Best band where primary lead singer is the bassist?

Best band where primary lead singer is the bassist?


  • Total voters
    25

Purple_Pills

New Fish
Best band where primary lead singer is the bassist? (Primary[/b] lead singer, so no Paul for Beatles or Benjamin Orr for Cars)
 
Just to whet the whistle:

Wings - “Band on the Run”

Rush - Spirit of the Radio”

Thin Lizzy - “Cowboy Song”

The Police - “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”

Primus - “John the Fisherman”

Cream - “White Room”

Motörhead - “Ace of Spades”

 
Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney both played bass but weren’t technically 100%, full time lead singers.
 
Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney both played bass but weren’t technically 100%, full time lead singers.

I already disqualified Paul from Beatles above, but not Wings. Brian Wilson was an easy disqualification because the nasally Mike Love was lead on many of The Beach Boys songs and Brian’s brother Carl was lead on their all time greatest single, “Good Vibrations.”
 
Yella …

When I get down to Bend to play golf this year you’re going to listen to non-stop Rush while we play and you’re going to like it
 
Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney both played bass but weren’t technically 100%, full time lead singers.

I already disqualified Paul from Beatles above, but not Wings. Brian Wilson was an easy disqualification because the nasally Mike Love was lead on many of The Beach Boys songs and Brian’s brother Carl was lead on their all time greatest single, “Good Vibrations.”

I'm not quibbling, mind you, and mostly agree here.

I still struggle with the concept of Wings as a "band". To me, it's still "Paul McCartney and Wings".

Beach Boys were so similar to the Beatles in dividing up the lead singer role. Brian sang plenty of lead on a number of their early hits- e.g., In My Room, Don't Worry Baby, Surfer Girl, and a lot of their best known tracks had Mike and Brian sharing leads- e.g., Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice.
 
Yella …

When I get down to Bend to play golf this year you’re going to listen to non-stop Rush while we play and you’re going to like it

I have no more of a love / hate relationship with a band, than I do with Rush. It's hard, it's a process.
 
Yella …

When I get down to Bend to play golf this year you’re going to listen to non-stop Rush while we play and you’re going to like it

Suprised by this @BleachedAnusDawg ...

I thought you'd appreciated Rush for their technically gifted, proggy playing.
 
Yella …

When I get down to Bend to play golf this year you’re going to listen to non-stop Rush while we play and you’re going to like it

Suprised by this @BleachedAnusDawg ...

I thought you'd appreciated Rush for their technically gifted, proggy playing.

Yeah, I can kind of appreciate their technical skill, but I can't stand listening to Geddy sing. He's on my Mt. Rushmore of annoying vocalists. I will avoid crapping on them because the band was certainly high level on the musicianship scale and I understand why lots of people like them.
 
Yella …

When I get down to Bend to play golf this year you’re going to listen to non-stop Rush while we play and you’re going to like it

Suprised by this @BleachedAnusDawg ...

I thought you'd appreciated Rush for their technically gifted, proggy playing.

Yeah, I can kind of appreciate their technical skill, but I can't stand listening to Geddy sing. He's on my Mt. Rushmore of annoying vocalists. I will avoid crapping on them because the band was certainly high level on the musicianship scale and I understand why lots of people like them.

My position on Rush is softening as I listen to them more on the hi fi rig. Still hate Geddy’s vocals and some of his lyrics. But fuck those guys could play.
 
Yella …

When I get down to Bend to play golf this year you’re going to listen to non-stop Rush while we play and you’re going to like it

Suprised by this @BleachedAnusDawg ...

I thought you'd appreciated Rush for their technically gifted, proggy playing.

Yeah, I can kind of appreciate their technical skill, but I can't stand listening to Geddy sing. He's on my Mt. Rushmore of annoying vocalists. I will avoid crapping on them because the band was certainly high level on the musicianship scale and I understand why lots of people like them.

My position on Rush is softening as I listen to them more on the hi fi rig. Still hate Geddy’s vocals and some of his lyrics. But fuck those guys could play.

The musicianship doesn’t get better

There’s definitely some songs where Geddy’s vocals probably kept the band back from being bigger

The songs where the vocals work … hard to find much better
 
Here’s an “other”:

James Dewar with Robin Trower:

Robin Trower - “Day of the Eagle”:

Fuck yes. On my top ten album list
 
I love me some Primus, not as much as some of the others here, but Claypool is on another level as a bassist according to my amateur ear.

I would've voted for Bruce otherwise since I like his vocals. McCartney doesn't qualify for the reasons already mentioned, and I can only handle 1-2 Rush songs before I'm ready for someone else.
 
I love me some Primus, not as much as some of the others here, but Claypool is on another level as a bassist according to my amateur ear.

I would've voted for Bruce otherwise since I like his vocals. McCartney doesn't qualify for the reasons already mentioned, and I can only handle 1-2 Rush songs before I'm ready for someone else.

Primus sucks!

Les Claypool on lead bass! They are a fun band.
 
Last edited:
Waiting for some gay ass quook to vote for Kip Winger

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Yella …

When I get down to Bend to play golf this year you’re going to listen to non-stop Rush while we play and you’re going to like it

Suprised by this @BleachedAnusDawg ...

I thought you'd appreciated Rush for their technically gifted, proggy playing.

Yeah, I can kind of appreciate their technical skill, but I can't stand listening to Geddy sing. He's on my Mt. Rushmore of annoying vocalists. I will avoid crapping on them because the band was certainly high level on the musicianship scale and I understand why lots of people like them.

A friend of mine was lead singer and rhythm guitarist of a band. I was gushing about Neil Peart one day and mentioned that Neil was also the lead songwriter. So he asked me, “what does the lead singer do, except sound annoying?” I answered back that he is bassist and does all the keyboard work since Rush is a trio. His reply was, “wow, they make so much sound I never considered they were a trio.” He became a casual fan, like many of us soon after. Geddy’s voice and some the fantastical lyrics and songs can be too much IMO, which drives some people away.
 
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