The worst Bass sound ever put on record.

[Blazer]

I'm sure we all have our own standards on what is a good tone and what isn't, let's post clips of players who had the misfortune of either working with a poor sound guy, or just having no message to the fact that as a bassplayer he should be providing low end to a band's spectrum.

One bassplayer who suffered from production issues was Spandau ballet's Martin Kemp who's playing on their first album was hampered by being mixed until it was a very tinny "doink" kinda sound.

"To cut a long story short"

And to give you guys an example on how it COULD have sounded, here's the original Demo of that song, Kemp's bassline really sounds full and powerful.

[Freuds_Cat]

I think JPJ and Bill Wyman both suffered from being blurred into the background.

[gweimer]

I think JPJ and Bill Wyman both suffered from being blurred into the background.

Bill Wyman, I could agree with.  I'm also not a huge fan of Wyman overall, but I liked a lot of what he did in the middle years.  JPJ was never in the background early on.  If anything, he was predominant in their sound.

My vote for worst bass sound would have to be Starcastle, who bastardized the Chris Squire sound by taking out ALL of the bottom.  Next up would be what Lars did to Jason Newsted's sound on the first few albums he did with Metallica.

[bobyoung]

I think JPJ and Bill Wyman both suffered from being blurred into the background.

Bill Wyman had a good sound sometimes especially on the part of 12 X 5 that was recorded at Chess studios.
I always thought JPJ had a great sound especially on the first few albums. He did start to get buried on the later albums when the drums became the second lead instrument in the band.

[Freuds_Cat]

I think I actually have a Starcastle album somewhere 

I will give you LZ 1 and 2 but parts of 3 and definitely 4 are very blurry.

[rockinrayduke]

On several Stones bootlegs I've gotten recently I can actually hear what Bill is laying down. I would have liked him a whole lot more than I have over the years had I heard him in a better mix.

[n!k]

Without a doubt, it's "Sugar on my Tongue" by the Talking Heads. I love the album and band but Tina Weymouth's tone turns my stomach!



Ignore the uh, dance stylings?

[Rocker949]

Man, that really sucks.

[chromium]

Ignore the uh, dance stylings?

Ahhh cool- now I know what Tom Green has been up to!   

I once saw Tina use an effect called "Busta Jones" to fatten up that sound...

[gweimer]

And apparently, David Byrne was using the Belew effect.   Sorry, but I was never a big fan of Talking Heads.  And I can see now why the one time my last band tried a TH song, it sounded thin.   You need to double the stage musicians to get any meat out of a lot of their material.

[ilan]

Without a doubt, it's "Sugar on my Tongue" by the Talking Heads.

Go ahead and flame me but I kinda like it and it suits the song well.

For me, Cream-era Jack Bruce is the worst recorded bass sound.

[Freuds_Cat]

Oh ilan    how could you?   

[Dave W]

There's a whole world of recorded slap bass out there... how could you possibly choose which one is worst?    Besides, making that decision would actually require listening to it. 

[bobyoung]

Without a doubt, it's "Sugar on my Tongue" by the Talking Heads. I love the album and band but Tina Weymouth's tone turns my stomach!



Ignore the uh, dance stylings?

Yeah the tone's not that great but I think it's the way she's playing the bass not the tone itself, VERY weak and sounds like a pick. Weak and picks do not sound very good together. She usually has had a nice fat sound.

[bobyoung]

Go ahead and flame me but I kinda like it and it suits the song well.

For me, Cream-era Jack Bruce is the worst recorded bass sound.

That comment does not even deserve to be flamed. You must REALLY hate the sound on West, Bruce and Laing.