best bass player of all time

Paul McCartney definitely is a phenomenal bass player and probably made the biggest contribution to bass playing, and I would probably say that overall, he is 'the best'. But I'd like to bring some attention to a couple of rather unknown bass players that deserve some credit:

Ray Shulman from Gentle Giant. SERIOUSLY. Listen to this guy. www.youtube.com...

Patrick Djivas from Italian prog rock band Premiata Forneria Marconi. www.youtube.com...

Sorry not read through all of this thread so I suspect these may all have been mentioned before.

Technically I think Mark King is probably the best I have heard, just don't enjoy his type of music much.

I have always enjoyed listening to Peter Hook and Bruce Foxton, both strong, up front bass players though probably not as tecnically proficient, but they #ing sound good!

John Deacon of Queen and Flea are obviously very good as well but my favourite bass player has to be toss up between John Entwhistle and Andy Fraser.






Edit to add: After reading the whole thread, how on earth could I forget Matt Freeman, a fantastic bass player.

[edit on 25/12/08 by Freeborn]

Patricia isn't really my favorite bassists but I love the whole psychobilly vibe.www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
Paul McCartney definitely is a phenomenal bass player and probably made the biggest contribution to bass playing, and I would probably say that overall, he is 'the best'.

i'd have to disagree with that. paul might have been the best back in the day but when compared to people like bootsy and billy sheehan he seems rudimentary.

As I'm looking at this post I see great Bass players in all of the reply's here.

Where is Les Claypool from Primus??

My hands down top pick.

SeeYa!!!!

Originally posted by jerry_soh_619
thats easy the best bass player of all time is paul mccartney before mccartney the bass was used as a conventional intrument to back up the guitar at all times when mccartney took hold of the bass he proved the bass could lead a song just as well as a guitar, buddy holly in the crickets is an example of what the beatles were inflouenced by they took that style that idea and made it faster and more melodic and gave it a catchy bass and walah u have the mersey beat sound of the british invasion! mccartneys groundwork of playing diffrent notes is really what made bass playing what it is! john lennon said in the playboy interviews ''evrything done today on the bass is a direct rip-off of paul in his beatle days'' i totally agree and my studies have proven this theory right!

Bass purists would call you a blasphemer because it was James Jamerson that actually went astray from the conventional background instument and influenced many others (like Entwistle and many more). Apparently, people claim that if you're a bassist today, you should pay your repsects to Jamerson.

Eh, he had heaps of flavoursome lines but I'm not a fan of motown at all.

[edit on 28-12-2008 by Angry Potato]

Anyway, the best bass players of the world are probably usually out of the limellight and have probably never had their playing on a CD before, so it's hard to tell who the best are. Of popular bassists of this day and age, their are probably too many to name. I guess I'll just say names of bassists that are more technically proficient than great:

Jeff Schmidt, Michael Manring, Victor Wooten, Les Clayppol, John Myung, Steve DiGiorgio, Sean Malone, Jaco Pastorius (well, he's actually really great), John Patitucci, Mark King, and many more.

reply to post by Angry Potato


here is a different suggestion, Tony Kanal of no doubt. I never really noticed til I started listening to them again but he is awesome. Flea to me is still the best.

Listen to Rob Derhak, Mike Gordon, Dave Schools, & Oteil Burbridge. If you appreciate the bass and unique techniques of playing the instrument, and your opinion on how good a bass player is not based the popularity of the band they play in, these guys will blow your mind.

Otiel is rad. Love that dudes tone.

[edit on 19-1-2009 by BASSPLYR]

Been listening to a lot of my old Stranglers records and CD's recently....J.J. Burnell is definately up there with the best and like Hooky his basslines are recognisable instantly.

The Stranglers - Nice N Sleazy

Here's a song by Jeff Schmidt. Really awesome performance:



...And one from Michael Manring:

Define "best"?
It's all relative.

Jaco was unique, innovative and versatile.

Flea really gives it his all when he plays and can keep it going while he moves and jumps around on stage.

I'm not too familiar with the guy from Primus but have been impressed with what I've heard and seen. He is extremely busy with all them fingers while he is belting out the vocals. People may not realize but it takes real talent to be able to mutitask like that.

Geddy Lee is also extremely coordinated since he too is able to sing along while getting things done with some really technical and extremely complex bass playing.
... and I'm not talking about your basic boom-boom-boom neither.

omg you guys dont know good bass players lol....

1-ALAIN CARON
2-JEFF BERLIN
3-PINO PALLADINO

I would have to say Donald Duck Dunn is one of the greatest bassist. Played along side Booker T & The MG's and Otis Redding.

Originally posted by KonquestAbySS
I would have to say Donald Duck Dunn is one of the greatest bassist. Played along side Booker T & The MG's and Otis Redding.

Not to mention The Blues Brothers, which I stil consider to be some of his best work. (His line on "She Caught the Katy" still blows my mind.)

reply to post by _Uforia_


John Paul Jones kept that band even live. Without him and Bonham, Zep was MESSY.

CJ

Originally posted by thing fish

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS
Paul McCartney definitely is a phenomenal bass player and probably made the biggest contribution to bass playing, and I would probably say that overall, he is 'the best'.

i'd have to disagree with that. paul might have been the best back in the day but when compared to people like bootsy and billy sheehan he seems rudimentary.

Agreed. Even at the time there were better bassists. Maybe not in rock, but in a thread about bass players concentrating on rock is like looking for the world's best Chinese food only in Mexico.


My vote goes to Hadrien Feraud. Even though Damien steals the show in this vid I thought it would be better than posting one of Hadriens solos.


You might call this the evolution of the bass guitar. Support instrument? Lead? These guitars and the style used to play them is extremely interesting to say the least.

Pure awesome!

Originally posted by FEDec

You might call this the evolution of the bass guitar. Support instrument? Lead? These guitars and the style used to play them is extremely interesting to say the least.

Don't even get me started on the Stick and its descendants (Warr Guitar, like Trey is playing here, and others...)



And the man who invented the instrument,