Rolling Stone Top Ten Bassists

lowend1 · April 07, 2011, 08:22:01 PM

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.

Hornisse · April 07, 2011, 08:29:01 PM

This is my favorite Jaco moment.

Freuds_Cat · 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

lowend1 · April 08, 2011, 05:28:43 AM

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

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!.

Dave W · April 08, 2011, 08:17:12 AM

Maybe they don't think Joe Osborn and James Jamerson are unsung.

Freuds_Cat · April 08, 2011, 08:29:40 AM

Lists lists everywhere lists, clogging up the scenery giving me........ er ........cysts?

gearHed289 · April 08, 2011, 09:41:59 AM

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.

copacetic · April 08, 2011, 10:00:22 AM

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.

nofi · 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. 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.

Aussie Mark · April 10, 2011, 06:32:35 PM

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

Aussie Mark · April 10, 2011, 06:33:21 PM

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

Pilgrim · April 11, 2011, 09:11:08 AM

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.

uwe · April 11, 2011, 09:45:45 AM

Quote from: Hörnisse on April 07, 2011, 08:29:01 PM
This is my favorite Jaco moment.

Credit where credit's due: He does sound nice on that track.

Chaser001 · 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.

Freuds_Cat · April 11, 2011, 05:52:18 PM

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

Rolling Stone Top Ten Bassists

Hornisse

Chaser001