Most of the time here on Pretzel Logic, I focus exclusively on albums. I don’t hide the fact that the album format is what I find most interesting about music. However, for this month’s feature, I’m going to shift gears completely and focus on individual musicians for a while. Not only that, I’m going to talk about one of the most unloved and neglected types of musicians: bassists. I myself am a bassist, so I understand the pain that comes when people think you’re just some random dude standing next to the drums, plucking out the root notes of every chord. Bassists are, virtually by definition, the butt of every joke. However, bassists are also completely integral to any band. They provide the stability that allows guitarists to go off on their freeform, jazz-odyssey solos. They anchor the music down even when everything else around them is falling apart. So, this week, I’m celebrating a handful of bassists that have made the biggest impressions on me over the years.
Again, a disclaimer is needed. This is NOT a list of who I think the best bassists ever are. There are whole genres of music that aren’t represented here. I’m completely ok with that. Instead, I’m listing ten bassists who have had the biggest influence on my own style as a bass player over the years. As talented as people like Flea or Les Claypool or Jaco Pastorius are, they haven’t really affected the way I play over the years and are therefore not represented on my list. However, the ten who I will be writing about are all deeply talented and deserve recognition even if they don’t possess the virtuoso talent of some more prominent bass players.
Also, since I can’t resist some good name-dropping, here are five bassists who narrowly missed the grade:
-Andy Nicholson (Arctic Monkeys)
-Jack Bruce (Cream)
-Colin Moulding (XTC)
-Clint Conley (Mission Of Burma)
-Bruce Foxton (The Jam)
On to the list…
#10
Name: Tina Weymouth
Associated Bands: Talking Heads
In the 70s, the role for women in rock bands was usually limited to “sexy, sultry singer.” Tina Weymouth didn’t follow that at all. Instead, at the urging of her boyfriend, Chris Frantz, she picked up the bass and, together with Frantz, created one of the most amazing rhythm sections in post-punk music. Weymouth’s bass playing is funky without aping actual funk bassists. She plays with the same nervous energy as David Byrne, but in a way that propels the songs forward, often with a pretty rockin’ beat. Her basslines have a tendency to “trampoline” around, switching back and forth from low notes to higher ones, bouncing up and down and creating a solid groove in the process. As anyone who’s seen Stop Making Sense can attest to, Weymouth’s dancing may be a bit suspect, but her talent as a bass player is unquestionable.
Required Listening:
“Psycho Killer”, “Warning Sign”, “Crosseyed And Painless”
#9
Name: Martyn P. Casey
Associated Bands: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Triffids
Martyn P. Casey is proof that you don’t need to be flashy to be a jaw-dropping bass player. Having first found success with the early Aussie rock group the Triffids, Casey was recruited to join Nick Cave’s all-star band, the Bad Seeds, in the early 90s. Since then, he’s been as solid as a rock in the Seeds’ ever-changing lineup. With a strong grounding in good ol’ blues playing, Casey rarely plays anything more complicated than standard walking basslines and simple blues licks, but he plays them with a forcefulness and muscle that suits the Bad Seeds perfectly. Casey’s playing is rarely the center of attention, but it gives the Bad Seeds’ music its distinctive punch and power. Having that thunderous low end driving home the percussiveness of Cave’s songwriting has made the Bad Seeds one of the most powerful bands of the past couple decades.
Required Listening:
“Red Right Hand”, “Stagger Lee”, “Get Ready For Love”
Again, a disclaimer is needed. This is NOT a list of who I think the best bassists ever are. There are whole genres of music that aren’t represented here. I’m completely ok with that. Instead, I’m listing ten bassists who have had the biggest influence on my own style as a bass player over the years. As talented as people like Flea or Les Claypool or Jaco Pastorius are, they haven’t really affected the way I play over the years and are therefore not represented on my list. However, the ten who I will be writing about are all deeply talented and deserve recognition even if they don’t possess the virtuoso talent of some more prominent bass players.
Also, since I can’t resist some good name-dropping, here are five bassists who narrowly missed the grade:
-Andy Nicholson (Arctic Monkeys)
-Jack Bruce (Cream)
-Colin Moulding (XTC)
-Clint Conley (Mission Of Burma)
-Bruce Foxton (The Jam)
On to the list…
#10
Name: Tina Weymouth
Associated Bands: Talking Heads
In the 70s, the role for women in rock bands was usually limited to “sexy, sultry singer.” Tina Weymouth didn’t follow that at all. Instead, at the urging of her boyfriend, Chris Frantz, she picked up the bass and, together with Frantz, created one of the most amazing rhythm sections in post-punk music. Weymouth’s bass playing is funky without aping actual funk bassists. She plays with the same nervous energy as David Byrne, but in a way that propels the songs forward, often with a pretty rockin’ beat. Her basslines have a tendency to “trampoline” around, switching back and forth from low notes to higher ones, bouncing up and down and creating a solid groove in the process. As anyone who’s seen Stop Making Sense can attest to, Weymouth’s dancing may be a bit suspect, but her talent as a bass player is unquestionable.
Required Listening:
“Psycho Killer”, “Warning Sign”, “Crosseyed And Painless”
#9
Name: Martyn P. Casey
Associated Bands: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Triffids
Martyn P. Casey is proof that you don’t need to be flashy to be a jaw-dropping bass player. Having first found success with the early Aussie rock group the Triffids, Casey was recruited to join Nick Cave’s all-star band, the Bad Seeds, in the early 90s. Since then, he’s been as solid as a rock in the Seeds’ ever-changing lineup. With a strong grounding in good ol’ blues playing, Casey rarely plays anything more complicated than standard walking basslines and simple blues licks, but he plays them with a forcefulness and muscle that suits the Bad Seeds perfectly. Casey’s playing is rarely the center of attention, but it gives the Bad Seeds’ music its distinctive punch and power. Having that thunderous low end driving home the percussiveness of Cave’s songwriting has made the Bad Seeds one of the most powerful bands of the past couple decades.
Required Listening:
“Red Right Hand”, “Stagger Lee”, “Get Ready For Love”
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