Bass solos

[gareth 707]

Someone on fb has suggested that this is the greatest bass solo ever

 

[bassace 957]

As in the greatest Italian war hero?

[ezbass 2,627]

I prefer Dune Tune as it’s, er well, a tune. I’d also put up Stanley Clarke’s School Days as a contender (you can hear parts of it in the above video).

[Old Horse Murphy 686]

Hmmm, I admire Mark King and think he's a super talent, but I always thought that Level 42 needed a Bass player in their band to fill out their sound.

My vote for best Bass solo is JE's solo in My Generation, or Pino's in Get Here by Oleta Adams.

[BassTool 373]

Here's a live gig of School Days, rather tasty drum solo too, I like the second bass players reaction to the drummer during the solo, pretty much sums up the enjoyment factor of playing with other great musicians.. 

Edited April 2, 2020 by BassTool

[gareth 707]

 

On 02/04/2020 at 10:08, Old Horse Murphy said:

Hmmm, I admire Mark King and think he's a super talent, but I always thought that Level 42 needed a Bass player in their band to fill out their sound.

My vote for best Bass solo is JE's solo in My Generation, or Pino's in Get Here by Oleta Adams.

Yes my feelings exactly

Mark King is of course technically great but emotionally empty

No emotion no point 

My nomination would be 

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by Rich

[Lozz196 4,788]

My fave bass solo is Lemmy in Motörhead’s Stay Clean. Stays with the song which I think especially with a bass solo is vital.

[ambient 2,195]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

I prefer Dune Tune as it’s, er well, a tune. I’d also put up Stanley Clarke’s School Days as a contender (you can hear parts of it in the above video).

School days is a fabulous solo. Wasn’t one of Mark King’s tunes based on a Clarke piece called Lopsy Lou?

 

[itu 943]

How about something older from Domenico Dragonetti?

Jazz bassists? Mingus, Marc Johnson...

Live vs. studio solo?

 

[John Cellario 21]

1 hour ago, gareth said:

 

Yes my feelings exactly

Mark King is of course technically great but emotionally empty

No emotion no point 

My nomination would be 

 

Yes yes and yes again. Totally agree. Jaco’s melodic content and emotion in his playing has never been bettered.

Mark King, whilst technically brilliant just leaves me a bit cold.

[Bilbo 1,405]

Greatest ever does not travel well within the Arts. We all have solos we enjoy but calling something the best is a bit crass. 

[FDC484950 511]

4 minutes ago, Bilbo said:

Greatest ever does not travel well within the Arts. We all have solos we enjoy but calling something the best is a bit crass. 

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

[oldslapper 1,575]

Perhaps “Favourite” rather than “Best/Greatest” is a more helpful term? 

My favourite bass solo is found in any song where there isn’t one. I do wonder if I’m actually a bass player sometimes 😊

[Newfoundfreedom 3,833]

Bass solos are right up there with drum solos on a list of things (most) people don't want to hear. 

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by Newfoundfreedom

[Leonard Smalls 1,578]

Here you go...

 

[Maude 5,239]

Bass solos and farts. We can all do them but it's polite not to. 😉

 

I really don't like long winded solos, so boring, but I do like the little ones that aren't really solos which add to the song. The one in Substitute springs to mind, just enough to lift the song for a bit, while everyone else is still playing, and then back to what it was doing. 

[ambient 2,195]

I love solo bass. There, I’ve said it. 😊
 

In fact, my favourite bassists are all without exception ones who play solo, or solo a lot.

Edited April 2, 2020 by ambient

[oldslapper 1,575]

I actually lied....soz

I like the solo in this. 
But I love the song itself, so perhaps that helps me, as I would still love the song if there was a Bavarian ankle tuba solo instead.

apologies for no images of the bassist playing. You’ll have to imagine them.

 

[Maude 5,239]

There's a difference between a 'bass solo' and solo bass though, well in my head there is. It's when a song stops in the middle and the bass, or any instrument for that matter, just blasts away with little regard for the songs tune that I can't stand. A song played solely on bass is different. 

[ambient 2,195]

7 minutes ago, Maude said:

There's a difference between a 'bass solo' and solo bass though, well in my head there is. It's when a song stops in the middle and the bass, or any instrument for that matter, just blasts away with little regard for the songs tune that I can't stand. A song played solely on bass is different. 

Yes, you’re absolutely right. I don’t particularly like badly or unimaginatively played solos on any instrument. However, a well constructed and nicely played bass solo has, I think, as much validity as one played on any other instrument.

Edited April 2, 2020 by ambient

[Newfoundfreedom 3,833]

22 minutes ago, Maude said:

Bass solos and farts. 😉

 

You don't mind your own but you really don't want to have to endure someone else's. 😂

[Roger2611 657]

My personal favourite bass solo would be Bernard Edwards on Chic's Everybody Dance, for those who just want to hear the solo it comes in bang on 3.00 minutes

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by Roger2611
More info

[ambient 2,195]

3 hours ago, BassTool said:

Here's a live gig of School Days, rather tasty drum solo too, I like the second bass players reaction to the drummer during the solo, pretty much sums up the enjoyment factor of playing with other great musicians.. 

That’s superb, spoiled a little by the keyboards though. He was one of my heroes when I first started playing. Then a little later my tutor introduced me to Jaco Pastorius’s playing. Those two though made me realise that bass is more than just a function in a band, it can have a marvellous solo voice too.

[Delberthot 831]

my favourite Mark King fretboard [email protected] is without a doubt, this:

 

There are at least audible notes in this rather than the sound of a drum kit falling out of the back of a van.

If we're talking bass solos then nothing beats this for me: it's clever, technical, engages the audience and funny at the same time

Having said that, I go to gigs to hear songs played live. Much as I love yes, even they drag the @rse out of it when they play live - everything is a solo and an excuse to reach for another guitar

[Dad3353 7,577]

I've posted this before; Jack Casady going beyond, as is his wont, often enough. Patience, it's worth it; kicks in for real around 3'30"...

 

Edited April 2, 2020 by Dad3353