Which Morrissey songs have the best bass line?

"I Started Something"
&
"Rubber Ring"​
 
I'm definitely not saying it's the best bass line (assuming bass line is what the bass player actually plays), but a very beautiful CHORD PROGRESSION can be found in "You Have Killed Me"!
 
As soon as I saw the title of this thread my mind went to 'Tommorrow' - the little bass line that Gary plays under the second to last riff (immediately after the vocals have finished) is excellent. I would say Johnny Bridgwood (did I spell that right?) is probably the best bassist Morrissey has worked with solo though. Though let's not forget Andy Rourke, a great fretless bass on 'He Knows I'd Love to See Him' - am i really the first person to mention this song? I mean, 'Barbarism' is a great line, but apart from that slight variation on the last time round it's just repeated ad nauseum throughout the song.
 
Last edited:
The "walking" bass on the Hatful version of This Charming Man is great! Don't really like that song that much, but what a bass-line!

Love the repeated bass-line on Swallow On My Neck, as well. It's easier to make out on the live version...
 
America Is Not The World. Seriously, listen to it, great stuff.
 
As soon as I saw the title of this thread my mind went to 'Tommorrow' - the little bass line that Gary plays under the second to last riff (immediately after the vocals have finished) is excellent. I would say Johnny Bridgwood (did I spell that right?) is probably the best bassist Morrissey has worked with solo though. Though let's not forget Andy Rourke, a great fretless bass on 'He Knows I'd Love to See Him' - am i really the first person to mention this song? I mean, 'Barbarism' is a great line, but apart from that slight variation on the last time round it's just repeated ad nauseum throughout the song.

Nope, I already mentioned 'He Knows'!
Is that really a fretless bass? Gives it a kind of 80's paul Young vibe!
Don't think it's Andy Rourke though. Those were later sessions after Stephen Street had jumped ship.
 
I would like to add "William, It Was Really Nothing" and "Money Changes Everything" for The Smiths and for Morrissey solo: "Sister I'm A Poet".

I don't know if these are the best ones, and I don't know if these are my favourites, but I like them.

EDIT.
What about Shakespeare's Sister?
 
Last edited:
Nope, I already mentioned 'He Knows'!
Is that really a fretless bass? Gives it a kind of 80's paul Young vibe!
Don't think it's Andy Rourke though. Those were later sessions after Stephen Street had jumped ship.

I don't know for sure, but i sure as hell sounds like a fretless bass - there's lots of sliding into and out of notes with absolutely no fret noise - listen around the 1.40 mark for instance for a very typical woody fretless bass sound, yes, just like those 80's Paul Young songs! :)

Unless it was some nameless session musician it should be Rourke (though I can't remember hearing him play fretless bass in anything else) as according to the 'November Spawned a Monster' credits list the band line up on this single is Rourke on bass, Armstrong on guitar, and Paresi on drums. I presume this would be around the period Rourke dropped his legal battle with Morrissey, hence why Joyce and Gannon dissappeared with Strephen Street but Rourke stuck around a little longer. Maybe Morrissey 'giving' him a writing credit for 'Girl Least Likely To' (which is patently stolen from The Cookies) was part of the deal? Who knows... :cool:
 
Nope, I already mentioned 'He Knows'!
Is that really a fretless bass? Gives it a kind of 80's paul Young vibe!
Don't think it's Andy Rourke though. Those were later sessions after Stephen Street had jumped ship.

Andy Rourke is credited with playing Bass on The November single...I think it would have stated if someone else played Bass on just He Knows I'd Love To See him, like they did mentioning Bedders on "Sing Your Life", while the single lists Johnny Bridwood as playing Bass on the other two tracks...

Picadilly Palare doesn't mention who played on the single..which leaves Get Off The Stage up for grabs...I asked Andy if he played on it, he said he wrote it, but didn't remember if he played on it when it was recorded
 
I always found that frustrating.

Well, someone else and I surmise that At Amber was recorded during the last Stephen Street sessions (Remixed by Langer & Wankersly), and probably has Rourke, Gannon, and Joyce....possibly Neil Taylor too...

Picadilly Palare was written by Armstrong so it probably has Armstrong and Paresi, probably Rourke and the same with Get Off The Stage...

Only Morrissey knows..but he probably has forgotten by now
 
Infact National Front Disco isn;t bad as far as basslines go. And Vicar in a Tutu, although repetative, is very rockabilly.
 
Back
Top Bottom