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Joined: September 03 2006
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Points: 9869
Posted: June 25 2010 at 02:13
Hmm...just my thoughts on some names mentioned here, lost track of this thread for sometime.
Geddy Lee is obviously one of the very influential bassists for modern prog, especially prog metal. And he is generally widely acclaimed too, sometimes a bit in excess of his achievements (which is a given with hugely popular bands).
Camp played great lead bass but I really dislike those bass solos he plays in live performances of Ashes are burning, very lacking in discipline and - dare I say it - show offy.
I like Trewavas but can't say his style is much removed from Lee...a similar, rock-ish tone. Marillion has more Rush influences than is generally mentioned, especially evident on He Knows You Know.
Entwistle is a brilliant bassist of course. It's a curious thing about The Who that they are hugely popular but somewhere don't seem to get as much acclaim as they should. Or is my recent listen of Quadrophenia making me sound fanboyish?
Jazz fusion has so many monsters...Pastorius, Clarke, Jones...
Hmm...has Ray Shulman been mentioned, for crying out loud? I think that seals the issue for me, leave alone Top, it's a bit difficult to see the case for Lake not getting the credit he deserves when someone like Shulman is a lot less acclaimed. Hopper, Sinclair are amazing too...Canterbury as such actually, maybe because of the ties it shares with jazz fusion.
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28107
Posted: June 25 2010 at 01:46
rod65 wrote:
Perhaps I'm being a little low-brow here in bringing in the bassist for a band classified as Proto-Prog, but what about John Entwistle? His playing on Quadrophenia was phenomenal, and any time I saw The Who live, there were times when I could barely see his fingers, they were moving so fast. Moreover, he was using his base as a lead instrument as early as the mid-60s.
Absolutely although I would also like to mention ,having looked at your avatar, that John Jowitt (Arena,Frost and IQ) is a great bassist!
Joined: January 28 2010
Status: Offline
Points: 248
Posted: June 24 2010 at 21:38
Perhaps I'm being a little low-brow here in bringing in the bassist for a band classified as Proto-Prog, but what about John Entwistle? His playing on Quadrophenia was phenomenal, and any time I saw The Who live, there were times when I could barely see his fingers, they were moving so fast. Moreover, he was using his base as a lead instrument as early as the mid-60s.
Joined: February 10 2010
Location: Barcelona Spain
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Points: 5154
Posted: June 24 2010 at 15:42
Billy Sheehan is indeed a great bassist, also worked with Steve Vai and Mr. Big.
Geddy Lee deserves mention too, and more in the fusion jazz-rock scene, obviously Jaco Pastorius.
Renaissance's Jon Camp is often forgotten because his bass was not very prominent in the band's music but he played great too.
Among the more modern ones I love Pete Trewawas and Dave Meros, and Dave La Rue from the Steve Morse Band is not bad either!
Among the classics, yes Greg Lake played lovely but it's hard to rank him against Chris Squire or Mike Rutherford. Similar to Jon Camp, Mike's playing was probably not so spectacular as Greg's or Chris's but he was a hell of a bassist too!
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Michigan, U.S.
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Points: 66275
Posted: June 24 2010 at 12:35
Billy Sheehan got his start as the bassist for Talas, and found fame as the bassist for David Lee Roth. He's dones some nice solo work and also an album with Terry Bozzio, and is the bassist in the great jazz/fusion band Niacin.
Joined: March 12 2007
Location: United States
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Points: 81
Posted: June 24 2010 at 12:33
Of course Lake is the sentimental favorite, but for sheer virtuosity, this guy currently with Eddie Jobson on the Ultimate Zero Project, I think his name is Billy Sheehan (?) is so good and agressive, it is scary.
Joined: August 18 2008
Location: Anna Calvi
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Points: 22989
Posted: June 23 2010 at 04:01
I agree that Top was very important for Magma from a creative point of view, and Bussonnet can't compare with that. But his bass doesn't sound that good on the few recordings with him that I've heard (like MDK). I probably need to hear more stuff with him. I've seen Bussonnet five times in three different bands and I can't get enough - he's amazing.
Jeffrey Hammond was a great bassist who did it for fun the quit to go back to painting.
One things' for sure there are NO crappy ones.
Glad to read that Gary Thain mention, his playing was killing!
Now does John paul Jones count as a multi intstrumentalist, composer, arranger, mandolinist (and I have seen him play this up close and personal), lap steel player... oh and a spot of bass.
Zooma. Now they don't come flying out of the tunnel more faster heavier and complex than this demonstration of how bass and drums is supposed to work.
Joined: June 05 2010
Location: Atlanta
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Points: 99
Posted: June 21 2010 at 12:00
well though Greg Lake is a great bass player and not a bad guitarist either but in my opinion bassist like john weton or as you said chris squire in my opinion those two would be great canidetes for the best or maybe even john myung of dream theater even but i love elp two so maybe Lake would count
Joined: March 15 2010
Location: Schnitzelland
Status: Offline
Points: 4675
Posted: June 20 2010 at 18:15
Ronnie Pilgrim wrote:
I agree. Yes, Squire is a great bassist and has the recognition he deserves.
Yes, Lake is a great bassist and does not have the recognition he deserves.
But what puzzles me is Hammond. I love his work on studio albums, and he had more boundless energy live than any other bassist that comes to mind. But Ian Anderson publicly discredited him and said "they" used to have to teach him his bass lines note for note. So, is this just a case of "sour grapes" because Hammond left Tull, or is he really not that talented of a bassist?
Agreed about the first two points. As far as Jeffrey is concerned, from what I could tell, he had a very good sense of rythm. Ian indeed said that they had to 'teach' him the bass lines, but at the same time admited the had a fantastic memory, and could learn his bits by heart in several hours. I would assume there would have been a lot of practice until he got it right both for the record and for playing it live in concert. That being said, although he played on what are considered to be Tull's greatest - Aqualung, TAAB, APP and even Minstrel, I still see him way behind the likes of Glenn Cornick or John Glasscock.
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Greg Lake, Greatest Prog Bassist!
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It's a curious thing about The Who that they are hugely popular but somewhere don't seem to get as much acclaim as they should. Or is my recent listen of Quadrophenia making me sound fanboyish? 
I think that seals the issue for me, leave alone Top, it's a bit difficult to see the case for Lake not getting the credit he deserves when someone like Shulman is a lot less acclaimed. Hopper, Sinclair are amazing too...Canterbury as such actually, maybe because of the ties it shares with jazz fusion.
rod65 wrote:
but i love elp two so maybe Lake would count