“On the face of the earth”: The nine greatest bassists of all time, according to John Entwistle
When discussing his favourite bass players of all time, Motörhead maestro Lemmy Kilmister opined, “I love John Entwistle of The Who. Best bass player I ever saw, Entwistle!”
It was high praise from a man with particular taste. Lemmy went on to add, “[Paul] McCartney’s the second, though. He keeps giving in to the wimp in him, but he’s a great bass player.” Born in Chiswick, London, in 1944, the Who’s pounding four-stringer was a little bolder than that.
After that backhanded bashing of the famed Beatle, Lemmy continued his praise for Entwistle by adding, “The best bass player on the face of the earth. He was the best for me, no contest. He was so in command of his instrument. You never saw him flicker. Never a bum note that I ever heard.”
Beyond this steely command, he also had dazzling flair. As Lemmy adds: “And he was so fast, both hands going like hell. The bass solo in ‘My Generation’, you still tie yourself in knots trying to do it now. You can work it out, but it was another thing thinking it up. And that was back in 1964”. In those heady days, Entwistle redefined the bass.
Lemmy’s lofty adulation is an appraisal that encompasses everything that Entwistle had to offer, and it says a lot that it comes from a figure as thunderous as the hard-to-impress Motörhead leader.
You see, The Who bassist had enough rock ‘n’ roll bravura to enamour a gang of passing Hell’s Angels but enough intricacy and skill to raise the eyebrows of a concert hall composer. The late star was a law unto himself. Even Pete Townshend would happily add that Entwistle was the true lead guitar player in The Who, driving the melodies from the front, somehow, while keeping Keith Moon in line.
However, he was not without his influences. Over the years, he wasn’t profuse with praise, but he was quick to worship the few heroes of his own. Two of which were the inimitable trailblazers Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke. Speaking to Guitar Player about these two pioneering players in 1989, Entwistle, who died in 2002, said, “They were virtuosos who took bass in a different direction than I did: not in a rock way, but in a funky, jazzy way.”
Adding: “If you drew a family tree you have me going up in one direction. Then you have James Jamerson, with a branch for Jack Bruce and Carol Kaye. They’re sort of the early funk, real bass players. They lead to Larry Graham, with branches for people like Stanley Clarke and Jaco, which then lead to people like Mark King and Pino Palladino.”
However, there are also heroes with whom he recognises a kinship. Renowned for his soloing ability, Billy Sheehan of David Lee Roth’s and Mr Big is one of a few players who could give him a run for his money in the rock ‘n’ roll realm. As he eulogised: “Billy Sheehan is my branch. But the sound isn’t quite there. I know I influenced him because he sent me a fan letter and some tapes back when he was with Talas.”
Flattery will get you places, but the ‘My Generation’ maestro also recognised his talent, stating: “I’ve met him a few times–he’s a nice chap. But there doesn’t seem to be anyone using the amount of treble and distortion I use. Plus, I always make sure that there’s a clean bass sound that’s the backbone of whatever band I’m in. Then the treble is the part that makes it fun for me.” It is where Entwistle’s expressive ‘voice’ is.
However, above all, Entwistle was a master all-rounder of the bass, and this is reflected in the eclectic mix of stars whom he admired. Speaking about Mark King of the new romantic band Level 42, he said, “To a certain extent, Mark King [impressed me]. They are not really sort of rock bass players, a sort of funky-fusion,” he explained.
However, he is far from alone in identifying King as a talent outside of the typical rock genre, as fellow bassists from the era, like Flea, also took inspiration from the pop star. There was a sense that King could do anything… sometimes all within a single track.
And this style was born from King’s musical philosophy. “As I always say to any aspiring student, just play as much as you can with as many people as you can. You may not always like the songs or the music,” he once said.
Adding, “If you go from playing ‘The Gay Gordons’ to a swinging little quickstep, to a Stevie Wonder track, to doing ‘River Deep, Mountain High’, to a Beatles song, to a waltz, half the time you’re thinking ‘I can’t stand this stuff’, but what’s happening is you’re exponentially broadening your horizons. You become such a well-rounded player.” That’s something Entwistle, with his knack for punky aggression and considered composition, truly admired in anyone.
This broad range of stars typifies Entwistle’s approach to the instrument. The late Who bassist was always keen to bring an expansive approach to the instrument. He kept his ears open to the world and played the notes that were missing. As he once put it himself: “I ain’t heard anyone play like I do in my band, and I am very happy about that”.
John Entwistle’s favourite bassists:
- Jaco Pastorius
- Stanley Clarke
- James Jamerson
- Jack Bruce
- Carol Kaye
- Larry Graham
- Mark King
- Pino Palladino
- Billy Sheehan
