JAMES JAMERSON, was the perfect bass player- half frustrated drummer (rhythym), half frustrated singer (melody). Melodic AND funky AND deceptivley simple. Super complex yet everyone (schoolgirls included) GOT it. My FAVORITE.
Some folks think that Booker T & the MGs, DONALD "DUCK" DUNN, is the greatest, and although I'm not as familiar with him as MR. JAMERSON, when I'm listening to Otis Redding, Aretha and the greatest Southern Soul Music- I'd be hard pressed to disagree
PAUL McCARTNEY comes close on the qualtiy of his parts alone, but his tone sometimes leaves something to be desired and the intonation on his Hofner....my goodness, someone fix that thing!
STEVE HARRIS is badass, but somtimes too noodley,
GEEZER is funky for a white heavy metal dude, but too atonal,
JOHN ENTWISTLE's tone is GODLIKE and he is sooooo friggin close, but
JOHN PAUL JONES is the king of hard rock bassists. Super funky, super heavy, and the songs he wrote were indispensable. Did I mention he's a huge reason Bonzo's considered the best ever??
BOOTSY COLLINS should be a billionaire for facillitating G-Funk. Some would say that Gangsta Rap is possibly the most influental form of POP music today. I can GUARANTEE that a BOOTSY bassline, sampled or otherwise, has shook more asses at the party and the club than all these other punks put TOGETHER. That's kinda the bottom line, isn't it?
HONORABLE MENTION
Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix- Apperantly the best time at Electric Ladyland was when Noel Redding went to go get a drink...can you believe that guy actually thought his talent was anywhere near Jimi's? English delusion at it's finest. These guys played the bass (or synthesized equivilant) on many of their own classic hits.
Berry Oakley- The Allman Brothers. If you don't know....
Cliff Burton- One of the most literate metalheads, had a pure talent and should've been on the above list if tragedy hadn't intervened. Even more tragically, Metallica might also not suck now.
Ian Hill, Cliff Williams- kings of four on the floor rawk.
Geddy Lee- the ONLY one of the "Chops" guys (victor wooten, stu hamm, billy sheehan, yawn, yawn, yawn) that actually elicits any emotion from me while playing.
Flea- Not a super-great player, but he did introduce alot of white kids to Bootsy, which is harder than it sounds.
Who's Charles Mingus?
