100 Bass Riffs ... but no Big Bottom
September 12, 2014 5:51 PM   Subscribe

 
I know these lists bring out the inevitable "but what about X"?!? comments. I won't be that guy.

How about I just make a trade. Cut Just Like Heaven and put in Fascination Street. Thank you.
posted by chimaera at 6:08 PM on September 12, 2014 [2 favorites]


Almost certainly inspired by this very similar video (previously on the blue).
posted by escape from the potato planet at 6:23 PM on September 12, 2014 [3 favorites]


I'm not a huge fan of this guy's playing; not too tight. But even more essentially, they're practically through the funk era before they even hit the 50th riff. To say this is weighted to contemporary ears is an understatement.
posted by Perko at 6:33 PM on September 12, 2014 [1 favorite]


This is pretty great. Also, I am the music teacher at the elementary school around the corner.
posted by rossination at 6:59 PM on September 12, 2014 [1 favorite]


I've often thought of the old "Name that tune" game show and how some songs are just unmistakable in the first seconds. I wouldn't have said before watching this video that the bass played a big part of that, but clearly I would have been wrong. It also amazes me that everything hasn't already been done. There are only so many notes. But I guess it isn't the notes, it's how you play them, maaaan.

(Also, Death From Above 1979!)
posted by ctmf at 7:06 PM on September 12, 2014


They got the "Peace Sells" riff, \m/
posted by Renoroc at 7:18 PM on September 12, 2014


I thought this was awesome, but that it needed more Cake.
posted by rollbiz at 7:31 PM on September 12, 2014 [3 favorites]


I might think that because, in addition to the fact that their basslines are really distinctive, I once lived under some guys who just listened to Cake for like a year straight.
posted by rollbiz at 7:33 PM on September 12, 2014


Night Court.
posted by ashbury at 8:43 PM on September 12, 2014


ALL YOUR BASS ARE BELONG TO US.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 8:59 PM on September 12, 2014 [1 favorite]


They got the "Peace Sells" riff, \m/

It was such a great riff that MTV sampled it for their MTV News intro/bumper and never paid the band a cent. (I tried to find a clip of it on Youtube but failed. Anyone?)
posted by Rhomboid at 9:22 PM on September 12, 2014 [2 favorites]


Nice, but the bass line for London Calling at 7:40 is way wrong, which is a shame since Paul Simonon's riff is so iconic.
posted by drnick at 11:14 PM on September 12, 2014 [1 favorite]


You know, I don't think I ever got that part quite right back in the high school cover band. Simonon is pretty under-rated as a bass player, as they say.

Thela Hun Ginjeet
I'd have made a lot of different choices (where's "Too Shy" and "I Promised You A Miracle"? "Me And My Bass Guitar" instead of "Sex In A Pan" or "Sinister Minister"??), but I am willing to forgive a lot because of this
posted by thelonius at 12:27 AM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


Needs more Stevie Wonder, Rush, and New Order. And Savages. As ever, excise the Muse.
posted by persona au gratin at 4:34 AM on September 13, 2014


Also, it sounds like at times he's playing the melody on a bass, which isn't necessarily the same as playing the bass line.

Still, very cool!
posted by persona au gratin at 4:35 AM on September 13, 2014


I enjoyed this. But no Rancid? Outrage.
posted by corvine at 4:38 AM on September 13, 2014


This post got me listening other similar endeavors. Here is a guy doing a bunch of Primus riffs.
posted by persona au gratin at 4:54 AM on September 13, 2014


Everything felt so sedate! Part of that is that nature of bass – it just doesn't cut. But there were some pretty hard funk riffs in there. I can't put my finger on the cause. Is it the drummer?
posted by ignignokt at 11:33 AM on September 13, 2014


Missing Public Image Ltd....
posted by klausness at 12:37 PM on September 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


Everything felt so sedate! Part of that is that nature of bass – it just doesn't cut. But there were some pretty hard funk riffs in there. I can't put my finger on the cause. Is it the drummer?

The drummer has sort of a mushy time feel, he's not really right up on top of the beat when he should be.
posted by thelonius at 7:08 PM on September 13, 2014


No Barney Miller? Seriously?


Seriously?
posted by droplet at 11:33 PM on September 13, 2014


Seriously.
posted by thelonius at 12:07 AM on September 14, 2014


Hmm, so this is something I wanted to like. Cool concept, but poorly played (and sequenced) and amateurishly executed. A section that could really nail all those grooves would be something to behold, of course. It's a tall order and the persistent use of a single bass tone doesn't really help either (and it's not very good tone, at least over YouTube pipes).

There doesn't seem to be any logic to the sequence other than chronology, either. Straight and syncopated patterns are juxtaposed willy-nilly. Once in a while two grooves would really flow together and you'd realize what might be possible.

I'm imagining how Levon Helm and Rick Danko could have done this exercise as a work of art.
posted by spitbull at 2:57 PM on September 14, 2014


This really made me appreciate how little bass there is on an iPhone. Usually when the bass is dropped out, you don't notice it that much.
posted by smackfu at 11:44 AM on September 15, 2014


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