Who's the Greatest Bassist of All Time?

[rdh007]

Ringo Starr was in the Beatles...

Which is why if this were about drummers, my vote'd be for Bonzo.

Point taken, though.

 

[Dwarf lord]

Which is why if this were about drummers, my vote'd be for Bonzo.

Point taken, though.

Yeah, Bonzo was amazing. That whole band was just one giant mass of Virtosos and for some reason it came out great.

 

[The Chairman]

Led Zeppelin was great, but think of it this way, Ringo Starr was in the Beatles...

Not saying that JPJ wasn't good, but just because he was with a great band, doesn't mean he's the greatest of his craft.

I agree. JPJ imo was the least impressive member of Zeppelin musically. I always felt he was a much better keyboardist than a bassist. Did he fit the music perfectly? Yes. Did he lay down some great riffs? Yes. But to me he was the Ringo Starr of the group.

 

[Dwarf lord]

I agree. JPJ imo was the least impressive member of Zeppelin musically. I always felt he was a much better keyboardist than a bassist. Did he fit the music perfectly? Yes. Did he lay down some great riffs? Yes. But to me he was the Ringo Starr of the group.

Oh yeah, agreed. I loved a lot of the times when he played other instruments like the Mandolin and Keyboards and recorder.

 

[jimmy]

Looks like you only have the "popular" bassist in your thread.

Maybe you just forgot about VICTOR WOOTEN, Billy Sheehan, Jaco, Alex Webster, Stu Hamm, and Stalney Clarke.

I know you have the "other" option, but Dee Dee Ramone? Come on, you might as well have had Sid Vicious up in there.

 

[The Chairman]

Oh yeah, agreed. I loved a lot of the times when he played other instruments like the Mandolin and Keyboards and recorder.

Have you heard "Going To California"? He's absolutley fantastic on that.

 

[Dwarf lord]

Have you heard "Going To California"? He's absolutley fantastic on that?

That's my favorite Zeppelin song. Mostly because it shows how good they actually were. Plant was singing in a very Un Plant-esque voice, Jimmy Page is playing acoustic guitar, JPJ is playing mandolin, and there are no drums. It shows versitility.

 

[The Chairman]

That's my favorite Zeppelin song. Mostly because it shows how good they actually were. Plant was singing in a very Un Plant-esque voice, Jimmy Page is playing acoustic guitar, JPJ is playing mandolin, and there are no drums. It shows versitility.

Oh yeah, it's up there for me as well. I think Led Zeppelin were the most versatile rock band ever. They experimented with such a wide range of styles - rock, blues, reggae, even shades of disco. And they even often incorporated many of these elements into one song.

 

[The Chairman]

Question: am I the only one who thought McCartney was the best musician in The Beatles? I've always thought so. It's more apparent in his solo work, but he really knew how to work a bass. I'd put him right behind Entwistle.

 

[Dwarf lord]

Yeah, he has some great stuff, and he sang. But George Harrison will always be my favorite Beatle.

 

[The Chairman]

Yeah, he has some great stuff, and he sang. But George Harrison will always be my favorite Beatle.

George was great. "What Is Life" IMO is his best song. It's a blast to listen to and has some of the best guitar work...ever.

I think as far as solo careers go though, Lennon's was by far the best.

 

[Snipershot]

FLEA, FLEA, FLEA!!!! he is one of the only bassists in which you can hear them in songs

 

[Dwarf lord]

George was great. "What Is Life" IMO is his best song. It's a blast to listen to and has some of the best guitar work...ever.

I think as far as solo careers go though, Lennon's was by far the best.

That's no question, but for some reason I have very little respect for him, probably for leaving Cyntia for Yoko. But I have a lot of respect for Paul McCartney and George.

 

[The Chairman]

I generally am not that harsh, but I really don't like Flea, nor am I a big Chili Peppers fan in general. I think they have some good stuff, but are highly overrated.

 

[The Chairman]

That's no question, but for some reason I have very little respect for him, probably for leaving Cyntia for Yoko. But I have a lot of respect for Paul McCartney and George.

Lennon in many aspects often came off as an ass, and I think that occasionally surfaced in his music. His leaving Cynthia for Yoko was no doubt incredibly insensitive on his part.

I also have a book called Rock Stars Do The Dumbest Things, and Lennon definitely did indeed do some very dumb, often mean spirited things (though Keith Moon holds the record IMO for doing the dumbest and mean spirited thingof any rock star ever).

 

[Dwarf lord]

In my opinion, a briliant bassist is someone who compeats against the lead guitarist to the point where they just become the back up guitarist. And Entwistle did that.

 

[Dwarf lord]

(though Keith Moon holds the record IMO for doing the dumbest and mean spirited thingof any rock star ever).

Like what? I hear he was quite the idiot, but I've never heard details. But, from interviews I've seen him in, he was quite the jokester and I did think it was pretty funny when he blew up his drums. I wouldn't if I were Pete Townshend, but alas, I'm not.

 

[The Chairman]

In my opinion, a briliant bassist is someone who compeats against the lead guitarist to the point where they just become the back up guitarist. And Entwistle did that.

I agree. Townshend and Entwistle had amazing chemistry together.

I love Zeppelin more than The Who (The Who are a very close second), bit I think The Who were better as musicians. Page for example was very egotistical and in many ways that comes out in his playing. He always seems to overpower the other instruments in the song more often than not. I remember reading when that when they were remastering the band's catalog in the early 1990s', Page actually mixed his playing at a higher volume than the other instruments as well as the vocals.

Page is no doubt my favorite guitarist (I think Hendrix and Townshend may have technically been better, but I can't decide), but he definitely had his flaws.

 

[The Chairman]

Like what?

Well...

Spoiler

One time he and a few friends dressed up as Nazis and went marching through a Jewish neighborhood. Moon then entered a Jewish bakery demanding German bread. The owner, an elderly woman, chased him out of the shop beating him with a loaf of bread.

 

[Dwarf lord]

I agree. Townshend and Entwistle had amazing chemistry together.

I love Zeppelin more than The Who (The Who are a very close second), bit I think The Who were better as musicians. Page for example was very egotistical and in many ways that comes out in his playing. He always seems to overpower the other instruments in the song more often than not. I remember reading when that when they were remastering the band's catalog in the early 1990s', Page actually mixed his playing at a higher volume than the other instruments as well as the vocals.

Page is no doubt my favorite guitarist (I think Hendrix and Townshend may have technically been better, but I can't decide), but he definitely had his flaws.

I get a lot of crap from other people when I say that Townshend is my favorite guitarist. Just because he rarely had extended solos, doesn't mean he's any less. But yeah, Page is a great lead guitarist. He may not be the best, but does it really matter? He's still probably the best white blues guitarists.

 

[Dwarf lord]

Well...

Spoiler

One time he and a few friends dressed up as Nazis and went marching through a Jewish neighborhood. Moon then entered a Jewish bakery demanding German bread. The owner, an elderly woman, chased him out of the shop beating him with a loaf of bread.

I had never heard that and I probably wish I hadn't. That's really, really bad.

 

[The Chairman]

I get a lot of crap from other people when I say that Townshend is my favorite guitarist. Just because he rarely had extended solos, doesn't mean he's any less. But yeah, Page is a great lead guitarist. He may not be the best, but does it really matter? He's still probably the best white blues guitarists.

He'd probably have some competition from Clapton and Brian Jones.

 

[The Chairman]

I had never heard that and I probably wish I hadn't. That's really, really bad.

Yeah, I thought a little less of Moon when I read that.

I also read that John Bonham

Spoiler

**** in Jimmy Page's girlfriend's purse because she annoyed him. Drummers are quire insane, I guess.

 

[Dwarf lord]

He'd probably have some competition from Clapton and Brian Jones.

Oh yeah, but I still think Page has the edge.

 

[jimmy]

I've always thought of Page as a great rhythm guitarist.