Hot Prog Bassists
Printed From: Progarchives.com
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Forum Name: Top 10s and lists
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58316
Printed Date: February 23 2025 at 12:47
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Topic: Hot Prog Bassists
Posted By: GaryB
Subject: Hot Prog Bassists
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 10:30
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This is a huge forum and I don't really know how to research topics yet so if this is a repeat topic I am sorry.
One thing that I have noticed about prog bands is that they almost always have incredibly HOT bass players. I am a guitar player but as I listen to my prog albums the bass playing constantly draws my attention. Here are just a few (in random order) that have impressed me:
Dave Schratzenstaller (Missing Link)
Trevor Parks (Automatic Fine Tuning)
Kees Den Hoed (Bonfire)
Marco Gallesi (Arti & Mestieri)
Luciano Milanese (Nova)
There are many more but I'd like to hear from the rest of you.
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Replies:
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 10:49
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Off the top of my head: Tony Levin Jeff Berlin Chris Squire Jonas Hellborg Now in hot, you are talking about playing skills and not that they're really cute or something?  I honestly don't know any of the ones you mentioned, but if you're looking for lesser known ones, you have to check out Hellborg. |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:03
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------------- 
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:05
 Tal Wilkenfeld -------------
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:05
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OK, not Prog, but easily could be.
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StyLaZyn wrote:Posted By: GaryB
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:10
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That was funny, but the "cute" ones belong in the ongoig thread about gays in prog music. I've heard some bass players that are not just in the background with the drummer. They are "up front" solo artists that demand your attention. I've even heard some of them doing solos with wah wah pedals and other effects. The ones I mentioned are all from 70s era prog bands. |
Posted By: GaryB
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:13
| OK, I take it all back. StyLaZyn has just shown me the true definition of "hot bass player". |
Posted By: easytargets
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:22
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Billy Sheehan ------------- The water rushes over all cities crash in the mighty wave; the final man is very small, plunging in for his final bathe |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:42
Tal Wilkenfield is awesome! She's playing for Jeff Beck now, and is something like 20 years old, at least when he discovered her in Australia, and five feet tall. 
Ariane Cap from Tempest (U.S.) is also awesome.
 She's on their more recent albums.Others already mentioned: Billy Sheehan, Tony Levin, Chris Squire.
 If you want to go in the Jazz-Fusion direction: Jaco Pastorius (Weather Report) and Stanley Clarke (Return to Forever) are both mind blowing.  ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:46
I agree; I saw her on Beck's recent live DVD - what a talent! She must have been having the time of her life! |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:48
Yeah I have the recent Jeff Beck DVD. She is awesome. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 11:52
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Magma's bassists haven't been too shabby (most noted ones ordered chronologically): Francis Moze, Jannick Top, Bernard Paganotti, and . And, of course, Jaco Pastorius of Weather Report. |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 12:16
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Helmut Hattler of Kraan, Guru Guru, Tab Two and his own band Hattler. Here a few videos: http://tinyurl.com/nvtbd9 - http://tinyurl.com/nvtbd9 http://tinyurl.com/knfr6p - http://tinyurl.com/knfr6p http://tinyurl.com/mdh77z - http://tinyurl.com/mdh77z http://tinyurl.com/mfp2h3 - http://tinyurl.com/mfp2h3 Colin Hodgkinson of Back Door. Again a few videos as demonstration: http://tinyurl.com/lzqz6r - http://tinyurl.com/lzqz6r http://tinyurl.com/djf3tj - http://tinyurl.com/djf3tj -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 12:33
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Hey! Percy Jones, anyone? Jonas Reingold is a treat to watch live, Mick Karn is as original as it gets and John G. Perry remains the hidden jewel. There are tons of newbies, namely Stefan Renstrom of Simon Says, Gijs Koopman of Knight Area, Novox and Cliffhanger, Fabio Zuffanti (long list of credits) , Colin Edwin, Zia Geelani of Ozrics fame, etc...
Tony Reeves of Greenslade/Colosseum, Goblin's Fabio Pignatelli , Babbington/Hopper and Richard Sinclair (or else Micky will send me an exploding text message) . I could list another 40 or so but..... ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 15:54
Smashing Pumpkins used to have THE hottest bassist:
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Posted By: GaryB
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 16:29
| After seeing Percy Jones mentioned I went into my music room and pulled out a few Brand X albums and also "Vimana" by Nova. PJ is indeed a very good addition to this thread. |
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 16:30
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Geddy Lee, Chris Squire, Jaco Pastorius are great players. John Entwhistle was also very good, but the God of bass is Victor Wootten. Of current bassists, John Jowitt is brilliant - no wonder he's won the CRS beat bassist award so many times. ------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life. |
Posted By: SergiUriah
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 16:40
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I must add Dave Sinclair from Caravan (and Camel 4 a while) and Gary Thain from Uriah Heep. ------------- http://img229.imageshack.us/i/bonfirma.jpg/"> 
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Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 17:18
Thanx for that! I love Back Door - but I'd never seen them before! |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 17:47
Great bassist but Idare anyone to watch the Live at Ronnie Scott's video and dare tell me this music is not prog. It is the preformance of the year for me. This girl is like a female Jaco.
------------- 
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: King Crimson776
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 18:14
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Jaco Pastorius Charles Mingus Tony LevinStanley Clarke
John Wetton Chris Squire Greg Lake |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 18:27
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This is what I love about prog, bass players are an up front integral part of the bands dynamic in most of them, no standing around at the back looking annonamous (sp?). From the metal side of things there are some stunning bassists: John Myung (Dream Theater) Torsten Reichert (Vanden Plas) Thomas Miller (Symphony X) Sean Mallone (Cynic, Gordian Knot) Roger Patterson (Atheist) Oliver Holzwarth (Sieges Even, a lead bassist if ever there was one) Toby Driver (maudlin of the Well) Kristoffer Gildenlow (Pain of Salvation) Joe Lester (Intronaut) Mariuz Duda (Riverside) ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 18:34
It could be Prog, depending on what definition you may choose.  It is an amazing DVD. -------------
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 18:47
Except for the frets of course. |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 18:48
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OK, check out her bass solo. This was in 2006! When she was 21. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRFkOrnds8I - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRFkOrnds8I -------------
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Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 18:52
I was refering to style and sound. -------------
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 21:06
To quote Wayne from Wayne's World...."SCHWING"! |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 28 2009 at 21:14
That was a joke not an insult and I concur. I'm probably going to have to go watch the video again. I liked it a lot. Does she sound like she's playing fretless fretted though? There seem to be an overabundance of reposting the Tal pic on here. |
Posted By: Failcore
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 00:26
I'm surprised noone has said: |
Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 01:31
I'm surprised that no one's made mention of the hottest, sexiext bassist out...
Leland Sklar! ------------- 
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 07:23
That would depend on who he is? ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 07:31
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Always dug Les Claypool. Creative as hell, and as much chops as he has, he never goes out of his way to say "GUISE LOOK HOW FAST I PLAY OLO LOL". And Andy, I seriously hope you're just kidding around. EVERYONE knows Les Claypool bro, he is one of the most important bass players of all time. If you haven't heard of Claypool, you've been living under a rock. He was in Blind Illusion too. ------------- 
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 07:36
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The sleeper must awaken.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 10:08
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Hi,
Too conventional ... but I have to hand it to Mr. Long Beard deserves a mention as would a Tony Levin ... but there are other bass players out there ...
The late John Glascock ... you should really listen to Carmen to get an idea of how good a bass player can be ... and blow out David Bowie and Jethro Tull off the stage on the same night! (And later ended up playing for JT before he passed away)
Lothar Meid ... Amon Duul 2 ... it's a shame that too many people here are into "programmed" and "preset" types of music ... the stuff that AD2 did with him at the bass, from Yeti, to Dance of the Lemmings, to Wolf City, to Vive La Trance, to Hijack ... is phenomenal ... and few people can color a song as beautifully as that.
Others:
The lady that played bass on Mike Oldfield's video in 2000 ... she's excellent and then some. I often thought the camera should have given her a look a few more times ...
Tal and Jeff Beck ... Jeff was prog before the term existed ... he actually left the "fame bands" because their music stunk and he has said so many times. He is appreciative of them now, but he always has said that the fame thing was not important to him, the music was ... and he plays for his music ... not the fans! As such a lot of his bass players have come and go and they have to be good ... it's impossible not to be good when you have no idea what the guitar player is gonna do and ... you have to still be there and ready! I'm sure they worked off a hint or a chord that they can meet at to make it easier, but generally these bass players have to be top notch players or they won't last with these guitarists. And top knotch players doesn't just mean "technique" ... it also means that you also know where to go with your technique ... to hell and back every night!
The bass player with Stevie Ray Vaughn. Some might consider the music not quite prog, but it is an excellent example of a bass player that really carries the band ... if Stevie did not have a good feel and felt comfortable with this guy, he would not have been able to trip off as much as he did on the guitar ... and know that his buddy has him covered. And he was also instrumental in many things by tuning up and down on several songs which helped many pieces they did sound different ... and better.
Pekka Pohjola
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Posted By: guyeylon
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 14:05
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Dave Sinclair, mentioned before, is a keyboardist, not a bassist. Some great Canterbury bassists: Richard Sinclair (Dave's cousin), John Greaves, and Mont Campbell are the ones I can think of currently... all amazing :) |
Posted By: GaryB
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 15:23
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moshkito...good point about Jeff Beck (one of my all-time favorites). Any bass player who stepped on stage with him had to have his stuff together. Ron Wood played on Truth and Beckola (never saw them live) and then, there was Tim Bogart (Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, BBA).
I saw BBA in the early 70s and they were definitely a power trio that needed to be to seen live.
Here's a great story about that show. Beck and Bogart were in the middle of a long, hot jam when Beck broke a string. He stopped playing and held up the string to show everyone why he stopped. Bogart then removed the same string from his bass and threw it out into the audience. They continued the jam with Beck using five strings and Bogart using three. I thought the crowd was going to have to be hosed down.
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 15:27
I thought it might be but I've never actualy seen many pictures of Claypool, but yeah mega bass player. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
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Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 15:28
Hence the topic title. Can't think of one hotter.
 I was really referring to her runs especially in her solo reminded me a lot of Jaco. Craig Kew from Proto-kaw was another one like that as well. It doesn't come across on the albums too much but live the guy was fantastic. -------------
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 17:59
It's Friday and I'm planning to watch the DVD again and I'll probably go yeah, I see what you mean.  This may be turning into a Tal appreciation thread. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: AmericanProgster
Date Posted: May 29 2009 at 20:23
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I'd have to go with: Dieter Horns from Lucifer's Friend (plus the half dozen LF side-projects he was in!) Lee Dorman from Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond Kohji Nishino and Takuyuki Moriya from Ghost (Kohji was their original bass player, Takuyuki is their current) and I have to mention Greg Lake ------------- https://dawnapproach.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - https://dawnapproach.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/dawn-approach" rel="nofollow - https://soundcloud.com/dawn-approach |
Posted By: GaryB
Date Posted: May 30 2009 at 12:21
| Rolf Kohler from the 70s German band To Be. |
Posted By: Isa
Date Posted: May 31 2009 at 20:17
Agreed. I had the privilege to see him play with Chick Corea Electrik Band and meet him after the concert. You couldn't even see his hand half the time he was soloing!  Just watch some YouTube videos of him... |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: May 31 2009 at 21:24
^
Ginger Reyes was hired when Smashing Pumpkins were reuniting in 2007. Previously, their bassist was D'Arcy Wretzky) :
 ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: jimidom
Date Posted: June 01 2009 at 15:41
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Jeff Berlin has recently mentioned these 2 bassists and says that they have more technique than either him or Jaco.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnyGD4555QM - Hadrien Feraud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCdGO2PZC-0 - Dominique Di Piazza ------------- "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - HST |
Posted By: Canprog
Date Posted: June 01 2009 at 18:14
| Geddy Lee, Chris Squire! and John Paul Jones Even though Zeppelin was not really prog |
Posted By: mrcozdude
Date Posted: June 01 2009 at 18:18
Jp's solo stuff is quite prog though. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/cozfunkel/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: June 01 2009 at 18:25
wow, even hotter yeah! but you need to ignore that make-up though. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: June 01 2009 at 18:26
Yeah, if you like prog and you don't care for LZ, you should definitely check out Zooma. Of course if you like Zep and you haven't tried Zooma, what the hell's a matta witch ya? |
Posted By: mrcozdude
Date Posted: June 01 2009 at 18:33
If jp on pa? or am I going to have to start a controversial poll? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/cozfunkel/" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: June 01 2009 at 18:48
Newly added within the past few months if I'm not mistaken. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: npjnpj
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 03:54
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@AmericanProgster: Wow, and I thought I was the only one who rated Dieter Horns so highly. Great to hear that you feel the same.
Here's some clappies:
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Posted By: AstralliS
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 06:41
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Mr. Tony Levin :D
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Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 06:52
It must be so hard to check the database ... John Paul Jones was added towards the end of last year, even though he had been cleared close to two years ago. The person who was to have done the addition dropped off the site, though, so I did it myself - bio and all. And yes, both his solo albums are great, and a more than worthy addition to any prog collection. |
Posted By: GaryB
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 07:08
| Has anyone mentioned Tia Carrere from the Wayne's World movie? (just kidding) |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 07:37
Uhm, last time I checked his entry there are actually three out there. I was only aware of two. I ordered a used copy of Thunderthief and when I opened it and looked at it I was thinking "hey, there's something wrong with the cover art", pleasantly surprised to have received an autographed copy. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Luca Pacchiarini
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 08:00
| Fausto Branchini of Biglietto Per L'Inferno, anyone? |
Posted By: AmericanProgster
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 08:01
Oh Yeah! Asterix, Pink Mice, Brother T & Family, Electric Food + LF's first/second and fourth albums = amazing bass playing! So thanks for the clappies, I'll give you some for also rating him so highly!  ------------- https://dawnapproach.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - https://dawnapproach.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/dawn-approach" rel="nofollow - https://soundcloud.com/dawn-approach |
Posted By: victor77
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 08:52
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No one considered Hugh Hopper as one of the top 10? Not only one of the most original, inventive and creative, but also has played almost every style of music
I´d also reccomend:
Tony Levin
Fabio Zuffanti (I prefer his work on LA MASCHERA DE CERA)
Les Claypool
Julie Slick (a new talent discovered by Adrian Belew. And she´s really hot!)
And from the jazz scene:
Miroslav Vitous
Stanley Clarke
Charles Mingus
Jaco Pastorius
André Gomes (almost unknnown outside Brazil, I really reccomend his music and his band CHEIRO DE VIDA)
It could be my Top 10, without any special order. For adventurous listeners, I´d encourage you to listen to Peter Kowald (not prog, but very interesting musician)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aluSEsE765E - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aluSEsE765E
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Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 10:20
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Just to name a few more excellent German bass players: Matz Steinke of Aera, Peter Kühmstedt of Guru Guru, Gerald Luciano Hartwig of Guru Guru, Embryo, Karthago and the band of Roman Bunka.
------------- BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 13:21
That is indeed a magnificent story ... and it says a heck of a lot more about prog than anything else ... it's not just a jam ... you have to be on top of it and on your game ... and the ones that are in it for the "music" ... will always be special ... very special ... and sometimes ... so special that you know right at that moment that you will never see anything better than that!
That's when you know someone has the music in them (sorry Lulu) ... and then some!
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: June 02 2009 at 13:31
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HI,
Perfect example .... about JPJ ... "not prog though ... "
At the time Led Zeppelin was out, this was prog and then some, just like The Who, and a few others ... and it is actually BEFORE prog per se, since we're talking 1970 and 1971 ... when bands like Led Zepellin wanted to break free of radio and other constraints ... and they DID successfully.
If the band did not have anything that was better and more developed and progressive than the same pop song garbage and radio stuff ... do you really think that Led Zeppelin would have existed?
Both JPJ and John Entwistle were excellent bass players and all around musicians ... and John Entwistle had it hardest and loved telling Keith off ... because Keith would not give him a chance for a solo ... (keith only solo'd all day long you know!) .... and John had to punch up the conk'r and add his own touches to be noticed and he did so beautifully and eventually developed one of the most wonderful drum/bass combination ever in music ... and don't talk to me about a metronome drummer boy!
Both of these deserve some credit in helping develop the genre that eventually broke free with Yes and Genesis a few years later ... and eventually became considered "prog" ... even though at the time, that term did not exist and was never used ... the only term people had for that type of music was .... "long cuts" ...
So if you want to "brand" the music ... at least have the courtesy to give credit where credit is due ... and perhaps one should go back to the bootleg days ... and you can hear real "jams" that made prog in the end ... instead of the pre-fab stuff you get today that is not even original compared to what was coming out then, which was totally off the wall and no one had ever heard anything like it.
So all you wonderful Salieri's ... maybe one day you will love the music itself ... you will make good professors though you will always hate me!
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Posted By: boo boo
Date Posted: June 04 2009 at 10:23
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Hot chick bassists is mostly an indie thing, but it would be nice to see some more hot ladies in prog. But prog rock is undeniably for the nerds, who are predominately male. Tis a shame.  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/kingboobs/?chartstyle=LastfmSuicjdeGirls" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: June 05 2009 at 02:27
Wooten and Steve Bailey (the other half of Bass Extremes) are two of the best electric bass players ever. Vic and John P (of Elektric Band) are awesome on the Bass Day DVDs. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: June 05 2009 at 02:29
Nah, Ginger's hotter. You think D'Arcy's hotter because she's wearing that see-through top. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: harmonium.ro
Date Posted: June 05 2009 at 09:10
^ No, it was D'Arcy who I remember impressing me during the 90s (can't remember her bass playing though ). I just googled "Smashing Pumpkins bassist", Ginger came up, she was hot, and so I posted her. I like the see-through top though  |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 12:17
How about Amanda Ruzza, excellent jazz bassist
 Looks a bit like Geddy Lee on this pic
 ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: AmericanProgster
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 15:28
Oh thanks Lucas, you just ruined that fantasy!....jerk! 
------------- https://dawnapproach.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - https://dawnapproach.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/dawn-approach" rel="nofollow - https://soundcloud.com/dawn-approach |
Posted By: KoS
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 15:30
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http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2961/gzbqlz3axo5x9j0kiqvy4sp.jpg - http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2961/gzbqlz3axo5x9j0kiqvy4sp.jpg |
Posted By: lucas
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 16:38
Well, you can't deny the ressemblance with this guy :
http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Lee,_Geddy/gallery/P97364p16204nbuu1/">
 But all jokes aside, Amanda Ruzza is very cute.
Another bassist that is worth mentioning in this thread is the incredibly talented Paz Lenchantin, from A Perfect Circle and Zwan fame.
 ------------- "Magma was the very first gothic rock band" (Didier Lockwood) |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: June 07 2009 at 01:06
LOL!!! Dude, you're evil! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |