Seminal 'bass' albums

[XoSo]

Apologies if this topic has been discussed before  - I've done a search and can't find anything but if it has please forgive me and point me to the other thread.

I  imagine most of us could reel off the names of the most influential bassists in the last fifty years but if you were to build a music collection featuring the best examples of their work what would be in it? As an example, Adrian Ashton in his book 'The Bass Handbook' has a section on artists and recommends Led Zeppelin II as the best album to hear examples of John Paul Jones' bass work so I'll start off the collection with that album. What else should be in there - all genres of music welcome:

Edited December 19, 2017 by XoSo

[chris_b]

For the last 20 years Keb Mo has used the best bass players. Great songs, intelligent bass lines, and while you're at it check out Bonnie Raitt.

See Delbert McClinton for great bass grooves.

Any Eric Clapton gig featuring Nathan East or Dave Bronze.

Tower Of Power for Rocco Prestia, bass extraordinaire.

Any Stax record you can find.

[burno70]

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic. For me that's Flea (and the band) at their peak.

[Happy Jack]

"Best Album" ain't necessarily the way to go.

Get a decent Motown compilation and - ideally - a copy of the original CD for Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.

Get a good Stax compilation.

Seek out individual tracks you can download if you don't want the whole album. A good example is Burlesque by Family; not my favourite album by the band but the title track is an absolute must-have, John Wetton in his pomp.

Don't forget the obvious. All Right Now has been done to death, but the original remains a classic and very influential bass line.

 

[ambient]

Michael Manring’s Soliloquy, and Steve Lawson’s behind every word. Those two albums opened my eyes to what bass can do. I was never really interested in playing  bass as a ‘bass’, always more as an instrument, then I realised that you could.

I’m now of the opinion that a groove is something you get stuck in, and should be avoided at all costs 😊.

Edited December 19, 2017 by ambient

[Cato]

Led Zep one was pretty transformational in terms of how bass guitar was recorded and mixed.

Led ZepTwo followed it's lead and picked up where it left off.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Cato

[Graham]

19 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

"Best Album" ain't necessarily the way to go.

Get a decent Motown compilation and - ideally - a copy of the original CD for Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.

Get a good Stax compilation.

Seek out individual tracks you can download if you don't want the whole album. A good example is Burlesque by Family; not my favourite album by the band but the title track is an absolute must-have, John Wetton in his pomp.

Don't forget the obvious. All Right Now has been done to death, but the original remains a classic and very influential bass line.

 

Exactly, Individual Thought Patterns isn't Death's best album, but it is (IMO) Steve Di Giorgio's best performance with them.

[Cato]

23 minutes ago, burno70 said:

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic. For me that's Flea (and the band) at their peak.

That's the problem with these things.

Personally I think Flea and the Chilli Peppers peaked with 'Mother's Milk'

After that they became a lot 'safer' and less unique.

[chris_b]

23 minutes ago, Cato said:

That's the problem with these things.

Personally I think Flea and the Chilli Peppers peaked with 'Mother's Milk'

Not actually a problem though.

You're recommending MM and the other guy is recommending BSSM. I'd recommend the Crusaders with the fantastic Wilton Felder on bass.

A range of opinions is exactly what the OP was asking for.

[Marc S]

I loved the JJ Burnel sound, and his bass on the Stranglers first album "Rattus Norvegicus" was what first made me listen to the bass guitar
So that's my contribution - not necessarily my fave album these days, but it's what got me into bass

[lowdown]

A couple for us ‘older’ groovers....

Rocco Prestia - Back To Oakland (Tower Of Power).

Robert ‘Pops’ Popwell (recently deceased) - Those Southern Nights (The Crusaders).

 

[mentalextra]

28 minutes ago, Marc S said:

I loved the JJ Burnel sound, and his bass on the Stranglers first album "Rattus Norvegicus" was what first made me listen to the bass guitar
So that's my contribution - not necessarily my fave album these days, but it's what got me into bass

"Goodbye Toulouse" is such a great bass line

[Barking Spiders]

Sulk by the Associates - not every track has bass but each one that does is a peach

Penthouse and Pavement by Heaven 17 - just 4 tracks on the Pavement side but each with some great funky chops

+ 2 for Rattus Norvegicus - every bass line a gem 

Now Do You Wanta Dance by Graham Central Station - arguably the heaviest grooves from Larry Graham esp Earthquake

Lexicon of Love  by ABC - chock full of tasteful funky lines esp 4 Ever 2 Gether, Valentin'es Day Show Me.

Songs in the Key of Life -this has Sir Duke and I Wish. What more do you need?

Graceland - I b ought this mainly for the bass on Boy in the Bubble, You Can Call Me Al and Diamonds..

[paul_5]

Moving Pictures - Rush

[Japhet]

Rikki Lee Jones self titled album. Some lovely stuff on there from Willie Weeks.

Close to the Edge - Chris Squire.

[mikel]

Stand Up. Jethro Tull. The best of Glen Cornick and Clive Bunker as the rhythm section. Living in the Past, a single recorded at the same time, is a melodic bass masterclass from Glen and its in 5/4 time. Whats not to like?

[Roger2611]

Gary Numan's "I Assassin" is a great starting place to look for Pino Paladino's work, not my favourite Numan album, not even my favourite Pino work but a key starting point for, in my opinion, one of the great bassists of our time

[Marc S]

1 hour ago, mentalextra said:

"Goodbye Toulouse" is such a great bass line

Yes indeed. The intro to "princess of the streets" is great too
And I always liked the bass to "Hanging Around" not the most complex bass ever - it's mainly octaves, but it's just brilliantly done and an integral part of the song
"Peaches" was the 1st bassline I ever learned to play along with the record. Not a bad bass line on the whole album, or a track where you could "lose" the bass to, without losing a major part of the song  
EDIT: "Down In The Sewer" is another great bass line......

Old fashioned P bass sound, but it suited the rest of the band mix superbly IMO

Edited December 19, 2017 by Marc S

[NickD]

Purely personal and for very different reasons...

Blues Brothers Soundtrack.

Complete Madness - Madness. 

Hejira - Joni Mitchell.

Mad Season - Mad Season.

Live and Dangerous - Thin Lizzy.

Live After Death - Iron Maiden.

[casapete]

6 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

Get a decent Motown compilation and - ideally - a copy of the original CD for Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.

Motown Chartbuster Vol 3 (silver cover) is a classic compilation. Hearing this when I was in my early teens was a lightbulb 

moment for me. To be honest, all the Motown Chartbusters albums are great, although if you're just discovering this stuff

the 'Motown Gold' triple cd is a great place to start, but beware - you'll get hooked.

[Bolo]

Faith no More, Angel Dust is maybe their pinnacle album but on We Care a Lot you get a real treat to Billy's hard driven bass. Love that sound!

Primus, Frizzle Fry. Claypool has been building on it ever since.

Bolt Thrower, For Those Once Loyal. Jo Bench was always solid, absolutely nailed it here. 

 

[DJpullchord]

17 seconds 

[ezbass]

Ones that stand out for me are:

School Days - Stanley Clarke

Quadrophenia - The Who

No Parlez - Paul Young

 

[Bass Fumbler]

+ three for Rattus. Also consider Euroman Cometh by JJ Burnel, fantastic grindy bass lines, guaranteed to rattle your speakers!

[rushbo]

fIREHOSE: "Ragin' Full On" (Mike Watt)

Violent Femmes: "Violent Femmes" (Brian Richie)

Lou Reed: "The Blue Mask" (Fernando Saunders)

XTC: "Oranges and Lemons" (Colin Moulding)

Smiths: "Hatful of Hollow" (Andy Rourke)