Eh, not sure I agree. There’s definitely a place for the bass virtuoso. And there’s definitely places for bass to lead. And there’s some very popular bands where the bass is what drives the whole.
You’re right about how no one part of the band should drown out the others though, for sure 
I wholeheartedly agree that there’s room for bass virtuoso (as well as keyboard, drums, etc). But I think you just made my point. There are good bands, and good music, where bass is overtly driving everything. It’s great stuff. Playing bass is pseudo-synonymous with playing rhythm. They’re not playing rhythm. They’re using a bass guitar to play lead. And again, to great effect.
It’s kind of like where there comes a point that it’s no longer country, it’s no longer jazz, it’s no longer blues, it’s no longer rock & roll. This new sound is a good thing. It’s just no longer X.
Watching Jack Bruce, Carl Radle, Steve Harris, Flea… That got me wanting to play bass guitar and wanting to play rhythm. Watching Victor Wooten, Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller showed me Holy Cow there’s a whole other world… But that’s not rhythm. It’s even more pronounced once you get up into 6-string.
Regardless… I’m in awe of these guys, and I’m always going to enjoy watching them and being grateful for what they bring.
Yeah, I see what you’re saying, it’s kind of a mixed bag. If you look at Motorhead, that’s straight up very hard rock/metal, driven by Lemmy’s bass:
Geddy Lee is great in the mix but also routinely stands out in Rush (which is tough given how awesome the other two are):
For post-punk the definitive band would probably be Joy Division, whose instrumental sound was defined almost entirely by Hooky’s bass:
and also subsequently New Order, who routinely packed stadiums, again with that signature bass sound in the forefront:
Bass was at the forefront of a lot of post-punk and gothic rock:
For the virtuosos, while some are doing what you say by having a new style of somewhat jazzy signature sound, you also have others like Kiyoshi, who plays rock which just happens to be only her and a drummer:
and has no problem sitting in the mix in Marty Friedman’s metal band:
Les Claypool, who manages to sit well in a mix while shredding bass at the same time:
and others. These are verging on a new sound, as you say, but not entirely. They are also still kind of firmly in-genre, except maybe Primus - but Primus isn’t weird because of Les’ bass. Primus is weird because Primus
I think it is great that the (electric) bass as an instruments and the players along with it have developed, away from a purely supportive role (tying rhythm and harmony together) to a more leading role, either as the driver and motor of a band or as taking on a lead or solo voice for part of a song. It is a bit like emancipation of the bass, which can happen in so many ways, as the examples above also show.
What drew me to the bass was this (explicit and/or potential) versatility and “multi-functionality” of this instrument - as a bass player, you can be part of so much, either supportive, leading, defining, or the whole lot!
Gonna make a few enemies today.
Cats aren’t the only animals who seem to understand me, but cats do understand me best.
I suppose it comes with being an introvert.
Ha-ha! No enemies here in the “Lounge”, @peterhuppertz . . . 
Yeah, I’m more of a dog person, but cats DO have lots of advantages . . . Been thinking of getting a pet as I had mentioned earlier, and have heard that a cat will pick YOU out rather than vice-versa! 
Cheers and thanks for your post, Joe
I’ve always liked the way that boxers have that “worried” look on their faces . . .
Also heard that Jack Russell’s are extremely energetic and boisterous! I once met one whose name was “Bonkers” . . . 
lol
Any pics of your dogs?
Cheers, Joe
Cats don’t relate to me, and I don’t particularly care for them as pets (which may seem odd, given my nickname of Pam Purrs). They are very cute, and I love when they purr, but other than that, I hate the way they disobey all the rules of the house and just do whatever they want. In other words, their personalities are too similar to mine. 
Now there’s a really honest statement 
. . .
If you were male, you’d have great trouble understanding women.
The trick is to, like a willow, bend with the wind, to trick them into thinking that you’re giving in… and then bend back up.
On top of that, as a cat owner, you have to learn to pick your battles. A cat comes with its personality already firmly applied, and you cannot model it to your will. You have to understand it, and learn to work with it.
Dogs are like P-basses; cats are like Rickenbackers. 
The really interesting thing about cats is that two brothers from the same litter are probably more different in character than two randomly picked dogs from the same race.
I’ve grown up among German Shepherds. You know exactly what you get with a German Shepherd – loyal, fiercely protective of those in their care, above-average smart, you know the drill.
Cats aren’t that easy to work with. That’s what I like in them. When you get to understand them, they turn out to be remarkably predictable, and highly loving – but on mutually-agreed terms.
That’s a really interesting point, and I’ll keep that in mind, @peterhuppertz
When I was married many years ago, my wife and I had lots of “discussions” (if you know what I mean) about her cats I didn’t like them and they didn’t like me either.
But since then, I’ve learned to “bend with the wind” a little, as you say 
Cheers, Joe
We have the same thing going on in our marriage, only the roles are reversed.
My wife once made the mistake of saying “… it’s only a cat.” It was at that time she found out that looks can actually kill. We’re still married, but she really tested our bond then.
I am exaggerating somewhat. She’s learnt to like our cats. But our cats are on to her, and cling to me a lot more, even though we tried to change that a bit – it is her hand that feeds them.
That’s true about cats, they know when people don’t like them. When I visit my sister, her cats hide, even though I’ve never done any harm to them. They just know …
I really SciFi as well. If you haven’t read it Nathan Lowell’s Solar Clipper series is really good. The first book is called Quarter Share. They are all available on Kindle Unlimited if you have it.
Sitting here in my recliner with a tumbler of single malt scotch on the rocks enjoying a little “Lounge” time…
Stay Safe Everyone, and,…
Keep on Humpin’, Thumpin’, and Kickin’ Ass!!
By popular demand! There is now a subforum called “The Lounge”, where we can all spread our things out and have casual non-bass chats such as those in this thread. Feast your eyes:
Okay, there’s not much to feast on right now except this one thread… so let’s get chatting! 
Thanks, @JoshFossgreen . . . 
I thought it might make a nice addition and give our members a wider playing field for discussion and fellowship.
Cheers, Joe
LOVE THIS!!!
Thanks @Jazzbass19 Joe, and Thanks @JoshFossgreen…
With our world in the current state it’s in,… just having a spot to just be “human” is totally refreshing… Thank You…
