Head To Head
Log In
Register
Unsung Forum »
top 5 greatest bassists of all time
Log In to post a reply

91 messages
Topic View: Flat | Threaded
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat
6200 posts

Edited Dec 31, 2013, 17:54
Re: top 5 greatest bassists of all time
Dec 31, 2013, 17:53
IanB wrote:
thesweetcheat wrote:
I could listen to Hook and Wobble all day, I'd get bored of Family Man basslines sooner than that.


That's interesting. I thought Hook and Wobble were great when I was 17 and their sound was fresh and new. I really liked Simon Underwood's dub/jazz thing too. The Pop Group are probably the only band from that era that I still listen to regularly. Which partly explains my five. None of the Prog, Punk or Metal guys got in as I don't much like FX, distortion or a lot of "top" on a bass guitar these days.

Greatest bass players is a fairly subjective list and 5 could easily be 25. If I had to pick the ones that objectively most influenced me personally then that list would include Wobble or Underwood for sure. Along with Charlie Haden, Chris Squire and Ken Gradney, Billy Cox or maybe Gerry McAvoy.


I'm a simple guy and I picked the ones I like listening to the most, not necessarily anything to do with proficiency (lest we end up in some kind of hideous world of muso-twiddliness). I still listen to most of the music I liked when I was 17, including all but one of my selections - Czukay came a little later! I have expanded my tastes in most every direction since then (except C&W), but I still love the melange of stuff from that post-punk period 1978-1982 the best. Even a high percentage of chart hits were terrific back then.

There is still a rush of blood every time I hear a plunging Severin bassline (something like "Into The Light" or "Like An Animal" perhaps), or Hook's propulsive playing on "Age of Consent" or the beautiful counterpoint on "Atmosphere". Similarly Wobble has kept my attention for years, from "Poptones" through the Eno/Wobble Spinner album to his solo albums and collaborations.
Topic Outline:

Unsung Forum Index