Top 5 Bass Players In Prog Rock - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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justin4950834-2 View Drop Down

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Topic: Top 5 Bass Players In Prog Rock
Posted: March 29 2015 at 18:16

List your top 5 bass players in prog rock, here's mine.

1.Chris Squire
2.Tony Levin
3.Geddie Lee
4.Mike Rutherford
5.John Ford

Michael678 View Drop Down

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Posted: March 29 2015 at 18:51

1. Chris Squire

2. Geddy Lee

3. John Wetton

4. Tony Levin

5. Roger Waters

honorable mention to Greg Lake, Paul McCartnet, John Entwistle, and John Paul Jones (if you call the latter three as "prog")

Edited by Michael678 - March 29 2015 at 18:55

Progrockdude

Rednight

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Posted: March 29 2015 at 19:33

Squire, Lee, Wetton, Percy Jones, and ... .

richardh

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Posted: March 30 2015 at 01:43

I don't think its changed since the last time this thread was done

Chris Squire and Geddy Lee are givens

Klaus Peter Matziol (Eloy) has been a favourite for many years

that leaves a couple of spots which is not easy

If Iron Maiden were counted as a prog band ( they are not on here but rather 'prog related') then Steve Harris

As an ELP fan I could include Greg Lake but for some reason I don't get too excited by his playing as good as it is in ELP. King Crimson's Schizoid Man though on the other hand so I could include him for that but that's not enough

So my others

Colin Edwin ( an absolute pillar of PTree)

Tim Esau (of IQ just winning over John Jowitt for the neo prog scene but it's close!)

presdoug

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Posted: March 30 2015 at 01:53

Helmut Koelllen

John Gustafson

Wolfgang Schmid

Furio di Castri

Wolfgang Stocker

verslibre

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Posted: March 30 2015 at 02:09

richardh wrote:

Chris Squire and Geddy Lee are givens

Klaus Peter Matziol (Eloy) has been a favourite for many years

Yeah, he's great!

I'd definitely put those three on my list, and I also love the bass work of Henry J. Osborne of Djam Karet, and Fabio Pignatelli of Goblin is another whose style is ace in my book.

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Cookie13

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Posted: March 12 2016 at 06:25

Honorable mention; John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia, UK etc.)
5. John Stockman (Karnivool)
4. Geddy Lee (Rush)
3. Justin Chancellor (Tool)
2. Trey Gunn (King Crimson and many others)
1. Tony Levin (King Crimson and many others)

Edited by Cookie13 - March 12 2016 at 06:27

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Tom Ozric

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Posted: March 12 2016 at 08:45

Well - 'top 5' eh ?
For today :
Dick Lovgren
Richard Sinclair
Nick Beggs
Johan Brand
Philippe Bussonnet
.........probably select 5 different players tomorrow........

dwill123

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Posted: March 12 2016 at 12:48

Chris Squire
Tony Levin
Jeff Berlin
Alphonso Johnson
John Wetton

The.Crimson.King View Drop Down

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Posted: March 12 2016 at 13:00

1) McCartney

2) Wetton

3) Squire

4) Shulman

5) Rutherford

Edited by The.Crimson.King - March 12 2016 at 17:59

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Pastmaster View Drop Down

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Posted: March 12 2016 at 13:36

No order:

Justin Chancellor (Tool)

Geddy Lee (Rush)

Chris Squire (Yes)

Luitjen Janssen (Eloy)

Klaus-Peter Matziol (Eloy)

Upbeat Tango Monday View Drop Down

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Posted: March 14 2016 at 01:57

Chris Squire
Greg Lake
Geddy Lee
Ray Shulman
Lars K. Norberg

Two random guys agreed to shake hands. Just Because. They felt like it, you know. It was an agreement of sorts...a random agreement.

Intruder

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Posted: March 14 2016 at 13:51

Christopher Squire and John Entwhistle! Then the rest:

- Tony Levin (have you ever heard Chuck Mangione's "Alive!" album.....a young Levin blows the crowd away.....yeah, Chuck Mangione - who'd have thought?).

- Jack Bruce.....been stuck on Harmony Row for the past week.....and have been on a JB kick for the past few years.....the BBC outtakes album "Spirit" is an absolute must.

- Hugh Hopper......not on technique but on sound.....his tone fit that band - what would Soft Machine 4 or 5 be without Hopper?

- Geezer Butler......again, not based on technique but on how his sound fit in with the band.....wait, that's six. Had to get Geezer in.

I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....

Intruder

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Posted: March 14 2016 at 13:57

Miroslauv Vitous, Rick Laird, Charlie Haden, Ron Carter and the incomparable Richard Davis.....five of jazz and fusions finest.

I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....

AZF

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Posted: March 14 2016 at 14:08

If Hugh Hopper is in the top 5 (and I back this choice) then Roger Waters can't come anywhere near this thread!

Even Mike Rutherford played too simple due to the weight of the other instruments around.

I'd like to add "Rob Martin" for his work on "Air Conditioning" but some might prefer Curved Air's replacement Ian Eyre?

Greg Lake doesn't make the cut but Geddy Lee is another certainty.

I'll leave it at these four for now.

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Posted: March 16 2016 at 01:41

Roger Waters, while being a hugely influential figure in progressive rock for his songwriting and conceptual work, was a pretty mediocre bass player. Also a dick. But we love him anyway! (His acoustic playing is actually far superior anyway)

Also, while Paul McCartney is a fantastic bassist (and everything else really) and possibly one of the greatest musical geniuses in the history of humanity... not really prog.

In no particular order

1. Tony Levin

2. Geddy Lee (Not even a Rush fan and I acknowledge him.)

3. Chris Squire

4. John Entwhistle (Quadrophenia is total prog.)

5. Les Claypool

Edited by GreatBeyonder - March 16 2016 at 01:41

EddieRUKiddingVarese View Drop Down

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Posted: March 16 2016 at 02:59

Jack Bruce

"Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes"
and I need the knits, the double knits!

Tom Ozric

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Posted: March 16 2016 at 03:17

^^ That is sooooo funny !! Back in 1985, I fell in love with The Wall. Quite advanced listening for a 13 y/o methinks.
Anyway, shortly afterwards, I discovered 'Live At Pompeii' at the local video store. I insisted for my Dad to hire it - well, when I heard this 'Echoes' - Part 1 thingy - I was totally disappointed and fascinated at the same time. "Where's 'The Wall" etc. etc. Anyway, this performance truly led me into Prog-Rock - just so happened that there was a 'stock-take sell-out' at a local music store - I persuaded my Dad to bid for this 'incredible' instrument. We won the 'el-cheapo' Japanese 'Daion, Fender-P replication' for next to disposable funds (on my Dad's part) at the time.
So, whilst no Stanley Clarke or Dick Lovgren, I hold Rog in extremely high respect,
Let's face it - you can't compare Waters to Myung. Incredibly different styles and whatever skill is required for said style. Waters will ALWAYS be my hero - regardless of your Clarke's or Jones' or Myung's or even my ultimate, unassuming, VIRTUOSO, Richard Sinclair.
You don't have to have lightening-speed chops and slender fingers to service certain music. Roger captured the entire, future, Prog-Rock creativity without even thinking........

Edited by Tom Ozric - March 16 2016 at 03:17

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

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Posted: March 16 2016 at 03:30

Hmm there are so many - too many to count, but sure I'll play along and list 5:

Percy Jones
Bernard Paganotti
Lothar Meid
Holger Czukay
Jaco Pastorius

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams

Tom Ozric

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Posted: March 16 2016 at 03:48

Nice list, Dave. Love Lothar. You know it! But to narrow it down to a miniscule 5 is wretchedly evil. My current fascination is Dick Lovgren, MESHUGGAH bassist. I really don't give a flying frisbee about genre, but skill. That's why it's Nick Beggs and Dick Lovgren at the moment............