Essential Bass Albums

Freddy-Bl00D

Norio's Marcus Miller post got me thinking that i should get some of his albums and im wondering what you guys consider the best bass albums out there.. Any genre from funk to jazz to rock to metal. I want typical albums from the legends and maybe a amazing bassist in a unusual place?

My favourites:

Tool - Lateralus
Cream - Disraeli Gears
Rush - Clockwork Angels
My Gym class heroes - papercut chronicles (this is a amazing bassist in a unusual place, simple tasty grooves that just grabs you. Unfortunately the bassist departed after this album)

Bob-Dubery

Well the famous Danny Thompson recording is John Martyn's "Solid Air", but
a) he doesn't play bass on all of it
b) it's a real hodge podge of a record, doesn't hang together that well.

I'd recommend the previous Martyn album, Bless the weather hangs together better, but it doesn't have a song as friendly to the uninitiated as "Solid Air".

Having punted Danny with such regularity here, I feel obliged to recommend a record that represents a good example of his playing. He has played on a massive number of records and with lots of people - but often just on one or two tracks. The Pentangle stuff hasn't aged well. I suppose the best examples of Danny in all his many-varied glory are two live Richard Thompson (no relation) albums: Two Letter Words which is now available only as a digital download, and Live From Austin which is available on DVD and CD (the DVD is to be preferred because you get an extra, final number with a big guitar solo from the other Thompson). Both of those include "Ghosts In The Wind" and "Al Bowlly's In Heaven" which were both Danny showcases when the two played together.

If you're not scared of the thought of bass and banjo duets then Edgar Meyer and Bela Fleck will present you with a lot of marvellous playing on Music for Two.

AlanRatcliffe

Mingus - anything he played on
Tony Levin - Thrak - King Crimson (or Discipline - King Crimson)
Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius (or Heavy Weather - Weather Report)
John Entwhistle - Quadrophenia - The Who
John Paul Jones - Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin
Bakithi Kumalo - Graceland - Paul Simon
Michael Manring - Dramatic Measures - Michael Manring
Aston Barrett - Babylon by Bus - Bob Marley
Marcus Miller - The Sun Don't Lie - Marcus Miller
Chuck Rainey - Aja - Steely Dan
Chris Squire - Fragile - Yes
Billy Sheehan - Eat 'Em and Smile - David Lee Roth
Geddy Lee - Moving Pictures - Rush
Jack Bruce - Wheels of Fire - Cream
Steve Harris - Piece Of Mind - Iron Maiden
Anthony Jackson - Naughty - Chaka Khan
James Jamerson - What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Squonk

Level 42 (Mark King) - A Physical Presence - just before they went comercial, Slap Bass at it's best
Stanley Clarke - School Days
Stanley Clark - I want to play for you
John Entwhistle - The Who Live at Leeds
Lee Ritenour (Melvin Davis & Anthony Jackson) - Overtime
Koinonia (Abe Laboriel) - Frontline and Celebration
Eric Clapton (Nathan East) - 24 Nights

Alan stole a whole lot of mine 8)

Squonk

Some Abe Laboriel

=

Gareth

Hey Alan (and Squonk) some nice albums there ?
Not too good on remembering album names but here you go anyways...

also
Robert Trujillo : any Infectious Grooves album
Bootsy Collins : most James Brown Albums
Doug Wimbish : Living Color / Tack>>Head / Seal etc.
Les Claypool : Primus
Percy Jones : Brand X
Pino Palladino : A bunch of stuff but Paul Young's No Parlez is a good string point.
Victor Wooten : A show of Hands or most Bela Fleck stuff
Tony Levin: King Crimson / Peter Gabriel.
Tim Commerford : Rage Against the Machine
Dave LaRue : Steve Morse Band

Andy Saxton and Zander Zon also have some AMAZING solo bass stuff on youtube.

HTH

Freddy-Bl00D

Wow these posts are gonna keep me busy for a while! Unfortunately my
Laptop commited suicide yesterday so im limited to my phone to checkout music ☹
Will check out as much as possible once its fixed

Any local bands and albums?
Voodoo Child is a amazing local band with really tasty bass!!

These arent the best examples but its the only singles on youtube, if you can get your hands on the album check it out!! They give hope to the SA music scene, unfortunately they broke up.

Bob-Dubery

Gareth wrote: Bootsy Collins : most James Brown Albums

You have to be careful there. Brown fired musicians who were tardy, drunks, took drugs, played loosely or in any way forgot who the boss was, and a lot of currently available albums are compilations with tracks from different eras (and bands).

Bootsy wasn't with James very long (which doesn't make the rest of the bass playing on Soul Brother Number One's albums crap - Brown knew a good player when he saw one).

Wilson and Alroy (www.warr.org) recommend the early Bootsy solo albums and especially Aaah... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!

DaFiz

I have to give credit to bass guitarist who also sang lead vocals. Like Paul McCartney, Gordon Sumner (Sting), Jack Bruce and my favourite... James Dewar from Robin Trower's band.
I have recently attempted this and gotten myself in a total mess :-[
Listen to Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs (Too Rolling Stoned)

Jack-Flash-Jr

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears (maybe Scandalous to start)...

Evis on Tour DVD 1972 (no soundtrack released) for Jerry Scheff on bass (as Bob noted previously he's also on Doors' LA Woman, but his cooler stuff is with TCB.

I'd go for Suicidal Tendencies Art of Rebellion over an Infectious Grooves album (although they're great, can be samey for me)

Band of Gypsys for Billy Cox grooves

A lot of the others covered above but holy cow there's a lot!

IceCreamMan

any album with this oke

=

Gareth

X-rated Bob wrote:
Gareth wrote: Bootsy Collins : most James Brown Albums
You have to be careful there. Brown fired musicians who were tardy, drunks, took drugs, played loosely or in any way forgot who the boss was, and a lot of currently available albums are compilations with tracks from different eras (and bands).

Bootsy wasn't with James very long (which doesn't make the rest of the bass playing on Soul Brother Number One's albums crap - Brown knew a good player when he saw one).

Yep, OK I stand corrected :-[ Re. Bootsy and JB, but either, together or separately, they have some great bass grooves going.
Speaking of groove no-one's mentioned Larry Graham with Sly and the Family Stone yet so I will. ?

Psean

Jack Flash Jr wrote:
Band of Gypsys for Billy Cox grooves

A lot of the others covered above but holy cow there's a lot!

+1
That really is an awesome album. I much prefer his playing to Noel Redding's

And now I have Who Knows in my head ?

Jack-Flash-Jr

Gareth wrote:
X-rated Bob wrote:
Gareth wrote: Bootsy Collins : most James Brown Albums
You have to be careful there. Brown fired musicians who were tardy, drunks, took drugs, played loosely or in any way forgot who the boss was, and a lot of currently available albums are compilations with tracks from different eras (and bands).

Bootsy wasn't with James very long (which doesn't make the rest of the bass playing on Soul Brother Number One's albums crap - Brown knew a good player when he saw one).
Yep, OK I stand corrected :-[ Re. Bootsy and JB, but either, together or separately, they have some great bass grooves going.
Speaking of groove no-one's mentioned Larry Graham with Sly and the Family Stone yet so I will. ?

Graham Central Station!

=