Greg Lake, Greatest Prog Bassist! - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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CinemaZebra View Drop Down

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 14:21

I'm really the first to mention Tony Levin?

presdoug

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 15:13

i quite like Hellmut Hattler, Eberhard Weber, and Dave King (i have recordings from all three of them)

Triceratopsoil View Drop Down

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 15:33

CinemaZebra wrote:

I'm really the first to mention Tony Levin?

He's not a bassist, he's a sticker Rawks

Kojak

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 15:47

Originally posted by topographicbroadways

topographicbroadways wrote:

first off

But having played Rush, Yes and ELP basslines ELP stood out as the most complicated hardest too work out and by far hardest too play. Kieth Emersons left hand plays some of the most difficult sequences of notes imaginable on Keyboard, and Greg Lake translates this too Bass guitar, harder and much more complicated, Tarkus, Karn Evil 9 2nd Impression and The Endless Enigma are prime examples of how complicated Lakes bass playing got.

Wow, I guess for that alone, he's way up there. I always thought it unusual that someone who is musically creative could also have such a business head as well, but that's veeeeering way of the bass subject...

cstack3

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 15:49

[/QUOTE]
the two are by far not as distinct as is being claimed. take for example a classic prog track like "Los Endos"; there are lots of jazz-rock elements in it. the same is true for "Sound Chaser" by Yes. lots of Guru Guru or Kraan tracks have the same symbiosis. even some tracks by High Tide. and that's just a few examples
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I acknowledge the influences back & forth... Daryl Stuermer burned up the stage when I saw Genesis' "And then there were 3" tour (1977?), and his jazz-rock phrasing really expanded the music! They should have recorded with him, but Rutherford wanted to be a guitar hero LOL

I think that "prog" (of the British/European vein) really anchors itself in Western classical music modalities, while jazz-rock wandered all over in its influences, particularly into blues, trad jazz, even world/African/Indian influences.

The entire category "prog rock" is so broad and inclusive that it really has no meaning to me. I've seen Rush, Queen, Deep Purple etc. all mentioned on this website, and each band certainly had progressive elements, but I don't find them as inventive as the earliest Yes & King Crimson.

Make mine a Rickenbacker bass and a Mellotron!!

clarke2001 View Drop Down

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 18:37

Greg Lake is an incredible bass player. His talent was overshadowed by Emerson and Palmer, which were stellar. Okay, he was sloppy at times (on some live documents) but his melodic lines are INCREDIBLE. And unique - I never heard a bassist having that approach - hence, the tag 'greatest' could apply to Greg lake, in a way.

Percussion, sir!

CinemaZebra View Drop Down

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 18:40

Captain Clutch wrote:

CinemaZebra wrote:

I'm really the first to mention Tony Levin?

He's not a bassist, he's a sticker Rawks

A very good sticker, the greatest ever IMO. Rawks

But also a great bassist.

Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 19:07

as usual nobody mentions the late Gary Thain from Uriah Heep.

Not only Prog, but the best rock basist ever IMHO.

Iván

Triceratopsoil View Drop Down

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 19:10

Oh wait, Joachim Florent is the best prog bassist

from Jean Louis Big smile

Tengent

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Posted: June 19 2010 at 23:39

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

I adore Thain, but he wasn't that well documented at all was he? Didn't he only appear on 2 Heep albums? Where else can I hear him?

And personally, my favorite bass player is Mont Campbell. He's also an incredible composer.

jammun

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Posted: June 20 2010 at 00:28

As Hunter S. once said, Mother Of Sweating Jesus!

Greg Lake. Anyone here ever heard of Crimson or ELP?. sh*t yes, he's da' man. Singlehandedly kept up w/ Fripp and Emerson! Name another.

Can you tell me where we're headin'?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon.

Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down

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Posted: June 20 2010 at 11:11

Tengent wrote:

I adore Thain, but he wasn't that well documented at all was he? Didn't he only appear on 2 Heep albums? Where else can I hear him?

And personally, my favorite bass player is Mont Campbell. He's also an incredible composer.

Well, his career is well documented, but the problem is that in September 15, 1974, after along tour, he received a severe electric shock o stage that almost killed him.

He never recovered,. his behaviour became erratic and his heroine addiction went beyond control, so he had to leave Uriah Heep, he died a few months later at the age of 27.

He was the bass player in 5 Uriah Heep albums:

Demons & Wizards
Magician's Birthday
Live 1973
Sweet Freedom
Wonderworld

He also played in

Ken Hensley's
1. "Proud Words on a Dusty Shelve"
Keef Hartley's Band
1. Halfbreed (1969)
2. The Battle of North West Six (1969)
3. The Time is Near (1970)
4. Little Big Band Live at The Marquee 1971 (1971)
5. Overdog (1971)
6. Seventy-Second Brave (1972)

Plus a solo album and a couple of smaller bands.

He made in a few yeas what others do in a life time.

Iván

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - June 20 2010 at 11:26

warrplayer View Drop Down

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Posted: June 20 2010 at 11:24

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

[QUOTE=Tengent]

Well, his career is well documented, but the problem is that he ded at the age of 27, so he did in a few years what other do in a life time.

electrocuted on stage wasn't he?

warrplayer View Drop Down

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Posted: June 20 2010 at 11:28

warrplayer wrote:

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

[QUOTE=Tengent]

Well, his career is well documented, but the problem is that he ded at the age of 27, so he did in a few years what other do in a life time.

electrocuted on stage wasn't he?

duh, didn't read previous post carefully enough.

harmonium.ro View Drop Down

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Posted: June 20 2010 at 11:46

Fusionman wrote:

BaldJean wrote:

Fusionman wrote:

BaldJean wrote:

are you familiar with Stanley Clarke? Jaco Pastorius? Helmut Hattler? Colin Hodgkinson? Peter Kühmstedt? Gerald Luciano Hartwig? Matz Steinke? I could continue this list endlessly....

I know most of the names on that list and none of them are prog, they're all Jazz/Fusion/Blues bassists...so what about Albert Lazlo??
---
To Open Post:
Chris Squire and Geddy Lee weren't exactly prog-Mozarts, but I'll grant the opening post that they weren't terrible either. As slightly above mediocre as Jonas Reingold is in composing Karmakanic, his proficiency on the bass and ability to groove effectively are superior to any of the opening post. As a bassist, I like to believe the best bassist is the least noticed bassist.

ahem. have you forgotten that jazz-rock is a sub-genre of prog? of the bass players named all played with bands that are in the archives.

to name two other great bass players: Dave King and Eberhard Weber. both played with the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble, but also with other artists who are in the archives, like Snowball and Embryo (King) or Volker Kriegel (Weber)

I think Jazz-Fusion is lumped in with Prog-rock because of their coexistence and propensity to have fans which delve in both genres. If anything...Prog-rock should be a sub-genre of Jazz-Rock considering the chronology of Music. They inhabit the same space, but are entirely different experiences.

That being said; the actual composition and execution of the two styles is entirely different. Jazz-Fusion as iconified (in my opinion) by 'Weather Report - I sing the body electric' displays freeform elements constructing a story accompanied by persistent improvisation. Prog rock on the other hand communicates a message through arranging compositions in a way which central themes (both melodically and potentially lyrically) are expressed recurrently. If you'd like to compare say... Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior to Banco De Mutuo Soccorsoro - Darwin* there's again a huge difference. Banco seeks to express its self from central themes in which music paints the emotions...where as RTF simply builds an enchanting environment.

I think you'd be very hard pressed to find a well accepted Jazz-Fusion album which has a central theme which is reiterated throughout the albums. I think you'd be equally hard pressed to find a prog album which paints an image of a scene without granting a position on it.

I don't agree at all, a lot of my favourite jazz-rock is based on tight composition and structured experimentation and not of free form and improvisation, just to mention Brand X, Jonas Hellborg's projects, Weather Report's "Black Market" is also a good example, Herbie Hancock's "Crossings" & "Sextant", Mar de Robles, Freakzoid, Santana's fusion albums, Colosseum, Elephant9, Jaga Jazzist, Leb I Sol, One Shot, etc. etc.

Ivan_Melgar_M View Drop Down

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Posted: June 20 2010 at 11:49

warrplayer wrote:

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

[QUOTE=Tengent]

Well, his career is well documented, but the problem is that he ded at the age of 27, so he did in a few years what other do in a life time.

electrocuted on stage wasn't he?

duh, didn't read previous post carefully enough.

You read the post well (didn't mention how he died), but you quoted my post before I added more info (Even when your post appeared some seconds later).

Iván

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - June 20 2010 at 14:27