Best ever basslines?

JohnPerry

Respectable Street by Xtc. Bonkers.

And The Trees, of course, by Rush. Reason enough to own a Rick 4001

Neill

Moleman said:

Martin Turner’s incredibly melodic and driving bass lines in Sometime World from the Argus album by Wishbone Ash. Crazily underrated and unmentioned bass player, lead vocalist and songwriter. So many great bass lines in the early WA albums, and they were really young guys at the time (like Andy Fraser and Free were).

Amen to that.   And with Steve Upton (one of the few "open handed" drummers in rock) made for a powerful rhythm section.  WBA were peerless in the early 1970's and all their music stands up well today.  "Live Dates" is still my favourite live album.

ICBM

Moleman said:

Martin Turner’s incredibly melodic and driving bass lines in Sometime World from the Argus album by Wishbone Ash.

And the simpler but massively powerful The King Will Come - not just a great bassline but one of the best bass sounds ever recorded.

downbytheriver

 https://youtu.be/5_pmKPWLBrE

Absolutely mesmerising. A bass line with some other people trying, but failing, to be noticed. Jamerson at his most. 

Wazmeister

Most things by....

The Jam
CRowded House
The Clash
Madness
Costello (Bruce Thomas)
McCartney

Bruce Foxton is King, imho...

Scrape Away
TubeStation
Pretty Green

etc etc

MPH

A couple of people have already touched on this, but Graham Maby on Joe Jackson's early albums.

My stand out is probably 'Geraldine & John'

Also,  'Jump in to the fire' by Harry Nilsson

'The Time is Now' by Moloko


Edit to add:-

'Psycho Killer' - Talking Heads

Most stuff by Kim Deal in the Pixies - 'Gigantic', 'Here come your man', 'Hey' to name just three.

'Standing in the way of control' by Gossip

Barrivee

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GQk0av8L0oY

The Real Me. My go to air bass number. 

JerkMoans

Incidentally, there’s a campaign on Facebook to petition to get Norman Watt-Roy a knighthood.

Cranky

poopot said:

Or bootsy!!!!

Funkadelic - "Thank you", and most of their catalog, but that's the one that pops in my head

Zeppelin - "Ramble On" has cool bassline-as-melody

Archie Bell and the Drells - "Tighten Up"

Wire - "Three Girl Rhumba"

Charles Wright - "Express Yourself"

Primus - "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver"

Digital Underground - "Humpty Dance" maybe the ultimate in "less is more" funk

boogieman

Riders on the Storm has a wonderful bass riff. I had to Google it but it’s played by Jerry Scheff apparently. 

meltedbuzzbox

Has no one said come together by the beatles?

Brocco

+1 for Mr Big

Gail Ann Dorsey's superb live version of Stop On By (just her on bass and vocals) has not yet been mentioned:

57Deluxe

Epitaph Crimson King... sheer emotion, delicacy and soul - not to mention string harmonics.

Jalapeno

meltedbuzzbox said:

Has no one said come together by the beatles?

Somebody did earlier ....  

stonevibe

Neill

stonevibe said:

Can't believe it's taken five pages before someone came up with that.  Great to hear it again. 

I remember I heard it for the first time when the Stranglers were "In Concert" on Radio 1 in 1977.  The same year I saw The Ramones on their British tour.  That's why folk go on and on about the 1970's.

Freebird

I didn't want to be the one who had to stoop so low, but it looks like I have to! ..

EricTheWeary

Freebird said:

I didn't want to be the one who had to stoop so low, but it looks like I have to! ..

Phil Chen on bass, perhaps further evidence that Jamaicans are the best at this. 


This is the song that Stewart had to settle out of court for plagiarising on Sexy, I think he'd get away with it these days:

  

hollywoodrox

Freebird said:

I didn't want to be the one who had to stoop so low, but it looks like I have to! ..

Freakin awesome, Carmine appice on drums wrote this and young Turks if I remember correctly 

stonevibe

Neill said:

stonevibe said:

Can't believe it's taken five pages before someone came up with that.  Great to hear it again. 

I remember I heard it for the first time when the Stranglers were "In Concert" on Radio 1 in 1977.  The same year I saw The Ramones on their British tour.  That's why folk go on and on about the 1970's.

The Stranglers are just one of those great bands that didn't f*ck around and just got on with it. Love them!