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Hi,
The only sad thing about the majority of folks listed here, is that too many of them are just pop/rock/jazz formulaic players, and as such they are not really that good ... if they were, they would be able to venture out beyond changing one note or chord to make them look better and more interesting or heavier.
It's weird, not seeing some of the ECM folks listed here, like Eberhard Weber, or even David Darling, or just a Charlie Haden, but it shows you that most of us do not listen to different things in order to know it better and more interesting.
There are a lot of bass players out there, that played far more difficult stuff than more than half the folks listed here, most of which only have their claim to fame tied to a few songs from their band! NOT their ability, which in general, it could be said they don't have enough, or they would be able to do different things.
None of these lists will ever show you a Pekka Pohjola, a Holger Czukay, a Jah Wobble, the late John Glascock, the gentleman in Banco del Muttuo Soccorso, Lothar Meid in Amon Duul 2 ... because most folks here can not relate to that music not being pop/rock/jazz related at all ... it's music on its own sphere, and experience ... and as such it deserves a lot more credit than "fans" will ever give it.
Some bits:
Terje Rypdal and David Darling -- EOS (skip first cut ... you have been warned!) so you can hear Chamber Music with an electric guitar and bass! Prettiest thing ever done, and copied by Jeff Beck and others 20 years later!
Holger Czukay -- "Movies" and "On The Way to the Peak of the Normal" ... bass on bass on bass with bass soloing over it. And lots of sound effects and fun stuff all over it. Not for the meek listeners of top ten at all!
Lothar Meid -- Amon Duul 2 ... specially the early days when they were improvising, and one uncompromising and not repetitive bass player that manages to add feel and touch to the music instead of just a beat. And when you get to "Wolf City" listen to the transition between "Surrounded by the Stars" and the next piece. You can NOT teach that ... you have to not only feel it, but love and want your music to live ... way longer than your imagination could possibly keep it alive! Most bass players do not have this ability to go beyond the individual into the area ... properly termed as "dream land" when creating music!
Roger Waters -- Highly unappreciated, since his playing has nothing to do with virtuosity, but with the compositional side of things and he does beautifully to add details that make it valuable. And you can go back to the start of "One of These Days", or the meandering off kilter notes in "Be Careful with That Ax, Eugene" that un-nerve you some with anticipation and wonder of what is about to happen, that it makes you realize ... this is not about some idiot song, or 3 notes ... this is about "experience" ... and so it was for Pink Floyd!
Helmut Hattler -- mentioned earlier. Read his interview about the early days, and how massive experimenting it was in his early days ... when he was basically playing with a Jimi Hendrix styled guitarist ... and Guru Guru's 1st three albums are a veritable lesson on what a bass (or guitar) can do, that it will NEVER do as just another song ... he never let go of the sound effects and the ability to make his sound come off really neat. It is ... LEAD BASS ... and not just trying to support a band ... and he was working with the one drummer, that would rather play off the guitar than the bass ALL OF HIS LIFE!
Just to name a few ... but there is one more. And he did a lot of material for Fairport Convention and for some early Richard Thompson. And make sure you put on LOUD the long live versions of "When Night Comes In" and "Calvary Cross" back to back, and appreciate what a bass player can do with anyone, that is never appreciated ... by fans!
You can NOT teach that ... you have to have it inside. And that is the difference between "music" and just another player of notes and chords!
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