John McVie

[DavidMn]

I would be interested to know where people would rank John McVie among the Bass greats? This sort of discussion is always very informing :D

[justcrazylove]

i rate john very highely, he is a very melodic bass player, hence the bass line in gyow. he has great ablity to create space and as he says not to be busy, to make room for the other musicians.

[chiliD]

As far as rock/blues bass players, right behind Jack Bruce (Cream), John Entwistle (The Who) & Berry Oakley (Allman Bros Band). When you start including the jazz-ers like Jaco Pastorious, Charles Mingus, Nathan East, Stanley Clarke & Abraham Laboriel, Sr., the rock guys drop down the list pretty quickly.

But, McVie...he'll always be #1 to me.

[mylittledemon]

I was gonna say Bruce and Entwistle myself, Chili

[DavidMn]

As far as rock/blues bass players, right behind Jack Bruce (Cream), John Entwistle (The Who) & Berry Oakley (Allman Bros Band). When you start including the jazz-ers like Jaco Pastorious, Charles Mingus, Nathan East, Stanley Clarke & Abraham Laboriel, Sr., the rock guys drop down the list pretty quickly.

But, McVie...he'll always be #1 to me.
You always enlighten me Chili, thanks once again :)

[strandinthewind]

I was gonna say Bruce and Entwistle myself, Chili

Ditto!!!!!!!

Though James Jamerson and John Paul Jones were stellar.

On edit - of course John "shorty shorts" McVie is on the top on my list!!!!!

[DrummerDeanna]

OMG - I think John kicks so much ass...though that dude from Primus was pretty damn kick ass on the bass too :laugh:

John's my #1 bass player...which pains me to say because I LOVE Paul McCartney - but in terms of bass abilities I like John's style more :o

[ThePenguin]

John's my #1 bass player...which pains me to say because I LOVE Paul McCartney - but in terms of bass abilities I like John's style more :o

I would have to agree. Big surprise. :p He is fabulous and adds so much to so many songs.

-Lis

[Serrart]

I would have to agree. Big surprise. :p He is fabulous and adds so much to so many songs.

-Lis

Absolutely. Sometimes I put some songs on the repeat only to listen again to his parts. He's able to create when many other good musicians wouldn't even see the chance.

Romy

[chiliD]

...though that dude from Primus

Les Claypool

...James Jamerson...

The man that laid down that Motown groove! :thumbsup:


Also, the reggae master Robbie Shakespeare! (along with his rhythm section mate Sly Dunbar...the Mick Fleetwood & John McVie of reggae)

[DavidMn]

here's a good addition to my original post. Which Fleetwood Mac song is John most out front on, in other words, which one do u listen to, and think, wow that bass part is faboulous. FOr me, It's The Chain, Dreams, and GYOW. I realize that I'm leaving out some good ones, but those are the ones that make me think of him first.

[GypsySorcerer]

On edit - of course John "shorty shorts" McVie is on the top on my list!!!!!

Though he hasn't sported the shorty shorts in awhile. Perhaps we should say John "Doo-rag" McVie. ;)

[DavidMn]

Ditto!!!!!!!

Though James Jamerson and John Paul Jones were stellar.

On edit - of course John "shorty shorts" McVie is on the top on my list!!!!!
Every time I hear ditto, I think of when Slim Pickens and Harvey Korman are in the office drring Blazing Saddles, and Harvey says something that's supposed to be intelligent, and SLim gives that blank look and shouts DITTO!!!

[jbrownsjr]

he impressed the **** out of me on welch's stuff

he was able to cover jazz stuff (pseudo jazz that is)

jaco was a mad-man

[chiliD]

here's a good addition to my original post. Which Fleetwood Mac song is John most out front on, in other words, which one do u listen to, and think, wow that bass part is faboulous. FOr me, It's The Chain, Dreams, and GYOW. I realize that I'm leaving out some good ones, but those are the ones that make me think of him first.

Blue Letter, Blue Letter, Blue Letter
Oh Well
Smile At You
Miles Away
(did I mention) Blue Letter?
Bad Loser
Somebody
Forever
Born Enchanter
I Loved Another Woman
Station Man
Bare Trees
Child Of Mine
Searching/Fighting For Madge
Never Going Back Again (those old live arrangements when he played acoustic bass)

[DavidMn]

Blue Letter, Blue Letter, Blue Letter
Oh Well
Smile At You
Miles Away
(did I mention) Blue Letter?
Bad Loser
Somebody
Forever
Born Enchanter
I Loved Another Woman
Station Man
Bare Trees
Child Of Mine
Searching/Fighting For Madge
Never Going Back Again (those old live arrangements when he played acoustic bass)
Boy youre exactly right about Oh Well. thats one of the reasons it's my favorite pre 75 Mac song

[jbrownsjr]

You forgot Revelation Chili~

[SteveMacD]

For me, anything from "Mystery" onward was impressive. Prior to that, he had moments, but was still prtty basic. The thing I love about John is that his playing keeps getting better and better. Really, he's the polar opposite of Clapton, who's best days are behind him.

[ThePenguin]

I like all of Chili's suggestions . Temporary One really stands out to me also, I love what he does on that song. and on Over My Head...grooowwwl he puts the 'sex' in sexy LOL.

-Lis

[jbrownsjr]

I like all of Chili's suggestions . Temporary One really stands out to me also, I love what he does on that song. and on Over My Head...grooowwwl he puts the 'sex' in sexy LOL.

-Lis

you would think he is sexy if he was standing there in a bunny suit!!! :D

[gldstwmn]

The man that laid down that Motown groove! :thumbsup:


He sure did. :nod:

[gldstwmn]

here's a good addition to my original post. Which Fleetwood Mac song is John most out front on, in other words, which one do u listen to, and think, wow that bass part is faboulous. FOr me, It's The Chain, Dreams, and GYOW. I realize that I'm leaving out some good ones, but those are the ones that make me think of him first.

The begining of Straight Back is one of my favorite John riffs ever. I also love Illume, Heroes Are Hard To Find and the angry Mirage demo version of Smile At You.

[amber]

OMG - I think John kicks so much ass...though that dude from Primus was pretty damn kick ass on the bass too :laugh:

John's my #1 bass player...which pains me to say because I LOVE Paul McCartney - but in terms of bass abilities I like John's style more :o
I was just going to mention the Primus guy....I think john is very good. I always notice how much his bass means to the song. He is very melodic, and rhythmic (der) and sometimes, ever so slightly, even funky. I was crying a little this morning listening to the intro band part to SOTM. And it strikes me heavily in Rhiannon, too. Not to mention RTTG. I think he is excellent....especially just compared to rock bassists....
Edit - ooo, temporary one! I didn't think of him in there, but yeah....now that I ponder back....and I do love that song....
Actually, if he wasn't in the band.... :distress: :distress:

[chiliD]

You forgot Revelation Chili~

Bob Welch played bass on that one. :nod:

[trackaghost]

I was just going to mention the Primus guy....

Les Claypool. I have a Primus album somewhere. It's called Sailing The Seas Of Cheese.
I like John more than him. More than Geddy Lee and Mark King too!

[mylittledemon]

I also really enjoyed Rick Danko.

[DavidMn]

I also really enjoyed Rick Danko.
He died like 5 years ago didnt he?

[jbrownsjr]

Bob Welch played bass on that one. :nod:

wow did not know that...

how do u know that? from QandA?

[ThePenguin]

wow did not know that...

how do u know that? from QandA?

Welch played on a few tunes from that era. I asked John about that privately years ago-- he confirmed Bob did play some bass parts, but 'for the life of him' could not remember which songs they were. :shrug: :rolleyes:

-Lis

[macfan 57]

Welch played on a few tunes from that era. I asked John about that privately years ago-- he confirmed Bob did play some bass parts, but 'for the life of him' could not remember which songs they were. :shrug: :rolleyes:

-Lis

I didn't know that either. In John's Q & A he did say that he was the only one who played bass on all of the Fleetwood Mac tracks over the years. Didn't Lindsey play some bass parts on Tusk? I seem to remember a quote from him about that.

[ThePenguin]

I didn't know that either. In John's Q & A he did say that he was the only one who played bass on all of the Fleetwood Mac tracks over the years. Didn't Lindsey play some bass parts on Tusk? I seem to remember a quote from him about that.


John's memory is not always crystal clear, bless his heart. :xoxo:

I think Welch did a few bass tracks around that time when John wanted to 'just be a roadie for awhile' and 'take off to France' etc...all that odd stuff Mick mentioned in his book. John (at the time I asked him, maybe 10 yrs ago...?) was sure Welch had played a few parts.

I think LB did some Tusk bass tracks as well, I know I read that, too.

-Lis

[EveryHour]

I have to admit, I have a weakness for bass (and often, therefore, bass players:) ), and it doesn't get much better than John for me!

I am also a HUGE fan of Paul McCartney and he is indeed phenomenal, but there is just something about John that inches him just ahead of Paul for me. I doubt I need to attempt to explain. ;)

I know this thread was maybe intended to be more about ranking as far as "ability", but I can't come from anything other than an emotional standpoint.