#1 Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin
Key Track: Bring it on Home
This album choice needs little explaining. Led Zeppelin was my first CD, the first tracks I ever memorized on an instrument, and generally my favorite.
#2 In the Slot - Tower of Power
Key Tracks: Ebony Jam, In the Slot
Tower of Power picked up in Chicago with their full horn section and outrageously syncopated grooves. Rocco Prestia is one of my earliest memorable bass influences, and his work with Dave Garibaldi on drums is delicious.
#3 Jaco - Jaco Pastorius
Key Tracks: (Used to Be A) Cha Cha, Portrait of Tracy
So few bass players can match Jaco's beautiful, expressive nature and his incredible talent. He really brought the bass guitar to the front of the band and changed its role in music permanently.
#4 Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
Key Tracks: Contusion, Have a Talk with God
Stevie Wonder's music is filled with serious emotion and passion, not to mention some astonishing skill on every instrument in the recordings, courtesy of Stevie himself. A masterful work with a song for every mood.
#5 Ratatat - Ratatat
Key Track: Seventeen Years
The first time I heard Seventeen Years I nearly shat my pants. This is another duo, making their thick, layered guitar riffs and catchy beats even more awesome.
#6 Gratitude - Earth Wind and Fire
Key Track: Sing a Song
EWF (also known as Elements of the Universe, or Elements) has always been one of the more well-known funk and R&B groups, and this particular album was #1 in the US. Sing a Song has one of the most danceable grooves I've ever heard, and the vocals of Maurice White and Philip Bailey compliment each other masterfully. Verdine White is also one of the most solid bass players around, not to mention funky as hell.
#7 Cross - Justice
Key Tracks: Stress, One Minute to Midnight
Before I went to college I had never really even understood what electronic music was. Thankfully I was dropped right into the heart of New York's music scene, which really woke me up to what an amazing genre this really is. The variations are literally endless, and the idea of a band is totally rethought. No exception, Justice is composed of two french guys who happen to make some of the heaviest electronic jams ever.
#8 Revelations - Audioslave
Key Track: Jewel of the Summertime
Audioslave is just so good. Tom Morello's compositional work and Chris Cornell's voice make this group something that cannot be missed. There are a very few albums that I can listen to over and over again, and this is definitely one.
#9 A Show of Hands - Victor Wooten
Key Tracks: Me and My Bass Guitar, Justice
This album is, in my opinion, Vic's most definitive work. Each piece shows off his dazzling technical skills as well as his talent for songwriting. If you're a bass player and you haven't checked out Victor Wooten, throw on a pair of Depends and listen to this bad boy.
#10 Dookie - Green Day
Key Tracks: Longview, Welcome to Paradise
There are not enough popular bands that showcase their bass player. Songs like the above key tracks do just that, and on a punk album no less. It reminds me of my earlier days playing punk with New York band Michael Jordan, in which thrashing was the all-important factor. Few genres of music offer up this kind of release, and punk more or less demands it.
#11 Make Yourself - Incubus
Key Track: Battlestar Scralatchtica
Incubus is definitely one of my all time favorite contemporary groups, and it was actually really difficult for me to choose an album out of their awesome discography. Make Yourself is chock full of alternative goodness, and Battlestar Scralatchtica has a bassline and hits that can't be beat.
#12 Thonk - Michael Manring
Key Track: My Three Moons
Michael Manring is a phenomenal fretless bass player with a bit of personal flair. In My Three Moons, he often calls up two audience members to hold two of his basses flat across their arms while he has another two on shoulder straps. He then proceeds to play all four basses at once. FOUR BASSES AT ONCE?!?!? My mind is still boggled.
#13 Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Key Track: Blue Rondo a la Turk
I had read Johnny's list midway through writing mine only to discover he had the same album listed but for a different song. Blue Rondo shows Brubeck's versatility with time, changing tempos several times, and also exhibits his unique phrasing and jazz infused chord progressions.
#14 Hocus Pocus Live - Gary Hoey
Key Tracks: Blast, Hocus Pocus
This guy is a ludicrously nasty guitar player who loves to do covers, Christmas songs, and surf rock jams. A virtuoso to the hardcore extreme, His solos are loaded with aggressive scales, arpeggios, and wicked guitar harmonies. The best part of listening to Gary Hoey is that he tours with other similarly talented musicians, meaning his live show melts people's faces right off.
#15 Synkronized - Jamiroquai
Key Track: Black Capricorn Day
Jamiroquai has fantasic musicians and some of the best funk hooks ever. It's hard not to bob your head when listening to his works, and Synkronised stands out for its phenomenal songwriting.
#16 Untouchables - KoRn
Key Track: Here to Stay
Yep, I went there. This album came out my sophomore year in high school, and I listened to it religiously. Fieldy, the bass player, is a percussive master on bass guitar, not to mention his actual instrument is awesome. I doubt that I could listen as endlessly as in my youth, particularly because of the music's dark flavor, but it still has some amazing transitions and interesting riffs.
#17 A-sides – Soundgarden
Key Track: Burden in my Hand
I suppose it's slightly cliché to include a “best of” album for a top 20 choice, but for me this fits perfectly. It has all of my favorite Soundgarden songs showing off Chris Cornell's vocal athletics, not to mention some really solid music.
#18 Greenwich Mean – Wayne Krantz
Key Track: Infinity Split
Krantz is an extremely talented guitarist with the smoothest guitar licks. His music is essentially funky, syncopated jams which give him the chance to display his skill
#19 Purple Onion – Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade
Key Track: Cosmic Highway
Les Claypool is a particularly well-renowned bass player who writes some seriously strange and demented music, which I can't get enough of. There is literally nothing else that sounds like this.
#20 The Cat Empire – The Cat Empire
Key Tracks: Manifesto, Hello
This music makes me want to dance. No, need to dance. As my college roommate eloquently said, “It's music for people who like....music.”
Key Track: Bring it on Home
This album choice needs little explaining. Led Zeppelin was my first CD, the first tracks I ever memorized on an instrument, and generally my favorite.
#2 In the Slot - Tower of Power
Key Tracks: Ebony Jam, In the Slot
Tower of Power picked up in Chicago with their full horn section and outrageously syncopated grooves. Rocco Prestia is one of my earliest memorable bass influences, and his work with Dave Garibaldi on drums is delicious.
#3 Jaco - Jaco Pastorius
Key Tracks: (Used to Be A) Cha Cha, Portrait of Tracy
So few bass players can match Jaco's beautiful, expressive nature and his incredible talent. He really brought the bass guitar to the front of the band and changed its role in music permanently.
#4 Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
Key Tracks: Contusion, Have a Talk with God
Stevie Wonder's music is filled with serious emotion and passion, not to mention some astonishing skill on every instrument in the recordings, courtesy of Stevie himself. A masterful work with a song for every mood.
#5 Ratatat - Ratatat
Key Track: Seventeen Years
The first time I heard Seventeen Years I nearly shat my pants. This is another duo, making their thick, layered guitar riffs and catchy beats even more awesome.
#6 Gratitude - Earth Wind and Fire
Key Track: Sing a Song
EWF (also known as Elements of the Universe, or Elements) has always been one of the more well-known funk and R&B groups, and this particular album was #1 in the US. Sing a Song has one of the most danceable grooves I've ever heard, and the vocals of Maurice White and Philip Bailey compliment each other masterfully. Verdine White is also one of the most solid bass players around, not to mention funky as hell.
#7 Cross - Justice
Key Tracks: Stress, One Minute to Midnight
Before I went to college I had never really even understood what electronic music was. Thankfully I was dropped right into the heart of New York's music scene, which really woke me up to what an amazing genre this really is. The variations are literally endless, and the idea of a band is totally rethought. No exception, Justice is composed of two french guys who happen to make some of the heaviest electronic jams ever.
#8 Revelations - Audioslave
Key Track: Jewel of the Summertime
Audioslave is just so good. Tom Morello's compositional work and Chris Cornell's voice make this group something that cannot be missed. There are a very few albums that I can listen to over and over again, and this is definitely one.
#9 A Show of Hands - Victor Wooten
Key Tracks: Me and My Bass Guitar, Justice
This album is, in my opinion, Vic's most definitive work. Each piece shows off his dazzling technical skills as well as his talent for songwriting. If you're a bass player and you haven't checked out Victor Wooten, throw on a pair of Depends and listen to this bad boy.
#10 Dookie - Green Day
Key Tracks: Longview, Welcome to Paradise
There are not enough popular bands that showcase their bass player. Songs like the above key tracks do just that, and on a punk album no less. It reminds me of my earlier days playing punk with New York band Michael Jordan, in which thrashing was the all-important factor. Few genres of music offer up this kind of release, and punk more or less demands it.
#11 Make Yourself - Incubus
Key Track: Battlestar Scralatchtica
Incubus is definitely one of my all time favorite contemporary groups, and it was actually really difficult for me to choose an album out of their awesome discography. Make Yourself is chock full of alternative goodness, and Battlestar Scralatchtica has a bassline and hits that can't be beat.
#12 Thonk - Michael Manring
Key Track: My Three Moons
Michael Manring is a phenomenal fretless bass player with a bit of personal flair. In My Three Moons, he often calls up two audience members to hold two of his basses flat across their arms while he has another two on shoulder straps. He then proceeds to play all four basses at once. FOUR BASSES AT ONCE?!?!? My mind is still boggled.
#13 Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Key Track: Blue Rondo a la Turk
I had read Johnny's list midway through writing mine only to discover he had the same album listed but for a different song. Blue Rondo shows Brubeck's versatility with time, changing tempos several times, and also exhibits his unique phrasing and jazz infused chord progressions.
#14 Hocus Pocus Live - Gary Hoey
Key Tracks: Blast, Hocus Pocus
This guy is a ludicrously nasty guitar player who loves to do covers, Christmas songs, and surf rock jams. A virtuoso to the hardcore extreme, His solos are loaded with aggressive scales, arpeggios, and wicked guitar harmonies. The best part of listening to Gary Hoey is that he tours with other similarly talented musicians, meaning his live show melts people's faces right off.
#15 Synkronized - Jamiroquai
Key Track: Black Capricorn Day
Jamiroquai has fantasic musicians and some of the best funk hooks ever. It's hard not to bob your head when listening to his works, and Synkronised stands out for its phenomenal songwriting.
#16 Untouchables - KoRn
Key Track: Here to Stay
Yep, I went there. This album came out my sophomore year in high school, and I listened to it religiously. Fieldy, the bass player, is a percussive master on bass guitar, not to mention his actual instrument is awesome. I doubt that I could listen as endlessly as in my youth, particularly because of the music's dark flavor, but it still has some amazing transitions and interesting riffs.
#17 A-sides – Soundgarden
Key Track: Burden in my Hand
I suppose it's slightly cliché to include a “best of” album for a top 20 choice, but for me this fits perfectly. It has all of my favorite Soundgarden songs showing off Chris Cornell's vocal athletics, not to mention some really solid music.
#18 Greenwich Mean – Wayne Krantz
Key Track: Infinity Split
Krantz is an extremely talented guitarist with the smoothest guitar licks. His music is essentially funky, syncopated jams which give him the chance to display his skill
#19 Purple Onion – Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade
Key Track: Cosmic Highway
Les Claypool is a particularly well-renowned bass player who writes some seriously strange and demented music, which I can't get enough of. There is literally nothing else that sounds like this.
#20 The Cat Empire – The Cat Empire
Key Tracks: Manifesto, Hello
This music makes me want to dance. No, need to dance. As my college roommate eloquently said, “It's music for people who like....music.”
I've gotta say, I just went and listened to The Cat Empire on youtube, and I'm totally digging it. Excellent choice.
ReplyDeleteYeah I do love that empire of cats. also check out "hello, hello" and "one four five"
ReplyDelete