GREAT BASS ALBUMS
DOPE-ASS BASSLINES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyl9ppk_uh0&list=PLsA0AvAJ6XUwarN2Wfge6VRxDYpkxslE9&pp=sAgC
DOPE-ASS BASSLINES: 80s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-gbGEprDoA&list=PLsA0AvAJ6XUwk6ZZoLJu7azhVNjSsg2yb&index=1
DOPE-ASS BASSLINES: GOOD FOR BEGINNERS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8P_xTBpAcY&list=PLCss_DyWJO3s&index=1&pp=iAQB8AUBsAgC
The following is an unordered, ever-expanding list of albums where, to my ears, a good deal of the tracks have standout basslines. A couple disclaimers: 1) Most of these albums are from the 70s, because nearly all the music I listen to is from that decade alone. (And because I already know I'm gonna get emails telling me this - yes, I know I need to check out Primus.) And 2) I'm gonna limit each artist to three albums; otherwise, half this list would consist of Yes and Rush albums alone. "Why can't you link any of these to Spotify, like a normal person?" Because I don't use Spotify. "What, you really expect me to sit through all those YouTube ads?" Well, so there's these things called "adblockers"...
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Enigmatic Ocean (Jean-Luc Ponty)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At1pE_8TlbM&list=PLx3gPQ-E_ONnA3g41odXJX3WdD4SwGP6l
The great thing about this album is that it saves the best for last, and by best, I mean probably the greatest bass solo I've ever heard, "The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea, Part 3". What makes it so great? I think because Ralphe Armstrong stays super busy, but never once does he step out of the pocket. And the solo's got length: Armstrong was a big FX guy, and he hooks up for the second half and just continues shredding. And the bassline he plays during the following guitar solo by Daryl Stuermer (which isn't half bad, either) is much the same way: busy, but always keeping up, which really was a testament to the guy's sheer stamina. Basically, if Ralphe Armstrong isn't a bass name you've heard of, he should be: he was only 21 when he played on this album, oh, and it was all done on a fretless (which he actually started playing around the same time as Jaco).
Cosmic Messenger (Jean-Luc Ponty)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNUQBBM_c9E&list=PLHXQGyRfS-5U_12_6B41yQ8kpUTgZZat5
I have "Egocentric Molecules" in that basslines playlist, but another fun one from this album (and one that's a hell of a lot easier to play) is "The Art of Happiness".
(For an idea of just how insane that solo on "Egocentric Molecules" is...)
Live (Jean-Luc Ponty)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx57gzOYshs
Ralphe Armstrong
Venusian Summer (Lenny White)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f72uuh8Fw00
Wanted to take this opportunity to talk about another of my favorite players, Doug Rauch. Really unique player who might be more well known had he not died in 1979 at the age of only 28, and not exactly leaving behind the largest collection of stuff that he played on compared to some of the other guys here. But listening to that collection, you can see just how diverse his chops really were. He was one of the earliest slappers, with evidence dating as far back as 1972 on Santana's Caravanserai album (and if you're liking Doug's work, I'd recommend that album as well as Santana's subsequent one, Welcome).
But then you listen to the bassline on a song like "Mating Drive", a really driving number from Lenny White's Venusian Summer, and you hear that fluid stream of sixteenth notes that never lets up even for a second, and your first thought is probably: "He had to be using a pick, right?" And the answer is... I really don't know. Doug was known for his thumb-picking technique, but to play something like that is insane no matter whether he used his thumb, fingers or a pick. I saw a comment on some website describe his playing as like a gatling gun, and yeah, that's a pretty apt description. Never heard anyone play the instrument quite like him.
Life & Times (Billy Cobham)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdoD5_5nt-0&list=PL44gxJwuwoaYkxzKSzPC6hjBVG_i8cAYL
"East Bay" is one of my favorites here - such a catchy bassline.
Giants/San Francisco Giants (Sly & the Family Stone, Santana, War, Herbie Hancock, etc.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1gRmtXHeOI
Really obscure but great album recorded in 1971-ish by members of the above bands and not released until 1978 under former Family Stone drummer Greg Errico's name. Doug once again (heard front and center on the opening track, "Attitude"), as well as fellow bass giant Bobby Vega on fuzz bass.
Doug Rauch
Jaco Pastorius (Jaco Pastorius)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvjHT8Lepz8
This album and Heavy Weather are pretty much essential listening if you call yourself a serious bassist.
Word of Mouth (Jaco Pastorius)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mhjvjVXF4gPO1RL5y4TkVldjnjIXwAqDU
Always loved the way he rocks out on the title track.
Heavy Weather (Weather Report)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvhmaNlLgRM&list=PLP1lC0FnuI0K26N-Z_CtZmaP36Mg5NBdO
Mr. Gone (Weather Report)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw_GOWCgPZM
Jaco
There's the Rub (Wishbone Ash)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c5lRE5tc6A&list=PL4AA242F273C88DAB
I really just like Martin Turner's gnarly tone on this album, heard best on the songs "Don't Come Back" and "F.U.B.B.". He's a great player in general, though. Very melodic; reminds me of Chris Squire. (He even played a Rick in the early 70s like Chris did, and with a pick. Heck, both of their singing voices were even on the higher end, too.)
Fragile (Yes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPCLFtxpadE&list=OLAK5uy_mr3aLJuPJvJve1bSwRl-8W4iN8uhGOr80
(So my totally arbitrary rule of three albums per artist prevents me from doing this, but for the record [no pun intended], The Yes Album has every right to be in this list, and not just because I like it more than Fragile; however, it felt like it would be an injustice to have a list of great bass albums and not include Fragile.)
Relayer (Yes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8kLYZvVP7s&list=OLAK5uy_mB2Z4c14a1jFhhTFB2IlKyhfpizRSXkKI
Drama (Yes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXsFByRJsos&list=PLhuvEQzJRGB5TrtoLTcVrtES2Z8wfdv24
Features a fretless on "Run Through the Light", played by singer Trevor Horn. He didn't really wanna play the part, but Chris insisted, who himself plays piano on the track (which is barely audible lol) in what I can only imagine was a cheeky throwback to the music video for "Then", an early Yes song in which Chris and then keyboard player Tony Kaye are seen playing each other's instruments. Other than that, look out for the sick solo at the end of "Does It Really Happen?" and the Dorian bass riff in "Tempus Fugit".
Fish Out of Water (Chris Squire)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mc0sX3cPfg
Chris "The Fish" Squire, seen here with his three-necked Wal bass. Originally commissioned for the bassist in Rick Wakeman's band, Rick eventually gave it to Chris, who used it mostly in the late 70s. He didn't break it out so much as he got older owing to how heavy it was.
Larks' Tongues in Aspic (King Crimson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVb2tnFN5AA&list=PLJfwklRIOOp3Ioa2BBSldX5cJqP6ilCxN
Starless and Bible Black (King Crimson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O5Yvvz8XY0&list=PLuJ-cxh9BxLvQDnmCTVEpEVr6VEB7U66g
I particularly like "The Mincer". Also, check out that beautiful (and entirely improvised, like most of the tracks on this album) arpeggio work on "Trio", which really makes the song.
Red (King Crimson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXTCDB70Qgo&list=PLjom7II-Xcsc3ZBZ26slTn4kX63_DxkkH
I've not heard much bass playing heavier than what Wetton plays on "Providence".
John Wetton
Ocean (Eloy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI8b6GQ5C80
Consider also checking out Dawn and Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes, which also feature great moments from the extremely underrated Klaus-Peter Matziol. (Track for track, though, I think Ocean contains his most exemplary work.)
Animals (Pink Floyd)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4KQae9oMWs
Ironically, two of the greatest basslines in the entire PF output were both played by Gilmour, not Waters. It's a shame the bass on "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is mostly buried in the mix - I had to look up a bass cover of the song to fully appreciate it. Meanwhile, the bassline in "Sheep" has a lot less going on, but the syncopation combined with the ghost notes, as well as the use of that phasing tone Waters often used, just make that line sound almost hypnotic and I can never get enough of it. (Oh, and I guess the bassline in "Dogs" is alright, too, though that song's great for other reasons.)
(For those, however, who still think Roger was a subpar bassist...)
A Farewell to Kings (Rush)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvcFV8aeCsQ&list=PLaVHibd49QFLDcS_C6GbUYzhZyfivilNG
Hemispheres (Rush)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMoHes_BChQ
Moving Pictures (Rush)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAIxUvd8gWo
Geddy Lee
There's a Riot Goin' On (Sly & the Family Stone)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoPJZ4UMm7E&list=PLNPGM2D7aODcuiDxQCy1qsp3iyHne6Wn2&index=1
Fresh (Sly & the Family Stone)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6xhSqz_4m8&list=PLH1rxoohuFOvsQ1qPdcPwyR4upQbUNQHW&index=1
The great Larry Graham was already on his way out of the band around this time and only features on two tracks, "Que Sera, Sera" and "If It Were Left Up to Me" (itself an outtake from an earlier album), but his successor Rustee Allen (and probably Sly himself, who has bass among his credits on this album) does a good job filling his massive shoes.
Graham Central Station (Graham Central Station)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyb6O5ZDeX6l4WBKQLJYF_eP57CPskTrm
The grandaddy of slapping himself, Larry Graham
Wired (Jeff Beck)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nusv6nLWxU
I've always liked Bascomb's major pentatonic lines on "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat". I think also worth noting is his ability to be playing a bassline and shoot way up the neck to play an incidental before shooting back down again, all super quick and in time, which he does regularly on a few songs like "Come Dancing" and "Sophie".
(Some fun basslines can be found on Beck's previous album, Blow by Blow, as well.)
Alleycat (Nucleus)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giYvwLM-JEo
This album has it all: a catchy bassline on "Phaideux Corner"; the occasional spotlight on the title track; some lead bass-playing on "Splat" (with some wah-wah, which I suspect served as the namesake for the track); "You Can't Be Sure", a cool little free jazz number featuring twelve-string guitar, bass, and muted trumpet; and even some walking-bassline action on the up-tempo "Nosegay".
Stanley Clarke (Stanley Clarke)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW7a1rTIfAA
Journey to Love (Stanley Clarke)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiunrrqveTQ
School Days (Stanley Clarke)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgWMiDMt0Bk
1976 was a hell of a year for the bass - that year saw the release of at least two landmark bass recordings, Jaco's self-titled album and Stanley Clarke's School Days. This was probably the pinnacle of Clarke's abilities in effortlessly bringing to the forefront an instrument normally relegated to the background, as well as infusing jazz with a pop sound (the genre, as well as the slapping component - see what I did there?). And one cool thing about Clarke was that, as usual, he wasn't afraid to dabble on the upright, even including the bow.
Stanley Clarke
Thrust (Herbie Hancock)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffzjh7nl3Lg
Secrets (Herbie Hancock)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkm-FxQfneE
Shoutout to guitar player Wah-Wah Watson, who, for whatever reason, plays the bassline on "Doin' It".
Paul Jackson
Histoire de Melody Nelson (Serge Gainsbourg)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB0X3wx3fX0&list=PLAyqE9JL0JKNDxPc15aBzFLbFSj3JkrpE
Graceland (Paul Simon)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9_GXtdduXrixEFhqPlY_XVLdV-X9TzMT
Fool for the City (Foghat)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x811GWLrkW0
The funny thing about this album is that the bassist, Nick Jameson (who was also Foghat's producer/engineer at the time), only stepped in to do the job after the band's previous bassist left and before they hired another one for the following tour. But judging from his brief 4-string stint in the band, it's clear the guy had talent. Just listen to those fills on "Slow Ride" (which Jameson composed most of the music for), especially during the bass break in the middle - you can tell the guy knew what he was doing. He also leads a pretty colorful life outside of music, at least according to his Wikipedia page.
(As if that wasn't enough, Jameson also plays keyboards on the last song, "Take It or Leave It", which he co-wrote. Great song, too.)
Tons of Sobs (Free)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL44kuYYS8ylCZm0D9bWD725cBIhkutSx
Andy Fraser was only 16 on Free's debut album, Tons of Sobs. A true prodigy. (Also, in particular, a very slide-y player.)
Free (Free)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8JYSBmo-1yFtQNZ8Q6zfaQsHZ_QNNmX2
Fire and Water (Free)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeS1OKrTG0s
Andy Fraser
Cactus (Cactus)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyBkX1UIbebF90xlZoL_WPWuBxTsWatic
Beck, Bogert & Appice (Beck, Bogert & Appice)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nDuTXy75bvbWnx1SmGQya9R372RPoeXZM
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Tim Bogert
Vol. 2 (Cortex)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3cJnfrqELJLvI1nDEgdyWPEofMhxBRNc
That bassline in "Funk Around the Punk" is lifted straight from Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Can't Stand Your Funk", but I don't mind. Both lines are great.
Mysterious Traveller (Weather Report)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nGuRvKgo2glbAthVG5Fa2Wq_JjbQHWESw
Alphonso Johnson was Jaco's predecessor in Weather Report, and in some ways I think he's a little more accessible than Jaco (by no means a bad thing, of course). The best bass track on this album is the virtuosic "Cucumber Slumber" - Johnson received a co-writing credit on this one, and you can tell - though I also like his touches on the title track as well as the contemplative "Scarlet Woman". (Miroslav Vitouš, Johnson's own predecessor, plays acoustic bass on a couple tracks in his last appearance with the band.)
Tale Spinnin' (Weather Report)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5B6C9CAAFA000B62
("But you already have three Weather Report albums!" Ah, but not three WR albums with the same bassist, so I think it's okay. Again, it's a BS rule, anyway.)
Velvet Darkness (Allan Holdsworth)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6D7XZtHDfk
Moonshadows (Alphonso Johnson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iusU_T_RrE
Alphonso Johnson, who's also known for his pioneering work on the Chapman Stick, an instrument popularized by fellow bassist Tony Levin
At Fillmore East (Allman Brothers Band)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD6245C6E0DE40AE1
Eat a Peach (Allman Brothers Band)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO00NGenqrY
That bass solo in the middle of "Mountain Jam" has to be one of the most beautiful bass solos I've ever heard. I also particularly like the heavy bassline/solo in "Stand Back".
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Berry Oakley
The Joker (Steve Miller Band)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX66jEixZe1yQDzcKbiLZQfZ7yRRlzXWI
Sure, the title track is iconic, but other bass highlights include "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" and "Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma", in which Gerald Johnson quotes Willie Weeks' famous bass solo from Donny Hathaway's "Voices Inside (Everything is Everything)".
Live at Leeds (The Who)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkNHlTJb18
Who Are You (The Who)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBnJv6rImVe-gowVe9xC0YhXpsNoMBsBk
(Yes, that's a bass playing that riff on "Trick of the Light", a song Entwistle wrote. I think it's doubled with a guitar part.)
John Entwistle, probably one of the foremost French horn players in pop music history, having been classically trained on the instrument and playing it on multiple Who albums. (Also occasionally played bass.)
Spectrum (Billy Cobham)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H4gfJaYqZY
Besides Lee Sklar, the guy who proved Santa can play bass and who plays on probably the album's two most famous tracks, "Stratus" and "Red Baron" (both of which are a masterclass in "simple, but effective" basslines), there's also the great Ron Carter, who plays upright on the odd-metered title track as well as my favorite track, "Le Lis". (Not my favorite for the bassline, necessarily - I just like the song.)
Marathon (Santana)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ksUrGiES8GiA3tz5Hpiz6w0zCRPrj5QWw
Unorthodox Behaviour (Brand X)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9EA90uF7Ek