The bassist Duff McKagan called out of everyone’s league: “He was a bad motherfucker”
Duff McKagan praised Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones as a bassist operating at an exceptionally high level, describing him as “a bad motherfucker”. The Guns N’ Roses musician’s comments underline Jones’s often understated but influential role in Led Zeppelin, where his playing added complexity and character beyond a conventional rhythm-section function.
McKagan said his appreciation deepened while preparing for a Jimmy Page tribute in Seattle, when he spent up to seven hours a day studying Jones’s parts. He highlighted Jones’s fluid, effortless style and cited Led Zeppelin songs including ‘Black Dog’ and ‘The Lemon Song’ as examples of bass playing that gave the instrument a prominent musical voice.
- Duff McKagan singled out John Paul Jones for exceptional bass playing.
- Studying Zeppelin parts transformed McKagan’s appreciation of Jones.
- Jones’s basslines helped redefine the instrument’s role in rock.