Ten Favorite Bass Lines

As if anybody with any musical knowledge could only choose one!

So, I chose 10. Here they are.

Inner City Blues; Marvin Gaye: Funk Brother, Bob Babbitt, borrows rhythms from the classic drum pickups of late, fellow Funkster, Benny Benjamin, to kick things off. As the song progresses, Babbitt works subtle changes on the central melodic figure. His endlessly inventive playing calls to mind the tenuous, slippery, constantly-shifting nature of inner city life. More thoughts on this song here.

Roll Over Beethoven; The Beatles: Paul McCartney takes inspiration from James Jamerson -- and his own time in the clubs of Stuttgart's Reeperbahn district. Notice how he switches up the bass line in the last verse, giving a fresh burst of energy to flagging dance floor denizens.

Monkey Man; The Rolling Stones: Bill Wyman was part of one of the greatest rock rhythm sections of all time. But, sometimes, you need to shake loose and have fun. This is fun -- perhaps inspired by Jagger's loopy lyrics. Was it magic mushrooms, or just Laffy Taffy?

Tales Of Brave Ulysses; Cream: Jack Bruce's colorful playing here says everything about going on a life-changing journey -- the tentativeness; the over-confidence; the rebellion; and, finally, the wholesale rejection of everything you ever thought you wanted. The most emotionally-truthful work on this list.

Linus and Lucy; Vince Guaraldi Trio: This bass track was most likely recorded by Fred Marshall, who doubles Guaraldi's piano so closely that they sound like one instrument. They break away from each other in the sparkling improv section, then reunite when the A theme returns. The buzz of Marshall's bowed bass strings is the last thing you hear as the track fades out. More about the song in this playlist.

I Ain't Superstitious; The Jeff Beck Group: Listen to the heavy, heavy syncopation; [bassist Ron Wood spends] so long on the dotted eighths that the sixteenth notes almost come too late. The hard, un-syncopated triplets in the instrumental breaks that follow make for a stunning rhythmic contrast with the slinky groove in the verses. More on his performance here.

Let Him Run Wild; The Beach Boys: Fuzzy, happy bass work from both Jimmy Bond on acoustic bass, and Carol Kaye on electric, guides the rest of the band through some wicked changes said to be inspired by the sounds of Burt Bacharach. Bonus: Steve Douglas, picking up the bass line on tenor sax. More thoughts on the song and the band here.

5:15; The Who: John Entwistle, who was also an accomplished french hornist, doubles his fellow brass players on the song's distinctive, jazzy riff; driving the rest of the proceedings with an almost Baroque countermelody. Yes, Virginia, classical and jazz music can play very well with rock 'n' roll.

Going To A Go Go; Smokey Robinson: Silky and snake-hipped, thanks to the mighty James Jamerson -- surely one of the greatest musicians who ever lived. His sinuous bass line evokes the luxurious, low-lit confines of an exclusive club packed with Motown's cool kids, but somehow, open to everyone. 

Too Much Girl; The Resonars: Rippling bass by Matt Rendon fuses The Who and The Hollies in the greatest power pop act you've never heard.

30-Day Music Challenge: Day 15

EDITOR'S NOTE: In the summer of 2017, I answered the 30-Day Music Challenge on this blog. I'll be reupping the best of those posts from time to time.

15. A song that is a cover by another artist.

I had this single -- that's how much I loved this version.

Isn't it funny, though, how an original and a cover can both be brilliant in entirely different ways?

Where Smokey Robinson's original is silky and snake-hipped, the Stones' take on it is muscular, tribal. Robinson croons to us from the luxurious, low-lit confines of an exclusive club packed with Motown's cool kids, but somehow, open to everyone. The Stones come at us just as we crest the hill of a desert music festival, raising heat and dust with that awesome, orchestral thump.

Well-oiled machines both. Here, however, are The Rolling Stones with "Going To A Go-Go".

30-Day Music Challenge: Day 5

PHOTO: Saul Loeb via Getty Images

5. A song that needs to be played loud.

Seriously? I mean, pick one.

Since I have to pick one, how about the first one that comes into my head? Not coincidentally, I am writing this on the day that the Republicans of the U.S. Senate revealed their ghoulish and punishing "healthcare" bill.

"What can a poor boy do?" indeed.

These are The Rolling Stones with "Street Fighting Man".

Good Enough For Me

In his book, Bruce Springsteen FAQ: All That's Left To Know About the Boss, John D. Luerssen quotes Springsteen from a 2009 interview with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Jim Henke:

"I got thrown out [of British Invasion-inspired band, The Rogues] because they told me my guitar was too cheap. It kind of pissed me off. I remember I went home that night and I put on 'It's All Over Now' by The Rolling Stones and I forced myself to learn the lead."

By 1965, Luerssen writes, Springsteen was practicing six hours a day.

Yet, somehow, all that a lot of folks could find to say about Keith Richards' incendiary break was that it owed too much to Chuck Berry.

Honestly, who else was he supposed to imitate -- Perry Como?

I guess you can sit on the sidelines and make historically-uninformed remarks about someone's artistic choices, or you can do what Springsteen did.

The rest, as they say, is history.

BTW, I've never read Luerssen's book. I remembered Springsteen's story about this song from an interview he did many years ago, possibly with Rolling Stone. I remember reading a lot of rock criticism, and wondering if anything I liked was really any good. Then, Springsteen comes along and gives the thumbs-up to a guitar break that I, too, would have been playing over and over -- if I'd only had the record.

Here are The Rolling Stones with "It's All Over Now". Say what you will about the needlessly-controversial guitar break, but IMO, Richards sounds like he's in guitar-nerd heaven, and that's good enough for me.

An Election Year Sermon From the Stones

Rolling Stone magazine reports today that Neil Young would have been perfectly fine with Donald Trump using "Rockin' In the Free World" as his official campaign song, if only Trump had been a gentleman about it.

I'd be fine with a school of great white sharks tearing me limb from limb if they'd just call first, but whatever.

I'd rather see The Rolling Stones dust off this 30-year-old sermon to serve as a sort of official Trump campaign song, sub rosa. Just start playing it live, without any pointed commentary, let the song speak for itself.

What, you didn't know those guys were preachers?

Sure, they are. They just avoid the "I'm so holy, and everyone else is so filthy" brand identity that most preachers cling to. The Stones get so far down in the muck that you can't tell if they're of it, or just in it. If you're paying attention, you know that's the case with every one of us in some measure, but I digress.

Musically, this one's far better than I remembered -- now, this is a bass line! Sadly, the lyrics cut much deeper, too. Back then, I didn't know anybody who lived this way, or didn't know that I knew them. What a life!

The Rolling Stones with "Winning Ugly".