# The Ox - Greatest Bass Player Ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 18, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819 "2004-02-18T17:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/21 "2004-02-19T15:40:09Z")
Entwistle is hard to top. I would rate **Flea** of the Red Hot Chili Peppers pretty high in the pantheon as well. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/22 "2004-02-19T16:15:05Z")
You guys are still talking about this? \*\* Chefguy \*\* nailed it a while back 😃 Jaco was the man all the way down to the cuts between his fingers so he could reach further. I’m off now to listen to _The Chicken_ on my HD. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/23 "2004-02-19T16:26:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Why is it so important for people to affix labels to artists such as “greatest ever”. There is no such thing as “greatest” and I’ve never understood the temptation to label someone as such. Well, there’s something I bet nobody here has ever read. How about “to express personal preference” or “for the sake of having a conversation?” ---
**Author:** ![BizarroRonJeremy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@BizarroRonJeremy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BizarroRonJeremy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/24 "2004-02-19T18:08:05Z")
Yeah, “Greatest Bass Player” sounds a bit presumptious, but I said it that way for brevity’s sake. The Ox brought more than his fair share to the Who table. And, my real point is that he played a more important role in the Who than any other bassist did in their respective band. Granted, Flea and RHCP are forever intwined. But he didn’t really revolutionize funk bass. He just brought it to a different audience. So long as he was part of the Beatles it doesn’t matter what instrument he plays. So, the Who = Ox + Moonie + Pete + Rog Remove any of the variables and you cease to have the Who (as proven by Kenny Jones’ stint) Could you imagine any of the others playing in another group? Keith Moon in Led Zeppelin? Almost happened, but no way. Entwistle in the Beatles? Nah, never. Townsend with anyone else? That’s why the Who sucked hard when Kenny Jones came on board. ---
**Author:** ![BizarroRonJeremy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@BizarroRonJeremy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BizarroRonJeremy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/25 "2004-02-19T18:09:45Z")
Quote: “So long as he was part of the Beatles it doesn’t matter what instrument he plays.” “he” being Paul McCartney… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/26 "2004-02-19T19:40:44Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > You guys are still talking about this? \*\* Chefguy \*\* nailed it a while back 😃 > > Jaco was the man all the way down to the cuts between his fingers so he could reach further. > > I’m off now to listen to _The Chicken_ on my HD. Five minutes of **Weather Report** ’s music makes me drive ice picks into my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/27 "2004-02-19T21:02:50Z")
> [@](#): > > So, the Who = Ox + Moonie + Pete + Rog The guys who are still around have admitted this is the case. I’m not sure what the comment about Paul McCartney meant. ---
**Author:** ![BizarroRonJeremy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@BizarroRonJeremy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BizarroRonJeremy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/28 "2004-02-19T21:43:10Z")
Marley23, in my previous post, I mentioned the Beatles but I wasn’t clear about who I was talking about. I was talking about Paul MCartney. As if no one knows that Paul was in the Beatles. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/29 "2004-02-20T01:00:19Z")
I’m quite partial to Matt Freeman of Rancid and Operation Ivy. His speed is simply amazing (see the song ‘Maxwell Murder’ for an example). However, he is on record as saying that he learned to play by emulating John Entwistle, so I gotta give the edge to Entwistle for being the pioneer. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/30 "2004-02-20T01:30:42Z")
I got that bit. I didn’t quite understand what you meant by “So long as Paul was part of the Beatles it doesn’t matter what instrument he plays.” ---
**Author:** ![Jerrybear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jerrybear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jerrybear)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819/31 "2004-02-28T18:50:36Z")
> [@statheist](#): > > Please tell me you’re kidding. If I had to pick a best musician in The Grateful Dead, perhaps it would be him given the lack of competition, but “Best Rock Bassist of All Time?!?!” Please! No, I am not kidding! I would also nominate Jerry Garcia for best guitarist and Mickey Hart for best drummer. Why are you hatin’ the Dead? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ox-greatest-bass-player-ever/229819.md?page=1)