http://www.rollingstone.com/music/photos/rolling-stone-readers-pick-the-top-ten-bassists-of-all-time-20110331/10-victor-wooten-0230408
This is a readers' poll which just came out.
I might argue the placements, but I don't really see much wrong with that list even though some of those players are not in my personal Top 10.
Considering that it is a Rolling Stone readership poll I find the picks rather amazing.
There was whining about this on TB, but I personally don't find those to be bad picks (in general). I'm also pleased to see evidence that not all the respondents were under 15...with people like Bruce, JPJ and Entwhistle in there, the respondents know something about classic rock.
That list is pretty good, tho' there's a few on there that I absolutely can't stand, I certainly agree with the top spot.
(Did I mention that I made the "Top Ten Austin Bassists"?)
Jack who?
Quote from: uwe on April 05, 2011, 10:18:02 AM
Jack who?
Jack Bruce is best known for his time with Cream. His enemies maintain that he never had the chops to learn slap bass and this probably explains why he is so low on the list. Bruce played a Gibson EB-3 with Cream and an EB-1 at the Cream reunion concerts, although Gibson itself still seems to be unaware of this.
Saw that the other day. Not bad as far as lists go. If I could change one thing, I'd put Stanley Clarke in place of Wooten.
Quote from: Chaser001 on April 05, 2011, 11:06:25 AM
Jack Bruce is best known for his time with Cream. His enemies maintain that he never had the chops to learn slap bass and this probably explains why he is so low on the list. Bruce played a Gibson EB-3 with Cream and an EB-1 at the Cream reunion concerts, although Gibson itself still seems to be unaware of this.
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
these lists should include the word famous in them. we all have known great players that given different circumstances would be right up there with those guys. and yes ronn, you have mentioned the austen list, twice.
music is not,or should not be a competition. :rolleyes:
Quote from: nofi on April 05, 2011, 12:28:47 PM
these lists should include the word famous in them. we all have known great players that given different circumstances would be right up there with those guys. and yes ronn, you have mentioned the austen list, twice.
music is not,or should not be a competition. :rolleyes:
Unfortunately, music can become a competition whether a person wants it to be or not. It's true a competitive atmosphere doesn't exist here; that's very pleasant. However, real life can be much more hostile.
I say kick Claypool off the list and give an extra spot to Jack's liver.
Quote from: Dave W on April 05, 2011, 01:20:07 PM
I say kick Claypool off the list and give an extra spot to Jack's liver.
How is it that Jamerson was left off the list? I realize that he was largely a studio guy, but... jeez!
Quote from: lowend1 on April 05, 2011, 01:39:52 PM
How is it that Jamerson was left off the list? I realize that he was largely a studio guy, but... jeez!
+1000 Jeez indeed!
Quote from: Dave W on April 05, 2011, 01:20:07 PM
I say kick Claypool off the list and give an extra spot to Jack's liver.
+1
I like a few on that list. I have a list of my own on my FB page. Just some bass players who made me take notice when I was starting out.
Jeff Berlin
Chuck Rainey
Geezer Butler
Chris Squire
Paul McCartney
Glen Hughes
George McArdle
Geddy Lee
Dave Hope
Anthony Jackson
Kelly Groucutt
David Hungate
Peter Cetera
Doug Dennis
Phil Lynott
Norman Durham
Louis Johnson
Joe Bouchard
Pete Sears
Mark Vizcarra
Klaus Voorman
Norbert Putnam
Doug Stegmeyer
Robin Gibb
John Deacon
Mel Schacher
Keith Ferguson
Paul Goddard
Craig MacGregor
Bernard Edwards
Chuck Panozzo
Ronnie Baker
Rutger Gunnarsson
Pete Farndon
The Ox
JPJ
Dee Murray
Greg Lake
Randy Meisner
Berry Oakley
Leon Wilkeson
Banner Thomas
Cliff Williams
Tim Drummond
Gene Simmons
Tim Bogert
Mark Adams
Mario Mantese
Benjamin Orr
Reggie McBride
Most are not household names but they all had an impact on me with their playing and tone.
Quote from: lowend1 on April 05, 2011, 01:39:52 PM
How is it that Jamerson was left off the list? I realize that he was largely a studio guy, but... jeez!
Moved and Seconded!!!!!!
Quote from: lowend1 on April 05, 2011, 01:39:52 PM
How is it that Jamerson was left off the list? I realize that he was largely a studio guy, but... jeez!
Because it's a reader poll. Your average reader has no idea about session bassists. For that matter, I'm sure there are successful session bassists we don't even know about.
Quote from: Dave W on April 05, 2011, 06:32:22 PM
Because it's a reader poll. Your average reader has no idea about session bassists. For that matter, I'm sure there are successful session bassists we don't even know about.
Here is the same. A lot of great session bassists. My favourite Aussie bass player would be Michael Mathews. Mark may know him but I doubt anyone else would. Mores the shame. Amazingly tasteful, versitile and articulate player.
Quote from: Dave W on April 05, 2011, 06:32:22 PM
Because it's a reader poll. Your average reader has no idea about session bassists. For that matter, I'm sure there are successful session bassists we don't even know about.
Yeah, I considered that, but one would think that many of those doing the voting are musicians themselves. Perhaps the RS readership has a skewed view of what makes a bassist great. I could accept people not knowing Joe Osborn, for example, but Jamerson's contributions have been extolled outside the "musician's bubble". Could people REALLY be more aware of Les Claypool?
Quote from: lowend1 on April 05, 2011, 07:16:20 PM
Yeah, I considered that, but one would think that many of those doing the voting are musicians themselves. Perhaps the RS readership has a skewed view of what makes a bassist great. I could accept people not knowing Joe Osborn, for example, but Jamerson's contributions have been extolled outside the "musician's bubble". Could people REALLY be more aware of Les Claypool?
I'd say Claypool is much better known. Jamerson really only has limited exposure among non-bassists, and most of that is limited to music forums. Plenty of musicians never visit online forums. Besides, I doubt that most of the voters are musicians.
Carl Radle, anyone? I think he was a very good, and all-round, bass player. His work with both Delaney & Bonnie, and Derek & The Dominoes may not stand out in the way Entwhistles playing did, but he's rock solid, and at times even ingenious in his playing. Radle and drummer Jim Gordon were a dynamic duo!
You can't expect session guys to show up in something like that. All the players nominated have a live reputation, in many cases even one that overshadows their studio performances.
As we all know, to coin a phrase, non-bass players don't notice a bass player by his playing unless he does something really outrageous, impressive or off the wall. And visuals are an important part of that, even if you are "just standing there", the solemn figure on stage like JAE. If people don't even see you as a bass player, your chances of getting noticed via your playing are pretty much zilch.
Quote from: Stjofön Big on April 06, 2011, 12:24:12 AM
Carl Radle, anyone? I think he was a very good, and all-round, bass player. His work with both Delaney & Bonnie, and Derek & The Dominoes may not stand out in the way Entwhistles playing did, but he's rock solid, and at times even ingenious in his playing. Radle and drummer Jim Gordon were a dynamic duo!
Radle's close to the top of my list with Andy Fraser and Duck Dunn among others already mentioned.
Quote from: Pilgrim on April 05, 2011, 09:53:13 AM
There was whining about this on TB, but I personally don't find those to be bad picks (in general). I'm also pleased to see evidence that not all the respondents were under 15...with people like Bruce, JPJ and Entwhistle in there, the respondents know something about classic rock.
I wasn't aware that this poll had been posted elsewhere. The only other bass message board I go to is a British one. Actually, I found this poll completely by accident. In fact, I also accidentally discovered another top ten bassists list several weeks ago (that was not bad) but it had so much profanity in it, I decided to not post it.
Uwe: I don't expect anything concerning polls. Though I think at least Entwhistle is deserving of his place. But where's Larry Graham? He revolutionized bass playing on his own when I was a young man. And where's Phil Lesh and Jack Casady? They did the same, though in different spaces.
"In many ways, Wooten picked up where Jaco Pastorius left off when he died in 1982."
LMAO. Wrong on the facts straight out of the gate. And why only electric players? For shame!
I hear more Stanley than Jaco in Wooten. Jaco wasn't a very black-influenced or -inflluencing player at all.
Quote from: uwe on April 06, 2011, 05:03:27 PM
I hear more Stanley than Jaco in Wooten. Jaco wasn't a very black-influenced or -inflluencing player at all.
Well, when I saw Jaco with Wayne Cochran, he certainly was then. Very tight and funky.
I'd add the following to my list:
Gary Thain
Dennis Dunaway
I never found Jaco sounding "manly" on bass. He was clever and fast and accurate, but always a little adolescent "I can do this". If Stanley Clarke plays something, no matter how fidgety and off the wall or twee it is, it sounds manly to me. Testosterone bass.
But I'm also in the minority of players who were never at any stage in their development influenced or impressed by Jaco. I appreciate how good he was but never in my worst nightmares would I want to sound like him. He always sounded like there was something wrong with his amp or his pup. Jaco's funk, btw, seems to me to be more inspired by the playful over-embellished style of the Tower Of Power guy than, say, someone like Jamerson.
Quote from: dadagoboi on April 06, 2011, 06:03:18 AM
Radle's close to the top of my list with Andy Fraser and Duck Dunn among others already mentioned.
Fraser and Duck are in my personal Top 3 with Casady. Other than The Ox winning, the RS list doesn't hold much water for me .......
Quote from: uwe on April 07, 2011, 05:24:38 AM
He always sounded like there was something wrong with his amp or his pup.
As Cookie Monster once said to Animal: Rahhhhhhh, you're my kinda guy ......
Quote from: uwe on April 07, 2011, 05:24:38 AM
I never found Jaco sounding "manly" on bass. He was clever and fast and accurate, but always a little adolescent "I can do this". If Stanley Clarke plays something, no matter how fidgety and off the wall or twee it is, it sounds manly to me. Testosterone bass.
But I'm also in the minority of players who were never at any stage in their development influenced or impressed by Jaco. I appreciate how good he was but never in my worst nightmares would I want to sound like him. He always sounded like there was something wrong with his amp or his pup. Jaco's funk, btw, seems to me to be more inspired by the playful over-embellished style of the Tower Of Power guy than, say, someone like Jamerson.
Fer sure! No matter how many times I try to listen to Jaco, his playing sounds like self-indulgent noodling to me.
This is my favorite Jaco moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMFQtnd0amc
But wait! Theres more!!
30 amazing unsung bassists (in no particular order)
http://www.musicradar.com/news/bass/30-amazing-unsung-bassists-in-no-particular-order-286816 (http://www.musicradar.com/news/bass/30-amazing-unsung-bassists-in-no-particular-order-286816)
Quote from: Freuds_Cat on April 08, 2011, 12:23:26 AM
But wait! Theres more!!
30 amazing unsung bassists (in no particular order)
http://www.musicradar.com/news/bass/30-amazing-unsung-bassists-in-no-particular-order-286816 (http://www.musicradar.com/news/bass/30-amazing-unsung-bassists-in-no-particular-order-286816)
They hit on some real good ones, but the list ends up being a 60/40 mix biased towards unsung
stinkers. And they left Joe Osborn and Jamerson off as well! (what list DO these guys belong on?) No Gary Thain or Peter Cetera either - Bah!.
Maybe they don't think Joe Osborn and James Jamerson are unsung.
Lists lists everywhere lists, clogging up the scenery giving me........ er ........cysts?
Definitely agree with Uwe re: Wooten/Stanley, and Jaco in general. Just my opinion. Jaco had some great, bubbly bass grooves, but I'd rather listen to Rocco Prestia with TOP.
Players like Casady, Entwhistle, Bruce and Mccartney have to be credited with pushing the bass esp. in the rock world because there was not much before them to go on and you can be sure they were listening to Jamerson (even though they might not have known his name as he was not credited on the Motown etc. recordings in those days). And yeah there are a lot under the radar like George Porter (Meters) and others who are giants of the instrument like Robbie Shakespeare, Aston Barrett, Jah Wobble, T Bone Wolk, Bill Laswell. Then we have to remember Scott La Faro and Blanton on the double bass when no one hardly knew basses existed.
brian ritchie of the violent femmes should be on some list for the fact that he is the only abg player to obtain any amount of success. besides being a good player, of course.
i listened to the "blistering" rancid solo on the unsung list and came up with this equation:
Rancid + solo = rancid. i guess the kids might be impressed.
Quote from: nofi on April 08, 2011, 11:36:33 AM
brian ritchie of the violent femmes should be on some list for the fact that he is the only abg player to obtain any amount of success.
And now he lives in Australia and plays in a surf music instrumental band LOL
Quote from: lowend1 on April 07, 2011, 08:22:01 PM
Fer sure! No matter how many times I try to listen to Jaco, his playing sounds like self-indulgent noodling to me.
This
Quote from: uwe on April 07, 2011, 05:24:38 AM
I never found Jaco sounding "manly" on bass. He was clever and fast and accurate, but always a little adolescent "I can do this". [snip]
But I'm also in the minority of players who were never at any stage in their development influenced or impressed by Jaco. I appreciate how good he was but never in my worst nightmares would I want to sound like him. [snip]
I agree with both. I can admire his ability without liking his sound. Some of his stuff with Weather Report was listenable, but that was when he was constrained to stay within the number the band was playing, not just noodling on his own.
Quote from: Hörnisse on April 07, 2011, 08:29:01 PM
This is my favorite Jaco moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMFQtnd0amc
Credit where credit's due: He does sound nice on that track.
I've read comments several times from Jaco fans who say that they think his best work was what he did with Joni Mitchell.
Quote from: Chaser001 on April 11, 2011, 10:38:12 AM
I've read comments several times from Jaco fans who say that they think his best work was what he did with Joni Mitchell.
Some would say Ian Hunter ;) ;D
Quote from: Freuds_Cat on April 11, 2011, 05:52:18 PM
Some would say Ian Hunter ;) ;D
Personally, I also prefer the Ian Hunter.
Quote from: Pilgrim on April 05, 2011, 09:53:13 AM
There was whining about this on TB, but I personally don't find those to be bad picks (in general). I'm also pleased to see evidence that not all the respondents were under 15...with people like Bruce, JPJ and Entwhistle in there, the respondents know something about classic rock.
What? Whining? On TB? No way!
The list looks good to me though, especially since it was a readers poll. I still think Jaco's tone sucked though. Also, I can't listen to Victor for more than a minute without getting annoyed with the overplaying.
Quote from: TeenApe on April 30, 2011, 11:47:41 AM
What? Whining? On TB? No way!
The list looks good to me though, especially since it was a readers poll. I still think Jaco's tone sucked though. Also, I can't listen to Victor for more than a minute without getting annoyed with the overplaying.
I've had to go through an ordeal of dodging one freaking tornado after another and have been without power for 4 days. I thought that I had totally lost my sense of humor, but your comments here about whining and overplaying are amusing.
:)
As an official overplayer myself Victor is one overplayer who doesn't bore me. I've seen him live a few times and found him expressive and musical. He kept the percusive side to his slap solos minimised and in context which impresses me a lot.
I think he suffers a bit from the whole thing where ppl get impressed by one (or 5) of his solos and put vids of these solos up on Youtube. Then browsers come along and think that 90% of what Mr Wooten does is slap solo's. This is not my experience at all in regards to his playing. Especially with the Flecktones.
On the other hand I listen to Jaco in awe but get quickly bored. Hard for me to define why though ???
Wooten is certainly more organic as a bass player than Jaco. Jaco played like no one else before or after him, but it was essentially fusion lead guitar on a four string instrument.