Favourite Bassists - In a Band Setting

Everyone knows who you put on a list of the best bass players, Jaco, Wooten, Michael Manring, Steve Bailey. Those players who push the instrument to its limits, especially in solos or other settings designed to showcase the considerable talent required to play the way that they do. Let's not take anything away from these bassists, they are geniuses, full stop. But for most of us, playing this instrument is usually all about laying a foundation. You lock in with the drums, you make a groove, and there is almost never a solo spot for you.

In light of all this, I thought it would be interesting to create a list of the top players that reflect the reality of a lot of bassists out there. My parameters were to look for players who had made a name for themselves in a band context. I figure that this is a practical list, since I find it more likely that I'll be trying to spice up my parts in a band setting than anything else. Other than that, this really reflects my own biases. If your favourite isn't on the list, don't take it personally. In no particular order:

Peter Hook - In Hook's work with both Joy Division and New Order, the bass always stands out. He's sort of in the tradition of John Entwistle, using the bass to create lead parts without dominating the song. Hook is also not afraid to explore different bass tones, there were some really gritty ones with Joy Division.

Duff McKagan - I suppose not a lot of people would have expected the GNR/Velvet Revolver bassist on a list composed by me, but Duff is a solid player who can create interesting counterpoints to Slash's guitar leads (see the Paradise City outro).

Mike Mills - I think that Mills, and actually R.E.M. as a whole don't get nearly the credit they deserve. R.E.M. has got to be the post-punk jangly indie archetype (or is it The Smiths, maybe both). Anyway, Mills is always using these tasteful little fills and I don't think he gets the credit he deserves because he is so subtle often.

Matt Freeman - He is head-and-shoulders above every other punk bassist of his generation. He has virtuoso technical chops, but other than Maxwell Murder, there are no real Matt Freeman solos to speak of. All the same, he doesn't need a solo to put the lie to the notion that punk bass is just eighth-note roots all the time.

John Entwistle - If there is one player who was the archetype for innovating in a rock and roll band context, I'd say that The Ox is it. This man was the force behind roundwound bass strings. Think about that for a minute. More than likely you owe something of the design of your stings (unless you only put flats on your bass) to him. Entwistle saw the tonal possibilities of the bass guitar and gave it a key push out of the mold of sounding like uprights.