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