Boom ba doom boom boom ba doom boom bass

November 23, 2011 11:02 AM

Is there a darker side to bass guitar solos and if so, which bands/artists utilize it? Darker bands/songs with prominent bass also work.

I've been thinking about picking it up because I absolutely love traditional instruments that can have a "dark" feel, and I noticed that the ones I love most (cello, double bass) play in the bass clef. I figure that bass would be a more accessible alternative, but while I like what I hear when I listen to bass with other instruments I can't seem to find any solos that make me go "wow!" and feel the strong emotions the other instruments do. I've Youtube'd the heck out of this and most solos I find are jazz/reggae/blues (don't like), or they're in a genre I like (ex. moonlight sonata, fur elise covers) but they just sound... flat.

Here(start at 4:13) are some examples of the darker sound I'm talking about. Here's an example of a bass solo that makes me go "wow!"

posted by biochemist to Media & Arts (20 answers total)

Cliff Burton's solo in Anesthesia/Pulling Teeth (too soon joined by Lars Ulrich, who as usual contributes nothing) is as close and one gets to a classic in the genre.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 11:27 AM on November 23, 2011

Most things by Tool, I would think, especially this.
posted by jbickers at 11:32 AM on November 23, 2011

Darker bands/songs with prominent bass also work.

Unless I am completely off on instrumentation, dark, doomy bass drives a lot of Joy Division songs. Example.
posted by griphus at 11:35 AM on November 23, 2011

Maybe The Black Angels would be to your liking. I'm not sure how much is actually bass, or just low notes on a regular guitar, but a lot of their stuff has a low, doomy quality to it.
posted by The Deej at 11:42 AM on November 23, 2011

Darker bands/songs with prominent bass also work.

Primus maybe? (and also Les Claypool's other projects)
posted by mrgoat at 11:44 AM on November 23, 2011

Cliff Burton's solo in Anesthesia/Pulling Teeth (too soon joined by Lars Ulrich, who as usual contributes nothing) is as close and one gets to a classic in the genre.

Also check out Cliff Burton's solo in Orion from the same album (Master of Puppets). Clip here (bass solo is at 6:35 but really should be listened to in the context of the whole song).
posted by 3FLryan at 11:47 AM on November 23, 2011

The band Morphine also often covered this area pretty well.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 12:03 PM on November 23, 2011

I'm not sure any of the playing on any of their songs necessarily qualifies as a "solo," but the bass in Three Mile Pilot is really, really excellent, and the tone seems to generally fit what you're looking for. Another example. And one more.
posted by saladin at 12:16 PM on November 23, 2011

Another vote for Morphine. Damn, I miss that band.
posted by kellyblah at 12:32 PM on November 23, 2011

I'm currently unable to listen to the examples you posted, so I apologize if I'm way off, but when I think of dark bass work I think of ZAZAs "The Call" as well as Tori Amos's "iieee" and "Cruel."
posted by wondermouse at 12:54 PM on November 23, 2011

Death from Above 1979 is a bassist/synth player and drummer that play full-sounding dance punk. More aggressive than "dark", but a good example of the bass taking a more prominent/solo harmonic role.

Stardeath and White Dwarfs "Those Who Are From the Sun Return to the Sun" is a fun bass/drum jam.

Pink Floyd's "One of these Days" (live so you can hear the bass part without studio effects).
posted by Benjy at 1:25 PM on November 23, 2011

Entwhistle's bass on the first song on Quadrophenia, "The Real Me."

Vicious.
posted by digitalprimate at 1:57 PM on November 23, 2011

Maybe Bohren & Der Club of Gore, though it might be too slow/jazzy for your tastes.
posted by box at 2:43 PM on November 23, 2011

You might like Squarepusher. Example.
posted by John Cohen at 3:47 PM on November 23, 2011

Another vote for Joy Division.
posted by tallmiddleagedgeek at 5:42 PM on November 23, 2011

Though they don't have a lot of show-offy-solos, you might like Rothko, who made their music mostly or entirely with bass guitars (Breatharian, for example).
posted by K.P. at 8:02 PM on November 23, 2011

Al Cisneros' bass playing is what inspired me to take it up...

Om - Live at Amoeba

Om - Meditation is the Practice of Death
posted by Kandarp Von Bontee at 9:16 PM on November 23, 2011

Sun O))) - Typically just bass but the style isn't for everyone most.
posted by melt away at 7:17 AM on November 24, 2011

Another for Sunn and Om.
Neurosis (or anything with Dave Ed really)
Vulvalard
There's not much in the way of soloing in any of these, but there is extensive use of chords, which in the punk/metal world is rather unusual for bass and can make it sound way heavier and darker.
posted by gally99 at 9:25 AM on November 24, 2011

Mick Karn is a singularly unique bassist (fretless) with a dark/busy sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SagT216S_m0&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r02hAGA56Iw&feature=related
posted by 4midori at 10:53 AM on November 25, 2011