Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

My top ten most underrated bassists (meaning, how underrated they are in relation to how great they SHOULD be considered):

1. Dee Murray (Elton John)
2. Mike Rutherford (Genesis)
3. Doug Pinnick (King's X)
4. Pete Trewavas (Marillion)
5. Sting (The Police)
6. Phil Lesh (The Grateful Dead)
7. Tim Commerford (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave)
8. Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree)
9. Mike Dirnt (Green Day . . . hey, people say he sucks all the time, but Green Day is ALL ABOUT the bass)
10. Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant)

I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that come to mind most quickly. Sting and Mike Dirnt take a lot of heat from people simply saying that they suck, but really, they both CARRIED their respective bands. Green Day would be nothing without the bass, and Sting was so innovative when he was in the Police.

Peter Cetera played Gibsons more than anything as time went on, I think a Ripper or a Grabber, he was great, one of the best pick players I have ever heard. Berry Oakly was also a very good jazz influenced bass player who used a P bass with flatwounds and a pick, got a great sound and played great explorative jazzy lines in a blues-rock context. I liked some of Joe Osborns stuff and some I didn't like so much but he played on so many 60's hits it's unbelievable. He was a top 40 guy who also played with a pick and has the first J bass ever made. Duck Dunn is definitely under rated also although he's pretty well known nowadays, that guy really knows how to lay down a groove. Willie Dixon was an excellent blues upright player, people talk about all the famous songs he wrote and forget what a great bass player he was.

9. Mike Dirnt (Green Day . . . hey, people say he sucks all the time, but Green Day is ALL ABOUT the bass)

Mike is a stellar player but lays back too much these days. I was dissapointed to hear his frantic lines missing from the newer stuff, as it's basically all I ever liked about Green Day.

Rick Danko, who was also a fine lead and backup singer, one of the earlier rock fretless players (on an Ampeg of all things,) an advocate of Gibsons overall, and member of one of the most respected and acclaimed groups of all time, which was centerpiece of the finest live performance film that will ever be made.

I always liked the stuff of the late Gary Thain from Uriah Heep.

Anyone know the scoop on Cetera?

He seems a reluctant player as I have not seen him with a bass since Chicago. What happened between him and the group?

Here's his website.

Hello Ken, thanks for the heads up! I'm heading there now!

Ken, thanks again, interesting site.

Seems Cetera is not a fan of Chicago or Gibson. Great shot of him and his P bass. He seems at home with a bass, a fish out of water with a guitar.

Now, and it appears back then,(Chicago), legal issues have stifled a wonderful talent. A shame.

"...he's not only good but was also a vanguard 12-string player in the early days of New Wave (anyone remember the red Hamer?)"

Nick's red Hamer is an 8-string.

And Dee Murray was my inspiration for learning bass.

I always liked the stuff of the late Gary Thain from Uriah Heep.

AGREE. He was fantastic.

I'm surprised none of you older folks have mentioned Herbie Flowers... *the* British session player of the 1970s...

"Herbie Flowers has had an enviable career in the music business. He was a pop star in the early seventies, playing with the likes of David Bowie and Marc Bolan. At one time his name was virtually synonymous with the expression 'session musician' - if you wanted a bass player you booked Herbie. As a result he has appeared on literally thousands of hit recordings by artists as diverse as McCartney, Mancini, Sinatra and the Scaffold. He is, perhaps, best known for his portamento bass-line on Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side and for being one of the founder members of Sky (along with John Williams). He has also played tuba with many of the world's leading symphony orchestras.

Most recently Herbie has appeared with Jools Holland, Clannad and McCartney and is finding a new element to his career as a raconteur, appearing with Mike Hatchard. Their recent appearance at the Purcell Room with Selena Jones was a sell-out success."

Andy Frasier of Free, great bassist, great sound very inventive, played a Gibson EB-3,

Ron Wood of The Jeff Beck Group, check out Beckola, was a great bass player with a great sound.

Felix Pappalardi of Mountain who played an EB-1

Tim Bogart of Vanilla Fudge and Beck, Bogart and Appice, played a modified P bass, was amazing in his day, one of my personal favorites.

Check out Beck, Bogart and Appice if you want to hear some good old school hard rock playing.

Same with West, Bruce and Laing, my favorite Jack Bruce playing.

Jack Cassidy of Jefferson Airplane was also an early pioneer with a great sound and great lines who really soared over the mix many times, another one of my favorites, played a Guild Starfire.

Many of these guys used a fuzz box (distortion)

Most photos you will see of Cetera are from the early days of Chicago Transit Authority when he used P basses later on he changed to Gibsons.

Ah Felix!

I once saw a video clip of Lou Reed doing Walk On The Wild Side and the fretless part was played on a white 4001FL. I wonder if the studio take was too.