# Bands with one great musician **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908 "2019-03-10T19:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/21 "2019-03-11T00:57:57Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > I’ll disagree with that. I’ve seen Neil live about 20 times so excuse the “fanboy” bias. But Crazy Horse, as a band, is great. But other than Neil, not great musicians. David Crosby once said, after singing along with them on Cinnamon Girl, that Billy Talbot was making mistakes - “After 30 years, he still doesn’t know it!” > > But it works. I agree about the band. I’m saying Neil isn’t a great musician. He’s a much better acoustic player than electric. And nobody plays a one note solo quite like him. But in pure musician skills he’s nothing special. His strength comes from the songs he writes not for how he plays them. In fact in the question I posed I think CSN&Y fits. Stills is clearly the best musician of the bunch. Of course that’s muddied up a bit because throughout the years in different incarnations they’ve always had excellent musicians behind them as well. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/22 "2019-03-11T01:24:05Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > . . .David Crosby once said, after singing along with them on Cinnamon Girl, that Billy Talbot was making mistakes - . . … Really? The auteur of Almost Cut My Nose Hair said that? Devastating! ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/23 "2019-03-11T01:27:24Z")
We R.E.M. fans didn’t realize just what a musical wizard Bill Berry was until he left the band. Sure, he’s an OK drummer, but he was also the band’s honest-to-goodness songwriter, as evidenced by their early vs. later material. And then there’s Nirvana. Who thought, back in the early 1990s, that the DRUMMER was really the band’s true heart, soul, and TALENT? ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/24 "2019-03-11T01:34:30Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I agree about the band. I’m saying Neil isn’t a great musician. He’s a much better acoustic player than electric. And nobody plays a one note solo quite like him. But in pure musician skills he’s nothing special. His strength comes from the songs he writes not for how he plays them. In fact in the question I posed I think CSN&Y fits. Stills is clearly the best musician of the bunch. Of course that’s muddied up a bit because throughout the years in different incarnations they’ve always had excellent musicians behind them as well. I think he is a great musician. Not by technique. But by how it sounds. Cortez the Killer\*, Like a Hurricane, and his acoustic playing. \*three note solo. Many years ago I was having this same discussion with a friend. We were listening to Live Rust, and I made the point that he was not a great technical guitarist but I loved this playing anyway. And I said he was only playing three chords. My roomate, who had a room upstairs, shouted down, "But they are the right three! ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/25 "2019-03-11T01:36:57Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > We R.E.M. fans didn’t realize just what a musical wizard Bill Berry was until he left the band. Sure, he’s an OK drummer, but he was also the band’s honest-to-goodness songwriter, as evidenced by their early vs. later material. > > And then there’s Nirvana. Who thought, back in the early 1990s, that the DRUMMER was really the band’s true heart, soul, and TALENT? Someone said, 10 years from now, Nirvanna will be remembered as Grohl’s first band. Not sure if I agree with that but he is immensly talented. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/26 "2019-03-11T01:39:40Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Someone said, 10 years from now, Nirvanna will be remembered as Grohl’s first band. Not sure if I agree with that but he is immensly talented. Grohl’s great, but I far preferred Kurt’s songwriting. Both immensely talented in their own ways. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/27 "2019-03-11T01:48:59Z")
The Eagles were a bunch of guys and the inestimable Joe Walsh. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/28 "2019-03-11T01:54:07Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > Someone said, 10 years from now, Nirvanna will be remembered as Grohl’s first band. Not sure if I agree with that but he is immensly talented. There’s that long-running urban legend about some kid seeing a Beatles album and proclaiming, “I didn’t know Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings!” Yeah, well, there are a lot of kids who are finding out that Dave Grohl was in a band before the Foo Fighters. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/29 "2019-03-11T02:00:25Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > The Eagles were a bunch of guys and the inestimable Joe Walsh. This is the one time I have to disagree with Lewbowsi. I like the fucking Eagles. I also like “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul. My friends always grown when I play it, as they do for “Borderline” by Madonnna ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/30 "2019-03-11T02:13:35Z")
Ten Years After with Alvin Lee and some not as talented musicians. Ten Years Later with Alvin Lee and ??? The White Stripes with Jack White. Meg White’s simplified drumming fit perfectly into the scheme of things, but in terms of skill on her instrument, she had a fraction of Mr. White’s talent. Most bands backing Johnny Winter. Any band backing Roy Buchanan. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/31 "2019-03-11T02:20:47Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > I also like “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul. That is a great pop song. Always loved it. Hell, I had that album, and enjoyed almost every track on it, but “Straight Up” was the stand-out by far. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/32 "2019-03-11T02:31:17Z")
Dire Straits. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/33 "2019-03-11T03:31:16Z")
One might reflexively pull up Jethro Tull, except, for most of their tenure, lead guitar was handled by Martin Lancelot Barre, and while the rest of the band was rather fluid, almost all of them were excellent musicians (Jeffrey was sub-par while he was in the band, but good enough, I guess). Ian had a talent for attracting the cream of the crop for his BaRock music. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/34 "2019-03-11T06:31:36Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > One might reflexively pull up Jethro Tull, except, for most of their tenure, lead guitar was handled by Martin Lancelot Barre, and while the rest of the band was rather fluid, almost all of them were excellent musicians (Jeffrey was sub-par while he was in the band, but good enough, I guess). Ian had a talent for attracting the cream of the crop for his BaRock music. Along with Rothery the other guitar player I will always bring up as being overlooked is Martin Barre. Some of the most pleasing guitar solos in history. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/35 "2019-03-11T06:36:10Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > I think he is a great musician. Not by technique. But by how it sounds. Cortez the Killer\*, Like a Hurricane, and his acoustic playing. > > \*three note solo. Many years ago I was having this same discussion with a friend. We were listening to Live Rust, and I made the point that he was not a great technical guitarist but I loved this playing anyway. And I said he was only playing three chords. My roomate, who had a room upstairs, shouted down, "But they are the right three! Just my opinion of course. If you want to be considered a great rock star all you need to know are three cords. If you want to be a great musician you better know all of them. I love Neil Young I love his songs but put him up against someone like Steve Morse? Neil is good at what he does but instrumentally it is limited. He’s a rockstar. He’s one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He is not great on his instrument. But since he’s writing the songs and his parts he doesn’t have to be. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/36 "2019-03-11T06:56:20Z")
The other members of the Doors certainly weren’t slouches, but Ray Manzarek was playing two instruments at the same time (organ and synth bass) live on stage, and easily outshone Krieger as the lead musician in the band. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/37 "2019-03-11T08:12:01Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Dire Straits. My first instinct would be to agree but if you saw them live it was clear that Pick Withers was an excellent drummer. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/38 "2019-03-11T09:13:56Z")
> [@minlokwat](#): > > … > Then you can take the above text and replace “John Fogerty” and “Creedence Clearwater Revival” with “Robert Smith” and “The Cure” for answer number two. It must have been over 20 years since I read it, so no cite I’m afraid, but I remember an article describing **Robert Smith** as the first (Post)-Punk guitarist who could _really_ play guitar. Coincidentally, I was listening to some **Siouxie and the Banshees** last Saturday and was reminded that for a couple of years around 1984, Smith was that band’s guitarist _in parallel_, with being **The Cure** ’s leader/songwriter/lead guitarist. That’s pretty impressive as both bands were very active at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/39 "2019-03-11T09:20:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That is a great pop song. Always loved it. Hell, I had that album, and enjoyed almost every track on it, but “Straight Up” was the stand-out by far. I’d go as far as saying that it has one of the catchiest choruses of the whole 80s. And that groove… Great song, really. _Borderline_ is also good. Not _as_ good but good. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/40 "2019-03-11T13:33:41Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > Depending on which incarnation of the band, I nominate Genesis. > > When they were a trio: Tony Banks is a good keyboardist, but not an AWESOME keyboardist. Mike Rutherford is an ok bassist, and a not-so-great guitarist. Phil Collins is an AWESOME drummer. > > Go back in time, however, and Genesis doesn’t fit, because Steve Hackett is an AWESOME guitarist. As much as I would love to bag on Tony Banks (in my opinion he’s the primary reason Hackett left the band) I have to disagree with you here. Banks is an amazing keyboard player, not to mention he wrote or co-wrote about 75% of the songs in the early post-Gabriel era. When they were a trio, Banks and Collins we’re pretty much equals talent-wise, with Rutherford a distant third. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908.md?page=3)