S&D: Instances where the bass is used as a lead instrument

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and I mean a LEAD instrument.

Search: Jaco's pinched harmonic section on the Weather Report's "Birdland."

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Cymande - "Bra"

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

What exactly do you mean by "lead instrument"?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

uh, just about every funk and reggae record?

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Lightning Bolt "Crown of Swords" intro ha ha (I ha ha but it's true!).

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

What exactly do you mean by "lead instrument"?

Where it's playing the main melody part as opposed to an actual, um, bassline. Oops's example of funk and reggae is what I was trying to avoid.. the bass may be a prominent instrument but it's not a lead instrument per se. There are plenty hot basslines and threads about them, but this thread doesn't concern that.

If I sound like Geir Hongro then I have failed at explaining myself properly.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

S: Duotang!

― Luigi Vampa (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Orion by Metallica

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

lots of Joy Division songs

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

The solo in Mission of Burma's "That's When I Reach For My Revolver"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Because I want to shout "NEW ORDER TO THREAD" but i wasn't sure if that's what you meant.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Where it's playing the main melody part as opposed to an actual, um, bassline.

But the bass in reggae usually IS playing the main melody.

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:02 (twenty-two years ago)

okay then!

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Please Do Not Go - Violent Femmes
Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed

― BrianB (BrianB), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Cop Shoot Cop to thread.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"Primary" by the Cure

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Big Bottom" by Spinal Tap

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Girls Against Boys

― BrianB (BrianB), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:08 (twenty-two years ago)

The breakdown in Ben Folds Five's "Song for the Dumped".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Most of the first Bauhaus album.

― anode, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:14 (twenty-two years ago)

That one really loud Beastie Boys instrumental. You know the one.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Mr. Bungle "Carry Stress In the Jaw".
Miles Davis "Bag's Groove".

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

(these are all "S" btw)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Miles Davis 'So What', obv.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Really Nick, Bag's Groove? I haven't heard the Miles version in forever (all I can remember is a Milt Jackson one, I think).

(btw, did you get that brass band cd?)

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

ha ha I meant "So What" d'oh!

(btw yeah! sorry it's taken so long to get the Skerik CD out to ya, I had to go re-burn it from my homebwoy! it's on it's way today)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The long version of New Order's "Perfect Kiss". One of Hooky's finest moments.

― David A. (Davant), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, okay then.

No worries about the cd...let me know what you think when you get a chance though, ya?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Ruins to thread!

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Jannick Top's solo on KMX - B XII - opus 7 by Magma from the Inedits live bootleg thing.
The Minutemen's version of The Red And The Black by B.O.C. from Project Mersh I think.
Whatever that solo bass number was called on the first Jaco Pastorius solo album.
Stanley Clarke to thread.
Kato Hideki to thread.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Check out Steve Swallow -- he uses something called a piccolo bass to enable him to play lead lines (it's a regular bass with light-gauge strings tuned an octave up), to great effect. He's on a lot of Carla Bley records besides his own as a leader.

See also Eberhard Weber and Dave Holland, particularly the latter's records on ECM.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeah, doesn't Ron Carter do the piccolo bass thing, for better or for worse?

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Four Tops, "Bernadette"

― Joseph McCombs, Tuesday, 13 January 2004 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Carter does indeed use piccolo bass -- even has an album called "Piccolo". One can't fault his playing, but he occasionally selects sidemen and material that aren't so great. I haven't heard much of his work on this instrument, so i have no idea re: S/D.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Tuesday, 13 January 2004 23:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Mick Karn - 'Titles' album

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Depressed Poets - "Grow Into A Child"

― megan, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

A large proportion of Meshell Ndegéocello's output.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say Mick Karn too - "Titles" and also the "Dalis Car" album - loads of the lead "melodies" (if you could call them that) are on the bass.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, those of you who used to read guitar magazines might remember a fellow by the name of Stu Hamm, who owns this particular thread...

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

rothko - any of their stuff up to but not including the Too Pure album

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Hugo Largo too.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 01:41 (twenty-two years ago)

wasn't rothko just three bass players?

― keith m (keithmcl), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 03:58 (twenty-two years ago)

dianogah.

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/features/nihon-no-hardcore/nihon-no-hardcore2.jpg

― dleone (dleone), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Steve Swallow uses a five string bass guitar tuned EADGC. Hasn't used a picc for years, but has been using a pick for years. (Do you SEE?!)

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

wasn't rothko just three bass players?

exactly!

(not anymore though)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Also Richard Davis's records where he has Spike Lee's dad playing the basslines and he's playing lead with the bow. And Ray Brown's bass trio.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Destroy: the complete discography of Ned's Atomic Dustbin (years since I heard them, but with 2 bassists I'm sure that'll be the case)

Search:
Metallica - Anaesthesia (Pulling Teeth)
Metallica - My Friend of Misery
Metallica - For Whom The Bell Tolls
New Order - Crystal
Primal Scream - Shoot Speed Kill Light

― M Carty (mj_c), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Motorhead - Motorhead

― M Carty (mj_c), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Skimmed through, didn't see a mention of UI, lots of awesome bass melodies on their records.

― TomB (TomB), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Technotronik - Uptempo, beautiful pitch-bended bassline, and def the "melody" of the track.

― searchanddelete, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Les Claypool is often accused of lead bassery, but really it's somewhat rarely that his basslines play the melodic line of the song (some instances include [Primus] "The Ol' Diamondback Sturgeon" and [Frog Brigade] "Cosmic Highway"). As ridiculous as his playing style may be, it's nearly always a rhythmical thing.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Les Claypool is more guilty of lead ASSery than lead bassery.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Most Pere Ubu songs.. "Petrified" and "A Fact About Trains" being good examples.

Paisley Jungle - the real life version of Spinal Tap's Big Bottom - where there were three basses - long before Dianogah.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Manowar - "Williams Tale" = bass solo track of the William Tell Overture ;)

― pete from the street, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Neds Atomic Dustbin

― Chris V (Chris V), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

7 Nation army ;)

― Jole, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Choose...

http://www.thepolywog.com/copshootcop/posters/images/pyr_may-01.jpg

...if it's BASS you want.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 14 January 2004 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I forgot Victor Wooten! "U Can't Hold No Groove" is particularly phenomenal - he plays melody, bass, and percussion all on bass in one furious take.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 14 January 2004 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

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