How about the best bass line to a track? This very much underrated instrument is constantly over looked in the 'Greatest...' and 'Best...' lists.

Whether it's the simple but effective rumble of Smoke On The Water or the sheer musical madness of Les Claypool (Primus), the bass is the backbone of the rhythm section. Here's my Top 10 Bass Lines:

1. Ramble On - Led Zep
2. Tommy The Cat - Primus
3. Octavarium - Dream Theater
4. My Generation - The Who
5. Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates
6. Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis
7. Confusion Fusion - Testament
8. Albatross - Fleetwood Mac (Say what you like, it's mesmerisingly simple but effective)
9. Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
10. Can't Stand Losing You - The Police

Again, not a definitive list, just my top 10 as I'm feeling now.

Guns of Brixton - The Clash

Beautifully simply, hugely effective. Paul Simonon rocks.

I can't believe I never thought of The Clash!!!!!!

I will go and stick my head a bucket of molten steel for my sins! Please forgive me. Guns of Brixton is an excellent choice.

Anything with Jack Bruce, but especially Crossroads from the Wheels Of Fire album.

Think bass, think Hooky (New Order/Joy Division)!

Maybe not technically the best, but the most distinctive bass player that I know of. Never more so than on Ceremony.

Silver medal to Psycho Killer by Talking Heads.

These take some beating:-

1 Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder (listen to that instrumental break!!);

2 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick - Ian Dury & The Blockheads.

There.

Armagedion time-Clash

Sex (The Black Angel) - New Model Army (Most Stuart Morrow stuff is amazing)
Anthem - Rush (All the world's A Stage)
La Villa Strangiato - Rush
Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine - Killers

I love Doors basslines. Played on a keyboard they are very basic, nothing advanced at all, but they hook me in. I could listen to them play all day long.

A serious serious answer; all Motown tracks. James Jamerson happily works magic on some of these tunes.

Atmosphere by Joy Division, haunting, sparse, beautiful.

King for a day fool for a lifetime by Faith No More.

Higher Ground done by the chilli peppers, storming!

Big Bottom by Spinal Tap :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9XNxWCVO3U

This one - Ignore the silly video to it. Its the only one I could find that isn't live. Listen to the bass solo near the end - Its a short song. Makes me damp. :hihi:

Children of the Damned- Iron Maiden
Dancing in the Moonlight- Thin Lizzy
I Heard it Through the Grapevine- Marvin Gaye

I love these basslines, (may have something to do with these are some of the only ones i can play):hihi:


Love Games- Level 42 is good but i can't play that:mad:

And a lot of others that i can't remember at this moment in time.

Keep the posts coming.

Guns of Brixton - The Clash

Beautifully simply, hugely effective. Paul Simonon rocks.

Indeed. The ultimate bassline, in my opinion. :thumbsup:

StarSparkle

I know it's not a standard bassline, but I like Metallica- Anaesthesia (pulling teeth).

I know it's not a standard bassline, but I like Metallica- Anaesthesia (pulling teeth).


Me too and cliff burton is ace in orion too:)

Bernard Edwards,Chic, Good Times the best bassline ever - responsible for so many other records.

I also love Something about you Level 42 for the bassline :blush: and Something got me started Simply Red. (Those two are my guilty pleasures!)

The Riverboat Song by Ocean Colour Scene (or A certain Romance by the Arctic Monkeys)

Taxman by the Beatles (Also Start! by The Jam)

Fools Gold The Stone Roses

And the best bass line that actually wasn't a bass guitar?
Seven Nation Army. White Stripes.

Bob Sinclar - Save Our Soul

Depends on my mood.

I quite like Papa Roach's Between Angels and Insects, Blood Brothers and Snakes...actually most of their base lines a quite good.

Another fab bassline's just come on my Winamp- Rage Against the Machine: Killing in the name of.

And the best bass line that actually wasn't a bass guitar?
Seven Nation Army. White Stripes.

Wow! I didn't know that. It's beyond fabulous, whether it was played on a bass or not!

StarSparkle

Best bass player, in my most humble of opinions, that I've ever heard has to be John Myung from Dream Theater. Any one that can play as technically proficient and as fast as John Petrucci can play guitar deserves the accolade. Then again, Les Claypool for bringing the bass to the front of the line up.

Best bass player, in my most humble of opinions, that I've ever heard has to be John Myung from Dream Theater. Any one that can play as technically proficient and as fast as John Petrucci can play guitar deserves the accolade. Then again, Les Claypool for bringing the bass to the front of the line up.

I have to admit to not knowing the band or the player you're referring to -
but I'm afraid I immediately become deeply suspicious whenever somebody refers to speed being an admirable quality in either a guitarist or a bassist. It just fills me with horror at the thought of meaningless, soulless, fret-wan*ery.

I have to admit to not knowing the band or the player you're referring to -
but I'm afraid I immediately become deeply suspicious whenever somebody refers to speed being an admirable quality in either a guitarist or a bassist. It just fills me with horror at the thought of meaningless, soulless, fret-wan*ery.

Why does music always have to mean something? Why can't you just revel in the technical side?

If I want to watch/hear someone make love to their instrument, I'll listen to Jimi. But, sometimes I just want to sit and watch, in awe, someone play such precisely sculpted, horrifically fast and technically brilliant music. Hendrix was the master of doing what felt right at the time on stage. Dream Theater work so hard to perfect their sound and ability. I love both sides of the argument for very different reasons. But that's not to say one is better than the other.

Whilst I love the simplicity of Johnny Cash, AC/DC or the Stones, I get excited at the precision and technicality of Dream Theater, the speed and aggression of Slayer and Testement and the sheer musical weirdness of Mastodon. Different music for different occasions.

Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
Anything by DRAGONFORCE

Down in the Tube Station at Midnight - The Jam

The one alan partridge plays air bass to... keep forgetting what it is haha.

Bit of curve ball but

Can I Kick It : A Tribe Called Quest

simple yet hits the spot, but what do i know................

The one alan partridge plays air bass to... keep forgetting what it is haha.

This one?

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1936210345

Slipping sideways in an off-topic side-step for a sec, I'd love to play bass. I'm reasonable on guitar, but I'd just love to slap a bass seventies stylee and jam along to Theme From Minder.

The bass-line on 'Freewill' by Rush, in the middle section, just before the guitar solo. In fact, its one of the best instrumental breaks ever recorded, by the ultimate 'power trio'. Have a look at 'im!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Peb_YEnA5MQ

Oh, and ANYTHING by Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order

This one?

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1936210345

yeap.. great bass...but best by 'the partridge' lol

Heaven knows I'm miserable now!:D

this guys got a nice big one

neatly done! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpKMtH9RlSI)

Sally Free and Easy by Pentangle. The fact that it's played on a double bass makes it's fluidity all the more remarkable.

Mekanik Zain by Magma
De Futura by Magma (there's an awesome live version of this on youtube)

In fact almost anything by Magma, who had some of the best bass players going, particularly Bernard Paganotti and Janik Top.

I'm sure I'll think of some more before long.

Mekanik Zain by Magma
De Futura by Magma (there's an awesome live version of this on youtube)


Love Magma! Seen the version of De Futura on youtube - the expression on Christian Vander's face! Totally gone, maaan!

Indeed. Maybe we should start a separate 'best gurner' thread - my other favourite for that award would be Robin Trower.

There is only one bass player....
Steve Harris.!
Bass> the Trooper!

There is only one bass player....
Steve Harris.!
Bass> the Trooper!

Who the hell's he then?

The clattering Iron Maiden bassist. He's good but it sometimes sounds as if he's playing with a load of thimbles on his fingers.

Move Over
I heard the Slade version first but it was done previously by Janis Joplin. Pure class.

A plug for Herbie Flowers on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" - played electric bass then overdubbed double bass - result!

Agree re: "Guns of Brixton" and more or less anything Jack Bruce did with Cream.

Plus the double bass playing of Richard Davis on Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks".

The daddy of them all though must be Paul Chambers' intro on "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis.

Anything with Jack Bruce, but especially Crossroads from the Wheels Of Fire album.

I just wondered Martin D45, have you got one? If so, you lucky b****rd!