Latest articles by Brian Fox
Timothy B. Schmidt on becoming the go-to bassist for The Eagles
From Poco to Toto, Steely Dan to Spinal Tap, Timothy B. Schmidt has logged endless road miles and studio hours – and then there’s his main gig...
Dee Murray was the centerpiece of the early Elton John band – and the last bassist to play onstage with John Lennon
In May 1973, Dee Murray anchored what would become one of Elton John’s most celebrated hits
Paul McCartney was in bass peak form on this lesser-known Beatles gem
Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in February 1968, Hey Bulldog was one of the last Beatles sessions tracked as a band
How Beck’s longtime bassist scored his spot in Nine Inch Nails
Back in 2008, Justin Meldal-Johnsen was launched from his role as Beck’s musical director onto a Nine Inch Nails world tour
“Flea said I might get the gig”: Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery recalls his 2003 audition for Metallica
After surviving Jane’s Addiction and touring with Alanis Morissette, Eric Avery was granted an audition with metal giants Metallica
How Glenn Hughes brought his low-end expertise into the spotlight with Joe Bonamassa and Black Country Communion
The ageless rock veteran with Deep Purple and Black Sabbath recorded his most bass-intensive disc alongside guitarist Joe Bonamassa
“What you think is guitar is actually me strumming chords on bass”: How Incubus bassist Ben Kenney came up with the perfect bassline
Ben Kenney's bassline underwent several changes, but he says there’s one section of the band’s 2006 hit that no guitarist can replicate
The diverse career – and gear – of bassist Hutch Hutchinson
Bonnie Raitt’s longtime bass sideman can do it all – and he even played on the Toy Story soundtrack
“I’d cover the strings in cheeseburger grease, barbecue sauce – even blood”: Stephen Stills on his unlikely bass tone journey
Nicknamed Captain Manyhands, Stephen Stills ranks among pop music’s finest unsung bass talents
How Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones took flight with Them Crooked Vultures
Back in 2010 John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme joined forces in a bid to redefine heavy rock
Listen to Roger Glover’s isolated bassline on Deep Purple’s Highway Star
Highway Star presents the best route to the heart of Deep Purple’s riff-driven righteousness
Why Chris Squire’s relationship with Rickenbacker got off to a shaky start
Chris Squire's Rickenbacker underwent several changes over the years, the most radical coming when he rewired the single-output bass with stereo outputs
Why Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson) is an artist in a vast left-field league of his own
You may or may not know Squarepusher (aka Tom Jenkinson), but chances are he doesn’t care to know you
“I’d be there with bass pedals, a triple-neck guitar and keyboards, and Robert Plant would ask, ‘Can you sing, as well?’” How John Paul Jones became Led Zeppelin’s ultimate wingman
Armed with years of experience as a session bassist and arranger – having worked with the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and the Rolling Stones – John Paul Jones could do it all
“Bono always wanted me to play that part with a pick, but I get a different reaction from playing bass with my fingers. There’s nothing quite like that contact of pulling the wires”: Adam Clayton on the U2 sound
Whether he’s playing steady eighth-notes or a rocking counter melody, U2’s Adam Clayton seems to have the perfect tone for every song
“I've always played with a pick, but up until the fifth Foo Fighters record, I never played downstrokes”: How Nate Mendel changed the way he played bass to “support Dave’s songs as best as possible”
From the Bass Player Archive: An interview with Foo Fighters bassist Nate Mendel
“I had the same punk-rock attack that Duff had. I wouldn’t be afraid to say I stole some of his stuff”: How Tommy Stinson survived the making of Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy
Tommy Stinson replaced Duff McKagan in 1998, but being the bassist in Guns N’ Roses takes work – a lot of it
“You don’t just play the root notes – there’s always harmony there to make a bassline more interesting”: How Bruce Thomas transformed Elvis Costello’s (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
Bruce Thomas on the heyday of the Attractions and their most auspicious debut, (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea
“Doug really knew his way around that bass. Billy built the band around him”: How Paul Simon's advice and Doug Stegmeyer’s swinging bassline transformed Billy Joel’s Only The Good Die Young
Doug Stegmeyer was a student of the Beatles and Motown – and his bassline on Only The Good Die Young is a masterclass
“I think a bass solo can be as exciting as a guitar solo – if not more”: Listen to John Entwistle’s live bass solo on The Who’s 5:15
John Entwistle proves why bass solos aren't always a bad idea
“You bassists who think your bass isn’t loud enough, you’re right! I always want my bass louder in the mix”: How Geddy Lee found his sound with Rush
Geddy Lee used distortion to “knit together” his live sound with Canada’s pioneering power trio
“I still have the strings I used on that session in a Ziploc bag”: How Muzz Skillings took the rock world by storm on Cult of Personality
Muzz Skillings kept things fresh on this heavy, riff-based smash from Living Colour's debut album
Review round-up: semi-hollow and hollowbody basses
We check out the D’Angelico EX-Bass, Ibanez ASB180 and AGB205 Warwick RockBass Star Bass 4- & 5-strings
