Friday OT - The Big Cheese

weR138

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I agree with you.... Stewart and Andy are great players. Most people fixate on Sting as the main guy because of his voice. They are definitely a power trio.
At about 3:40 it's an interview with Jools Holland and Andy starts to explain some pedal effects. It's pretty cool to hear how a lot of the effects on the records were done right at the guitar and what a technician Andy was (is).
 
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cytor

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Loved ELO as a kid (still do). ELO is nothing without Jeff Lynne.
 
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Angie

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I don’t know, I think with REM it might be because he started over singing everything after their drummer left the band. His irritating voice then started to dominate. They were a more balanced band before that.

I think Berry left in, like, 1997 (right before "Up," if I remember correctly, because they used a drum machine on it). Stipe started being more coherent (and reedy) around the time of "Life's Rich Pageant" back in the mid-late 80s. I think their true ensemble sounds were earlier on, in the very beginning.

I agree regarding "balance." I love the thread topic, but R.E.M./Stipe might not be the strongest example (sorry, @Angie --- please don't hate me :)). Buck's guitar style is a key part of the sound (especially in first few years it set a distinct core), as is Mike Mills' harmony blend with Stipe.

Nope, I actually secretly agree. :) Buck and Mills are key, as was Berry. Berry was probably the most disposable, as they went forward without him... but it wasn't the same. I wanted to use it as an example because, at first blush, R.E.M. is Stipe's vehicle... but it's not. Similarly, just imagine the Pixies without Kim Deal singing "Gigantic," or rocking ass on the guitar.

Conspiracy theory: @Angie knew full well what she was doing starting with that post. This thread was bound to evolve into a full scale discussion of band dynamics.

;) It's not as easy as it seems sometimes, is it?

I kind of get this topic, but I kind of don't. Like with REM, you say Michael Stipe and I'll say Mike Mills. His harmonizing vocals are immediately identifiable. You say Thom Yorke, I'll say Johnny Greenwood. The guy is an instrumental genius and one of the more mesmerizing guitar players of our time. And for that matter Phil Selway on drums, I don't think people appreciate what he does with some of the seriously whacked out arrangements that band delivers.

I agree that a guy like David Byrne and his unique voice is the front porch of everyone's perception of the Talking Heads. And that this is the case with other bands like Malkmus with Pavement. Just not sure I agree that you could take Mills away and REM would be the same REM, or that you could take Iha away and Smashing Pumpkins would be the same Smashing Pumpkins, etc.

I do agree with this (I posted above) - I think there are very few ensemble bands where the sum is not greater than the whole!
 
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srjclone

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Wilco - That's Jeff Tweedy's band all the way.

The National - Hard to imagine any voice other than Matt Berninger singing one of their songs.

Alabama Shakes - Talented musicians, but Brittany Howard's voice drives that whole thing.

I'm trying to think of a non-singer for this but off the top of my head I'm coming up empty. Maybe John Frusciante for RHCP? I mean, they're still big without him but their work with him on guitar is their best.
Alabama Shakes is a great one, and being proven right with Brittany having success as a solo artist currently
 
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Angie

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Loved ELO as a kid (still do). ELO is nothing without Jeff Lynne.

One could say that Queen is nothing without Freddie Mercury - which is true, but Freddie Mercury was also nothing without (and solo from) Queen. I feel like Lynne needed ELO as a vehicle? Does that make sense?
 

weR138

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One could say that Queen is nothing without Freddie Mercury - which is true, but Freddie Mercury was also nothing without (and solo from) Queen. I feel like Lynne needed ELO as a vehicle? Does that make sense?

Yeah, that's the funny part of "Jeff Lynne's ELO", he plays every instrument so he doesn't even need the vehicle anymore!
 
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srjclone

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Obvious ones off the top of my head:
Prince and the Revolution
Bon Jovi
Alabama Shakes
LCD Soundsystem (tours with a band, but everything in production is him)
St. Vincent
Toro Y Moi (tours with band, but everything in production is him)
 
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srjclone

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We could also do one along these lines that, contrary to popular thought, is a one person band. I'm sure a list of those would garner some surprising ones.
 

Clonefan32

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There’s definitely no White Stripes without Jack White.

This is the correct answer. Not only does Jack not need a bass player, he managed to pull off the genius that is the White Stripes with about 1/2 a drum player.
 
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SCyclone

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Here's something I find interesting.....the Yardbirds had Clapton, Page, and Jeff Beck. First of all, who plays lead? (I'd argue Beck is the finest guitarist of the three, with Clapton a distant third) Second, when did the band disintegrate, and why? (I'm sure several of you know the story, I just haven't researched it.) But I'd argue that this was likely the greatest collection of guitar talent under one roof, ever.
 
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Angie

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We could also do one along these lines that, contrary to popular thought, is a one person band. I'm sure a list of those would garner some surprising ones.

Can you please PM me that so I can remember??
 

SCyclone

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Another outlier, just because they're one of my favorite bands - Pink Floyd. After Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall the band broke up....not completely, just that Roger Waters went his own way, mainly because he was obsessed with making social statements with his music, while the other three just wanted to rock and roll.

And it turned out the three were more (commercially, anyway) successful. Waters tried to get back in, but was politely rebuffed. I think Gilmour, Mason, and Wright had had enough of Roger tooting his own horn by then.
 

VeloClone

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Here's something I find interesting.....the Yardbirds had Clapton, Page, and Jeff Beck. First of all, who plays lead? (I'd argue Beck is the finest guitarist of the three, with Clapton a distant third) Second, when did the band disintegrate, and why? (I'm sure several of you know the story, I just haven't researched it.) But I'd argue that this was likely the greatest collection of guitar talent under one roof, ever.
Traveling Wilburys has to be in the conversation.
 

cyclones500

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I'm not a fan myself but I'm interested in @cyclones500 's take on Lou Reed/Velvet Underground.

VU did do a non-Reed LP, but it doesn't truly count -- Doug Yule was only actual band member involved (and Yule wasn't among the original lineup, so no founding members played on it).

To the direct question, Reed definitely engineered the train. Full-band contribution can't be ignored, though, building its sound, particularly Cale and the unique drumming of Mo Tucker. (And Nico, I guess).
 
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