.

Ryan Martinie in Mudvayne. That band had no reason to exist without him and the drummer. The guitarist is mediocre and the vocals were at times annoying. Listening to Ryan's playing is what caught my interest about them, and why I have zero interest in Hell Yeah.

Anything Nick Schendzeilos does. Cephalic Carnage before him was OK, but launched to a whole new level with him. A Job for a Cowboy was one a forgettable blob of whatevercore bands, but Sun Eater was an absolute work of art. Without Nick Havok would be one of a dozen interchangeable trash retread bands. He makes their music lively and unique. Sadly, the high pitched vocals drive me up a wall, so I can't enjoy them as much as I would like to.

For me Jereon Paul Thesseling made Obscura. The current bassist is a good player, but his style just isn't as inspired. Thesseling pushed the music more. Maybe that's why he isn't in the band anymore.

Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse and the drummer Paul are the only two consistent members of that band. He is the tonal backbone of the band, and his incredibly precise playing is one of the things that separated them from a glut of US death metal bands in the early 90s. His relentless attention to detail is what has made Cannibal Corpse the Gold Standard in death metal, as well as one of the longest lasting, more consistent extreme metal bands out there.

 

[xsnrg27]

Mark sandman of Morphine. One of the most distinctive bass sounds.

 

[lermgalieu]

So very, very many

 

[Tommyc]

Easy. Jack Casady. No Jack,no Airplane.

 

[maturanesa]

Paul, Sting, Flea, Steve Harris, Mark King, Les Claypool, Gene Simmons

 

[dalkowski]

I'll toss Andy Rourke of the Smiths into the mix.

 

[Jebberz]

Uzeb

 

[Jacknotjohnbass]

For me, I think of Bill Wyman. The Stones have shown through the last 25 years that without Bill, they’ve gone a little downhill. Now this isn’t a rant on Darryl Jones (who I absolutely love and think is the best replacement for Bill), but I do admit he is just not the on the same level as Bill nor should he. Where many people find Mick or Keith or even Charlie Watts as the main driving force of the Stones, I believe (and it’s been shown) that the Stones are not the Stones without Bill Wyman. The ruthlessness and dirt is lessened without his amazing tone and melodic licks and lines.

 

[dalkowski]

For me, it would be Jeff Berlin in Bruford.

(don't say that name around here!)

 

[Turbo Sparky]

IMO:
RHCP, Motorhead, and Sade come to mind.

 

[Lesfunk]

david Gilmour

 

[Ric5]

Having turned to bass only recently, and having been here just a short time, there are a lot of threads about who's your favorite, who's the most underrated (and probably who's the most overrated, but I haven't seen that one, yet). It got me to wondering:

Is there a bass player in your opinion who, without having been in a specific band, would have caused that band to be just mediocre?

Put another way, while there may be flashy guitar players and superstar singers, would there have been a band that wouldn't have succeeded without the solid playing of a talented bass player?

YES … I listen to YES mainly to hear Chris Squire

I like Cream for Jack Bruce
I like King Crimson for Wetton and Tony Levin

 

[Ric5]

Rush wouldn't be Rush without Geddy

 

[Rabidhamster]

Peter Steele Type 0
Bootsy in any band Bootsy has been in