Likewise Neil Peart is one of the best technical drummers out there, good bassists and drummers go hand in hand. Wow you could connote a whole slough of things from that! :grin:
Common misconception. Tell that to Jaco's face, or Entwistle... Hell, even Stanley Clark. It stems from the '60s jazz/classical-era and the fact that double bassists don't play with a pick. Therefore some of the "older" bassists would frown upon "newer" electric bass players... and the saying got started. Some bassists that use slap bass often times use picks as well. Notables are Rob Trujillo (metallica,) Les Claypool (primus, etc.,) Flea (the chili peppers,) Juan Alderete (mars volta.) I know bassists that can flat out annihilate most of the popular rock/pop bassists out there, but they mainly stick to jazz and/or classical music. However, a few of them are VERY competent rock/progressive/metal bassists as well. Not picking on you fanatic, but I hear this a lot and it's simply not true.
I would agree Lee is the best from a technical standpoint, I just had Squire ahead of him because he was more stylish and had more "range". Lee was easy to standout, as Rush is a three piece band. Squire had to contend with Wakeman on the keyboards and Howe with his magnificence on the lead. Still you listen to Yes songs and you find yourself identifying with the bass part. Pretty incredible. Here's the classic Roundabout (as illustrated by some wannabe Squire): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pabkRs-VRYw&feature=related Starship Trooper: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uf96X0O39E&feature=related Heart of the Sunrise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z8_45duq6A Close to the Edge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLvEwEmo48Y&feature=related (sounds like chaos but it's a beautiful piece of intricately woven syncopated rhythms) South Side of the Sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmq7Nq5jHwM&feature=related Yours is No Disgrace http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2UE5g72s0o (does it get any better than this?) (sounds coming from Howe and Squire literally making love to one another in this one)
Tony Levin LINK to Tony's Discography Geddy Lee Paul McCartney Roger Waters Modern day - Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction was pretty tight Tony is probably the best bass player of all time. Just look at the complete list of artists he has played with over his career. There are some incredible names in there, and you don't get to play with these people if you aren't one of the best of your trade. Be sure to get all the way to the bottom to see the artists he has toured with. He and his "funky fingers" is what the bass is all about. Tony Levin wins this hands down. If you ever saw him live, you would know what I am talking about. I got to see him play with King Crimson at the HOB in New Orleans in the 90s. What a show that was!!!
Carol Kaye played on more hit record and albums than any bassist of the rock era. If you have listened to rock, pop and jazz recordings, TV, and movies since 1960, you have heard Carol Kaye. She played bass for the Beach Boys, The Doors, Richie Valens, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Quincy Jones, Sonny and Cher, Joe Cocker, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Frank Zappa, Ike and Tina Turner, Johnny Mathis, Simon and Garfunkel, The Righteous Brothers, The Marketts, Herb Alpert, The Buckinghams, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Gary Lewis and The Playboys, and the Monkees. Over 10,000 recording sessions. "The Fender bass player Carol Kaye.....could do anything and leave the men in the dust." - Quincy Jones in his book "Q - The Autobiography of Quincy Jones" 2001 "Carol taught me more about the bass than is decent." - Sting "The greatest damn bass player in the world". -- Brian Wilson "Carol Kaye is a sweetheart and a kick-ass guitar player as well as a kick-ass bass player!" - Dr. John
as a huge metallica fan, i'm kinda biased when i would put cliff burton as #1. but the entire opening to "damage inc." is all cliff, and it's amazing cuz it doesn't sound like a bass. i always thought it was hammet. dude was inventive and taken from us too early. the other four i would throw in there have already been mentioned geddy lee, flea, claypool, and entwistle.
I love YES and Squire is a great bassist, but I've been getting more into jazz and fusion lately. I'm a drummer though, so I really pay more attention to bass players than I do guitarists. But if I had to compare Chris Squire to other top bassists at the time (namely Bruce and Entwistle,) he's still not the best IMO. Squire was influenced by Entwistle, so that says a lot. Jack Bruce's best bass playing wasn't really with Cream, rather with Blues Incorporated, and his jazz playing before Cream. But keeping within the genre, I'd say Squire was "better" than Jack Bruce. Meaning that the musical compositions of Yes offered more in the way of virtuosic playing. But if we play that card, we should include Greg Lake as well. I'd say that terms such as "best" or "greatest" is VERY subjective when we're talking about musicians, because a lot of time the player in question might not be playing at 100% of their capability. If the song only calls for 10% of said player's capability, then you can't really judge him that way. Cliff Burton was a gifted "bassist," but he played the bass like a guitar. He'd probably have been a pretty good guitarist, but he really doesn't do what a bassist is traditionally "supposed" to do. But watching "Cliff 'Em All," you HAVE to give the kid credit for being innovative. Better than a bass player, he was a good musician, and a lot of time that is all that matters!
