Nick's Top 10 Bass Players

I have been trying to get back to my 10 best musicians list for awhile, but after going on vacation and coming back to a shit storm it was rough. Anyway, I am now able to pick up where I left off. Here are my favorite bass players. Again, these are probably not the 10 greatest of all time. These are just 10 that I happen to enjoy.

10. Dee Dee Ramone - I know I will get a ton of shit for this one simply because Dee Dee was not technically a great bass player. I mean he played in the Ramones, who played 3 chords and every song was 3 minutes long. To that I say, so what. There are 2 kinds of people in this world, those who get the Ramones and those who don’t. I feel sorry for those who don’t. Dee Dee was the bands primary song writer. He had his issues and lived the punk lifestyle till his tragic end. Simply put without Dee Dee the Ramones never make it out of CBGB’s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htR14DZ-O-4&feature=related

9. Sting – Another controversial pick. Sting post 1988 evolved into an adult contempo crap merchant. It is sad because at one time he was the backbone to one of the greatest bands in rock history. I can’t hate Sting despite his many faults. He wrote most of the material for the Police. For that alone no matter what sins he has committed (and the list is huge) I cannot dismiss him. Sting’s biggest problem was that his ego got huge and it alienated Andy Summers and Stuart Copeland. It took 25 years for the rift to heal. Still, Sting was a main cog in the one of the greatest trio’s ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duXohSAjP2w&feature=related

8. Phil Lynott – Many may not know Lynott’s name but, was he ever a gifted musician. He was the bass player and lead singer for Thin Lizzy. I have recently gotten into this band and all I can say is how come it took me so long to discover their greatness? They had a sound that was unique and much of that was due to Lynott. A Black Irishman, he died tragically like so many others before and after of him, of a drug overdose. I know it is not for everyone, but give them a listen, you won’t be disappointed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B435SzgfRk&feature=related

7. Tina Weymouth – Talking Heads was one of those bands that never got the due they deserved. When was the last time you walked into a bar and heard a band cover a Talking Heads song? You won’t and that is simply because their sound was so unique that most bands know better than to even try. Weymouth joined with her husband Chris Franz to form the backbone of the soundtrack of late 70’s cutting edge music. They then went on to form their side project the Tom Tom Club, which also had a minor hit, Genius of Love. Still it is her time in Talking Heads that I appreciate the most. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5zFsy9VIdM&feature=fvw

6. Jack Bruce – All 3 members of Cream made my list and that is no accident. Along with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, Bruce shined as part of a great power trio. They were only together for a little more than three years but man in that time did they shine. Bruce was no doubt overshadowed by Clapton and Baker’s larger profiles. That is tragic because Bruce in his own right was a great bass player and contributed mightily to their success. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRqjpuLFXek

5. Tony Levin – I am a huge Peter Gabriel fan. That is how I first got introduced to Levin. He was also a member of King Crimson at one time. However, it is his work with Gabriel that I have come to admire. A giant of a man, Levin has an amazing stage presence and was the man behind so much great music that Gabriel put out in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I still claim my favorite concert of all time was Gabriel at the crappy Rosemont Horizon and Levin was a big part of the reason why. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah3vTq2ZxYk

4. Bootsy Collins – There is a reason so many P-Funk songs have been sampled by rap artists. It is Bootsy laying down the bass line, that’s why. Collins came to prominence as a member of James Brown’s band and later was a member of the legendary Parliament-Funkadelic. Later on in life he played bass on Dee Lite’s only hit Groove is in the Heart. But, it was his P-Funk days where he really shined the brightest. His bass lines were driving force behind all their songs. That is all you need to know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JbUP-skb7E

3. Les Claypool –It says a lot about a musician if the bass player carries the band. Claypool definitely carries Primus. Sure, their songs can be silly and Claypool’s humor comes out in most of their catalog. But, if you listen you can’t help but be blown away with what Les is doing on bass. When Cliff Burton died he tried out for Metallica and Lars and James basically said, he was just too good for them. Primus was one of those bands that came out in the late 80’s that kind of gets lost as time has gone on. That is sad because they really are quite good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmiy6fotDXE

2. Flea – Simply put, Flea is the man behind the Chili Peppers sound. If not for his brilliance I am not sure they ever make it out of the LA club scene. When I first heard the band it was Flea that I was drawn to and just how amazing a bass player he was. Sure, they Peppers jumped the shark four albums ago, but that should not take away from their former brilliance and that is all predicated on Flea’s bass playing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yERRW-go7yU

1. John Entwistle – Really could I pick anyone else? The Ox as he was nicknamed was always there for the Who. While you had Townsend wind-milling, Daltrey swinging the microphone and Moon having a seizure on drums, it was Entwistle in the background keeping it all together. He never sought the spot light (and in a way isn’t that what being the bass player is all about) and was happy just to be in the greatest band of all time of which he was an essential ingredient. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP4frOhL8Jo

Honorable Mention: Geddy Lee, Krist Novoselic, Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman, and Cliff Burton

Random Thoughts

I am back from vacation. On vacation various thoughts pop into the consciousness of my mind as I am not forced to waste time thinking about work nonsense. So, here is a brief list of things that bothered me.

Tampa is really nice but, if you have a foot issue like I do it is not the city for you. I have long stated my issues with the human foot. I get easily repulsed by most people’s bare feet. I don’t know if it is the sight, or the smell or some combination of both. If you are on a beach, by a pool, or in a public shower by all means wear open toed sandals. However, if you are going out to eat at a nice restaurant you might want to put on a real shoe. I mean I really don’t want to think about your foot odor as I am trying to enjoy my beef and peapods. I saw a lot of people in the Tampa area walking around with flip-flops and sandals. Needless to say I was queasy an awful lot.

I am the only one in the world that cares about the people behind me in line? It never ceases to amaze me other consumer’s utter disregard for other shoppers. An example. I am in Walgreens trying to purchase a newspaper and some other assorted sundry products. The line has at least 4 other people in it. (Why Wag’s didn’t open another register is a whole other matter.) A woman in her best sweatpants was at the front of the line at the register. There she had a number of products, one of which was a pair of flip-flops. (What is it with me and casual footwear?) The register rang them up as $5.99. She claimed there was a sign advertising them at $5.00. I know, it is a dollar and in this economy every dollar counts. However, in my mind I do a simple math equation. Is my time more or less valuable then the savings? I understand a time are tight, but is a pair of Walgreens flip-flops really that important of a purchase? So, a price check is called for. It turns it she was wrong. The sign was for some other product.

This was bad enough, but oh wait there is more. Now everyone else in line is waiting along with her for the manager to find out what the real price of the item was. She could have used that time to inform the cashier that she also wanted some cigarettes behind the counter or better yet, use that time to fish her coupons out of that small piece of luggage she called a purse. Did she do this? No, she waited and inconvenienced the rest of us some more and wasted more of our time. All the while she didn’t seem like she even noticed the daggers that were coming out of the eyes of everyone behind her. Maybe she just can’t multitask. Or maybe she just didn’t give a shit as she had nothing better to do with the rest of her day. Either way, it was at the very least rude. Sadly, this was not an isolated incident. I am just going to start stealing shit from now on.

Do the idiots that watch Glen Beck really believe that nonsense? I never thought there would be an on- air personality that could be worse than O’Reilly. But leave it to Fox news to find one. It is pointless to point out the guy’s bullshit because if you need it pointed out for you then you are beyond saving. Suffice it to say facts are of little use for Beck. He just spews his hate and moronic and myopic view of the world and the mouth breathers lap it up like the obedient lap dogs that most Fox news viewers are. A part of me laughs at the absurdity of it all. Another part of me gets really sad that there is a significant portion of Americans that buy into this bullshit. I guess when you believe in something that is indefensible you need to glom onto someone who plays into your paranoia and prejudices.

On the same political note, where were all these people who are bitching about the cost of health care, when we were spending trillions on the Iraq war? I guess I am naive because I don’t for the life me understand how anyone could be against health care for everyone. In my mind that is the most basic of human rights. If anyone thinks the current system is working then they have their heads buried way deep in the sand. I have health insurance and it is a scam. When I hurt my back a couple of years ago, I had to pay $2,500 out of my own pocket. And I have health insurance. The problem is that we have this bugaboo about anything with the words “Socialism” attached to it. Yes, I believe in America and yes, I love this country. But that doesn’t mean we are perfect. Sometimes other countries have better ideas then us. We are not right 100% of the time. Ask a senior what they would do without Medicare? If that isn’t socialized medicine then I don’t know what is.

The bigger issue at hand is the rhetoric and hate that is being thrown at someone that is sincerely trying to help people. I take comfort in knowing that I am on the right side of history. In 50 years when children read about the times before National Health Care, and read about the protests and the anger they will be amazed at how foolish these people were. Because by then everyone will take being able to get medical treatment for granted. No one will have to go bankrupt if they happen to get sick. Call me crazy but that is a world I want to live in.

In my 30+ years of reading the newspaper Carol Slezak is the worst columnist I have ever read. It is not a sexism thing. I used to really like Mellissa Issacson and Toni Gianetti when they had columns. Slezak on the other hand has no business being published in a newspaper. She picks the wrong side of every argument using illogic to back up her opinions. She over reacts to everything and I really believe she takes unpopular or opposing viewpoints just to get people to read her column. With all the layoffs going on in the newspaper business I cannot for the life of me fathom how she still has a job. I don’t know one person that reads her column.

Maybe I am biased because she can’t help but rip the Cubs every chance she gets. But, I know plenty of Sox fans that also dislike her. I thought Mariotti was an ass but, I read him because while I rarely agreed with him he usually made salient (all be it, conflicting) points. My biggest bitch about Mariotti was his constant flip-flopping. Any reader with half a brain and the ability to write could come up with better material. Like I said before I cannot believe she still has a job.

Obama called Kanye West a Jackass. Um, I fail to see the problem.

Nick's Football Picks for 2009

I am taking a break on listing my favorite musicians so that I can embarrass myself with some football picks. Every year I go out on a limb and make some horrible and non-senseical football predictions. (Last year I predicited a San Diego – Dallas superbowl.) Like most years, I‘ve paid very little attention to football up until now. My entire sports conscience has been on baseball. But, it is getting close to the start of the pigskin season so, with that in mind, here we go.

AFC

East

1. New England

2. Miami

3. Buffalo

4. New York

Brady is back and that means this is the Pat’s division again. They still have a lot of the talent that was there from when they went 16-0 two short years ago. Now they are hungry after missing the playoffs last year. The ‘Fins shocked everyone last year by winning the East. I along with many others underestimated them last year. They return a decent team that could challenge for a wild card. The Bills signed T.O. for some reason and they still employ Dick Jaroun. That will be enough to put them in the 3^rd place. The Jets are re-building the offense and may have to take a step back this year to take two forward in 2010.

North

1. Pittsburgh

2. Cincinnati

3. Baltimore

4. Cleveland

This is as it usually is the Steelers division to lose. As always they return a monster D, and do just enough on offense to win most games. The Bengals are my pick to be the most improved team in the AFC. Their D is much improved and if Palmer stays healthy this team is going to surprise a lot of people. The Ravens played over their heads last year and I think they will miss Rex Ryan. I see them taking a small step back in 09. The Browns are only a year removed from being legitimate. Last year, however whatever could go wrong did. They have some talent so, let’s see what Mangini can do with it.

South

1. Indianapolis

2. Houston

3. Tennessee

4. Jacksonville

The Colts should bounce back to win the south this year. A lot of people say they will miss Dungy, but I am not in that crowd as I always felt he was overrated. Last year, I thought the Texans would make a run at the playoffs. Maybe I was a year to early in my love for them. They have the talent to make a run this year. The Titans somehow won 13 games last year with Kerry Collins. I just don’t see that happening again this go round. The Jag’s took a step back last year and in a tough division may have a hard time winning ballgames.

West

1. San Diego

2. Oakland

3. Denver

4. Kansas City

The Bolts should once again win what on paper looks like a pillow fight of a division. They have far and away the most talent in the west. Al Davis should be declared legally dead at this point. Please, play Jeff Garcia because if they do, they will win 9 games. The Broncos had an interesting off season to say the least. I may be nuts but I think Orton will be ok for them. However, their D is brutal. The Chiefs were in a lot of games last year but didn’t win many. I think they are a year away from being decent.

NFC

East

1. Philadelphia

2. New York

3. Dallas

4. Washington

The Eagles always find a way to win and I like them a lot coming into 09. They always have a solid D and now McNabb has some weapons on offense (I still don’t get the Vick signing, but whatever). The Giants really missed Burresss last year and didn’t do anything to replace him. But they still can run the ball and play solid D. The Cowboys are a mess. I don’t like their makeup at all and I think Wade Phillips is fired before Thanksgiving. The Skins are good but play in a really tough division, which will be their undoing.

North

1. Minnesota

2. Chicago

3. Green Bay

4. Detroit

The Vikings simply have the best defense in the division which means they should find a way to score enough to win. By season’s end they will rue the Favre signing though. The Bears are going to be very fun to watch this year. A lot of high scoring games, as their defense scares me. The Packers D also scares me but, I think they will make some strides. The Lions will win a game this year. That is progress.

South

1. New Orleans

2. Atlanta

3. Carolina

4. Tampa Bay

I am going out on a limb here but, I think the Saints finally figure out how to play D and win the South in an upset. God knows they will score points. The Falcons were a surprise last year and have a lot of talent. They will be back in the playoffs. The Panthers can run the ball big time. I just worry about the aftereffects of that playoff game on Delhomme. The Buc’s in my mind took a major step back. I have no idea what they are doing.

West

1. Arizona

2. Seattle

3. San Francisco

4. St. Louis

The Card’s unlikely trip to the Super Bowl taught them how to win. This division is pretty bad so, they should find a way to win it again. The ‘Hawks if they can stay healthy should provide a challenge to ‘Zona but they are kind of re-building. The Niners will be better, but still have a ways to go. The Rams actually have some talent on both sides of the ball. They will be competitive this year which is saying a lot from what they were a year ago.

Playoffs

AFC Seeding

1. San Diego

2. Pittsburgh

3. New England

4. Indianapolis

5. Cincinnati

6. Miami

New England over Miami

Indy over Cincinnati

San Diego over Indy

New England over Pittsburgh

San Diego over New England

NFC Seeding

1. Philadelphia

2. Arizona

3. New Orleans

4. Minnesota

5. New York

6. Atlanta

Atlanta over New Orleans

New York over Minnesota

Philadelphia over Atlanta

New York over Arizona

Philadelphia over New York

Super Bowl

Philadelphia over San Diego