Jon, no worries; comparing all of those people at that level, ie. JP, Morse, etc. to us...well, we're all down there in the same boat, brotha (in fact, I do believe you took my seat! )
For guitar, I like them all equally well, just depending on my mood, but the guy that has influenced me the most, even though I don't play bass, is Tony Levin. I just seem to find him in everything I listen to.