King Crimson Bass Players
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Printed Date: April 25 2024 at 03:51
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Topic: King Crimson Bass Players
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Subject: King Crimson Bass Players
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 10:48
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King Crimson has had some unusual characters on bass guitar. If you had to pick your favorite, who would you select? ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Replies:
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 10:50
| John Wetton without a doubt, although they all had great talent & strengths! |
Posted By: MJAben
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 10:55
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I also think it has to be Wetton, all of them were great but I felt as though Wetton was a) the most consistent and b) a better fit for the band than most. ------------- The anteater is the worlds fastest land mammal. |
Posted By: Dayvenkirq
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 10:59
| Boy, ... between Wetton and Levin - that's hard. Levin's got this very sexy bass- and stick- playing style that I really like. Wetton, however, completed the sound of the best King Crimson line-up I've ever heard (FBWC). His style was very groovy and melodic. I'm gonna have to think about it. |
Posted By: The-time-is-now
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 11:22
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Greg Lake. -------------  One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 11:42
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Threw my vote in for John Wetton. He's always been my favorite bass player and the live work he did in Crimso was without compare. Every once in a while I like to listen to the 4 CD version of "The Great Deceiver" all the way through just to be blown away by his tone and playing. ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 12:35
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Levin for me ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: ole-the-first
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 12:42
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John Wetton
------------- This night wounds time. |
Posted By: Wanorak
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 12:50
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John Wetton, followed by Levin and Lake. ------------- A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!! |
Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 12:56
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John Wetton fronted what was, imo, KC's lineup for their best period, but Tony Levin tops everyone in this list.
------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: memowakeman
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 13:13
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Wetton ------------- Follow me on twitter @memowakeman |
Posted By: smartpatrol
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 13:26
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I think Levin was the most talented, and Boz had the best voice, but I think Wetton was the best overall bassist for Crimson ------------- http://bit.ly/1kqTR8y" rel="nofollow">  The greatest record label of all time! |
Posted By: Ruby900
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 13:27
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All good - but Wetton all day long. ------------- "I always say that it’s about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place". Rick Wakeman |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 13:29
 ------------- |
Posted By: Dayvenkirq
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 13:31
^ Got the coolest glasses on. 
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Posted By: KingCrInuYasha
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 14:14
I have gotta get me one of those - the instrument, I mean.  Anyway Wetton > Lake = Levin > Giles > Haskell > Burrell I'm still uncertain where to put Lake and Levin on the totem pole; neither are as good as Wetton, but the former's work on "21st Century Schizoid Man" and the latter's work on "Sleepless" are enough to put them in my Top 3. ------------- He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball! |
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 14:17
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You can get Wetton the Lake if you just jump in.
------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 14:39
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Wetton is great but I prefer Levin. I love Lake as singer more than bassist. ------------- Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half. My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 14:46
This!
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Melomaniac wrote:Posted By: Dayvenkirq
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 14:54
 it. I'm tired of this. I can't make up my mind. Wetton and Levin are two great minds with different styles. No vote.
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 15:00
| Lake for 21st Century Schizoid Man . He was never better and arguably one of KIng Crimson's best tracks as well. |
Posted By: Earthmover
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 15:08
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I'm not going against the masses here. Wetton.
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Posted By: HemispheresOfXanadu
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 15:17
Levin is one of my top favourite bassists, but I prefer Wetton-era King Crimson.  I'm going to vote Levin.
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Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 15:34
Yep..that works for me.
They have all contributed well to the KC sound over the years but I really like the 3 studio cd's and live box that came out under his period so I had to go with Wetton. I never get tired of listening to tracks like Starless, Great Deceiver, and Larks Tongues.
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 16:02
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Levin with Wetton next. Then I would say Haskell followed by Lake then Giles. All of these guys are great, with the possible exception of Boz who is merely good. ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 17:48
It's funny you say that, but I didn't really begin to appreciate Boz until I got the 3 Boz era King Crimson Collectors Club live albums, "Live in Jacksonville", "Live in Detroit 12/13/72", and "Live at Summit Studios". The cool thing about Boz is that he was able to play bass lines most likely created by RF and sing at the same time  ...------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 17:56
| Boz was their best vocalist, so it makes up for his bass playing ;) |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 18:37
I like much better the bass on the version they played of that song with Wetton. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 18:38
I like Lake a million times betters a vocalist. |
Posted By: Eria Tarka
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 18:52
| Levin |
Posted By: ProgMetaller2112
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 19:39
just vote damn it, fanboy. I 'll vote Levin he's the most talented ------------- “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four "Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart |
Posted By: stegor
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 19:52
I voiced this very same opinion on rec.music.progressive many years ago and got ridiculed for it. I wasn't really serious, but I always really liked his vocals on Islands. Especially where he says "Impaled on nails of ice!" But then I heard Earthbound and changed my opinion. |
Posted By: stegor
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 20:03
| Wetton. I think Levin's a better player but nobody played with magic like the Fripp Wetton Cross Bruford (Muir) lineup. |
Posted By: Dayvenkirq
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 21:03
 Just because Lenin didn't get a chance to be there in '72-'74, that doesn't mean I'm gonna vote against him.
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Posted By: infocat
Date Posted: April 09 2013 at 22:46
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Wheat-On
------------- -- Frank Swarbrick Belief is not Truth. |
Posted By: ProgMetaller2112
Date Posted: April 10 2013 at 01:05
I didn't know Vladimir Lenin was in KC ------------- “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four "Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: April 10 2013 at 18:26
Levin for me, he's in my favorite KC.
I disagree, I think Belew was their best vocalist. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: April 10 2013 at 18:42
Levin easily. Come on, Wetton wasn't that good.
 ------------- 
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Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 10 2013 at 20:56
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For contributions as a bass player/rhythmist? Tony Levin, hands down. ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: ProgMetaller2112
Date Posted: April 10 2013 at 22:49
I think John Wetton was their best vocalist  ------------- “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four "Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 10 2013 at 23:43
LOL!! Wow, tough one. Levin is so amazing and I LOVE the three '80s KC albums. But KC with Wetton was unbelievable. I'm not sure how to vote. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: ProgMetaller2112
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 04:10
not that tough Greg Lake-Good not that great Peter Giles-OK Haskell-OK Burell-Decent Wetton-Best one up to this point Levin-their best, Chapman Stick utilizer and bassist  ------------- “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four "Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart |
Posted By: Neo-Romantic
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 04:30
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Levin may be the most skilled, but as far as best in the context of the group, gotta go with Wetton without hesitation. He completed that group in a way nobody else did for me. I favor that lineup so far above the others it's not even worth comparing. Even though Levin gets second for me, I gotta say, Trey Gunn deserves an honorable mention in my book. It's a shame he wasn't included, and I feel if some of the other more forgettable bassists were mentioned, his oversight is unjustifiable. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 10:38
I love both their styles, though. Levin is definitely better on a technical level, but Wetton complemented the overall sound of the band as well as Levin did Discipline, aka '80s KC. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 11:01
I'm with you all the way up to Tony Levin. I think his Chapman Stick work is outstanding, but I never though he was that innovative on bass...Wetton, on the other hand was a monster on bass...best illustrated on live 73-74 recordings like "USA" & "The Great Deceiver" ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: markosherrera
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 12:44
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John Wetton, excelent bassist, composer and singer. ------------- Hi progmaniacs of all the world |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 18:27
If you like the album "USA", you might want to check out "Collectible King Crimson Vol 1", this album includes the same concert used on USA, but un-editted and without overdubbs. Mainly, some other guy was suposed to play violin over David Cross on the USA album, while on Collectible, it is David Cross on violins (though I must admit I haven't heard USA, so I can't tell for certain which one actually sounds better, but having the un-altered concert, I'm not interested in getting the other one). Now, Collectible also has another CD with another concert that has my absolute favourite version of "Starless", the best live one I've heard, and I actually like it much better than the studio one too. |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 18:53
Good call. I joined the "King Crimson Collectors Club" in the late 90's and their release, "Live in Central Park, NYC" was recorded a couple days after USA at the 7/1/74 final show of the tour and is also unedited. Haven't heard the "Collectible Vol 1" you mention, but would really like to since I've played USA to death over the years. ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: ProgMetaller2112
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 19:42
No King Crimson bassist has ever been innovative then  ------------- “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” ― George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four "Ignorance and Prejudice and Fear walk Hand in Hand"- Neil Peart |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: April 11 2013 at 20:05
| Wetton |
Posted By: otto pankrock
Date Posted: April 12 2013 at 18:27
| Wetton. The way he brought out that belching and farting sound, on the live stuff especially, was brilliant. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 12 2013 at 18:44
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Bassists are credited with "bottled bass." I think they should be credited with "belched bass," too. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 14 2013 at 02:49
 - he is absolutely *killer* on the bass either way - incredibly creative and such a nasty sound.
Levin for Chapman Stick. Lake was pretty awesome but only one album (playing bass) ?? Giles the same - love his style. Haskell, again one album - love his crunching sound. Burrell - not bad for a beginner but no too complex - wow, 2 albums. Wetton gets my vote.
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 14 2013 at 02:54
never heard that version . where does it come from? |
Posted By: tamijo
Date Posted: April 14 2013 at 02:56
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Levin, wetton was great, but as a bass player, Levin ------------- Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 14 2013 at 04:42
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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 15 2013 at 19:35
Yeah, I guess it's just about the same version that appears on USA. However, as I just happened to write about a few posts ago, the album I actually have is "Collectible King Crimson Vol 1", which includes the same concert from USA, but without overdubs nor edits (on USA the David Cross is overdubbed by some other violin player, while on Collectible it is Cross who you can hear playing). And indeed, I love the version of Schizoid Man from Collectible King Crimson. |
Posted By: stegor
Date Posted: April 15 2013 at 19:57
"Some other guy" / "Some other violin player" = Eddie Jobson  I hate to say it, and it's not really fair, but Jobson's overdubbed version of Larks' Tongues Pt 2 on USA is miles beyond the untouched Cross version. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 15 2013 at 20:35
Now you're going to make me want to check out the USA version of that concert, and I'm really happy thinking that I don't need USA because I already have the more faithful version of the concert 
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 16 2013 at 00:51
| Eddie Jobson was more technically proficient than David Cross - however, Cross had a touch more 'charm' in his playing. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 16 2013 at 21:35
| Yeah, I remember reading something about Fripp and Wetton agreeing that Cross was the weak link in that formation of King Crimson, which led to Fripp kicking Cross out for the Red album (I still think I might have liked that album better if they had kept him as part of the band). And indeed there's some charm to his violin parts in Crimson that I really like... he was rather unorthodox I guess. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 00:36
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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 17 2013 at 18:58
Who knows, perhaps it would have been nice if he had come into King Crimson... perhaps him and Mel Collins (or was it McDonald the one who almost came back to the band?). However, it didn't happen. Wasn't Jobson part of "UK"... perhaps I should get that album... |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 00:12
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Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 06:13
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Voted for Wetton as his visceral yet eloquent aggression (texturally and musically speaking) was a real departure from that previously. It's often hard to reconcile something like Islands or Poseidon as being from the same band that recorded the Larks, Starless, Red trilogy. ------------- 
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 06:56
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Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 17:08
I think it was an interview I heard with Ian Anderson who said Jobson was an odd bird who wouldn't go on stage until he completed his make-up. I don't think make-up and King Crimson really go together  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: stegor
Date Posted: April 18 2013 at 19:01
Hah - make-up and KC go together about as well as make-up and JT. Although I do believe John Evan applied a bit at the Too Old to Rock & Roll Too Young to Die stage. They flirted a bit with glam there. ------------- http://limpidgreen.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - http://limpidgreen.bandcamp.com/ 
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 19 2013 at 00:01
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 19 2013 at 13:39
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Jobson looked very feminine in the '70s, indeed. Lots of blush and powder. LOL ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: criticdrummer94
Date Posted: May 15 2013 at 11:47
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I love how this changed from a Levin/Wetton argument to a Cross/Jobson argument LOL. Anyway, I'm going with Boz Burrell because I think he is shamefully underrated as a player, listen to the live stuff during that era of the band, he is holding his own just as much as the other guys. Plus, he sings the title track of Islands so beautifully.
-------------   MY IDOLS |
Posted By: Metalmarsh89
Date Posted: May 15 2013 at 16:52
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I've been in a Tony Levin mood recently, so he gets my vote. But Wetton was also great. These two eras are really hard to compare. Not only were they vastly different, but they both turned out really damn good music. |
Posted By: prog4evr
Date Posted: May 16 2013 at 14:51
| Lake's bass work on '21st Century Schizoid Man' is quite simply amazing, so I had to give him one more vote (if for no other reason...) |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: May 17 2013 at 11:58
I kind of like better Wetton playing the same song (and of course, having Bruford on drums too doesn't hurt). |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: May 17 2013 at 18:36
I have this amazing version of Schizoid man on one of my old vinyl boots. After the first guitar solo and before the start-stop section there's like a 2 minute bass & drum duet with just Wetton & Bruford unaccompanied...Wetton is just amazing on this... ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: May 19 2013 at 12:24
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Hi, Greg Lake And his inclusion and singing helped make it one of the most important albums for us all! I am not sure that anyone else would have illustrated the words as well as he did. It made it all very "visual", which to me, the music WAS ... with those lyrics, and this is not something that is seen or discussed, and was influenced by other arts at the time, specially theater, film and literature! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |