OT: Jack Bruce or Flea
- Thread starter zappaa
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Jack Bruce could improvise for two hours straight if you'd let him. Flea is cool, but Jack Bruce all day. And he could compose, play multiple instruments, and sing well too. Classically trained.
Flea is trained in Jazz and plays at least the trumpet. Don't underestimate Flea because of the RHCP's onstage antics. He is a great musician.
Well said. Bruce clearly wins with respect to vocals. With respect to bass, they were both excellent but in different styles.
That's why they need to leave stage antics behind. Back in the day, the serious music people usually saw antics or theatrics as the product of insecure musicians...that they needed the shtick to cover up the musical shortcomings. I think both guys are and were fabulous players. A lot of great bass players in rock, jazz, R&B, etc....certainly Stanley Clarke has to be considered one of the best.
Eric was known to play his lead different every time in concert, when I watch the CREAM reunion closely (because the film allows me)
I'm amazed at how Jack improvises right with him.
I never cared for YES, I was anti synthesizer. ELP, Supertramp etc…YES was by far the best of those though IMO.
Stood next to flea at L'Amour in Brooklyn for Paul Stanley concert that dude is 5ft nothing and about 100 lbs
Same description fits Jack Cassidy of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame.
Funky bassist = Bootsy Collins
Les Claypool of Primus is very underrated.
Claypool is very good. I'm more of a hard rock/metal fan so I'd say Cliff Burton, Steve Harris and Tool's Justin Chancellor should be in the conversation.
Love both Jack Bruce and Flea - different, but both great. Growing up, Chris Squire of Yes was my favorite - I can still feel his thundering bass on Starship Trooper from the live shows.
Two other bassists I like a lot that get less attention: Kim Deal from the Pixies and later, the Breeders (she also sings), and Peter Hook from New Order (who also sings). Thought both were very creative bassists and their bands occasionally had bass-led songs, which isn't that common.
Two other bassists I like a lot that get less attention: Kim Deal from the Pixies and later, the Breeders (she also sings), and Peter Hook from New Order (who also sings). Thought both were very creative bassists and their bands occasionally had bass-led songs, which isn't that common.
From a hard rock standpoint, I'm not sure you can get any better than John Paul Jones. He was the backbone of Led Zeppelin, a band that would not have had the success that they did if even one member was taken from the equation. (Which is why they wisely disbanded after Bonham's death.)
Listen closely to the bass in the live versions of Whole Lotta Love and Dazed & Confused. He's all over the neck fusing rock, jazz, funk and classical elements. His bass lines on studio tracks are so memorable - Ramble On, Heartbreaker, Black Dog (his riff), In the Evening...not the mention the fact that he also played acoustic guitar, mandolin, organ, piano & clavinet.
Listen closely to the bass in the live versions of Whole Lotta Love and Dazed & Confused. He's all over the neck fusing rock, jazz, funk and classical elements. His bass lines on studio tracks are so memorable - Ramble On, Heartbreaker, Black Dog (his riff), In the Evening...not the mention the fact that he also played acoustic guitar, mandolin, organ, piano & clavinet.
I absolutely am not a fan of Rush but Geddy Lee needs a mention
Since this has morphed into a favorite bassists thread I had to post again. First of all, I commend Bones131 for the well-deserved testament to John Paul Jones - he was a vital ingredient to Zeppelin's sound and while the other guys were all acknowledged as rock gods on their various instruments, he kind of flew under the radar. Great to see mentions for Victor Wooten, Bootsy, Kim Deal, Les Claypool and Justin Chancellor! From funk and Motown, I'd like to mention Larry Graham and James Jamerson and from rock, Geddy Lee. I'd also like to acknowledge my all time favorite Jaco Pastorius. While Jaco was primarily a jazz cat, he also did some cool stuff with Ian Hunter and Joni Mitchell in the 70's
Zeppelin one is my favorite LZ album and on my all time greatest list.
Good Time Bad Times is the most underrated song of all time.
John Bonham brought drumming into the modern age with that song. Rock would never be the same again. And it still sounds fresh, not dated, in 2015.
Every musician mentioned in this thread is terrific. -But from an all around perspective, i.e., voice, song writing ability, improvisation, and the ability to match step for step one of the greatest rock lead guitarists in history, I've just got to go with Jack Bruce. ...The man was an absolute monster talent.
Me too - Joe Jackson was the first "new wave" band I ever saw in concert in 1979. The bass line on Is She Really Going Out With Him was one of the most distinctive I can recall.
Probably the best first song on a debut album. Talk about announcing your presence with authority.(To quote Nuke LaLoosh)
Entwistle and Bruce are my favorites. Nod to James Jamerson for playing on all the Motown hits.
